208 - Murim Login

Episode 208 A Tireless Rampage. That's what I embodied at the moment. Everywhere my eyes landed, everywhere my hands reached, I cut, stabbed, and crushed without hesitation. Each flash of my spear brought forth a spray of blood, cleaving through flesh and bone. I moved effortlessly among the massive ogres, unhindered by any constraints. Swish! Crack! “Guraargh!” With a final scream, a towering figure of three meters fell to its knees. The gate continued to spew out ogres, but they posed no problem to me. When two emerged, I slew three, and when three appeared, I vanquished four. ‘Easy. Almost unbelievable.’ The last time I adjusted my stats was during my duel with Cheolwoo. However, the opening of my energy channels greatly enhanced my control, power, and senses. Even the iron clubs of these mighty ogres seemed to descend upon me in slow motion. In my eyes, they were nothing but fools who couldn't harness the power they possessed. Whoosh! Thud! “Grurgh…” Another ogre, the count of which I've lost track of, collapsed with a grotesque gurgle. The furry hand that tried to grasp the spear embedded in its throat went limp and fell. Ding. -[You defeated Lv.85 Ogre! - Gained a significant amount of experience! - Level up! “Oh.” Already leveling up. Defeating them solo is causing my experience to skyrocket at an astonishing rate. ‘Is it because they're all higher-level than me?’ Currently, I'm in the mid-70s, so there's a 5 to 10 level difference with these ogres at the least. Cutting through them like butcher’s work means the experience points are bountiful and leveling up is inevitable. Wait a minute.’ A fleeting thought crossed my mind. I eyed the gate, continuously spewing ogres, with a gleam in my eye. This is practically…… ‘A feast.’ Experience, or rather monsters, keep pouring out of the gate and I just keep slaughtering them. If the process repeats steadily… ‘It’s like conveyor belt sushi right here.’ The experience gained from ogres is sweeter than prime tuna. Just thinking about savoring each one for points made my lips curl into a smile. Whoooom. Ratatatata! - Halt, halt! - Coming down! With the sound of fierce winds, several combat helicopters hovered over, and two dozen hunters dropped down like thunderbolts. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! From over 20 meters up. At that height, even the best-equipped hunters would strain their knees. However, these newcomers were different from the previous ragtag crowd I'd encountered. “Feather Fall” With the mage's incantation, the magical energy in the air created a cushioning wave. The quickly descending bodies slowed down. As ogres poised to swing their clubs hesitated at the shift in speed, another spell came into play. “Grease!” “Guh?” Bam! Crash! The remaining four ogres lost their balance and stumbled or collapsed. “Now!” With a shout, the speed-reducing spell lifted, and the melee fighters charged in like streaks of light. In that fleeting moment when the ogres sense their impending doom and let out low growls. Clang! Clang clang! “… Huh?” The hunters, just about to plunge their weapons into the ogres’ chests, turned their bewildered expressions towards me. ‘What the hell is this guy doing?’ ‘Is he out of his mind?’ Their faces clearly conveyed the thought. Having deflected their attacks with a single swing, I spoke in a calm voice. “Hey, let's adhere to some professional courtesy.” Where do these guys get off trying to steal a mob someone else already caught? “Did this really happen?” Upon hearing the full story, the captain glanced at the hunter team leader, who nodded. “Yes, that's the first such person I've encountered in my two years on the support team.” “What an interesting person.” “Interesting? He's totally crazy.” “I wonder.” The captain slowly surveyed the surroundings. The toll gate was demolished beyond recognition, and the roadway was dotted with monster blood. There were overturned and broken cars too, but not many. “How many casualties are there?” Both soldiers and hunters are registered under the government’s military support team. To the captain's question, the hunter team leader replied briskly. “Currently four dead and five critically injured, although further investigation is required.” “Four dead, five critically injured.” The captain muttered calmly as he continued. “There've been two gate occurrences already today.” “Indeed. About an hour ago, an F-grade gate opened in Yangju. It's concerning to think something might really happen.” At the hunter leader's comment, the captain clicked his tongue. “Hey, Team Leader Jeong.” “Yes.” “An F-grade gate opened in the heart of the town, smack on the way to work. And then a B-grade gate. Which seems more serious to you?” “Well……” “But the F-grade gate had more casualties – ten dead and over twenty critically injured.” “What? That can’t be. In the breaking news, they said…” “Suppression, concealment. After two years, you should start grasping the situation. Understand the place we're in.” The captain sighed deeply. “From our perspective, we owe him countless thanks. Isn’t he essentially a civilian hero who prevented a disaster single-handedly?” “Well, true. He’s a bit crazy though.” “Team Leader Jeong.” “Oh, no, what I mean is, he's an insanely strong madman. He took down more than ten ogres by himself, so he's at least an A-rank hunter.” “Anyway, mind your words. There are many ears listening.” “They’re all our people; who is there to hear…” Oh.” The team lead's face crumpled at the sight towards which the captain nodded. A wiry middle-aged man with an expansive camera approached them, practically skipping. “Hey, Captain Yoo! Team Leader Jeong! Where have you been hiding? I’ve been looking all over.” The hunter team leader responded with a clearly annoyed expression. “Avoiding you, Reporter Kim.” “Oh, why so prickly today, Team Leader Jeong? I’m part of the support team too.” “Only in situations like this are you part of the team. Aren’t you a military journalist most of the time, constantly grumbling about hangovers, but now suddenly overjoyed about catching a scoop?” The captain stepped in, cutting the reporter some slack. "Let's ease up. Reporter Kim, please be mindful. This is a serious incident site; getting too excited over a scoop doesn’t sit well." "…Ahem. I’ll be more cautious in the future." Despite his words, the reporter's eyes gleamed with anticipation. A gate occurrence is akin to a natural disaster. In some ways, it's even more unpredictable. Unlike a typhoon, which can be forecasted and tracked, a gate appears without warning. "A gate appearing twice in one day is unprecedented, and a B-ranked one at that." The unknown hunter, like a hero, emerged to stop a potential catastrophe during the morning rush, leaving an overwhelmed toll gate security in his wake. The image is powerful. With the scene already sketched in his mind, the reporter was buzzing. "So, where’s our hero now? An A-rank hunter, huh? What’s his name? A fresh face like this is gold for the story." “A fresh face, indeed.” The hunter team leader frowned and gestured behind the reporter. "He’s right over there, the 'new face'." "Where? I can’t see him." The reporter looked around but saw no shining armor-clad hero, only the government officials busy managing the scene. As he scanned around, his gaze finally settled on someone. "Hey, Team Leader Jeong, is it that guy by the ogre carcass?" “The one in the tracksuit bottoms, yes.” Meticulously, a young man squatted, deftly separating fat, flesh, and skin as if preparing ingredients. “...That’s too ‘new’ of a face.” “Isn’t fresh what you wanted?” “Well, it does look fresh… the ogre meat.” “He’s been doing that for a while. The staff offered to help, but he won't let anyone else touch it. Says it’s his.” What’s more amusing is his skill. Even the two assigned butchers were sneaking glances, trying to mimic his movements. “Are you sure he’s an A-rank hunter?” “Beats me. He soloed all those ogres, so he must be, but honestly…” “When Team Leader Jeong asked him, he said to talk after he's done butchering.” As the three exchanged glances of mixed belief, the man in question straightened up, having sliced the supposedly tough ogre meat as if it were mackerel. The reporter muttered, eyeing the tripped-out tracksuit pants and the three-striped slippers. "For someone rolling in money, why live like that?" Is this some sort of deception? It was baffling but refreshing. After all, in media, character is everything. ‘A laid-back, righteous A-rank hunter—this ought to make for good storytelling. Plus, he’s got striking features.’ In a way, such a depiction was more intriguing than a conventional, upstanding image. With a grin, the reporter raised his camera, aiming for an un-staged, genuine shot. 'Ogres indeed. Every part is valuable.' Surveying the neatly sorted by-products, I wore a satisfied smile. Ogres, symbols of raw power, are popular, especially among men. Demand was high, but supply low due to their B-rank classification. 'Good thing I went for the vital points.' Humming, I continued sorting the parts when suddenly— Click. "...Hmm?" Startled by the mechanical sound, I turned to see a middle-aged man busily clicking away with his camera, smiling amiably. "Oh, did I startle you?" What the hell is this guy? I asked, bewildered. “Normally, people don’t enjoy being photographed without permission, do they?” "Well, you might appreciate it tomorrow when you see the newspaper." "Newspaper?" “Oh, sorry for the late introduction. Here’s my card.” Taking the business card, decorated with a military pattern, I read: “Military Journalist.” “You know the Capital Defense Command, right? I’m a military journalist with the 25th Support Team.” “Oh, right.” “And the two behind me are part of the support team as well.” Smiling with a thumbs-up, two figures clad in Special Forces uniforms and armor approached. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Captain Yoo Si-jin, of the 25th Support Team.” “Ah, yes.” What a commanding name. I exchanged introductions with a tilt of my head. Rivers of compliments flowed for my significant achievement, and the heated gaze of the military journalist returned as he opened his mouth again. “Hunter Jin Taekyung, right?” “Yes, that’s me.” "I cover A-rank hunters extensively, and yet… Oh, I think I know what you’re about to say." It’s something I’ll inevitably face. I answered casually. “I’m not an A-rank.” “Sorry?” “Not an S-rank either.” "...... ?” The trio looked at me, question marks written all over their faces. This is amusing. ‘I was tossed around in the other world, but in reality, I conceal my power.’ This should be a novel title. The reporter, seemingly confused, fumbled with his words. "Th-then, perhaps a B-rank…” “Nope, C-rank.” "...C-rank? Not C-cup, C-rank?” “Yes.” What nonsense about a C-cup... why are you even looking at my chest? Ignoring the skeptical glances, I continued. "I was on my way to the guild, but stumbled into the gate opening..." "And so?" “Ah.” The reporter, appearing pressed, prompted a memory I’d momentarily forgotten. "……What time is it right now?" Damn, I'm late.