I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 152

Inside the wooden fence, several young warriors were burning with fighting spirit, watching Cha Jin-Hyeok. Not one of them had a smartphone.

‘Even Spirits use smartphones, yet such a civilization exists. Feels like the Joseon era.’[1]

Instead of smartphones, these young warriors held wooden swords and slingshots.

Albangbang spoke in a stern voice. “This man defeated me through legitimate means, make way.”

The warriors surrounding Jin-Hyeok stepped aside.

Passing by wooden huts, Jin-Hyeok’s group headed toward the square. Near the square, a small ablaze altar caught their eyes.

“Over there, beyond the altar, is where our Lord Aliharum resides.”

Jin-Hyeok and Sae-Rin continued to walk.

[You have entered the Field 「Aliharum’s Hut」.]

This notification signified that Jin-Hyeok was on the correct route. If they had entered the Field without meeting certain conditions, they would not have received it.

The inside of the hut was rather humble, with the hut having only a worn bed and chair. On the bed lay an old man.

“I heard that there is a tradition among the warriors of Scanorbia,” Jin-Hyeok said.

It was a fact not yet widely known on the Earth Server and or universally for that matter. However, the information was accessible to anyone interested.

“I would like to undergo the Great Warrior Ritual.”

Jin-Hyeok had undergone a similar ritual before his regression. As for why he would do that, there were two reasons:

To obtain the Warrior’s Will Trait for completing the Great Warrior Ritual.

To fight with a top-tier warrior, Khan.

Although the second reason was more important, the first could not be ignored as well. Either way, going through this ritual would eventually lead Jin-Hyeok to Khan.

‘This bastard. I will expose that he plotted with Egan Paul. How dare he tarnish the sacred realm of livestream?’

Jin-Hyeok felt he needed to step in, as this was related to the honor of all Streamers. When he had been overshadowing Egan, he had never thought about the honor of Streamers. However, now, he was an advocate for the integrity of the livestream and the honor of Streamers.

Aliharum slowly got up from his bed. He was an old man with long white eyebrows that covered his eyes. “A foreigner? Why?”

“Do I need a reason to challenge the honor of the Great Warrior?”

The white eyebrows twitched.

[Aliharum has activated the Skill 「Perceptive Eyes」.]

[Broadcaster’s Barrier has blocked 「Perceptive Eyes」.]

“You are an enigmatic young man. Are your words genuine?” Aliharum asked.

“Of course. I also want to fight the Great Leader. I have heard that becoming a Great Warrior leads you to Khan.”

Aliharum turned and gingerly placed his emaciated legs on the ground. “I cannot read your mind, but I can read the sincerity in your eyes. You have the eyes of a warrior. However, to challenge the Great Warrior Ritual, you need deep recognition of a warrior. Can you handle the many trials required for that recognition?”

Jin-Hyeok grinned. This was actually a K-Strategy. The term K-Strategy referred to a Play focusing only on efficiency and maximum reward.

“I already have recognition from Albangbang, the warrior who guards the wooden fence.”

This was the most efficient and quickest strategy.

Albangbang kneeled and kissed the feet of Aliharum. “I have no choice but to fully acknowledge this man.”

This was the K-Strategy. From what Jin-Hyeok knew, the Great Warrior Ritual Quest was next. However, the standard flow of quests had twisted this time.

“This man is more of a warrior than anyone else. I confess, Lord Aliharum, that I felt more overwhelmed when I met this man than when I met the Great Leader, Khan.” Albangbang opened his inventory and offered his severed right arm. “I offer my right arm as a mark of a warrior. Please grant him the honorable recognition of a warrior.”

This was an unfolding of events even Jin-Hyeok had not seen before.

? ? ?

[The Quest 「Great Warrior Ritual」 has been created.]

[The Great Warrior Ritual]

[Go forth and prove that you carry the heart of a Great Warrior and should be recognized as one. Only a Great Leader can appoint you another Great Leader.]

As the quest activated, Aliharum handed Jin-Hyeok a map and a small pouch.

[You have acquired the Quest Item 「Map to the Capital」.]

He also received an item he did not know about before his regression.

[You have acquired the Quest Item 「Aliharum’s Leather Pouch」.]

Aliharum said, “In truth, I was once a Great Warrior. Now, I am but an old man of the wilderness.”

Jin-Hyeok already knew about this story, but he feigned interest for the sake of his viewers. They talked for quite some time.

“So, you were Khan’s mentor, and this pouch contains a message you have for him?”

“Exactly. With this map, you will be able to find Khan. And with this pouch, you will be able to meet him.”

“Thank you. I will strive to become a Great Warrior, honoring your wishes.”

“Remember, do not open the pouch until you meet Khan.”

Jin-Hyeok felt exhilarated because this was new content that he had never seen in his past life. Experiencing something no one else had was thrilling.

“Now, I would like to rest. Be on your way.”

Jin-Hyeok left Aliharum’s Hut, following the guidance of Albangbang, and went back to the wooden fence.

The blood on Albangbang’s shoulder had stopped, and the warrior said, “Thank you for reminding me of the mindset a warrior must have.”

“You’re welcome.” Jin-Hyeok patted him on his left shoulder. “From now on, don’t carry a shield.”

“I will remember this.”

Jin-Hyeok left the village feeling uplifted. He handed the map to Sae-Rin, who looked at the map with intense excitement.

“What’s got you so excited?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Look at this! The arrow on the map moves in real time, like a GPS!

The City of Dawn, which Khan ruled, could be found only with the help of such a map.

“So even the best Navigator would not be able to get to the capital without this. Let’s see... The capital is called the City of Dawn. I think we are the first Earth Players to find it!” she said.

“It seems so,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“I bet Mole Man doesn’t even know it exists.”

Jin-Hyeok could feel that Sae-Rin was speaking to him while purposely trying to make eye contact with him.

“I bet Mole Man has never even heard of the City of Dawn. Hohoho!” she said it again while leading the way with a light step. Clearly, she was taunting Mole Man through Jin-Hyeok’s livestream.

After they left the village and walked for a while, a much denser forest began to appear.

“The trees are so thick, it’s really dark inside.”

[You have entered the Field 「Central Forest of Scanorbia」.]

This Field felt like a massive tropical rainforest. The deeper they walked in, the more humid it became, and the trail gradually started to disappear.

“There are no artificially maintained paths anymore... Ah, there is a sign over there.”

[Warning. Turn back.]

This palace was an incredibly vast forest. According to Navigators and Explorers, it was hundreds of times larger than the Korean Peninsula.

Sae-Rin spoke with a somewhat gloomy expression. “It looks like we will have to go through this forest.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“We will need to make substantial preparations. If we had something to fly on, it would’ve been a different story.”

Sae-Rin’s perception was sharp. The Central Forest of Scanorbia was not an area meant to be traversed on foot. Even seasoned Navigators and Explorers had given up on walking through it. They were supposed to fly over it.

“I think we need to find something to fly on,” Jin-Hyeok said.

It was about time to get a mount. Usually, Players got mounts around Level 150, but getting one a bit earlier would not be a problem.

“Can you even get one?”

Mounts were still a novel concept to Earth Server Players. Few of them operated mounts, and those who did were Tamers. In other words, no non-Tamer Player had a mount.

“There should be a large cliff somewhere in the Central Forest of Scanorbia, where small Wyverns are said to reside. Maybe we can tame one of those?”

Subduing a high-intelligence mount typically required a Tamer’s help. However, taming a small Wyvern felt doable.

“Is that possible?” Sae-Rin asked.

“I’ve seen Players from other Servers do it.”

“Should we give it a try?” Sae-Rin’s eyes twinkled.

Jin-Hyeok felt a bit strange seeing her so excited about taming a small Wyvern. The current Sae-Rin seemed rather innocent compared to the Sae-Rin from before his regression.

“Alright. I will go look for the small Wyverns’ habitat. It’s easier for me to scout alone, so wait here,” Sae-Rin said while moving toward an unknown destination.

Jin-Hyeok decided to sit on a rock and take a brief rest.

‘Come to think of it...’

Before his regression, Jin-Hyeok had heard rumors that Park Terse, known as Earth’s strongest Tamer, had tamed a Thunder Dragon in the Scanorbia Server.

‘It would be nice if I could tame a Thunder Dragon too.’

Jin-Hyeok knew it was an absurd thought. It was just wishful thinking, no different than people fantasizing about winning the lottery even while knowing they would never win it.

‘What if I actually encounter a Thunder Dragon here? Damn... just thinking about it gives me goosebumps... Thunder Dragons are truly majestic.’

Among all the magical and mythical monsters Jin-Hyeok had encountered, the Thunder Dragon was the most radiant being, coursing with high-voltage electricity. The thrill he felt when their eyes met was indescribable.

‘The truly terrifying thing is that they devour Mysteries.’

If he could tame a Thunder Dragon, he would be ecstatic. Of course, an encounter with an adult Thunder Dragon would mean instant death, but it would be a different story with the younger ones. Even the daughter of the powerful Spirit King was born as merely Level 80.

‘Maybe the Thunder Dragon would be young and a lot weaker, which would make it much easier to tame. Ah, I doubt that would happen though.’

Jin-Hyeok decided to stop indulging in useless fantasies. Stull, it felt good to imagine that, even for a moment.

? ? ?

Five Crystals’s heart began to race. She asked, “Which way did he go?”

“Over there.” Albangbang seemed indifferent to Five Crystals, neither fond of her nor aggressive toward her. Perhaps it was because she had voluntarily identified herself as a Streamer. Attacking a non-combatant-class Player like a Streamer went against a warrior’s pride.

“Thank you.” Five Crystals also moved toward the forest. She had come to know through Chul-Soo’s livestream that without the map, navigating through the Central Forest of Scanorbia was impossible.

‘I need to find him before he goes in too deep.’

She had to reunite with Chul-Soo, come what may.

[You have entered the Field 「Central Forest of Scanorbia」.]

It was a dense forest where sunlight hardly reached the ground. As soon as she stepped in, she lost her sense of direction.

‘Where am I?’

Even after looking at Chul-Soo’s livestream, she could not make head or tail of her location. After stumbling around for what seemed like forever, she eventually found a familiar signpost.

[Warning. Turn Back.]

‘This is the same sign that Chul-Soo saw.’

She grew anxious.

‘Chul-Soo found this sign not long after entering this Field. The time gap between us is too large.’

Soon, Pathfinder would probably find out the habitat of the small Wyverns. Chul-Soo, who was probably waiting somewhere, seemed increasingly likely to leave.

[You have used the Mystery 「Fanatical Obsession」.]

Her eyes turned blood-red. She sniffed the air loudly, flaring her nostrils.

“I have to... find Kim Chul-Soo.” Five Crystals ran like a four-legged beast. “Consume. Kim Chul-Soo. Kim Chul-Soo. Kim Chul-Soo. Kim Chul-Soo. Kim Chul-Soo. “

Saliva dribbled down the corners of her mouth.

1. The Joseon era was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting a little over 500 years, from around 1400 to 1900. ?