I Gave Up Being Stronger

Filiak shared several pieces of crucial information with Cha Jin-Hyeok. He explained that Mount Kelibergh was essentially one giant Dungeon with about fourteen entrances, some of which had to be avoided at all costs.

“Be wary of this southern entrance,” Filial advised, pointing out a path flanked by oak trees. “If you go through this, you will immediately encounter a sticky swamp.”

The swamp itself was not a significant issue, but it was home to Level-230 monsters known as the Swamp Monsters.

“They are not that strong individually, but…” Filial trailed off.

The real problem was that these monsters seemed endless. Filiak described it like the entire swamp was a Swamp Monster.

“It’s like cutting water with a knife. As long as the swamp exists, the army of Swamp Monsters will continue to resurrect,” Filiak said.

“What if I could eliminate the swamp?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“We’ve tried that, but so far, all attempts have failed. It’s so notorious it’s called the Sea of Swamps. Just like how humans cannot get rid of oceans, you cannot get rid of this swamp.”

Jin-Hyeok solemnly nodded. “So, no one has successfully challenged this area?”

“I see.”

Filiak felt secretly proud. It seemed his information was proving to be of great help to Kim Chul-Soo.

“I have a recommended route for entering,” Filiak continued. Officially, Mount Kelibergh had fourteen entrances. However, Filiak knew one more. “It’s a hidden passage known only to a select few Hell residents.”

Filiak trembled a little. In the world of Dungeon expeditions, such information could be life-saving.

‘Finally, I can redeem myself,’ Filiak thought.

This was crucial information about a hidden entrance. He wondered if this could compensate for his previous mistakes.

“But you already recommended an entrance,” Jin-Hyeok said, looking puzzled.

“Pardon me?”

“The southern entrance. You know, the one where oak trees line the path.”

“But that entrance is…”

‘Did he hear anything I was telling him? Nearly no one survived going through there!’

“I also told you about the hidden entrance,” Filiak said.

“If someone like you knows about it, it can’t be that hidden.”

Filiak was at a loss for words. He prided himself on being relatively strong among non-combatant-class Players, but he had not expected Chul-Soo to dismiss him so easily. However, he could not argue back with the Streamer.

“That place is too dangerous. Even if you were to go, only with a proper expedition team…”

“I already formed an official expedition team,” Jin-Hyeok grinned.

Suddenly, a woman popped up from beneath his feet. “Mole Woman to the rescue!”

With Mole Woman by his side, Jin-Hyeok headed toward Mount Kelibergh.

***

After landing on solid ground, Park Terse was moved to tears of relief. “I am not getting any motion sickness anymore! I have… grown, Chul-Soo!”

The Thunder Dragon's solemn voice resonated.

[“Of course. If you had thrown up on my back again, you would not be of this world anymore. Be thankful you are alive.”]

Jin-Hyeok tapped the Thunder Dragon’s leg. “Good job, Thunder Dragon.”

With a nod, the Thunder Dragon soared into the sky. It mentioned it wanted to enjoy the refreshing air of Hell a bit longer before returning. Hell was a Server more powerful than Earth, with fewer restrictions for the dragon.

That was when Jin-Hyeok had a realization. ‘If Earth becomes as strong of a Server as Arvis… could Thunder Dragon fully unleash its power?’

Then, perhaps as a Tamer, he could even surpass Terse.

Noticing Jin-Hyeok’s aggressive gaze, Terse tilted his head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

‘Is he feeling challenged by my growth? Have I just provided Chul-Soo with some positive stimulation?’ Terse thought.

“No, it’s nothing,” Jin-Hyeok shook his head. It was too early to think that far ahead. He was still lacking compared to Marshmallow, let alone competing in other areas.

‘I am a Streamer, after all.’

He needed to reach the pinnacle as a Streamer first before aiming for other goals. Strengthened in resolve, Jin-Hyeok started his livestream. Thanks to the rapidly improving skills of Kang Chul, his editor, Jin-Hyeok’s burden of going live had significantly lessened.

“For decades, this Dungeon has remained unexplored. I learned from the Great Nobleman Filiak that this is the most challenging entrance to this Dungeon,” Jin-Hyeok said to the viewers.

He briefly included his conversation with Filiak. Filiak’s expression of astonishment was enough to draw viewers’ attention.

[Would you like to enter the Dungeon ⌜Mount Kelibergh⌟?]

“I am going to enter it now. Prepare yourselves mentally, as we are told that a horde of Swamp Monsters appears right at the entrance.”

***

Lessefim, who had recently been engrossed in her alchemy research, dropped the potion bottle in her hands.

“What?” She stared at her cellphone screen. “He didn’t choose me?”

She was shocked that Chul-Soo had chosen someone else as the Navigator for entering the Unexplored Dungeon of Hell.

“It’s Mole Woman?” From Lessefim’s perspective, this decision was incomprehensible. No matter how skilled Mole Woman was on Earth, she could not compare to Lessefim, a top-ranked Player from the Arvis Server. “This makes no sense!”

Lessefim abruptly stood up and headed to Hell. With warp portals spread across the universe, traveling to Hell from Arvis was not particularly difficult.

Upon arriving at Hell, she immediately sought Muenne. The two had become close friends through their connection to Chul-Soo, and Lessefim did not hold back. “Muenne! Can you believe this? Does this make any sense to you?”

Muenne was leisurely sipping tea in Hell Man's palace. “What are you talking about?”

“Chul-Soo has chosen Mole Woman as his Navigator instead of me, and for Dual Play, he picked Terse instead of you!”

“So what?”

“Well, you and Terse have completely different Jobs, so that’s understandable. But not me. Even though I specialize in tracking, I am fundamentally a Navigator. How could he choose a rookie like Mole Woman over me? I could do so much better.”

Muenne set her teacup down and said, “Lessefim, you are fundamentally misunderstanding something.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Chul-Soo is not a typical Player. He is a Streamer. That means he does not just focus on efficiency and clearing Dungeons.”

Muenne seemed slightly offended by Lessefim’s assumptions. ‘How is she an honorary Chul-Soo Lander?’

Despite liking Lessefim, Muenne felt a bit disappointed. She said, “You are a Chul-Soo Lander. You need to understand Chul-Soo’s heart. Who else but we can truly know what he feels?”

“...”

At the same time, Muenne thought, ‘Even Lessefim is an honorary Chul-Soo Lander. Then can I also become an honorary Chul-Soo Lander?’

As this realization settled, Muenne’s mood improved.

Lessefim bit her lip. “Still…”

She understood Chul-Soo’s choices, but she could not help feeling slighted. A burning desire emerged within her to strive harder and earn Chul-Soo’s selection.

“What do I lack compared to Mole Woman? Don’t think about the fact that I am immensely more powerful than her. As a friend, please be honest, Muenne,” Lessefim said.

Muenne paused, appearing to ponder the question as if she were considering the most valuable thing in the world.

Lessefim patiently waited, without pressing further.

“There seems to be one thing that Mole Woman is better than you,” Muenne said.

“What is it?” Lessefim listened closely, trusting in Muenne’s exceptional insight as one of the Seven Paladins.

“Appearance,” Muenne finally answered.

“What?”

“And physique, maybe.”

“What’s wrong with my face and body? I am not that ugly!”

“Yeah, you are cute and adorable.” Muenne took another sip of tea before continuing. “Perhaps, he prefers a type that is more mature and beautiful.”

Lessefim's face turned red. “How can I become more mature and beautiful?”

***

The group had passed through the oak forest path.

[You have entered the Dungeon ⌜Mount Kelibergh⌟.]

As Filiak had warned them, the surroundings quickly darkened. The green oak trees disappeared, revealing a vast swamp stretching out like an endless sea.

“The surface of the swamp is undulating,” Jin-Hyeok said.

The rippling surface soon coalesced into a single mass and moved. It resembled a slime but was slightly large, characterized by the sticky fluid continuously dripping from it.

[LV233/Swamp Monster/Skills]

[LV232/Swamp Monster/Skills]

.

.

[LV235/Swamp Monster/Skills]

The monsters’ Levels were around the early 200s.

“Each one does not seem very strong, but there are an incredible number of them.”

The entire swamp was undulating, completely covered with monsters.

“Let’s protect Terse with Absolute Barrier for now, moly!”

“Sure.”

Mole Woman briskly removed her clothes. Jin-Hyeok quickly turned his gaze away, worried it could lead to demonetization for inappropriate content, which slightly disappointed Mole Woman.

“Do you think I am that new to livestreaming? Why are you turning away? I’m hurt, moly.” She was wearing a suit that resembled a wetsuit. The material clung to her, accentuating her body. This caused a slight stir on Wang Yu-Mi’s channel.

-Holy shit! Hassan is a God!

-So, she was a man until recently?

-I love you, Hassan.

-Jesus, she is so pretty!

Even before the adventure properly began, her appearance alone had already garnered significant attention. Under normal circumstances, Yu-Mi would have viewed this reaction quite positively. She believed that appearance was a significant competitive advantage in this era, and if it could help Chul-Soo’s livestream, it definitely had to be utilized.

‘But not now!’ Yu-Mi thought.

At this moment, it was better to focus more on Chul-Soo’s Play rather than being dazzled by Mole Woman’s looks. This was the introduction to an Unexplored Dungeon. The focus should be on Chul-Soo and not Mole Woman. Yu-Mi adjusted the camera to focus more on Chul-Soo, with the help of Kang Eun-Woo.

-That’s what I call an eye candy. T_T

-Chul-Soo is truly a treasure of Earth. T_T

-Our Chul-Soo’s face has turned the Dungeon upside down!

-He even put his hair up today. Absolutely stunning! We must protect Chul-Soo’s face!♡

The enthusiasm for Chul-Soo’s appearance had overshadowed the attention on Mole Woman’s looks.

Watching the unfolding situation, Lessefim resolved, ‘I will become beautiful.’

A new challenge had ignited within her, one as pure and earnest as what she had when she first started Playing.

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