96 - Murim Login

Episode 96 Kim Junsu belongs to the security team of the Sangdong Guild and is a C-rank hunter. While he had no talent whatsoever for elemental magic, he thankfully awakened as a rare mental magic user, allowing him to live a somewhat successful life. 'Except for the part where I can't go home.' What does owning a house over 100 pyeong* matter when you're never there? Being the only familiar magician in the Sangdong Guild, he was never short of work. The raid teams at least clock out after gate runs, but the security team has no such luxury, staying up all night at ever-changing hideouts. "Junsu, did you pull an all-nighter?" "Yes." A colleague from the security team clicked his tongue upon seeing Kim Junsu's haggard face. He was one of the few staying behind to protect the valuable familiar magician. "That's tough. How is it that guy never steps out of his house?" "Right? We've been watching for days, and he's only come out twice: once to a real estate in Goyang City and once to a store in Ilsan." "That's why it's better when the target's a smoker. At least they step out for a smoke." Even after acquiring a new cat familiar and waiting all night in front of the apartment entrance, the target remained immobile. The only event of note was almost getting chased away by the security guard when the cat wailed out of boredom. "The Peace Guild? They looked small; aren't they doing any raids?" "They're on vacation right now." "Vacation?" "Yeah, a friend in Team 2 is watching the other Peace Guild members, and they're all on break." "Oh... How's it over there?" "They withdrew yesterday. Just one woman and an older guy; they wrapped it up pretty quickly. From the team leader's reaction, it seems they found something worthwhile, but I'm not really sure." "Sigh, we should just wrap up over here too." Junsu let out a deep sigh, shown sympathy by his colleague. "There must be a reason the guild paired you, the only one with a familiar magic ability, with this task, right?" "Still, I'm just a C-rank hunter. Putting so much effort into this doesn't seem right." "What can we do? Orders are orders. Even when the team leader pushes, we have to bear with it." "They need to ease up. If they'd just cooperated with that Hong Woo-jin guy, this could've been settled long ago." "The guild wants to show off, I guess. Our security team is better than Hong Woo-jin. Look at my excellent leadership. Especially when it's reorganization season later this year, the team leader is understandably anxious." "...It's maddening." "Absolutely maddening." Kim Junsu wanted to tear his hair out but held back. He'd just started to regrow it like spring shoots. 'Ugh, the doctor said stress worsens hair loss.' Though he couldn't even perform simple light magic, if a civilian doctor could promise him a full head of hair, he'd practically praise them as the Messiah. 'Come to think of it, it seems like my hair didn't fall out much today,' he was touching the top of his head with some caution when— "Target confirmed. Target confirmed. On the move!" A low but urgent voice of a colleague crackled over the walkie-talkie. Not only the two people in the room but even the snoring security team leader from the next room shot to his feet. Slurp! He wiped the drool from his mouth and shouted. "Hey, Kim Junsu!" Damn it. I haven't even had breakfast. Using the familiar magic will make more hair fall out! 'Dammit, as soon as this contract ends, I'm going to ditch this guild.' Swallowing his tears, Kim Junsu summoned his mana. His head heated up as his consciousness was drawn in. 'Faithful servant, answer my call. Link!' Fwoosh! And in the next moment, the kitten lying beneath a car jerked its eyes open. Meow. I halted my steps, and there it was—a bundle of black fur suddenly popping out with a mewl. [Lv.2 Cat - Another cat as a familiar. Are they lacking creativity? Ah, something did change; this one's fur is pitch black.] Myaong. Myang. The kitten came confidently, rubbing its entire body against my slippers. Whoever the caster was must have experience in clubs. 'Geez, I'm really not into this kind of attention.' However, thanks to the appearance of this new familiar, I could piece together a new fact. 'Are these guys not on the same side?' Two noticeable cat familiars appearing in just a day apart? A decidedly poor approach. Instead, it strongly felt like they were hastily imitating. Nyan! At the sight of the cat crying for attention, I chuckled. "Hey, it's cute." Should I take this one with me or not... My mind was whirling when— "The kitty is very affectionate. Are you taking care of it?" A man dragged his slippers and approached. He appeared to be in his early 40s, with an exceedingly ordinary face. His stretched-out t-shirt and ramen-stained soccer shorts evoked a sense of familiarity. "No, it seems like a stray, but it's suddenly acting all sweet." "Oh wow, it's a complete gooey kitty." "Yeah, maybe it's that all these neighborhood cats are just extra friendly." "Yesterday too?" Yeah, I picked one up yesterday, too. It was another gooey cat." "How fascinating." The man took a drag from his half-burnt cigarette. "Looks like even animals have fate. Maybe it shows affection because you seem like a good owner." "Come on, a good owner? I think that's just its personality." "Is that so? Hey, hey, come here." The cat wouldn't budge even at the man's coaxing. In fact, it nestled further between my legs. "Wow, look at this guy. At such a young age, he can already tell people apart." As I just smiled silently, the man asked. "So, are you going to raise it?" "Well, I have urgent business right now. If it's here when I get back, maybe I'll keep it for a few days." "Who knows if it'll stay here until then, right, Nabi?" Mew. "It won't take long. I'm just heading over to the real estate right in front." "Oh, by the way, I've never seen you around before. I know most people around here because I've lived here a long time. Are you moving in since you're going to the real estate?" --- *Note: "pyeong" is a Korean unit of area commonly used for real estate, roughly equal to 3.3 square meters or about 35.5 square feet. "I live elsewhere. I only come by occasionally to see the family and had a small matter at the real estate." "Ah, I see..." With a sigh, the last smoke drifted away in the wind. The man flicked the cigarette butt to the ground and spoke. "I guess I've been keeping a busy man. You're not upset, are you?" "Not at all." "That's a relief. Let's acknowledge each other next time we meet. Neighborly and all." I replied, "Yes, neighborly." "Then, I'll get going. With the weather this nice, I ought to take a walk around the neighborhood." With a friendly smile, the man ambled off. Watching his shrinking figure with shuffling steps, I mused. 'He's a good actor.' Meow. Right, you were here too. I had met two actors just upon leaving the house. A stray cat and a neighbor, both disguised as performers. "I'll be back soon, so behave and wait right here, okay?" The cat tilted its head as if wondering what I was saying. But I knew. It understood me and would be right here even hours later. And one more thing. [Lv.42 Kim Gwon-dong] I knew there were no hunters living in the adjacent building to mine. 'They're definitely not on the same side.' The appearances of the two performers turned my suspicion into certainty. My steps towards the real estate in front of my house felt noticeably lighter. A middle-aged man, shabby and humming to himself in slippers, commonly seen, was dragging his feet along, a cigarette in his mouth as he rounded the corner. "Let’s see, where's the lighter..." His hands moved slowly through his pockets while his eyes darted quickly around. Once he confirmed no one else was around, instead of a lighter, he pulled out a miniature walkie-talkie. "Did I do okay with the acting? Maybe I picked the wrong career; should've been an actor instead of a hunter, right?" - It's the Team Leader. Thunk. The cigarette fell from his mouth. Now that his mouth was free, it moved wordlessly. Damn, I'm screwed. Catching his wits quickly, the C-rank hunter from the security team, Kim Gwon-dong, responded. "Ah, yes. Team Leader." - Hey, Gwon-dong, you were good at acting. You could quit the guild and head to Hollywood. "I'm sorry." - No need to apologize, just a compliment. Anyway, how's the target? Didn't smell anything, right? "I don't think so." Even though he would've already heard the conversation through Kim Junsu using familiar magic, he was confirming once again for a simple reason. A cat's perspective couldn't capture everything about the target clearly. - You sure? 100 percent? "90 percent." - Kid, is 90 percent certain? You need to be confident at times like this. "Premature judgment can lead to mistakes." Kim Gwon-dong cursed at the team leader inside. 'What’s the point in being confident if you're going to scold me first if things go wrong later.' One has to create an escape route like this. To get Gwon-dong's 90 percent, the team leader's 10 percent needs to be added for completion. - I like seeing that kind of responsible attitude. You know the next move? The cheerful voice of the team leader was a signal that it's now 100 percent sure. Kim Gwon-dong subtly shifted his steps to avoid a resident walking over from afar. “I’ll naturally linger around and observe the surroundings.” - Sure, report any anomalies right away. - Good job. Their conversation, lasting just about a minute, wasn’t overheard by anyone. Kim Gwon-dong then pulled out a real lighter, lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply. "Damn, I'm gonna die of lung cancer before I die to monsters." The security team leader sprang into action. There are three in total watching from the outside. Instructions need to be passed to the other two, ensuring everything goes smoothly. "Unit 1." - Unit 1, in position. "We’re on all channels, right? What's the status of the real estate the target is headed to?" - Two nearby stores, both equipped with wiretap magic devices. “Well done. Target’s location?” - Not visible yet... Ah, it's approaching now. About 300 meters out. “Move out. We've got equipment in place, no need to make contact.” - Yes. Will report any incidents immediately. “Okay. Unit 2?” - On standby at the current location. A deep voice came through the walkie-talkie. Hearing a teammate’s voice from another store around, the security team leader nodded. “Keep a watch in case it changes course.” - Got it. Four C-rank hunters specializing in stealth and tracking, along with a familiar magician. Though they lacked in combat strength, every one of them was a seasoned veteran in this field. 'Quite a lavish lineup just to tail one C-rank hunter.' There was initial wariness. The guild master had given specific instructions about the target. 'He reportedly cleared a B-rank Gate solo, right?' But the more information they gathered and the more they observed, the more they realized how inaccurate their suspicions had been. The final nail in the coffin was learning that the information source was Im Chang-soo. 'That reckless fool must’ve told lies to save his own skin.' A typical C-rank hunter—one you could find anywhere. That’s exactly how Jin Tae-gyeong appeared in his eyes. Beep - Target is entering the real estate. The walkie-talkie of the observing team member crackled. The Sangdong Guild security team braced themselves.