I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 114

She even disabled the donations. Utilizing the Skill, Air Steps, Mi-Na dashed toward Cha Jin-Hyeok like a wild boar. Jin-Hyeok glanced at her, running toward him.

‘Air Steps?’

It was a skill that allowed her to create a thin panel in the air to step on, enabling her to run in the sky.

‘She rarely uses it unless it’s extremely urgent.’

It was one of the Skills that even Mi-Na hesitated to use due to the risk of potentially falling to her death if misused. However, at the moment, it seemed like nothing else mattered to her. Her sole mission appeared to be securing an interview with Pyeong-Beom.

“Kim Pyeong-Beom! It’s been a while.”

Jin-Hyeok couldn’t remember whether he spoke informally or formally with Mi-Na.

‘When in doubt, informal speech is the way to go.’

That way, he wouldn’t appear weak.

“It’s been a while, indeed.”

“Can I interview you?”

“Of course.”

This was the reason why Jin-Hyeok had stationed Mi-Na in this very location.

“What have you been doing, showing up here all of a sudden?” Mi-Na asked.

“I don’t think there is much time to answer such trivial questions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Check out BonjourTV right now.”

“BonjourTV?”

Mi-Na pulled out her phone and opened Eltube. Through BonjourTV, she saw the Queen Ant flying toward them. Coincidentally, the feed from BonjourTV showed Bong King giving up on trying to follow the Queen Ant.

“I can’t... I can’t chase her any longer, huff huff!’

Soon, the image of the Queen Ant disappeared from the screen. Jin-Hyeok said, “Kim Chul-Soo said that the Queen Ant is coming here.”

“Kim Chul-Soo? You know him?”

“Yeah.”

“Is he alright?”

“He’s recovering right now. He’s doing a sleeping livestream if I’m correct.”

‘Well, it’s actually Cha Jin-Sol who’s doing the sleeping livestream.’

However, he didn’t say that part.

“It seems the Queen Ant’s poison is very potent. And it possesses a special ability. Thanks to that ability, the Queen Ant is able to pinpoint her target’s location and fly here,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“And you revealed yourself to fight the Queen Ant directly?”

“Correct.”

Jin-Hyeok pulled out the Greatsword of La’kan from his inventory.

“That sword is...?”

“Yes. It’s Chul-Soo’s sword.”

“You seem to be quite close to Chul-Soo.”

“Quite.”

Jin-Hyeok swung the Greatsword of La’kan around as if it was his first time handling it.

“It’s a sword that I fancy.”

“From what I know, that is known to be a really good weapon. Did he lend it to you for free?”

“This is not the only thing he lent me.”

“Then what?”

Jin-Hyeok stalled for a moment. He was doing his best as a Streamer.

‘I’ve got the editing points figured out...’

And then, he pulled out another item within his inventory.

“I also got this.”

“W-Wait... This is...!”

Mi-Na’s eyes widened.

“Hold on a moment, everyone! Take a look at this! Is this for real?” Mi-Na said to her viewers.

-BonelessChicken: This is crazy! Lol!

-2017: Wow, a Mythic-Grade loan, is this even real? LOL

-SpicySauce: This is amazing! I’m absolutely stunned.

-Gobulla77: I don’t know who’s crazier, a Player borrowing a 5 billion-worth item, or a Player lending a 5 billion-worth item.

-WasteWaterFilter: I think we can safely say that Kim Pyeong-Beom is Kim Chul-Soo’s wife. LOL.

A whopping five billion Dias were spent just to obtain the item. Jin-Hyeok even used the luck-related Mystery Pure Luck.

Pyeong-Beom was holding the Mythic-Grade Card that brought Kim Chul-Soo the greatest fame.

“He lent this to you?” Mi-Na asked.

“Yes.”

“This is that item, right? The one worth five billion Dias? He lent it without any collateral?”

Jin-Hyeok nodded. Then, speaking like a true Streamer, he said, “Now is not the time to discuss that.”

Jin-Hyeok didn’t really believe in beautiful ideals or justice. His life had been too harsh and brutal for such beliefs. However, while studying Egan Paul’s livestream this time, he realized what moved people’s hearts.

“Players from across the Pacific, from other continents, risked their lives to come here. To defend the frontline of freedom. To prevent the end of humanity predicted by the supercomputer.”

Jin-Hyeok decided to fully utilize Egan’s content. One had to learn what could be learned and benchmark what could be benchmarked to follow the path of success.

“Even China, with whom our relations had been slightly strained recently due to various issues, has sent their elite forces. They are still fiercely battling the Red-Eyed Ants army in the East Sea. On the other side of the globe, Players affiliated with the EPU are steadily arriving to help.”

Everyone was fighting together. All of humanity was fighting against an unprecedented Server-level disaster.

“We, as humanity, are doing well.”

Jin-Hyeok wanted to say something cool but stupid, but he suppressed the line in his heart. He was now a seasoned Streamer, and he knew when and where to utter such lines.

“The goodwill and justice of countless people have come together, forming the first line of defense against the calamity. Right now, numerous people are lighting candles, waving their respective national flags, and protecting Korea in spirit.”

Mi-Na did not interrupt Jin-Hyeok and waited quietly.

‘His speech isn’t too fast, nor too slow. This pace and tone are just right for editing. Anyone can see that Kim Pyeong-Beom is a hero in his own right.’

Jin-Hyeok continued, “In this situation, my old friend, Kim Chul-Soo, asked me for a favor.”

“What did he ask?”

Mi-Na, who had been speaking informally until now, suddenly used honorifics. The chat window was flooded with messages such as ‘Yes, that’s how one should address a hero of humanity.’

“He asked me to protect our parents, our children, and our territory.”

“...”

“It wasn’t a request, it was an order. I received an order on behalf of humanity. An order to fight against the Queen Ant. While giving me such a noble order, Chul-Soo handed over the Mythic-Grade Card.”

For a while, Mi-Na said nothing. The still somewhat naive (?) Mi-Na was half genuinely moved, and half creating a moved atmosphere. Wiping away a tear swiftly, she said, “My earlier question was foolish and rude.”

She brought up a screen explaining what the question was.

?“This is that item, right? The one worth five billion Dias? He lent it without any collateral?”?

Meanwhile, Kang Cheol, the new editor at KimKnowItAllTV, who was watching Mi-Na’s livestream, felt his heart swell with emotion.

Thud!

He slammed the desk.

“This is it!”

Tears streamed down his face. The former ShutUpAndPlay Kang Cheol bit his lips firmly.

“Kim Chul-Soo. He is a God.”

The meeting between the reclusive strongest Swordsman in Korea, who had thoroughly concealed his true identity, and the unofficial top-ranked, the most famous Streamer in Korea, was quite touching.

With clenched fists, he made a vow.

“I will dedicate a beautiful video.”

For this purpose, he began gathering all videos and information related to Kim Chul-Soo. He immediately started working on it.

? ? ?

Bong King from BonjourTV shuddered violently.

“Why did it have to be Mi-Na who got this opportunity...!”

An exceptionally favorable opportunity had been given to Mi-Na. Moreover, the production was phenomenal.

‘This has to be Egan’s intended scheme,’ Bong King thought.

It was the same scheme, yet on a wholly different level.

‘It’s a total defeat for Egan Paul, who was close behind Kim Chul-Soo’s first place.’

Bong King wondered if this could be a coincidence. However, the season Streamer Bong King didn’t think so.

‘This is meticulously planned and directed by Kim Chul-Soo.’

It was also a warning thrown at Egan, who was in second place, not to covet the position of the top-ranked Streamer. It subtly yet powerfully conveyed the gap between them.

Egan felt the same as Bong King.

‘I lost,’ Egan thought.

The Avengers Army was also fighting well against the Red-Eyed Ants in the East Sea. However, given the current situation, they were nothing more than sidekicks. They were just supporting roles in the grand epic of Kim Chul-Soo and Kim Pyeong-Beom.

‘I can’t back down now either.’

The whole world was watching. If they considered this battle had no further metis and pulled out now, it would make them look like traitors to humanity.

‘Damn it! Kim Chul-Soo!’

Egan clenched his teeth hard.

‘Don’t you dare die.’

Chul-Soo’s situation looked dire. Exaggerating a bit, it seemed like his entire body had turned purple.

‘You can’t die. Not until I surpass you!’

Egan desperately wanted to surpass Chul-Soo and make Chul-Soo kneel before him. Egan had always dreamed of becoming the overwhelming number one in the streamer class.

He called the office manager at his headquarters in his home country.

“Uh, yeah, about the thing we acquired this time. Just in case, have it shipped to Korea. It might be necessary for Chul-Soo’s recovery. Shut up! Just send it if I say so! I’ll take care of everything.”

? ? ?

“Do you really intend to fight the Queen Ant?” Mi-Na asked cautiously.

“Of course.”

Jin-Hyeok showed her the back of the Mythic-Grade Card.

[At the Summit of That Path, One Shall Look Down.]

“As seen on Chul-Soo’s livestream, the front side copies the abilities of the designated streaming target, but the back side contains a power that maximizes the strength of the Streamer themselves.”

“The Streamer themselves? You mean...?”

“No, I’m not a Streamer.”

However, it didn’t matter.

“Chul-Soo has a special ability,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“You don’t mean...!”

“Yes. Rule Breaker.”

It didn’t matter much since, technically, he was a Steamer, but since he was pretending to be a Swordsman, it was necessary to grant some coherence to the narrative.

“So, amidst such severe injuries, Chul-Soo used the Rule Breaker to alter the settings of the Mythic-Grade Card and passed it on to you, is that it?”

“Yes.”

‘Ah, but it feels like I’m flattering myself. I like it.’

“Wow...”

Suddenly, Mi-Na pulled out a white and yellow flower from her pocket and laid it at Jin-Hyeok’s feet.

“This is a snowdrop. It symbolizes hope, comfort, and patience. Through Chul-Soo and Pyeong-Beom, I felt hope and found comfort simultaneously. It showed that there is still hope for humanity. Even if another disaster strikes, I know that we can sufficiently get through it. We are, indeed, doing well.”

‘Oh, my. She seems to understand my concept very well.’

[...#Touched. #There is hope. #Can I love you?]

‘...Strange. Why is she moved by something like this? Is it because she’s still innocent?’

“Ah, my viewers told me that the operations of the military forces worldwide are going well,” Mi-Na said.

The military could not exert much power against monsters beyond a certain level. However, it was entirely possible to destroy the weakened Red-Eyed Ants that had lost their Commander Ant, and the Ant eggs hidden in various places around the world.

“They say that they found and destroyed more than several billion Ant eggs globally.”

‘Then the Queen Ant will go even crazier and rampage.’

Jin-Hyeok slowly walked toward the Guardian Tree.

‘The Queen Ant is going to be off guard, and in a state of anger.’

Under normal circumstances, the Queen Ant would not set foot here, but now things were different. She would breach the domain of the Guardian Tree to kill Jin-Hyeok, even if it meant risking everything.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

“What is that monster?”

It was the voice of the Guardian Tree that he had heard before, like a hallucination.

It was the voice of a child.

“Ugh. I don’t like that one. Why did you bring that gross monster here?”

Wondering if Jin-Hyeok could communicate with it, he asked in his mind.

‘Can you stop that monster?’

To his surprise, a response genuinely echoed back.

“I’m still just a child. How am I supposed to stop that?!”

It seemed it was thanks to the Mythic-Grade Card. The Card basically added 20 Levels on top of Jin-Hyeok’s current Level. Thanks to this, it seemed that he could now converse with the Guardian Tree.

“I can’t fight her. It seems like it would hurt.”

‘Then don’t fight her. Instead, conserve your power to assist me.’

“What are you planning to do?”

‘I am going to kill the Queen Ant.’

The All-Clear mark appeared on his right hand. The effects of the All-Clear mark were activated. Within a radius of one kilometer from the Sareoga Mart Dungeon, all of his abilities would increase in power dramatically.

‘Mythic-Grade Card, All-Clear mark, and even the assistance of the Golden Guardian Tree...’

Now, the preparation was complete.

Before he knew it, from afar and at the end of the street, the Queen Ant was slowly walking in this direction.

“Okay, I’m really not going to stop her! I’m just going to let her pass through. S-She really came in! I didn’t stop her!” the Golden Guardian Tree said.

‘But your power should still be intact right now.’

There was no need to protect the entirety of Yeonhui-dong. After all, a certain amount of damage was inevitably necessary.

‘Protecting a broad area would be more challenging than simply protecting me, don’t you think?’

“I don’t know. I’m scared.”

The Queen Ant approached Jin-Hyeok. Then, she tilted her head in confusion.

“What a strange occurrence,” the Queen Ant said.

She seemed to find it odd that Jin-Hyeok had transformed into Kim Pyeong-Beom.

“I can clearly smell the pungent odor of the fool on you.”

The Queen Ant smiled sardonically.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter. I intend to completely annihilate humankind. Tell me, are you attempting to stop me?”

Information about the Queen Ant began to appear before his eyes.

[LV178/Arloa P. Demiras/Skills/Achievements]

Before he could even respond, a silver thread flew toward him.

‘Wow, the boss monster is attacking me before I get the chance to answer! Huh?’

It was much faster than before.

Swoosh.

He felt a sensation as if his throat was being cut off.