I Gave Up Being Stronger

‘This is not a Mystery!’

It was similar to a Mystery, but not quite one. It was a feeling that Jin-Hyeok had never experienced before.

[You have made contact with 「Will to Protect」.]

Just then, the voice he had heard earlier spoke again.

[Oh, Glorious One, follow this path. Beyond this road where life and death intersect, there shall be a radiance that will brightly illuminate you. My seven-thousand-year wait has not been in vain.]

The place where life and death intersected—Jin-Hyeok surmised that the true reward of the Hidden Quest awaited there, and that place was none other than the Hatching Chamber, where Shin Yu-Ri had destroyed all the eggs, turning life into death. It seemed as though the Will to Protect revealed itself where countless lives and deaths intersected.

[You have proven your qualification to 「Barudnaima」, so the 「Will to Protect」 will awaken as a Mystery.]

Green mana lines flowed from his hand, across his shoulders, and spread throughout him.

It felt as if he had plunged into an ocean made of mana. The high density of mana even made it slightly difficult to breathe.

‘Ah, so this is it.’

Jin-Hyeok came to a realization. He couldn’t be sure if this were the correct term, but the ‘Will to Protect’ was an ingredient for the Mystery. It seemed this ingredient had met him, the Player, and a custom-made Mystery was being born.

‘Yu-Ri must have gone through a similar process in my previous life.’

The resulting Mystery would\'ve been the only one in the entire universe. The reason Iron Dome was the only one in all the Servers was precisely because that Mystery was custom-fitted for Yu-Ri.

‘Who would have thought such a thing existed.’

However, something felt off. As mana was absorbed into him, Jin-Hyeok could clearly sense something. The Will to Protect was converting into a defensive-type Mystery.

[You have acquired the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

Phantom Swordswoman.

Once again, it was a Mystery with a name he had never heard before. It felt like a custom-tailored Mystery, one made just for him, yet it still felt a bit peculiar.

‘This doesn’t feel like a defensive-type Mystery.’

Just like how Pure Luck had felt like a solid fragment earlier, Mysteries had their own unique sensations. When a Player focused on a specific Mystery, an image of it naturally came to mind.

‘No matter how I think about it, this Mystery feels too aggressive.’

Anyone who possessed this Mystery would say that the Phantom Swordswoman felt more like an offensive-type Mystery rather than a defensive one.

There was no way of precisely knowing until he used it. Jin-Hyeok immediately activated the Mystery.

[You have activated the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

In that instant, it felt as if something had been pulled out of his body.

‘A ghost?’

Something resembling a ghost appeared, translucent. In her right hand, she held a sword that closely resembled Jin-Hyeok’s Greatsword of La’kan. Her overall form appeared feminine, but the face was not fully visible.

‘The veil is covering her face down to her nose.’

Below that, only the mouth was visible.

‘She’s smiling.’

She was indeed grinning. With Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance, Jin-Hyeok could examine the phantom body his Mystery had created.

[#Die. #Die. #Die.]

Jin-Hyeok’s intuition was right. He had thought that it seemed more like an offensive-type Mystery rather than a defensive one, and soon enough, he understood why.

‘Ah, right.’

Jin-Hyeok had momentarily forgotten, caught up in using Broadcaster’s Barrier, that the best defense was a good offense. This simple truth, which he had forgotten, was exemplified by the Phantom Swordswoman.

The Phantom Swordswoman had a ghostly form, facing few physical restrictions. She could float through the air and pass through walls.

‘This makes long-range attacks possible!’

What could be considered Jin-Hyeok’s clone, the Phantom Swordswoman, was at a considerable distance from him, swinging her sword toward the Queen Ant.

‘What’s the cooldown on this?’

Compared to the unpredictable Pure Luck Mystery, this one felt much more familiar. It was as if Jin-Hyeok had been in the company of an old comrade.

[You have activated the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

‘Can it be used consecutively?’

[You have activated the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

A total of three Phantom Swordswomen manifested. All of them charged toward the Queen Ant, their faces adorned with eerie smiles.

‘Ah, but I should stop now.’

The Phantom Swordswomen were mentally connected to him, and he had to partially control them.

‘With my current mental strength and my abilities for controlling the Mysteries… three is my limit.’

To be honest, even three were pushing it. He could barely manage to control one properly.

‘Can I deactivate it?’

[You have deactivated the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

[You have deactivated the Mystery 「Phantom Swordswoman」.]

Jin-Hyeok dispelled two of the entities. Now, he could focus more on controlling the remaining Phantom Swordswoman.

‘This is it.’

He charged at the Queen Ant while focusing on controlling his Phantom Swordswoman. Unintentionally, he was muttering as if he was livestreaming.

“This Queen Ant is overly cautious and thinks too much. She seeks stability, as she’s been planning for thousands of years.”

‘I should’ve raised my voice.’

He wanted his only audience, Yu-Ri, to have heard him, but he failed to raise his voice properly.

“Being a monster that despises close-quarters combat, especially in an injured state, and with all her possible allies destroyed, she really only has one choice.”

Jin-Hyeok’s sword cut through the air. The Queen Ant, which had been in front of him, vanished. True to her character of not tolerating even the slightest risk, she fled despite possessing far greater power.

‘Whew.’

Jin-Hyeok had hastily canceled the use of the Phantom Swordswoman Mystery because the Phantom Swordswoman was about to swing her sword at Yu-Ri.

‘I almost attacked Yu-Ri by accident.’

He had let his guard down for a moment because the Queen Ant ran away, causing this unintended consequence.

Interestingly, Yu-Ri had also been about to use her Iron Dome in a defensive stance.

“Why did she stop attacking?” Yu-Ri asked.

[#What a shame. #She looked Strong. #I wonder if I can block jer attack.]

It looked like Yu-Ri actually wanted to be attacked.

‘Brilliant.’

⁕ ⁕ ⁕

“Do you often encounter monsters like the one we just faced when you are Playing?” Yu-Ri asked.

“It depends on how you Play.”

If a Player was a Level Grinder, who only farmed in easy areas to level up safely, it was unlikely they would run into creatures like the Queen Ant. They didn’t even get to engage in exciting situations like Hidden Quests or Scenarios.

Jin-Hyeok could read Yu-Ri’s mind.

“There’s a sense of tension, but it also strangely thrills and excites you, doesn’t it?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“...”

“You can be honest. There’s nothing strange about it.”

“Is this normal?”

“Absolutely.”

Yu-Ri nodded in agreement. “It’s a shame we couldn’t save the child.”

“No need to feel bad.”

NPCs were just programs. They might seem like they had emotions, but they just appeared and disappeared as required.

“You don’t mourn when you delete an app from your phone.”

When they returned to the Dwarf village earlier, the entire area was reduced to ashes. Dwarf corpses were strewn everywhere, likely victims of the Queen Ant. A quick glance at Yu-Ri revealed she seemed unfazed.

‘She catches on really quickly.’

Many Players would be emotionally affected or mentally shaken by such a sight. Jin-Hyeok didn’t think they were wrong, but it put them at a disadvantage as Players. They have to be able to see NPCs as NPCs. In that regard, Yu-Ri seemed inherently well-suited for Playing.

“Have we accomplished most of what we can here?” Yu-Ri asked.

“Yes, we will be leaving now.”

“How can we get out?”

“Although there are various types of Dungeons in the world, you usually can exit by successfully hunting down the boss monster.”

“Was that creature from earlier the boss monster?”

“Yes.”

However, it had vanished somewhere. Even if they went looking for it, the chances of defeating the Queen Ant right now were slim.

“Fortunately, there’s a hole over there.”

A hole wide enough for a couple of people to enter was visible. It was so deep that its depth was unfathomable.

“It seems like a route the Queen Ant made to escape to the outside.”

Although rare, there had been cases where the boss monster created a path to escape the Dungeon.

“So, should we jump down here?” Yu-Ri asked without a hint of hesitation.

“We could, but there’s also a chance we might die.”

While the probability was high that it led to the outside, there was no certainty. If they were unlucky, death awaited them.

“I’m not particularly afraid of dying,” Yu-Ri said.

“...”

“Isn’t a Dungeon a place where you could die with just one wrong move?”

“Exactly.”

She was right. Too many foolish Players in the world failed to grasp this simple premise. A Dungeon was a place very close to death.

Jin-Hyeok found himself grinning unconsciously.

“Why are you smiling?”

“If I were with foolish Players, we would spend about thirty minutes debating whether or not to go down there.”

Jin-Hyeok knew that in other situations, he would undoubtedly have had lengthy discussions and debates on whether jumping was the right or wrong move.

“Let’s go.”

They jumped down, falling for what felt like an eternity.

[You have entered the Field 「Midpoint of Bukhansan」.]

Both Yu-Ri and Jin-Hyeok were able to return to Bukhansan, and there was no trace of the Queen Ant to be found.

⁕ ⁕ ⁕

As they descended Bukhansan, Yu-Ri seemed somewhat disheartened.

“Don’t forget how you are feeling right now. That’s how you will become stronger,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Yes, I will not forget.”

They were defeated by Queen Ant today. Yu-Ri seemed bitterly disappointed, and Jin-Hyeok felt the same. Before they knew it, they had completely descended the mountain.

“Is it okay if I continue to Play alongside you, Master?”

Jin-Hyeok shook his head. He had set her on the right path.

‘I’ve done my part.’

Yu-Ri’s firepower was unparalleled, but there were various constraints in Playing together all the time. It would be best to enjoy Dual Play as needed rather than always being together.

“Contact this number.”

“Who is this?”

“A person named Maria will answer when you call. She is affiliated with the National Intelligence Service, and she will take good care of you. Even better than I could.”

“If I’m with Maria, then…”

Yu-Ri hesitated for a moment, watching Jin-Hyeok closely.

“Go ahead, it’s fine.”

“Can I become stronger than you, Master?”

It was a welcome question to hear.

“You might, but it won’t be easy.”

“I will strive to become really strong, strong enough not to disappoint you, Master. And I will try to become stronger than you. I’ve learned so much and…”

As if the tension had finally dissipated, Yu-Ri collapsed onto the ground with a huge sigh. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed softly. Inside the Dungeon, she could momentarily lose herself in Play, forgetting all else. However, as soon as she stepped outside, reality seemed to come crashing back.

‘She suddenly looks so vulnerable.’

It seemed like the reality of losing her husband and being left alone was hitting her again. After sobbing for a while she bit her lip and spoke, “I will never forget your kindness. I will definitely repay you someday. I am truly, truly grateful.”

Then, a notification popped up.

[「Contract of Blood and Iron」 has been created.]

Looking with Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance, this was a Trait of the Artillery of Nemesis Job.

A metal plate dripping with blood and a quill pen, its tip stained with blood, appeared in front of Jin-Hyeok.

“This is a token of my gratitude and respect toward you, Master. If you write the name of a person who bears you malice on it, I must become the embodiment of vengeance and kill them.”

“Is that how you understood it?”

Before even hearing Yu-Ri’s explanation, he had inspected the Contract of Blood and Iron through Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance. Yu-Ri wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t exactly right either.

“Did I misunderstand?”

“No, it’s not only for vengeance. It can be utilized in various ways.”

Apparently, the detailed description had probably only written about the revenge-related aspects. It was no surprise. The detailed description did not contain everything. There were other underlying functionalities, and it was up to the Player to be able to read between the lines.

“In other words, it’s like a forced directive.”

Although ordering her to take revenge on his behalf was possible, it also allowed for other options.

Jin-Hyeok picked up the bloodstained quill pen that had materialized in mid-air and began to write on the metal plate.

[No forcibly holding back tears.]

[Mourn as much as you like, but do not break down.]

In truth, these vague commands were difficult to enforce effectively. To function properly instead of saying, ‘No forcibly holding back tears,’ the command should be more specific and clear, like ‘Use your right hand to wipe away the tears that are currently flowing.’

“...Ah.”

It didn’t really matter anyway. The important thing was letting her know that the Contract of Blood and Iron wasn’t strictly limited to revenge.

Just before parting ways, Jin-Hyeok suddenly recalled his own experiences and shared them with her.

“I’ve also lost people who were precious to me.”

The immense sense of loss and loneliness couldn’t be filled by someone else’s comfort. Overcoming that heavy weight of solitude was her own burden to bear. Jin-Hyeok offered one last piece of advice.

“Playing will help you overcome those feelings.”

“...Okay. Thank you.”

Jin-Hyeok parted ways with Yu-Ri and headed toward Yeonhui-dong.

‘Hm…’

There were noticeably more people than usual near the Sareoga Mart. The alleys were bustling everywhere.

‘Why are there so many people?’

It didn’t really matter. He had something he needed to do here.

He headed straight for the Young Golden Guardian Tree. It was only a few hundred meters away, yet for some reason, it felt incredibly distant.

‘I’ve finally arrived!’

Standing in front of the Young Golden Guardian Tree, he started the livestream. His heart pounded with excitement at being able to share this with his viewers.