Murim Login - Chapter 353
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I will re-publish the earlier chapters to fix those issues with the translation. I apologize in advance if it did not meet your standard. Please comment the chapters you find that is lacking in quality so I can fix them ASAP. Thanks for understanding!
Current re-published chapters (270 - 305)
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Dong, dong, dong!
An old man mumbled as he listened to the resounding drumbeats.
“It’s been a long time.”
His short, stout body and unruly features made him appear nothing more than a vile, nasty old man to the average person. However, those who had encountered him even once called him by another name.
The Fiend.
A smile crept onto the old man’s face. Looking at the young pups waiting for him on the fortress wall of Sichuan Tang Clan, his mood turned gleeful.
“It feels like the scent of blood is already in the air. Just like when I descended from Mount Gilyeon.”
He was born through a difficult labor, resulting in his hideous appearance. How different were his two brothers born on the same day? After their father disappeared, the three brothers, left with no one to rely on, hid in Mount Gilyeon, shunned by everyone.
“We were so young then. We killed everyone, man or woman, over and over again…” In such a turbulent era, they became fiends.
When they looked around, everyone who had ridiculed their hideousness and pelted them with stones was submerged in a pool of blood.
Then, joining the Demonic Cult that invaded Zhongyuan, they dyed the world in blood, and people feared them as the Three Fiends of Gilyeon.
“It’s exhilarating to remember those days, isn’t it?”
The old man, called First Fiend, turned his head with a smile, only to realize his mistake and clicked his tongue.
“This is troublesome. I must be getting senile.”
The two younger brothers who had been with him like shadows their whole lives were not here now. Second Fiend had gone to Cheongseong, and Third Fiend to Amih.
Soon, two of the most prominent sects in the world would be covered in a sea of blood.
And then…
Boom!
Finally, the signal that marked the beginning of it all resounded.
First Fiend laughed heartily at the loud noise coming from beyond the fortress wall of Sichuan Tang Clan. Western Heavenly Demon Army, the promised time had come.
“The Demon Lord is calling us, isn’t he?”
Cha-cha-cha-chang!
Hundreds of weapons were drawn, slicing through the dawn air.
Behind First Fiend, three hundred men clad in black armor stood in a long line. Shedding their disguises as imperial soldiers, they were now fully armed in black leather armor.
“The time has come. Raise the flag!”
As First Fiend’s shout echoed, the warriors of the Tang Clan on the fortress wall saw it.
Flutter.
Through the pale dawn mist, a flag soared high.
The two words fluttered in the fierce wind.
“Dark Sky…”
Someone’s murmur on the wall was drowned out by the resounding drumbeats.
Dong, dong, dong!
Matching the increasing intensity of the drumbeats, the men in black armor began to advance.
The breaths escaping their lips were hot, but their gazes were cold. A sharp, murderous aura emanated from their entire bodies.
And at their forefront was a fiend.
“The Heavenly Lord commands.”
Eyes dyed red with blood gleamed with joy.
What a grand day it was. The righteous Murim would remember this day. Everyone would fear the flag of Dark Sky draped across the world.
First Fiend shouted in ecstasy.
“Destroy Sichuan Tang Clan!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Dong, doong, dodododong!
The sharp drumbeats and fierce shouts. Three hundred men in black armor charged towards the fortress, while dark clouds covered the sun that had just begun to rise.
At that moment, a powerful shout erupted from the fortress wall.
“How dare these evil fiends invade our home. Do not let a single one live!”
“Fire all arrows!”
Shoosh, shoosh, shoosh, thud!
Arrows shot with great force pierced through someone’s body and embedded in the ground. Blood misted, and screams erupted.
“Argh!”
But the casualties were minimal. Most of the men in black armor blocked the arrows with their weapons, while others were unharmed thanks to their armor.
“What? How is this possible?”
“Even the crossbows can’t pierce them? Those crossbows could penetrate steel plates with ease, but they were useless against the armor.
As the warriors of the Tang Clan faltered, a small figure shot out with blinding speed.
Squeak!
“Hahaha! Excellent!”
No one on the fortress wall knew who First Fiend was. But hearing his maniacal laughter, everyone felt a shiver of terror down their spines.
“Activate the Ten Thousand Poisons Array! Activate it now!”
The urgent command came, but the figure of First Fiend had already reached the gate like a ghost.
With a twisted, fiendish grin, he concentrated his power into his fist.
“Let’s taste the blood of the Tang Clan.”
Whoom, bang!
Thus, the battle began.
* * *
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Cheongpung and I looked at each other simultaneously. We both realized we were thinking the same thing.
“Did you hear that?”
“Benefactor, did you hear that?”
Shini, who was checking Jeok Cheon-Gang’s pulse, still unconscious, looked at us with a confused expression.
“What are you talking about?”
“Wait a moment.”
I raised my hand to stop Shini and focused my mind.
Though my body was in the underground prison, my senses were different. Enhanced by the power of martial arts, my hearing extended beyond the maze-like corridors of the prison, upwards, and further up.
And then…
Dong.
This time, I clearly heard it.
Cheongpung, setting down the food he was holding, spoke.
“Benefactor, could it be…”
“Yes.”
I looked up at the ceiling of the prison and continued.
“It’s a drumbeat.”
Just as I spoke, the drumbeat echoed, as if agreeing with my words.
Ding.
– A sudden quest has been generated.
– You cannot refuse. The quest has been automatically accepted!
– Do you want to check the quest information?
Without a word, I stared at the hologram window filling my vision.
The sudden drumbeats and the sudden quest. It was not a good sign.
Damn it, look at the goosebumps on my arms.
“Crazy, really.”
But there was no turning back now. The only thing I could do was check what lay ahead.
‘Check quest information.’
Ding.
With the characteristic cheerful notification sound, a new hologram window appeared.
But unlike the sound, the contents of the quest window were far from cheerful.
[Uninvited Guests]
The dark clouds of Dark Sky have finally descended upon Sichuan.
The battle has already begun, and the Sichuan Tang Clan is surrounded.
We wish you good luck.
Grade: ???
Restrictions: ???
Task: ???
Reward: ???
Failure: Death
I read it three times from beginning to end. Then I thought.
‘What a load of crap.’
I was speechless.
The contents were utterly absurd. Enemies have invaded. We are surrounded and cannot escape. Good luck. The end.
‘Damn it, it’s ridiculously simple.’
Grade, restrictions, task, reward. Everything was a question mark.
Oh, at least one thing was clear.
If I fail this quest, I die.
For heaven’s sake, if we don’t fend off the invaders, we die. What wonderful news. I almost clapped my hands in appreciation.
‘Is this a quest information window or a quest notification window?’
The view before me swam. Listening to the increasingly loud drumbeats, cold sweat dripped down my back.
But conversely, my mind was icy cold.
Clearing the quest window, I took a deep breath and spoke.
“Elder Dong, we have a problem.”
Though he had practiced martial arts, Shini’s level was far below ours. Unlike Cheongpung and me, he couldn’t hear the drumbeats and asked with a puzzled expression.
“A problem? What do you mean…”
“Enemies have invaded.”
“Enemies? Here at Sichuan Tang Clan?”
“Yes, without a doubt. We are already surrounded.”
Shini looked incredulous. It was a perfectly normal reaction. What kind of madmen would invade the Sichuan Tang Clan?
But if those madmen were Dark Sky, it was a different story. They were the ones who had bathed the Shaolin Temple in blood. However, with every moment being precious, there was no time for detailed explanations.
“Prepare yourself for anything.”
“…Understood.”
With a grim expression, Shini nodded.
Perhaps because he had experienced countless events while wandering the world, he seemed to accept the reality more quickly than I expected.
I looked at Jeok Cheon-Gang, who still lay with his eyes closed, and asked.
“How is Master’s condition?”
“As I said before, his energy has not stabilized yet. If he receives any external shock in this state…”
Though Shini didn’t finish his sentence, it was enough for me.
Jeok Cheon-Gang’s condition was still unstable. According to the quest window, Sichuan Tang Clan was already surrounded by Dark Sky.
‘If we break through their siege?’
Such a thought crossed my mind but I shook my head.
Not only Jeok Cheon-Gang’s safety but also the chances of success were slim. Considering the strength of Dark Sky that attacked the Shaolin Temple, it would be stepping into certain death.
‘Especially the Blood Lord. We must avoid that monster at all costs.’
After much deliberation, I reached a conclusion.
I slowly spoke.
“Cheongpung.”
Cheongpung responded in a somber voice.
“Yes, benefactor.”
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything.”
Though Cheongpung was a naive and light-hearted guy, he occasionally showed a serious side.
And whenever he did, I found him more trustworthy than anyone else.
That was why I could ask him this favor now.
“Protect Elder and Master here. That’s my request.”
“You’ve heard it. We can’t escape now. Someone has to go out and help Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Benefactor.”
“So…”
“Yes.”
I swallowed my words. Cheongpung was looking at me with clear eyes.
“I will stay if you tell me to stay, and go if you tell me to go. But benefactor.”
In a low voice, he whispered in my ear.
“You have someone to protect, don’t you?”
“I couldn’t fight when I had to protect someone, and I couldn’t protect the people I cared about. That’s why I am a fool.”
I didn’t know Cheongpung thought like this.
Even after all that, he lived brightly, talking a lot, as if he were the happiest person in the world.
He had always been like that. It suited him and seemed natural.
‘But that wasn’t it.’
Cheongpung, as if recalling memories from Hanam, looked into the distance, somewhere in the dark prison, and turned his head.
A smile, different from his usual one, formed on his lips.
That’s when I realized it was time to make a real decision.
‘One person stays, one person leaves.’
I slowly shifted my gaze. Cheongpung, smiling as always. Shini, with a worried expression. The increasingly loud screams and shouts approaching.
And… the shadow of the torch flickering over Jeok Cheon-Gang’s face.
The next moment, I found myself speaking without realizing it.
“Cheongpung, I need you to do something.”
Cheongpung and I locked eyes.
Pointing to the ceiling, I smiled.
“Give those bastards a taste of their own medicine.”
“Yes, benefactor!”
His response was brighter than ever.
Thus began the battle.