I Gave Up Being Stronger

Ilina strolled toward Cha Jin-Hyeok, puffing on a cigarette. “You’re here too? What a coincidence! It seems we had similar thoughts.”

She was trying to make it look like she had not engaged in stream sniping, and her composed demeanor made her look sincere.

Without a word, Jin-Hyeok captured her poised figure on his livestream.

-So cool!

-I guess I like women who smoke now.

-She’s not pretty, but cool. T_T So cool!

-I’m a woman, yet I’ve fallen for her.

She seemed to be much more popular among female viewers than among male ones. Consequently, the chat was overwhelmingly active.

Ilina explained to Jin-Hyeok why she had come here. “....this… and that… so, we deduced that the Lightning Mage Sandyem must be hiding in the Galui Mountains. I assume you came to the same conclusion.”

-Wow, the Magic Investigation Team is so amazing!

-She is so scary.

-They figured out this place just from a few clues.

Jin-Hyeok smiled satisfactorily. It didn’t matter whether they had found their way here or stream-sniped his livestream. An interesting livestream always required elements of crisis and tension, and the more skilled Jin-Hyeok’s opponents were, the more entertaining the content would be.

Ilina continued, “Searching this place one area at a time is almost impossible. Therefore, I have a proposal.”

“What is it?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“We can obliterate this location from the map with a bombardment of magic skills. That’ll be easier.”

llina’s radical idea surprised Jin-Hyeok. Just like how the best defense was a good offense, the best way to find someone in hiding was to blow up their hiding spot. After all, if that person did not want to die, they would have to show themselves eventually.

Ilina went on. “This will be a dangerous operation, so I would appreciate it if you would step back for a while.”

Her words were polite, but her intentions weren’t. She was essentially asking him to take a backseat and let her team do the job.

-Wow, this is so intense.

-How can someone say, ‘We don’t need you,’ so elegantly?

-She seems kind of annoying.

-Does she think that just because she’s pretty, she can order him around?

-Yeah, being pretty means everything.

Ilina subtly glanced at Jin-Hyeok. ‘Well, how are you going to respond?’

***

Ilina had no intention of avoiding conflict or friction with Jin-Hyeok. On the contrary, she somewhat hoped for it. Hailing from a prestigious traditional magic tower in Arvis, she had no intention of acknowledging a Streamer who had recently become famous. One couldn’t be recognized as a universe-level ranker just because they had exceptional skills.

‘Long-standing prestige built over generations and a tradition of numerous achievements piling over time—Players lacking these… especially those who stray from the path, do not deserve to be called a universe-level ranker,’ Ilina thought.

From Ilina’s perspective, Jin-Hyeok was a nouveau riche of Players. To those of traditional wealth, such new money was laughable.

‘Players like you who suddenly gain power and fame tend to boast and have a strong pretense.’

Therefore, Jin-Hyeok would inevitably bristle at her comments—a misconception that Ilina had due to her lack of understanding of Jin-Hyeok.

Jin-Hyeok asked her, “Will the attack be spectacular?”

“The essence of a magic spell is not about spectacle but about manifesting will. I’m not sure what your standards of spectacular are, but it will likely exceed them.”

This was another clear provocation, but Jin-Hyeok remained unbothered.

‘Hm… Area bombardment spells from the infamous Magic Investigation Team!’ Jin-Hyeok chuckled. He wondered how spectacular and impressive the scene would be.

“Please make it as impressive as possible.”

Ilina couldn’t understand the flow of the conversation. She had no idea why Chul-Soo wanted the attack to be spectacular; he should have asked for the attack to be efficient and forceful.

‘Is he mocking us?’ Although she was puzzled, she did not want to start a fight without understanding his intentions, as that would likely lead to a losing battle.

“Step back. I’m initiating the magic spell,” Ilina said.

Jin-Hyeok complied without fuss. Some viewers mocked him.

-LOL! All bark and no bite!

-He can’t even peep in front of Ilina.

-Chul-Soo has no pride. He chickened out.

-Maybe he’s fallen for her seduction technique?

***

Ilina stood with her signature slant, blowing out cigarette smoke. “Magic Investigation Team. Prepare the spell!”

“Preparing the spell.”

‘Should I focus on Ilina or the Magic Investigation Team?’ Jin-Hyeok wondered.

Ilina was dressed in an outfit that left her legs fully exposed.

‘This could draw attention…’ Jin-Hyeok shook his head. ‘No, this is just a distraction!’

While her striking appearance made for great clickbait, it could not be the essence of the content. Relying on easy paths would not lead to great success. Focusing on such superficial features could work for second- or third-tier Streamers, but to climb to the top, Jin-Hyeok needed to concentrate on the core of the content.

‘I should first subtly capture her on camera, then focus on the Mages.’

Jin-Hyeok looked forward to the magic spell. The sight of dozens of top-tier Mages coordinating to perform a massive joint spell was not something one could easily witness, and Jin-Hyeok’s heart raced in anticipation.

At that moment, Ilina exhaled another puff of smoke.

“Ah, the smoke rises like a cluster of clouds. It’s like fog is setting in.” Jin-Hyeok narrated the scene to the viewers. He appeared quite pleased. “It’s a thundercloud.”

The magic spell prepared by Ilina and the Magic Investigation Team was of the electrical variety. The Mages extended their hands, and magic circles began to form on their hands and spun vigorously. Crackling noises filled the air as lightning energy spread in all directions.

Ilina commanded, “Layer the magic spell.”

“Layering the magic spell!”

Following Ilina’s orders, the Mages repeatedly performed the same procedure. Meanwhile, the smoke that Ilina had exhaled transformed into a fog-like substance, enveloping the mountain’s airspace. The energy from the Mages’ lightning burst into the sky.

“It’s like lightning emerging from the ground and falling toward the sky.” Jin-Hyeok tried his best to describe what was going on, though he was not completely satisfied with the scene. ‘My viewers should be used to this level of stimulation.’

The performance displayed by the Magic Investigation Team was something that Jin-Hyeok could do while summoning the Thunder Dragon, just like the supercell filling up the sky and constantly unleashing thunderstorms. Compared to the Thunder Dragon’s entrance, this felt somewhat lackluster. Still, he did not show his disappointment outwardly.

‘The Thunder Dragon’s entrance was a bit too flashy,’ he thought. It was so flashy that he had even asked Thunder Dragon, “Why did you make such a dramatic entrance? What was your intention?”

Style was not everything. Even if the attack lacked some flair, showing the awe and power of a more destructive and mighty magic spell bombardment had its merits.

“They are still layering the magic spell to unleash it all at once. I’m really curious to see how powerful it will be,” Jin-Hyeok said.

***

Thousands of thunderstorms relentlessly poured down from the sky. The genius Mages had precisely implemented the destructive energy through complex calculations. A massive shockwave swept through.

“It’s destroying the peaks of the rocky mountain!” Jin-Hyeok said.

Rock fragments scattered in all directions as if hundreds of catapults were hurling stones.

Bang! Boom! Boom!

Broken rocks and debris fell near Jin-Hyeok, and dust clouds rose around him. Dangerous situations unfolded as the ground where the rocks hit formed craters.

“Some Mages are casting defensive spells to protect their comrades who are using lightning magic, carefully ensuring that they do not interfere with the magic spell. The coordination between the offensive teams and the defensive team is incredible. This is truly the skill expected of the Mazique’s Empire’s investigation team!” Jin-Hyeok tried to make a big deal out of it, though he felt that the magic spell was somewhat weak. ‘It’s a little lacking.’

Objectively, its destructive power was strong, but it did not meet Jin-Hyeok’s expectations.

‘Is it because they are the investigation team and not the Knight’s Order? Perhaps their strength lies in investigations?’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

After the grand magic spell bombardment subsided, the thunderclouds dissipated, and the dust settled. Soon, the clear and bright sky was visible again.

‘Huh?’ This is it? It ended a bit too quickly.’ Jin-Hyeok had shown his disappointment almost inadvertently but managed to restrain himself like a professional Streamer.

Ilina glanced at him. ‘He seems surprised. Well, being from Earth, he probably has not seen such a large-scale joint magic spell.’

Ilina approached Jin-Hyeok. “Are you hurt?”

Jin-Hyeok was momentarily speechless. ‘Was there even a chance to get hurt?’

It was hard to understand why she would ask if he was injured when there had been no such risk.

‘Is this all for the sake of the livestream?’ He suspected it could be an attempt to artificially create a sense of crisis. Although the attack’s destructive power had not met his expectations, Ilina’s understanding of livestreaming seemed better than expected.

Jin-Hyeok exaggerated it. “Thanks to your efforts, I was barely able to save myself. That Skill is incredible.”

‘Did she want to do a variety show-type of livestreaming?’ Jin-Hyeok was a bit confused.

Ilina smiled and said, “That’s a relief.”

Being unfamiliar with Jin-Hyeok’s antics and lacking an understanding of his livestreams, she misunderstood the situation. ‘I knew it. The rumors about Chul-Soo’s strength being exaggerated are true.’

***

Jin-Hyeok set up his camp a short distance from the Magic Investigation Team’s camp.

“They have created a massive barrier around the Galui Mountains, sealing it off so tightly that not even an ant can escape it. It’s secured from the sky to the underground,” Jin-Hyeok said. The Mages seemed more talented at defense than offense, though he did not voice this observation.

“The Mages have planned their work in two shifts, morning and afternoon, to efficiently manage their stamina, and they expect the job to take about a week.” At that point, Jin-Hyeok had made up his mind. “I’m thinking of giving it a try tomorrow.”

Shooting similar types of content for an entire week felt like a waste of time, especially since it was not even particularly spectacular.

“It’s taking way too long. I mean, does it really need a whole week?”

-He’s essentially saying that they are too weak and that he’s going to handle it. LOL

-Tomorrow is going to be interesting, LOL!

-I’m curious about Ilina’s expression when she hears this.

***

The next morning, Jin-Hyeok said, “Can I give it a try during the break after the morning attack?”

“No, you cannot,” Ilina said.

“Why?”

“This operation involves precise calculations, carried out according to a detailed plan by the Mages from prestigious magic towers. To put it a bit dramatically, we even calculate down to each grain of sand in the mountain. I understand your adventurous spirit, Sir Chul-Soo, but it can potentially disrupt the entire operation.”

“Are you politely telling me to get lost because I’m not helpful?”

“I regret that you interpret my words that way, Sir Chul-Soo.”

Jin-Hyeok paused to consider it. ‘Should I escalate the conflict with Ilina?’

It seemed like she had a good understanding of livestreaming, and Jin-Hyeok assumed she was going to play along.

“I wasn’t going to tell you this, but…” Jin-Hyeok was still confused about whether this content was a documentary or a means of entertainment, but he continued with a serious expression, “The Magic Investigation Team’s attacks are weaker than I expected. You say it’s because of precise calculations, but I don’t understand why those calculations are needed in the first place.”

Ilina’s expression hardened.