Murim Login - Chapter 457

“Dongting Lake! A boat has sunk at Dongting Lake!”

“P-please help us! People are drowning!”

Deng, daeng—!

Amid the cries echoing from the distance, a sharp warning bell reverberated through the darkness.

But before those sounds reached my ears, something else pierced through first.

‘Ding.’

‘This is…’

A familiar notification. A chilling sense of foreboding crawled down my spine. I stared at the translucent system window floating in front of me.

– A sudden quest, [The Tragedy of Dongting Lake], has been generated!
– You cannot refuse this quest!

—

Quest
[The Tragedy of Dongting Lake]

Dongting Lake is one of the most renowned scenic spots in the world.
Poets and scholars ascend the Yuyang Pavilion to enjoy the breathtaking views and recite verses, while the wealthy and powerful launch grand pleasure boats to revel for days and nights.
But today, this clear and pristine lake is filled with the wreckage of broken boats and corpses.
Unless someone steps forward, even the remaining survivors will meet the same fate!

Rank: Supreme
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Objective: Rescue survivors (Incomplete)
Reward: ???
Failure: Death of the victims

‘Significant time has already passed. Rescue must happen before it’s too late!’

As I read the last line of the quest window, a small holographic display emerged in midair.

Time Limit: 45 minutes 36 seconds

—

Damn it. Not even an hour.

‘If we delay even a little… everyone will die.’

There wasn’t even time to ponder how such a disaster occurred. Each minute, no, each second, might mean a life lost.

Drawing the maximum energy from my Dantian, I opened my mouth.

“Run to Dongting Lake with all your might. Save the people first.”

‘Whoosh!’

No one responded. Only their hardened faces and the sound of their accelerating pace answered.

Guided by the cries and bells echoing from afar, we ran and ran.

When the timer ticked down from 4 to 2 in the leading digit, we finally saw it.

‘Fwoosh, crackle!’

Dozens of large and small boats were ablaze atop the broad river, engulfed in flames, with cries echoing in all directions.

“Bring a boat! Even a small raft will do, hurry!”
“There aren’t enough boatmen!”
“More people! Call for more people! Even now, where are the military ships? What are they doing?”
“Ahhh!”

Step by step, the scene became clearer as we approached.

On the banks of Dongting Lake, about a hundred people ran tirelessly while a few small rafts inched forward.

‘That’s not enough.’

Though they were undoubtedly doing their best, their efforts were far too meager for the number of lives that needed saving.

Even I, a martial artist with abilities that could be deemed superhuman, felt my breath hitch at the overwhelming sight.

‘How can I save them?’

I had heard that Dongting Lake was vast, but seeing it with my own eyes, its scale far exceeded my imagination.

A river this wide wouldn’t have boats clustered together. Judging by the distances, each vessel was likely separated by at least several hundred meters.

If this was what I could see, how many more boats and people must be submerged in the areas out of sight?

‘Damn it.’

Clenching my lips tightly, I quickened my pace even further.

The murmurs of those who noticed us sprinting like the wind grew louder.

A military officer, seemingly part of the local government, shouted desperately.

“Are you from the Murim? Please, I beg you to help…”

“No need for long explanations. Lend us a boat.”

“W-what?”

Ignoring the bewildered officer, I bellowed like thunder.

“Gong Gi-bang, Hyeok Mu-jin! Destroy the rafts!”

‘Swish!’

Neither Gong Gi-bang nor Hyeok Mu-jin hesitated for even a moment.

Rushing past me, the two unleashed powerful strikes, scattering their strength and blades.

‘Slash! Crash!’

Two rafts being moved in haste by the people instantly shattered into hundreds of wooden fragments.

The officer, stunned speechless by the sudden destruction, finally screamed.

“W-what are you doing!”

Shouts of shock and outrage erupted from every corner.

“The rafts…!”
“They must be monsters causing this disaster! They’re trying to stop us from saving anyone!”

The shock and anger spread like wildfire. Accusations, curses, and murderous glares poured from all sides. But I didn’t care.

Or rather, I couldn’t afford to care.

Time Left: 28 minutes 52 seconds

Barely 30 minutes remained. Explaining my actions now would only result in more casualties.

Fortunately, there were three martial artists here who understood my intentions and could act accordingly.

“Cheongpung, Gong Gi-bang!”
“Understood!”
“Yes, Benefactor!”

Cheongpung and Gong Gi-bang grabbed the raft fragments and hurled them toward the darkened Dongting Lake.

‘Shhh, splash!’

The wooden shards flew through the air, scattering across the lake.

“That…!”
“Could it be…?”

Some of the onlookers widened their eyes in realization, but the number of pieces wasn’t enough.

If we waited until they sank, it might be too late.

In that case…

‘I’ll have to create a path myself.’

Making a swift decision, I stomped down hard.

‘Boom!’

The sand and dust piled along the shore shot into the air, causing those unprepared to cough violently.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, I reached out my hand.

Feeling the damp and solid texture of the wood, I uttered a command only I could use.

‘Inventory, store.’

‘Ding. Ding. Ding.’

– [Raft Fragment] has been stored in the inventory!
– [Raft Fragment] has been stored in the inventory…

With a series of notifications, the wooden fragments dissolved into the air.

Leaving just enough fragments behind to avoid suspicion, I shouted powerfully:

“Cheongpung and Gong Gi-bang, come with me. Hyeok Mu-jin, stay behind and gather boats and people!”

“A-acknowledged!”

Even as Hyeok Mu-jin forced out his response through labored breaths, his body showing signs of exhaustion, I, Cheongpung, and Gong Gi-bang were already darting toward the dark expanse of Dongting Lake.

‘Whoosh!’

Heat surged from the depths of my lower abdomen, spreading down to my legs.

My body, honed to near perfection with resilient muscles and agility akin to the Heavenly Martial Body, channeled immense inner energy.

‘Now!’

‘Boom!’

The massive shockwave erupted from the tips of my feet, pushing against the ground and displacing the river’s surface. Sand and pebbles shattered and scattered, and a cool wind brushed against my entire body.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as though I could grasp the stars sparkling in the night sky with an outstretched hand.

But that moment was short-lived.

A leap is always followed by a descent.

‘Whoosh!’

The turbulent black waters drew closer rapidly.

Thanks to my sharp vision, honed like a predator’s, I easily spotted partially submerged fragments of wood.

‘Tap. Thud!’

The first landing was light; the second leap, heavier.

Cheongpung, Gong Gi-bang, and I continued to hurl ourselves forward. Using the raft fragments we had scattered earlier as stepping stones, we leapt once, twice, three times…

Only after repeating this process multiple times did the once-distant ships come into clear view.

But as the distance shrank, the ominous unease in my heart grew.

‘I can’t sense any life.’

Neither the screams nor movements that should indicate survivors could be felt.

It didn’t take long for my fears to manifest.

‘Tap.’

On a vessel, most of its structure already submerged beneath the water, Gong Gi-bang and Cheongpung landed on the bow. They murmured in low, strained voices:

“This is…”
“…Benefactor.”

Their voices sounded faint, as if coming from hundreds of meters away.

In the suffocating silence, I blankly surveyed my surroundings.

Everywhere my gaze landed, there were countless bodies and shattered wreckage floating on the river.

Dead. They were all dead.

An obese man clad in luxurious silk, likely a merchant. A scrawny, raggedly dressed boatman. Even musicians and courtesans seemingly hired to entertain.

From just what I could see, the number easily reached hundreds.

On this dark river, there was no joyous music or laughter, only destruction and death. The terror etched into the faces of the deceased was painfully vivid.

‘How could this happen…?’

For a moment, my mind went blank.

As if possessed, I wandered over the wreckage, stepping on scattered fragments, pouring all my energy into using Qi Detection in the hopes of finding even a single survivor.

But…

‘Beep.’

– Qi Detection has failed.
– Unable to sense any life forms within the area.

The system was as merciless as ever.

The translucent holographic window and the grating failure notification made it clear—there were no survivors in the vicinity.

“…What the hell is this…”

As I muttered in despair, a thought suddenly struck me like a bolt of lightning.

‘Wait, the system?’

I quickly lifted my head and looked toward the sky.

The translucent holographic window was still there, unwavering.

Time Limit: 9 minutes 43 seconds

“…!”

It felt as though I had been struck on the back of my head.

If there were truly no survivors, the quest would have been canceled, or a failure notification would have appeared. The system was precise and unerring.

Yet the quest was still ongoing, and the system window counting down the time limit remained.

This could only mean one thing.

As I stood there, frozen in realization, Gong Gi-bang cautiously spoke to me.

“It’s unfortunate, but continuing to search for survivors seems futile…”

“There are survivors.”

“What?”

“They’re just not visible. There are survivors somewhere far beyond this area. I’m certain of it.”

Gong Gi-bang, who had been about to speak, froze at the conviction in my expression. Cheongpung also spoke in a voice unusually grave for him.

“If what the Benefactor says is true…”
“Then we have to find and save them. No matter what it takes.”

Gong Gi-bang stared at me silently for a moment before nodding.

“We’ll need to split up. If we dismantle nearby sunken ships for materials, we might gain an extra half-hour.”

“We have less than one hour. Both of you, search as far as you can within the remaining time, and if you find no survivors, return.”

The time limit wasn’t just a countdown for me—it was a countdown for the survivors. Searching beyond it would be meaningless.

The decisiveness in my tone left both of them momentarily puzzled, but they quickly accepted without further question.

“Understood.”
“One hour. I’ll keep that in mind, Benefactor.”

“Then let’s split up and head in different directions. See you soon.”

‘Thud!’ ‘Whoosh!’

With that, I kicked off from the ship’s bow and leapt forward.

As the timer ticked down, I pushed my energy and senses to their peak, racing across the vast expanse of Dongting Lake like an open sea.

Time Limit: 1 minute 12 seconds

‘Am I too late…?’

And just as I was about to give up—

“Help… me…”

A faint, barely audible voice reached my ears.