I Gave Up Being Stronger

-Someone just broke the Server-level record on the Earth Server.

┗ An Open Beta Server Player broke the Server-wide record? Don’t fuck with me. LOL

┗ Nope, not gonna fall for that.

Posts claiming to have broken the Server-wide record during the Open Beta service had been around for a long time.

-Here is the link to the SSP video. Go check it out.

┗ Huh? It was real?

┗ What Level is the Player?

┗ Probably in the late 50s.

Some even managed to uncover the previous Server-level record.

-Level 112, a super rookie named Henser from Planet Arvis set the recent record, but that was seven years ago.

After seven years, the Server-wide record was broken. Not everything that claimed to be a new record was recognized as a ‘record’ by the System. The System only acknowledged a record-breaking achievement if there were sufficient reasons or evidence.

The Berklev Necklace was no exception.

Some also captured screenshots from the SSP video and posted the rewards Cha Jin-Hyeok obtained.

[Record Breaker]

[You have surpassed the System’s best record. This Achievement has a significant impact on enhancement effects.]

The Record Breaker effect was immediately applied to the Berklev Necklace.

[Reflection +1]

[Ability to reflect an attack that result in an instant death. (Base probability: 70% +10%)

However, an attack that result in a fatal injury may be converted into an attack that result in an instant death instead (Base probability: 30%)]

The base probability of Reflection had increased by ten percent.

-Isn’t 80% Reflection as good as a Mythic-Grade item?

┗No, it’s not.

┗Stop exaggerating. How can there be a Mythic-Grade item in an Open Beta Server?

┗I know the Earth Server has been very popular these days, but that’s a bit over the line.

┗LOL! You think Mythic-Grade items are that easy to acquire?

Many people gathered to say that the item’s performance was not Mythic-Grade. However, the community’s Named user, Encyclopedia, appeared, and public opinion quickly changed. Their post was displayed in bold, unlike the others.

-In practical terms, reaching a Reflection chance of 80% is indeed considered Mythic-Grade. I have not seen an 80% calculation other than for Mythic-Grade items. However, if it were a true Mythic-Grade item, it wouldn’t have such penalties. The Reflection performance itself is Mythic-Grade, but the penalty is too severe, making it an aberrant item. Statistically, Players who use such items are unlikely to reach the top-rank. As everyone knows, items with excessive gambling characteristics eventually kill their users.

[Written by: Encyclopedia.]

This Named user of Nerver was known for having knowledge about everything among all users, and they just proved that Cha Jin-Hyeok’s Berklev Necklace performance was close to a Mythic-Grade item.

-Maybe there will be a new record on the Moon Fragment Scenario as well?

┗No way. That’s just wishful thinking.

┗You’re going too far. LOL

┗Don’t you remember you set that record? You need to be more realistic. Haha.

An Open Beta Server was usually a place with little interest from people. However, with the Record Breaker Achievement, more people started taking an interest in this Open Beta Server.

I just logged into the Open Beta Server for the first time.

┗Huh? Me too!

More people logged into the Open Beta Server for the first time, bringing joy to the heavy users.

-I told you! There is good content even in the Open Beta!

Some were worried.

-Ah… I was trying to keep this place a secret.

-I didn’t even try to promote it. Why is it already becoming famous?

Without Jin-Hyeok even realizing it, he was gradually becoming the most famous Streamer on Earth.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

‘Hm. I just got the Record Breaker Achievement.’

Cha Jin-Hyeok had acquired many Major Achievements and First Achievements before regression. However, setting a new record was a different story. It encompassed all Servers.

‘Maybe I’m becoming too successful.’

Jin-Hyeok knew this new record was not an incredibly remarkable one. Not all records were the same. There were records for successfully enhancing a single item and records for breaking through a massive Scenario involving the entire Earth.

The record Jin-Hyeok set would be a modest and minor one.

‘I’m sure a lot of Players could do the same.’

Jin-Hyeok felt that while looking at Han Sae-Rin. Despite not having the merit of regression, she showed an extraordinary power that exceeded Jin-Hyeok’s expectations. She disappointed him in some aspects, but as a regressor, he had to take that into consideration.

If he did not have the benchmark of Egan Paul, he might have thought he did things too well.

However, Egan was already far ahead of him.

‘What I am achieving right now… should be about half of what Egan has accomplished.’

Thinking that way, Jin-Hyeok did not feel like he was doing too well. He seemed to be Playing at a reasonably good level.

Jin-Hyeok unknowingly smiled.

‘Tomorrow is Sunday! I can keep being Kim Pyeong-Beom!’

Suddenly, he realized something strange.

‘Wait, did I turn on my livestream on a Saturday?’

Weekends were his day off. He intended to only Play as Kim Pyeong-Beom, but it seemed like Jin-Hyeok wanted to show off the enhancement content. Without his knowledge, it seemed like he was transforming into a real Streamer.

‘Is this a good thing?’

Lately, even when there were no viewers, he felt like talking to himself as if he was livestreaming. He acted as if he was livestreaming even when he hadn’t turned it on. It seemed like a positive change.

Anyway, tomorrow, he would still be Pyeong-Byeom.

‘I should try out the Berklev Necklace.’

If he had obtained a new item, it was customary to try it out. Luckily, he knew the perfect place to use this item.

‘Will Serchan be angry?’

Serchan was a passionate man immersed in his work and also the GM of Yeosu. He might blame Jin-Hyeok for ruining the Scenario he had prepared so carefully. But that did not matter to Jin-Hyeok.

‘What could be more important than testing a new item?’

Serchan’s Scenario being ruined was Serchan’s concern. Jin-Hyeok just hoped Serchan would understand.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Jin-Hyeok purchased a bus ticket bound for Yeosu. The buses were operating with significant restrictions, and he had to wait for a long time to board the bus.

‘Wow, time really doesn’t seem to pass.’

Time always felt slower when he was looking forward to something. He was so excited just thinking about fighting against the Flying Toad again, but the damn bus was so slow.

‘I miss the old days.’

He used to travel by helicopter or with the help of a Teleportation Mage. Compared to that, this journey was inefficient and exhausting.

He finally arrived at Yeosu.

‘I should still contact him.’’

Jin-Hyeok tried to call the GM, but there was no response.

‘Huh? I thought he would answer my call right away.’

He expected Serchan to make a fuss.

He used the GM Call one more time, and this time, he received a message.

⌜If you keep bothering me, I’ll kill you. Sender: Hagon⌟

It was a name Jin-Hyeok did not recognize. It seemed that the GM for this city had changed.

‘Well, this makes me feel more at ease.’

With an eased mind, Jin-Hyeok headed toward Yeosu City Hall. Along the way, he saw corpses that had died not too long ago.

“There are a lot of crazy people.”

He could tell just by looking at the corpses. They were defenseless against the Flying Toad and ended up dead.

‘They should’ve thought about fighting monsters in their Level range to get stronger. Shame on them.’

Just fighting strong opponents would not make Players improve their skills. There needed to be a certain level of compatibility. They had to fight the strongest opponents they could handle to become stronger.

‘I guess there’s always those crazy people in any timeline.’

The number of corpses was more than he had thought. This was partly due to the existence of the Yeosu Swordmaster (Cha Jin-Hyeok). The Yeosu Swordmaster had single-handedly annihilated the Flying Toad, instilling hope in numerous Players that they too could do it. As a result, many Players began to actively hunt the Flying Toad.

Jin-Hyeok did not deeply contemplate the cause and effect of this.

“Well, it’s only natural to want to fight the strongest opponents. That’s human instinct.”

And there was someone observing Jin-Hyeok.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Inside the building that had almost turned into ruins, there was a woman hiding behind a pillar. She was using her Clairvoyance Trait to scout the area near Yeosu City Hall when she noticed Jin-Hyeok.

“He is holding a sword.”

Seeing him alone, there was no doubt that he would meet his end soon.

‘Ha… I wanted some good content for my livestream.’

Her name was Kang Mi-Na. She was the seventh-ranked Streamer in the Korean Region rankings.

She came to Yeosu with excitement. The strongest monster currently in existence was in Yeosu. With that, it seemed like she could create good content.

She continued her livestream.

“I think that’s another person cosplaying as the Yeosu Swordmaster.”

There were quite a few that mimicked the Yeosu Swordmaster.

“It was amazing how ignorant some people are, not knowing the difference between the Flying Toad they see on the screen and the real Flying Toad.”

When they came here in teams, she managed to extract some decent Eltube material. However, if they came by themselves, like that idiot, she knew she couldn’t get a single second of good content. They all died in an instant.

‘I guess I should get a couple of clips for the teaser video.’

Thinking that way, she examined Jin-Hyeok and was startled.

‘W-What the…’

It felt like their eyes had just met. A strange chill went down her spine.

“I feel like… we just met eye contact, but of course, it must be an illusion, right? Hahaha…”

But for some reason, it did not feel like an illusion. She hastily rewound the recorded footage. In the recorded video, the man was looking at her and smiling.

She was shocked beyond words.

‘He smiled at me?’

The distance between here and Yeosu City Hall was a whopping three kilometers.

‘He… he waved his hand?’

The chance of the Player wielding the sword recognizing her was practically zero.

‘I-it must be just a coincidence…’

She calmed her startled heart. She told herself again and again that this could not be true.

‘Huh?’

The man suddenly disappeared from her sight.

‘What’s going on?’

It was the first time her Clairvoyance had missed its subject. Feeling an inexplicable uneasiness, she frantically searched for the man.

‘He’s gone!’

It felt like she was possessed by a ghost. She even wondered if he was not a person but another monster in human form. After a short while, she heard a voice from behind.

“Hello!”

The man was waving his hand, with a very welcoming expression.

“AHHH!!!”

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The world was vast, and there were many crazy people. The fact that a Streamer who had absolutely no combat power managed to sneak into Yeosu said it all.

Thanks to the Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance, Jin-Hyeok was able to recognize that Mi-Na was there.

‘There are not many Players who have the Clairvoyance Trait at the early stages.’

Also, the aura of the Skill felt too familiar. That alone could not guarantee that Kang Mi-Na was here, but still, Jin-Hyeok thought it would be nice if it were her. Whether it was luck or something expected, it turned out to be Mi-Na.

She was startled when she saw him.

“W-What… How did you…”

“I’m sorry in advance.”

“What do you mean?”

Jin-Hyeok struck Mi-Na’s head with an iron rod he had prepared in advance. This was the method Mi-Na herself taught him.

“When you wish for the livestream not to be aired, the most certain method is to knock out the Streamer.”

During Play, there were times when Players did not want to be exposed on the livestream. In such cases, it was common to ask the Streamer to stop the livestream.

“Among Streamers, we call this method ‘bashing the head in.’"

When a Streamer lost consciousness, the livestream was automatically disconnected from the SSP, and the livestream would end. It was a method that Mi-Na had used a lot, before regression.

‘Come to think of it, she really is a crazy person.’

She had no mercy for Streamers who filmed the same content as her or stole her original ideas. Streamers even called her the Head Basher.

Anyway, Jin-Hyeak struck her head using the method she taught him and waited for her to regain consciousness. If she turned on her livestream again as soon as she woke up, Jin-Hyeok would have to strike her again.

‘Maybe, that’s too much…’

With a kind heart, valuing his former party member, Jin-Hyeok bought an expensive hood from the Broadcaster’s Shop and covered her eyes. I was being kind to her because he liked her; otherwise, he would have treated her much harsher.

“Mmm…”

Before he knew it, Mi-Na regained consciousness, and Jin-Hyeok calmly explained to her as a good person.

“I didn’t want this to be livestreamed…” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Y-You’re insane! Get lost!”

It might have been because she could not see, but she was swinging her dagger randomly and the resistance was fiercer than Jin-Hyeok expected. He wondered why she was like that.

The Kang Mi-Na he knew would not be flustered in such a situation and would even try to turn this into her livestream content. The Kang Mi-Na of this time seemed to lack composure. If he had known, he would have tied her arms and legs.

“This is your fault. Don’t blame me.”

Jin-Hyeok had no choice but to knock her out again, tie her arms and legs and secure her to a pillar. He hoped she would feel more at ease when she woke up.

After some time, Mi-Na woke up.

“I’m trying to be gentle here. You just need to listen,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“...What is it that you want? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Okay, now you’re calm.”

He made a proposal that would benefit both parties.

“I will let you film my battle against the Flying Toad. I am planning on defeating it by myself.”

But judging by her extremely guarded demeanor, convincing her wouldn’t be easy.

“You will be the only one filming me,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Deal, Oppa.”

Mi-Na smiled.

Jin-Hyeok also smiled.

Now, she was more like the Kang Mi-Na Jin-Hyeok remembered.

By the way, she was older than Jin-Hyeok.