Murim Login - Chapter 487

After confirming the existence of the gate, my mind had been cluttered with numerous thoughts. However, thanks to Jeok Cheon-Gang’s help, I was able to clear my head thoroughly.

No, calling it “help” would be an insult. How meticulous he was in beating me—my bones ached as if they were about to break.

When Hyeok Mu-jin finally showed up, he saw me groaning and gave me a thumbs up.

“Wow, as expected of the team leader! You’re still standing after all that!”

“Mu-jin.”

“Yes?”

“You might want to put that thumb down before I crush it and turn you into Thumbelina.”

With my strength, turning him into Thumbelina was entirely plausible.

I didn’t know exactly what Thumbelina was, but judging by the somber atmosphere, my point had clearly landed.

Mu-jin quickly withdrew his thumb and muttered under his breath.

“You’re always so hard on me… Maybe if he were bedridden with an injury…”

“Mu-jin, what did you say?”

“I said, the team leader has been exalted as the divine protector of Murim!”

The lies rolled off his tongue with incredible sincerity.

At this point, calling his quick thinking an art form wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Feeling a twinge of pity, I patted his shoulder.

“Yeah, keep up the good work. I heard you’ve been making waves lately.”

“What? Me?”

“Yeah. I heard it in the marketplace on the way here.”

Though he was treated poorly here, Mu-jin was a skilled martial artist who had earned the nickname “Swift Wind Sword” through his feats in pacifying the Northern Highlands of the Taeweon family.

Hanging around someone like me, a star performer, his reputation was bound to rise naturally.

“Based on what the townsfolk were saying, you’re basically a legendary warrior now.”

“Really? That’s… quite something.”

While grinning, Mu-jin gave me a suspicious once-over.

“What’s with that insolent look?”

“I just thought… if I’ve ‘risen in fame,’ it’s probably because you beat me up right after.”

“…You crazy fool.”

As absurd as it sounded, it wasn’t entirely far-fetched. Was that really my image now?

‘Come to think of it, I have beaten him up a lot.’

Suddenly, I felt a pang of guilt. How much must he have endured to end up with such a persecution complex?

Looking at him with pity, I sighed and spoke.

“No, seriously. I heard it directly in the marketplace.”

“Really? Swear on it?”

“I swear on your two testicles.”

“Oh. It must be true, then. Finally, the illustrious Swift Wind Sword Mu-jin’s name echoes across Murim!”

Mu-jin’s laughter suddenly froze.

“Wait a second. Something doesn’t add up.”

“What now?”

“Why would the team leader swear on my testicles?”

With a straight face, I replied, “Because they’re yours, obviously.”

“What? How does that make any sense?”

“Because you’re Hyeok Mu-jin.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

His expression was priceless.

Given all the bets I’d made with him and lost, I probably owed him thirty testicles by now, not that I needed to point that out.

“You ever think about planting one to see if it grows into a tree?”

“A tree of what?”

“What do you think?”

Following my gaze, Mu-jin looked at me like I was crazy.

“I’ve never heard of such a tree before.”

“Then you’d be the first.”

“You can have the honor, team leader.”

“Fine. So, what took you so long to show up? I haven’t seen you since earlier.”

After the Water Dragon was defeated, we had split into two groups. Cheongpung and Mu-jin had gone with Zhuge Pung, so this was our first meeting in two days.

At my question, Mu-jin raised the net he was holding.

“What’s that?”

“Fish. I’ve been catching them non-stop.”

“Fish?”

“Yeah. I’ve been at it since yesterday, but it’s not easy.”

Sure. Catching fish is hard work.

Looking between the wriggling fish in the net and Mu-jin, I nodded slightly.

“I see. Busy fishing, huh?”

“I’m serious! These creatures are so violent and strong that I’m completely drained—”

‘Smack!’

“Drained, my foot! You abandoned your superior, leaving me stranded, just so you could fish? Watching you is what’s draining me!”

Clutching his head, Mu-jin staggered back and yelled, “It’s not like that!”

“Oh, really? You were fishing!”

“Not fishing—capturing! Capturing!”

“Capturing? Cheongpung, seize this fool!”

“Understood, benefactor!”

Cheongpung, who had been idling nearby, darted forward and restrained Mu-jin.

As a pinnacle master of the Mt. Hua Sect, there was no way Mu-jin could escape Cheongpung’s grip.

Looking down at the subdued Mu-jin, I solemnly declared, “Even if Murim falls tomorrow, I will plant a tree of your testicles.”

“Wait! Hold on!”

“Now tell me. Is your left testicle yours, or is your right testicle yours?”

“They’re both mine! What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Honest fellow. As a reward, I’ll take both.”

“Let go! Let me go, you maniacs!”

At that moment, something white and long shot out from Cheongpung’s arms like a streak of light.

“Where are you going, Mimi?”

“Woof!”

Freed from Cheongpung’s grip, Mu-jin pointed at the dropped net and shouted, “See? It’s not fishing—it’s capturing! Look for yourself!”

His explanation was irrelevant.

The moment Mimi leapt from Cheongpung’s arms toward the net, my focus was entirely on her.

And as I witnessed the scene unfolding before me, one thought crossed my mind.

‘It’s one challenge after another.’

Mimi, wagging her tongue, burrowed through the net and bit into the fish’s gills.

I wasn’t sure if I should even call ‘that’ a fish.

‘Thud! Crunch!’

Its blood-red eyes, razor-sharp teeth, and a body larger than a grown man’s forearm—what’s more, that tail…

I rubbed my eyes and muttered in disbelief, “…A spike?”

Hyeok Mu-jin, panting heavily, responded in a blunt tone.

“Your eyes are sharp, though your ears might not be. You seem to have caught that detail well.”

“What kind of fish has spikes on its tail? Are you insane?”

“Must be some kind of toxic weapon.”

“…Are you joking?”

“I told you, didn’t I? This isn’t regular fishing. It’s capturing—how could anyone fish for something like that?”

“Huh.”

Now that he mentioned it, ‘capturing’ really was the right word for this.

Grumbling to himself, Mu-jin picked up the net he had dropped. Only then did I notice it wasn’t just a regular net—it was reinforced with steel and iron.

“What ‘is’ that thing?”

“As you can see, these creatures’ teeth are so sharp that they can tear through ordinary nets with a single bite. That’s why we use reinforced steel nets.”

“No, not the net. I’m asking about the things inside.”

“Oh…”

‘Clang!’

The creatures thrashed violently inside the net, as if they would tear it apart. Mu-jin frowned as he looked at them.

“For now, people are calling them ‘Blood Fish’.”

“Blood Fish?”

“Yeah, because their eyes are blood-red.”

The name suited their eerie appearance, but I wanted to know exactly what these monstrous creatures were.

‘Activate Qi Sense.’

‘Whoosh. Ding!’

As the ripples of [Qi Sense] spread from me and touched the creatures, a system notification appeared, along with a level window above their large bodies.

[Lv.5 Mutated Minnow]

– You’ve discovered a new species of fish!
– Information about [Mutated Minnow] has been updated!

[Mutated Minnow]
A mutated species born from exposure to faint magical energy. It has become significantly stronger and highly toxic. However, if cooked, it might taste surprisingly good.

A minnow?

I stared at the creature, larger than an average grown man’s arm, in disbelief.

Where was the tiny fish I knew?

‘Might as well call this place the Amazon instead of Dongting Lake.’

I was already shocked to find a monster fish with a level as high as 5, and I was even more stunned by the system’s absurd claim that it might taste good despite being highly toxic.

“Taste good? It’s toxic, you lunatics!”

‘Still, there’s only one likely explanation for this.’

This had to be the result of magical energy leaking from the gate.

Although the Water Dragon had sacrificed itself to absorb most of the gate’s energy, it couldn’t have dealt with the residual magic.

And just two hours ago, I had confirmed that the gate was still faintly leaking magic, even though it had lost its primary function.

‘If creatures like this spread throughout the land, what would happen? And if they’re contagious…?’

I already knew the answer to my own question.

It would be a disaster.

The tributaries of Dongting Lake connect to the Yangtze River, a vast natural ecosystem and a major transportation route.

Forget about environmental destruction. If these mutated creatures carried any contagious properties, it would be the end.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Are you okay, benefactor?”

“No, I’m not okay at all,” I replied firmly, then turned to Cheongpung.

“Cheongpung, how many of these things are there?”

“I wasn’t assigned to this area, so I’m not sure. But Mimi seems to like them. They must be tasty!”

Cheongpung gazed at Mimi, who had somehow swallowed a Blood Fish several times her size, with pure adoration.

“Eat as much as you want, Mimi!”

“…I shouldn’t have asked you. Mu-jin?”

“Yes, we’ve captured about a hundred so far, but we don’t know how many more are out there.”

I looked at Mu-jin with gratitude, relieved to hear something rational for once.

“Does Zhuge Pung know about this?”

“Of course. The moment he confirmed their existence, he ordered the waterway at the entrance to be completely sealed.”

“And what about the ones that escaped?”

“As far as we know, there aren’t many.”

According to the [Fragments of Memory], the gate had been open for about a month.

Given the lingering magic, many fish must have already mutated.

“Are you sure about that?”

“It’s just a guess, but these things seem to fight among themselves.”

“Fight?”

“They’ve grown so aggressive that the concept of allies doesn’t exist anymore. They’re probably killing each other as we speak.”

Should I be relieved or concerned?

Their aggressiveness made them dangerous, but at least their infighting was reducing their numbers.

‘Well, I suppose that’s a small relief.’

Just as I exhaled a sigh of relief, a clear, insidious voice called out from behind me.

“So this is where you are, Young Master Jin.”

I turned to see Moon Kyung approaching with a sly smile.

“Someone’s looking for you.”

“I’m busy. Tell them to wait. Adults are working here.”

“…They insisted you come immediately. They have something to say.”

“Who?”

A chilling voice pierced my ears.

‘- Me.’

“…Ah.”

Well, I guess I had no choice but to go.