Murim Login - Chapter 430

My eyelids involuntarily twitched.

‘…Why is this here?’

I remembered it vividly.

After narrowly surviving multiple death traps set by Seocheon Magun, I stumbled upon that place—the hidden space behind a mystical gate inside an unnamed cave along a cliff, guided by the heads of the Cheongseong and Ami sects. The space was vast, and at its heart lay an enormous *jinbeop* (formation).

And now, here it was—this very *jinbeop*, printed in full color on the paper I held in my hands, filled with strange symbols and patterns.

But… could it even be called a *jinbeop* anymore?

This formation, named *Idongjin* (Displacement Formation) by the heads of Cheongseong and Ami, had now resurfaced here, in a completely different context.

I hurriedly thrust the paper toward Magic Johnson.

“Johnson, what… what is this?”

“Huh?”

“Where… where did you find this?”

Magic Johnson looked confused at my sudden outburst.

“We found this formation in the city that served as the Arc Lich’s stronghold.”

“A formation?”

“Yes, a magic formation. I’ve been researching it, trying to figure it out… Why? Have you seen this before?”

“Are there more of these?”

“Of course. Every piece of paper on the desk before you arrived was related to this.”

“Wait, so… everything on that desk?”

I looked down at the scattered papers on the floor, dozens of them.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Jin? Jin?”

“Has this ugly, wicked human finally lost his mind? How tragic.”

Ignoring Magic Johnson’s calls and the Skeleton King’s nonsense, I silently began sorting through the printed papers.

Each sheet was filled with patterns and symbols. As I examined them, I came to a staggering realization.

‘This…’

There was no doubt. Though the arrangement and orientation were different, the patterns and symbols matched exactly with the ones I had seen in Murim.

And if these sheets were assembled like puzzle pieces, they would form one enormous magic formation.

‘What the hell is going on?’

It felt like someone had struck me on the back of the head with a hammer.

I stared at the papers in silence for a long time before finally speaking.

“You said this was found at the Arc Lich’s stronghold?”

Magic Johnson, now smoking a cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke and answered.

“Yes. I wasn’t aware of its existence at first, but the investigation team found it shortly after their arrival. They sent it to me on the second day through the joint forces.”

“Sent it to you…?”

“They asked for my advice. Even they couldn’t determine what kind of formation it was. I imagine they also consulted two other people besides me.”

The two others must have been other great mages, the only ones in the world capable of analyzing such a complex magic formation.

Which also meant… this was a new kind of formation, one that had never been encountered before.

“So, what have you discovered so far?”

“Well, we haven’t fully cracked it yet, but we’ve got a solid lead on its purpose.”

“Its purpose?”

“Yes. Fortunately, I had someone with me who knew a lot about this sort of thing.”

Before I could ask who, a familiar voice cut in arrogantly.

“That someone is none other than me—Stone King, the supremely handsome man from Atlanta, Georgia.”

Right. How could I forget about him?

As a native of the underworld and a named monster, the Skeleton King had to know something about this formation.

“Stop with the nonsense and tell me what you know.”

“I might consider it… if you call me ‘Mr. King’ from now on.”

“Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, you scrawny punk.”

“F***ing Korean.”

“You little…”

“Whoa, whoa!”

The Skeleton King scrambled back as I raised my hand.

“Okay! Okay, I’ll tell you!”

“Spit it out.”

The Skeleton King, still eyeing me warily, finally spoke.

“It looks like a life-draining formation.”

“Life-draining?”

“Yes. The Arc Lich must have used it to absorb the life force of others and accumulate power. With that power, he could command vast armies of monsters and open gates.”

China is a vast land.

Despite the countless casualties caused by the Great Cataclysm, the country still held one-fifth of the world’s population.

And Sichuan alone officially housed around 80 million people.

The monster wave alone had already claimed millions of lives. Including the unreported victims, the numbers would be staggering.

‘Many of those lives must have been sacrificed to fuel that magic… Considering the scale of the Arc Lich’s actions, it all adds up.’

I bit my lip and asked the Skeleton King again.

“Are you certain?”

“It’s just a guess. I can’t be sure.”

“Why not?”

The Skeleton King clicked his tongue.

“Can you tell what a formation does just by looking at it, wicked human?”

“Well, no…”

“Exactly. Even I can’t. I can raise and command undead soldiers with my abilities, but I can’t use dark magic like this.”

Damn. He was right.

Just as hunters and monsters are limited by their individual traits, the Skeleton King’s abilities had their limits too.

I had hoped for more, but I deflated slightly at his response. Still, one more question remained.

“Then how did you figure out that it’s a life-draining formation? Are these symbols something only monsters can recognize?”

If the Skeleton King could decipher these strange symbols, perhaps I could finally unravel the mystery behind the formation I had encountered in Murim.

But his answer dashed my hopes.

“I don’t know what those symbols mean. I guessed the formation’s purpose because I’m undead.”

The Skeleton King gestured toward Magic Johnson.

“When I first saw these symbols on paper, I didn’t fully understand. But when I visited the site with this helpful human, I sensed it immediately—the overwhelming stench of countless deaths. That’s when I knew.”

“I see…”

Disappointment weighed heavy on me.

If even a great mage like Magic Johnson and a named monster like the Skeleton King couldn’t decipher the symbols, uncovering their meaning seemed impossible for now.

‘Damn it. What’s really going on here?’

The formation engraved in that cave, the symbols in this magic formation, and the strange phenomena I witnessed during the battle with the Blood Lord and Seocheon Magun…

I pushed away a nagging thought that gnawed at the back of my mind.

This couldn’t be a coincidence. It couldn’t be.

Was it fate? And if so, what did this sudden connection between two entirely different worlds mean?

After pacing the room in silence for some time, I finally spoke.

“I need to see it for myself.”

“Huh?”

“Johnson, can you take me to the site?”

Magic Johnson hesitated briefly, then nodded.

“It’s classified, but… for you, it’s possible. However, only the two of us can go. Our friend here will have to stay in a subspace pocket, like last time.”

“That’s fine. Let’s leave right away.”

“Sounds good. You seem to know something, after all.”

Just as Magic Johnson and I were about to head out, the Skeleton King spoke in a formal tone.

“Sorry, humans, but I have urgent business to attend to. You’ll have to go without me.”

“…?”

“The front desk receptionist is quite beautiful. Though her flesh disguises it, the curves of her skeleton are exquisite.”

I responded quietly.

“And?”

“And so, I’ll be staying out tonight. Just letting you know.”

He turned to leave, then paused and asked cautiously.

“But, wicked human, why did you draw your spear just now?”

“Oh, this?”

I casually twirled the White Flame spear I had summoned from my inventory.

“Nothing. Just planning to stab you when you turn around.”

“Ah… I see.”

“So, why are you still here? It’s almost time for the staff to leave. Better ask her to dinner before she clocks out.”

The Skeleton King hesitated, an awkward smile tugging at his lips.

“On second thought, there’s no need to rush.”

“Great. That frees up your schedule.”

I pulled out one of the subspace pockets I had prepared to hide my inventory from prying eyes.

“Get in, now.”

“…Fine.”

With a sullen expression, the Skeleton King slipped into the subspace pocket.

* * *

The moment I saw the magic formation with my own eyes, I finally understood what the Skeleton King had meant.

Or perhaps, hearing his explanation had prepared me to see it this way.

But the sight overwhelmed me, and a single word rose unbidden in my mind.

“Death.”

This dark magic formation was far larger than the one in the cave.

Though its power had faded, the traces of countless lives it had claimed still lingered.

And that… was all I could grasp.

“Jin. Do you understand anything?”

“No. Not at all.”

The symbols and patterns, arranged in a strange and indecipherable order, remained an enigma.

Just as the system had remained silent in Murim, it offered no insights now.

After wandering around the site for hours without any progress, I had no choice but to leave.

“Mr. Jones, I’ve arranged security for your return trip…”

“We’re fine.”

“Understood. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Leaving the security chief and guards behind, Magic Johnson and I walked away.

Once we were alone, Johnson spoke quietly.

“Jin, I thought you knew something.”

“…Maybe I saw something similar in a dream.”

“Hmm.”

“Johnson, would you mind if I wandered around here alone for a bit?”

“Of course. How long will you need?”

“I won’t be long.”

I began strolling through the ruins.

Though it was well past midnight, the city glowed as brightly as noon, filled with people and machines working to restore what the war had destroyed.

Similar efforts were likely underway across every city affected by the conflict.

‘The same must be happening in Sichuan.’

Sichuan and Sa-cheon belonged to entirely different worlds. Murim wasn’t a relic of the modern era, nor was the modern era the future of Murim.

But now, a link had appeared between these two worlds—a link that defied logic.

‘The capsule.’

Everything had started with that junk capsule I found in a recycling center.

How, and why? For what purpose?

With every step I took, more questions swirled in my mind.

“Dammit…”

As I let out a deep sigh, the Skeleton King—who had slipped into my inventory from the subspace pocket—spoke.

-Are you okay, wicked human?

“You’re worried about me?”

-No. I just want to hurry back to the hotel. Johnson mentioned there’s a great club nearby.

I almost told him that the “great club” Johnson mentioned was a gay bar but decided against it.

“Forget it. I shouldn’t expect anything from you.”

-So, when are we going back?

“We’re going, okay? We’re going!”

Just as I shouted in frustration, a cold, hard voice interrupted.

“Where exactly are you going? Hell?”

The voice was colder than anything I’d heard before.

I slowly turned around.

Unknowingly, I had wandered deep into the ruins. And now, from behind a collapsed building, a familiar face emerged.

“Your master’s the one who’s in hell. If I die, I’ll be going to heaven.”

It was none other than Seok Go-jun, the head of security and disciple of Lee Jeong-ryong.

His eyes were cold as ice.