Murim Login - Chapter 5

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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 5
“One for goodness. Two for life. Come on, one.”
“Goodness!”
“Two.”
“Life!”
“Your voice is too quiet.”
“Goodnessss!”
Was this hell?
That was the Coachman’s first thought after regaining consciousness. His body felt heavy as waterlogged cotton, and his head spun in dizzying circles. All the while, those distant screams—or were they cries?—continued relentlessly.
“Liiiife!”
“Louder!”
…It had to be hell. Every time he heard the cold voice of a reaper, the wails of the damned inevitably followed.
“Goodnessss!”
He wept with his eyes shut, tears of anguish streaming down his face. To think he’d end up in hell like this. If he’d known, he would’ve made far greater donations to the temple.
‘Oh, Mother!’
The Coachman began sobbing uncontrollably, so consumed by despair that he didn’t even notice someone gazing down at him.
“Excuse me.”
In that instant, the Coachman’s heart, which had momentarily stilled, lurched back to life. He clutched his chest and shrieked.
“You nearly scared me to death!”
“….”
“…?”
Now that he thought about it, something felt wrong. The Coachman pressed a hand to his chest with a dazed expression. It was beating. His heart was actually beating.
And that wasn’t all. There were horses here, and a carriage. His body trembled in the biting early-winter wind.
“I’m alive?”
Turning around with a glimmer of hope, he found a man standing there with one eye badly bruised. His expression was peculiar somehow… but there was no doubt about it. This was a living person.
I’m alive!
“I’m alive! I’m truly alive!”
The man pushed the Coachman away from his enthusiastic embrace and replied with reluctant flatness.
“Congratulations.”
“Sob. Sob sob. I’m truly grateful. But who are….”
“Ah, that. We met briefly earlier.”
Earlier? Who had he met earlier? He knew all the faces at Honghwa House, and the reckless fool from the Taewon Jin Family had been his first customer today.
Where had he seen this kind stranger before? The Coachman stared intently at the man’s face, then suddenly caught his breath.
“You’re that bandit from before!”
“Yes. That would be….”
“The one standing next to the big guy! One of those five stupid-looking ones!”
“…That’s correct.”
“The shortest of them all!”
“….”
“And the ugliest!”
“….”
“The little bastard’s got stuff too!”
“No!”
With the bandit’s shout, the Coachman snapped back to consciousness. What had I just said? Regret and despair flooded in like a tidal wave.
‘I’m truly dead now.’
I almost wished I were already dead. At least then there would be no pain.
But then.
“Phew. Stop spouting nonsense and just follow me.”
The bandit, who had looked like a vicious demon moments before, suddenly calmed his rage and began walking ahead. The Coachman, following along almost involuntarily, felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘This feels exactly like being guided somewhere.’
Compared to before losing consciousness, his demeanor was not merely docile but positively courteous. The Coachman mustered every ounce of courage and opened his mouth.
“Um, where exactly are we going?”
“To the captain.”
The Coachman’s face went deathly pale. He remembered what he’d said to the Cheonryeok Bandits. Gouging out eyes, grinding limbs in a mortar….
‘I need to escape right now.’
But in the next moment, my legs trembled violently and cold sweat poured down like rain. I couldn’t move a single step.
Crimson blood splattered everywhere. A corpse’s leg jutted grotesquely from the grass beside the road.
‘These insane bastards.’
I’d thought it impossible, but they’d killed someone in broad daylight—and a young master of the Taewon Jin Family at that. The Coachman sensed death approaching.
Until a figure emerged from the grass.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Behind him, the bandits with their arms around each other’s shoulders were breathing heavily.
Each sporting a matching black eye.
“What are you doing, you bastard? Don’t you see your comrades suffering? Get over here.”
“Yes, captain.”
“This guy, seriously. I told you not to call me captain.”
The Coachman, watching the situation unfold in a daze, had one thought.
At least I’ve kept my life.
* * *
“And that’s how it came to this.”
After hearing the story, the Coachman’s eyes sparkled like a flashlight.
Ugh, eye strain. It’s so bright I can barely look at him.
“Um, by any chance.”
By any chance?
“Are you really not Young Master Jin Moo-kyung?”
“…Please, just stop.”
How many times do I have to say my name is Jin Tae-kyung?
This NPC is maddening in every way. I’m not sure whether to count this as an achievement in artificial intelligence technology or a failure.
If I’d known I could only drive a carriage, I would’ve abandoned him long ago.
“Are you all ready?”
The Coachman tied the final knot and answered.
“Yes. It’s all done now.”
What knots, you ask? The knots binding the hands and feet of five bandits—so tight that pitiful groans never ceased.
“Boss. Couldn’t you loosen it just a little?”
“No. Not happening. Not changing it. Stay put.”
“Please, just give us brothers a chance to serve you….”
“Call me boss one more time, and I’ll introduce you to the King of Hell.”
Leaving their silence behind, I climbed into the carriage.
The weapons those bastards had been carrying were confiscated long ago and stashed in my inventory, and my physical condition was at its peak from the level-up effect.
“We’re departing.”
As the Coachman took the reins, the four-horse carriage began to move.
The Mountain Road was as well-maintained as a hiking trail on a nearby hill. A cool breeze and mountain air flowed through the carriage window.
‘No matter how I look at it, it’s strange.’
I shook my head in bewilderment.
Science. Technology. Whatever you call it, it’s beyond my comprehension.
Besides, even thinking about such things was a luxury in my current situation.
‘Damn it. What the hell is the time ratio in this game?’
Virtual reality games have something called a time ratio. If the ratio between reality and virtual reality is 1:3, then three hours in the virtual world means only one hour passes in reality.
The reason I endured four days at Honghwa House was precisely because of this.
I’d hoped someone would pull me out by now.
‘What the hell is Sung Jin-ho doing?’
A deep sigh escaped me. At the same time, a creeping sense of unease reared its head.
Wait, could the time ratio be drastically different?
‘No way.’
That couldn’t be. According to what Jin-ho had said before, the time ratio is proportional to the capsule’s performance and price. This piece of junk capsule couldn’t possibly have that.
Of course, it performs better than expected.
‘Actually, this is pretty damn good.’
I may have stayed away from games for years, but I’m not so ignorant as to miss something like this. Murim is certainly a high-spec game, but the old capsule is operating without any issues.
That alone is surprising enough. So.
‘Please, no more surprises.’
I muttered it like an incantation and opened my skill window.
Skill Window
[LV.11 Jin Tae-kyung]
Internal Arts
: Jin Family Internal Arts
Martial Arts
: Jin Family Palm Technique / Jin Family Movement Technique (Unavailable)
Bone Strength
: 70
Meridian Strength
: 50
Remaining Points
: 10
– Allocate your remaining points.
– You have not trained in martial arts for so long that you have forgotten the incantations.
– You can view information about your acquired skills.
Even now, it’s astonishing. I can’t use martial arts because I haven’t trained.
‘How long have I been idle?’
With a sigh, I moved on to the next item. First was the remaining points.
It appears I receive 10 points each time my level increases by one. The status window probably works the same way.
‘If I combine the skill window and status window, that’s 20 points per level up?’
The numbers seemed somewhat vague. I postponed allocating my stats and tapped on the final line.
– Would you like to view your acquired skills?
‘View all.’
Ding.
Skill Window
[Taewon Jin Family Sword Technique]
Rank
: First-Class
Requirement
: Must have learned [Taewon Jin Family Core Method]
Mastery Level
: Unknown
Effect
: Unknown
Description
: A martial art passed down through the Taewon Jin Family. Can be acquired through secret manuals. Currently unusable due to forgotten incantations.
Skill Window
[Taewon Jin Family Movement Technique]
Rank
: First-Class
Requirement
: Must have learned [Taewon Jin Family Core Method]
Mastery Level
: Unknown
Effect
: Unknown
Description
: A martial art passed down through the Taewon Jin Family. Can be acquired through secret manuals. Currently unusable due to forgotten incantations.
Skill Window
[Taewon Jin Family Core Technique]
Grade
: Peak
Restriction
: Direct bloodline of Taewon Jin Family
Realm
: Second Stage
Effect
: Allows cultivation and accumulation of inner force through [Breath Cycling].
Description
: Exceptionally stable, but inner force accumulation is slow.
‘Hmm.’
My eyes naturally gravitated toward the grade first.
The sword technique and movement technique were first-rate. Only the Taewon Jin Family Core Technique reached peak grade. Only the core technique had realm and effect clearly documented.
‘I haven’t even tried the Taewon Jin Family sword technique or movement technique yet. The core technique is… acceptable.’
What did it matter how slowly inner force accumulated? Exceptional stability—that alone was enough. My life’s motto was to go thin and long.
It was then.
Ding.
Quest
[Tutorial – Stage 4]
You can now handle inner force using Breath Cycling.
However, uncontrolled inner force is a double-edged sword.
Do not release your grip on vigilance until the very end!
Grade
: Tutorial (Final)
Restriction
: First-time users
Objective
: Breath Cycling (Incomplete)
Reward
: Item Box
[Perception] acquired
[Main Quest] unlocked
Failure
: Status abnormality [Demonic Possession] or [Death]
Do you accept this quest?
Accept / Decline
I answered without hesitation.
‘No. I’m not doing it.’
Rewards? I don’t need them. There has to be a limit to how far these lunatics will push their games. Trading game items for my life?
– Your response is delayed.
I watched him attempt such a shallow trick. Ignoring the Coachman’s gaze entirely, I enunciated each syllable with deliberate precision.
“Re. Ject.”
– Tutorial Quests cannot be refused.
“…?”
Will you accept the Quest?
Accept / Accept
“I said reject! Why are there only two accept options!”
– Quest has been forcibly accepted!
“Hey! You bastards!”
The string of curses I’d been holding back finally erupted.
* * *
–
[Qi Circulation]
is beginning.
–
Stability increases significantly due to the effects of [Jin Family Heart Method].
I’d never missed my family like this before. My beloved Mother. My adorable Younger Sister…and that ridiculous Ha-yeon, who was nothing like them.
Once I leave, I’ll stuff her full of chicken until she bursts.
‘Once I get out of here.’
– For the first time only, the Qi Circulation assistant will execute.
This wasn’t like applying medicine to a knife wound….
Skip the assistant system?
Accept / Reject
I fixed my trembling gaze on the message window.
“Re. Ject.”
– Continuing execution.
That was just coincidence, right? Yes, it had to be coincidence.
Before the unease could fully fade, my vision flipped upside down.
And when I regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar Gray Space.
– Come here.
Startled, I turned my head to see an Old Master beckoning me over.
If a grandfather who looked like that called me over in a dream, I’d run away without hesitation—but this was a game.
‘So that old man is the assistant.’
Even without that reasoning, I would have followed without much suspicion.
It was strange even by my own thinking, but I felt it nonetheless. An inexplicable sense of familiarity. And trust.
– Assume the most comfortable posture.
Huh? Isn’t Qi Circulation supposed to be done in lotus position?
As if reading my thoughts, the Old Master responded.
The Old Master replied as if he had read my thoughts.
– Weaklings quibble over such trivial matters, but true masters don’t concern themselves with that sort of thing.
There’s a scent in that calm tone. I can smell it.
This is the scent of a true master. A genuine expert has appeared!
– Heh. That fellow.
A wrinkled hand drew near, then vanished in a flash. What?
Tap. Tap tap.
Something passed by, and in the next instant, I froze completely.
Is this what a corpse with open eyes feels like? I truly cannot move a single muscle.
– It’s merely a pressure point seal, so don’t be alarmed. Now, focus from this moment forward.
The Old Master spoke while pressing his hand against my back. Then he began speaking rapidly in a low voice.
– Breathing cultivation is the most crucial training for any martial artist. It’s not merely about accumulating inner force, but refining one’s essence, vital energy, and spirit to ascend to higher realms. That is why….
I strained to listen, but the rest of his words were incomprehensible to me. All I grasped was that breathing cultivation was extraordinarily important.
– Keep your mind as clear as a mountain stream, maintain your focus, and draw out the flow. Now I shall teach you the secret incantation of the Taewon Jin Family’s heart method.
Without giving me a chance to protest, he recited the incantation at a speed like roasting beans… and I heard it. It was as if a foreign language I’d never encountered before was automatically translating itself in my mind.
‘What is this?’
Precisely three hundred and eighteen characters of the incantation. The moment I felt the secret formula of the Taewon Jin Family’s heart method perfectly imprinted in my mind, a transformation occurred.
– Descend.
A single word from the Old Master.
Descend where?
Before the question I’d just heard could even fade, I was being pulled downward into something deep. Or rather, it felt as though I was being pulled.
My eyes are clearly closed, yet I can see. I can feel.
A breeze that gently blows and scatters, sunlight, the Coachman’s breathing and the neighing of horses….
I pushed all of it away. My focus narrowed to a single place—my own body alone.
–
[Taewon Jin Family Heart Method]
breathing cultivation begins. Follow the luminous acupoints.
I hadn’t even noticed when the Old Master disappeared, nor when the system voice rang out.
My consciousness, awakened in my head, slides downward. I didn’t know those star-like points were acupoints. Simply put, everything felt as familiar as it always had been.
And finally, I reached my dantian.
A small but pure vital force. Ten years of accumulated inner power.
‘But what is that?’
In one corner of my dantian, something else—solid as a boulder and enormous.
I understood instinctively.
‘Another inner force.’
It was vital energy that I, Jin Tae-kyung, had not yet assimilated into my own, and it was nearly as vast as my existing power.
‘If I were to absorb that?’
Without question, I would become far stronger.
But for me now, such an attempt would be reckless—an adventure without purpose.
‘I cannot risk dying here from overextending myself.’
I steadied my resolve and mobilized my inner force. Following the path the system voice had shown me, I gently guided my power forward.
Amid it all, I thought I heard someone’s voice, faint and distant.
– A wise choice.
* * *
–
[Qi Circulation Technique]
has been completed.
–
[Tutorial – Stage 4]
has been completed. Rewards are being distributed!
– Skill,
[Qi Perception]
has been awakened. Your command over qi flows becomes more fluid, and you can now sense the vital energy of others.
– A small amount of turbid qi has been expelled.
.
.
.
–
[Tutorial]
has been completed in its entirety.
–
[Main Quest]
has been generated.
As the system’s final voice faded, the Coachman spoke.
“We have arrived. This is the Taewon Jin Family.”
At last. Finally.

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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
—————