Murim Login - Chapter 712

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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 712
I wished it weren’t so.
I desperately hoped that this thought crossing my mind now, all my suspicions, were nothing but empty conjecture.
Yet in the next moment, Su-ho-ryung’s intention reached me through the bond of consciousness, and I understood that it was all terribly true.
– Someone must do what needs to be done. Perhaps this is the fate that has been given to me.
Just as I had instinctively grasped Su-ho-ryung’s thoughts, so too did he perceive mine.
My face reflected in those clear, transparent eyes of pale blue-white, as if they could see through all things.
– That darkness… unless you eliminate what you call the Rift, nothing will truly end. No—it will be the beginning of yet another catastrophe.
It was an undeniable truth. After a fierce and desperate struggle, I had vanquished the Nantian Demon Empress and her subordinates, yet the Rift they had opened still remained, gradually consuming the space around us.
Even in this very moment.
Whoooosh.
The darkness now advanced beyond the Inner Palace toward the Outer Palace.
The demonic energy seeping within it would corrupt all living things, transforming them into irrational beings and unleashing yet another calamity upon this world.
‘In essence, it would be no different from an army of monsters.’
I could not fathom how far the power of that Rift—reminiscent of a Gate—would extend.
Yet if the demonic energy flowing from the Rift were to consume the entire Southern Wilderness, or perhaps even more, this darkness would continue endlessly.
Until it devoured all of Tianxia beyond the Southern Wilderness.
– Human. You have surely grasped it as well, but only the power of the Divine Stone can withstand that darkness. Someone must venture into the heart of that Rift and endure the darkness alongside the Divine Stone.
I know this all too well. Merely months ago, the Water Dragon sacrificed himself to seal the Rift.
And I am aware of what price that sacrifice demanded.
“…What if you… became something different from what you are now?”
Unable to speak the word “corrupted,” I watched as Su-ho-ryung smiled faintly.
– Then kill me. Without a moment’s hesitation.
“…!”
– With your strength and that of the old man, even if I were to fall into corruption, it would not be difficult for you to end me.
I stared silently at Su-ho-ryung before forcing my lips open with great effort.
It was a thought I had harbored in my heart from the moment I first understood Su-ho-ryung’s intention, and it was a single word born from long deliberation.
“What if… what if I were to seal the Rift myself?”
And the answer to that question came not from Su-ho-ryung, but from elsewhere.
“Absolutely not!”
It was the cry of Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been tending to the Beast King Miao Wang’s internal injuries.
His face harder than ever before, he continued, fixing his gaze upon me.
“Impossible. No matter what you say, this old man cannot permit it.”
“But Old Master Noya…”
“I will not hear it. No matter what remarkable achievements you have accomplished, how can I allow this when we do not know what might transpire?”
“I will return without a single hair out of place. I give you my word.”
“Not a single hair out of place?”
“Yes.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been regarding me silently as I nodded, finally opened his mouth.
“If that is truly your resolve, then so be it.”
“Then….”
“You will remain here. I shall go instead.”
“…!”
“If you can return with your body intact, then it would be far more certain for me to go. Am I wrong?”
Just as Jeok Cheon-gang’s words struck the heart of the matter, silencing me instantly, Su-ho-ryung’s consciousness resonated through the air.
– Old human. What will you do if that young human becomes something entirely different, consumed by the Darkness?
“I will kill the child. So that he may find peace.”
Jeok Cheon-gang answered without the slightest hesitation, his voice dropping lower as he continued.
“And I, too, will choose death.”
– Young human, what will you do in the opposite case?
I did not answer, and Su-ho-ryung, perceiving the meaning in my silence, smiled faintly.
– Yes, that is why I must go.
“….”
– The humans of this land have already shed so much blood. Therefore, there is no reason for you and that old human to sacrifice yourselves in my stead. You still have much destiny ahead of you, while I have already walked through many fates.
Su-ho-ryung lifted his pale blue eyes and gazed upon Jeok Cheon-gang.
– Should the situation become irreversible, do not hesitate—kill me.
Jeok Cheon-gang nodded slightly.
“I will do my utmost.”
– Thank you.
Grrrgh. Su-ho-ryung, breathing heavily with effort, opened his mouth toward me.
– Jin Tae-kyung. The time has come.
What more could I possibly say?
I reached into my robes, murmuring silently in my heart.
‘Inventory open. Summon.’
And in the next instant, something resting upon my outstretched palm emanated a warm, faint luminescence.
Jeok Cheon-gang, sensing that mysterious aura, uttered a sound like a groan.
“Could this possibly be….”
– This divine stone, which you humans call the Water Dragon Stone, was my sole remaining mission and the reason for my existence. And now, I shall see it through to the very end.
Shuuuush.
The divine stone, rising slowly into the air, is drawn into Su-ho-ryung’s mouth.
A faint radiance spreads forth, accompanied by warmth.
In that same moment, Su-ho-ryung’s labored breathing steadies, and his body, which had collapsed helplessly, begins to recover its strength bit by bit.
Crackle. Thud.
At last, the massive Baek Ho rises to his feet, his blood-soaked front paws pressing against the ground.
Step. Step.
One stride. Then another.
Each step was heavier than ever before, yet none could stand against it.
The Darkness surrounding him, now far denser and more viscous than at the beginning, recoils in the same manner.
Roooaaaar.
Blood pools everywhere, countless corpses scattered about—the Darkness that had crashed down like waves over them all now retreats, repelled by the light that envelops Su-ho-ryung.
If the darkness flowing from the Rift corrupted all it touched, then the light contained within the Divine Stone was the power of purification.
– Kraaaaaaagh!
A fierce roar shook heaven and earth. The crimson-tinged silver mane whipped violently through the air.
Su-ho-ryung had become a single gust of wind, charging forward.
Screeeech!
I watched Su-ho-ryung’s retreating form as it tore through the darkness.
That faint yet unmistakably radiant gleam persisted until it crossed countless corpses and debris.
Until it reached the Cliff, submerged in darkness as black as pitch, spanning the vast expanse.
And then I understood.
In that final moment, Su-ho-ryung had called my name for the very first time.
* * *
My breath came in gasps. My body, drenched in blood, felt impossibly heavy, and the darkness surrounding everything pressed down upon Su-ho-ryung’s entire form.
‘Imoogi. Is this how you felt?’
With that unheard question, Su-ho-ryung took a step forward with all its remaining strength into the gaping crevasse of the Cliff.
Though it was arduous, I had to proceed.
I did not understand it before, but now I do.
This alone was the sole mission given to me from the beginning. What I must protect is not the Divine Stone, but everything in this land.
Thud.
Each footfall, heavier than ever before, sank deep into the ground. As I approached the center of the Rift, the darkness and demonic energy grew ever more formidable, crushing down upon my entire being.
Through the haze of consciousness, distant memories of ages past flickered across my pale blue eyes.
‘Come to think of it, I was always alone.’
I had no father, no mother, no siblings.
No—at first, I did not even know such things existed in the world.
For a small, pure white Baek Ho, this space visible from the moment I first opened my eyes was the world itself, and there was always a companion by my side.
A friend I could not run and play with, could not speak to, yet who was always there beside me.
Tap.
Something touched my soft, fluffy white foreleg.
It was a stone so transparent it deserved to be called crystal, and it was always warm and comforting.
Purrrr.
The young Baek Ho, releasing a contented sound, fell asleep not long after.
And on a Hillside bathed in warm light—neither sunlight nor moonlight—a green sprout suddenly poked its head up at the feet of the sleeping Baek Ho.
Rustle. Tap.
The sprout, no larger than a fingernail, began to straighten its bent form. Colorful buds bloomed, and branches emerged.
Before long, a towering ancient tree stood rooted deep in the earth where the sprout had been, its countless branches draped with leaves that cast a broad, cool shadow.
Whoooosh.
The great tree shook its lush crown in the wind that blew from somewhere.
One leaf, which had clung stubbornly to its branch, broke free and fell into the shade.
With a soft tap, the existence that had been enjoying an afternoon nap opened its eyes.
– Grrrrr.
The being that rose with that low growl was a single Baek Ho.
Baek Ho, now far too massive to be called a mere cub and too formidable to be dismissed as an ordinary tiger, swept his pale blue gaze across the surroundings.
No one could say with certainty how much time had passed.
Only that considerable time had elapsed. This place where he was born and raised had always been bathed in daylight and wrapped in peace.
Yet despite this, change had come.
Saplings had grown into towering trees, and the small, tender cub had been reborn as a vast and mighty being—a transformation as undeniable as any.
‘Yes, that one.’
I first met him three hundred years ago. Despite his massive frame, bear-like in its proportions, he was always grinning—a Tribal Chief who led humans and possessed a mysterious power that commanded beasts.
Perhaps that was why. Without Su-ho-ryung’s permission, the creatures of the Sacred Ground accepted him.
‘Oh. I’ve never seen a Baek Ho this large before. What is your name?’
At first, I was astonished that a human had set foot in the Sacred Ground without my consent, and when that audacious creature dared to stroke my neck, I was utterly bewildered.
So I asked.
‘And what is your name, you impudent one?’
The expression on that ill-mannered human’s face remains vivid even now. With his mouth agape, staring at me, he answered in a vacant tone.
‘Yalul Cheon… sir.’
‘I know not how you entered this place, but should you cross my sight once more, I shall tear your limbs asunder. Do you understand?’
And the next day, I realized something.
This young human called Yalul Cheon possessed more audacity than any living creature I had ever encountered.
‘I distinctly told you not to be seen.’
‘So I hid.’
‘…Are you jesting with me?’
‘You’re tracking my scent, not seeing me. I’m lying flat in the grass right now.’
‘No, is that what you call an explanation… But what is this smell?’
‘Roasted meat. I brought some in case you were hungry. Would you like some?’
‘Meat? Did you hunt the beasts?’
‘…’
I cannot say how we grew close. Like rain soaking into cloth, we gradually came to know one another, and in that process, time flowed swiftly.
Ten years. Twenty years. And then that final day when we faced each other.
‘It has been long.’
When he returned after so many years, he was no longer young.
His black hair had turned half-white, and his eyes were weary with exhaustion.
‘I need your aid. Only with your strength and the power of the Divine Stone can we achieve victory in this war and restore peace to the Southern Wilderness.’
I knew what battle he was fighting, how wicked his enemies were.
But I refused.
The Divine Stone and I were merely observers. That is what I believed then.
At least, I did then.
And regret always comes too late.
‘Had I aided you then, would the fate of this land have changed?’
My pale blue eyes, sunken in deep contemplation, awaken from reverie.
Before me swirls a turbid darkness, writhing with an eerie undulation, exhaling demonic energy as though it would devour all things.
Tssssss!
Within the warping space, Su-ho-ryung took one final, laborious step and fixed their gaze upon the heart of the Rift.
Then, channeling every ounce of remaining strength, they lunged forward—their form wreathed in a faint, ethereal luminescence.
—Kraaaaaagh!
A roar tore through the air, and with it, a colossal wave of power erupted outward.

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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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