Murim Login - Chapter 73

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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 73
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The cascade of system notifications was loud enough to make my ears ache. I opened my mouth wide and began clearing away the message windows that flooded my vision.
‘What kind of rewards are these?’
Two level-ups and increases to all my stats, plus a new skill from achieving an Achievement.
‘Secret Manual Crafting?’
Ding.
Skill Window
[Secret Manual Crafting]
Grade
: None
Realm
: First Stage
Description
: You can craft secret manuals for martial arts that have reached mastery.
Craftable Secret Manuals
: Taewon Jin Family Sword Technique, Taewon Jin Family Movement Technique
Reading the description confirmed what I’d already suspected.
‘Well, it’s a skill, so it’s better than nothing….’
For now, it doesn’t seem particularly useful. I was just amazed that they even gave production-type skills like this.
‘This is when it really feels like a game.’
There are still so many things in this world that I haven’t experienced.
Everything feels foreign and unreal. Even now, I can’t tell if the Murim is a game or another reality.
Crack!
“Ow.”
I grabbed my throbbing back of the head and turned around. Jin Moo-kyung, holding a wooden sword snapped in half, was looking at me with a look of pity.
“You’re not concentrating?”
“Seriously. It’s annoying how you keep hitting me in the head like that.”
“This bastard’s naturally dropping formalities again.”
Jin Moo-kyung narrowed his eyes, but it doesn’t scare me much anymore.
‘I’ve been hit a time or two.’
Today marked the tenth day since the hellish training began.
I realized one crucial fact right from the start.
‘Even if I use formal speech, I still get hit!’
I got beaten down hard. The fact that my [Durability] stat appeared by just the second day says it all. No matter what I do, the result is the same—getting pummeled—so I might as well use casual speech and get beaten. It helps with mental victory.
Thwack!
“This much is just ticklish.”
It’s no coincidence that the Durability stat appeared.
Just as flowers grow through sunlight and water, my stats flourished through harsh violence and hellish training.
Smack!
“Ah, wait a moment. You hit bone, bone.”
“The match isn’t over yet.”
Thud!
I parried the wooden sword striking deftly at my vital points while wielding my spear in return.
Whoosh whoosh! Crack!
Ten days of hellish training.
At last, the Jin Family Spear Technique and Jin Family Footwork, now perfected to their zenith, flowed from me as naturally as breathing.
Ding.
Time Limit: 2 hours 22 minutes
Ding.
Time Limit: 2 hours 22 minutes
“…?”
What? Why did it ring twice?
* * *
Whoosh whoosh!
Clang!
Jin Moo-kyung blocked the spear pressing down upon him, swallowing back the hollow laugh threatening to escape.
‘Look at this guy.’
Ten days. Short if you measure it one way, long if you measure it another. But if those ten days represent the time it took to perfect first-rate martial arts, the story changes entirely.
‘How does a person like this even exist?’
A thought he’d entertained dozens of times over these past ten days. Jin Tae-kyung’s growth rate defied even the saying “hear one, understand ten.”
‘Knowing something and mastering it through practice are different things.’
To perfect a martial art means to understand it completely and execute it flawlessly. Jin Tae-kyung had made two first-rate martial arts entirely his own in merely ten days.
Even accounting for the fact that he’d already reached a certain level, this was an extraordinary achievement.
‘This is actually working.’
Jin Moo-kyung was at a loss. What had his initial expectations been?
The only certainty was that he’d far exceeded his original goals.
‘I only meant to break his habit of carelessly throwing his limbs around and solidify his fundamentals….’
But once he’d started, things had taken a different turn.
Fundamentals? Jin Moo-kyung had no way of knowing, but Jin Tae-kyung had trained ceaselessly for seven years. Training to grow stronger, struggling to survive.
Each time the skin on his palms tore and healed dozens of times over, his spear grew faster and more powerful. Because of this, Jin Tae-kyung’s fundamentals were flawless save for minor posture corrections.
‘The same applied to everything else.’
Even horse stance training had been a waste of time.
Strength, endurance, agility. All his physical abilities far surpassed those of martial artists at his level, and they’d developed with remarkable balance.
‘So his survival all this time wasn’t purely a matter of luck.’
Look at that towering height and those long, lean limbs. Those sharp, solid muscles. Was this really the same scrawny fellow from three years ago who’d been building abs to impress the courtesans?
‘Damn it, it’s like he has a heavenly martial physique.’
It was then that Jin Moo-kyung felt bewilderment wash over him once more.
Shrieeek!
A spear thrust forward with ferocious momentum.
Jin Moo-kyung retreated using footwork techniques, but Jin Tae-kyung clung relentlessly to him, pressing the attack without pause.
Whoosh! Shwish-whoosh!
Even the same martial art transforms depending on who wields it and how. With each move, the wielder’s inherent nature and temperament bleeds through without filter.
The Jin Family Spear Technique now unfolding before me was no exception.
‘Is this truly what the Jin Family Spear Technique is?’
Warrior and Rogue. The movements that had seemed discordant and unstable were gradually finding harmony.
‘He’s already made it his own.’
Ten days ago, I was incomplete—but the transformation has already begun. Jin Moo-kyung felt pride in my achievements, yet simultaneously, heat surged through his chest.
‘This feeling.’
It was an emotion he had experienced once before, against someone else entirely. He never imagined that person would become me.
‘Jealousy. And competitive spirit.’
Jin Moo-kyung froze in place. In that instant of vulnerability, the final move of the Jin Family Spear Technique—Heaven’s Crown Strike—was unleashed.
“Hah!”
Boom!
Wind spiraled around the spear’s axis, swallowing my battle cry whole. In that moment when my chest felt about to be pierced, Jin Moo-kyung’s hand grasped the sword hilt.
Shwip-crack!
A flash erupted from my waist, cleaving through the wind. And there, I stood.
* * *
Shwish!
With a brief whistle of wind, my upper body felt lighter. From my right waist to my left shoulder—cleanly severed. The cold air of the Underground Training Ground seeped through the gap in my torn martial robes.
Only after confirming there was no wound did a relieved sigh escape me.
“Phew.”
Still, sword energy out of nowhere? My heart nearly leaped from my throat.
“Insane. You said you wouldn’t use sword energy.”
“…It’s the fool who takes such words at face value.”
Jin Moo-kyung, his expression thoroughly unconvinced, sheathed his sword.
“Training ends here.”
Ding.
–
[Jin Moo-kyung]
has declared this training session concluded.
– Remaining
[Time Limit]
has expired.
– Your quest success will be determined by
[Jin Moo-kyung]
‘s evaluation.
Success? Or failure?
Receiving my hopeful gaze, he opened his mouth.
“You still have a long way to go.”
“Ah.”
“Ten days, and you can barely keep up with this much. What a waste of my time….”
Jin Moo-kyung trailed off, his expression turning bitter.
“What’s with that face?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“That ridiculous expression you’re making right now!”
“I’m not making any expression. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But Jin Moo-kyung was right.
I was struggling desperately to suppress the corners of my mouth that kept trying to curl upward. It was because of the System Message floating in the air before me.
Ding.
– Quest success condition fulfilled!
–
[Training? Ordeal!]
Quest completed!
– Level Up!
– Quest completion reward transferred to inventory!
– Excellent achievement. Additional reward granted!
“Hmm. You’re quite the bashful one, aren’t you?”
An honest youth. Jin Moo-kyung.
“You bastard! What kind of nonsense is that!”
“No, forget it. At twenty-three, it’s natural to be shy.”
“This punk?”
It was the moment Jin Moo-kyung’s eyes blazed with fury as he lunged toward me.
Creak.
As the door leading to the surface opened, a Servant poked his head through cautiously.
[Lv.12 Jang Chil-deuk]
“Um, young masters?”
It was the Servant who had been bringing meals regularly for the past few days or so. His face was covered in bruises, and several teeth were broken.
He continued speaking with a slurred pronunciation.
“The Master is looking for you.”
“…Damn.”
Jin Moo-kyung, glancing between me and Chil-deuk, lowered his fist with a reluctant expression.
* * *
We followed the guidance and moved. Jin Moo-kyung walked with a sullen face, staring only at the ground as if displeased, while Chil-deuk groaned with pain each step he took.
“Ow, ouch. Ugh.”
“….”
This was getting irritatingly distracting.
“What happened to you?”
“There was a minor misunderstanding.”
For a minor misunderstanding, the injuries seemed rather severe.
In reality, potions could cure almost any ailment, but the Murim was different. I clicked my tongue at the sight of Chil-deuk’s broken tooth.
“That must hurt terribly.”
“It’s nothing, sir.”
Chil-deuk straightened his chest with composure.
“A warrior of the Taewon Jin Family must endure at least this much.”
“….”
Just moments ago, he was whimpering in agony.
Wait—wasn’t this man a servant?
‘Now that I think about it, his clothes have changed.’
He wore the deep navy martial robes that warriors of the Taewon Jin Family donned. Previously, he’d been dressed in servant’s attire.
Noticing my gaze, he smiled shyly.
“Ah, I officially became a warrior a few days ago.”
“A warrior?”
Jin Moo-kyung, who had been walking silently behind us, suddenly spoke up.
“Which faction do you belong to?”
Though I’d gained considerable renown lately, it paled in comparison to Jin Moo-kyung. Chil-deuk answered with a humble expression.
“I serve the Patriarch directly.”
“The Elder Brother’s direct retinue—only select warriors from within the Main Residence can enter that circle.”
Jin Moo-kyung appraised Chil-deuk from head to toe. His gaze wasn’t contemptuous but rather observational, gauging the man’s martial level.
“Your physique is decent, but it doesn’t seem like you’ve trained in martial arts at all?”
“Yes, well. I’m bewildered myself, honestly. I’ve never properly executed even a single basic technique.”
According to my [Perception], Chil-deuk’s level was 12. High for a servant who carried food and supplies, but third-rate as a warrior.
‘Jin Wi-kyung’s first-rate experts under his direct command were all over level 40.’
What’s this? Does he have powerful backing?
Jin Moo-kyung furrowed his brow, apparently thinking the same thing.
“You seem to have good connections. What does your father do?”
Chil-deuk blinked his large, calf-like eyes.
“He passed away ten years ago.”
“….”
“….”
“He was a renowned herbalist, but he fell victim to a tiger attack.”
The world suddenly blurred before my eyes. As befitted a master of the highest caliber, Jin Moo-kyung recovered his composure first and hastily intervened.
“Ah, he must have been a remarkable man.”
“Even now, I remember how pure-hearted he was. He and my mother had a wonderful relationship.”
“Then your mother, perhaps? No, never mind.”
“She’s doing well.”
As we exhaled in relief, Chil-deuk gazed toward the distant mountains with a wistful expression.
“Since Father is buried beside her, I’m sure they’re both at peace.”
“….”
“….”
What followed was a death march. I wanted to flee with all my strength right then and there, but hearing Chil-deuk’s murmuring, I gave up.
“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen that flower. When I went up the mountain with Father, I saw them all the time.”
“….”
“….”
Had we walked together for even a moment longer, Jin Moo-kyung might have taken his own life. But after five minutes that felt like five hours, we mercifully arrived at our destination.
“Oh, you’ve arrived!”
Seeing Jin Wi-kyung waiting in front of the Pavilion, I felt tears welling up. We cried out with trembling voices.
“Brother!”
“Elder Brother!”
Chil-deuk awkwardly assumed a martial stance.
“As ordered, I have brought the young masters.”
Jin Wi-kyung, who had been rushing toward me and Jin Moo-kyung in a single stride, stopped short and embraced Chil-deuk instead.
“Jang Chil-deuk, embodying benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom! Our Jang warrior has arrived!”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You’ve accomplished a tremendous task! Now go and rest.”
What in the world was happening? As Jin Moo-kyung and I stood there with vacant expressions watching the scene unfold, a telepathic message pierced my ears.
– Well, I had a minor misunderstanding with this fellow….
“….”
Somehow, I think I understand Chil-deuk’s backing now.

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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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