Murim Login - Chapter 411

In an instant, it felt as though the world had stopped.

Before my brain could process the situation, my instincts reacted first.

The sounds of people breathing and the monsters’ roars seemed to fade into the distance, as if they were kilometers away, while my senses sharpened, taking in every detail around me.

*Shhh.*

Blood droplets, dust, and fog scattered lazily in the air. If I reached out, I could almost grasp the mist.

And then…

*’Qi.’*

I could feel it. The vast movement of energy, encompassing a radius of several hundred meters. At the same moment that a red alarm went off in my head, I leaped off the ground.

“Take cover!”

*Boom!*

A blinding flash followed by a deafening explosion rocked the earth. From ten meters in the air, I surveyed the battlefield below.

Where I had stood just moments ago, a radius of several hundred meters was completely scorched.

Through the fog and the rising dust cloud, I saw the green blood covering the ground and the shattered remains of the monsters.

*’Magic Trap.’*

Facing an unseen enemy means you must be prepared for anything.

*’There’s no mercy in war.’*

History, recorded across countless wars, serves as a witness, prosecutor, and judge.

Even among humans, war brings about countless atrocities. So, to expect mercy from monsters, non-humans, is simply laughable.

Thus, vigilance is a necessary virtue in war. It reduces the chances of falling into the enemy’s traps and minimizes sacrifices.

Just like now.

*Tss.*

I softly landed on the ground and reached out. *Boom!* The compressed air burst forth, dispersing the dust cloud.

Between the pools of blood and the mangled bodies, familiar faces finally emerged.

“Chief Choi.”

Chief Choi took a deep breath and nodded. Behind him, I saw about two hundred members of the Death Squad, their faces pale with fear.

“We’ve got a few injuries… but everyone’s safe.”

“Thank goodness.”

“That was a powerful trap. Without that barrier, most of us, myself included, would’ve been dead.”

*Swoosh.*

Chief Choi extended his hand to touch the transparent barrier in front of him.

The barrier, which protected the entire Death Squad, was a magic spell engraved on a scroll by one of the top three magicians among the billions of people on Earth.

“Once the battle is over, we need to find Mr. Johnson. We owe him our lives thanks to his magic.”

“Planning to give him a kiss of gratitude?”

“At this point, I’d do just about anything.”

Xiao Shen exhaled, responding to Chief Choi’s words.

*「I could even do more than that. This is truly…」*

He trailed off, glancing around.

The explosion had been that devastating. At a rough estimate, over a thousand monsters had either died or were incapacitated by its shockwave.

A trap that spared neither friend nor foe. The Arch Lich had sacrificed many of its own subordinates just to ensnare us and the Death Squad.

*’You cunning bastard.’*

I had anticipated something like this, but the Arch Lich’s guile and audacity surpassed my expectations.

If I had been even slightly late with my signal, or if I hadn’t taken the initiative to break through and act as bait, the entire Death Squad would have perished here.

*’Just like that day.’*

A memory I’ll never forget. Such a tragedy must never be repeated.

I turned around and spoke.

“Keep your distance and follow me. Our goal isn’t to fight the monsters but to break through them.”

The Death Squad responded with a loud battle cry. The sudden explosion had thrown the enemy into chaos, with many of their forces retreating.

This is the moment when crisis turns into opportunity. We couldn’t let this momentum slip away.

“Charge!”

With a burst of internal energy, I shot forward, launching the Azure Dragon Fang. A monster’s head flew through the air as my spear sliced cleanly through it.

The Death Squad, two hundred strong, surged forward like a spearhead into the gap left in the monster army by the explosion. The main force followed behind, crashing down like waves.

*Waaahhh!*

The deafening roar of the battlefield filled the air, mixing with the green blood that spread through the mist.

And far above, a flock of crows circled, watching the battlefield from on high.

—

On a throne made of white bones, an entity that appeared to be asleep suddenly opened its eyes.

From the empty eye sockets of the skull, a fierce light gleamed, and a low mutter escaped its lips.

“Impressive.”

The Arch Lich possessed hundreds of eyes and ears.

At this very moment, his familiars scattered across the battlefield were taking in every detail.

The fierce clash between humans and monsters. The humans, breaking through at a rapid pace.

“The Death Squad. That’s what they called themselves.”

A memory flashed in the Arch Lich’s mind. An old, dust-covered memory. One that, despite being submerged in the river of death for an eternity, could never be forgotten.

*’The Challenger.’*

How could he forget? A single human who had been at the center of everything. The human who had led the Death Squad, charging at him, sword in hand.

*’It was that human who drove a sword through my body.’*

The Arch Lich looked down at his body, made of jet-black bones.

In the past, he had been a noble, powerful being, commanding legions of monsters under the king’s favor.

But on that fateful day, he and his king had fallen, brought down by the hands of a mere human.

“But… where is the Challenger now?”

The Arch Lich’s voice was filled with suspicion.

Despite watching the entire battlefield through his familiars, the Challenger was nowhere to be seen. He had spotted a few familiar faces, but that was all.

*’Could it be?’*

Suddenly, a realization struck the Arch Lich, and the light in his eye sockets flared.

As unbelievable as it seemed, if the Challenger had died… if he had finally met the fate of all mortals?

*’Kuhaha, hahahaha!’*

The Arch Lich’s body trembled as he laughed, filled with magic. The ground shook, and the air vibrated with his mirth.

Sensing their master’s shifting mood, the guards prostrated themselves before him.

“My lord.”

“What has brought you such joy?”

The guards were a fearsome sight. Each one was comparable to a named monster. Death Knights and Liches, twenty in total, knelt before the Arch Lich.

They were creations made specifically to face the Challenger. But now, things had changed.

The Arch Lich finally spoke, his voice filled with grim delight.

“Listen, my loyal servants.”

“Your orders, my lord?”

The Arch Lich rose from his throne and looked down at his faithful followers. His chilling voice echoed through the chamber.

“Go to the battlefield. Crush and obliterate those insignificant humans.”

Without hesitation, the twenty Death Knights and Liches bowed their heads.

The Arch Lich was their absolute ruler. Obeying his commands left no room for doubt.

“We obey the will of our lord.”

With a unified cry, they departed, each heading to their assigned front.

As the room fell silent once more, the Arch Lich returned to his throne and focused his mind.

Through the eyes and ears of countless familiars, he scoured the battlefield. Then, he suddenly stopped.

*’What… is that human?’*

Through the black eyes of a crow, he saw a young human slicing through monsters, covered in blood.

A face that didn’t exist in his past memories. But one he had seen through his familiars just days ago.

*’The one who defeated the Death Knight Lord.’*

The Death Knight Lord, made from Lei Fei’s remains, had been the Arch Lich’s finest creation.

Though the Death Knight had a strong soul that couldn’t be fully subdued, its strength was undeniable, bolstered by a portion of the Arch Lich’s own power.

Yet it had been destroyed. By that insignificant human.

*’He’s a nuisance. I’ll take care of him now.’*

The Arch Lich made up his mind and sent out his will.

Half of the guards who had been heading to the battlefield changed course, following their master’s new command.

—

*Crack!*

The wind, weapons, and even the bodies of the tough monsters.

Everything that crossed the path of my spear was sliced apart.

Heads flew, thick limbs were severed, and monsters fell to pieces.

Trolls, still barely breathing, were shredded before they could regenerate, and the half-decayed Undead Ogres stumbled before their upper bodies were sliced clean off by the next strike.

*Slice! Slice! Slice!*

Chief Choi, wielding the *Spirit of a Hero*, cut down three or four monsters in an instant, shouting towards me.

“Jin Tae-kyung! The monsters’ attacks are getting too intense!”

He wasn’t wrong. As we broke through the frontlines, the number of monsters had decreased, but their quality had significantly increased.

I expected this.

Most of the monsters at the front, used as cannon fodder for the Magic Traps, had been of lower rank.

The Arch Lich had placed his elite forces in the rear, using the rest as bait and meat shields.

*’To wear us down.’*

On top of that, the fog had thickened, making the battle even more difficult.

Not only had the monsters grown stronger, but in this kind of fog, visibility and sound were greatly reduced.

It gave the monsters, with their superior senses, a clear advantage.

Of course…

*’I’m an exception.’*

*Thwack!*

With all my strength, I hurled my spear, skewering seven or eight monsters like they were kabobs.

Xiao Shen and a hunter from the Death Squad, who had just barely survived, nodded their thanks to me.

“Everyone, gather around me!”

「But we’re running low on magic scrolls. If another Magic Trap goes off…」

“There’s no time to explain! Just move!”

Chief Choi and Xiao Shen nodded at my command and advanced with the Death Squad.

I knew what they were thinking. We had already survived three Magic Traps, and this was the Arch Lich’s rear guard. The chance of another trap activating was slim.

“Focus on defense and move forward.”

While the battle had become more difficult, the odds of being caught off guard by another trap had significantly decreased, which was a relief for me.

It wasn’t hard for me to escape on my own, but the Death Squad’s lives were at risk.

*’We’re almost at our final destination. I just need to minimize casualties and link up with Lee Jung-ryong and Wu Haixing.’*

*Slice! Crack!*

Just as I was pushing forward, clearing the path at the front line, I felt a sudden wave of fatigue.

– All… retreat.

– Human. You will die by my lord’s command.

The monster army parted like the Red Sea, and emerging from the shadows were figures I had only heard of in legends.

[Lv.120 Lich, Corrupted by Darkness]

[Lv.115 Death Knight, Corrupted by Darkness]

There were ten of them, all over level 120. I couldn’t breathe. My hands and feet trembled.

Chief Choi, sensing the overwhelming threat, shouted in despair.

“We have to retreat now!”

“C-Chief Choi…”

“Get a grip, Jin Tae-kyung!”

“Lunch delivery is here.”

“If we stay, we’re going to be wiped out… Wait, what?”

With trembling eyes, I stared at the ten monsters… no, *lunchboxes.*

“The lunch delivery has arrived.”