Murim Login - Chapter 16

“Whew, it’s finally over.”

Jin Huikyung put down his brush. And like always, Hui Peng who was sitting in a chair next to the doors, lifted his head.

”It looks like you’re finishing your work more quickly these days. You’ve worked hard today as…”

Hui Peng’s words trailed off. It was because he saw the mountain of papers that were still left on the desk.

He also realized it was only around noon. If there was that much left, it wasn’t time to stop.

‘Maybe I heard wrong?’

“Good. If it’s this much…”

This time it wasn’t his imagination. It was proof when he saw Jin Huikyung’s face above the stack of papers.

“Hui Peng. Come here. I have an important task for you.”

Hui Peng felt slightly worried when he heard how solemn his voice sounded.

Did something serious happen?

Like he discovered something corrupt in the documents, or maybe the Elders, who were vigilantly awaiting an opportunity, caused something big to happen.

‘Something bad must have happened. We haven’t even finished up what happened with Mount Heng Sword Sect.’

And afterwards, Jin Huikyung gave Hui Peng a document and Hui Peng looked at the document with an odd expression on his face.

“… What. What is this?”

“You don’t know by looking at it? It’s a drawing.”

It was as exactly as Jin Huikyung said. It wasn’t the document that Hui Peng was expecting and instead it was a single sheet of rice paper with a drawing on it.

“No, that’s not what I meant. What is this all of a sudden…”

Jin Huikyung smiled as if he had a secret.

“Look closely. It’s not an ordinary drawing.”

It wasn’t an ordinary drawing? Suddenly, Hui Peng’s eyes widened.

All the Murim legends passed by in his head.

A master who looks at a fable. A master who was enlightened by looking murals of ancient caves!

As he looked at the rice paper and realized what he was looking at, Hui Peng shook as if he was hit by lightening.

“This, this isn’t…!”

“You’ve realized. You’re right.”

Jin Huikyung laughed and said.

“I drew yesterday’s fight.”

“…”

“The fallen Lee So Geun and Jin Taekyung who is standing firmly! The sky over the young hero who will become the world’s greatest!”

“…”

“I purposefully drew the audience looking down, what do you think. I drew it well. Yes? I drew it well?”

Hui Peng’s hands shook as he held the rice paper in his hands. If it was up to him, he would crumple the paper, rip it up, while on top of it he would put his week’s urine and feces on it, and after the paper dried, he would set it on fire.

“… You drew it well.”

Hui Peng was a rational person. He opened his mind as a Murim-in whose reached his peak. Of course, it was the courage of someone who suspected his Lord’s mental stability.

“You have so much work stacked up, how can you draw this picture from this morning until now!”

“Of course that doesn’t make sense.”

“If you knew that…”

“You think I would only work on one thing for three hours?”

“Yes?”

“Of course I drew one more picture. I was going to give it to you later but of course, you’re quick witted.”

Hui Peng, with a shaky hand, grabbed the paper that Jin Huikyung took out. Jin Huikyung smiled and explained the picture.

“I drew the situation after the fight. A young warrior who is dissatisfied and wants to return to the training facility! And the people who are looking on the situation.”

“Well, on that topic I would agree. The Third Master has changed a lot.”

“Right? I’m surprised too.”

After he won the fight with Lee So Geun, he broke everyone’s expectations and went back to the training facility. As he thought of the previous events, Jin Huikyung’s eyes watered.

“Who knew a day like this would come. Our youngest is an angel. Hui Peng, didn’t you hear yesterday? The sound of Taekyung’s powerful wings…”

“I don’t know about wings, but I can hear a bunch of nonsense.”

Hui Peng gave up and let out a deep sigh as he put the rice paper down.

Flap.

“Huk.”

“See! You heard it!”

Hui Peng turned his head towards the window. A hawk flew down and attached to his leg was a small container.

“It is a messenger hawk (傳書鷹).”

It was a hawk that they raised since birth, used mainly for communication.

In the Jin Sect there were only two messenger hawks and they were used only for urgent communications.

“A problem has arisen.”

Jin Huikyung’s voice became serious.

And reality set in.

—

“My name is Han Yeop.”

“Yes?”

“It is a honor to meet you.”

It was an introduction out of the blue. Of course, it was a face I recognized.

It was the face I saw the most after entering the training facility.

‘Should I say he’s the training facility guard?’

A guard. A security guard. No matter what you called it, he was an NPC part of the Jin Sect, who was responsible for the training facility. He was also responsible for bringing me my meals and medicine.

‘But why suddenly medicine?’

It was an NPC I’ve never even exchanged words with. I didn’t have a bad feeling about him but he didn’t have an especially favorable impression either.

”Ah, yes. It’s nice to meet you too.”

The trembling guard, no Han Yeop’s expression brightened. What, why is he suddenly like this?

“I was there yesterday.”

“There? Ah.”

He must be talking about the fight. It wasn’t surprising that he was one of the many people that was there yesterday.

“I watched from the very beginning until the end. The heroic appearance of Master fighting against the vicious Lee So Geun!”

Vicious? Heroic appearance?

‘Did it happen like that?’

If I looked at it through modern times, he was just him.

No, actually I wanted to lift Lee So Geun’s hand up. As an older brother, even though my sister’s personality was crappy, if someone like her was crazy about Jin Taekyung, my eyes would have rolled back.

Of course, Mount Heng Sword Sect’s accusations didn’t even make sense in the first place. And that was why there was no choice but to fight.

“As I was watching, my heart was thumping. And it wasn’t only me who felt that way, but everyone who was there felt the same way.”

Han Yeop spoke with a reminiscent face. It looked like he was mistaken about something but I didn’t know how to interrupt him.

“I was also someone who misunderstood you. But now everyone in the Sect knows the truth.”

Now I wasn’t able to correct him.

“The truth? What truth?”

“That…”

Han Yeop spoke breathlessly. Setting aside the hot breath that was reaching my ears, the contents were giving me goosebumps.

So, that content.

“That I’m the Jin Sect’s secret weapon?”

“Yes, yes!”

Han Yeop nodded up and down enthusiastically.

“That up until now it was all just a disguise, and that from when I was young, I’ve been training fiercely, with virtue and rigeousness, the sleeping. Sleeping…”

I wasn’t able to continue. In order to save my shriveling hands and feet, Han Yeop intervened.

”Shan Xi’s sleeping dragon! There’s no one in the Sect who don’t know. That Master hasn’t risen to the sky yet, but is the sleeping dragon of Shan Xi, hidden in the waters!”

Ah, please. Save me. I wanted to shout.

A sleeping dragon he said. A person who doesn’t know he said!

‘If I die, the cause of death would be shame, shame.’

To me who was suffering mentally and physically, Han Yeop asked me with sparkling eyes.

“It’s the truth right? I know it’s too much to ask but just slightly to me…”

I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know who spread the rumors but in order to stop the nonsense, I opened my mouth.

“I don’t know who spread those rumors but…”

It was at that time.

Ring.

With a solemn face, I spoke.

“Everything is the truth.”

“Of course! I believed in them!”

I watched as Han Yeop left with a bright expression, a single drop of tear fell down my face.

‘Fuck…’

Ah, I missed my mom.

—

After the fight with Lee So Geun, I realized several things.

First.

‘I’m strong.’

At the beginning of the game, I defeated ‘Heavenly Power’ Jang Sam through the Tutorial. At the time it was an assumption, but now it was a certainty.

I was strong. I was at the level where it wasn’t difficult to defeat level 30 Lee So Geun, and even though there was a difference in experience, my basic abilities were at a superior level.

‘Strength, stamina, agility. They were all about the same or a little higher.’

Stats. It was the difference in abilities. In this game, I was a player and I improved by repeatedly using the system.

Gaining Mugong, along with training and doing quests, I was able to raise my stats quickly and those results were seen through the one-on-one fight.

And second.

‘I don’t have enough Qi.’

In terms of Qi, Lee So Geun was ahead of me. No, he was leaps ahead of me.

I don’t know what he ate growing up, but no matter how many times I hit him with my spear and even though I hit him while I was on top of him, he still persisted. He even managed to counterattack using Qi.

‘Right now, I only have 10 years worth of Qi.’

Compared to me, Lee So Geun probably had 20 years worth. And I realized a third fact.

‘I was able to overcome the difference in Qi through Mugong.’

I defeated First-Rate Lee So Geun. But the system still said I was at Second-Rate.

I thought the difference in rates was because of my Qi. If I raise my ability that I lack, won’t my level rise?

I suddenly thought.

‘This is how hunters rank themselves.’

Initial awakenings held at designated centers checked your aptitude, competence and mana, but no matter how high your abilities were, if your mana was low than your rank as a hunter would be low.

There was a reason why magic users needed to be at least a D rank. Because using mana was a specialty of magic users.

‘At least the game is better than reality.’

At least you could improve. Reality wasn’t like that. I worked hard for the past 7 years, and as a F rank hunter I didn’t see any changes.

But now I could see the approximate picture.

‘I have enough stats. Whenever I have time, I should practice the Jin Sect Cultivation Technique, and receive quests in order to receive more experience.

It’s been more than a week since I’ve been stuck inside this crappy game. Even though I didn’t know what was happening in reality, it was asking too much to be rescued.

I needed to prepare and end it.

“Open Quest Window.”

Ring.

“Ah, it’s too hard.”

I sat in the lotus feet position. Two days left until I left confinement. I needed to raise my Qi.

I felt comforted by the message that my Fame was rising slowly.

—

A late night. The lights were on in the conference room. It was a secret meeting called by the Clan Leader, Jin Huikyung.

Because the senior members were called so late at night, they had sour expressions on their faces.

“To call us so suddenly. What’s the problem?”

“Right. He didn’t even let us know why but have called us so late at night.”

“It’s because the Clan Leader is still young. He doesn’t know procedures or basic manners.”

“He must have felt uplifted by yesterday’s events. Although, it is as if our only weakness has disappeared. No one expected the Third Master to win.”

“The Elders must have lost their steam. They wanted to use the Third Master for their own purpose.”

“It looks like the Elders will need to intervene.”

“Uh huh.¹ Be careful of your words…”

At that time, all sounds stopped. It was because the door opened to reveal Jin Huikyung.

Even though amongst the senior members, he was a Clan Leader that needed to be evaluated, the silence that followed showed that he had the qualities of a Head.

“Thank you all for meeting me so late at night.”

At Jin Huikyung’s first words, he wasn’t able to find the words to continue.

What words. How and where was he supposed to start. His head was pounding. But it was something they needed to know.

“The reason I have called this meeting…”

At that minute.

“It must be because of Mount Heng Sword Sect.”

It was a eccentric sounding voice. At first, it sounded like an eldery voice but on the other hand, it was as smooth as a young person. And there was an unknown resonance.

‘Don’t tell me.’

Jin Huikyung’s face twisted. The door that didn’t seem as if it would open again, opened.

Step. Step. Step.

Five Elders stepped smoothly into the room. And at the sight of the center Elder, everyone stood up and bowed their heads.

“Greeting lǎoyé (老爺)²!”

Lǎoyé. The Head Elder made an entrance.

1. Scolding sound.
2. According to Korean Wiki, it’s an honorific title used for someone high-ranking. Google said it can mean Lord, Master, Grandfather and is pronounced as ‘lǎoyé’, so I decided to translate it literally.