Murim RPG Simulation

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Murim RPG is an S-tier must-read Manhwa.

You know that rare moment when you're knee-deep in the endless pit of cultivation, regression, and isekai manhwa, and one actually stands out? Yeah, Murim RPG did that for me, and believe me, I've had my fair share of disappointing reads. I would even go as far as saying my enjoyment of this was on par with Murim Login or even Skeleton Soldier. And trust me, that’s no small feat.

Here’s the thing with these shonen cultivation stories—they all kinda have the same hook. It’s the journey, right? Watching the MC start from the bottom and ... claw his way up. But the problem with most of them is that the second the MC becomes OP, the story flatlines faster than a boring Sunday afternoon. It's like the writers just run out of gas once their protagonist starts wiping the floor with everyone. At that point, it’s like, why even bother? But Murim RPG manages to keep that challenge alive.

Much like Skeleton Soldier, there’s this brilliant Groundhog Day vibe with the "do it again" mechanic, where the MC gets to try over and over... but there’s an actual limit to his retries, so it’s not just mindless repetition. It adds real suspense, and when he messes up, it matters. The survival aspect in a shonen setting? Yeah, that itch for progression gets scratched real good here. And the best part? The MC isn’t OP from the get-go, which is a breath of fresh air. I swear, I’m so tired of those “instant OP” power fantasies where the story peaks too soon and then just stagnates.

But Murim RPG avoids that trap beautifully. Every new challenge feels earned, and the world-building actually gets deeper as you go. It’s not just the MC bulldozing through everything; there’s nuance, especially with how relying too much on the system starts biting him in the ass. And the world itself? Definitely deeper than Murim Login, and that’s saying a lot because I really liked the world in Murim Login. It’s got this layered complexity that keeps you guessing.

Honestly, this manhwa hits all the right notes for me—great progression, engaging challenges, and a world that feels alive. It’s like they took the best parts of Nano Machine and Skeleton Soldier, mixed it with the pacing of Murim Login, and delivered something that doesn’t go stale.

Final verdict? If you're into cultivation manhwa with a real sense of growth and stakes, Murim RPG is an S-tier must-read. It doesn’t stagnate, it doesn’t spoon-feed you OP wish-fulfillment too early, and it actually keeps you invested.

An intriguing blend of martial arts and RPG elements with a unique take on the reincarnation trope.

Story: 7/10
The story is engaging, with the protagonist Seolhwi getting a second chance at life in the Demon Cult. The RPG elements add a unique twist to the traditional martial arts narrative.

Art: 8/10
The art is well-done, with detailed backgrounds and character designs. The action scenes are particularly well-drawn, adding to the overall appeal of the manhwa.

Character: 7/10
The characters are well-developed, with Seolhwi's determination to survive and become stronger making him a compelling protagonist. The dynamics within the Demon Cult add depth to the story.
...
Enjoyment: 8/10
A thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of martial arts and RPG genres. The unique premise and well-executed plot make it a must-read.

8.6/10


"Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation" has a special place in my heart because it fulfilled my wish of having a side-character-like mc progressing via death. I’ve always thought of regression via death as an interesting concept, but there are rarely ones that I have seen done well. It’s even rarer for it to take place in the murim world, but this manwha fulfilled all my dirty desires.

The mc is by no means strong compared to others and gets pummeled easily, which is very frustrating; not the bad kind of frustrating, but the kind with empathy to see the mc get as strong as possible. Speaking ... of the mc’s growth in power, it is done well, considering the fact that I have never once considered the mc to be too overwhelming. Though the mc gets “saved” through plot armor, none of it seems unreasonable and overbearing. There is also nothing to complain about side characters, world building, and art either.

The manwha may seem to be a solo oriented story, but as the chapters go by, I get ever so more interested in the side characters. Definitely one of my favorite reads, but you need patience to give it time to develop.

PS: Very action heavy and not a lot of censoring from my memory.


Reading Rankings (Portnoy inspired & A Huang Teizan Original)
10 – God’s penmanship
9 – Must-read. Drop everything else.
8 – Instant bookmark
7 – Entertaining
6 – Good to pass time
5 – Why are you reading this?
4 – Bad.
3 – Typical garbage.
2 – My head hurts.
1 – Retirement is a thought.
0 – “Did they even give you a story?!”

Plot
MC is a grunt worker in demonic cult. He was sent on a mission and gets killed by one of the strongest martial artists of Mount Hua. At death's door, he sees a status screen that lets him restart from a previous save point. The so-called "system" will give him quests like an RPG, help him learn skills, allow him to restart from a save-point upon death etc.. and MC plans to use this to become the strongest.. and escape the cult? or something like that.

Review
This is one of those series where everyone seems to praise it and rate it highly, while ... I am here confused, and wondering if we are reading the same series. But, I guess the rest of the readers do not have a refined taste like me :D

* the story has zero creativity. It literally is just a RPG/system manhwa in a Murim setting. There's just no heart in it, and relies entirely on hype. Bigger numbers in status screen go brrrrr.
* None of the characters are unique or worth following. Even the supposed waifus are so boring, that you might as well simp for a white body pillows.
* The art is good, but definitely not good enough to carry the series.


Lets talk about MC. He is an edgy and whiny bitch with a strong victim-complex. He gets killed by someone powerful? He start crying "noooo. it's so unfair. Us weaklings are always played with by the strong". But, he is the unfairest of them all for literally getting multiple lives and a powerful system backing him.
He gets power-creep-ed regularly by the system and gets access to knowledge that others can only dream of. He says some of the dumbest shit possible, but of course, plot-armor and plot-conveniences will take care of everything, taking all the tension away from plot.

This series desperately needs a strong side-cast and the author needs to understand what "show, don't tell" means. MC keeps narrating stuff, explaining stuff, thinking stuff or doing stuff. With no proper side-cast, the series focuses exclusively on MC 24/7. Though MC's narration, you get author's unfiltered stream of thoughts that explain every single thing that's happening at any particular moment or ponder all the different choices that can be chosen at any point. It honestly takes a lot of energy to keep up with all the info dumps.

Overall
I honestly feel crazy, because everyone seems to rate this as one of their top 5 series. It has hype, I will give it that. Anyway, It is exhausting to read and there's no character that I can get invested in. If you like the MC, it may be worth your time. Otherwise, don't bother wasting your time on this series.