73 - Murim Login

Chapter 73: Ding. Ding. Ding. The flood of system alerts was so overwhelming it made my ears hurt. My jaw dropped as I started clearing the message windows filling my view. 'Why are there so many rewards?' I had leveled up twice, all my skills had been enhanced, and to top it off, a new skill was granted due to an achievement. 'Secret Manuscript Creation?' Ding. [Secret Manuscript Creation] Rank: None Level: Mastery Description: Allows the creation of secret manuscripts for martial arts that have reached mastery. Currently creatable manuscripts: Jin Family's Spearmanship, Jin Family's Footwork The description matched exactly what I had guessed. 'Well, since it's a skill, it's better than nothing, but... It doesn't seem particularly useful right now. Still, it's fascinating to think they provide crafting skills like these. 'Times like these really make it feel like a game.' In this world, there are countless things I haven't experienced yet. Everything is unfamiliar and surreal. I'm still caught between wondering if this martial world is an actual game or another reality. Smack! "Ouch." I rubbed the back of my stinging head and turned around. Jin Mu-kyung was staring at me with a disdainful look, holding a broken wooden sword. "Not focusing, are you?" "Seriously, why do you always aim for the head?" "This kid’s speaking informally again." Jin Mu-kyung squinted his eyes, but he didn’t scare me much anymore. 'I've taken a hit or two before.' Today marks the tenth day since hell training began. Right from the start, I realized something important. 'Even if you speak formally, you'll still get hit!' I was beaten thoroughly. I developed a [Toughness] stat by the second day, which says it all. Either way, the outcome was getting beaten, so might as well speak casually and enjoy a little mental victory. Tap tap! "This feels more like a tickle." There's a reason I developed that toughness stat. Like a flower growing under sunlight and water, my abilities were rapidly improving through harsh violence and hellish training. "Ah, hold on, you hit a bone." "The training isn't over yet." Thwack thwack. I got hit by the wooden sword targeting my weak spots skillfully, while I swung my spear. Swish swish, tap! Ten days of hell training. Finally, the Jin Family's spearmanship and footwork, which had reached mastery, flowed out as naturally as breathing. Ding. -[Time Limit: 2 hours 22 minutes] -[Time Limit: 2 hours 22 minutes] "... What?" Why did it ring twice? Swish swish! Clang! Blocking the overwhelming spear thrusts, Jin Mu-kyung suppressed a laugh from escaping. 'Look at this guy.' Ten days. Depending on how you see it, it can be short or long. But if that's the time taken to master first-class martial arts, that changes everything. 'What kind of person is this?' I've thought this over and over, more than dozens of times in the last ten days. Jin Tae-kyung's growth rate is beyond the capability of simply understanding upon listening something once. 'Knowing is different from mastering it.' When someone says the martial arts have reached mastery, it means they can fully understand and execute them. Jin Tae-kyung made two first-class martial arts his own in just ten days. Even considering he had already reached a certain level, that's astonishingly fast. 'He really did it.' Jin Mu-kyung was baffled. What were the initial expectations again? The only clear thing is that he has far exceeded the original goal. 'I was just planning to fix his habit of carelessly attacking and ensure his fundamentals. However, starting the training confused things. Basics? Jin Mu-kyung wouldn’t know, but Jin Tae-kyung had been training without cease for seven years. It was training to grow stronger, it was a fight for survival. The skin of his palms tore and healed dozens of times, making his spear swifter and stronger. So, Jin Tae-kyung's fundamentals were flawless save for minor posture corrections. 'The same goes for other aspects.' Even the ma bu (horse stance) practice was a waste of time. Strength, stamina, agility. His physical abilities exceeded that of his peers and were extremely balanced and developed. 'Surviving until now wasn’t merely out of luck.' Tall, lanky figure and sprawling limbs. Look at those lean yet robust muscles. If not for the familiarity, you’d never guess he was the skinny fellow who sculpted abs to impress courtesans three years ago. 'Goodness, it's like he's got some celestial martial body.' Just when Jin Mu-kyung felt yet another surge of astonishment. Whoosh! A fierce spear thrust approached with vicious speed. Jin Mu-kyung retreated while stepping back, but Jin Tae-kyung persistently remained on the offense. Swish! Swish swish! Even with the same martial art, the outcome differs based on who's using it and how. Each move reflected Jin Tae-kyung’s personality and inclinations. That held true for Jin Mu-kyung's present display of the Jin Family's spearmanship too. 'Was this how the Jin Family's spearmanship was supposed to be?' Between martial artists and wanderers. The once unsteady and uncertain maneuvers started to sync harmoniously. 'He's already claimed it as his own.' Ten days ago, Jin Tae-kyung was just half of what he is now...but a transformation has begun. Jin Mu-kyung felt pride in his brother’s achievement, alongside a simmering heat in his gut. 'This is.' In the past, it was an emotion felt facing someone else. Never could he have imagined Jin Tae-kyung would evoke it. 'Jealousy and competitive spirit.' Jin Mu-kyung was rooted in place. In that fleeting gap, the final form of the Jin Family's spearmanship, "Sky Piercer," was unleashed towards him. "Hup!" Kuaaaah?! The wind whipped up around the spear, swallowing Jin Tae-kyung’s cry. Just when it seemed like his chest would be pierced, Jin Mu-kyung’s hand seized the sword hilt. Whish! A flash of light shot up from his waist, slicing through the air. At the end of that, was Jin Tae-kyung. Swish! With a short gust of wind, the upper half felt cold. From the right waist to the left shoulder. The subterranean training hall’s chilly air seeped through the neatly cut martial suit. Only after confirming no injuries did a sigh of relief escape. "Whew." Spawn a sword wave out of nowhere. My heart almost jumped out of my mouth. "Damn it. You said no sword energy." "Only an idiot would trust that." Jin Mu-kyung answered with a dissatisfied expression, sheathing his sword. "This training session is over." Ding. -[Jin Mu-kyung] has declared the training session concluded. - Remaining [Time Limit]. will be terminated. - Success of the quest will be determined by [Jin Mu-kyung]'s evaluation. Success? Or failure? As I eagerly awaited, his words broke the suspense. "Still a long way to go." "Oh." "Is this all you achieved in ten days? What a waste of my time." Jin Mu-kyung broke off in mid-sentence with a sour face. "What's with that look?" "Huh? What look?" "That strange face you're making right now!" "No way, I don’t know what you mean." But Jin Mu-kyung had hit the nail on the head. I struggled hard to suppress my grin that kept creeping up. It was all due to the floating system message in the air. Ding. - Quest success conditions have been met! - [Training? Or an Ordeal!] Quest completed! - Level Up! - Quest completion rewards are moved to inventory! - Exceptional performance! You receive additional rewards! "Seems like you're quite shy." An honest young man. Jin Mu-kyung. "You punk! What do you mean by that?!" "No, let's move on. Twenty-three, still an age to be shy, right?" "This rascal?" Just as the furious-eyed Jin Mu-kyung was about to lunge at me. Creak. A door leading to the surface opened, and a servant peeked in. [Lv.12 Jang Chil-deuk] "Uhm, young masters?" It’s been a few days? A servant who had been diligently bringing meals. His face was now covered in bruises, and several teeth were missing. He spoke in a lisp due to his missing teeth. "The Young Lord is looking for you." "...Damn." Jin Mu-kyung alternated glances between me and Chil-deuk and sighed as he lowered his fist. We followed the servant’s lead and moved. Jin Mu-kyung wore a disgruntled look, staring at the ground as he walked, and Chil-deuk groaned in pain with every step. “Ouch, oh dear. Oof.” It was incredibly distracting. “How’d you get hurt?” “There was a slight misunderstanding.” Seems like a hefty misunderstanding considering the significant injuries. In reality, there’s no illness potions can't cure, but that's not the case in this martial world. I clicked my tongue at Chil-deuk’s broken teeth. "Must be painful." "It's fine." Chil-deuk puffed out his chest bravely. “If you're a warrior of the Jin Family of Tae-won, you must endure this much.” He was groaning in pain just moments ago. But wasn’t he just a servant? 'And his clothes have changed.' He was now wearing the deep navy martial robes of the Jin Family's warriors. It seemed like he had been wearing the clothes of a servant before. Noticing my gaze, he smiled shyly. “Ah. I've officially become a warrior a few days ago.” "A warrior?" Jin Mu-kyung, who had been silently walking behind, suddenly spoke up. "Where are you affiliated?" I may have recently gained some fame, but nowhere near Jin Mu-kyung’s level. Chil-deuk replied with an almost reverent expression. “I’m directly under the Young Lord.” "Only selected warriors in the main house can be affiliated directly under the eldest brother." Jin Mu-kyung scanned Chil-deuk up and down. It wasn’t a condescending look but an assessment of his capabilities. “Stature's decent, but it seems you haven’t mastered any martial art?” “Well, yes. I’m quite baffled myself. I have never properly performed even basic martial arts.” With my [Ki Sense], Chil-deuk’s level was 12. High for someone who used to carry food, but categorized as third-rate among martial artists. 'Directly under Jin Wi-kyung, first-class experts are over level 40 at least.' What gives? Could it be family connections? Jin Mu-kyung seemed to share my thoughts, furrowing his brows. "Must have a good backing. What does your father do?" Chil-deuk blinked his large eyes like a calf. "Died ten years ago." "He was a well-known herbalist, but fell victim to a tiger attack then." A momentary dizziness hit me. True to his high-level skills, Jin Mu-kyung was first to regain his composure and attempted to console him. "Surely a great man." “He was indeed earnest even thinking about him now. He also got along well with my mother.” “Then your mother, perhaps—? No?” “She’s doing well.” We exhaled a sigh of relief, but then Chil-deuk cast a longing gaze at the distant mountains. "I buried her with him, so I’m sure they are both doing well." What followed was a march of doom. I longed to sprint away at full speed, but gave up after hearing Chil-deuk’s soliloquy. “Ah, it’s been ages since I saw that flower. I often saw it following my father up the mountains.” If we walked alongside him for even a moment longer, Jin Mu-kyung might have considered ending himself. But, what felt like five eternal hours later, we finally reached our destination. “Oh, you’ve come!” Jin Wi-kyung was waiting in front of the pavilion, his appearance almost enough to bring tears. We called out in rather choked tones. “Big brother!” “Brother!” Chil-deuk awkwardly clasped his fists together. “As instructed, I have brought the young masters.” Jin Wi-kyung, who had been rushing towards me and Jin Mu-kyung, paused, then wrapped an arm around Chil-deuk. “Jang Chil-deuk, embodying humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom! Welcome, our warrior Jang!” “Indeed! Young Lord.” “Completed such a significant task! Go and rest now.” What is happening here exactly? Jin Mu-kyung and I stood, dumbfounded by the scene before a soft, yet resonant voice echoed in our ears. - You see, I had a little misunderstanding with this friend once... That voice resembled Chil-deuk's. Seems like we've learned his backstory.