Murim Login - Chapter 411

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 411
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.
My instincts reacted before my mind could process the situation.
The sound of people’s breathing and the monsters’ agonized shrieks faded as if echoing from kilometers away, while my senses—sharper than ever—absorbed every detail of my surroundings.
Whoooosh.
Blood droplets, soil, and dust scattered lazily through the air. A mist so tangible I could almost grasp it with an outstretched hand.
And….
‘Qi.’
I felt it—the tremendous surge of qi rippling across hundreds of meters in all directions. The moment a crimson alarm bell tolled in my mind, I pushed off the ground and launched skyward.
“Get down—!”
Boom!
A blinding flash erupted, followed by a deafening roar that shook heaven and earth. From ten meters above, I surveyed the battlefield.
Just seconds before, the area centered on where I’d been standing—hundreds of meters in radius—lay completely devastated.
Between the lingering mist and billowing dust clouds, I could see the ground carpeted with green blood and the mangled corpses of monsters scattered in pieces.
‘A Magic Trap.’
Facing an enemy that doesn’t reveal itself means preparing for every conceivable scenario.
‘War knows no mercy.’
The countless wars recorded throughout human history stand as witness, prosecutor, and judge.
Humans commit unspeakable atrocities against one another during war—how much more so against monsters, creatures that aren’t even human? Expecting mercy from them would be absurd.
That’s why vigilance is an essential virtue in warfare. It reduces the chances of falling into enemy traps and minimizes casualties.
Just as it did now.
Tap.
I descended gently to the ground and extended my hand. A sharp crack—compressed air burst outward, scattering the dust cloud.
Among the blood and corpses that filled the space, familiar faces finally became visible.
“Choi Team Leader.”
Choi Team Leader took a deep breath and nodded. Behind him, roughly two hundred members of the Suicide Squad stood with expressions of shock and relief.
“We have some wounded, but… everyone is alive.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“It was an incredibly powerful trap. Without it, most of us—myself included—would probably be dead.”
Whoosh, hum.
Choi Team Leader reached out and touched the transparent barrier shimmering before us.
The barrier enveloping the entire Suicide Squad was a magical shield painstakingly inscribed onto a scroll by one of the world’s top three grand mages—each stroke infused with meticulous care.
“Once this battle ends, I’ll need to find Mr. Johnson first. We owe our lives to his magic.”
“Are you planning to give him a kiss of gratitude?”
“At this moment, I’d be willing to do anything.”
Shao Shen exhaled the breath he’d been holding and responded to Choi Team Leader’s words.
「I’m capable of even more. This is truly….」
He trailed off, looking around at the devastation.
The explosion had been catastrophic—over a thousand monsters lay dead or incapacitated in its wake.
An indiscriminate trap. The Arch Lich had sacrificed countless subordinates like kindling to ensnare me and the Suicide Squad.
‘Look at this bastard….’
I’d anticipated it to some degree, but the Arch Lich’s cunning and audacity exceeded my expectations.
Had my signal been even slightly delayed, or had I not taken the initiative to clear a path and serve as bait, the entire Suicide Squad would have been buried here.
‘Just like that day.’
A memory I would never forget for the rest of my life. Such a tragedy must never happen again.
I turned and spoke.
“Maintain your distance and follow. Our objective isn’t to engage the monsters—it’s to break through them.”
The Suicide Squad answered with a thunderous roar. The monster legion, which had lost considerable numbers in the sudden explosion and descended into chaos, faltered and retreated.
The moment crisis transforms into opportunity. I could not afford to miss this momentum.
“Charge—!”
I launched forward with the Azure Dragon’s Roar, channeling my power through my spear. With a sickening crunch, the monster’s neck snapped upward into the void.
Toward the gap created by the explosion’s aftermath, two hundred members of the Suicide Squad drove forward like an awl, with the main force behind them crashing in like a tidal wave.
Waaaaaaaaa—!
A dull roar that shook the entire battlefield. Emerald blood spreading through the mist.
And high above, a flock of crows circled, observing the carnage below.
* * *
Upon a throne crafted from bone, the being that had been sitting as if asleep suddenly opened its eyes.
Intense light blazed forth from the hollow sockets of the skull, accompanied by a low, rasping voice.
– Impressive.
The Arch Lich possessed hundreds of eyes and ears.
Even now, in this very moment, the Familiars stationed throughout the battlefield captured every detail of the unfolding situation.
Humans and monsters locked in fierce combat. And the mass of humans rapidly breaking through their lines.
‘Suicide Squad. Yes, that’s what they called themselves.’
The Arch Lich suddenly recalled a memory. An ancient, musty memory. One that had persisted through eons spent submerged in the River of Death—a memory that could not be forgotten, that would not be forgotten.
‘The Adversary.’
How could I forget? The human who stood at the center of everything. The Suicide Squad that charged forward unto death itself alongside the Adversary.
‘It was that bastard who drove a blade through my body.’
The Arch Lich gazed upon its own form, composed of jet-black bone.
In the past, it had been no mere undead. It was a noble and mighty being, trusted by the King, commanding countless monsters beyond measure.
Yet on the day of that final battle, it too fell alongside the King. Defeated by the hands of a mere human.
– But where is the Adversary?
The Arch Lich’s voice carried a note of confusion.
Though it had surveyed all the battle lines through its Familiars, the Adversary—who should have appeared—was nowhere to be found. It had detected a few humans from its memories, but nothing more.
‘Could it be?’
Suddenly, the Arch Lich’s eyes blazed with fierce intensity as a thought struck it.
Impossible though it seemed. If the Adversary had died. If it had met the fate of a mortal?
– Kha, khahahaha!
The statue-like form convulsed. The laughter infused with magical power caused the ground to tremble and the air to shudder.
The honor guard, sensing a shift in their master’s disposition, prostrated themselves.
– My Lord.
– Why do you ask such a thing?
The escort’s members were magnificent. Each one was a Death Knight, beings that rivaled named monsters. And when you counted all the Liches wearing their deep robes, the number reached twenty.
Creations forged to stand against adversaries. Yet now, my thoughts have shifted.
The Arch Lich, who had been laughing with unbridled joy, finally opened his mouth.
– Hear me, my faithful servants.
– We await your command.
The Arch Lich rose from his seat and gazed down upon his loyal subordinates. Soon, a desolate voice resonated through the space.
– Go to the Battlefield. Trample those insignificant humans and sweep them away.
The twenty Death Knights and Liches bowed their heads without the slightest hesitation.
The Arch Lich was the lord of all undead in this place. There could be no wavering in obeying his commands.
– We shall obey the lord’s decree.
Speaking in unison, they advanced in their respective directions.
The space fell silent once more. The Arch Lich, laughing alone upon his skeletal throne, focused his consciousness.
He who had been surveying the Battlefield through the eyes and ears of countless familiars suddenly paused.
– But… what exactly is that human?
In the black eyes of a raven soaring through the sky, the image of a young human appeared—carving through monsters and painting the air crimson with blood.
A face that did not exist in memories of the past. Yet it was a face he had already seen through his familiars days ago.
– Ah, so it is that human who slew the Death Knight Lord.
The Death Knight Lord, crafted from Lei Fei as material, was the Arch Lich’s greatest masterpiece among all his creations.
Though he could not completely subjugate it due to its steadfast soul, the strength granted by his own power directly was beyond question.
Yet alongside his greatest force, only precious mana was wasted. Because of that insignificant human.
– How irritating. I must eliminate him decisively while I have the chance.
Having resolved to remove this threat, the Arch Lich sent forth his will.
Half of the escort heading toward each front line changed direction in accordance with the lord’s command.
* * *
Crash! Crack! Crunch!
Wind, weapons, and the unyielding bodies of monsters.
Everything caught in the spear’s trajectory was cleaved.
Necks erupted upward, and thick limbs flew through the air.
The troll, still clinging to life, had its body shattered before it could regenerate, and the ogre, undead in a half-decayed state, staggered before its upper half was sent flying by the blade that followed.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Choi Team Leader, having cut down three or four monsters in an instant with the Hero’s Soul, called out to me like a shout.
“Jin Tae-kyung! The monsters’ assault is too fierce!”
His words were true. As we broke through the front line, the number of monsters decreased, but in turn, the quality of their forces grew even higher.
‘I expected as much.’
The monsters at the front, used as kindling for the magical traps meant to ensnare us, were mostly of mid to low rank.
The Arch Lich had positioned his elite forces in the rear, using all other monsters as both bait and meat shields.
‘To drain our strength.’
Beyond that, the mist, now thicker than before, was also making combat difficult.
Not only did the mist strengthen the monsters, but in such fog, visibility and sound transmission were severely impaired.
It was an inherently advantageous condition for monsters whose senses surpassed those of humans.
Of course….
‘I’m the exception.’
Screeeech, splurt!
The spear I hurled with all my might pierced through seventeen monsters like skewers.
Shao Shen and the Suicide Squad Hunter who had survived the crisis nodded their gratitude toward me with their eyes.
“Everyone, gather around me!”
「But we don’t have many magic scrolls left. If another Magic Trap activates….」
“No time for explanations! Stop talking and move!”
Choi Team Leader and Shao Shen, who nodded at my shout, advanced together with the Suicide Squad.
I understand what they’re thinking, but we’ve already passed through three Magic Traps so far, and this is the rear guard where the Arch Lich has gathered his elite. The probability of a trap activating is slim.
“Focus on defense instead of offense. Advance!”
While the combat itself had become more difficult, the sudden probability of triggering a trap had decreased, so my heart felt lighter.
It’s not hard for me to slip away, but the other Suicide Squad members’ lives would be in danger.
‘The final destination is right within reach. I’ll minimize casualties and rendezvous with Lee Jung-yong and Wu Hei-xing.’
Crunch! Crack-crack!
It was at that very moment, as I felt mounting fatigue and was cutting a path through the vanguard.
– Everyone. Fall. Back!
– Human. By the command of my lord, I shall claim your life.
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the monster curtain split left and right. Facing the beings that revealed themselves, I stood there with my mouth agape.
[Lv.120 Darkness-Tainted Lich]
[Lv.115 Darkness-Tainted Death Knight]
Ten of them hovering around level 120. My breath caught and my hands and feet trembled violently.
Choi Team Leader shouted at me in a voice filled with despair.
“We must retreat immediately!”
“C-Choi Team Leader.”
“Get a hold of yourself, Jin Tae-kyung!”
“A bento box just arrived.”
“If we continue like this, we’ll be wiped out… Huh?”
I stared at the ten monsters—no, the bento box—with trembling eyes.
“A bento box delivery just arrived.”
“…?”
– …?
– …?
Cut the question marks, you bastards.
I’m going in with a single strike.

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