I Gave Up Being Stronger

Brick shivered. “It seems to me that your understanding of chivalry is severely distorted.”

From his perspective, Cha Jin-Hyeok was indeed peculiar.

Jin-Hyeok asked about a concept that had been nagging at him for a while now. “What exactly is chivalry?”

“Chivalry, at its core, is the code of conduct that honorable knights are bound to uphold.”

“So, what does that entail?”

“It means doing what knights are naturally supposed to do.”

“Such as?”

Brick’s whiskers quivered. “Are you testing me, Sir Chul-Soo?”

“No, I am asking you for my livestream.”

“So, you’re saying you don’t really know.”

“That’s rude, Sir Chul-Soo! Only a few understand chivalry better than I do.”

Jin-Hyeok nodded. Despite the lengthy explanation, it seemed Brick did not know about chivalry.

“I will prove my chivalry. At 3:30 AM, the guards heavily rotate their posts. That is our time to infiltrate the mansion,” Brick said.

Jin-Hyeok wondered what infiltration had to do with chivalry but decided to just listen. A skilled content creator should be able to weave seemingly unrelated scenes into a compelling narrative. Just in case he forgot during the Play, he made a note.

[*Insert scene explaining what chivalry is!]

Brick looked skeptical and asked, “Are you really coming with me?”

“Would I be in the way?”

“No, it’s better for me if you tag along. It will split the guards’ focus. But I assure you. You are going to die.”

“Good.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“But you just said good…”

Jin-Hyeok wore a serious expression. “There is no one in the world who is crazy enough to enjoy the threat of death. If they did, they’d be already dead, and certainly, I am not one.”

“...”

It was soon around three in the morning. The deep night was cloaked in darkness, with only the sound of insects breaking the silence. Jin-Hyeok was somewhat excited. He wondered how the methods of a top-ranked Assassin would differ from those of a top-ranked Navigator. He also wondered how a rodent-type Beastkin would infiltrate a heavily guarded area differently from ordinary Players.

‘Oh!’

The method used by Brick, a top-ranked Assassin, and rodent-type Beastkin, was simpler than expected.

‘I didn’t know such a method existed!’

Surprisingly, Brick did not move stealthily. As he sheathed his bloodied sword, he strolled. Then he told Jin-Hyeok something that stuck with him for a while, “If there are no witnesses, it’s an assassination.”

The guards near the main gate were all dead, and no commotion ensued. Brick proudly stated, “This is my definition of chivalry.”

***

Although Jin-Hyeok was impressed by the statement, “If there are no witnesses, it’s an assassination,” he still could not grasp how it related to chivalry.

‘I don’t fully understand, but…’

Nonetheless, he had captured something worthy for his Eltube channel. He was confident that the editor, Kang Chul, would craft something entertaining from the material.

Looking around, Jin-Hyeok stumbled upon a discovery. ‘Huh?’

“Brick, it seems our infiltration was successful not just because you’re strong,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“What are you talking about?” Brick’s mood soured again. “Are you insulting my chivalry?”

“No, look. Others have infiltrated this mansion before us. They incapacitated the guards with mental magic, so the guards were at a disadvantage from the start.”

“W-What?”

“So, it wasn’t your grand chivalry that was magnificent, but rather, someone else who embodies the spirit of chivalry before us.”

“What!” Slightly flustered, Brick approached one of the guards' bodies and sniffed it. “There is a scent of magic… Sir Chul-Soo, you were right.”

Brick’s mind was in turmoil. “How did you, a Streamer, detect clues that I, a top-ranked Assassin, could not?”

Of course, with the right knowledge, one could detect these clues. However, uncovering them without prior knowledge was something only top-ranked Navigators could manage; it was not within a Streamer’s purview.

Brick took a deep breath and calmly asked, “Teach me your chivalry. How did you find out? Has the world changed so much? Is there an advanced method that I do not know about?”

Jin-Hyeok realized something. The chivalry Brick spoke of was not anything grandiose; it seemed Brick deemed anything he found cool as chivalry. In that case, Jin-Hyeok too, possessed chivalry. It was the so-called Black Flaming Dragon.

Brick awaited Jin-Hyeok’s Black Flaming Dragon with a solemn heart.

“It was quite simple to figure out,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Let’s hear your chivalry then.”

Jin-Hyeok pulled out his phone to show it to him. A notification for Marshmallow’s livestream preview popped up.

[Rampage of the Sorceress Fyurel. Successful Infiltration of the Harkoen Mansion.]

Jin-Hyeok had verified it through Marshmallow’s livestream.

Brick sighed in his mind. ‘Your chivalry is cutting-edge.’

***

Jin-Hyeok found it peculiar how lax the security was. He comfortably examined his phone’s screen, where Fyurel said,

⌜It’s a personal vendetta of mine.⌟

Jin-Hyeok could not help but admire what was going on the screen. Engulfed in red flames as she walked, Fyurel was the embodiment of fire. With her presence, she was truly fitting the title of the Mad Sorceress.

‘But it seems wasteful to continuously use mana like that.’

Usually, flashiness came at the expense of substance. Despite this, Jin-Hyeok was thrilled by the sight of Fyurel. ‘I guess she is collaborating with Marshmallow.’

Presumably, Marshmallow had requested Fyurel to create a spectacular scene for him. When she would emit a bit of mana like this, Marshmallow would edit it to appear even more dramatic. The flames seemed to burn even redder, fiercer than before.

⌜I had a protege I cherished. That child was meant to continue my legacy.⌟

Marshmallow displayed a clip. It was a video filmed by Chul-Soo, showing a room filled with dolls. They made it clear that the footage was from Chul-Soo’s livestream, thrilling Jin-Hyeok. It meant the quality of his content was good enough to be featured on Marshmallow’s livestream.

⌜Therefore, this is my war.⌟

Jin-Hyeok sensed a bit of awkwardness from Fyurel. ‘Ah, it must be scripted.’

Given her title as the Mad Sorceress, Fyurel probably was not naturally a calm person.

Brick, perched on Jin-Hyeok’s shoulder, experienced modern chivalry and murmured, “That woman must be a madwoman pretending to be calm.”

“A madwoman pretending to be calm?”

“Yes. One look at her eyes, and it’s clear she has lost it.”

As they further watched the livestream, Brick’s comment did not seem far off. Fyurel cackled as she destroyed and set fire to various parts of Harkoen’s mansion. It was indeed the laugh of a madwoman.

Jin-Hyeok was impressed once again. ‘The initial portrayal was calm and collected,’

The transition from expressing the sorrow of a master who had lost a beloved disciple to a person being overwhelmed by rage and bursting into manic laughter seemed quite sophisticated. The chat reactions were positive as well.

-She must be furious. How could she attack another of the Seven Great Families?

-It breaks my heart. T_T

-Harkoen deserves to be punished.

-On Earth, this is what they call reaping what you sow.

Though the Seven Great Families were not as close as people thought, the public sentiment was very favorable toward Fyurel.

‘This is why content needs a narrative.’

Jin-Hyeok realized another fact. This livestream was not entirely live.

‘It’s just like what Corporation Alpha Male did!’

Just like with Corporation Alpha Male’s videos, the ones behind this stream were editing the footage in real-time. Marshmallow was indeed the universe’s strongest Streamer.

‘Kang Chul is also training hard, but…’

Apparently, Kang Chul was not ready to edit footage in real-time. Through this, Jin-Hyeok once again felt the gap between Marshmallow and himself.

‘I’m doing recorded livestreams, and they’re livestreaming…’

Jin-Hyeok’s confidence had taken a hit. To display content of this magnitude live was extraordinary. It was a night full of inspiration.

***

Thanks to Fyurel’s rampage, the mansion’s security was virtually non-existent.

“All the aggro has been pulled away,” Jin-Hyeok said. Fyurel’s aura was palpable from a distance. Despite the distance, her fierce and powerful presence was undeniable, far surpassing any Mages Jin-Hyeok had encountered before. “It feels like an intangible barrier of mana is pushing me away. The concentration of mana is dense and heavy.”

An aurora spread across the sky above the mansion.

“That aurora seems to be partially obstructing any mana energy. It must be some form of alchemy.”

Fyurel was indeed a powerful Sorceress, but her opponent, Harkoen, was not to be underestimated. Blocked by a powerful barrier, Fyurel could not get any closer.

Marshmallow advised,

⌜Fyurel, it might be best to regroup and return later.⌟

⌜Cut the shit, Marshmallow. I am going to take down Harkoen today.⌟

⌜But her resistance is formidable. Do not forget that you are alone.⌟

Marshmallow seemed to be trying to heighten the tension of his livestream.

⌜Shut the hell up. I’m going in.⌟

Fyurel fired phoenix-shaped magic toward the main gate.

“My chivalry is not so reckless. It’s rather elegant and stealthy,” Brick said.

Jin-Hyeok and Brick snuck into the mansion amid the chaos. Jin-Hyeok mimicked Brick’s movements, successfully applying Song Ha-Young’s stealth techniques. Brick didn’t get surprised anymore. He had grown accustomed to Jin-Hyeok.

Bang! Bang!

Loud explosions reverberated in the air, and the sound of the mansion’s guards scurrying about reached them. Yet, the corridor was eerily quiet.

“It’s strangely quiet, even though Marshmallow and Fyurel have drawn away all the attention… Let’s head to Lady Harkoen’s bedroom,” Jin-Hyeok suggested.

They made their way to Harkoen’s bedroom. Brick seemed to turn into a gas, seeping through the door crack.

‘I… can’t mimic that. Should I just open the door? Why don’t I have any handy Skills like x-ray vision?’

As Jin-Hyeok thought about it, a voice beckoned him, “Come in, my lovely muse.”

The voice seemed to know everything. Jin-Hyeok opened the door and entered. “Ah…!”

Brick was repeatedly stabbing a humanoid doll.

“This is my chivalry.” Brick’s eyes were bloodshot. “My arms and legs have grown!”

It seemed like he was seeing illusions. Brick straightened his shoulders and stood up.

“This is what it feels like to be 180 centimeters tall.” Brick chuckled, satisfied. “This is the look of a 180-centimeter chivalry.

“Behold, my long limbs! The majesty of my chivalry!” He continued to stab at something in the illusion.

“My muse, I know everything about you. I even know that you hired an Assassin to kill me.”

“Just as expected, you are intense, Lady Harkoen. Is that why you let Fyurel rampage outside on purpose?”

“Yes, I knew that if she rampaged, you would feel safe coming here.”

Harkoen had worn a thin, silk pajama that barely concealed her figure. She rose gracefully. “I need nothing else if I can have you, Chul-Soo.”

She could sacrifice everything else as long as she could have Chul-Soo, who was more beautiful than anyone she had seen. The bedroom’s walls and ceilings sparkled with multicolored powders.

Harkoen exhaled the powder she held in her mouth. The particles whirled around the room like a gust of wind before twinkling like stardust. The room turned pink and sparkled in various colors as Harkoen reached out with a trembling hand. “Come with me, my beloved.”

Her hand was so pale that her veins were visible.