I Gave Up Being Stronger

‘Hm… Cier…’

Jin-Hyeok knew Cier very well.

‘I remember running into him once before my regression.’

Known as the Martial Artist of the Wind, Cier had been formidable even then. He had been far more powerful than Jin-Hyeok, who was hailed as the Sword King of the Korean Region. Ciel had been a hero from Hell, known for his skills and recognized as one of the top-ranked Players in the universe.

‘I really want to fight him.’

Before his regression, Jin-Hyeok had asked Cier for a duel, but the latter had refused with a single sentence.

“I do not fight weaklings. If you want to fight, come back with at least three billion Dias.”

Since that day, Jin-Hyeok had worked harder and honed his skills with a newfound determination to surpass Cier one day. However, he never encountered Ciel again.

‘Yeah, Cier was in Hell.’ Jin-Hyeok nodded.

“Of course, I can overwhelm him,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“It’s not that simple. I have some videos related to Cier. Let’s watch them first,” Han Sae-Rin replied.

Jin-Hyeok clicked on the videos. ‘He is definitely strong.’

Ciel’s attacks were clean and straightforward. He bamboozled his opponents with swift footwork and impeccable timing. In evasion skills alone, Cier was called the best in the universe; he was a master at dodging.

‘Can I defeat him in a fight?’

Jin-Hyeok couldn’t tell that from these videos alone.

“What do you think? Do you think you can beat Cier? He is not a Level Grinder,” Sae-Rin said.

“I know. He is a genuine top-ranked Player.”

“I will ask again. Can you overwhelm him?”

Jin-Hyeok smiled. “Of course.”

***

[Yo, guys, Cier is going to fight Kim Chul-Soo!]

└Shut the hell up. Why would a Martial Artist fight a Streamer? LOL

└No, it’s for real!

└Cier has nothing to gain by fighting Chul-Soo. LOL

└Has Cier lost his mind? Why is he doing this?

They saw the duel as a terrible deal for Cier. Ciel would gain nothing even if he won. He was a traditional Martial Artist, while his opponent was just a Streamer. Winning a duel against a Streamer wasn’t something a Martial Artist could brag about.

[I’m telling the truth! Sae-Rin was the one who contacted Cier.]

└Stop overhyping Sae-Rin, please.

└Agreed. Sae-Rin is not a God. Just because she contacted Cier, it does not mean the duel will work out.

└Check Cier’s Enstagram. It’s official.

[Whoa! Cier vs. Chul-Soo is happening for real!]

└Give me the link, please.

The reason behind this unlikely duel had not been disclosed, but it did not matter. The important thing was that the duel was confirmed.

Cier firmly said, “If I beat Chul-Soo, you must keep your promise and arrange a duel with Muenne.”

“Of course. I have already secured Muenne’s permission. Don’t worry.” Sae Rin slyly smiled.

Persuading Muenne had been easy. Sae-Rin had just told her about how Muenne was still on her extended leave, free from responsibilities, and that this was a perfect opportunity to help Chul-Soo. Muenne had hastily accepted the proposal.

The day of the duel arrived.

[Isn’t fighting in the Fourth Hell’s royal training grounds a bit too much? The Fourth Hell has the Guardian Tree.]

└Yeah, Chul-Soo can receive help from the Guardian Tree.

└??? Are you guys serious? Did you forget that Chul-Soo is still technically a Streamer? He needs some advantages.

└Even if you add the Guardian Tree, can Chul-Soo beat Cier? LOL

Millions across the universe were focused on this duel. Most of them believed Cier would win. What they wanted to see was just how much Chul-Soo could overcome his limitations as a Streamer.

[Why would Chul-Soo insist on fighting a combatant-class Player?]

└That’s what true intensity is.

└I guess you’re right.

└Even if he loses, he won’t be worse off. With Muenne as the mediator, at least, he won’t lose his life.

└Check the viewer count on the livestream right now!

The real-time viewer count had reached a staggering ten million.

[Isn’t Chul-Soo now an official universe-level Player?]

└He knows how to get people’s attention. Ten million live viewers are not easy to obtain.

└Among the Streamers, I think he deserves to be acknowledged as a universe-level Player.

└That’s insane! A Streamer from a new Server with ten million viewers!

Standing before Cier, Jin-Hyeok observed his opponent. As usual, he livestreamed from a first-person perspective. He seemed relaxed as he described Cier. “Fiery red hair. Intense red eyes. Long limbs and a slender frame. You can also see his scar-riddled upper body.”

Cier had taken off his shirt, revealing scars all over his torso.

“His fists and wrists are wrapped in bandages. He looks every bit a top-ranked Martial Artist,” Jin-Hyeok added.

Cier frowned. “Shall we start now?”

He showed little interest in Chul-Soo, intending to knock him down quickly and head straight to Muenne. Long ago, Muenne had defeated him in an unofficial battle, and that loss had haunted him ever since. After that, Cier had retreated to Hell and immersed himself in training.

Ciel’s eyes were set only on Muenne. Growing impatient, he urged Jin-Hyeok again. “Draw your weapon.”

“No need,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“What?”

Jin-Hyeok took a few steps toward his opponent. Though they were now much nearer, Cier remained unworried.

“What are you planning?” Cier asked.

“How much does it cost to buy your defeat?”

***

There were some choices that Jin-Hyeok would never have made during his Sword King days, but as a Streamer, he did not hold such reservations.

‘He is weak when it comes to money,’ Jin-Hyeok thought. Rumors had circulated that Memphis had offered Cier a substantial amount of money to abandon his homeland, Arvis, and defect to Hell. Moreover, Cier had once demanded three billion Dias to even consider fighting Jin-Hyeok.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Draw your weapon,” Cier said.

“How about ten billion Dias?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Stop spouting nonsense and draw your weapon.” Cier clenched his fists. He could not believe his opponent was proposing such absurd things after calling him out for a duel.

“How about twenty billion Dias?”

“If you are not going to take the first step. I will go to you and defeat you,” Cier said. He could not believe that someone could hold such a vulgar belief that money could buy a defeat.

“How about fifty billion?”

“I concede.”

Sometimes, certain vulgarities could appear noble. Cier walked toward Jin-Hyeok, knelt before him, and admitted defeat.

Sae-Rin blinked in disbelief. ‘I guess that’s one way to overwhelm him…’

It was a bizarre situation, but its impact was strong. The short clip of Cier bowing before Chul-Soo quickly spread across the universe.

-LOL, he crushed him with money! The Streamer wins!

-Can we even call this a duel? Hahahaha!

Most viewers understood that this was more of a prank or sitcom-like content. However, the residents of the First Hell had a different perspective.

“Cier lost to Chul-Soo?”

“No way!”

“No, look at this!”

“What is that?”

“It’s called a cell phone from Earth. You can watch Eltube on it!”

Hell’s residents were not familiar with modern civilization.

“Wow, it’s true! I can watch Eltube on this!”

“Wait, Cier knelt to Chul-Soo?”

These residents focused on the clip where Cier bowed before Chul-Soo. The short video omitted the negotiation between Cier and Chul-Soo. It was shared and spread throughout the universe. Some Eltubers created false rumors, claiming that Chul-Soo had defeated Cier through sheer strength, which, surprisingly, many people believed.

“How strong is Chul-Soo?”

“Could a Streamer that powerful exist?”

Many residents of Hell had indeed watched the full video, but the context did not matter to them. The crucial thing was that Chul-Soo had defeated the strongest Player in Hell in a one-on-one fight. This news spread across Hell and created positive public opinion about Chul-Soo.

Jin-Hyeok was quite pleased with the whole process. ‘I seem to have won their hearts, and the livestream was a big hit.’

Of course, some people criticized this as not a real victory, but Jin-Hyeok did not mind them. Compared to the unfair criticism he received during his government official days, this was nothing. He was even delighted.

‘This must also be part of becoming a great Streamer.’

He viewed this as growing pains that inevitably accompany a Streamer’s growth, and this lifted his spirits.

“Are you even listening to me?” Sae-Rin’s exasperated voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Oh sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. So, what were we talking about?”

“I am planning to govern the First Hell.”

“You? Why?”

“It’s the perfect place to practice being a Ruler.”

According to Sae-Rin, Hell’s residents were strong but not particularly intelligent. That made them easy to control. She offered him an excuse, fearing that Jin-Hyeok might be disappointed. “Of course, managing difficult residents would be a more intense approach.”

“...”

“But it’s my first time Playing as a Ruler of a Server. I think starting with something easy would be best. I need to establish the basics.”

Jin-Hyeok said nothing, so she awkwardly continued, “Basics are crucial, right? Hahaha!”

“Right. Anyway, you can talk about that with Hell Man.”

“I have already discussed it with him. He likes the idea.”

“What about the opposition from the First Hell’s residents?”

“They are generally favorable toward you. As for the ones who are not, Cier is handling them.”

“How?”

“Violence solves everything. If it does not, it’s because there isn’t enough of it. That’s what you taught me,” Sae-Rin grinned. “Don’t worry. I made the decision considering the unique nature of the Hell Server. Just wait; good news will come.”

Sae-Rin’s words indeed proved to be true.

***

Things proceeded quite swiftly.

[You have activated the Achievement effect Owner of the Ownerless Place.]

[The First Hell has no designated owner.]

[Do you wish to become the owner of the ⌜First Hell⌟?]

A notification simultaneously rang for all Hell residents.

[A candidate has been registered for the ownership of the ⌜First Hell⌟.]

[Please participate in the voting.]

Similar to notifications on Earth, the residents of Hell began voting. When the results were in, even Jin-Hyeok could not believe his eyes.

[Favor: 142% Oppose: 18%]

Jin-Hyeok could successfully claim the position of owner of the First Hell.

‘142%?’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Surpassing 100% was nonsensical enough, and there was even an 18% opposition.

“I’m so confused that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong,” Jin-Hyeok said. He felt a bit worried rather than being happy. It seemed like a System error.

“Oh, don’t worry. That’s because Cier allied with several factions and used force to secure the votes,” Sae-Rin said.

Apparently, Cier had even managed to make children who had no voting rights participate in the voting. The convoluted process led to a 142% approval rate.

“Is this okay? I think the GMs might have an issue with it,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“I looked into it, and there is no age limit for voting flights. They generally just assumed it was for adults. I argued with Kihael about it, and he agreed with me. So, the 142% approval rate is valid!” Sae-Rin smiled. “When you are intense, nothing is impossible!”

With her sparkling eyes, she continued, “So? Have you noticed any changes?”

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