Murim Login - Chapter 473

‘Puk!’

The mutated Water Dragon.

The moment I thrust the white-hot spearhead into its massive eye, I instinctively realized:

‘It’s hard… and deep.’

It felt like plunging my hand into an endless cavern.

Had this been an ordinary human or beast, the strike would have melted not only the eye but the entire head beyond recognition. But not this thing.

‘What in the…!’

Its head was so massive that even driving the spear to its hilt couldn’t deliver the energy imbued within deep enough.

Adding to that, the bones and flesh inside were unimaginably tough.

As I hesitated, taken aback by the unexpected resistance, the mutated Water Dragon let out an ear-splitting roar of pain.

– “Kroaaaargh! Raaaargh!”

While my decisive strike didn’t finish it, it wasn’t without effect.

The intense heat of the Scorching Yang Energy radiating from the spearhead had melted one of its eyes.

Writhing in agony, the massive creature thrashed about, and at the same time, a familiar system notification echoed in my ears.

‘Ding!’

– [Lv.??? Mutated Water Dragon] is overwhelmed with unprecedented pain and fury!
– Entering [Berserk] state!
– Under [Berserk], all of the target’s stats increase! However, its reasoning and combat judgment are temporarily impaired!

“…What?”

The moment I read the notification, I almost lost my own sanity.

‘Goddamn it. Berserk? What kind of system triggers Berserk in this situation?’

Do your job properly, system. As if this thing wasn’t monstrous enough, now it gets even stronger? How am I supposed to survive this?

But the system had already activated, and spilled water couldn’t be scooped back.

The remaining eye of the Water Dragon turned completely blood-red, marking the beginning of its true berserk state.

– “Kyaaaaaaaaaargh!”

A deafening roar that shook heaven and earth was followed by a massive gust of wind striking me head-on.

Before I could even blink, the colossal beast was right in front of me. As I stared at the oncoming cliff-like mass, one thought flashed through my mind.

‘Oh, I’m screwed.’

‘Boom!’

With a thunderous crash that seemed to split the heavens, a tremendous shockwave engulfed my entire body. My vision blurred, and my focus faltered.

The Water Dragon, using its immense weight and force, slammed its head into the cliff. And it didn’t stop there.

—

The visible portion of its body, above the waterline, stretched over thirty jang in length. Considering the submerged part, it could rival a modern aircraft carrier in size.

When such a colossal creature went berserk, there was nothing capable of stopping it.

‘Bang! Crash! Boom-boom-boom!’

It repeatedly slammed its head into the cliff and the river, thrashing its tail wildly and flailing its massive body like a fish caught on a hook.

Each movement devastated the surroundings, sending countless boulders and waves of pressure hurtling toward me.

Just like now.

‘Smack!’

“…Ugh!”

Damn it. Of all things, my back had to hit a jagged rock.

Pain shot up my spine, sharp and searing, but I clenched my teeth and suppressed the groan.

This wasn’t the time to let go. The Water Dragon’s desperate thrashing was an attempt to throw me off. Falling now would only give it the upper hand.

Gripping the spear embedded deep in its eye with renewed strength, I steadied myself against the violent movements of its massive body.

“You… bastard!”

If it thought I’d let go that easily, it was sorely mistaken.

With one hand firmly gripping the spear shaft, I reached out with my other hand to grasp something invisible.

It might have been empty air before, but now it was different.

I had a spell at my disposal, one only I could use.

‘Inventory open. Summon.’

‘Swish. Click.’

At my command, the hilt of a sharp short sword materialized in my hand.

My knowledge of swordsmanship was limited to the basics I’d learned at the hunter training center.

But in situations like this, swordsmanship didn’t matter.

This was a time to move faster than anyone, differently than everyone. A moment to become a master of precision slicing, like an expert chef on a cutting board.

“From now on, your name is Sashimi. Or maybe Thinly Sliced Fillet.”

With that solemn declaration, I drove the short sword, now enveloped in the bluish-white glow of Scorching Yang Energy, straight into the beast’s flesh.

‘Puk!’

Though the blade was short and couldn’t penetrate deeply, I felt the unmistakable signal of pain.

Its tough, pale flesh split open as if burned, spilling dark blue blood.

“This bastard’s surprisingly tender on the inside.”

– “Krrrk!”

With a groan escaping its maw, the dragon’s body momentarily stiffened. I didn’t miss the opportunity and swung the short sword again.

‘Slash! Puk!’

– “Krrrrk!”
– “Kraaaaaargh!”

Swordsmanship? Who needs it? I simply slashed and stabbed wherever my hands moved and wherever my eyes landed.

The speed at which the blade tore through flesh and bone was faster than a flash of light, and with each strike, the creature’s cries and thrashing grew more intense.

‘Wow, who knew this would come in handy?’

My superhuman physical abilities certainly played a part, but the wrist snap I’d perfected with countless hours using humanity’s treasure—USB devices—was on par with the greatest swordmasters.

‘Ah, so this is the culmination of all techniques.’

A memory surfaced of Jin-ho, who had stopped me from destroying the USB after I became a sage.

‘Taekyung, remember what the ancestors said. A ghost beaten to death looks better. Hitting is always worth it.’

‘…What ancestors?’

‘Does it matter? The point is you’re about to destroy a national treasure. If you erase that, I’ll personally report you to the Cultural Heritage Administration. You’ll get at least 25 years without parole.’

‘This lunatic.’

Looking back, his words were undeniably wise.

“Thank you, Jin-ho. And thank you, my beloved USB.”

‘Slash! Slash-slash! Puk!’

– “Graaaaaargh!”

The dragon’s tormented cries echoed louder, a testament to the blows I was delivering with the “friendly” blade.

I smiled grimly as I drove the blade deeper, ready to carve my victory from its massive form.

Though I couldn’t see, I could tell by the sound alone.

The massive tail of the Mutated Water Dragon, writhing in pain, struck a random spot on the ground instead of its intended target.

Amidst the splashes of water and debris, a silver beam redirected its aim and came flying toward me.

‘Chiririririk!’

From the outside, it must have been a bizarre sight—a monstrous creature gouging its melted eyeball with its own whiskers.

But from my perspective, there was nothing funny about it.

‘Damn it.’

Even though the dragon’s eye was massive, the space inside was far too narrow to evade the dozens of whiskers aiming for me.

Despite twisting my body as much as I could, the silver light, moving with the precision of a craftsman, managed to bypass my fiery armor and slice into bare skin.

‘Splat!’

“Ugh…!”

Red blood splattered, and sharp pain surged across my entire body.

I had instinctively raised my energy to shield myself, and that was the only reason I escaped with this much damage. Had I been even slightly slower, I might have lost a limb.

‘Chiriririk!’

The silver whiskers came flying again in dozens of strands. Ignoring the pain spreading through my body, I twisted my form once more.

A chill ran down my spine as the terrifyingly sharp silver whiskers missed by the slightest margin.

‘The space is too tight. At this rate, I’m trapped.’

Perhaps it was the sense of crisis that made me falter. In that moment of hesitation, the whiskers, coiling like ropes, formed a shape akin to a spear and lunged at my face.

‘Shiiing!’

The speed was incredible.

Time seemed to slow as the sharp silver spear streaked toward me, tearing through the air.

Countless thoughts and scenarios raced through my mind.

‘If I pull out the White Flame and swing it… No, it’s already too late. And I might lose balance before I can even strike.’

Even now, the dragon’s head was thrashing wildly. If I removed the White Flame, which was acting as my anchor, I’d lose my footing for even a moment—and that would be enough to end me.

‘There has to be a better way. There must be…!’

But the time I had was fleeting, and the hastily swung dagger was shattered into countless fragments upon colliding with the silver spear.

‘Crash!’

Perhaps it was inevitable.

The power contained in each strand of the whiskers, though not comparable to energy-infused attacks, surpassed the cutting force of a master swordsman’s blade.

How could I, with a technique learned through the USB, possibly block such an overwhelming force?

‘Whoosh!’

Was this the end?

As the destructive force closed in, erasing the space before me, my body moved on instinct.

‘Flare, crackle!’

At the moment the silver spear was about to pierce my chest, my hand, wrapped in a blue-white flame, seized the beam of light.

It wasn’t a Flame God Palm or the Flame Extinguishing Divine Fist. It was a brute force contest, utilizing all the energy in my body to counteract it.

The result of this clash didn’t take long to appear.

‘Crackle, splat!’

Blinding sparks filled my vision as the two immense forces collided.

Beyond the dazzling radiance, I saw the remnants of my hand—reduced to shreds—and the whisker, slightly thinner than before.

It was clear who held the upper hand.

‘Damn it. The energy reserves we’re working with are on completely different levels.’

Even with my system-enhanced rapid growth, my accumulated energy couldn’t compare to a spirit creature that had spent centuries amassing its power.

‘Crunch!’

My limit in this overwhelming contest was rapidly approaching.

I felt the pain coursing through my shattered hand and clenched my teeth.

“You sashimi bastard!”

There was no way I’d let it end like this. Summoning every ounce of strength left, I twisted my body and yanked the whisker with all my might as if performing a throw.

It was absurd, but maybe… just maybe…

‘Crunch, snap!’

“Huh?”

– “Grk?”

Both I and the Mutated Water Dragon were stunned.

In the slowed-down world around me, I watched dozens of whiskers, uprooted entirely, fall helplessly to the ground.

‘What the hell? Why did that just come off?’

A flood of thoughts raced through my mind.

Was this normal? Was this thing’s hair weak at the roots? Or had I accidentally discovered a hidden trick to its anatomy?

In the end, I came to a single conclusion.

‘Wow, I’m really absurdly strong.’

When I thought about it, it made sense. With strength capable of kneading steel, pulling out some whiskers was nothing.

Even if it was a monster the size of an aircraft carrier, it still had limits.

While its scales and bones boasted ridiculous toughness, the roots of its whiskers were within the realm of my brute strength.

‘So this is possible.’

Only someone with my superhuman strength could pull off such a feat.

Up until now, I’d only thought of dodging or slashing, never considering simply yanking the whiskers out.

With this newfound revelation, I retrieved the White Flame and took a step forward.

‘Swish!’

As I withdrew from its eye socket, the dragon’s colossal body stiffened in surprise, its remaining eye blinking in disbelief.

“You bastard…”

Grinning widely, I grabbed another bunch of whiskers and yanked.

‘Crunch!’