64 - Murim Login

Chapter 64 "Slowly. Let’s not rush." Jin Wi-Kyung steadied his breathing. This was a critical moment. Any single mistake could ruin everything. “You’ve done well so far, just continue as you have.” A bead of cold sweat slid down his cheek. But Jin Wi-Kyung, in a state of utmost concentration, didn’t even notice it. His pupils were contracted. His lightly trembling breath came to a halt. "Now!" In the instant Jin Wi-Kyung’s eyes shot open, his hand darted out like a flash of lightning. Bang! “Master!” With a thunderous noise, Wi-Paeng burst into the office, his face urgent. “There’s chaos outside… What’s wrong, sir?” A trembling voice leaked from Jin Wi-Kyung’s lips. “I was almost finished.” “Pardon?” “I’ve been devoted to this for two hours straight. It was all for this moment.” “I don’t understand what you are saying, but that’s not important right n— “It is important!” Along with a near-desperate shout, he clutched at his hair. “It was important! And who are you to decide otherwise?” Trembling. The sight was so sorrowful and filled with frustration that Wi-Paeng, despite the urgency of the situation, stopped to look at his master. ‘I was too hasty.’ It had been five days since the war ended. Jin Wi-Kyung had been overwhelmed by unprecedented amounts of work due to the aftermath. He was bound to be a bit on edge. Normally, he was a generous person, but he was this furious now due to Wi-Paeng’s own error. “I’m sorry. I just acted out of urgency.” Wi-Paeng’s sincere apology softened Jin Wi-Kyung’s heart. “Please be more careful next time.” But there was nothing he could do about the sorrow that seeped into his voice. Feeling even more apologetic, Wi-Paeng offered, “If there’s anything I can do to help, I will.” “No need. The water’s already spilled. I can only start over from the beginning.” “I can draw it for you, I mea— Pardon?” Wi-Paeng approached Jin Wi-Kyung with a trembling heart and saw a large canvas spread across the entire desk. “What is this?” Though his voice was drier than the sands of the desert, Jin Wi-Kyung didn’t notice. “I tried to capture the battle from five days ago on canvas.” “You mean the Third Young Master, not the battle.” “Same thing. Anyway, it was going to be perfect once I finished drawing Tae-Kyung’s eyes…” “It was my entrance that made you falter with the brush, wasn’t it?” “No. In hindsight, it was a good thing.” Jin Wi-Kyung sighed. “The heavens must not have allowed me to portray Tae-Kyung with my inadequate skills. Don’t you think?” Without a word, Wi-Paeng picked up the canvas. ?! ???! “No, my 'Birth of a Hero'!” “…Did you even give it a title?” Listening to the mournful cry, Wi-Paeng touched his forehead. Sometimes, just sometimes, when Jin Wi-Kyung was like this, the idea of retiring became tempting. “Should I just open a martial arts school…” Seeing his master picking up the pieces of the canvas with a devastated expression made retirement seem even more appealing. “I was going to keep it for my personal collection!” “Forget personal collections, you need to get outside now.” “Why?” “The Jin Young Master has returned.” Jin Wi-Kyung stopped picking up the pieces, tilting his head in confusion. “Where has the youngest been?” "Not that Jin Young Master." Seeing the look of disbelief, Wi-Paeng nodded. “Yes. The Second Young Master has returned.” “Mu-Kyung!” Jin Wi-Kyung’s face lit up. His second brother, returning after three years. He wanted to run to him immediately. “So, where is he now?” “He’s at the Third Young Master’s quarters.” “That Mu-Kyung, who used to dislike the youngest so much? Visiting him first thing when he returns? Looks like he’s finally matured into taking on a brotherly role. Haha.” Just as Jin Wi-Kyung let out a hearty laugh, Rumble. Suddenly, with a loud rumble, screams echoed through the air. - The building is collapsing! Everyone, get clear! - Call the people! - The Third Young Master’s quarters are falling apart! Jin Wi-Kyung blinked. “I just heard something about the youngest’s quarters collapsing.” “Aren’t siblings meant to grow by fighting?” “What do you mea— No way?” “It’s nothing serious. Go back to your painting.” Wi-Paeng replied with an enlightened expression, laying down a fresh canvas on the desk. “For the next piece, how about 'The Hero Getting Beaten Like a Dog by His Second Brother'?” Whoosh! As he watched Jin Wi-Kyung, exhibiting peak techniques, dash out like the wind, Wi-Paeng sighed. “Should I really open a martial arts school…” These days, his thoughts only dug deeper into contemplation. Jin Mu-Kyung. Twenty-three years old. Known as the Jinchen Sword (? 辰天劍). A martial arts prodigy who reached the pinnacle of his skills at such a young age. Yet more importantly, he is Jin Tae-Kyung’s second brother. Naturally, I was bound to be curious. ‘I don’t remember Jin Mu-Kyung, or rather, my second brother at all.’ Amnesia was a convenient excuse. When I inquired, Jin Wi-Kyung told me everything about him. ‘You won’t see him anytime soon. He’s far away.’ ‘Where is he?’ ‘Tianwu Academy in Henan. That heartless guy hasn’t shown his face in three years.’ His words might have said as much, but Jin Wi-Kyung’s expression was one of pride. It was as if he were the parents of a child who just got into Harvard. ‘And his personality?’ ‘Hmm. He’s a kind soul. People often misunderstand, but he’s definitely kind.’ ‘Were we close?’ ‘…You were close. I’m sure you were? Yes, you were.’ ‘Oh, okay.’ I didn’t think much of it at the time. After learning the distance between Henan, where Jin Mu-Kyung was, and the Tae-Won Jin family estate, I completely lost interest. ‘Well, it’s not like I’ll still be in the martial world by then.’ It was a distance that required nonstop horseback riding for several weeks. That’s why Jin Mu-Kyung didn’t show up once until the war ended. Yet here we were… ‘Meeting like this.’ An unexpected encounter indeed. With an awkward smile, I extended my hand. “It’s been a while, brother.” ‘恩,’ who had been gazing at me quietly, took my hand. “Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” He seems nicer than I thought. As Jin Wi-Kyung had mentioned, his sharp eyes must’ve made others misunderstand. Thinking that eased my tension, allowing me to smile more naturally. “How have you been?” Jin Mu-Kyung faintly smiled back at me. "Not bad, but hey, youngest." "Hmm?" "Did you just get informal with me?" Whoosh! The next moment, before I knew it, I was flying towards the wall. Jin Mu-Kyung had thrown me with immense strength. 'What's this about now?' Feeling perplexed, I twisted my body in midair. Landing softly against the wall and touching down gracefully, I saw Jin Mu-Kyung smirk at me. "Look at you go." Ah, I'm not a fan of how this is turning out. I scratched the back of my head. "Weren't we supposed to be close?" "We were close. My fist and your body, that is." "Ah." I was a fool to trust what Jin Wi-Kyung said. Wasn’t he always the kind of person who doted on his younger siblings? 'Damn it. He should have told me properly.' Jin Mu-Kyung extended his fist. "Meet your best buddy. Say hello." "Hello there." Ominously enough, his smile widened. "Our youngest, all grown up and acting cheeky in front of his elder." Swoosh! With lightning speed, Jin Mu-Kyung rushed at me with a punch. The air felt like it was tearing apart at the end of his strike. 'This is serious.' Though he wasn’t using his full power, it carried immense strength. Frightened, I twisted my head abruptly. Bang! The wooden wall shattered. Through the scattering pieces of wood, more punches followed. Thwack! Thud! Thwack! Face, chest, shoulders, abdomen. It seemed chaotic, but the movements were smooth, and his attack range was as tight as a net. "Is this martial arts?" "It’s been a while since you faced the 'Rejuvenation Fist.'" Damn, what kind of name is that for a martial art? Just as I was inwardly cursing, the Rejuvenation Fist's blow struck my abdomen. Thump! “Ugh.” “We’re not done here.” Enduring the breath-stopping pain, I blocked the incoming punch with my forearm. With a dull thud, my bones ached. “Blocking it?” Thwack! Thud! Thwack! It hurt. It hurt like hell. Jin Mu-Kyung had the upper hand in power, speed, and every aspect. And yet somehow… 'It's more bearable than I thought?' Was it because he wasn’t using his full power? Initially, I was getting hit one-sidedly, but after a short while, I began to catch sight of his attacks. Swoosh Jin Mu-Kyung’s punch sliced through the air. Accurate prediction. Clean dodging. He looked at me, unexpectedly, with surprise. "Not bad. You’ve improved.” I smiled, catching my breath. Since it’s come to this, I decided to go all out. "Improved a lot, actually. Haven’t you heard the rumors?" "I've heard. More times than I care to recall.” Jin Mu-Kyung chuckled softly. “Prove how true they are now.” Whizz! Accompanied by a sharp wind, his hand reached for my wrist. ‘No way!’ I intercepted his approaching hand with a glare. Or at least, I tried. Slap, slap, slap! In less than a second, we exchanged five attacks and defenses. Swiftly, the match was decided. Clap! “What’s this shoddy Grappling (禁拿囚) technique?” Jin Mu-Kyung said with a look of pity, ending with a strange maneuver that locked my wrist. Getting caught so easily heated my insides, but what set fire to my heart was his following words. "Once more.” "…What do you think you're doing?" “I knew it was just a rumor. I just need to fix my overly cocky little brother.” Releasing my wrist, Jin Mu-Kyung gestured for me to come at him. “Come on. No more holding back from now.” I silently stared at him. Jin Mu-Kyung was indeed a master greater than me. The wall of being the best was too high to overcome with my current skills. I understood. Fully aware. ‘Still, it pisses me off.’ And suddenly, I became curious. How far could I go? How extraordinary was this acclaimed genius, Jin Mu-Kyung? Not as a hunter, but with the competitive spirit of a martial artist. ‘Let’s do this.’ The first to notice my change was Jin Mu-Kyung. "Didn’t know you could make such a face.” "This is my original expression." He grinned as if he found it amusing. "Alright. But… are you still speaking informally?” Suddenly, Jin Mu-Kyung’s fist blurred. Swoosh, thud! A flash of light went off in front of my eyes. Despite my extreme focus, I couldn’t completely avoid the attack. Jin Mu-Kyung alternated his gaze between his fist and me. "No way." The target was my temple. If it had hit correctly, that punch would have been the last attack. Although he didn’t use full force, I managed to partially evade a kill shot from a grandmaster’s full-fledged blitz. "Improved a lot, haven’t I?” “I concede. But it's not even half of the rumors.” “No worries. I’ll catch up little by little from now.” “You catch up with me? At what point in time?” I replied. “Starting this moment.” “If you withstand even a fraction of a second more, you’ll be my big brother.” Once again, Jin Mu-Kyung’s form blurred. But this time, I was a step ahead. 'Assign 10 points to agility.' With ten level-ups earned from the war, and the 100 points lying dormant in my status window, I directed a portion to respond to my command. Shaa! The change happened instantaneously. And with it, came a certainty. A certainty that I could completely dodge Jin Mu-Kyung’s fist flying towards my face. Swoosh! 'Slow.' Without hesitation, I twisted my head. Thud! …Damn it, I should have used 10 more points.