Murim Login - Chapter 64

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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 64
‘Slowly. Don’t rush.’
Jin Wi-kyung steadied his breathing. This was a critical moment. One mistake would ruin everything.
‘You’ve done well so far. Just keep going like this.’
A bead of cold sweat traced down his cheek. Yet Jin Wi-kyung, locked in extreme concentration, didn’t even feel it.
His pupils constricted. The shallow, trembling breath he’d been holding stopped entirely.
‘Now!’
The instant Jin Wi-kyung’s eyes snapped open and his hand shot out like lightning—
CRASH!
“Master!”
Wi Paeng burst into the Office with a thunderous bang, his face urgent. “There’s chaos outside—why are you—”
“What’s wrong with you?”
A trembling voice escaped Jin Wi-kyung’s lips.
“I was almost finished.”
“Sir?”
“Two hours. I’ve poured my heart into this for two hours. All for this single moment.”
“I don’t understand what you mean, but right now that’s not the important—”
“It is important!”
With a cry that sounded almost like a wail, he clutched at his head.
“It was important! Who are you to judge that!”
Trembling.
The sight was so pitiful, so filled with anguish, that Wi Paeng forgot the urgent situation entirely and simply stared at his lord.
‘I was too hasty.’
Five days since the war ended. Jin Wi-kyung had been drowning in unprecedented work from the aftermath. He had every reason to be on edge. That someone of his usually generous temperament had been driven to such anger was surely Wi Paeng’s own fault.
“My apologies. I was simply too urgent in my manner.”
Jin Wi-kyung’s heart softened at Wi Paeng’s sincere apology.
“Be more careful next time.”
Yet he couldn’t hide the sorrow that seeped through his voice. Wi Paeng, feeling even more remorseful, spoke again.
“If there’s anything I can help with, I will.”
“It’s done. The milk is spilled. I’ll have to start from the beginning.”
“Let me paint it for you instead—wait?”
Wi Paeng approached Jin Wi-kyung with a trembling heart. A large sheet of rice paper filled the entire table.
“What is this?”
His voice was as dry as desert sand, though Jin Wi-kyung didn’t notice.
“I transferred the battle from five days ago onto canvas.”
“Not the battle—the Third Young Master, surely.”
“It’s the same thing either way. In any case, I was just about to paint in Tae-kyung’s eyes and everything would be perfect—”
“I came in and disturbed your brush.”
“No. Actually, thinking about it now, it turned out well.”
Jin Wi-kyung exhaled deeply.
“Heaven itself refuses to allow my meager skills to capture Tae-kyung’s essence. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“….”
Wi Paeng silently picked up the rice paper.
Rip! Rip rip rip!
“No! My ‘Birth of a Hero’!”
“…You even gave it a title?”
Hearing the anguished cry, Wi Paeng pressed his forehead. Every so often—very occasionally—when Jin Wi-kyung acted like this, Wi Paeng found himself yearning to retire to the countryside.
‘Perhaps I should just become a simple warrior instead.’
Watching his lord gather the torn scraps of rice paper with a vacant expression only deepened his thoughts of retirement.
“I was planning to keep it for myself!”
“Personal collection or not, you must go out immediately.”
“Why?”
“Young Master Jin has returned.”
Jin Wi-kyung paused mid-scoop and tilted his head.
“Where has the youngest been?”
“Not that Young Master.”
At the unspoken question in his eyes, Wi Paeng nodded.
“Yes. The Second Young Master has returned.”
“Moo-kyung!”
His face brightened instantly. His second brother, returned after three years. He wanted to rush out that very moment.
“Where is he now?”
“At the Third Young Master’s Residence.”
“That scoundrel Moo-kyung, the one who despised the youngest so much, goes straight there upon arrival? Perhaps he’s finally learning to be a proper older brother. How he’s matured. Hahahaha.”
It was precisely when Jin Wi-kyung burst into hearty laughter.
Boom boom boom.
A tremendous crash erupted, followed by screams from the people.
– The building is collapsing! Everyone, flee!
– Call for people!
– The Third Young Master’s Residence is crumbling!
Jin Wi-kyung blinked.
“I could have sworn I just heard the youngest’s residence collapse.”
“Brothers grow through fighting, do they not?”
“What do you mean… Surely not?”
“It’s nothing serious. Perhaps draw a new picture.”
Wi Paeng answered with an expression of enlightenment, laying fresh rice paper across the office desk.
“I think ‘The Hero Getting Beaten Like a Dog by His Second Brother’ would make an excellent title this time.”
Whoooosh!
Watching Jin Wi-kyung dash out like the wind, employing the pinnacle of his movement technique, Wi Paeng exhaled deeply.
‘Perhaps I really should just become a simple warrior.’
His concerns only deepened with each passing day.
* * *
Jin Moo-kyung.
Twenty-three years old. His epithet: the Heavenly Sword of Jin.
A martial genius who had reached the pinnacle of his art while barely past his coming of age.
More importantly, he was my second elder brother—and that alone was enough to spark my curiosity. How could it not?
‘I don’t remember what kind of person Jin Moo-kyung—my second brother—was.’
Amnesia made for a convenient excuse. When I asked that question, Jin Wi-kyung told me everything about him.
‘You won’t be able to see him anytime soon. He’s far away.’
‘Where is he?’
‘At the Cheon-mu Academy in Hanan. The heartless bastard hasn’t shown his face in three years.’
Yet despite his words, Jin Wi-kyung’s expression seemed almost proud.
Like a parent whose child had been accepted to Harvard.
‘What’s his personality like?’
‘Well. He’s kind. People often misunderstand, but he’s definitely a good person.’
‘Were we close?’
‘…Yes, we were. We must have been? Yes, we were close.’
‘Ah, I see.’
At the time, I’d dismissed it without much thought. Once I learned the distance between Hanan and the Taewon Jin Family, I lost all interest.
‘Besides, would I even still be in Murim by then?’
It was a journey that required weeks of relentless riding without rest.
That distance was also why Jin Moo-kyung hadn’t shown his face once during the war. But then…
‘I never expected to meet him like this.’
An unexpected arrival.
I extended my hand with an awkward smile.
“It’s been a while, Elder Brother.”
The ‘Elder Brother’ who had been staring at me intently grasped my hand.
“Yes, it has been a long time.”
This guy seems kinder than I expected.
Just as Jin Wi-kyung had said, his sharp eyes must have caused people to misunderstand him.
With that thought, my tension eased and I found myself smiling more naturally.
“Have you been well?”
Jin Moo-kyung returned a faint smile.
“Well enough. But Youngest…”
“Hm?”
“Your words have become shorter?”
Whoosh!
The next instant, when I came to my senses, I was flying toward the wall. Jin Moo-kyung had hurled me with tremendous force.
‘What in the—’
Bewildered, I twisted my body in midair, landed lightly against the wall with my feet, and touched down on the ground. Watching me, Jin Moo-kyung let out a quiet laugh.
“Impressive.”
Ah, I really don’t like how this is developing.
I scratched the back of my head.
“Weren’t we close?”
“We were. My fists and your body.”
“I see.”
I’m an idiot for believing Jin Wi-kyung’s words. Of course, if it’s my Younger Sister, I’d be putty in her hands.
‘Damn it, he should have explained properly.’
Jin Moo-kyung extended his fist.
“Meet your childhood friend. Say hello.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Ominously, his smile deepened.
“Our youngest has grown so much. Acting cocky in front of your Elder Brother.”
Whoosh!
Jin Moo-kyung surged forward like lightning, unleashing his fist. The air itself tore at its passage.
‘Is he serious?’
No inner energy infused, yet a punch packed with tremendous force.
I gasped and urgently twisted my head aside.
Crash!
The wooden wall shattered. Through the spray of splinters, punches poured down.
Boom boom boom!
Face, chest, shoulder, abdomen.
Though it seemed reckless, each movement was fluid and the attack pattern wove together like a net.
“A martial technique?”
“It’s been a while since you’ve faced the Rebirth Fist, hasn’t it?”
Damn, what kind of name is that for a technique.
Just as I was cursing inwardly, the first strike of the Rebirth Fist slammed into my abdomen.
Thud!
“Ugh.”
“Not done yet.”
I endured the breath-stealing pain and blocked the incoming fist with my forearm. A dull sound echoed as my bones throbbed.
“You can block?”
Boom boom boom!
It hurts. Damn, it hurts.
Jin Moo-kyung surpassed me in strength, speed—every aspect.
But somehow…
‘I can hold out better than expected?’
Is it because he’s not using inner energy?
At first I could only take hits passively, but as time passed, his attacks gradually became visible to me.
Whoosh!
Jin Moo-kyung’s fist cut through empty air. A precise prediction. A clean evasion.
He looked at me with an expression of surprise.
“You’ve improved quite a bit.”
I steadied my breathing and let out a dry chuckle.
Since it had come to this, I figured I might as well go all out.
“Not quite a bit—I’ve improved a lot. Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“I’ve heard them. Sick of hearing them, actually.”
Jin Moo-kyung laughed softly.
“Let’s see how much of it is actually true.”
Whiiiish!
With a sharp cutting sound, his hand shot out to snatch my wrist.
‘Not a chance!’
I widened my eyes and swatted his incoming hand away.
Or rather, I tried to.
Tap, tap-tap-tap!
In less than a second, five exchanges of attack and defense unfolded. And just like that, the outcome was decided.
Crack!
“What’s this pathetic Forbidden Restraint technique?”
Jin Moo-kyung twisted my wrist with an odd motion, his expression dripping with disdain.
Being caught so easily made my blood boil, but his next words set my chest ablaze.
“Again.”
“…What are you trying to do right now?”
“I already knew those rumors were baseless. I need to correct my younger brother’s arrogance.”
Jin Moo-kyung released my wrist and flicked his fingers.
“Come at me. No more holding back.”
I stared at him in silence.
Jin Moo-kyung was undoubtedly superior to me. The wall of the Pinnacle realm was too high; with my current strength, I couldn’t breach it.
I knew it. I knew it all.
‘This is infuriating.’
And suddenly, I became curious. How far could I actually go?
Just how exceptional was this genius Jin Moo-kyung that everyone spoke of?
It was a warrior’s competitive spirit—not that of a Hunter, but of a Murim martial artist.
‘Let’s do this.’
Jin Moo-kyung was the first to notice my shift.
“So you can make that expression too.”
“This is my natural face.”
He laughed as if amused.
“Sure, that’s all well and good… but your tongue is still too short?”
In that instant, Jin Moo-kyung’s fist blurred.
Whoosh, thud!
My vision flashed. Despite my extreme concentration, I couldn’t completely evade the attack.
Jin Moo-kyung alternated his gaze between his fist and me.
“This shouldn’t be possible.”
His fist had been aimed at my temple. Had he connected with precision, that single blow would have been my last.
Despite not channeling my inner energy, I’d managed to evade a full-power strike from a master at the peak of cultivation.
“You’ve improved considerably.”
“I acknowledge it. Though not even half of what the rumors suggest.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch up to you bit by bit from here on.”
“You catching up to me? How many lifetimes would that take?”
I answered him.
“Starting from this very moment.”
“Just hold out for a single moment. Then you’ll be my elder brother.”
Jin Moo-kyung’s form blurred again. But this time, I was a step faster.
‘Allocate 10 points to agility.’
Ten level-ups earned through warfare. And a hundred points lying dormant in my status window. A portion of them answered my command.
Whoooosh!
The transformation was instantaneous. And with it came absolute certainty.
I could perfectly evade Jin Moo-kyung’s fist hurtling toward my face.
Swish!
‘Slow.’
Without hesitation, I twisted my head.
Thwack!
…Damn it, I should’ve spent 10 more points.

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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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