Murim Login - Chapter 380

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 380
Shao Shen realized it for the first time.
Roooaaarrr!
Witnessing an aircraft plummeting toward the ground with both wings engulfed in flames—that was when one understood what it meant to be seized by primal terror that transcended species.
– Uuuaaahhhhh!
Even the notoriously ferocious ogres and trolls shrieked in despair.
– Grrrraaahhh!
Even the ghouls, the slowest among all undead monsters, ran with sweat pouring down their feet.
– Screeeech!
「Ah, ah, ahhhhh….」
Those monsters capable of screaming were the fortunate ones.
Shao Shen and most of the others stood frozen like statues, watching helplessly as the aircraft hurtled toward the ground.
‘I need to escape….’
But my legs and arms wouldn’t move.
Worse still, Shao Shen and the Public Security Armed Force hunters, surrounded in the heart of the battlefield, weren’t even given the chance to flee.
‘Is this the end?’
That same thought flashed through everyone’s mind in that instant.
BOOOOOM!
With a deafening roar that made ears ring, the massive fuselage of the aircraft swept across the battlefield.
And that earth-shattering collision began from the rear of the monster horde that had been scattering like ants.
Craaash! Crunch!
The colossal mass of steel, weighing dozens of tons, obliterated and shattered everything in its path.
Green blood sprayed from the monsters like fountains, and limbs of all sizes flew in every direction.
‘What, what in the world is this….’
No matter how exceptional the monsters’ physical defenses were, there were limits. Nothing could stop the aircraft that had become a monster blender.
– Grrrrr…!
– Shrieeeek!
Craaunch!
The sickening sound of tearing flesh buried the monsters’ screams. A scene of utter carnage unlike anything witnessed or heard before.
As Shao Shen and the hunters stood transfixed by this unimaginable spectacle, a voice filled with madness pierced their ears.
“Monsters! Crushing them! Killing them!”
「…!」
Even amid this chaos, the unmistakable words in their native tongue made the Public Security Armed Force hunters think of reinforcements, while Shao Shen was struck with shock.
‘An incredibly powerful being!’
The immense mana infused in that voice—this had to be an S-rank Hunter.
“Go! Airplaaane!”
「…」
Definitely a slightly unhinged S-rank Hunter.
Bringing tactics from the island nation’s World War II era. Did they not consider that our own forces might die in the process?
‘Seems like someone dispatched from the Central Military Commission… but did our country have an S-rank Hunter like that?’
A sudden question arose. Yet now it would be of little consequence to Shao Shen.
A colossal mass of steel, grinding through monsters and bisecting half the battlefield, was hurtling toward him and the hunters.
—Screech, screech!
“Run!”
In the struggle for survival, there was no distinction between ally and enemy.
Shao Shen, forgetting the human directly before him, thrust his dagger toward the monster colliding into him.
Squelch!
—Gurgle.
The lifeless body of the monster crumbled toward Shao Shen.
Hemmed in by monsters pressing from all directions, unable to move even a step, Shao Shen felt the crushing weight bearing down upon him and cried out.
“The battle is not over! Fight until the very end!”
That was right. The battle was far from finished. A hunter’s purpose was to slay monsters until their final, dying breath.
The hunters who heard Shao Shen’s cry gritted their teeth and swung their weapons with renewed fury.
‘That should do it.’
With lightning-swift precision, Shao Shen drove his dagger into the back of the fleeing ogre’s skull and drew a deep breath.
The massive fuselage of the aircraft, now mere twenty meters ahead, loomed into view.
Though its speed had diminished considerably from before, evading it seemed impossible when pinned in place.
‘I have no regrets.’
To die as a proud hunter of the Middle Kingdom, fighting for the people—that would be enough.
In that moment, as Shao Shen closed his eyes to the screams raining down from all sides—
“Heave-ho.”
Crunch-crunch-crunch! Splash!
Drenched in what appeared to be blood, Shao Shen found himself thinking.
‘…Heave-ho?’
Wasn’t it usually a death cry?
Puzzled by the strange utterance, Shao Shen cautiously opened his eyelids.
And at last he could see it: the aircraft, halted just steps away, and two men conversing casually before it.
“Well, we’ve arrived. Since it might explode, take the people and get down quickly.”
“…Jin Tae-kyung. Everyone has lost consciousness.”
“Is that so? How fragile.”
“…Without the barrier magic, they would have died.”
“Then have Choi Team Leader carry them. Oh, right. Did that bastard who called himself Bangs survive?”
“Yes. He’s… alive, at least.”
“Then keep watch over him carefully. I’ll have plenty to say to him when we return.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
Shao Shen could make no sense of this situation whatsoever.
Who, when, where, what, how, why—this spectacle defied even the five W’s and one H.
‘How did the aircraft suddenly stop? Who are these people? Were they not hunters sent by the Central Military Commission?’
Moreover, the two men were speaking in different languages.
Though he could not understand the words of the refined-looking man, he recognized which country’s language it was.
For a long time, it has been the neighboring country right next door—Korea.
‘Wait. If they’re Korean…!’
Shao Shen hastily wiped away the blood that clung to the corners of his eyes. Only then could he recognize the person.
A muscular young man whose head stood a full head taller than most.
The man he’d only ever seen on TV—his idol—was standing right before him.
「Excuse me, are you perhaps the esteemed Master Jin from Korea?」
“Huh?”
The young man, Jin Tae-kyung, tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Shao Shen.
“I’m not a master.”
「Then you must be the Skeleton…」
“…Skeleton. What about it.”
That’s him!
Shao Shen trembled as relief and hope flooded through his entire body.
* * *
‘How in the world does this Chinese person know about the Skeleton Warlord?’
News about me did make a brief stir in foreign media, but I never expected that nickname to have spread this far.
The Skeleton Warlord who makes the five oceans and six continents tremble.
When I go to America, those brawny American guys might just come up to me with beer bottles and pretend to recognize me.
‘Hey, you. Skeleton Warlord?’
I’m fine, thanks. Skeleton. Seriously, what kind of lunatics came up with such a ridiculous nickname.
Anyway…
“It’s a mess.”
That was my brief assessment as I looked around.
Choi Team Leader, who had bundled up the unconscious crew members like dried fish, and the Skeleton Warlord stashed away in my inventory, both responded.
“A horrific sight indeed.”
– Wicked human, this commander finds this place most agreeable. It feels familiar and nostalgic.
“…”
When a named undead monster—the very embodiment of death itself—finds satisfaction in it, there’s nothing more to say.
“Thrown into real combat the moment we arrive.”
As if responding to my complaint, a system notification chimed.
Ding.
– Sudden Quest,
[Unexpected Assault]
has been generated.
So that’s why they were paying so much. I clicked my tongue inwardly and opened my mouth.
“Choi Team Leader, first protect the civilians, and then handle the rest as you see fit. Don’t overexert yourself.”
“Yes. I was already planning to do that.”
Choi Team Leader is a smart man. He’s grown incomparably stronger since learning the Jin Family’s internal techniques, but he would never be reckless about it.
“And you there, young man.”
「Yes, yes. Master Jin.」
What do you mean, teacher? I looked the young man up and down as he answered so briskly.
Though his face was youthful, he was unmistakably a Hunter—and a powerful one at that, seemingly around S-Rank. Unlike the other Hunters around him who wore identical armor as if stamped from a factory, he bore a crimson insignia on his shoulder.
“I can see you hold some rank. Keep your subordinates in check. Let’s save at least one more person.”
「Y-yes?」
“This is just the beginning.”
As I spoke, I extended my fist.
Boom!
Torrents of scorching solar essence erupted forth, lashing out at the Monsters standing in stunned silence.
Where the searing heat swept through, only dozens of Monster corpses remained.
“Why are you all staring like that? Did someone press a pause button?”
“…!”
– …!
My single word served as the signal.
The silence that had pressed down upon the battlefield shattered and awakened.
– Roooaarrr!
「K-kill them! Hold back the Monsters!」
Human and Monster, Monster and human.
The battle of death and slaughter begins. I pulled White Flame from where it was embedded deep in the ground and swung it.
Slash!
Not half water, half flesh—Monsters swarmed in all directions.
The crescent-shaped aura extending from the spear’s blade swept across the clustered Monster horde.
Ding.
–
[Lv.15 Undead Goblin]
has been defeated!
–
[Lv.78 Undead Lycanthrope]
has been defeated!
–
[Lv.93 Dullahan]
has been defeated!
–
[Lv.30 Skeleton]
has been defeated!
.
.
.
– The level gap is significant. Minimal experience gained!
System notifications announcing Monster defeats and experience gains ring out ceaselessly.
Notifications I would normally dismiss with one ear or ignore entirely.
However, this time it served as an important clue.
“Don’t tell me these bastards…”
– Ah yes, cunning human! Such a powerful undead legion!
The Skeleton Warlord’s cry, brimming with elation, was enough to transform my suspicion into certainty.
‘Now that I think about it, something felt off.’
I had already sensed the absence of life force from them, which had troubled me.
While the number of still-living monsters was considerable, more than half of them existed in an undead state. Altogether, they numbered over two thousand—a formidable army.
“And the undead monsters are…”
The Skeleton Warlord cried out with unbridled enthusiasm.
– Beautiful! Magnificent! Valiant!
Slash!
I muttered as I cut down five monsters in succession.
“Do you want to vanish like that one just now? Beautifully, magnificently, valiantly?”
– …I misspoke. I apologize, cunning human.
The Skeleton Warlord hastily added, momentarily forgetting its own predicament.
– Wait. Then it must be under someone’s control!
My thoughts aligned with his.
Yet one thing remained uncertain…
“The Lich. Did that creature personally intervene?”
– Hmm. If you’re referring to that Lich from the holographic footage you showed me last time, then probably not.
I took a half-step forward as I listened to the Skeleton Warlord’s response.
Boom!
A massive iron club whistles past my shoulder, shattering the ground. An ordinary ogre, still brimming with life force.
– Grraaaagh!
“Sure, I’ll roast you.”
Thud!
The ogre’s chest erupts with dark green blood as it takes the Flame Divine Palm directly.
I pass through its collapsing corpse and draw White Flame diagonally downward.
Whoooosh! Crack!
Space tears open, and the monsters caught within are carved to pieces.
Leaving behind a Chinese hunter who stares at me blankly, drenched in blood and viscera, I clench my fist.
Roooar.
Scorching heat rushes toward my fist, then erupts forward.
Kaboom!
Extinguishing Flame Divine Fist.
A towering pillar of flame engulfs the monsters.
Accompanied by the acrid stench of burning flesh, the few survivors shriek in agony.
Such destructive power that both monster and hunter momentarily forget to fight.
The Skeleton Warlord spoke in a faltering voice.
– Y-you cunning human. You’ve become even more of a monster.
“Being called a monster by a monster feels oddly surreal. But setting that aside, if it’s not the Lich, who in the world is causing all this chaos?”
– Well, even I don’t know. But there is one thing I can guarantee.
“Guarantee? What?”
– That this creature’s undead control is inferior to mine. Ahahaha! My legions! How I miss you!
“….”
Kill this bastard. Or keep it alive.
As I wrestled with the dilemma, a sudden thought struck me like lightning, and I froze.
“Wait, what did you just say?”
– Ahahaha! Did you feel the majesty of my command? Cunning human!
“Vanish or speak.”
– …I’ll speak. But what are you asking about?
“That thing you said about undead control.”
– Well, isn’t that obvious? I am the Skeleton Warlord. Compared to those creatures, naturally… huh?
A brief silence.
We were thinking the same thing. I swallowed hard and cautiously broached the subject.
“Try it. That thing.”
– ….
“Will you or will you vanish?”
The Skeleton Warlord opened its mouth.
– Now, grow, grow, bones and bones….
In that instant, the forms of the undead monsters locked in fierce combat suddenly froze.
‘…It actually works.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————