70 - Murim Login

Chapter 70 Outside, the early dawn broke with a faint glimmer. The winter air was cold as ice, and with each step, the frost on the training ground crunched underfoot. Jin Mu-kyung, who was already warming up, flashed a grin as he looked at me. "Well, are you ready?" Of course not. But I nodded, hiding the bitter feeling in my gut. They say that if you can't avoid it, you should enjoy it. Thinking of this as just a part of getting stronger, my mind felt slightly at ease... Screech. "Then show me those amazing skills of yours." Is this guy Korean? Why is he in such a hurry? There was no time to dodge. Jin Mu-kyung closed in quickly, leaving me no choice but to swing my spear in haste. Clang! Crack! Jin Mu-kyung's breath seeped past the clashing weapons. "Your stance is decent." It had to be. I've survived seven years in life-and-death gates with just a spear. My skills in spear fighting are on another level of experience. I glared back at him, replying with steady determination. "This won't be easy for you." Word by word. Clearly and firmly. "Did you sense my unusual aura?" Jin Mu-kyung's pupils quivered. "Can't you keep your eyes open?" "Ah." Swoosh. Thud! Jin Tae-kyung collapsed. Not a surprising event, as it was his fifth time fainting. The truly remarkable thing lay elsewhere. ‘To think he could last two hundred bouts against me.’ Any fighter would tire after five bouts spanning two full hours. But Jin Tae-kyung was different. Like a punching bag that kept standing back up, he grew stronger each time. Eventually, even Jin Mu-kyung had to take him seriously. 'Who is this guy?' Without a weapon, he staggered awkwardly like an eighty-year-old man. Yet, once he grabbed the spear, everything changed. Gone was the coward who placated others to avoid a beating, replaced by a seasoned spearman. 'He resembled a ronin. Someone who's repeatedly faced the brink of death.' His movements were so simplistic they appeared rugged, his attacks and evasions unpredictably intuitive. A ronin's battle is devoid of rules. Jin Tae-kyung appeared just so to Jin Mu-kyung. That left an even larger question. 'How on earth?' Even scions of prestigious families, who hold swords from the moment they take their first steps, often hover just below the pinnacle. Yet here he was, standing in front of that peak after just three years. And not with the scent of courtesans, but exuding the seasoned aura of a well-traveled ronin. The more he pondered it, the more astonishing it seemed. 'Is this even possible?' It is possible, with the seasoned tutelage of a supreme master, or by refining one's physique with rare elixirs. Then, by swinging the spear till exhausted, accumulating practical experience every single day for three full years! "That's nonsense." Jin Mu-kyung muttered despondently, scratching his head. That left him with only one viable answer. 'Genius.' This single word answered all the questions. Why? Because he's a genius. A person sent from the heavens. A person born with talent. In every aspect, a genius always has the advantage. Right from the starting line, they're different. "Snore. Whoo." But why does a genius have to be like this? That couldn't be. It shouldn't be! Overwhelmed with sudden fury, Jin Mu-kyung kicked his brother’s behind. "Rrruuu..." Jin Tae-kyung rolled, shivering as he roused. "Woah, Sister Wolhwa. Not there." "...... “If you suddenly do that. Ack. Ah!” Snap. Jin Mu-kyung’s last thread of patience snapped. Beep! - Sleep mode is forcibly terminated! So it can be forcibly ended, huh? The joy of discovering a new feature was brief. Why did the sleep mode forcefully end? It ended because someone woke me up. "In the sacred training ground, what? Not there? Not there?" Thump! Thump! Thump! Curled up like a shrimp, I spoke with a dying voice. "Please... have mercy…" "No mercy!" Bam! Pow! I couldn’t exactly count how many hits I took. I blacked out at least twice in between. The last thing I recalled was scrawling a message on the training ground with the last bit of strength, and then collapsing. When I opened my eyes again, it was already night. ‘How is it already night?’ It felt like I’d become a time traveler. Ever since meeting Jin Mu-kyung, days flew by in a flash. As the all-encompassing pain overwhelmed me, I murmured. "Jin Mu-kyung, he's truly strong." Excluding Jin Mu-kyung, I've faced two pinnacle experts so far. The First Elder and Jo Pil. 'Let's set aside the First Elder.' In the First Elder's case, I attribute it to sheer luck. If not for the sacrifices of the warriors of the Taiyuan Jin clan and Lee Cheon-baek’s surprise attack, I couldn't have won, no matter how many times I tried. 'So, comparing Jo Pil and Jin Mu-kyung?' The contemplation wasn’t long. Having experienced both, the choice was easy. 'Jin Mu-kyung is stronger.' Jo Pil was undoubtedly a monstrous figure. The sheer heat from his Flaming God Palm still sends shivers down my spine. Yet, how to say, despite being as formidable as a pinnacle martial artist, skilled in the lethal Flaming God Palm, that was all there was. 'To be precise, it comes down to the application of martial skills.' Jin Mu-kyung is unlike Jo Pil. During our spar, he utilized at least ten different martial arts to thoroughly nullify my attacks. For a martial artist, martial arts are like weapons. Jin Mu-kyung knows how to deploy the right weapon at the right moment. 'Compared to him, what about me?' Setting aside the foundational Jin family techniques, the only martial arts I've learned in the martial world are the Jin clan's spear and foot techniques. Both are undoubtedly top-notch martial arts... but in other words, they are usable just at the top level. The limits of martial skills. Jin Wy-gyeong surely knows what I've sensed. 'That's why he paired me with Jin Mu-kyung. Ugh.' The pain naturally furrowed my brows. Just raising my upper body a bit sent aches through every bone and made my skin throb. Even a break in sleep mode had its limits. 'Well, considering how much I got hit.' To earn Jin Mu-kyung's recognition and complete the quest, I need to endure more days like today, perhaps even tougher ones. There's a chance I might just end up battered and fail the quest. 'It's mountains beyond mountains.' And that makes me happy. As an F-rank hunter, I hadn’t even been given the privilege to scale mountains. But everything has changed now. There are peaks to conquer, and I have been granted the right to climb them. Faster than anyone else! 'This isn't the time for distractions.’ I rose to my feet, forgetting the pain momentarily. Every minute and second squandered felt precious. Jin Mu-kyung was in the underground training hall. I descended the stairs as quietly as possible and spotted him. “Hap!” With a short shout, his sword moved. Whoosh! Swish! The blade sliced through the air at lightning speed, piercing and cutting the void with fluid motions. An interval of time passed, perhaps about fifteen minutes? Jin Mu-kyung exhaled a long breath, lowering his sword. "Hoo," he wiped his sweat with his sleeve, then turned to me. It seemed he had noticed my presence all along. “Speak." An unexpected command. I was flustered and reflexively countered, “About what?” “About the martial art I just demonstrated.” “Well, um, it was incredibly fast... “For the record, if you spout nonsense like ‘fast’ or ‘strong,’ you're dead.” He’s uncanny. To save myself, I racked my brain. What was Jin Mu-kyung’s martial art like? As I pondered, a faint impression surfaced. “Rough?” Jin Mu-kyung’s eyebrows twitched. Was that the right answer? “Did you just speak informally to me?” “…I mean, it seemed rough.” “Any kid could say that. Be more specific.” The image in my head grew more vivid. Blades raining down on an imagined opponent and fluid movements came to mind. Fast, untamed motions with a dominating presence. It was like... “A waterfall?” What? Was that the right answer? Jin Mu-kyung was silent for a while, then suddenly flicked his scabbard. Whack! “Ow! Why did you hit me?” “Just because.” He gazed at me with a strange expression. “How did a guy like you come about?” Is that an insult or a compliment? I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I had to hear the answer despite my indignation. Rubbing my aching forehead, I asked. “So, was it correct?” “There are thousands of martial art manuals at the Heavenly Martial Academy. It's thanks to the endeavors of past seniors dedicated to nurturing future generations of orthodox martial artists.” “And?” “The technique you saw—Falling Water Sword—was one of them. I found it buried deep within the archives.” Falling Water. In essence, it’s the flow of descending water, or a waterfall. I just blurted the first thing that came to mind, and it was right. “Oh, wow.” Could it be that I’m truly a genius? If I’ve grasped this much in just two months since beginning martial arts, I’m frightened by how strong I might become. “Surely, you're not thinking you're some kind of genius because of this, right?” He really can read minds. Still, I think I have some talent. Unable to let go of the thought, I asked cautiously. “Is it common for others to be at this level?” Jin Mu-kyung flinched momentarily at my question. “Of course. Anyone with functioning eyes should be able to deduce that.” “Oh, come on.” “Oh, come on? Want to try with one eye missing?” “…I’d rather not.” He seemed particularly serious today. Did something upset him? Even after backing down, Jin Mu-kyung continued to simmer. “It’s fundamental, basic. Everyone can do it.” “Alright, I get it. Why are you getting so mad? It’s scary.” “Are you rebelling? Want to experience the Storm Fists tornado phase?” I didn’t know what the Storm Fists were, but they sounded painful. I shook my head fervently, but Jin Mu-kyung’s anger didn’t subside easily. “Do you know anything about martial arts? Hm?” “N-no, I don’t.” “How long have you been learning martial arts?” I blurted out reflexively. “Two months, just two months.” “Right, only two months... what? Two months?” Jin Mu-kyung glared at me with bloodshot eyes. “Not three years, but two months?” In a tense situation, my years of surviving social interaction shone. I quickly spoke up, especially emphasizing certain parts. “Three years and! Two months.” Jin Mu-kyung’s trembling fist gradually steadied. For some reason, even his voice seemed to regain warmth. “You nearly scared me, kid.” I was more terrified, honestly... ‘Does he have anger management issues?’ Even if Jin Wi-gyeong finds out the truth, at least for now, I won’t be experiencing the unfortunate reality of the Storm Fists firsthand. In any case, Jin Mu-kyung’s anger seemed to have cooled down for the moment. “I’ll only say this once. Listen well.” “I’ll engrave it in my heart.” As I bowed my head deeply, he declared with an authoritative stance. “I teach, and you obey.” Does he think I’m some kind of pet? “There are no objections. Why? Because I’m stronger than you.” He’s right, so I didn't even consider objecting. Power, authority, mastery. The world bends around the strong regardless of what form it takes. I want to stand at that center. “What will you do?” For a long time, my answer has been determined.