Murim Login - Chapter 423

*Thud!*

As the dull impact rang out, the Arch Lich was sent flying toward the ground. In that moment, I gathered my energy and kicked off the air.

*Boom!*

With the sound of compressed air exploding, I shot toward the rapidly falling figure at a terrifying speed.

The Skeleton Warlord let out a strange cry, halfway between a scream and a cheer.

– “You did it, human! Finish him off!”

Finish? What finish?

Unfortunately, his assessment was wrong. At least I knew this all too well, having landed a punch squarely on the Arch Lich’s jaw.

‘He managed to cast a defensive spell in that brief moment…!’

Before my **Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fist** could fully connect, he had conjured a **Bone Shield** to cover his face and protect himself.

The strike still had some effect, given its power, but it wouldn’t be enough to take him down.

And as expected, my prediction was correct. The Arch Lich, who had been plummeting like a meteor, suddenly stopped mid-air, and powerful magic rippled through the atmosphere.

– “Darkness Hold.”

*Screech!*

A pair of massive hands emerged from the air. Though they resembled **Dark Hand**, **Darkness Hold** was a spell focused purely on restraining its target, as the name implied.

I swung my spear at the two swiftly approaching hands.

‘I can see it.’

Everything has a “grain”—whether it’s living creatures, wind, or even the invisible flow of energy.

With my **Middle Dantian** now unlocked, I could sense and see the center and grain of things.

Just like now.

*Slash!*

Flames flared up, and the darkness was split apart. The massive black hands writhed in agony before dispersing into mist, causing the Arch Lich’s eyes to gleam ominously.

The next moment, his hand, composed of dark bones, slashed through the air.

– “Dark Claw!”

*Swoosh, hiss!*

The dissipating black mist formed into sharp claws, raining down like a predator’s strike.

Countless attacks came at me from all directions, each following a different trajectory. I could block them if I focused, but doing so would cost me the opportunity I’d worked so hard to create to close the gap with the Arch Lich.

‘I have to choose.’

I couldn’t catch two rabbits, especially when one of them was a tiger.

In that brief instant, I made my decision and fired my spear imbued with white flame, not at the surrounding magic, but directly at the Arch Lich.

*Boom!*

The white flame, burning with blue fire, sliced through everything like a flash of lightning.

The Arch Lich’s voice, more frantic than ever before, rang out.

– “Bone Shie…”

Too late, you bastard.

*Fwoosh!*

The blue flame engulfed the Arch Lich’s body.

The shield of bones he had hastily conjured crumbled to ashes under the extreme heat.

*Crack!*

The spear’s blade pierced through the Arch Lich’s chest. Like a skewer, he was impaled and fell, letting out a scream unlike any I had ever heard.

In that instant, I felt a chilling wind cutting through the air around me.

– “Human, it’s dangerous…!”

I didn’t need the Skeleton Warlord’s warning to know.

I had already anticipated this. To break bones, you have to be willing to sacrifice flesh. I knew this decision would leave me vulnerable, but I believed it was the right choice.

As I watched the magical claws descend on me from all sides, I thought to myself.

‘…Maybe I should have blocked them.’

But it was too late to take it back now.

*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!*

A fierce gust of wind swept over my entire body.

It wasn’t an illusion like the **Bone Spear**, nor was it slow enough for me to block. I twisted my body and gathered as much energy as I could, but there were limits.

*Slash, slash, slash! Rip!*

My shoulder, side, thigh, arm…

Countless magical claws tore into my body. My flesh split open, blood gushing out, and the excruciating pain overwhelmed me.

“Damn it…”

It hurt. So much that I wanted to die.

No matter how many times you experience it, pain is something you never get used to.

My vision blurred, and I felt my strength draining from my body.

A moment that felt both brief and eternal, filled with nothing but pain.

When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a massive concrete pile hurtling toward me, right in front of my face.

– “Get a hold of yourself, human!”

The Skeleton Warlord’s desperate shout brought me back to my senses.

I forced energy into my rigid body, and as the pain ripped through my meridians, my dulled senses returned.

‘Now!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, I flipped my body.

*Boom!*

With a deafening crash, a cloud of dust erupted as I landed roughly on the concrete debris. Tremors and pain crawled up my legs like an insidious parasite.

“Ugh…”

Clenching my teeth to endure the pain, I heard the Skeleton Warlord speak again.

– “Human, are you… no, I can’t see you.”

I responded through ragged breaths.

“Huff… If you already know, huff, then shut up. My head is throbbing.”

And it wasn’t just an expression. Even the constant stream of system notifications drilling into my ears was enough to make me want to throw up.

*Beep!*

– You have been afflicted with the status condition [Serious Injury]!

– You are experiencing [Excessive Bleeding]!

– Due to severe injuries, your physical abilities have drastically decreased!

– [Strength], [Agility], and [Stamina] have been reduced by 200 points!

– You are critically injured! Immediate treatment is necessary!

Yeah, I think I figured that out.

Whether it was from losing too much blood or the relentless waves of pain, my vision was blurry, and my thoughts were sluggish.

But even in that state, there was one thing I couldn’t forget.

“Where’s the Arch Lich? Is he dead?”

At my raspy voice, the Skeleton Warlord shouted back angrily.

– “You madman! Focus on healing yourself first!”

“I haven’t gotten the kill notification yet… that means he’s still…”

– “Forget about that! Heal yourself!”

“Hmph.”

Can’t you stop yelling?

Leaning my back against the concrete pile, I felt the blood soaking my entire body drip down. My arms and legs trembled uncontrollably, beyond my control.

“Damn it.”

I’d been beaten pretty badly.

The only consolation was that the Arch Lich was probably in even worse condition than I was.

– “You fool of a human!”

Yeah, I know.

Ignoring the Skeleton Warlord’s yelling echoing in my head, I slowly opened my hand. And in my mind, I whispered.

‘Open inventory. Summon.’

*Swoosh.*

As soon as I thought it, it happened.

I retrieved an item from the subspace pocket originally owned by Lee Jung-ryong, now in my possession.

‘The highest-grade potion.’

Did Lee Jung-ryong ever imagine that both of the emergency potions he’d brought along would be used by me?

With trembling hands, I removed the cap of the highest-grade potion. I was about to drink it all in one go when—

*Thud, swish!*

“Huh?”

It happened in an instant.

A black thorn vine shot out from the cracks in the concrete and lashed at my wrist. In the slow-motion world, the highest-grade potion flew out of my grasp and disappeared into the mist.

I watched in disbelief as the few remaining drops of the potion scattered into the air and soaked into the ground.

“Dark Vine.”

It was a spell I was all too familiar with.

The Skeleton Warlord muttered with a groan.

– “It’s him.”

Slowly, I raised my head. Beyond the thick mist, I saw the red eyes burning like torches as they approached.

A 3-meter tall figure, coated in a black sheen. Though it had a human shape, it was no longer something that could be called human, striding through the fog with heavy steps.

– “You, human.”

There was an unmistakable rage in the deep, resonant voice.

The Skeleton Warlord trembled deep within the inventory, and I smiled faintly.

“Damn bastard. Stealing my drink.”

– “Your resistance ends here.”

*Snap! Thud!*

Before I could even move, the Arch Lich snapped his fingers. The **subspace pocket** that had belonged to Lee Jung-ryong was caught by the **Dark Vine** and flung far into the distance.

– “No more petty tricks will work on me.”

With each word, the magic surrounding the Arch Lich seemed to respond.

But even though I was gravely injured, I could tell that his energy wasn’t as strong as it had been.

The white flame spear still embedded in his chest was likely the cause.

‘I can do this.’

I forced myself to stand, reaching into my inventory to summon another spear.

“The spear lodged in your chest looks nice. Should I give you another one?”

– “You think you’ll get the chance?”

– “Of course. Judging by your sorry state, it seems more than possible.”

– “Humans never know how to distinguish between courage and recklessness. How foolish. Truly foolish.”

The Arch Lich let out a chilling laugh, spreading his arms wide.

Instead of the tattered robes that had turned to ash from my earlier attack, an aura of pitch-black magic began to swirl around his body, forming a solid shape.

‘That’s…’

Even just looking at it filled me with a deep sense of foreboding. It was a vortex of ominous energy.

I instinctively understood what the Arch Lich was attempting.

‘A Gate.’

Though it seemed unstable, it was undoubtedly forming the shape of a gate.

And the next words that came from the Arch Lich confirmed my suspicions.

– “It’s not complete yet… but once I defeat you, I can finish everything.”

At that moment, a low voice echoed across the space, as if resonating from the sky itself.

– “Let it begin. **Gate Open**.”

A thunderous roar filled the air as the gate began to open, shaking the very atmosphere.

I had to stop it. No matter what.

But my body was slow to respond, weighed down by pain. Despite this, I could only watch helplessly as the transformation unfolded.

*Boom!*

With a sound that split the sky, the last rays of sunlight disappeared, swallowed by darkness. A raging storm tore through the surroundings, and in its place, a dense shadow rose like a titan from ancient times.

*Shwoooom!*

The writhing darkness surged up from the center of the ruined city.

It was as tall as a skyscraper, and wider than a soccer field. It dwarfed any gate I had ever seen before, exuding a bone-chilling fear that penetrated deep into my core.

– “Ah… ah…”

Even the undead Skeleton Warlord, who feared nothing, was trembling at the sight of the gate.

I, too, could only stare blankly at it for a moment, before suddenly remembering something important.

‘I have to stop this. No matter what.’

Even though it wasn’t a complete gate, if this continued, it would unleash an uncontrollable catastrophe.

Millions, perhaps even tens of millions, could die.

And among those people… might be the ones I care about.

Manager Choi on the battlefield, Xiao Shen, who I’d grown attached to in such a short time.

If the Arch Lich moved beyond China and reached the peninsula… even the members of the Peace Guild and my beloved family could be in danger.

‘I have to do it.’

Driven by my will, my body, numb from pain and shock, started to move.

I gathered the last remnants of my energy, despite the screams of agony from my injured meridians. Blood seeped from my wounds once again, but I didn’t stop. Not for a second.

All for one chance.

‘Blazing Path.’

I pushed off the ground with legs that were barely holding together. A path of flame opened up in front of me, tearing through the pain.

And at the end of that path was one being.

The one who had started all of this. And the one who could end it all.

‘You must die.’

**One Strike.**

In the slowed-down world, I thrust my spear forward with every ounce of strength I had left.

The vortex of energy surged toward him.

*Boom!*

As the blue flames filled the world, the Arch Lich’s mocking voice pierced through the flames, reaching my ears.

– “Blink.”