I Gave Up Being Stronger

A few days ago, Cha Jin-Hyeok had laid down a condition for Jun. “I still can’t fully trust you.”

“Of course, I understand,” Jun replied.

“What if the three of you conspire to stab me in the back during our secret meeting? Like a betrayal of betrayal.”

“If I were planning to betray you, I would not have come here to reveal my plan.”

In reality, Jin-Hyeok did not suspect Jun. Thanks to his Broadcaster’s Insight, he had already discerned Jun’s sincerity.

[#Those bastards. #This is what a true betrayal looks like. #First and Second Hells are mine!]

Jun was full of greed, and Jin-Hyeok knew such a person would never betray him. However, the mention of betrayal was purely a dramatic effect to create tension for his livestream.

Still, Jun, who had a somewhat limited understanding of Jin-Hyeok, felt frustrated and said, “So, what do I need to do to earn your trust?”

Jun had come here alone. He had taken the risk and told Jin-Hyeok about the betrayal in the First and Second Hells. He even had a clear motive to betray the other Rulers.

‘What more logical reason do you need to trust me?’ Jun thought.

“This is a consent form,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“A consent form?”

[Broadcasting Consent Form]

“This is a form allowing the Homepage Master to film you 24/7,” Jin-Hyeok explained.

“What is a Homepage Master?”

Realizing that Jun was not one of his subscribers, Jin-Hyeok slightly grimaced and said, “I see… I am still lacking.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Anyway, it means he can film you.”

“So, this Homepage Master can film me wherever I am, even until our secret meeting… then who is this person?”

At that moment, the door opened, and Kang Eun-Woo appeared, holding a camera as large as a cannon.

“I am the Homepage Master. Think of me as a kind of photojournalist.”

“Does this twenty-four-hour filming include me showering?” Jun asked.

“It’s… possible, but I would rather not.” Eun-Woo felt slightly offended. He had no intention of being dishonorable, yet he felt as if he was being mistaken for one.

“I really don’t want to film that,” Eun-Woo murmured to himself. “Does he think he is Chul-Soo?”

“What did you say?” Jun asked.

“Huh?”

“I heard you say something.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Jun was quite displeased but chose not to make more of an issue of it. After all, Jin-Hyeok had the upper hand in this situation.

‘That bastard. He is acting big with Chul-Soo backing him up.’

Jun decided to remember Eun-Woo’s face for future revenge. He vowed to repay today’s humiliation someday.

***

Jin-Hyeok started his livestream. “Jun, the Ruler of the Fifth Hell, was my friend. Although we had not known each other for long, we confirmed that our intentions aligned well, and we promised to share a lifelong friendship.”

Dressed in black, Jin-Hyeok continued his speech against a dark background. “That is why I asked my talented colleague, Kang Eun-Woo, to film Jun. My friend Jun had no talent for photography, so I hoped to use Eun-Woo’s skills to capture him and the landscapes of the Fifth Hell. That is why I had obtained Jun's consent.

Jin-Hyeok then shared a few photographs.

“These were taken on that dreadful night when Zhenba, the Ruler of the Second Hell, ambushed Jun.” Tears welled up in Jin-Hyeok’s eyes, and numerous viewers shared his grief. “Jun left this world so tragically. As his friend, I took it upon myself to avenge him. This was not for content but as a friend’s revenge, and I chose not to livestream it and have no plans to ever do so.”

Of course, Jin-Hyeok had never avenged anything.

Memphis, who was watching the livestream, was dumbfounded. ‘But I was the one who killed Zhenba!’

His expression hardened in disbelief.

‘No, this is a trap that has no way out.’ He became troubled. ‘If I say Chul-Soo is lying now, I will be branded as a traitor who betrayed Zhenba.’

That would only lend more legitimacy to Chul-Soo’s cause.

‘But if I admit to this… then I become a suspicious liar.’

Memphis had been claiming that Zhenba and Jun had plotted a cowardly scheme, and that was why he eliminated them. However, if it was proved that Zhenba had killed Jun, then Memphis’s claim would be proven false.

‘Damn it!’ He was stuck in a predicament. ‘That bastard! How did Chul-Soo capture Zhenba killing Jun?’

Memphis had underestimated the K-Force.

‘I need to do something.’

Memphis had to respond. He issued a statement. “When I intended to discipline Zhenba, he was already dead. I did not know it was Chul-Soo’s doing. The same was true for Jun. While the reasons are unclear to me, it turns out Zhenba killed Jun. I had not explained things properly because the situation was complex, and I admit some fault for that.”

Memphis bit his lip slightly before continuing. “Chul-Soo is furiously demanding retribution, but it is a groundless anger. If I did wrong, it was because I rushed and failed to explain the situation properly. However, I do understand Chul-Soo’s anger. Having met a kindred spirit only to lose him so pointlessly would naturally make anyone furious.”

Memphis was now unable to implement his perfect plan, so he had to settle for the second best.

‘I have to prevent a full-blown conflict with Chul-Soo at all costs.’

Given the situation, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Hells had become entirely sympathetic to Chul-Soo. The Second Hell was somewhat more sympathetic to Chul-Soo than to Memphis. So right now, it was First Hell versus the rest of the Hells. In this setup, a full-scale conflict was bound to be disadvantageous to Memphis.

‘Provoking Chul-Soo’s sense of justice might open a way out.’

Memphis still misjudged Jin-Hyeok. He saw the Streamer as someone obsessed with justice and honor.

“If war breaks out, many innocent people will suffer. Therefore, I stake my honor and call for a one-on-one duel,” Memphis said.

Memphis had thought of all the possible outcomes, and this was his second-best plan.

‘After all, Chul-Soo is not going to kill me.’

Given Chul-Soo’s values, considering the well-being of the people, he would not kill someone who boldly challenged him to a one-on-one duel.

‘And from an efficiency standpoint, it’s better to keep me alive.’

With most of the Rulers dead, it was nearly impossible for Hell Man alone to govern and unify Hell.

‘I might even get a chance to kill Chul-Soo.’

After consuming Zhenba, Memphis had found that a vast vitality was surging within him.

‘If I can just consume Chul-Soo.’

Then it would not be Hell Man but he who would govern and unify Hell. Having weighed all possibilities, Memphis was sure he would ultimately emerge as the victor.

***

Marshmallow could hardly contain his excitement. “Hey, Encyclopedia, who do you think would win if Chul-Soo fought Memphis?”

“Hm…” Encyclopedia knew the opponent was a Ruler of Hell who commanded an entire territory. “Memphis is not exactly the type to focus solely on brute strength like Zhenba…”

“Are you suggesting Chul-Soo could lose?”

“No, quite the opposite actually.”

“Huh?”

“If Memphis were only focused on brute force like Zhenba, he might manage an equal fight.”

“Is Chul-Soo that strong?”

“Chul-Soo managed to defeat the captain of the guards in Arvis, albeit, the captain was a Level Grinder. Plus, Chul-Soo is leveling up every day. He must be close to Level 290 by now.”

“But Chul-Soo is a Streamer.”

“You’re right, he is a Streamer. But can you really call him a Streamer?”

Marshmallow’s eyes narrowed as his marshmallow-shaped head began to heat up, steaming visibly. “Look, you don’t know because you don’t follow him. Chul-Soo is the best at livestreaming.”

“I thought he was the best at fighting.”

“He is good at other things too, but he is best at livestreaming. Who do you think Chul-Soo is…?” Marshmallow got a little too excited and suddenly stopped, startled. “No, wait, that’s not what I meant…”

“Nice speech, Chul-Soo Land No.1000.”

Marshmallow’s head turned completely red. “No, that’s not what I meant…”

Encyclopedia patted his friend’s shoulder and said, “Just accept what is in your heart for once. Sometimes, you need to acknowledge and embrace it, Chul-Soo Land No.1000.”

“No… that’s not it…”

“You are not embarrassed because you have been outed as a Chul-Soo Lander. You are embarrassed because you are No.1000. You are feeling both pride and embarrassment right now.”

Marshmallow was feeling not only the pride of being included in Chul-Soo Land but also the shame of being the last Chul-Soo Lander. These two conflicting emotions coexisted within him.

“It might be tough, but I hope that you can get a better Chul-Soo Land number, my friend,” Encyclopedia said.

***

Memphis chose the Fourth Hell as the location for the duel, the homeland of Hell Man and the place most favorable for Chul-Soo.

‘This might pressure Chul-Soo’s conscience. If I make everything more favorable for him, he might feel too guilty to kill me,’ Memphis thought.

The best outcome would be to seize an opportunity to consume Chul-Soo. For Memphis, even a graceful defeat, which allowed him to maintain his position as the Ruler of Hell, would be satisfactory. As long as he did not die, all outcomes seemed fairly acceptable.

‘All I need to do is engage intensely in the battle. He is impressed by those who give their all!’

Memphis felt confident. He had consumed Zhenba and absorbed some of his powers. He could feel a monstrous strength writhing within him, giving him the confidence that he could dominate Chul-Soo in a one-on-one fight.

Memphis stood facing Jin-Hyeok. Jin-Hyeok took a few steps forward and spoke with grave seriousness. “Fight with all your might, Memphis.”

“I will draw upon all my strength and fight intensely. I stake the honor of the First Hell on it!”

Online communities were buzzing with excitement.

-Wow… a Streamer versus a valiant warrior… This is going to be epic!

-Valiant warrior? Who talks like that? LOL! Get out with those boomer talks.

-I can’t imagine Chul-Soo losing.

-Streamers, do not try this at home. He is not strong because he is a Streamer; he is strong because he is Chul-Soo.

Discussions erupted across various platforms.

[Guys, if I become a Streamer, can I become as strong as Mr. Chul-Soo?]

└Chul-Soo is just ruining future Streamers at this point.

└Streamers are not inherently strong, kids. Snap out of it!

[If Chul-Soo wins, doesn’t that mean he is not balanced?]

└He was not balanced since day one.

└Watch his Arvis videos and come back. Do you think this is a game? The world is fundamentally unfair.

[I am a combat expert. I predict Memphis will win with odds of 78:22. The Streamer won’t be able to overcome the inherent limitations. There are weight classes for a reason.]

└No, you’re clueless about combat.

└You could not be more wrong. Get out of here.

└A keyboard warrior talking about weight classes LOL.

Suddenly, the duel between Jin-Hyeok and Memphis began, and something astonishing happened.

-???

-????

-??????

-????

The chat was filled with question marks.

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