Murim Login - Chapter 545

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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 545
‘Fire Dragon Pavilion.’
The moment those three characters crossed my mind.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Crystalline bell chimes erupted like celebratory fireworks, and a cascade of new holographic windows flooded my vision.
– A new name has been
[Fire Dragon Pavilion]
registered!
– All Quest conditions have been fulfilled!
– Quest,
[Become My Comrade!]
has been successfully completed!
–
[Fire Dragon Pavilion]
has been officially established!
– Unique Title,
[Master of Fire Dragon Pavilion]
has been acquired!
– Rare Achievement,
[Sword-Wielding Martial Alliance Administrator]
has been accomplished!
– Vast amounts of Renown and Experience have been acquired!
Quest completion and Achievement unlocked. And on top of that, the unique title [Master of Fire Dragon Pavilion].
Notifications cascaded down all at once. Yet the system’s rewards were far from finished.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
– Even at this very moment, your name echoes across the martial world.
– Your Renown has surpassed a total of 10,000!
– Outstanding Achievement,
[Unknown to You Means Dark Heaven]
has been accomplished!
– As a reward for Achievement completion, certain title effects are greatly enhanced, and
[Charm]
and
[Intimidation]
increase substantially!
– Vast amounts of Renown and Experience have been acquired!
– Level Up!
‘Oh, this is insane.’
Was today Christmas?
Renown had become something I barely paid attention to anymore, but the moment I obtained vast amounts of it and surpassed 10,000, unexpected bonus rewards came pouring in.
Some titles and stat enhancements, and beyond that….
‘A level up as well.’
It’s common knowledge that leveling becomes harder the further you progress—even in shoddy online games—but lately, whether due to system-imposed nerfs or not, it had become as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
Given the countless battles I anticipated ahead, each bonus point gained from leveling was a treasure worth more than all the gold in the world.
‘Now that I think about it, I must have accumulated quite a few bonus points. Same with titles.’
The last time I checked my status window was right after defeating the Water Dragon, wasn’t it?
When I first arrived in the Murim, I suffered from such anxiety that I’d open my status window dozens of times a day, but as time passed, I did it less and less, until now I barely checked it at all.
Once my stats entered a certain trajectory, I realized that numbers were merely fortune—what truly determined the outcome of critical moments was martial prowess.
‘Still, I should organize everything soon.’
It felt like just yesterday I was called the family’s disgrace at level 10, yet now I had far surpassed level 100, becoming a monster and a supreme master known throughout the entire Murim.
As I smiled contentedly while reminiscing about my tadpole days, Jeok Cheon-gang opened his mouth with a gruff tone.
“You’re grinning so wide your mouth’s about to split. Is becoming a pavilion master really that delightful?”
“No, it’s not just because of that.”
“Then what? Are you happy to be away from this old man?”
“Pardon?”
Only then did I realize why Jeok Cheon-gang looked so displeased, and I hesitated.
“Don’t tell me you’re upset about that?”
“Upset? Me, the Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang?”
Jeok Cheon-gang widened his eyes and let out a forceful snort.
“Preposterous!”
“…Keep it down with the snorting, you’re flinging snot everywhere. And anyone passing by would recognize that reaction.”
“You disrespectful brat! What do you know!”
Yes, it was definitely that.
I stepped back from the agitated Jeok Cheon-gang, who was spraying saliva, and spoke calmly.
“It’s not like I had a choice. It’s not my fault that Old Master Noya entered the Five Kings Hall.”
The Five Kings Hall was a newly established organization by the new Martial Alliance, which had simply transplanted the old Martial Alliance’s structure.
Though it consisted of only five members, it was no exaggeration to say it possessed the most formidable fighting force in the entire Murim.
Just looking at the roster alone, it was like the Murim’s version of the Avengers.
‘Byuk Ryuk Do-wang Wi Paeng. Chang Cheon Geom-wang Namgung Cheon. Sea King Fa-ryun. Fist King Eon Hwa-pyung. And….’
The one person standing before me right now. Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang.
As one could tell from the titles and names of those who belonged to it, the name Five Kings Hall was not given without reason.
The Five Kings Hall was where five of the Ten Kings belonged—those who had steadfastly held their positions through the long passage of time.
‘Literally, living legends.’
And the head of that Five Kings Hall was none other than Jeok Cheon-gang.
By the standards of Murim’s hierarchy and seniority, he was a peer to the Dharma Master himself, and his martial prowess, which had reached the stage of returning youth to age, was beyond dispute.
‘He was even ranked the highest among the Ten Kings during the Demon Subjugation War.’
The Blood Lord I had faced during the Shaolin Blood Massacre—even his successor had attempted recruitment rather than combat against Jeok Cheon-gang from the start.
Had the Demon Subjugation War continued a bit longer, he would have become Four Stars instead of Three Stars.
But….
“The Five Kings Hall be damned. Slapping a title on me that wasn’t even in my destiny.”
Meanwhile, the man himself—Jeok Cheon-gang—was too busy grumbling to pay attention to anything else.
The Five Kings Hall, where living legends gathered. Though he occupied the highest seat among them, he seemed thoroughly displeased with the arrangement.
Hyuk Moo-jin, who had been observing him carefully, cautiously raised his hand.
“Um, excuse me.”
“What is it?”
“If Master Jeok were to withdraw from the Five Kings Hall, could I take his place instead?”
“….”
“….”
“Through recommendation or something like that….”
This man was no ordinary lunatic.
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had fallen silent alongside me, fixed him with a penetrating gaze.
“Get in there. Unless you want to die.”
“Yes, my apologies.”
“If that glib tongue of yours flaps one more time, I’ll have something to apologize for to your parents.”
Jeok Cheon-gang delivered the threat in a chilling tone, then turned his gaze toward me.
“And you, boy.”
I quickly waved my hand.
“I don’t need to join the Five Kings Hall.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what?”
“What do you intend to do from here on?”
It was a question that encompassed far more than just my future path—it held countless implications within it.
The look in Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes as he regarded me was a complex mixture of pride and concern.
“I commend you for coming this far. But from now on….”
“Old Master.”
I cut off his words with a quiet voice and gave a slight shrug.
“I’m not as young as you seem to think I am.”
“…!”
“I already know what you’re about to say.”
It wasn’t a lie. I could fully anticipate what Jeok Cheon-gang was going to tell me.
From this point forward, true war begins—not mere combat, but war itself. Countless lives will be sacrificed as offerings to determine who rules the realm.
Though the battles thus far have hardly been easy, far greater dangers would surely descend upon us ahead.
But….
“You said it yourself just moments ago. Why hesitate? Simply move forward, you said.”
That’s right. I simply move forward. As I always have. In my own way.
“I’ll hesitate just a little, then advance without reservation.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been silently watching my silent smile, let out a soft chuckle.
“If you advance, then advance. What do you mean by hesitating just a little?”
“I can’t help it. Somehow, I’ve ended up with so many things to cherish.”
I have blood relatives as precious as my own life, comrades and subordinates I can entrust my life to, and a master with whom I’ve built bonds deep enough to lay down my life.
I could not—must not—allow myself to lose something precious a second time as I had in the past.
“I will protect everything I have and move forward.”
“Heh, greedy one, aren’t you?”
Jeok Cheon-gang let out a brief, hollow laugh before continuing.
“But that is the correct answer.”
“Sir?”
“Always remain vigilant and thoughtful. No matter what crisis befalls you, no matter how insurmountable your opponent may seem, return alive with that resolve in your heart.”
“Old Master…”
“And remember this.”
A voice unlike his usual tone—serene yet warm—pierced through to my ears.
“You too are someone worth protecting in another’s eyes.”
* * *
The blazing sun of high noon pierced the earth.
Thud, thud.
Dozens of figures moved in a single direction.
Women and men, middle-aged and elderly, mingled together as they walked without hesitation until they finally reached their destination.
Creak, boom!
A massive gate swung wide open as they approached.
Above it, three characters written in a single, sweeping stroke gazed down upon the heads of those entering.
Alliance Master Hall.
Located at the heart of the Martial Alliance, this was where the great matters of the Murim were decided.
Thus, the diverse figures now entering the Alliance Master Hall were the great and small pillars that upheld the Murim of this age.
And among them, two figures stood out distinctly.
“Munch, munch.”
A young man constantly stuffing something into his mouth as he walked, and another young man watching him in silence.
Though the two appeared to be of similar age, their bearing and physique were entirely different.
Yet there were two undeniable commonalities: both were geniuses whose like was rarely seen even in the long history of the Murim, and both had accumulated countless accolades.
Because of this, the gazes fixed upon them never wavered, from the moment they entered until they took their seats.
‘Hm. So those young men are…’
‘Yeolhwa Shinryong Jin Tae-kyung. And Hwasan Gate Chung Poong. This is my first time seeing them this close. So this is their true nature?’
‘Unbelievable! Such perfect bone structure and physique. To have reached the pinnacle at such a tender age—how could one possibly dismiss them as mere youths barely past their coming of age?’
Wonder and admiration at finally encountering in person the young heroes they had only heard rumors of.
‘No matter how talented they claim to be, such careless conduct…’
‘Tsk, tsk. Their martial prowess may be formidable, but they are still incomplete as people.’
‘Entrusting such grave responsibilities to mere children. You will come to regret this, Alliance Leader.’
Envy and jealousy. And contempt.
Their gazes and thoughts were as varied as their appearances.
Yet the two young men remained steadfast amid such scrutiny. More precisely, they paid no attention to it whatsoever.
“Munch, munch. Mmm, nom nom.”
Jin Tae-kyung gazed at Chung Poong, who was eagerly stuffing dumplings and meat into his mouth, and murmured softly.
“I can’t tell if this is a person or some kind of monster….”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Just finish eating your dumpling, Cheong So-hyup.”
“Are you scared?”
“Scared of what? I’m scared of you. Don’t make me repeat myself—swallow first. The filling’s spraying everywhere.”
Jin Tae-kyung muttered in a tone of enlightened resignation, reaching out toward the flying dumpling filling.
Whoosh, tick!
His fingers moved so swiftly that even masters of considerable skill could barely follow the motion, batting away the minced meat and vegetables, and gasps of admiration rippled through the room.
“Hah!”
“Hmm.”
Though the world was vast and masters were plentiful, not all the dozens gathered here were supreme masters.
Yet even simple movements could reveal the depth of one’s martial prowess.
Jin Tae-kyung, a supreme master who had opened his middle dantian, moved in a realm altogether different—it was no exaggeration to say so.
‘The Fire King’s successor… truly living up to his reputation. The rumors were no mere exaggeration.’
‘Damn. Have I ever seen such a monster?’
‘If the Hwasan Gate’s prodigy is also at that level. Huh. Remarkable.’
It was at that very moment when those assembled regarded the two young men with their respective thoughts.
“The Alliance Leader will see you now.”
A heavy voice resonated through the Grand Conference Hall within the Alliance Master Hall.

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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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