ยฉNovel Buddy
I Gave Up Being Stronger-Chapter 128
Updat๐d fr๐m ๐๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐ท๐๐ซ๐๐ต.๐๐๐
Chapter 128
The well was incredibly deep.
โHow deep is this well?โ
Cha Jin-Hyeok did not have acrophobia, but he did feel the pressure to fill the silence in his livestream.
โAh, just a word of advice. Even if you are in a hurry, jumping down haphazardly like this is not something Iโd highly recommend.โ
Normally, one would die from a fall like this.
โAs for me, I set a save point at the top of the well, and I can absorb most shocks with my Broadcasterโs Barrier and Star Shield. But even so, no sane Player would jump like I did, right?โ
While falling, Jin-Hyeok kicked the well walls multiple times.
Right to left.
Left to right.
He zigzagged, adjusting his speed by leaping from wall to wall several times.
โIf there are any protrusions on the wall that I can put my feet on, itโs good to control my speed like this...Huh?โ
โAHHHH!โ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ธ๐๐ท๐๐๐๐๐.๐ธ๐๐ฎ
Someone else was plummeting down the well.
โThe Navigator... seems to be falling faster than me.โ
โWhy is our Navigator falling so fast like that?โ
Jin-Hyeok was puzzled.
โAHH!โ
Another person went past Jin-Hyeok.
โWait, thatโs our Ruler.โ
The Ruler, Kang Min-Hyeok, was also falling.
โTheyโll die if they fall like that. Why are they so reckless?โ
โDoes our skilled Navigator have some special Skills that I donโt know about? Am I wasting my time trying to reduce my falling speed?โ
Jin-Hyeok had an epiphany.
โI guess itโs fine to just fall down. Iโm going to let gravity do the work.โ
โI donโt need to waste my energy if itโs not going to kill me.โ
Thud!
Jin-Hyeok hit the bottom of the well.
โActivate Broadcasterโs Barrier.โ
He used the Broadcasterโs Barrier to minimize the impact. Lying on the ground, Kim Mu-Jin was unconscious and bleeding profusely.
โThe Navigator is seriously injured, and the Ruler is dead.โ
Looking at Mu-Jin, Jin-Hyeok felt a touch of admiration.
โJust like how dodging attacks by the razorโs edge is most efficient, it seems like pioneering a new path is the same.โ
He poured a potion over Mu-Jinโs head and carefully poured some into his mouth as well.
โOur Navigator risked just enough danger to not die when he jumped.โ
Of course, that was not true. Mu-Jin had embarrassingly trailed behind Jin-Hyeok earlier. It was such a shameful situation that Mu-Jin would rather die than experience it again. That was why he jumped without care. However, since he survived, it did not matter anymore.
โBut it looks like the other party members are taking their time to arriโ wait a minute,โ Jin-Hyeok said.
Thud!
โDid something just break?โ
Jin-Hyeok glanced to the side.
โI was right. Something really did break.โ
To his side, Jin-Hyeok spotted the remnants of someone who was once Bong King.
โIt looks like the Streamer was too reckless trying to capture good content for his Eltube channel. He died instantly.โ
Still, Jin-Hyeok thought that Bong Kingโs passion was commendable.
โWith the Last Line of Defense collapsed, it looks like Jonprich will try to escape somewhere. Seems like he can freely manipulate warp portals. Before waiting for others, I should chase him down.โ
Without waiting for the other party members, Jin-Hyeok moved swiftly.
โItโs unfortunate, but I will proceed on my own.โ
? ? ?
โThe layout is very much like a complicated sewer system.โ
In other words, this place was an underground labyrinth. The paths branched so much that it was difficult for Jin-Hyeok to find the correct way. Even if he could identify the right path, it would likely take too much time. His seasoned Playerโs intuition told him that this was now a race against time.
โA guide Iโm quite fond of once told me,โ Jin-Hyeok said as he raised his sword, the Greatsword of Laโkan. โThe quickest way through a maze is to destroy it.โ
This was a method favored by Han Sae-Rin. Of course, it helped that Kim Jeong-Hyeon, who could destroy just about anything, was on Jin-Hyeokโs party in his previous life.
โBut she always did say that this isnโt the orthodox method. Would it look strange if a Streamer went through the labyrinth by breaking the walls? The visual might not be as appealing...โ
As he contemplated, Jin-Hyeok justified himself, much like Sae-Rin did in the past.
โWhile it would be nice to have the skill and leisure to properly navigate through the maze, unfortunately, I donโt have that luxury as a Streamer.โ
Jin-Hyeok approached a wall and touched it.
โThese maze-like structures are artificial constructs made by Jonprich to buy time.โ
That made things much simpler. Standing before the wall, he took a deep breath.
โI got a shot of myself for my thumbnail, so thatโs good.โ
Jin-Hyeok uttered the previous cool line that he thought of, โMy sword shatters artifice.โ
He swung his sword. Though he slashed through the walls, he was not quite satisfied with his work.
โJeong-Hyeon would have shattered it more efficiently.โ
Comparing his own power to the standards he had set for Jeong-Hyeon, he couldnโt help but feel humble. fre enovelkiss.com
โI never really liked this Skill in the first place, but I guess I have no choice.โ
The Skillโs name was Shattering Sword. It was a Swordsman-exclusive skill acquired at Level 60.
[You have unlocked the Latent Skill ใShattering Swordใ.]
[You have acquired the Skill ใShattering Swordใ.]
Jin-Hyeok always prioritized the basics, usually favoring Skills acquired below Level 100. However, Shattering Sword was an exception.
Shattering Swords was a kind of special technique that allowed him to use a sword as if it were a blunt weapon. According to Jin-Hyeok, a sword was not a blunt weapon. Using it as such was inefficient. The satisfaction of cutting something was also lacking. Besides, using this Skill always made him feel like he was losing to Jeong-Hyeon.
โWell, thatโs not the important reason, anyway.โ
While most of his old party members would insist that was the most important reason, Jin-Hyeok himself was oblivious to it.
โFor the first time, I will show this Swordsman-exclusive Skill, Shattering Sword, which can be acquired by a Swordsman at Level 60.โ
He swung his sword, the Greatsword of Laโkan.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the Greatsword of Laโkan slammed into the wall.
Crack!
As if hit by a giant hammer, the wall started to show cracks.
โIโm making my way! How fortunate.โ
? ? ?
Wang Yu-Mi watched the chat with a satisfied smile.
โThe chat is extra lively today,โ she thought.
Without her having to steer the conversation, the viewers were buzzing with enthusiasm. The content had a powerful pull all its own, and the viewers were very interested.
-WarmAmericano: LOL, the Navigator just died for real!
Although the Navigator had not actually died, it seemed as though he had.
-DooDoo: LOL, itโs like a mere sparrow is trying to imitate a phoenix but managed to die instead.
-PaPooRika: The Rulerโs also dead. The Streamer is dead. LOL. Why the heck are they following Kim Chul-Soo?
-GreenAttacker: Even Chul-Soo commented that falling down recklessly was not a good idea, yet they did exactly that!
-WarmAmericano: They just need to do exactly like Chul-Soo, yet they canโt even do that LOL.
In Chul-Sooโs livestream, he did not wait for the other party members. He just went ahead and started to explore the maze.
?Itโs unfortunate, but I will proceed on my own.?
The moment the viewers heard him say that, they went wild.
-WarmAmericano: I bet he is not sad at all right now.
-ShoeBalm: LOL I bet heโs happy that he is finally able to do something interesting.
-DooDoo: Just be honest, Chul-Soo. I know you were bored this whole time.
Then, on-screen Chul-Soo said something unexpected.
?While it would be nice to have the skill and leisure to properly navigate through the maze, unfortunately, I donโt have that luxury as a Streamer.?
-FishGod: Heโs back! IntenseMan is back!
-KimchiCactus: The humble IntenseMan LOL!
-ShoeBalm: The Kim Chul-Soo Universe has appeared LOL!
-FierceMan: I am Intense, therefore I am IntenseMan. Haha!
The Kim Chul-Soo Universeโa world where Kim Chul-Soo is the greatest, unbeknownst to Chul-Soo himselfโprovided an unexpected catharsis to many viers. Wang Yu-Mi selectively messaged to Jin-Hyeok the most reasonable chats for feedback.
[-MoreMoneyPlz: Looks like Chul-Soo is making the best of the current situation as a Streamer.
-ExtremeYouth: Itโs beautiful to see a young man doing his best even in a bad situation. ^.~ I will always cheer for you!
Feedback Summary: Although unorthodox, your earnest effort is garnering positive reactions.]
Jin-Hyeok liked the feedback. The idea of a Streamer being passionate and doing their best was something he wanted to emulate. His excitement involuntarily increased.
โYes! Letโs keep smashing through these walls!โ
[ใRealMoleManใ has donated 10,000 Dias.]
[โIs that even possible?โ]
A viewer claiming to be the real Mole Man spat out his disbelief. Yu-Mi pinned the comment.
โIs that really him?
โThe real Mole Man?
โNo way. 120% thatโs an imposter.
โIโll bet my wrist thatโs not the real Mole Man.
RealMoleMan kept asserting that he was the true Mole Man, and he was outraged.
[ใRealMoleManใ has donated 10,000 Dias.]
[โThatโs not how a Navigator Plays! A Navigator would never do that!โ]
โYouโre right, heโs not a Navigator.
โHeโs a Streamer.
โThat guy is so angry at the Streamer, maybe he is the real Mole Man.
RealMoleMan was the nickname he used for the KimKnowItAllTV channel. His Player name was Mole Man and he almost threw his cell phone out of frustration.
โWhat is he going to do about those venom darts, moly?โ
Chul-Soo blocked them with Broadcasterโs Barrier.
โWhat about those flying blades, moly?โ
Chul-Soo blocked them with Star Shield.
โWhat about that giant arm attack, moly?โ
A wooden arm that looked exactly like the arm of the Madman of the Wilderness attacked Jin-Hyeok. It wasnโt hard for him to dodge the attack. On the screen Jin-Hyeok said,
?Itโs the same arm that was attached to the Madman of the Wilderness, but the attack pattern is simpler.?
Jin-Hyeok shared how he dodged it.
?You can dodge by moving your feet like this.?
โEveryone knows that you can dodge attacks like that, moly! Itโs just hard to execute!โ
Mole Man slammed his desk in frustration. What Chul-Soo was doing was unforgivable. After a long watch, Mole Man slumped his shoulders in defeat.
โHow is he managing to make that work, moly?โ
?That looks like Jonprichโs footprints. I think we are closer to him than I thought.?
Kim Chul-Soo had discovered watery footprints.
? ? ?
Jin-Hyeok had discovered human footprints.
โIโve found it.โ
Though there were minor traps along the way to this point, none were much of a problem. The most bothersome one was the Wooden Arm, but fighting against the Madman of the WIlderness had trained him well enough to deal with it effortlessly.
โThe water hasnโt dried yet. It looks like he hasnโt gotten far. I will hurry and follow.โ
A dark, lengthy tunnel appeared before him, so dark that he could not see a thing ahead.
[You have activated the Skill ใBroadcasterโs Lightใ.]
โThere are footprints on the wall! Looks like he has some kind of a wall-climbing Skill.โ
The footprints seemed to continue up the wall. When Jin-Hyeok used Broadcasterโs Light to illuminate the dark tunnel, he noticed an increasing number of footprints, as if dozens of people had randomly stamped their feet on the wall. Jin-Hyeok came to his own conclusion.
โLooks like he has got a lot of feet.โ
Then, suddenly, the footprints vanished.
โBut thereโs an odd chemical smell in the air.โ
It was a scent similar to what one might smell in a hospital. Jin-Hyeok began to feel a slight heaviness in his movements.
โIt seems like some sort of poison is spreading.โ
Soon, a voice echoed through the tunnel.
โWelcome to my lab.โ
Jin-Hyeok lifted his head to look at the ceiling.
โThere is a spider wearing glasses. Oddly, it has a rather rotund belly.โ
Jin-Hyeok tilted his head out of confusion.
โIs that an obese spider?โ
The overall appearance resembled a spider. He looked quite similar to the Madman of the Wilderness Jin-Hyeok had encountered before. His face was identical to that of a surgeon Jin-Hyeok knew, Jonprich.
[LV128/Jonprich/Bio-Researcher/Beyond Multiple Dimensions]
โHe seems to be more insane than I thought. Turns out he wasnโt running away, but luring me into a trap. Purple smoke is leaking from his mouth. I think that is some sort of anesthetic orโโ
Jin-Hyeok could no longer continue speaking.
โThat was a trap!โ Jonprich said while bursting into raucous laughter.
The purple smoke was merely a diversion. Jonprich had already dispersed an odorless anesthetic in the air.
โFirst, your tongue will go numb. Then, you wonโt be able to see. And within a minute, your lungs will rot and decay. You will be the finest specimen, neither dead nor alive!โ Jonprich said while laughing. โYou are going to make quite an interesting test subject.โ
He leaped down from the ceiling. Using his rotten wooden arms, he touched Jin-Hyeok.
โAh, such fresh flesh. Haha! I can merge you with the Spirits!โ
Jonprich extended his long wooden arm like vines to lift Jin-Hyeok into the air and examined him carefully. Just then, Jin-Hyeokโs eyes snapped open.
โThis is also a trap!โ