Murim Login - Chapter 500

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

Chapter 500
In the deep hours before dawn broke, Jang Tae-bo, who had followed along with a face like death itself, transformed the moment he laid eyes upon the Water Dragon’s remains.
“Oh, oh oh…!”
A complete shift in demeanor, observe.
Jang Tae-bo, trembling like a kindergartener desperate for the lavatory, hurled himself into the spaces between the mountain of bones and scales.
“Oh, this hardness! This luster!”
His eyes glazed over with wonder, his voice trembling. As his hands traced the scales and caressed the bones, an undeniable surge of exhilaration and joy radiated from his very being.
“I’d be content to be buried here and perish! No, I want to die here!”
“Extract Old Master! The corpse is about to collapse!”
“Yes, understood!”
The Jinryong Squad members, who had been staring transfixed at the remains of a creature unlike anything they’d ever witnessed, rushed forward and dragged Jang Tae-bo out.
Only then did the elderly master craftsman regain his senses, his eyes glistening as he turned his gaze toward me.
“So everything you said was true.”
“It sounds insane, but every word is fact.”
“I thought I had worked with meteorite iron that fell from the heavens, and shaped ten-thousand-year cold iron to my heart’s content….”
Jang Tae-bo wiped his eyes with an overwhelmed expression, and after composing himself with a sniff, he seized my shoulder firmly.
“Thank you. I can die without regret now.”
I gazed at Jang Tae-bo with warm eyes.
“Don’t speak such words. Please live long and healthy. And do consume plenty of nourishing broths.”
“You rascal….”
“You must pour the remaining strength and years of your life into the Blacksmith Forge. Where do you think you’re sneaking off to—the afterlife?”
“You rascal…!”
The same words. A different feeling.
Having secured such a valuable senior craftsman, I must extract maximum utility from him. Sometimes offering sweetmeats, sometimes wielding the whip.
Of course, the one holding the whip is not me, but someone else entirely.
“Hah, no matter how many times I see it, it’s astounding. The sheer volume is immense.”
“The whip-wielder arrives soon.”
“Hmm? What did you say, youngest?”
“Nothing, Elder Brother.”
Jin Wi-kyung tilted his head in confusion, then broke into hearty laughter and patted Jang Tae-bo’s back.
“What say you, Master Jang? Truly a spectacular sight, is it not!”
“Master… Jang?”
“Ha ha, naturally! Now that you’ve become the Master of the Iron Vessel Party at the Main Residence, you are Master Jang. Come now, share your expert assessment.”
Jang Tae-bo, slowly awakening to the reality he’d momentarily forgotten, answered with a darkened expression.
“Phew, there’s no need for lengthy words. Even in the Iron Technique House, where the finest craftsmen and materials of the realm gather, I have never witnessed such a sight.”
“And so, can it be done?”
“I cannot guarantee anything until I attempt it directly. However….”
Jang Tae-bo continued, examining the mountain of remains with a discerning eye.
“The bone’s hardness exceeds meteorite iron but falls short of ten-thousand-year cold iron, so it is certainly workable.”
“And the hide and scales?”
“I’ve made armor since my youth until I was sick of it. Though the materials weren’t from a Water Dragon… let me give it a try.”
“Excellent.”
“With this quantity, I could arm all the martial artists of the Taewon Jin Family, even the Main Residence, and still have surplus. I’m confident results will soon follow, so I trust you’ll forgive a few initial failures.”
“Well said.”
As a master craftsman, Jang Tae-bo held a position equal to or surpassing that of a Three-Star martial artist in the Murim.
At the measured yet well-founded confidence of this high-ranking servant, Jin Wi-kyung’s face brightened considerably.
“I’ve heard that only the finest master craftsman of the age can become the master of the Iron Technique House. I’ll trust only you, Jang. If you need anything, speak freely.”
“Then please assign me trustworthy craftsmen, Young Master.”
“Craftsmen, you say?”
“I know the Main Residence has craftsmen. If I teach them, they may not become the great pillars supporting the Main Residence, but they could become quite sturdy columns. However…”
“It will take considerable time, won’t it?”
“Indeed. I have eyes and ears, and I hear well of recent events across the realm. The craftsmen I correspond with have informed me that orders for weapons have surged dramatically.”
War had already begun.
From the scattered minor sects throughout the Murim to the Nine Major Sects and One Alliance—all sought weapons to prepare for the approaching conflict, and the flames of the blacksmith forges would not extinguish until war’s end.
In the present realm, what had begun to burn fiercely was not merely the flames of war.
“Time is pressing, Young Master.”
Jin Wi-kyung, who had been gazing silently at the sky, suddenly spoke.
“Master Jang, how many years have you devoted to this craft?”
“Since I was shorter than your sword, Young Master. I’ve given my entire life to it.”
“Having devoted so many years to a single pursuit, you must have made many companions along the way.”
“Indeed. Each one is a master craftsman renowned in their respective fields.”
“Send word to every craftsman who comes to mind. Spare no expense, even if it costs tens of millions.”
“Each person treasures something more precious than wealth. For an old craftsman like me, the body of a Water Dragon is worth far more than tens of millions.”
Jang Tae-bo stepped back and offered a respectful fist salute toward Jin Wi-kyung.
“Jang Tae-bo, Master of the Iron Vessel Party of the Great Tae Won Jin Family. I accept your command, Young Master.”
Darkness receded, and the sun of a new day rose. Light spreading from the east resembled the flames of the blacksmith forge, and the swift footsteps of the Jinryong Squad warriors transporting the Water Dragon’s corpse sounded like hammer blows.
* * *
While fifty warriors of the Jinryong Squad transported the Water Dragon’s corpse under the meticulous command of Wi Paeng and Jang Tae-bo, I and Jin Wi-kyung, having returned to where we belonged, encountered Je-gal Poong, who was bursting with excitement.
“I did it! I actually did it!”
In his bouncing like a child, there was not a shred of the dignity a family patriarch should display.
Yet moments later, upon confirming the results myself, I couldn’t help but nod in acknowledgment.
‘He completely sealed off the magical power.’
From the massive rift—or rather, the Gate—not even a trace of magical energy leaked out, unlike before.
The dog, pig, and fish that appeared to have been left for testing showed initial interest but then returned to their own affairs.
“You’ve truly accomplished it, Je-gal Dae-hyup.”
At Jin Wi-kyung’s words, a brilliant smile bloomed across Je-gal Poong’s exhausted face.
“Because it’s me. Even my ancestor Je-gal Moo-hu couldn’t have done this. Come to think of it, he had some talent for mechanical devices, but ultimately he got played by Wei… ”
“M-Master!”
“What? It’s true! If he were truly a prime minister who cared for the people and a genuine strategist, he should have submitted his resignation instead of a letter of remonstrance to that incompetent emperor’s face and seized the throne…”
“Master, you’ve truly gone mad!”
“No, Uncle. Did I misspeak?”
The Je-gal Family Estate was a complete mess.
The current family head, who had smeared filth upon his ancestors’ legacy, brushed aside his relatives and continued with unbridled confidence.
“Well? What do you think of the Demon Sealing Formation you’ve witnessed firsthand?”
“The Demon Sealing Formation?”
Je-gal Poong nodded with satisfaction.
“I named it myself. A formation technique that seals the power of demons. Fitting, wouldn’t you say?”
The Demon Sealing Formation—considering the source of that power, no name could be more apt.
In truth, whatever the formation technique was called mattered little so long as its effects were reliable.
As I examined the Demon Sealing Formation with care, Jin Wi-kyung whispered softly to me.
“What do you make of it?”
“Make of what?”
“…?”
“I’m just looking at it. How would I know?”
Formation techniques in the Martial World were no different from magical circles in the modern world.
I, who had lived as a Hunter and remained largely ignorant even of the magic I frequently encountered, could hardly judge a formation technique at a glance.
At best, I could sense the flow of qi coursing through the formation technique.
‘It appears to be drawing upon the natural qi of the world itself to block magical power… The operating principle resembles that of a magical circle.’
Yet the formation techniques I had witnessed and heard of in the Martial World were far inferior in variety and potency compared to modern magical circles.
This was inevitable, given how deeply the Martial World’s practitioners revered martial prowess itself.
‘This is better than I expected—faster and more skillfully executed.’
The natural qi flowing through the formation was more than sufficient to completely seal the magical power leaking from the Gate, and for now, this was the best countermeasure available.
After thoroughly examining the Demon Sealing Formation, I turned to Je-gal Poong.
“How much longer will this formation’s effects persist?”
“Do you think the Yangtze River has ever run dry?”
“Ah, I see.”
“The Demon Sealing Formation will continue to draw upon the surrounding qi to operate. At least, according to the theory I’ve established.”
“And if Je-gal Dae-hyup’s theory proves flawed?”
“Me? I’d sooner admit Je-gal Moo-hu was a half-wit.”
Clang!
“You insolent wretch, Je-gal Poong!”
“Stop, Uncle! Please lower your sword!”
“Someone silence the family head’s mouth!”
The atmosphere had grown decidedly tense.
Before the bloodshed of kinsmen could begin, I quickly spoke toward Je-gal Poong, who was deploying his Golden Finger technique against the rushing servants.
“Then you can continue installing these going forward?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Say again?”
For the benefit of the Je-gal Family members who had frozen in place, I opened my mouth once more with deliberate clarity.
“And it will continue. Dozens, hundreds of times over.”
“…!”
“…!”
The air around us froze in an instant, turning bitterly cold.
Je-gal Poong, who had been seized by the collar of some old man, straightened his robes. Then his eyes grew sharp and his voice poured forth toward me like a blade.
“I find myself suddenly curious. What does the Water Dragon truly intend?”
I smiled bitterly, tasting the sourness of it.
“A predictable tale. You already know it yourself, Je-gal Dae-hyup.”
“I do. That what has happened once can happen ten times, a hundred times over.”
“Then we share the same thoughts.”
“I could not be as certain as you are. I merely kept in mind all the situations that could unfold in the future.”
Je-gal Poong’s eyes flickered with an unfathomable light.
“Why are you so certain such things will continue to occur? What grounds do you have to speak with such conviction?”
There were plenty of reasons. I simply could not voice them.
When Je-gal Poong was born, the Je-gal Family Estate surely trembled with joy, but when I was born, all of humanity trembled.
Demon King Asmodeus had fallen, and the long age of upheaval had drawn to a close.
This was a difference that no words could explain.
Since then, as many years had passed as I had lived, yet in the Modern World, Gates still remained, appearing and disappearing anew in endless cycles.
No matter how solid a dam, once it cracks, it cannot be stopped.
The Murim of today was precisely that.
‘I cannot lay this bare so cleanly.’
In the end, my answer had been predetermined from the beginning.
“In the memories the Water Dragon shared with me, I saw and felt it directly. This is something Dark Heaven intended from the start, planned meticulously, and executed. And it will continue.”
“You’re more skilled at lying than I expected.”
“You’re more suspicious than I expected.”
“I cannot believe it. Or rather, I do not wish to believe it—that is my honest heart.”
“Je-gal Moo-hu must have felt the same. Yet he served that foolish emperor to the very end. Even if it reeks, you must accept it.”
“Even if it reeks, you must accept it….”
Je-gal Poong let out a soft chuckle and turned his head toward someone.
“What are your thoughts, Sogazhu?”
Jin Wi-kyung answered in a calm voice.
“I share my younger brother’s thoughts.”
“I wonder what the others think. Truly curious.”
“Then why not ask them all together and listen?”
“What do you mean….”
Je-gal Poong, who had been staring at Jin Wi-kyung, suddenly murmured.
“Hanan.”
“Yes.”
Jin Wi-kyung continued, gazing toward some distant place.
“The New Martial Alliance.”

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