I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 294

The one who had caught Hyde’s scythe was none other than Cha Jin-Hyeok. Hyde found this too hard to believe. ‘How did Kim Chul-Soo recover this quickly?’

Jin-Hyeok was holding the scythe, grinning.

“H-How... did you recover?” Hyde asked. He had pushed Chul-Soo to the brink of death. Even with the best Healer’s treatment, the Streamer needed hours of rest to recover from such severe injuries. That was why Chul-Soo effortlessly moving around shocked Hyde.

Hyde then noticed a faint golden glow flickering over the back of Jin-Hyeok’s hand.

‘That’s...!’

It was a faint aura leaking from an All-Clear mark. Jin-Hyeok had received a buff from Harkoen’s alchemy. Known as the Rune of Recovery, this buff interacted with the All-Clear mark to significantly speed up one’s healing process.

Hyde instantly realized what had happened.

‘It was you, Harkoen...’

Hyde thought he knew everything about Harkoen, but apparently, he was mistaken. Instead, Harkoen knew much more about Hyde than the latter did about himself.

‘She must have taken precautions, fearing I might kill Chul-Soo.’

The alchemy buff was far less cost-effective compared to the abilities used by buff-type Players. To achieve the same effect, this buff required a substantial amount of money. Despite that, Harkoen had embedded the Rune of Recovery into the back of Jin-Hyeok’s hand.

“I guess I am tougher than I thought,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“It’s not you who is tough. Look at your right hand.”

A faint white light blossomed from the All-Clear mark. It was the Rune of Recovery, working in conjunction with the mark to exert greater power.

“Well, I knew someone was helping me,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“That bitch tried to save you by setting this up for you. The buff aiding you is called the Rune of Recovery, and it costs billions of Dias to use just once,” Hyde bitterly muttered. “That idiotic bitch.”

Yet, he felt somewhat relieved.

‘This entire situation can be spun as if Harkoen went to the lengths of spending billions of Dias to help Chul-Soo.’

However, Jin-Hyeok smirked again. “Don’t you mean she didn’t want to get a scratch on her collector’s item?”

Jin-Hyeok’s livestreaming ability had significantly improved. He transmitted his livestream in very high quality to every corner of the universe.

“I don’t see any scratches on these dolls.” Jin-Hyeok swung his hammer at one of the dolls.

“NO!”

The one who screamed was Harkoen.

Thwack!

The doll’s joint twisted, but it immediately reverted to its original shape with a series of crackling sounds.

“I guess the dolls also have the Rune of Recovery. But, why is she the one screaming?”

***

-I envy those who haven’t watched Chul-Soo’s livestream yet. T_T It was super entertaining. I wanna watch it again!

-Seriously, the quality of the livestream was insane, LOL!

-When he used his Extra Life, I almost died.

Before this stream, the public didn’t know that Jin-Hyeok still possessed Extra Life. He had broadcast the process of his Extra Life disappearing but never showed it being restored. Chul-Soo Landers began creating and sharing clips of that video.

“Someday, I hope to be remembered as a Great Streamer. This video is dedicated to my future self.”

-Wow, so that video was some kind of foreshadowing, LOL

-I guess it was pretty worth it, haha!

-Wait, so he planned everything from then? Did he hide it on purpose?

-Can someone share the link to the video? T_T

└Check out episode #223.

└Thank you! ???

Many were simply astonished, while more knowledgeable viewers, like Encyclopedia, were a bit shocked.

‘I can’t believe he survived Hyde’s attack with Extra Life,’ Encyclopedia thought.

He could feel how much calculation had gone into this. Extra Life was typically only effective against attacks below Level 200. It meant that Chul-Soo had provoked Hyde into using a weaker attack to survive. However, Encyclopedia did not think it was just the calculations.

‘It feels like Extra Life has been enhanced...?’

This was something he would have to verify directly by meeting up with Chul-Soo.

Meanwhile, Hyde was arrested on the spot. Harkoen was also initially detained but was quickly released. Hyde had taken all the blame, asserting Harkoen’s innocence.

-Didn’t anyone see Harkoen scream at the last moment?

-And people still believe the dolls are Hyde’s? Idiots!

-This is ridiculous, haha!

It was announced that Harkoen’s Cry of “NO!” was not out of concern for the dolls getting damaged, but fear of Hyde getting hurt.

-How deep does their collusion go?

-Who’s stupid enough to believe this?

-How stupid do they think the citizens are to conduct an investigation like this?

Public outcry demanded Harkoen’s detention, but she was not arrested. The Helen Empire decided on the death penalty for Hyde, citing his horrendous crimes and the severity of his guilt. Hyde accepted the death sentence without appeal. The trial process was unprecedentedly swift, and Hyde’s execution was scheduled for the following week.

***

Lessefim nodded with a satisfied expression. “You’re good at sneaking in. You could be mistaken for a Thief.”

“Well, if you’re a Streamer, you should be able to do at least this much.”

“Fair enough.” Lessefim was gaining a lot of inspiration from Jin-Hyeok. She was also finding her way back to her initial goals. So, the idea of a Streamer being able to sneak in like this did not seem too strange to her.

“I thought it would be difficult to get back in here because they changed the security settings...”

They were back at Harkoen’s secret space, filled with her collection of dolls. They saw the same dolls and display areas as last time.

[Butler]

[Beastkin]

[Nude]

[Beauty]

Even in this state, Harkoen had not abandoned her collections.

“We need to prove these dolls belong to Harkoen.”

“Hold on a minute, Muenne. Are you sure you should be doing this?” Lessefim looked incredulous.

Muenne responded with an expression that seemed to ask what the problem was. “What do you mean by should be doing this?”

“You are the captain of Muren’s guards... and you always prioritize rules and justice.”

Lessefim recalled being fined by Munne for speeding when she had exceeded the speed limit by just 5 km/h, which she felt was unfair since everyone did it to some extent. Despite Lessefim’s pleas, Muenne, a stickler for the rules, had refused to let it slide.

“I remember you saying that even if I am a Player ranked in the top five, I can’t be above the rules,” Lessefim added.

“Let’s just find the evidence,” Muenne said.

“You do realize what we’re doing here is illegal right? And Chul-Soo is recording all of this.”

Muenne turned her gaze toward Jin-Hyeok. Suddenly, her expression and voice softened. “Please blur out my face, Mr. Chul-Soo.”

“I will also alter your voice.”

“Thank you!”

Lessefim sighed in disbelief and dropped the subject. “Muenne, be honest with me.”

“What?”

“Did you infiltrate this place for justice or because you wanted to Play with Chul-Soo?”

“For justice.” Muenne’s face turned red. She was indeed embarrassed. However, based on her admiration for Chul-Soo, she could be a bit shameless. “I act solely for justice.”

***

While examining the dolls, Muenne tilted her head. “Will examining these dolls really provide evidence that Harkoen is the culprit?”

Harkoen’s private security would burst in soon. The trio needed to find the evidence and leave as soon as possible.

“Of course, it will. The foundation of creating these dolls involves alchemy,” Lessefim answered.

“Alchemy?”

“Didn’t you review Chul-Soo’s last livestream?” Lessefim wore a confident smile, while Muenne seemed a bit intimidated.

“What do you mean by review?”

“Each of these dolls was engraved with runes utilizing alchemy, like the Rune of Recovery. It shows how intense Harkoen is about her collection.”

“But someone so intense about their collection would rather not leave any evidence behind.”

“Ah, this lady here talks as if she doesn’t know the ways of the world. This is why I can’t get along with the elites.” Lessefim shook her head in disbelief. “When someone is this intense about their collection, they are bound to leave their mark on it, to claim it as their own.”

“Leave evidence? Would she really do something that foolish?”

“You think that’s foolish?” Lessefim incredulously chuckled before turning to Jin-Hyeok. “Chul-Soo, do you think it’s foolish or intense?”

“It’s intense.”

Leaving one’s mark on collection items, despite the risk of being caught, was evidence of that intensity. It was similar to how Angel Girl Song Ha-Young would leave a teasing note to signify her thefts.

“There must be a mark that only Alchemists can recognize, invisible to the naked eye. Maybe something like a special dye somewhere on the dolls,” Lessefim said.

Muenne did not answer back.

Lessefim experimented with the dolls, applying fire here and there, sprinkling some unidentified powder, and adjusting temperatures, all in the hopes of uncovering evidence.

“But, Lessefim. If that is the case, shouldn’t we bring in an Alchemist?” Muenne asked.

Lessefim wagged her finger from side to side. She thought Muenne still had a long way to go. “If you are a specialized Navigator, you should know a bit about alchemy. Haven’t you been watching Chul-Soo’s livestreams properly?”

Muenne’s face flushed with embarrassment. She had not expected to be accused of not watching Chul-Soo’s livestreams enough. She quickly defended herself. “It’s true that I have only recently become a fan of his. But I have been splitting my sleeping hours to binge-watch all his videos.”

“Then what did Chul-Soo say in his recent video?” Lessefim asked.

This question felt sharper and more challenging than any Knightly Order Entrance Exam questions. Overwhelmed by anxiety, Muenne could not think of an appropriate response.

Lessefim perfectly replicated what Chul-Soo had said in his recent video. “Sae-Rin taught me how to do it. What kind of a Ruler would you be if you can’t even do that much?”

“...”

“The same principle applies here too. If a Navigator can’t do this, are they really a Navigator?”

Muenne’s heart began to race. It felt like she was stepping into a world she had never known. She started to feel a bit more immersed in Chul-Soo’s world.

‘Wow...’ Muenne was feeling inspired. Suddenly, something clicked for her. “That’s it!”

***

Muenne recalled the content of Jin-Hyeok’s recent video, specifically the scene where he seemingly bid farewell to Elly as if he was uttering his last will.

“At that moment, the doll’s eyes reacted to the Fire Spirit and subtly changed color,” Muenne said.

“Is that true?” Lessefim quickly pulled out her phone to check the video and was amazed. ‘How did she see that? This tenacious woman!’

Noticing a change of color of the eyes was something that required close inspection; it was a change so subtle that most viewers would not catch it. Or so Lessefim thought.

[At around 12 minutes 23 seconds in the video, it seems like the eye color of the doll changes.]

[At 12 minutes 24 seconds, the iris turns purple.]

[It appears to be a mark that reacts with the Fire Spirit.]

Official Chul-Soo Landers had noticed this minor change and were reporting it across various online communities.

-Holy shit, these fans are on another level! How did they even see that?

-You can see that? I had to rewind five times even after reading the explanation.

-I thought I was colorblind, seriously.

-How dedicated to the video do you have to be to notice this?

However, the one who had first noticed it was Muenne. Lessefim concealed her surprise, pretending as if it was no big deal. “You’re right, Muenne. The dolls react to the Fire Spirit. Chul-Soo, call forth the Spirit. Let’s check it out.”

Jin-Hyeok was very satisfied with Lessefim and Muenne’s conversation. Without any need for interjection, they were leading his livestream through their dialogue. They were great partners.

“Summon Cute Elly, Ta-da!”

Unlike before, a fully corporeal Elines appeared before them. As Elines materialized, the dolls’ eyes all turned purple in unison.

“By analyzing the mechanism of the color change in the eyes, we can read Harkoen’s traces,” Lessefim said.

Muenne pointed out a practical issue. “We are here illegally and collecting evidence illegally.”

“Well, us being here is illegal, but Chul-Soo is just here for his Play, right? Also, this isn’t a broadcasting-restricted area.”

Usually, Muenne would have dismissed such a spurious argument. She was always strict about such matters and sincerely dedicated to maintaining order.

“Fair enough.” However, this time, Muenne wasn’t thinking about maintaining order. She proactively asked, “But to analyze the mechanism, don’t we actually need a real Alchemist?”

“I told you. A competent Navigator should know how to do this.”

“Oh, right.”

“You have a long way to go to be a true Chul-Soo Lander, Muenne.”

Muenne thought, ‘Then, what more should a competent Spearman be able to do? Am I really this incompetent?’

She began to contemplate her abilities.

Minutes later, Jin-Hyeok’s livestream went live.