Murim Login - Chapter 658

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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 658
Ding.
– Sudden Quest,
[Forced Choice]
has been generated!
A system notification rang out abruptly. Simultaneously, a translucent holographic window materialized from thin air.
Quest
[Forced Choice]
You now have only two options remaining.
Resist with all your might and escape this place. Or surrender willingly and be captured by them.
The choice is yours alone, and every choice will be followed by its corresponding consequences.
Rank
: None
Restriction
: Jin Tae-kyung
Objective
: [Surrender] or [Resist] (Incomplete)
Reward
: ???
Failure
: ???
– This Quest presents two choices, and you must select exactly one of them.
– Various elements around you will change depending on your choice. In that process, certain individuals may perish.
What will you do?
Surrender / Resist
After examining the system window, only one thought crossed my mind.
‘This situation is absolutely terrible.’
Forced choice.
The Quest that had suddenly activated contained exactly what its title promised.
Surrender or resist.
There were only two options, and I had to choose one.
The current situation, and the voices echoing from all around, demanded it of me.
“I support the words of Clan Leader Baek Sang.”
“Quite right! If the Palace Master believes this is tyranny, we shall hold a grand council here and now!”
“If you are innocent, simply surrender and submit to the investigation. What is the problem?”
Hearing the cries of the tribal leaders allied with the Baek Sang Faction, I let out a bitter laugh.
What’s the problem?
The biggest problem is that this isn’t the Modern World—it’s the Murim.
Even in the twenty-first century, all manner of judicial corruption runs rampant, so I could easily foresee how I would be treated if imprisoned under Baek Sang’s authority.
‘They’ll brand me guilty from the start and drive me toward that very conclusion without deviation.’
In that process, there would be no trace of fairness and impartiality. My shallow lie had already been exposed, and Baek Sang had produced witnesses and undeniable evidence.
This was a meticulously laid trap. Once I stepped into it, there was no choice but to fall.
Of course, even amid all this, there were those who extended their hands to me.
“This is madness. Have they all lost their minds? Assassinate Jin Tae-kyung? Do they intend to wage war against the entire Martial World of the Central Plains?”
“Moreover, we haven’t even confirmed whether he truly is Hyung Soo. He is a vice-leader of the Martial Alliance and a disciple of the Fire King—what possible reason could he have for committing such an act?”
“He rescued nearly two hundred warriors from Ai-nao Mountain. And they claim he is Hyung Soo? No matter how much the Han people are despised, how could one act like a beast devoid of gratitude?”
This time, the cries of the tribal leaders who followed Beast King Miao Wang echoed through the chamber.
Yet among those dozen or so voices, only a few stepped forward, while many other tribal leaders chose to observe the situation with confused eyes or press their lips firmly shut.
‘Of course. In the end, I am still an outsider.’
From the beginning, the people of the Southern Wilderness harbored no goodwill toward the Han.
My participation in this grand council as a Han was only possible because of my exploits at Ai-nao Mountain, and that was the extent of what they could permit.
I held no resentment. They had simply read the tide of events.
Even if the grand council were convened here and now, as Baek Sang suggested, I could not overturn this situation.
Not even Beast King Miao Wang could.
– I think we’re truly screwed here.
Upon hearing the telepathic message I sent, deep furrows carved themselves into Beast King Miao Wang’s brow.
– …You’re insane.
– Why?
– How can you jest at a time like this?
– I’m simply stating facts. Besides, I can’t just sit here weeping like a child. It won’t improve the situation anyway.
At my calm and unflinching assessment of reality, Beast King Miao Wang bit his lip hard.
– I’m sorry. If the grand council is convened as Baek Sang says… there’s nothing I can do.
– Still, I’m grateful. It seems Ya-ryul Mok trusts my words.
– Of course I trust you. That’s why I’m even more sorry.
– Then instead of apologizing, would you mind punching those bastards in the mouth? If that feels awkward, I can do it myself.
– ….
– Or perhaps Flame Divine General.
– Heh, at this rate, I’d say you’re not just Old Master’s disciple but his blood kin.
Jeok Cheon-gang.
At those three syllables, a familiar face suddenly flashed before my eyes, and my mouth turned bitter. If it had been Jeok Cheon-gang in this situation, how would he have handled it?
‘No, if it had been Old Master Noya, we wouldn’t have reached this point at all.’
I was not yet as strong as Jeok Cheon-gang, and I had proven far more inexperienced than I’d thought myself to be, accustomed to the Martial World as I believed I was. My enemies were far more thorough and cunning than I had anticipated.
‘If this were a game of baduk… my move would be something like a blunder.’
I don’t know baduk. But when I was young, my late father would sometimes sit before the computer and play baduk online.
His nickname was Jin Se-dol, but his win rate was abysmal, and whenever he lost to a user with a Chinese account, he’d mutter, “That Chinese bastard plays baduk like shit… Taiwan number one,” only to get smacked on the back by Mother for cursing in front of a child.
All of it was ancient history.
Years later, Father suddenly passed away due to a monster wave, and his baduk account—which had been consistent despite being marked by defeats—became dormant.
Yet for some reason, the memory of that day watching Father lose at baduk suddenly surfaced.
‘Dad, are you losing again?’
‘Losing again? I’ve only lost this one game. No, it’s not even over yet.’
‘But yesterday, the day before, I lost. And I saw you lose again just now!’
‘…My adorable child. You’ve grown so much already, driving nails through your father’s heart.’
‘But why does Dad always lose?’
‘Well. Because Dad made a bad move.’
‘A bad move?’
‘Not that kind of move. It means a poor choice. When Tae-kyung played soccer at the sports festival yesterday, he accidentally kicked Min-jun’s leg instead of the ball and lost the game—it’s similar to that. A bad decision. Do you understand?’
‘Mm-hmm. I understand. So if Dad makes bad moves, he loses at baduk?’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘Why?’
‘One bad move doesn’t end the game. It’s just that when you keep making bad moves over and over, you eventually lose. I should have done better.’
‘But I got sent off right away yesterday?’
‘Son. Wasn’t that because Min-jun’s leg got fractured?’
‘Oh.’
‘…What do you mean “oh”? Your father’s back nearly broke from apologizing to Min-jun’s parents. Anyway, the important thing is not to keep making bad moves.’
‘What happens if you keep making bad moves?’
‘In baduk terms, you’d lose your precious stones and eventually lose the game. That’s the price of making poor choices.’
‘I got it! That’s why Dad always loses!’
‘…Honey! Take Tae-kyung with you! Honey!’
I’m not sure why this memory suddenly surfaced. Actually, I think I know why.
Because of it, I was able to make a decision in my heart.
– Can you make me one promise?
– Why are you suddenly silent… A promise?
– Yes. A promise.
I met Beast King Miao Wang’s gaze directly and sent my words through spiritual transmission.
– No matter what happens from now on, please ensure that the others can return safely to the Central Plains.
– …!
– That’s all I ask.
– You… surely you don’t mean….
– I’m taking that as a promise.
Beast King Miao Wang, who seemed to grasp my meaning with his eyes wide open, soon nodded with a somber expression.
– I promise. I will protect your subordinates with all the power I possess. I will also clear the false accusations you’ve shouldered.
Yes, that settles it.
Muttering to myself, I turned my steps toward Baek Sang.
Or rather, I tried to.
Grab.
If two hands hadn’t suddenly reached from behind and seized my robes, I would have.
“Jin Tae-kyung. What exactly are you planning?”
Ya-ryul Mok asked with a hardened expression. And Nam Ho, who had already read my intentions, spoke next.
“You fool. Are you really walking straight into the tiger’s mouth?”
“Whether it’s a tiger’s mouth or a dog’s mouth, I’m not entirely sure.”
I shrugged and continued speaking.
“Well, what else can I do at this point?”
Nam Ho’s gaze, fixed upon me, sank deeper than ever before.
“Is it because of me and the other members? Are you afraid we’ll suffer harm if you avoid this confrontation?”
“Well, perhaps.”
“If that’s what you’re thinking, cast it aside. None of us would wish for that….”
“I know. I understand that everyone feels that way.”
I interrupted Nam Ho’s words with a gentle tone and continued.
“But it would be the same if the situation were reversed. If the other members were in my position. If Old Master Nam were where I stand now, I wouldn’t have fled alone either.”
“…!”
“We’ll meet again later.”
Instead of a response, wavering eyes. I released the hand that had grasped my sleeve and offered a parting glance to both of them before moving forward.
Step. Step.
Silence descended around me.
The sound of my solitary footsteps echoed like thunder, while Baek Sang, who watched me depart, remained as serene as a still lake.
“Have you finally grasped reality?”
“Someone told me long ago that in Go, if you make too many bad moves, you lose precious stones and inevitably lose the game.”
If this were merely a game of Go, I would have made whatever moves I pleased, bad moves or otherwise.
Even if I lost, what would it matter? Some famous professional player once left behind the wisdom that Go is ultimately just Go, but to me, it’s nothing more than Go.
After losing, I could do as my Father did—curse and smash Baek Sang’s bowl with the Go board.
But this is no mere game, and making a bad move means losing my people instead of stones.
‘Ju Hwa-ran. Hyuk Moo-jin. Song Il-seom. Sa Ma-pyo. Tae-san. Nam Ho….’
Even if I escaped this place, it would be nearly impossible to break through the Southern Beast Palace’s net of heaven and earth with all of them.
These are people who believed in me and followed me thus far—I must save them all.
By whatever means necessary.
“If one continues making bad moves in Go and loses precious stones, facing defeat… I don’t know who said it, but they were wise indeed.”
“A good man. At least he wasn’t a worthless bastard like you.”
Clang clang clang!
As if by agreement, weapons were drawn from all directions. Simultaneously, Baek Sang glanced at the tightening encirclement and waved his sleeve.
“I’ll praise you this once for not making a bad move. Even as Fire King’s disciple, you couldn’t have done otherwise.”
“I’m not doing this to hear praise from someone like you.”
“It matters not. You’ll be locked away in the Underground Prison by this path.”
“The Underground Prison, you say. Not a particularly welcoming prospect.”
“Thousands of pounds of iron chains await you, so you may look forward to it.”
“Right. My anticipation is already making my blood run cold.”
It was something I’d anticipated to some degree. I answered calmly and continued speaking toward Baek Sang, who slowly sheathed his sword.
“But why aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say earlier? That if I fled, you’d kill all my people?”
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up….”
There was no reason to hear the rest of his words, nor any need to.
‘If he dared speak such nonsense to me, he should have known a fist was coming.’
With a muttered curse, I unleashed a punch swift as a beam of light.
Crack!
Without even waiting to see the result, I quickly shouted.
“Ah, I surrender! I yield!”
What else could I do, damn it.

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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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