I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 197

Cha Jin-Hyeok found it difficult to fully agree with what Lilia had just said. “Would Zoro really try to kill me over this?”

Zoro was, in relative terms, a sensibly insane person. Like Jin-Hyeok, he enjoyed having a good number of competitors around. Although it was annoying that he was thinking of taking the Rule Breaker, as a Player who wanted to become stronger, Jin-Hyeok could understand that sentiment to some extent.

“Maybe Zoro is helping me out because he enjoys it, but also perhaps because he feels a bit guilty?”

The thought of just taking the Rule Breaker from Jin-Hyeok could prick Zoro’s conscience.

“It seems that the Rule Breaker can only be upgraded with a certain method,” Lilia said.

Jin-Hyeok was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘Right, I forgot about that.’

Before Jin-Hyeok’s regression, the Rule Breaker that Zoro used was a pretty stylish black sword. In contrast, the Rule Breaker that Jin-Hyeok used now was hammer-shaped. Jin-Hyeok’s Rule Breaker had its cute aspects, but it did not match the coolness of Zoro’s Rule Breaker. The black sword that Zoro wielded had been so trendy that it was nicknamed the most fashionable sword in the universe. Some even called it the most beautiful sword.

“I think that method is going to be a part of the mission,” Lilia said.

“Hm...”

“In the end, Zoro is going to kill you, and I don’t want you to die.” Lilia bit her lip.

“...”

“I have already lost someone I loved. If I lose you too, I feel like I will become nothing.”

‘...Is she watching a K-drama from twenty years ago?’

Jin-Hyeok knew Lilia was not the most modern Succubus, but these words were particularly cringeworthy. Normally, Jin-Hyeok would have been disgusted by them.

‘But why does she think that I will lose? I’m Level 200 now. But... why does my heart feel so weird?’

The Seo sisters, Cha Jin-Sol, and now Lilia. Talking with them stirred strange feelings in him. Something intangible seemed to be wriggling in the cosmos of his inner self, but he could not quite figure out what it was.

“Don’t worry. I won’t die.”

“Can you promise me?’

“I promise.”

It was time for Jin-Hyeok to meet Zoro.

“Let’s start leveling up.”

“Yes, help me level up.”

Zoro faithfully helped Jin-Hyeok level up for the next twenty-four hours. During those twenty-four hours, Jin-Hyeok reached Level 204.

After the Achievement effect time ended, Zoro showed his true colors.

“Hey, Chul-Soo. There is something I need to get from you.”

“What is it?”

“It would be better for you if you just hand it over willingly.”

“So, what is it?”

“It’s your Rule Breaker. It’s an artifact I have been searching for decades.”

Jin-Hyeok knew this all along, but he asked for the sake of formality, “Did you help me level up just to steal my Rule Breaker? Was there a Level restriction to steal this bound item?”

The sensibly insane person honestly answered, “I won’t deny it.”

***

Egan played the role of a Streamer filled with greed. “Yes, I will do that.”

The Black Alliance’s Navigator opened the way to the Dungeon, and Egan immediately entered the Buffalo Temple.

“Yes, this is the infamous Buffalo Temple where Zoro is helping Chul-Soo level up. I have planned a unique and fun event here.”

He promptly created his livestream title.

[Is Kim Chul-Soo facing his end here?]

Seeing the provocative title, viewers instantly flocked to the livestream.

-Chul-Soo’s end? What’s that about?

-Bullshit. This is just a clickbait. Who the hell would believe this?

-But it seems like Chul-Soo and Zoro are about to fight.

-Huh? Really?

-Even if Chul-Soo has reached Level 200, can he really go toe-to-toe with a Swordsman around Level 220?

-If Chul-Soo uses the Mythic-Grade Card, his Level is going to be 224. Their Levels are almost equal.

The chat was much hotter than usual, and Egan, as he had promised to Sephia and Grandel, proposed a mission. “Zoro, I want to give you a mission to kill Chul-Soo. How about it?”

“Who the hell are you?” Zoro did not seem to like Egan, who had suddenly intruded into the Dungeon. If Egan were not a Streamer, Zoro would have already cut him down.

Egan, as practiced, confidently smiled and continued, “I know the upgrade recipe for the Rule Breaker.”

Zoro’s expression hardened. He had been searching for the Rule Breaker for decades, but not because he needed it.

“If you kill Chul-Soo, I will give you the upgrade recipe,” Egan said.

“Why would you?”

“Chul-Soo is my competitor. If I can kill him, I should, don’t you think?”

This caused an uproar in the chat.

-LOL, is he being serious? He can’t surpass Chul-Soo, so he decides to kill him?

-I’m sure Egan has his reasons.

-Reasons? He is just blinded by jealousy and has lost his mind, that’s all.

The users insulting Egan and those praising his wise decisions clashed fiercely.

-Egan has way more subscribers and livestream views. Honestly, calling it jealousy is a bit of an exaggeration.

-Nah, it’s all inflated. If you actually check the forums, Chul-Soo’s support is overwhelming.

-Online forums and reality are two different things. Accept that things can be different in reality.

-Plenty of normal people don’t go on online community stuff. It’s idiots like you who think the online community is everything.

-So, you’re saying that if someone doesn’t go on an online community, they’re normal? This guy’s really going overboard with generalizations.

-This is part of Egan’s grand plan as a Streamer to create enjoyable content.

Various conversations flew back and forth. Egan could not read everything in the exploding chat. He zoomed in on Zoro’s expression. Fortunately, he captured the Swordsman’s contemplative and then decisive expressions.

-What’s going to happen to Chul-Soo?

-Is he actually going to die?

-Let’s face it. Chul-Soo is a Level Grinder right now. He’s going to lose the fight.

“Chul-Soo. Think of it as bad luck.”

Zoro and Chul-Soo clashed.

***

‘He is going to hit the bottom,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Many types of Swordsmen existed, and Zoro was a pattern-type Swordsmen. He exchanged sword strikes with his opponent using certain patterns and habits.

‘And next, the middle.’

As it was a movement all too familiar to Zoro, it flowed naturally like water.

‘It’s fast.’

Even though Jin-Hyeok knew the pattern of Zoro’s attack, blocking the sword wasn’t easy. Jin-Hyeok had already applied the +20 Level effect of the Mythic-Grade Card.

‘Here, he will either thrust at my abdomen or create distance and shoot a sharp Sword Aura. It’s one of the two.’

Jin-Hyeok could not accurately predict what Zoro’s next move would be since the preparatory technique was the same for two different attacks. During his days as a Swordsman, he had to rely purely on instinct, but now it was different.

‘He is going to step back.’

As Jin-Hyeok’s Level increased exponentially, his Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance also became stronger. With its help, he could perceive Zoro’s actions a bit more clearly and concretely. Jin-Hyeok felt a bit more at ease because he knew that Zoro was about to create distance.

“A Streamer needs to have good eyes,” As soon as Jin-Hyeok spoke, the situation changed rapidly, even though his intuition and Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance had confirmed that Zoro was going to create distance.

‘But he’s coming at me!’

As Jin-Hyeok focused on the livestream, a slight opening emerged, and Zoro did not miss it. Zoro quickly changed his original plan and closed the distance between them. He truly had the demeanor of a prominent Swordsman. It was too late for Jin-Hyeok to block the attack with the Greatsword of La’kan.

‘Fortunately, there are no follow-up attacks after this.’

Zoro thrust his sharp sword. However, Jin-Hyeok focused on a single point of the attack and blocked Zoro’s attack with Broadcaster’s Barrier.

Thud!

‘The pain is quite intense.’

Although it hurt, Zoro’s sword was unable to penetrate Jin-Hyeok’s chest. It seemed that Broadcaster’s Barrier had considerably improved as Jin-Hyeok’s Level had risen considerably.

Zoro stepped back for a moment and admired it. “That barrier is really overpowered.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Are you sure the name of that barrier is Broadcaster’s Barrier?”

“Absolutely.”

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

“I have met many Streamers in the 200 Level range. I have met many Streamers having higher Levels than me. But their Broadcaster’s Barriers and your Broadcaster’s Barrier are quite different. It’s as if... a seasoned Swordsman has mastered Broadcaster’s Barrier.”

Jin-Hyeok shrugged. “And your sword is not as fierce as I thought.”

‘Now, he’s going to enter the second phase.’

Pattern-type Swordsmen had the advantage of maximizing efficiency with minimal stamina, but on the flip side, they showed weakness to opponents who knew their patterns. That was why they had a certain limit to their growth.

“How far do you think you can grow with just your standardized patterns?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“...What?”

“What’s next? Increase your mana to boost your speed?”

Zoro was indeed going to increase his speed forcibly. It consumed a lot of mana, but he employed a form of dual swordsmanship that minimized stamina loss with familiar patterns.

‘What are you planning to do about this?’

[You have activated the Skill ?Time-Lapse Recording?.]

[Speed: 0.6x]

“Just so you know, this is 0.6x speed. It’s like a forty percent debuff,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“That’s like a Skill from a top-tier Debuffer.”

“I’m a Streamer, after all.”

Egan, clinging to his sanity, closely watched their duel.

‘They seem evenly matched!’ he thought.

However, the more he watched them, the more Chul-Soo seemed at ease. Zoro was the more anxious one.

-Can we really call Chul-Soo a Level Grinder at this point?

-Who the hell said Chul-Soo was a Level Grinder?

-Do you think Zoro is giving his best? So far, he is just toying with Chul-Soo.

-What are you smoking? It looks like Zoro is the one who’s serious. Are you blind? LOL

-I have a feeling that Chul-Soo is just answering every question with “I’m a Streamer, after all.”

Jin-Hyeok was good with a sword because he was a Streamer. He had excellent eyes because he was a Streamer. He applied debuffs comparable to that of a top-tier Debuffer because he was a Streamer.

-Were Streamers always this strong?

-Anonymous: It turns out that the Streamer Job is actually an overpowered Job.

Zoro sighed. “I didn’t want to show this swordsmanship on this livestream.”

However, Chul-Soo was unexpectedly strong. He was not just strong for a Level 220 Streamer; even for Zoro, a Level 220 Swordsman, Jin-Hyeok was extraordinarily powerful. It appeared that Jin-Hyeok had already fully assimilated the power enhancements that came with his rapid level-ups. He was definitely not a Level Grinder.

‘Is this what true talent and genius look like? Zoro thought.

He was very disappointed.

‘If it weren’t for the situation, I would have wholeheartedly supported your true talent.’

Given a few more years or even months, Chul-Soo would undoubtedly have become stronger than him. The fact that Zoro would not be able to see such a formidable Player grow was regrettable.

Zoro took a stance with his dual swords, while a black tiger made of mana writhed behind him. “I am revealing my final attack for the first time.”

Jin-Hyeok held the Rule Breaker in his left hand and took the same stance as Zoro.

Zoro grimaced as he recited the sword technique. “To sing of the emperor’s might.”

“To sing of the emperor’s might.” Jin-Hyeok repeated the same words.

Even as he gathered his mana, Zoro was flabbergasted.

‘Does he think imitating my technique will work?’

“There is nothing to fear.”

“There is nothing to fear.”

Zoro leaned slightly forward and sprung like a coil, instantly closing the distance. “The Song of the Black Tiger.”

As Zoro swung his sword, two black tigers made of mana, baring their sharp teeth, lunged toward Jin-Hyeok.

Jin-Hyeok did the same thing. “The Song of the Black Tiger.”

“Do you think imitating me will work?!” Zoro shouted in frustration.

He was very disappointed. In a critical situation, clumsily copying someone else’s technique was useless. One needed to block with a well-practiced technique, even if that technique was not powerful.

Chul-Soo’s current choice was wrong on so many levels.

‘I feel foolish for having thought you were a true talent. You might as well die like this.’

Seeing Chul-Soo’s foolish choice, Zoro felt he would have no regrets killing the Streamer. With the wildly rampaging black tigers, Zoro swung his sword again.

‘What?’

Something completely unexpected happened.

‘What the hell?’