Murim Login - Chapter 6
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 6
From the hilltop, the Taewon Jin Family resembled an entire village unto itself.
Across the sprawling expanse of land, dozens of structures both grand and modest spread before me, while towering stone walls encircled the clan’s perimeter without a single gap.
And that was merely the beginning—the cliff face looming behind the Taewon Jin Family was a spectacle in itself.
Nature cradling the weight of ages, and beneath it, a single clan nestled in reverence.
The mere sight of it radiated considerable pressure.
“Wow.”
Even the Coachman gasped in awe. Wait, hold on.
“You’ve been here frequently before, haven’t you?”
“Only twice.”
“…How long have you been working?”
“Not even a month.”
I’d never seen a person quite like this—layered as an onion.
His face and demeanor screamed twenty-year veteran, yet he claimed to be a rookie.
‘Then again, with that kind of experience, there’s no way he wouldn’t recognize this face.’
This was a face that had crossed the threshold of Honghwa House so often the stone wore smooth. If he were truly a newcomer, he might easily mistake me for Jin Moo-kyung.
‘Fortunately, things are progressing smoothly.’
I’d completed the final tutorial quest, and with the Taewon Jin Family now within reach, I could afford a measure of relief.
“Please slow down just a bit.”
“Ah, yes.”
Feeling the carriage’s pace diminish, I opened my skill window.
Skill Window
[Qi Sense]
Grade
: None
Restriction
: None
Realm
: First Star
Effect
: Can perceive targets of level 30 or below.
Description
: Searches for targets within a designated range. As the realm increases, both the searchable range and level threshold rise.
After finishing the description, something suddenly occurred to me.
‘That’s exactly it. A combat power meter.’
In famous manga, they used mechanical devices to quantify and assess an opponent’s combat strength, but I wondered how Qi Sense would function.
Curiosity stirring within me, I recalled the command.
‘Activate Qi Sense.’
Was this the right way? In that hesitant moment, a blue circle materialized beneath my feet. Simultaneously, a notification chimed.
Ding.
–
[Qi Sense]
has been activated. At 1-star mastery, you can detect targets of Lv.30 or below within a 10-zhang radius.
Ten zhang equals roughly 30 meters.
Whoosh. Expanding blue concentric circles rippled outward, and a single figure was caught within their reach. A system window materialized above the Coachman’s round head.
–
[Qi Sense]
has identified your target.
[Lv.4 Jang Sam]
Ah, so that’s how it works.
‘Simple, straightforward, and above all….’
A skill absolutely essential for survival. Whether an enemy is strong, weak, or evenly matched with me—Qi Sense reveals it instantly.
‘Not a bad find at all.’
I nodded and opened the Quest window. The moment I confirmed the newly received [Main Quest], my jaw dropped without warning.
“…What?”
My vision blazed with sudden brightness. If Qi Sense was a single ray of light reflected in a sewer, this was the sun itself. My heart thundered in my chest, and heat flooded my head.
Quest
[Logout]
You must now navigate through this treacherous Murim.
Grow stronger. Become renowned.
For the day that will inevitably come….
Rank
: Main Quest
Restriction
: Jin Tae-kyung
Objectives
: Achieve [First-Rate] mastery (Incomplete)
Reach Lv.30 (Incomplete)
Attain 500 Renown (Incomplete)
Reward
: [Logout]
Four characters I’d desperately longed for.
‘Logout!’
Joy mingled with bewilderment. I’d possessed the will to survive by any means necessary, yet a kernel of dread had lodged itself in a corner of my heart. Could I escape? What if I never could? Such ominous premonitions.
‘I can escape.’
But now everything was different. Certainty crystallized within me—I could logout. My mind awakened as if from a long slumber.
‘That’s right, damn it. It’s just a game, after all.’
A Quest? How difficult could it possibly be?
For seven years, I’d crossed the line between life and death without hesitation. A Hunter’s survival instinct and resolve transcended anything an ordinary person could muster.
‘And I have this power.’
My fist clenched naturally. This was all virtual, yet the power surging through my body felt vividly real.
That’s how I knew.
I was stronger in this game than I was in reality.
The margin was razor-thin, but unmistakable.
‘Thanks to the system.’
Leveling up, quests, stat distribution, skills—all of it was the system’s power. Only possible because this was a game, because I was a player.
If I leveraged my experience as a hunter alongside the system, logging out was merely a matter of time.
‘Once I’m out, I’m burning them all down.’
Starting with the game developers. Those bastards. As I ground my teeth furiously, a shout pierced through the haze of my rage.
“Halt!”
* * *
Uniform attire. Disciplined posture. Clipped, authoritative voices.
The moment I saw the warriors guarding the Taewon Jin Family’s main gate, the word “Murim” flashed through my mind.
‘So they really are a prestigious clan.’
They were unmistakably different. Compared to the ragtag Cheonryeok Bandits and mountain brigands I’d encountered before, these were trained regulars.
One of the NPCs approached the Coachman—a young warrior with an youthful face and thick, prominent brows.
“I am Hyuk Moo-jin, commander of the Gate Guard Unit of the Taewon Jin Family. Please state your identity and purpose of visit.”
Commander of the Gate Guard Unit. Now that I looked closer, he wore an armband of sorts. He couldn’t have been more than twenty.
‘Though I suppose if you’ve got the skills, that’s all that matters.’
While I was thinking this, the Coachman answered.
“We’ve come from Honghwa House.”
“Honghwa House? You don’t mean… the pleasure house?”
“Yes.”
Through the carriage window, I watched Hyuk Moo-jin’s face contort. His previously courteous tone dropped sharply.
“What business could a pleasure house possibly have with the main family?”
“Well, that is…”
There’s always someone like this everywhere. The corporate employee who thinks he’s a tycoon just because he works for a conglomerate, never mind that the actual tycoons exist elsewhere. I quietly opened the window and coughed.
“Ahem. Hmm.”
A deliberately intentional cough. The so-called “Do you know who I am?” cough that only successful people can pull off.
“Mm.”
As expected, Hyuk Moo-jin recognized me at once. I opened my mouth with a serene smile.
A magical phrase widely used among high-ranking politicians, military officers, and executives.
“Right. Yes. Carry on.”
And I moved to close the window…
Click. Clunk.
“Huh?”
It wouldn’t close. A hand had suddenly shot out and seized the window.
The hand belonged, naturally, to Hyuk Moo-jin. Through the half-closed window, I could see his face, rigid and stern.
“Step out.”
“What, me?”
“Then who was I talking to, thin air?”
What the hell? Why is this bastard reacting like this?
‘He didn’t recognize me.’
I offered a generous smile.
“You don’t know? I live in this house.”
“I also live here.”
“No, what I meant was….”
“I’m the Third Young Master of the Taewon Jin Family. Is that what you were trying to say?”
“….”
He’d hit the mark exactly. Hyuk Moo-jin continued.
“Since you clearly know who the Young Master is, please step down from the carriage now. We’ll proceed according to protocol.”
What choice did I have? Protocol, he said. But as I descended from the carriage, alarm bells were ringing in my head.
‘Something feels off about this.’
The other NPCs of the Taewon Jin Family cast cold glances at me for some reason. Just as my face began to burn, Hyuk Moo-jin pulled out paper and a brush, speaking.
“Your name.”
“….”
“I’ll ask again. Your name.”
This was hardly an interrogation of a criminal.
Though my mood soured, I decided to observe the situation for now.
“…Jin Tae-kyung.”
“Your affiliation.”
“Taewon Jin Family.”
“Your age and martial realm.”
“Twenty. Second-rate.”
In that instant, Hyuk Moo-jin’s brush faltered.
“Don’t indulge in baseless pride. Answer honestly.”
Honestly?
‘I distributed my stats and raised it to Second-rate. Would he understand if I said that?’
Instead of answering, I stared directly at Hyuk Moo-jin’s face, and he shook his head slowly.
“Well, if that’s the case, let’s move on. So tell me…you’ve been away for several days. Where did you go?”
“Honghwa House.”
“Oh, that expensive Honghwa House for several days? You must have had a good time. You must have spent a fortune. Or did you embezzle sect funds again this time?”
“Again?”
“Don’t play dumb. Isn’t this something the Young Master has done frequently, habitually, and customarily?”
The moment I saw the hostile glint in Hyuk Moo-jin’s eyes, a certain fact came to mind.
‘Jin Tae-kyung.’
I’d momentarily forgotten. In this game, especially within the Taewon Jin Family, what kind of existence the character Jin Tae-kyung was.
‘The family’s disgrace.’
There was no way the NPCs of the Taewon Jin Family would favor someone bearing such a title. As if to prove it, their contempt in this moment was directed entirely at me.
In this game where nothing goes according to my will.
‘Damn it all….’
Something stirred deep within my chest. My head throbbed, and my eyes burned with heat. Then I heard his parting words.
“Third Young Master, though I’m merely a low-ranking squad leader, allow me to speak.”
What a pathetic fool. Hyuk Moo-jin said it with that expression.
“Stop bringing shame upon the family name. At the very least, live like a human being. Do you understand?”
He tossed out those words and turned away. I stared blankly at the back of his head. A hollow laugh escaped me.
“Live like a human being?”
I knew it. Hyuk Moo-jin was nothing but an NPC who understood nothing.
Those words weren’t directed at me—they were meant for Jin Tae-kyung.
But….
‘This is bullshit.’
It didn’t matter that this place was inside a game or that Hyuk Moo-jin was an NPC. No—I chose not to think about it.
All the stress that had accumulated came crashing down, shattering what little patience remained.
“Hey. Stop right there.”
Hyuk Moo-jin turned around. His face was irritated. I’d wanted to punch that expression off since earlier.
I grinned as wide as a child who’d just seen Santa Claus.
“You’re… dead.”
I hurled my clenched fist toward his jaw.
* * *
Heavy silence. Towering stacks of documents on the desk. And beside the master, a cold-faced escort warrior who lingered like a shadow.
Scratch. Scratch.
The Gate Master swallowed hard. Since entering the office, his mouth had been parched and dry.
“Speak.”
A calm voice drifted from beyond the document pile—an oasis.
The Gate Master barely managed to open his mouth.
“Among my subordinates, there is one worth noting. He possesses considerable loyalty to the main family and exceptional martial talent, but….”
“I’m listening.”
“Being young, he’s arrogant and reckless, lacking any sense of propriety.”
“Get to the point.”
“He’s gotten into a dispute with the Third Young Master.”
“…I see. The youngest?”
“We moved him swiftly to Medicine King Hall. He’s unconscious now, though there are some contusions….”
A moment of silence fell.
“This is entirely my subordinate’s fault. Please impose severe punishment!”
The Gate Master, his vision darkening, bowed his head deeply. It was some time before the voice came again.
“That will suffice. You may go now.”
It was just as the Gate Master lifted his head with the feeling of a miraculous reprieve.
“Ah, one more thing.”
“Your orders, sir.”
“Could I meet that fellow? I’d like to have a word with him.”
“Pardon me, Young Master. I regret to inform you that the treatment is not yet complete.”
“Treatment?”
“Yes. That friend is still at Medicine King Hall. I heard his bones were fractured.”
“…I see. Then that settles it.”
After the Gate Master withdrew, the silence that lingered shattered as the precariously stacked tower of documents collapsed with a thunderous crash.
“Wi Paeng.”
Jin Wi-kyung, the Young Master of Taewon Jin Family and thirty-five years old this year, called to his loyal retainer with a hardened expression.
“Yes.”
“I’ll be stepping out for a moment.”
Here we go again. Wi Paeng, Jin Wi-kyung’s bodyguard, exhaled a sigh whose meaning eluded him as he watched his master’s retreating figure.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————