Murim Login - Chapter 21

Ring.

“Huu.”

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. As daybreak hit, there was someone sitting in a dimly lit room.

‘I failed again.’

Silently, I made a fist.

How many times did I try, twenty times? Thirty times? The important part was the results. This time I failed again at trying to pull my Qi out.

‘At least I’m getting better at it?’

Dealing with my Qi was becoming easier. I wasn’t a F-rank hunter but a C-rank. No, if I was at least a D-rank then I’m sure I would have become more familiar faster but reality was cold-hearted.

‘It might be thanks to my Internal, External State improving steadily.’

Qi flowed along the meridians. The more I trained using cultivation, my meridians became firmer and stronger because of the improvement seen through my Internal and External State. If I compared it with my first time, I was able to circulate larger amounts of Qi at a faster face.

‘Maybe it’s because of the skill points.’

I was able to see the results of the 10 points I received after levelling up. There wasn’t a better nutrient than improving my Internal and External State.

Remaining Points: 0

‘I can see the possibilities.’

The impenetrable fortress was becoming small. If I kept going, I felt like I could open the doors.

Thankfully, even though I didn’t have any talent, at least I was persistent.

‘Let’s keep trying. Until it works.’

It was at the moment when I was about to start Qi Cultivation.

Maybe because of the Qi Cultivation, but I could hear an alarming sound.

‘This…’

Hum hum hum. What sounded like a swarm of bees, was actually the sound of people buzzing.

‘I wonder what happened?’

I concentrated Qi into my ears. Maybe because it was far away, it wasn’t enough to hear clearly. But it was still enough.

Among the sound of people talking, I could hear one word.

‘Battle!’

It was Mount Heng Sword Sect. Battle was finally happening.

I got out of my lotus position and stood up. And left through the half-opened window.

I landed like a cat, and I could see the lights from all directions.

‘In the end…’

It started.

—

Twenty-five. It was a neat number.

As I saw the bodies lying there like lifeless, old trees, I spoke after I was at a loss of words.

“This.”

I was a hunter. I encountered numerous battles and saw death multiple times.

Those who were poisoned, cut into, crushed, exploded…

There were numerous ways a person could die depending on the monster you faced. But they all had one similarity.

They were all ‘adults’.

That was the basic requirement in order to experience an awakening. No one knew exactly why. But it was a natural law when it came to the existence of gates.

That was why when it came to the numerous deaths that I saw, a child wasn’t included in one of them.

‘This is a game. This is just a game.’

I muttered repeatedly to myself. But it was too horrific to dismiss so easily when it was right in front of my eyes.

Blood (血).

Words engraved on a forehead. The torch shone over the dried blood. Over ten bodies of children were becoming cold like that.

At the most they were middle-school students. Not including children who looked even younger. They were lying there, dead.

“Hurrk.”1

The warrior who held up the torch with his shaking hand, bent at the waist and started to throw up.

There was someone who grabbed the torch that was dropped.

“Somi. I’m for certain it was that name. It was when I became acting Head, the Yingxian branch head bragged, saying she was his treasure.”

It was Jin Huikyung. He shone the light over the child with dark eyes. One person. One person. As the light shone over each face, he called out each of their names.

As he called out the name of the last child, Jin Huikyung looked at me.

“Do you know this child?”

“… I do not know.”

“They are the family members of the branches Yingxian (應現), Shanyin (山陰), and Shuozhou (朔州).”

I didn’t know where those places were. But I could guess what kind of end these kid’s parent’s could have imagined.

I felt nauseous from Mount Heng Sword Sect’s intentions.

‘Crazy psycho bastards.’

Look, we can kill even young kids like this. You guys will become like this too.

I didn’t even know what members of Mount Heng Sword Sect looked like but I felt like I could hear their voices.

“Everything is my fault. To think they would kill children who don’t even know Mugong…”

It was when Jin Huikyung, his voice shaking, was blaming himself.

“That is the nature of war. Clan Leader.”

The Head Elder approached while touching his moustache. He was looking at the bodies with a calm gaze.

“Win or lose. Death exists between either option. Mount Heng Sword Sect. I think the Sect Head is called Lee Chun Baek? He knows war well. I can tell by just looking at these children.”

At his words, I felt chills.

‘What kind of artificial intelligence is this.’

This NPC was lacking in some way. That was why he felt even more dangerous. I kept my mouth closed, and Jin Huikyung with a lost face opened his mouth.

“… Your words are too harsh. They are a part of our Sect.”

“No, those children are fallen soldiers. Numerous people will probably die. Even at this moment.”

“Head Elder. I ask that you refrain from speaking.”

Jin Huikyung growled. If people didn’t have eyes, I felt as if something would have happened. But like always, the Head Elder was calm.

“Did you not expect this?”

It was a sudden low-blow. But it was so natural that I, as well as Jin Huikyung were unaware.

“Yingxian, Shanyin, Shuozhou. They were all places reachable from Mount Heng Sword Sect. Are you saying even though you sent carrier pigeons out, that this was something you didn’t expect to happen?”

“That.”

“You knew. That they would be angry. Sending carrier pigeons was a way to solve your guilty conscious.”

“Stop. Please stop.”

“It was an impressive decision. If you would have come to their aid, you wouldn’t have been able to rest for at least seven days and seven nights, and you would have needed to fight in that exhausted state. Isn’t that right?”

Jin Huikyung stared at the Head Elder with a pale face. Blood flowed from his tightly gripped fist.

“I, I—”

“Everything has a sacrifice. Face the Sect. You are responsible for hundreds of clan members as the Clan Leader.”

Jin Huikyung’s body shook. Anger and sadness was flowing out of him and his expression was full of despondency.

“Sacrifice…”

“The war has just started. Isn’t that right? Clan Leader.”

As I looked at the Head Elder’s face, I bit my lips sharply.

‘He’s an unpredictable old man.’

The Head Elder was for sure a dangerous existence.

His location in regards to the family and what was going on in his mind was anyone’s guess. And even his unwavering psychopath appearance as he looked at the children.

But…

‘His words were right.’

From my point of view, Jin Huikyung was a good Clan Leader. He seemed to be a good person and he seemed intelligent as well.

But once he felt eyes his way, his resolve shook. If it wasn’t for the Head Elder, it would have taken a long time for him to come to terms.

‘He helped. Not just anyone, but the Head Elder…’

When it was calm, he was a hostile existence but maybe during war he wants to stick together?

‘If it’s like that, than it’s a relief.’

It was at the moment when I was looking at him with a mixture of suspicion and relief.

“It looks like the Third Master is here as well.”

My heart thumped. It was the first time the Head Elder had spoken to me.

“I greet the Head Elder.”

As I hid my flustered mind, the Head Elder looked at me with a mysterious smile.

“There have been interesting rumors circulating around the Sect these days, I think it was… the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon?”

To think that even the Head Elder heard those ridiculous rumors.

“According to the rumors, they say you’re close with someone on Yeomra’s side. And that you joined forces with him and defeated Heavenly Power Jang Sam.”

“Cough. Cough.”

“Are you sick?”

“N—no. It’s just my body was feeling a little chilly.”

“Oh dear. We can’t have someone who will be playing a large role getting sick.”

My awkwardly laughing face became stiff.

“What does that mean?”

“You’re a valuable resource if you were able to get rid of the Heavenly Power. And don’t tell me that rumor is a lie.”

“…”

“Therefore, it should be your duty as someone from the direct line to stand in front of the lines. What does the Clan Leader think?”

He smiled slightly. Jin Huikyung who looked at the Head Elder’s smile, asked me.

“What do you think?”

Checkmate. As I thought of that one word, a familiar alarm sounded in my head.

Ring.

—

From now on, you are assigned to lead men under your command and to gain merits!

Rank: Repeatable Quest

Restriction: Jin Taekyung

Mission: Achieve 100 Merits (0 / 100)

Rewards: Can change depending on your success

Failure: Can change depending on your failure

A quest window popped up. Even though I’ve seen them many times, the warriors affiliated with the White Tiger team had returned.

“These are what the leaders will be provided with.”

Swords, also a crudely embroidered dark black robe and a smooth wooden card (木牌)2 that smelt of wood.

That was everything.

“The new men assigned to you are on standby. Their location…”

Thankfully it was a place I was familiar with. When I went back and forth multiple times, the pavilion I saw was the one assigned to the reconnaissance team.

After leaving, I escaped into a hidden alley.

‘Open inventory.’

I only needed 10 seconds to change. After I changed, I stored the sword and took out the [Sharp Spear] instead.

Even though I was known as the Third Master living in a magnificent pavilion, I was different now.

‘They said we would be living together.’

Eating and even sleeping would be done together. I wouldn’t be able to pull my spear out in mid-air every time I needed it.

As I wore the wooden card on my waist, I felt like I was one of the warriors a part of the Jin Sect.

‘I’m not just an ordinary warrior. Since I’m the leader of the reconnaissance team.’

The reconnaissance captain of the White Tiger team. I didn’t even imagine that I would receive responsiblities like this.

Of course there were disagreements. The Head Elder wanted to put me into a unit guided by the Elders, but Jin Huikyung fiercely opposed the decision.

‘In the end they came to a compromise.’

The mission itself wasn’t difficult. But I came to the team under the command of the Head Elder. And in the end, I came to accept the mission.

‘I didn’t know I would join the war this way.’

I wanted to leave but I held it in. The first reason was because I thought of the Head Elder’s eyes and the second reason was… because of the children.

‘It’s a game. This is all just graphics and virtual images.’

The countless number of bodies, the words carved into their foreheads. Right. There was an emotional reasoning behind the decision.

If it was like this, it wasn’t good.

‘Let’s not get too sucked in. I can’t mistake the game for reality.’

There were many times I felt like that. At first the NPCs felt like people, and now I felt like they really were people.

Every time I felt like that, I got surprised at myself. Now that I was doing this game for a long time, there were bound to be side effects.

“Is it this place?”

I opened my mouth as I saw the building.

Split wood and a pleasant smell. Wow, there was even a beehive underneath the eaves. It was my first time seeing one that big.

‘As expected, a family-like business…’

Look at the state of the building. No, maybe they were acting this way because they disliked me. Maybe it was their way of saying eat my shit.

‘Right, let’s try first.’

I took a deep breath, opened the door and took a step forward.

Creeak. The sound of the wailing old floors was particularly ominous.