71 - Murim Login

Episode 71 The Jin family spear technique consists of seven different forms. The final form, Cheongwanil, delivered a powerful blow to the iron mannequin. Bang! Amidst the deafening crash, the iron mannequin with a dented chest was slammed into the wall. As I retracted my spear, Jin Mu-kyung's voice resonated in my ear. “The Jin family spear technique, it's decent enough.” “Oh, yes.” “The Jin family footwork is pretty similar too.” Wait a minute, did I ever tell him which martial arts I had learned? As I racked my memory, Jin Mu-kyung chuckled softly at my confusion. “Do you know why I joined the Heavenly Martial Hall?” “Hmm. Because you can't stand the sight of me?” “...Not entirely wrong.” Nodding slightly as he muttered to himself, he suddenly came back to his senses. “Ahem. There were more important reasons than that.” “What are they?” “There were no more martial arts to learn at the main house.” “What?” “I needed something new. The Heavenly Martial Hall happened to extend an invitation, and I had no reason to refuse.” “Then the Jin spear technique?” “I just told you. There were no more martial arts to learn.” “But you’re a swordsman.” “So what?” “What?” “Do you not eat side dishes with your meals?” “That’s different.” “It’s the same. For me.” It’s different. For me. ‘I also learned various weapons, but... it's a completely different story with Jin Mu-kyung. That wasn’t martial arts; it was just scrambling to survive battles with monsters. Since I became familiar with the spear, I didn’t have time to look elsewhere. Even excelling in one discipline was challenging. “You look like you don’t get it. It’s faster to show you.” Srrr. Drawing his sword, Jin Mu-kyung stood before the iron mannequin. As he flexed his fingers to warm up, he mumbled softly to himself. “Let’s try this.” His legs rapidly crossed, and a flash of light shot forth, embedding itself in the chest of the iron mannequin. Swish! Boom! I was at a loss for words. Although the form was slightly different, the moves were familiar. There was no mistaking it. “This is...” “Cheongwanil. The final technique of the Jin spear method. Ah, in this case, it should be called the Jin sword technique, perhaps?” I was momentarily speechless. Then, I recalled a fact I had temporarily forgotten. Jin Mu-kyung is a genius. While ordinary people struggle to eat a plain bowl of rice, Jin Mu-kyung can devour a feast of delicacies. ‘Genius, genius. I’d only heard about them.’ By incorporating just a few simple moves, he transformed the Jin spear technique into a sword technique. A martial arts genius. It certainly wasn’t an overstated rumor. ‘This guy... he's the real deal.’ The system helps facilitate rapid growth, but it doesn’t make the user a genius. However, Jin Mu-kyung was naturally gifted. Just then, the thought that what he showed was probably just the tip of the iceberg sent chills down my spine. “Are you listening to me?” Snapped back to reality by his cold voice, I responded. “Oh, yes.” “I went through the trouble of showing you a demonstration, and you dared to get distracted?” Smack! “Ow.” A flash of pain crossed my vision. Watching my agonized expression with satisfaction, Jin Mu-kyung spoke again. “I’ll explain once more, so pay attention. Got it?” “Ugh, yes.” “Anyway, so martial arts are...” “Uh, martial arts are... Hey, damn it.” Jin Mu-kyung yelled, his face turning red. “I forgot because of you!” This damn bastard. Ultimately, Jin Mu-kyung chose to communicate through action. “Explaining won’t make you understand anyway. Experiencing it is faster.” “Wait a minute.” “Where’s ‘just a moment’ in real combat? Are you going to say that to someone who’s come to kill you? Excuse me, if you’re nervous, may I have a toilet break? Would they tell you to go and relieve yourself?” “But it’s just a spar right now!” “What? Using informal speech again? You’re dead.” Jin Mu-kyung, firmly grasping his wooden sword, lunged forward like a beast. Without a second thought, I dove to evade. Crash! With a chilling crash echoing behind, I grabbed a practice wooden spear from the rack. An ominous voice followed me. “From now on, I shall impart my teachings.” Swish! The terrifying sound of air being sliced. I spun around and swung my spear, but it was too late. Jin Mu-kyung’s mouth twisted into a smirk before my eyes. “Lesson one.” Thud! A fist shot up from below, striking my chin. My feet lifted off the ground against my will. Through my blurred vision, Jin Mu-kyung’s voice continued. “When facing a superior opponent, proceed with caution.” The next moment, Jin Mu-kyung’s palm struck my chest. Bang! With a sound like a balloon bursting, I was pushed back until I was pressed against the wall. “Cough.” Thankfully, no bits of my insides came spilling out. As I lifted my head, I saw Jin Mu-kyung walking towards me. “You little wimp. Would I really use my full strength against my junior sibling?” I retorted curtly. “Then get rid of the wooden sword.” “Can’t do that. This feels better, you know.” The confidence of the strong. Yet, despite this confidence, he wouldn’t drop his guard enough to discard his weapon. ‘This is going to be tricky.’ Fortunately, Jin Mu-kyung was susceptible to provocation. Especially from me. “Are you scared?” “What?” Jin Mu-kyung’s smile vanished. I feared the aftermath, but that was a concern for later. Right now, I just wanted to beat this guy. “I asked if you’re scared.” “I’m not exactly sure what that means... but it really rubs me the wrong way.” Before he even finished speaking, Jin Mu-kyung’s form rushed towards me. His movements were noticeably rougher than before. I parried the downward strike aimed at my shoulder with the spear shaft. Clack. Did he coat the wooden sword with glue or something? I needed to create space, but... the sword wouldn’t let go. Like a snake, it coiled tightly around the spear shaft. “What is this!” “What do you think? It’s the Jin family spear, or rather, the Jin sword technique.” The Jin sword technique, is it? This? “It’s completely different from what I saw earlier!” “Oh. I combined a few other techniques.” “This is cheating!” “Lesson two. Remember that while you were out drinking and womanizing, I was sweating blood in training.” Simultaneously, the wooden sword struck me in the side. Thud! The pain was secondary; a deep frustration surged within me. "What? Me, drinking with women?" While others were out on romantic dates holding hands with their girlfriends on Christmas, I was participating in a monster brawl in a gate, you bastard! Thud. Even as the wooden sword struck my thighs and arms in succession, I felt nothing. Rage was overpowering the pain. Gritting my teeth, I launched my spear in a flurry of attacks. Swish, swish, swish! Clang! Under the onslaught of sharp attacks, Jin Mu-kyung slowly began to give ground. Combat is all about momentum. My instincts honed through countless battles whispered to me. 'Now!' I drove the spear down onto the crown of his head with all my might. Bang! The crash was deafening, almost making my ears ring. But it wasn't a successful hit. Casually blocking the spear with his sword, Jin Mu-kyung sneered. "Too predictable." "Sure, too predictable isn't fun, is it?" With a triumphant grin, I threw my fist toward his midsection. 'It's a feint, you sucker!' Every provocation and attack earlier was for this single moment. When you're this close, no fancy martial arts are needed. Even a top master would be helpless against a direct hit to the solar plexus. 'This is the end.' My fist, laden with all my pent-up frustration, struck Jin Mu-kyung's solar plexus. Clang! ...Clang? 'What the hell is this?' Confused for just a moment, a heartbeat later a scream erupted—not from him, from me. "Ah! My hand!" It hurts! Damn, it hurts like hell! Through the pain-induced tears in my eyes, I saw Jin Mu-kyung coyly rolling up his top, revealing a bulging leather vest underneath. 'What is that?' A bulletproof vest? No, but it would probably stop bullets. Each pocket of the vest was stuffed with iron ingots. "The third lesson..." Jin Mu-kyung pulled out a dented iron ingot from a pocket by his solar plexus. My fist mark was unmistakably clear. "Assess your opponent's intentions before engaging." "Why the hell are you wearing that!" "The fourth lesson. Never neglect physical training." "Agh!" Martial arts? Techniques? None of that mattered anymore. I cast off the guise of an amateur martial artist and reverted to a battle-hardened hunter of seven years. My hand was injured, making proper execution of the Jin family spear technique out of the question. Moreover, Jin Mu-kyung was well-versed in all the techniques I'd learned. 'Time to show him what real combat looks like.' I aimed a swift kick to Jin Mu-kyung's shin, planting a soccer kick—a technique also known as joint-strike. I've never seen anyone walk away unscathed from this. Thwap. Make that one more. "Damn it..." "Foolish." Looking down at me with sheer disdain as I clutched my foot in agony, his expression was one of utter contempt. "The fifth lesson... Enough. Even talking is exhausting." Pulling a flat metal plate from his pant leg, Jin Mu-kyung approached with long strides. I tried to rise, but a swift kick to the ankle made me collapse again. ‘Damn it.’ It was over. If I used my inventory, there might be a chance for a comeback, but I didn't want to give him any more reasons to be suspicious. With a sigh, I lowered my head. “Let’s stop this.” “Stop, you say?” I looked up at the sharp tone of his voice. Jin Mu-kyung's face had grown cold and emotionless. "This is all you've got?" The excited grin he wore while mercilessly beating me moments ago had vanished. The apathetic glint in his eyes made my skin prickle, and a lump formed in my throat. Gulp. Almost simultaneously with the sound of swallowing, the wooden sword struck down on my right shoulder. As a dull thud marked the blow, my arm buckled, losing all its strength. “Ugh. What the hell are you doing?” Jin Mu-kyung didn't heed my words, continuing to wield his wooden sword. To him, the voice of a defeated opponent held no meaning now. Thud. Thud. Thud. It stopped only after he'd struck my left arm and both legs. "You’ve just had your limbs crippled by a grandmaster of the Black Path, infinitely stronger and crueler than you." "... "If they were even more vicious, they might have other methods, too." Whirr. In a flash, Jin Mu-kyung's hands blurred, and my entire body seized up, my tongue curled inward. The system immediately detected the anomaly with an alert. Beep! - You have been subdued by a Blood Pressure Point. You will be paralyzed for a full appointment! - Your Vocal Artery has been subdued. You will be unable to speak for a full appointment! I couldn't move a single muscle, let alone make a sound. A living corpse. That's what I was now, vulnerable enough for even a child to kill. ‘Jin Mu-kyung, you crazy bastard.’ The curses echoed only in my head, unable to escape my lips. All I could do was glare at him, filled with anger. Jin Mu-kyung met my furious gaze with calm indifference. “Fennu breaking bones is a brutal art. In less than half an appointment, your internal energy could be twisted, and your entire skeleton crushed. If, by some miracle, you survive, you’d either become insane or live as a cripple forever.” “Could you endure that pain? You'd forget who you are in a fraction of a moment.” Nausea churned within me. It wasn’t the explanation of fennu breaking bones that unsettled me. It was the emotionless gaze of Jin Mu-kyung. That black stare was unfamiliar and terrifying. ‘No way, is Jin Mu-kyung planning to...’ No. It couldn’t be. I’m Jin Tae-kyung. A direct bloodline of the Tae-won Jin family and Jin Mu-kyung's only sibling. Yet, his following actions deviated wildly from my expectations. “Don’t worry. I’ll send you off without pain.” With a low voice, something cold touched my throat. It was the metal plate Jin Mu-kyung had drawn earlier. Thin and sharp, its edge slowly began slicing into my skin. 'Dying? Just like this?' I had survived countless brushes with death—both in the gates and the martial world. I had fought to survive at any cost, and now, I was about to die without even a blink, at the hands of my so-called brother with whom I shared no blood ties. 'What a damn way to go.' Stiffly staring at the ceiling, the voice of the reaper whispered in my ear. “Die.” Shrrrrrk. All strength seeped from my body. I felt the hot blood from my throat trickle down. Jin Tae-kyung, aged 27. Laid to rest in the martial world. My eyelids fluttered shut. Wait, hold on. Something’s off. ‘I was supposed to be pressured at the pressure points, but I just closed my eyes?’ It was at that moment. Ding. -[Blood Pressure Point] restraint has been lifted. Paralysis status removed! -[Vocal Artery] restraint has been lifted. You can now speak freely! "Get up." At Jin Mu-kyung's voice, I slowly opened my eyes. The clarity of my senses confirmed that I was indeed still alive. 'How?' Frantically, I touched my neck. Despite the sting from the cut and the blood on my fingers, the bleeding was minimal—just a few drops. It turned out that the fear and tension of impending death had been an illusion. "Remember this." A chilling voice. The same voice that, just moments ago, pronounced my death sentence. "You died once today."