Murim Login - Chapter 476

When was it, I wonder?

I remember watching an old wuxia film, so ancient I can’t even recall its title. It had a line that went something like this:

Martial arts are only about vertical and horizontal. One of you falls, the other remains standing—that’s the end of the fight.

It’s true. The countless battles I’ve fought in the martial world have always ended in one of two ways.

‘You either bring them down, or you go down yourself.’

Except for the Blood Lord, who escaped after he lost an arm, the results were always binary—and I was never the one who fell.

But as I was dragged deep into the waters, still clinging to the Mutated Water Dragon, a third possibility I had forgotten crossed my mind.

‘What if this thing runs away?’

This creature has essentially ruled Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River for centuries.

Even a mangy dog is half a king in its own backyard. If this beast decided to flee, there would be little I could do to stop it.

And then it hit me: I’d been making a huge mistake all this time.

‘This isn’t a fight; it’s a hunt.’

This wasn’t the life-and-death duel of martial artists.

To bring this monster down, I needed to do whatever it took—no matter the means.

I’d lived as a hunter for seven years, yet I’d unknowingly started mimicking the rigid mentality of a martial artist. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

‘I’ve been an idiot.’

Hunter and martial artist. Martial artist and hunter.

Both are integral parts of my identity. I’m the only one of my kind—a modern martial artist, and a martial hunter.

I stood once more on the blurred boundary between the two and reaffirmed this truth.

‘This is it.’

It was as if I’d awakened from a long slumber. Landing lightly on the ground, I roared like thunder.

“Form up for attack!”

The sudden shift in the air drew the wide-eyed gazes of the three others. Among them, Jeok Cheon-Gang and Moon Kyung stared at me, their eyes twitching with disbelief as they spoke.

“You brat! Do you think you can bark orders at this old man?”

“The Fire King has done a terrible job educating his disciple.”

“…I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

I’d forgotten who I was dealing with.

It seemed I’d gotten a bit too caught up in the moment.

At least the two elders, though glaring daggers at me, didn’t lash out. Cheongpung, however, responded enthusiastically.

“Benefactor, that was amazing! Mimi, form up for attack!”

‘Squeak!’

“I swear to the heavens, one day I’ll turn that snake into liquor…”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s vow was cut short.

The massive shadow that had been looming over the water finally broke the surface.

‘- KRAAAAAAH!’

A ferocious roar, louder and more menacing than ever, shook the heavens and the earth.

The immense energy bursting from its mountainous body bore down on the surroundings, and the oppressive Fear it emitted seemed to ripple through the air itself.

At the center of it all was a singular, pitch-black pupil gazing down at us from far above.

A pupil darker than the abyss, devoid of light, glistened ominously. Someone let out a groan, almost involuntarily.

“Ugh…”

Fear of the unknown.

Aside from Cheongpung and me, everyone else was caught in the grip of the Fear exuded by the Mutated Water Dragon.

Even the greatest martial masters were not immune.

But…

‘I’m here.’

I’m a veteran hunter who’s faced countless monsters. That’s who I am.

I’ve fought hordes of undead creatures dripping with rotting flesh, and I didn’t flinch. Why should I fear one more eel the size of an aircraft carrier?

“Looking at it again, it’s almost beautiful.”

The second the words left my mouth, I could feel the heat of glares boring into the back of my head. To anyone listening, it must have sounded like madness.

But I meant every word.

‘It’s strong, sure, but the Arch Lich was much worse to deal with.’

If not for the Skeleton King’s help back then, I would’ve been dead.

But what matters is that I survived and defeated it. The fear I felt then was seared into my body and soul as experience.

‘And I’m a fast learner.’

Both good and bad experiences become part of you. Over the past seven years, I’ve learned how to survive—and how to win.

Taking a deep breath, I raised the White Flame high into the air.

The strike I unleashed next carried an immense amount of power.

‘BOOOOM!’

The resulting shockwave shattered the Fear emanating from the dragon, as if breaking an invisible glass wall. The suffocating pressure surrounding us dissipated.

“This…!”

“You…!”

The astonished gazes of Jeok Cheon-Gang and Moon Kyung fell upon me.

Fixing my eyes on the beast, I spoke.

“First, don’t let it scare you.”

Everyone harbors fears, large and small, in their hearts. Fear preys on those emotions, amplifying them into terror.

But once you cast aside your fear, you begin to realize a simple truth.

– “Grrrrk.”

The giant creature, emitting a low growl, wasn’t as strong or terrifying as it first appeared.

Looking directly into its glistening black pupil, I continued.

“Second, from now on, follow my orders and crush that bastard without mercy.”

Moon Kyung’s dry voice cut through the air.

“I don’t particularly like the process, but the result sounds acceptable.”

“So, you don’t dislike it?”

“Who do you think I am?”

“That was a foolish question on my part.”

The Killing Star. Even in the vast history of the martial world, he was hailed as the greatest assassin of all time.

For a killer whose only purpose was to eliminate their target, the process didn’t matter—only the result.

“Old man…”

“As far as I recall, I’ve never taught anyone how to deal with such wicked beasts. I’ll ask about it once we finish this thing off.”

The gruff voice of Jeok Cheon-Gang was met with Cheongpung’s response—a burst of violet sword energy.

It was a team with no healers, no tanks, only damage dealers. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a more powerful raid party than this.

‘Four peak-level masters.’

It was a lineup that could put even a five-star general to shame.

Compared to the massive form of the Mutated Water Dragon, they were as insignificant as ants. But within each of them lay unimaginable power, the kind of strength that could crush mountains.

And now, the four giants were about to hunt down the colossal beast.

“You’re dead meat now.”

As if it understood my words, the Mutated Water Dragon rose from the depths, its massive form breaking the surface as it roared.

‘- GROOOAAAH!’

‘BOOM, CRASH!’

A single roar sent dozens of whirlpools surging toward us. Amid the chaos, its shredded maw opened wide.

‘Whoooooong—’

The air vibrated more violently than ever as the third Water Breath began to form. But before it could fully take shape, my voice tore through the wind and struck everyone’s ears.

“Scatter!”

‘Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!’

As if prearranged, four figures darted in all directions, taking their positions.

The hunt had begun.

—

‘Raid.’

When the unreal invaded reality, when hunters and monsters began their deadly clashes, the word, once reserved for fantasy games, became common knowledge—even to toddlers.

But none of the billions who survived the Great Cataclysm could have imagined this.

In a distant world, beyond time and space, a raid was taking place against a monstrous creature resembling a dragon.

And at the center of it all was a familiar face.

‘Thud, swoosh!’

Leaping across shattered debris, his sturdy frame shot through the air.

A massive tail swept by, narrowly missing him as it smashed into a partially collapsed cliff, creating a gust of wind.

Through the flying strands of his hair, Jin Taekyung’s eyes gleamed.

‘If I cut that tail right now… No, I can’t.’

He instinctively restrained the hand gripping his spear.

He knew exactly what mattered most in this raid.

They needed to block the Mutated Water Dragon’s escape, lure it to land, and strike it down swiftly.

If he attacked prematurely and dealt even a single blow, it might only alert the monster and make it more cautious.

But not everyone watching shared his perspective.

“That damned fool…!”

The thought of losing the disciple he’d gained so late in life was unbearable.

But just as Jeok Cheon-Gang prepared to hurl a fierce attack at the beast, his movements froze at a sudden shout.

“Old man!”

‘Fwoosh, BOOM!’

The scorching energy of Yeoryangjiqi veered off course, burning the ground instead.

For a brief moment, confusion flickered in the beast’s jet-black eye, only to be replaced by the ferocity of a predator.

‘- GROOAAAAH!’

‘Boom, thud!’

With a deafening roar, its massive tail swept across the ground like a broom.

In an instant, Jeok Cheon-Gang leaped into the air to evade the attack, his frustration boiling over.

“How much longer are we supposed to just dodge?!”

‘Crash!’

High above, Jin Taekyung evaded the oncoming body of the beast and shouted back.

“I told you, wait for my signal!”

“Then when exactly is that?!”

“I’ll handle it, alright?! Just stop making a mess, would you? You’ve already trolled enough! Just follow the plan like everyone else!”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s eyes twitched slightly.

He didn’t fully understand all the bizarre words mixed into that tirade, but one thing was clear.

‘A mess? Is he saying I’m making a mess?!’

Considering he’d been worrying recently about aging and the possibility of embarrassing himself, hearing such harsh words from someone he thought of as a disciple left him momentarily stunned.

The thing that snapped Jeok Cheon-Gang out of his shock was Jin Taekyung’s next shout.

“Old man! Retreat thirty jang back now! Cheongpung, move to the rear! Moon Kyung, cover the flank!”

“Yes, benefactor!”

“Amusing. I agreed to follow orders, not to be spoken to like this.”

“Are you serious? A carry who doesn’t listen to calls is the worst. Just follow the damn orders already!”

Moon Kyung, momentarily speechless, clenched his lips shut and complied without further comment. Seeing that, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s mood improved slightly.

‘Well, at least he still calls me old man.’

Jeok Cheon-Gang thought he should feel insulted, but seeing Moon Kyung being addressed so casually like a neighborhood dog named “Dung,” he almost felt grateful that he hadn’t been called by his full name.

At the same time, he could somewhat sympathize with Moon Kyung’s silence.

‘What is this strange feeling?’

There was something oddly commanding about Jin Taekyung in this moment.

And to Jeok Cheon-Gang, it wasn’t the presence or aura of a peak martial master.

It felt more like…

‘A seasoned veteran. That’s it.’

Having lived his entire life as a martial artist, Jeok Cheon-Gang had no experience with military ranks or soldiers, yet he somehow felt he could understand what it must be like for a fresh recruit facing a hardened war hero.

“Well, I’ll be damned. No matter how I look at him, he’s a strange one…”

“Hey, Jeok Cheon-Gang! Are you daydreaming?!”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s eyes twitched again. Before he could let his anger boil over, the words he had been waiting for finally rang out.

“Now, attack!”

‘Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!’

The four giants shot forward simultaneously, converging on the Mutated Water Dragon, which had finally emerged from the waters and moved onto solid ground.