Chapter 306
The Boeing 747-8 VIP, a behemoth in the skies, lifted off. Jin Tae-Kyung, restless in his seat, rose to his feet and began to meander through the plane's lavish interior.
"Wow, this isn't just an airplane, it's like a hotel suite! Look, Mr. Choi, there's even a bed!"
Jin Tae-Kyung marveled, his voice echoing with wonder. Choi Min-Woo, barely concealing his frustration, touched his forehead. To an outsider, their journey might seem like a jaunt to exotic locales, not a mission to a warzone.
"Um... Jin Tae-Kyung?"
"Just a moment. I’m going to ask about the drinks available here."
Aboard the private jet dispatched by the Chinese Central Committee, three stewardesses attended to their needs. Fluent in Chinese, Jin Tae-Kyung beckoned one over, engaging in a conversation that flowed effortlessly.
‘His fluency is astonishing.’
His mastery of the language mirrored that of a native speaker, his vocabulary impeccable.
Choi Min-Woo, though talented in languages, couldn't match Jin Tae-Kyung's expertise.
He wondered how Jin, with his limited formal education, had achieved such proficiency in Chinese.
Choi's thoughts were interrupted by a realization.
‘Right, he’s the one who converses with monsters, after all.’
Jin Tae-Kyung, skilled in the infernal tongue, effortlessly wove curses into his speech, a feat that left even seasoned linguists perplexed.
Inquiries about this skill were always met with a cryptic, "It's a corporate secret."
‘…Better to just give up thinking about it. It’s more peaceful that way.’
Resignation brought tranquility, a familiar sensation for Choi Min-Woo. He assumed Jin would disclose his secrets eventually.
Accepting a glass from the stewardess, Choi Min-Woo inquired,
"What kind of drink is this? It looks clear, like some kind of vodka."
"It’s Chamisul Fresh."
"…"
"I didn’t expect it, but they had soju here. Chamisul tastes best on the rocks."
Jin Tae-Kyung lounged on the sofa, steadily imbibing. Choi, taken aback by his companion's drinking prowess, quipped,
"Are you possessed by a ghost that died from not being able to drink?"
"I’m just pre-drinking. It’s bothersome to go back and forth."
"What?"
"Nothing, never mind."
Jin mumbled, his words trailing off, then inquired,
"They said it takes about six hours, right?"
"Yes, at least to Chengdu International Airport in Sichuan Province. The time might be extended in case of an emergency."
"In case of an emergency?"
"There's only one scenario that comes to mind."
Choi Min-Woo's reference to an 'emergency' hinted at the grim possibility of Chengdu falling to the monstrous forces led by a formidable Lich.
"Of course, the likelihood of that happening is slim. By now, a huge number of People's Liberation Army soldiers and hunters will be defending the place."
Chengdu, with its massive population of 100 million and a landmass double that of Korea, serves as the administrative heart of Sichuan Province.
The fall of Chengdu would symbolize the conquest of Sichuan itself.
Jin Tae-Kyung, hearing this, gestured dismissively.
"You can't go by probability. If we did, the Monster Wave wouldn't have occurred."
"Of course, but..."
"Always consider the worst. Don't just assume the best."
This might seem like casual banter, but coming from Jin Tae-Kyung, it bore a deeper resonance.
It's as if his words masked a profound diligence and the insight of a seasoned warrior, rather than the carelessness that Jin Tae-Kyung usually displayed.
‘He’s an enigmatic person.’
Choi Min-Woo occasionally felt that Jin Tae-Kyung was somewhat mysterious.
It wasn't merely his skills or combat prowess that intrigued Mr. Choi.
In conversations, Jin seemed to emanate an aura of someone who had weathered and surmounted numerous crises.
‘And he’s even younger than me.’
As Choi Min-Woo looked at him anew, Jin Tae-Kyung, who had been sipping his drink, hesitated.
“Do you want vodka instead?”
“No, Chamisul Fresh is fine.”
“Right? It has a clean taste…” [Note: this chapter is brought to you by Chamisul Fresh.]
Jin's words trailed off, his brow furrowing.
“This bastard is making a fuss again.”
“...?”
“No, not you. Some asshole keeps squawking annoyingly.”
Choi Min-Woo, eyeing the stewardesses, leaned in and murmured,
“Are you talking about the Skeleton Warlord?”
“Yes. He’s been making a scene since earlier about not wanting to go to China.”
“It’s because of the Lich.”
“Apparently, even among the Named Monsters, there are different classes. And it’s an upper-tier undead monster, after all.”
If the Lich is like a tiger's fur, the Skeleton Warlord is merely a dog's hair. Despite their status as Named monsters, their origins couldn't be more disparate.
The Lich currently at large was markedly more formidable than the one from the Great Cataclysm era.
With a grave demeanor, Choi Min-Woo began,
“Jin Tae-Kyung.”
“Oh, shut up! Yes?”
“Something’s been off lately.”
“You threw out your back?”
“No, not that. I mean the general atmosphere of the world.”
“Oh, the atmosphere. I feel that too. I just want to live peacefully, but there are all these annoying jerks causing trouble everywhere... Oh, I’m not talking about you, so be quiet.”
Choi Min-Woo, now nursing a burgeoning headache, massaged his temples.
“I’m talking about the gates and monsters.”
“Oh.”
Jin Tae-Kyung, momentarily diverted from his invisible adversary, Skeleton Warlord, looked up.
“It is strange. Named Monsters, which might appear once every few years, are popping up two at a time in just a matter of months.”
“This year, the number of gate incidents has also surged. The media, eager to criticize, talks about the carelessness of guilds and individuals, but I don’t know. The view of the International Gate Research Institute is quite the opposite.”
He handed Jin Tae-Kyung a tablet PC, its screen emblazoned with 'Investigation Results on the Sudden Increase in Gate Mana.'
“It hasn’t been officially announced, but it’s already a known fact. The mana distribution in many gates is rapidly increasing.”
“That’s the real cause of the recent gate accidents?”
“Yes.”
Mana is the source of power for monsters. If the mana distribution inside a gate increases, it’s natural for the monsters to become stronger.
And more importantly...
“I have the evidence in my hand.”
At Tae-Kyung’s declaration, Choi nodded.
The Skeleton Warlord. This Named Monster, as Jin Tae-Kyung had revealed days earlier, had undergone an 'evolution.'
The transformation was so abrupt that even the Warlord was baffled by its occurrence.
“The Lich that appeared this time might have experienced the same growth in power.”
“I had somewhat expected that. But…”
Jin Tae-Kyung brushed back his long hair.
“This is going to be tougher than I thought.”
“That’s why we need sufficient countermeasures. According to some of the information I’ve gathered about this situation…”
"I'll look at the materials later."
"What?"
"I have a lot of work to do right now."
"Work? At this moment?"
They were aboard a Boeing 747-8 VIP, cruising at 25,000 feet.
Jin Tae-Kyung's notion of 'work' seemed incongruous in this setting.
Choi Min-Woo's confusion only deepened with Jin Tae-Kyung's next revelation.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“...Sleep? You can sleep in this situation?”
“I haven’t been able to sleep properly these days.”
“Wait, just a moment.”
“Don’t wake me up under any circumstances. This is the answer for now.”
Choi Min-Woo was astounded. How could someone be so nonchalant in such circumstances?
He watched, mouth agape, as Jin Tae-Kyung wearily made his way to the aircraft's bed.
“Oh, right. Mr. Choi.”
Jin Tae-Kyung, half-hidden under the covers, added with a hint of seriousness,
“Please turn off the light.”
“…”
Choi Min-Woo stood in disbelief as Jin Tae-Kyung drifted into sleep almost immediately.
‘The profit distribution is definitely 9 to 1.’
* * *
Ding!
- [Login] completed.
That familiar alert replaced the comfort of the bed with the stiffness of a wooden counterpart.
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the unfamiliar ceiling of a Murim Alliance building.
‘I’m back.’
After a month in the outside world, here in the martial realm, mere hours had elapsed.
To my right, an elderly man, small in stature yet profound in presence, slept soundly.
Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang, undisturbed even by the sunlight bathing his face.
“I’ve returned, grandfather.”
Softly addressing the old man, I rose from the bed.
"Oh, uh, ah."
"......"
"There. Good. Yeah."
I watched Hyuk Mu-Jin, contorted in a corner of the room, his body writhing subtly.
'I'm pretty sure I left him on guard duty before logging out.'
This bastard, instead of keeping watch, is having a wet dream.
I will regret that I can't capture this moment for the Taiyuan Jin Family chat for the rest of my life.
But a well-placed kick will ease the pain.
Whack!
"Ouch!"
"Wake up, you Tokyo Hot bastard." [Note: apparently Tokyo Hot is an adult film distributor.]
Jolted awake by the sudden pain, Hyuk Mu-Jin bolted upright.
"Squad Leader, did you... ahem!"
"Yeah. Seems like you've been 'ahem-ing' yourself."
Hyuk Mu-Jin, with a sheepish grin, rubbed his eyes.
"Oh, that. There were some... circumstances."
"......"
Were there circumstances, or you were about to create some?
Looking at Hyuk Mu-Jin with a disgusted gaze, I sighed deeply.
Yes, it’s all my fault for trusting this guy.
"Phew, how long have you been asleep?"
"Not long. Really."
"Then nothing unusual happened while you were awake?"
"Yes. Until two hours ago, I made sure not even an ant could get in."
Thinking it over, I asked,
"Two hours ago? Wasn’t that when I just fell asleep?"
"Well, that's true. But I really didn’t sleep for long."
"Right. Two hours isn’t a long time to sleep."
"Yes, yes."
“So, my dear Mu-Jin followed me even into my dreams to guard me?”
Hyuk Mu-Jin nodded with frantic eagerness.
“Yes! Hyuk Mu-Jin of the Jin Dragon Squad of the great Taiyuan Jin Family! I pledge my unwavering loyalty to you, Squad Leader!”
“Oh, how admirable.”
Suppressing a laugh, I reached for a vase beside the bed.
“Then why were you making those strange moans while guarding me in your dreams?”
“Gasp.”
“Who exactly did you meet? Mimi from Honghwaru? Kirara from Tokyoru? Or the virtuous daughter from the Sundubu House?” [Note: these are all real-world restaurants.]
His mere presence irked me to the point of near combustion.
As I hoisted the vase, Hyuk Mu-Jin cautiously retreated.
“Ha, please overlook it just this once.”
“I’ve already overlooked it five hundred times.”
“Then, considering those five hundred times, just one more…”
“Just this once.”
Whoosh!
Three events unfolded in rapid succession.
First, my hand launched the vase with tremendous force. Second, it narrowly missed Hyuk Mu-Jin, who dodged in the nick of time, and hurtled towards the door.
And third, as fate would have it, the door swung open at that exact moment.
“How is Elder Jeok's condition...”
Whack!
The short, elderly man, arms laden with a small bundle, couldn’t finish his sentence.
His eyes glazed over in shock as he glanced at Hyuk Mu-Jin and me, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, before he crumpled to the floor.
Thud, bang!
The vase, having struck the old man's forehead, rolled away, scattering acupuncture needles and medical tools from his bundle across the floor.
“...!”
“...!”
And thus, the Mad Doctor of Luoyang, who had arrived early to tend to Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang, succumbed to a concussion.
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Murim Login (Novel)