I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 131

Jonprich trembled as if shocked by electricity. Jonprich was unable to scream, and his eyes turned a shade of red that went beyond bloodshot, morphing into the color of ripe tomatoes.

“Urghh... Uck.... Eeek...”

Jonprich emitted groans that were barely considered groans—it was the most he could muster after he was overwhelmed by Hyeon-Seong’s madness. Jonprich himself had conducted innumerable experiments on others, but even he himself never had the audacity to ask his test subjects how they felt. Such a question went beyond the bounds of morality, venturing into the grotesque.

However, the “How does it feel” was not intended for Jonprich. Instead, it was aimed at Cha Jin-Hyeok, who was frowning slightly.

‘Wow,’ Jin-Hyeok thought to himself, his mood darkening a notch.

‘Stealing my spotlight just like that?’

This was a clear violation of their respective Jobs. Interviews were the domains of Streamers, not Swordsmen.

‘Why can’t we respect each other’s domains?’

Jin-Hyeok’s lips moved to form these words, but no sound emerged. Hyeon-Seong, whose focus had entirely shifted to Jin-Hyeok, was taken aback.

‘What about all the things that you’ve done till now? Were you respecting my Job?’ Hyeon-Seong thought. He wanted to counter Jin-Hyeok’s argument but held himself back. After all, Jin-Hyeok was in the middle of his livestream, seemingly having had some sort of epiphany.

“Ah, so Hyeon-Seong was asking me, not Jonprich,” Jin-Hyeok muttered, his mood souring even further.

‘He didn’t even do much, but he’s asking me “How does it feel?”? This is from Lee Hyeon-Seong, who once eagerly declared himself my rival?’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Jin-Hyeok was deeply disappointed in him, but the situation was too pressing to express that outright. It was time to move on with his content.

“A medium that can channel the Spirit power, huh...”

Pretending to be lost in thought, Jin-Hyeok conveyed a moment of intense internal struggle. In the meantime, their Healer could not take the heat from the flames and died.

‘Since the Healer is dead, the others are going to die also.’

“The agony of burning to death might be painful, but it seems like everyone has grown rather numb to pain.”

Experience was crucial, after all.

‘They should all be thankful for me, right?’

Just as Jin-Hyeok was basking in this inner satisfaction, Bong King, drenched in sweat, asked, “Do you have any brilliant ideas this time around?”

“Ah, I’m not sure.”

“Everyone is full of expectation that the almighty Kim Chul-Soo would know what to do,” Bong King said, raising the tension with his irritating tone. “Even the almighty Chul-Soo seems to be out of options. We should just focus on killing Jonprich. Don’t you have a mission related to killing Jonprich?”

The subtext was clear: Stop being greedy and just take the Phoenix Heart and leave. Jin-Hyeok was once again impressed.

‘Wow, look at his detestable expression. I just want to punch him in the face.’

Bong King was nailing that kind of acting. His expression, tone, and the subtext of what he was saying were all perfect.

‘There’s so much to learn from him.’

Seeing that expression on Jin-Hyeok, Hyeon-Seong’s pride had taken a blow. It was the kind of look he had long yearned for from Jin-Hyeok.

‘What am I lacking?! Why isn’t he looking at me like that?’ Hyeon-Seong thought.

Once again, Hyeon-Seong lifted his sword and, with more passion than before, cut through the anus.

“My... sword shatters anus...!”

Thud!

The flames roared even more fiercely, accompanied by the sound of sobbing from somewhere. Spirit Fire raged as if to consume the entire area. Enveloped by these intense flames, Hyeon-Seong met a valiant death. Jin-Hyeok then approached Jonprich’s anus.

“Finally, Hyeon-Seong has done something useful.”

Jin-Hyeok needed this much crack in the anus so he could proceed with what he was trying to do.

? ? ?

Before he joined up with the Bong King’s party, Jin-Hyeok had a conversation with Fire Spirit Igrit.

[Please... save... the... daughter... of the... Spirit King...]

[1. ”Of course, I will find the Spirit King’s daughter, thwart Jonprich’s nefarious deeds, and stand with you.”]

[2. “Battles are the only thing that keeps me alive. I have dreamed of battling you, Igrit, the Fire Spirit.”]

Jin-Hyeok had nearly chosen the second option, but his refined judgment led him to choose the first.

[Please...]

With that, Igrit had transformed into a small ember and moved somewhere else. The path Igrit led him to had been the next Field, the Burning Fortress Third Floor.

Jin-Hyeok then continued his livestream.

“Igrit, who had gone up to the third floor before me, has now vanished.”

Igrit knew exactly what his role was.

“It seems it was waiting here for an opportunity. It revealed itself when the Spirit power was strengthening.”

The moment Jonprich’s belly split and Spirit Fire roared the area, Jin-Hyeok knew that Igrit, who had vanished earlier, would reappear here. With the help of the Streamer-exclusive Skill Transcendent Translation, Jin-Hyeok could read Igrit’s intentions.

[Use me... as the medium... to open the... Spirit Gate...]

That was already three minutes ago.

Jin-Hyeok heard Bong King talking to him.

“Ugh... I can’t hold on anymore. Let’s meet at the save point. There’s no point for me to hold out any longer. So just die, so we can have a tactical meeting. Okay?”

Bong King’s skin had melted and looked soggy. It was hard to understand why he had deteriorated so quickly when he also had Broadcaster’s Barrier, like Jin-Hyeok.

Especially when he was such a great Streamer.

‘Is his ability to use Broadcaster’s Barrier subpar?’

While Bong King’s character design and storytelling were great, his ability to use Broadcaster’s Barrier might be lacking. Still, it was understandable, since every Streamer had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Anyway, Bong King had died, and Jin-Hyeok continued with his livestream, highly motivated.

‘Bong King, watch closely. I deliberately didn’t disclose my conversation with Igrit.’

Everything had its proper timing. Around the time when everyone except Choi Gang-Byeok had died, Jin-Hyeok spoke, “I think we can open the Spirit Gate using Igrit as the medium.”

Jin-Hyeok leaped high and swung his sword, the Greatsword of La’kan, at the fiery form of Igrit. The Spirit, which was a single mass of flame, dispersed like smoke and began to absorb the surrounding flames. It acted like a small black hole, sucking up all the various flames that were burning the area.

Sob... Sob...!

The sound of a young girl crying came from somewhere. It was from within Jonprich’s belly. Perhaps it was because Jonrpich expelled all the Spirit energy he had been holding, but his belly looked emaciated.

Jin-Hyeok asked Gang-Byeok, the only one who had survived, “Check inside the belly. I hear a voice.”

“Okay.”

Somehow, this Choi Gang-Byeok did not seem like the Gang-Byeok he knew, who never listened to what he said.

Gang-Byeok’s expression looked somewhat complex. It looked like he had something to say but was holding back for now.

Anyway, Gang-Byeok rushed toward where the crying was coming from, and Jin-Hyeok continued with his livestream.

“I will try to control the situation so Jonprich does not regain his strength.”

Before fully rescuing the daughter of the Spirit King of Fire, Jin-Hyeok decided to postpone killing Jonprich.

Just in case.

‘Did I overdo it?’

Jonprich kept begging for a quick death, and it was becoming boring.

After a bit of time passed, Gang-Byeok appeared, carrying a young girl.

“I saved her,” Gang-Byeok said.

Thanking him right now would be a bit awkward. If it had been the old days, Jin-Hyeok would have promised to stab him in the heart next time. However, this was not the time to say that.

In the midst of the awkwardness, Jin-Hyeok eventually said, “Thank you.”

It felt like the biggest growth he had had in a long time.

Then, Gang-Byeok whispered to him, “What the hell are you trying to do?”

? ? ?

A few minutes ago.

In Gang-Byeok’s mind, an inconceivable picture was drawn.

‘Did Kim Chul-Soo know everything from the start?’ Gang-Byeok thought.

It seemed unlikely, but for some reason, he felt that way. Chul-Soo appeared to have known about Igrit from the start and had some idea of how to open the Spirit Gate.

‘Was he waiting for most of our party to die...?’

Dramatically solving a problem in a moment of crisis was considered a bit cliché, but it was effective.

‘He could have saved everyone but chose not to.’

Everyone was burned alive. Party members who had become incredibly accustomed to moderate suffering were screaming when they died. Some could not bear the pain, rolling on the ground until they died. Some Players even took their own lives.

‘And he just turned a blind eye to all this? Is that how he built the concept for the livestream?’

Gang-Byeok clenched his fists. Chul-Soo’s actions had a significant impact on him.

‘Wow... He is something else.’

Admiring Chul-Soo for a moment, Gang-Byeok suddenly became angry. He whispered softly to Chul-Soo, “What the hell are you trying to do?”

“What do you mean?”

Jin-Hyeok swiftly muted his livestream, cutting off Gang-Byeok’s voice.

“You can speak up. I’ve muted the livestream,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“You have been intense the entire time. You’ve deeply impacted me.”

Jin-Hyeok could not say anything. It was not common for him to receive such praise from Gang-Byeok.

“But look at yourself right now,” Gang-Byeok said.

“Me?”

Jin-Hyeok looked at his appearance and had a small realization.

“...Ah.”

“Bong King is the number one Streamer in Korea.”

He was neck and neck with Kang Mi-Na, but right now, Bong King was still considered number one.

“And Bong King melted and died.”

“...”

The disappointment in Jin-Hyeok was as great as the respect Gang-Byeok had for him.

“So shouldn’t you at least suffer third-degree burns to make the story believable?” Gang-Byeok asked.

“...”

“What the hell is going on? You look so clean! Are you even really a Streamer?”

“...”

“I get it, you’re very skilled. But is that right for a Streamer? Are you some kind of Tank? Or a Swordsman?”

Jin-Hyeok was at a loss for words.

‘He’s always been good at telling harsh truths,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Old memories flitted through his mind. Gang-Byeok had always been good at speaking uncomfortable truths.

“You say the right thing. So right that I’m gonna punch you in the face.”

‘I used to just stab him back then.’

“Why would you stab me with a warning, you idiot!”

‘And Gang-Byeok used to just block my attack and yell at me.’

“If you were going to stab me, you should’ve done it without warning!”

Jin-Hyeok considered just stabbing him again like he used to, but couldn’t. The current Jin-Hyeok was not a Swordsman, but a Streamer with a livestream to run.

“I’m sorry. I’m still lacking as a Streamer,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Like Bong King, Jin-Hyeok needed to be able to do three things at once, but he had not yet reached that level of expertise. The standards he had set for himself had risen.

“Then do better,” Gang-Byeok said.

“Thanks.”

Jin-Hyeok unmuted the livestream and continued his narration.

“There is a young girl here. She is unconscious. There is not much I can do right now, so we will wait for the Healer.”

Jin-Hyeok shifted his gaze to capture the Spirit Gate that had consumed all the flames.

“That Spirit Gate... I have a feeling something might burst out of it. What if the Spirit King of Fire appears when it fully opens?”

Yet nothing significant happened.

“Before the Healer arrives, I want to ask you, Wind Wanderer. I’ve successfully killed Jonprich. Does that count as the mission accomplished?”

A notification followed.

[You have cleared the Mission.]

[You have received 「Phoenix Heart」 as the mission reward.]

Just then, a throbbing heart revealed itself from the Spirit Gate. The heart, engulfed in flames, slowly descended and landed on Jin-Hyeok’s palm.

Tssss.

His flesh sizzled. Despite using Broadcaster’s Barrier, the heat was difficult to ward off.

‘Wow, the heat is no joke.’

Suddenly, another Surprise Mission was generated.

[You have received a Surprise Mission.]

[Creator of the Surprise Mission: MoneyShower.]

It did not stop there.

[You have received a Surprise Mission.]

[Creator of the Surprise Mission: MoneyShot.]

Jin-Hyeok tilted his head in confusion.

‘I thought it was difficult to generate consecutive Surprise Missions.’

Jin-Hyeok had heard that a ton of money had to be poured into the System for this to happen, though he could not confirm that.

[Mission Title: Eat It Quick.]

[Mission Title: We’re All Gonna Die!]

Two incomprehensible missions were given.

“So, MoneyShower has given me the ‘Eat It Quick’ mission and MoneyShot has given me the ‘We’re All Gonna Die!’ mission.”

The contents of the missions were strange.

“The ‘Eat It Quick’ mission wants me to consume the Phoenix Heart and I get the Phoenix Liver as the reward.”

‘Wait, the Phoenix Liver was sold for three hundred billion won in an auction! Can this really be called a mission?’

“And for the ‘We’re All Gonna Die!’ mission, the reward for consuming the Phoenix Heart is the Flame of Nebidia.”

The two missions promised the Phoenix Liver and the Flame of Nebidia respectively, just for eating the Phoenix Heart.

‘Ah...!’

Upon checking the mission rewards, Jin-Hyeok could see why they were doing this.

‘So, this is how it is.’

Jin-Hyeok smiled.