I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 288

In the darkness, one person shone brightly amid the crowd.

‘I had no idea a man could be this handsome,’ Muenne thought. She wondered if this was what made someone a star. Among the throngs of people, this figure stood out prominently.

Muenne seemed enchanted as she pulled on the reins of her Wyvern. “Let’s go down.”

As they descended, she realized, ‘This place is in utter chaos too!’

She needed to stay here and restore order. Although the situation near the south gate was much more serious, she decided to disregard it. The Wyvern hovered about three meters above the ground, a feat only the most skilled Wyvern riders could achieve.

“Everyone, stop moving!” Her voice echoed across the entire grand square.

People who recognized her gasped. “It’s Muenne!”

“Muenne?”

She was one of the Seven Paladins of the Helen Empire. Nicknamed the Radiant Lance, she caused a stir among the crowd.

“I am going to take control of the situation from now.” Drawing her shining lance, she slowly descended, a true display of the grandeur befitting one of Helen Empire’s Seven Paladins. Dressed in shining silver armor and with her long red hair tied back, she was indifferent to the attention on her. She was always the center of attention wherever she went.

“My name is Mue…” She felt something unusual.

‘Huh…?’

It was typical for everyone to hang on to her every word. Here too, everyone was initially focused on her.

“She is one of the Seven Paladins?”

“Yeah, she is the captain of the guard here.”

“Why would a Paladin be just a captain?”

“I heard that she was demoted after assaulting a superior.”

“Aha! That’s cool. So, where’s Chul-Soo?”

However, interest in Muenne quickly faded. The majority of those gathered here were fans of Chul-Soo. With Chul-Soo here, the prestige of the Seven Paladins of the Helen Empire meant nothing. Even if the Pope or the Emperor had appeared here, the situation would have been the same. People would have asked, ‘So what? Is that guy more handsome than Chul-Soo?’

“Over there! Chul-Soo is moving that way!”

“Move! Get out of my way!”

“Why is this lady in my way? Go away!”

The influx of Chul-Soo Landers turned the grand square into a veritable cauldron of chaos. Even Chul-Soo found the situation somewhat bewildering.

‘It’s not that I feel bad, but…’ Chul-Soo realized a bit of strategizing was necessary. ‘I cannot have my Chul-Soo Landers getting hurt.’

Chul-Soo raised his voice slightly. “Everyone, please calm—”

‘Wait… I think saying chill out seems more effective than calm down.’

Normally, speaking informally could upset people, but Chul-Soo Landers preferred it, a fact that Chul-Soo had learned from experience.

“Chill out, guys!”

Just a few words from him, and shrieks erupted from all around. Some even fainted, exclaiming they were dying.

“You guys will get hurt if this continues. Keep order. Don’t push each other.”

Amazingly, order was restored. Just by standing still without pushing each other, the crowd helped subside the chaos.

Guard Captain Muenne looked at Jin-Hyeok with a dumbfounded expression. His towering height made it easy for her to see his face. She was astonished. “Is it even possible to be that good-looking?”

Jin-Hyeok’s surreal appearance baffled Muenne more than his ability to restore order with just a few words.

***

Muenne pushed through the crowd to stand in front of Jin-Hyeok.

‘Ah, I’m so nervous.’ She had never felt this nervous in front of someone before. She was far more nervous than she had been when she had dueled with the Great Mages of the Mazique Empire. Yet, she did not show her nervousness outwardly.

“I am the captain of the guard in Muren, Muenne.”

“Ah, I see.”

Right behind Muenne, her lieutenant Thomas shouted, “You imbecile! How dare you speak informally to someone of her stature—”

However, Muenne cut him off. “I heard that you are going to duel with Corporation Alpha Male. Is that correct?”

“Yeah.”

“You scoundrel! How dare you speak to her in such amann—”

Thomas fainted on the spot with a loud thwack.

The crisp sound of the blow made Jin-Hyeok feel somewhat exhilarated. ‘Wow, I didn’t even see her hit him!’

It seemed like she had swung her lance, but Jin-Hyeok could not catch her movements precisely. Long weapons were typically hard to wield. Yet, for Muenne, such disadvantages seemed irrelevant.

‘She is incredibly skilled! How strong can she be?’

Jin-Hyeok wanted to fight her, and at this moment, he realized how much his situation had changed.

‘I had never encountered such a high-ranking Player even when I was the Sword King…’

He was a Sword King in Korea, but not in the universe. In contrast, Muenne was a universe-level ranker, a level he could hardly dream of meeting before his regression.

‘It means I have grown that much.’

He thought of what would have happened if he had wielded a hammer and not a sword before his regression. He wondered why he had been so sure that the sword was his talent back then. The thought left him somewhat regretful.

“Since a major disturbance is anticipated, I am going to mediate the duel. An official duel must have a mediator,” Muenne said.

In official duels, a mediator was standard, a common rule in the Arvis Server. Having a ranker like Muenne as a mediator and guarantor was an honor for the duelists. Normally, duelists would beg for a mediator of her stature, but today, Muenne’s heart fluttered.

‘’By mediating the duel, I can watch Chul-Soo more closely, right?’ Muenne thought. She felt like a young girl, unable to understand why. ‘Please don’t refuse my offer!’

However, she could not let her feelings show. Although she was anxious, she spoke with composure. “I have recently learned that you have acquired the status of an honorary citizen of Arvis. I have a duty to protect the citizens of Arvis. Should any danger arise, I will protect you.”

‘Good job, Muenne! Show Chul-Soo your impressive side! My voice didn’t tremble, did it? I was quite cool, right?’

Jin-Hyeok did not respond, but just stared at her.

Muenne found it difficult to meet his gaze. ‘Why can’t I look him in the eyes?’

She tried to steel her heart and meet his eyes, but she couldn’t. So, she subtly avoided his gaze.

“Do I appear weak to you?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

Muenne felt her heart sink. Though she was not sure, she felt she had made a big mistake.

***

In the bustling metropolis of Muren within the Helen Empire, at the outer south gate,

“The gate is breaking!”

“The captain herself is coming! Stay put!”

“Stop those undead-like madmen!”

The soldiers were desperately trying to hold the south gate.

“We might have to use the water cannon!”

“The captain is on her way! Hold on, even if it’s tough!”

If one of the Seven Paladins of the Helen Empire arrived, the situation would surely resolve itself naturally. Among those madmen pressing forward like the undead, some were undoubtedly citizens of Arvis. Firing water cannons at the citizens could lead to severe backlash. For now, the best course of action was to defensively hold their ground with shields, aiming for a peaceful resolution.

“Captain Muenne is going to come! Everyone, grit your teeth and hold on!”

“But she is taking too long! How can it take this long when she should be coming by riding a Wyvern?”

The captain of the guard at the south gate frowned. “Lady Muenne always keeps her word! If she said she would come, she would. What do you think the honor of the Seven Paladins is worth? She would keep her promise even if the lives of her parents were on the line! Just hold on a bit longer!”

Unfortunately, Muenne had been reborn as a Chul-Soo Lander, abandoning her convictions.

***

Jin-Hyeok felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. ‘It’s been a while since I have been in a place like this arena.’

He had experienced this often during his days as the Sword King, and memories of that time came flooding back.

Corporation Alpha Male chuckled upon seeing Jin-Hyeok. “I bet this is a first for you.”

Depending on the environment and location, one’s abilities could vary. According to Corporation Alpha Male’s research, Chul-Soo had never experienced a large-scale fighting arena like this.

‘Can you maintain your composure in this situation, with tens of thousands of people watching you?’ Corporation Alpha Male thought.

Those without experience could not possibly perform to their best here. Corporation Alpha Male was confident in his victory. ‘My Level has surpassed 300.’

It was all thanks to a potion Lady Harkoen had given to him. With such a significant gap in Levels, skill differences were irrelevant.

“I will take this opportunity to show you that there is always someone who is more powerf—”

Corporation Alpha Male intended to issue a cool warning, but only the warning itself ended up being cool.

Thwack!

Miri struck Corporation Alpha Male’s head before he could finish.

‘Argh!’ Corporation Alpha Male could not believe what just happened. Despite being over Level 300, he found it hard to follow Jin-Hyeok’s movements. His attacks were consistently blocked by Absolute Barrier.

[You have activated the Mystery ?Broadcaster’s Nemes—]

Corporation Alpha Male did not even get a chance to properly use his Mystery. Jin-Hyeok approached quickly and swung Miri, making that impossible.

[The Mystery has been canceled.]

Corporation Alpha Male was disoriented. All he could do was frantically move his limbs to block or dodge Jin-Hyeok’s attacks.

‘W-Why is he so fast?’ The difference in skills between them was too significant to be masked by any editing. ‘It… it can’t be!’’

Eventually, Corporation Alpha Male collapsed to the ground. The duel had lasted just four minutes. It was a complete defeat for Corporation Alpha Male. He felt as though he had been fighting a massive wall, similar to battling a top-tier combatant Player like Muenne, who had offered to mediate the duel.

“Chul-Soo must have been hiding his strength…”

Jin-Hyeok stood over the fallen Corporation Alpha Male. Somehow, this made Corporation Alpha Male feel at ease. He had surpassed Level 300 with Harkoen’s potion, but the gap in skills between him and Chul-Soo was still vast.

‘There is an insurmountable wall of skill between Chul-Soo and me.’

Feeling the presence of that massive wall actually brought him relief. He no longer had any will to resist.

“Kill me,” Corporation Alpha Male said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you track me all the way from Earth? Hiring experts in tracking and all that.”

“I only hired one Ruler.”

“Right, one Ruler.” Corporation Alpha Male did not believe Jin-Hyeok.

‘Sure. I know you said that publicly only for the sake of your livestream and dramatic effect.’

Corporation Alpha Male was sure that, off-camera, Chul-Soo hired someone of a higher rank, like Lessefim.

‘Maintaining your concept even now… You truly are a professional Streamer. Perhaps dying at Chul-Soo’s hands is not such a shameful thing after all.’

Corporation Alpha Male was ready to accept his death calmly. The number of live viewers participating in his livestream was unprecedented. This was enough for him. He had set the title of his livestream to The End. This would make for a fitting finale.

“Just kill me.”

“Kill you?’ Jin-Hyeok frowned. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.” Corporation Alpha Male was slightly puzzled. He could not understand why Chul-Soo was upset.

“Get up, Corporation Alpha Male.”

Corporation Alpha Male scoffed. ‘Is he going to help me get up and beat me down again? He is truly a cruel man.’

It seemed like Chul-Soo’s concept was aimed at providing primal entertainment.

“Just kill me. I want my last moment to be… honorable.”

Jin-Hyeok spoke with a serious expression. “You are using your life as an excuse to ignore what’s truly important.”

His expression was not just serious, but almost solemn.