I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 297

As Cha Jin-Hyeok looked through the eyes of a Streamer, the world brimmed with inspiration. ‘My fans are truly passionate.’

Moved by their fervor, he resolved to match their enthusiasm with his actions. Gathering information was a secondary concern for him now, overwhelmed as he was by the inspiration he had received.

He sincerely proposed, “How about you guys review my Play videos together with me?”

As the conversation flowed naturally, the topic he wanted to discuss eventually emerged.

‘Yes, this is the right way to go!’

Had Jin-Hyeok just asked his fans if they knew a competent Assassin, he would have been disappointed in himself. However, as he joyfully reviewed his videos with Chul-Soo Landers, the discussion naturally veered toward hiring an Assassin.

The fans responded with even more enthusiasm.

[No.1: Mememememe! I know an Assassin!]

When No.1 typed in the chat, the rest went silent. A strong collecting will to not interrupt the flow of information was palpable even through the screen. To Jin-Hyeok, the chat room felt like an orchestra expertly conducted by a skilled maestro.

[No.1: I am going to tell you now! >_<]

Despite the rule that one could only comment every three minutes, exceptional circumstances seemed to be at play with No.1. There appeared to be numerous unwritten rules that even Jin-Hyeok was not aware of.

[No.1: At 7 minutes and 22 seconds, look at the little doll from the Beastkin category at 11 o’clock. That doll’s name is Neilson, aged 12. He is related to a famous Assassin from the Verzio Server, named Brick, and went missing eighteen years ago...]

Jin-Hyeok could not help but exclaim in admiration. He knew Kim Min-Ji was exceptionally talented, but he had not expected such detailed information from her. Min-Ji also summarized the key information for him.

[Assassin Information]

[Name: Brick

Origin: Verzio Server

Age: Unknown

Narrative: Eighteen years ago, it was presumed that Harkoen kidnapped Brick’s childhood friend, Neilson.

Narrative Genre: Friendship-based revenge

Expected Content Rating: ★★★★☆]

“All good, but... why did you take one star out of the expected content rating?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

[No.1: Well, Brick is a friend of a friend of mine, and apparently, he is a bit arrogant. I thought he might rub you the wrong way, so I deducted a star.]

That did not seem like a significant issue for the content. Jin-Hyeok nodded and smiled warmly. “Thank you, Min-Ji.”

Then, the chat was flooded with hearts.

[No.221: No.1 can die without any regrets now.]

[No.352: I’m so jealous. T_T I’m gonna die of jealousy. T_T]

[No.552: I’m going to change my name to Min-Ji!]

Jin-Hyeok was puzzled. ‘Is having one’s name called out such an enviable thing?’

“You guys can tell me your names, too. I will call each of you out.”

Calling out a thousand names was not something difficult. Yet, Chul-Soo Landers were peculiarly stubborn about it. They found it acceptable for Jin-Hyeok to call out their name in natural circumstances but did not want to inconvenience him with such requests, revealing their sincere consideration for him.

‘Wow! Even my fans understand the proper order of things.’

He could not help but reflect on his initial thoughts. Contrary to what he had planned at the start, Jin-Hyeok ended up interacting with Chul-Soo Landers for about three hours, even boasting a one hundred percent chat participation rate at one point.

All one thousand Chul-Soo Landers had assembled.

‘This is... quite fun.’

He needed to extend the time he spent communicating with his fans. His recent encounter with Hyde had been enlightening, which had made him realize he still had much to learn and improve. He needed to give his all in everything.

“Min-Ji, can you get in touch with Brick?”

[No.1: Yes! Shall I tell Brick to meet you?”]

“You can do that?”

[No.1: Yes! I know him very well!]

Logical thoughts like ‘Didn’t she say earlier that Brick was just a friend of a friend of hers?’ and ‘Wasn’t that supposed to mean they aren’t that close?’ did not come to Jin-Hyeok’s mind. Those thoughts were not intense enough for him.

“Oh, then, can you do that for me?”

[No.1: Of course! >_<?]

“Thanks.”

[No.1: You don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad I can be of help. T_T]

***

Jin-Hyeok was slightly taken aback. ‘Min-Ji... How did she manage to do this?’

The Verzio Server had a deep history, and it had not yet properly connected to the Earth Server. Yet, a famous ranker from that Server, Brick, had come to Earth, directly to Choi Gap-Soo’s workshop in Cheongdam-dong.

“Thank you, Min-Ji,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Min-Ji, who had been sending a barrage of hearts and emotes in the app, nodded from behind a pillar, her face flushed with embarrassment, then quickly hid herself again.

Gap-Soo clicked his tongue in disapproval. “When did my workshop become a place for meeting people?”

“I didn’t know we were going to meet up here. It was Min-Ji who informed me. If there is a next time, I will make sure I have the meeting at my place,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“That’s out of the question,” Gap-Soo replied.

“Why is that?”

“Because someone is hell-bent on protecting your privacy.”

“My privacy?”

“It’s a long story,” Gap-Soo said, shaking his head.

Before Jin-Hyeok had arrived at the workshop, Min-Ji and Gap-Soo had a rather one-sided conversation.

“We must protect Chul-Soo’s privacy,” Min-Ji said. She had made it clear she would never disclose Chul-Soo’s home address to outsiders.

“What about my workshop then? I also use it as my home!”

“I don’t care.”

“...”

This was the conversation that vividly showcased why she was the Mad God of Favoritism.

“Well, I also like to see your Plays before they’re public, so I guess it’s okay for you guys to meet up here. Now, introduce yourselves. This is Brick, the Assassin from the Verzio Server,” Gap-Soo said.

“I am Brick.” The Assassin standing on the table was quite small, about forty centimeters tall. He was a rodent-type Beastkin with glossy ash-gray fur and carried a slender sword, about the side of a human palm, on his right side. “So, Chul-Soo... You wish to commission me?”

His whiskers, six long strands around his mouth, quivered. It indicated he was feeling intense emotions.

[#Please commission me. #I need a just cause to kill her. #Harkoen, you are mine.]

The thrill of finally finding his friend who had been missing for eighteen years and the anger toward Harkoen filled him with complex and heated emotions. Jin-Hyeok could sense that Brick was entering the beginning of a revenge narrative based on friendship.

“I will take care of Harkoen for you,” Brick said.

“But I haven’t even made my request yet.”

Jin-Hyeok was a bit skeptical as things seemed to be resolving too easily. After all, one had to be cautious with things that were too pretty, too cute, or too easy. However, Brick was somewhat set in his ways, not really responding to Jin-Hyeok’s comments but continuing with what he wanted to say.

“I have thought about the compensation,” Brick said.

“Let’s hear it.” If the demand was too outrageous, Jin-Hyeok would have to reconsider the commission. ‘Harkoen’s inheritance must be mine.’

Exploring the legacy of the Harkoen family, a renowned family of Alchemists, could unveil secrets related to the Guardian Tree. It would be easier to give money to Brick as a commission than to hand over anything of Harkoen’s.

Jin-Hyeok asked with slight tension, “What is it?”

“I want you to plant and nurture a Golden Guardian Tree in my home Server. That’s my condition.” Brick drew a short sword, which was long for his size, and pointed it at Jin-Hyeok. “Of course, if you fail to grow the Golden Guardian Tree, I will also kill you.”

“...”

“That aligns with my sense of chivalry.”

“...”

When Jin-Hyeok remained silent, Brick spoke as if he was granting the Streamer a favor. “It might be confusing to someone unfamiliar with chivalry. I will give you two days to think about it, Sir Chul-Soo.”

Min-Ji, who had been eavesdropping from a distance, felt her anger surge. ‘Kill him? How dare you? Not in front of me!’

She regretted not deducting more than one star—perhaps, she should have deducted all five.

“Oh, that’s an excellent condition,” Jin-Hyeok responded with a bright, carefree smile.

***

Fyurel, the Mad Sorceress, stormed back into her mansion, fuming for quite some time. It seemed Sara Kyen was not to her liking. ‘That bitch...’

While Fyurel generally did not take kindly to people, she had a particular disdain for Sara. After all, Sara had become the heir of the Kyen Family without any effort on her part. For Fyurel, who had secured her current position through a war among kin, Sara was nothing short of a thorn in her side.

‘Whatever, I will just have to kill her.’

The idea of a head of one of the Seven Great Families attacking another was far from ideal. People tended to view these families as a single entity, and internal divisions among them were not welcomed. The leaders of the empires felt the same way. The Seven Great Families of Arvis were expected to stand united.

“But since when have I ever cared about that?”

While the emperors of the three empires could find it bothersome, it did not concern Fyurel. She had already decided to be defiant in the face of any criticism.

‘If I kill Harkoen...’ Fyurel looked north, toward the direction of the Kyen Family’s mansion. ‘It would mean accomplishing what the Kyen Family could not.’

The other distinguished families would no longer need the Kyen Family. Shadows, after all, had to fade into the annals of history.

“Seven Great Families, my ass.”

In the world to come, there would only be five distinguished families, not seven.

Meanwhile, Sara Kyen sat at her desk, chewing a piece of fried squid. This new snack, especially when dipped in mayonnaise or gochujang[1], was irresistibly delicious.

“This squid is so tasty.” She was without a care in the world. “I just need to bury myself in these books and then leave work.”

***

After establishing a contract with Brick, Jin-Hyeok said, “I can come along, right?”

“You? Why?”

“I am a Streamer. I need to capture what’s going on for my channel.”

“Hmm... I see.” After a moment of thought, Brick smirked. “If you can keep up with my speed and mimic my stealth skills, by all means.”

“...”

“But if you interfere with my assassination, I will not hesitate to cut off your legs, Sir Chul-Soo.”

Though he said this, Brick was not concerned.

‘There is probably zero chance of cutting your legs, Chul-Soo. After all, you won’t even be able to follow me!’ Or so he thought.

‘Wait, he’s keeping up!’

Brick had heard that this Streamer was extraordinary, but he never expected him to be able to follow the movements of a top-class Assassin.

‘Well, sure. Following me across the field might be possible.’

Moving quickly and moving quickly without being detected were different matters, and doing the latter on a complex terrain was a completely different challenge.

“Harkoen’s mansion lies beyond this cliff. We need to breach various barriers and tight security,” Brick said.

“How do we get past the barriers?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“That’s a trade secret I can’t disclose. Just replicate my movements exactly and follow me, Sir Chul-Soo.” Brick glanced at Jin-Hyeok, thinking this Streamer, despite his impressive physical abilities, would likely give up at this point. “You will almost certainly die if we get caught. After all, it’s one of the empire’s Seven Great Families.”

Normally, such a warning would intimidate most people, but Jin-Hyeok was smiling. “Sounds good.”

1. Gochujang is a savory, sweet, and spicy paste made from gochu-garu or Korean chili powder. ☜