I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 268

He saw some thick books on a bookshelf.

[Wild History 1]

[Wild History 2]

[Wild History 3]

“Of course, these aren’t actually wild or anything,” Yolin said. She flipped through one of the books to briefly show its content. The pages were densely packed with text. “It’s like an unofficial history book recorded by the public. Nothing weird about it.”

“I didn’t think it was,” Cha Jin-Hyeok said.

“Well, some people get the wrong idea sometimes.”

“But it’s a bit odd to have these books in an office safe.”

The office had other books titled Fun Stories from the Past, Believe It or Not: Old Tales, and so on.

Yolin said with a hint of embarrassment, “Well... these aren’t company property. They’re my personal, well, actually, they belong to the director.”

“The director? You mean... Swampland No.2?”

“Oh? You know our director?” Yolin’s expression brightened. The look on her face was unmistakably one of joy.

“...Are you close with Swampland No.2?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Yes, we share hobbies and talk a lot. You wouldn’t guess by looking at him, but he loved history.”

“Um... You don’t watch my livestream at all, right?”

“Well, I’ve watched a couple of your short videos because you’re so famous now.”

Jin-Hyeok coughed, clearing his throat. Judging by her response, he could tell that saying, ‘I killed Swampland No.2!’ could complicate things, so he quickly changed the subject. “Do you recognize this book?”

It was the book he had found in the final hideout of Swampland No.2, the book that the God of Luck had violently reacted to—In Search of Lost History.

“Wait!” Startled, Yolin took the book. “Could it be...?”

After examining it for a while, she spoke in a deflated tone. “Why do you have this?”

“I found it at Swampland No.2’s house.”

“What did you just say?” At that moment, Yolin’s emotions were plainly visible.

[#That bastard. #Traitor. #You said you lost it! #There is no one to trust in the world.]

Jin-Hyeok did not miss the opportunity. “I think he was planning to secretly keep that book to himself. It was very well hidden.”

“Hidden?”

“Yes, in a very secretive place.”

“That petty bastard...!” Yolin trembled with a sense of betrayal. It seemed like Jin-Hyeok’s attempt to sow discord was successful.

“Swampland No.2 and I shared a common hobby and became quite close personally. The director, no, that bastard, he never skimped on praising me for being very smart. I thought we were good friends...” Then she said that one day, Swampland No.2 mentioned he had lost ‘In Search of Lost History’.

“Was he jealous of me?” Yolin said.

“...”

“Or did he want to approach the truth that no one knows or that everyone has forgotten, all by himself?” Either way, she found it infuriating. “I will kill him if I find him later.”

“There is no need. He is already dead.”

“Hmph. Good.”

Yolin’s quick shift in stance was so sudden that even Jin-Hyeok found it a bit startling.

***

Yolin, Jin-Hyeok, and Lessefim thoroughly searched the Swampland Crew’s safe and found a few research records.

“There are some records related to Control Bugs, but they don’t go very deep. It seems there is a separate research facility, but I am not sure how to find it,” Lessefim said.

Yolin also said she did not know where the Control Bug research facility was. Lessefim had looked through everything carefully, but there was not much else of note.

Lessefim said with a hint of regret, “It would have been useful if some assassination or commission records were left here.”

The Swampland Crew sometimes operated independently, but they mostly acted on commissions. Knowing who commissioned what would make it easier to understand the invisible powers that were behind all this. It would clarify relationships of gratitude or enmity and reveal who wanted what.

For Lessefim, it would have been a valuable resource, which made this a missed opportunity.

“I have the commission records,” Yolin said.

“...” Lessefim looked at the records. “The records are written in slang and codes. I will have to ask my friend to decode this.”

The Swampland Crew were careless in some aspects and meticulous in others. Unfortunately for them, Lessefim was a universe-level ranker. Most of her associates were also universe-level rankers, including experts in decryption.

“I am going to take this record as a reward for helping you.”

However, Yolin stepped in before Lessefim took it. “What are you doing?”

“...What?”

“I’ll sell it.” Yolin crossed her arms with a determined expression. “As long as I am part of my boss’s company, I have to ensure the boss gets at least some benefit.”

“You mean to give the money to Chul-Soo, not you?” Lessefim asked.

“Of course, I told you before. I don’t like lump sum.” All she needed was a steady monthly payment. She smiled brightly and turned to Jin-Hyeok. “How did I do? You think I’ll be worth the salary?”

Yolin was already a part of Jin-Hyeok’s company.

***

Marshmallow bit his fingernails. “Do you think he is going to propose a collaboration livestream? You know, out of gratitude?”

“Just give up.” Encyclopedia shook his head. “If you want a collaboration livestream that desperately, you should propose it yourself, you know, intensely.”

“No, I don’t want a collaboration livestream that much.”

“Well, Chul-Soo is serious.”

“Serious about what?”

“About thinking that he’s just a rookie. That’s why he feels he can’t do a livestream with you yet,” Encyclopedia answered.

The Streamer’s marshmallow-shaped hair quivered like a spring. “Well... he is a rookie, after all.”

“No, like he seriously thinks of himself as a rookie.”

“I-I also think he is seriously a rookie.”

Encyclopedia deeply sighed. “He is very different from you. He genuinely thinks he’s a real rookie. Maybe he even thinks his real talent isn’t in livestreaming.”

“...What?” This was shocking to Marshmallow. In fact, he had never thought about his career or aptitude. He was a second-generation Streamer, ranked first in the universe, and had never considered any talent other than livestreaming.

“If Lessefim sweet-talks him into changing his Job to Navigator, Chul-Soo might start wondering if he actually has a talent for being a Navigator,” Encyclopedia said.

“That’s bullshit. He can’t be that dumb. Who else could show such growth as a Streamer?”

“He’s not dumb. He’s that scary.” To Encyclopedia, Chul-Soo’s standards seemed a bit off, no, more like misguided. Chul-Soo’s standards were almost at the level of ‘If you are not number one in the universe, you are a rookie.’

‘Even if Chul-Soo becomes number one in the universe, can he ever be satisfied?’ Encyclopedia thought.

Somehow, it seemed unlikely. That was what made Chul-Soo terrifying. As long as Chul-Soo thought of himself as a rookie, he would continue to desire growth desperately.

Marshmallow frowned and said, “So, Chul-Soo won’t propose a collaboration livestream with me, right?”

“That’s what I think.”

“Ha!” Perhaps Marshmallow had gone crazy, but he began to smile. “So, essentially, I am way too awesome for him to even think about suggesting a collaboration livestream.”

“...”

“He is so shy. Then, I must offer him a collaboration livestream with my generous magnanimity.”

***

After conversing with Yolin, Jin-Hyeok felt an emotion he had never experienced before. ‘It feels like I’ve truly become a CEO!’

Having a conversation not as an ordinary person but as a superior was a novel and refreshing experience. It was like talking to a response machine that gave ten answers to every question. He felt like if he asked her, “Did you sleep well?” she would reply with a pledge to reduce her sleeping hours in dedication to the cause.

“Forsaken Queen... Are you talking about Veselity?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Yes, I am. But we must be cautious when mentioning that name, Boss.”

“Why is that?”

“In Arvis, that name is implicitly forbidden. The Demon King granted the citizens of Arvis many freedoms, but ironically, he prohibited the mention of the actual name of you-know-who. By now, not many people even know of that designation.” Yolin continued to use other words for Veselity, such as ‘you-know-who’ and ‘designation’, as if someone was monitoring her.

“Do you know why?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Nobody knows. Even if someone did know, it would be very difficult for them to talk about it.”

Jin-Hyeok found the whole situation very strange.

There had always been history students interested in studying Veselity, and doctors who had published research papers related to Veselity.

“But strangely, such papers disappear after a certain period, as if they are automatically erased. And most people who research that name either go missing or have accidents,” Yolin said.

“Is there any clue about that name?”

“There is.”

“What is it?”

Yolin’s eyes narrowed. She judged that this was the perfect time to ask her boss. “But, Sir...”

“Yes?”

“When exactly will the interview end? Like... from my standpoint, it’s a bit worrisome. We have not officially signed a contract yet, nor have I received an advance on my salary. If you wish to ask me so much, it would only be right to at least sign the contract...”

Jin-Hyeok was forced to reflect for a moment. Yolin had her own philosophy, and she was quite intense about it.

“Alright, let’s write a contract. As I mentioned before, your salary will be 1.5 times more than that in your previous job. You will also be able to work until your retirement. You will get your health insurance, research funding related to you-know-who, and future educational support for your children,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“...”

“Why? Is that not to your liking?”

“Are you planning to sell my organs or something? The terms and conditions are too generous... What kind of work would I be doing if I accepted this offer?”

“For now, I want you to research on you-know-who. After three months, you will work as a regular employee at the MK Foundation. How about we give you three months' salary in advance as one of the conditions?”

“I respect you so much, Sir.”

After a few special provisions were added to Arvis’s standard contract, Yolin signed the contract. Thanks to the excellent contract conditions, Yolin was in an excellent mood. “Ah! I will continue with what I was saying earlier. There are places presumed to be mansions where you-know-who once lived.”

“Mansions?”

“Yes. But they were burned down a long time ago, and only the foundations remain now. Opinions vary, but there are three places that Bastard No.2 and I suspect. We have already visited them.”

“... I see.”

“With our abilities, there wasn’t much we could find out. But now, we have a Navigator Player far superior to me, so maybe it will be different this time.” Yolin glanced to the side and looked at Lessefim, the fifth-ranked Player in Arvis.

“....Me?” Lessefim said. She was not listening to their conversation, thinking about how she could stay closer to Jin-Hyeok and how to make it more natural. She just could not stop staring at Jin-Hyeok’s incredibly handsome face. Yolin’s words gave her the perfect excuse.

“Well, if you’re asking for my help, I am willing to offer it to some extent,” the Navigator said.

“You? You want to help me again?” Jin-Hyeok asked. Jin-Hyeok assumed she had helped him before because Marshmallow had introduced him to her. This time, there was no such pretext.

“Why? You don’t like it?” Lessefim asked.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it... but it’s strange that you’re helping me, a rookie,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Lessefim was momentarily at a loss for words. ‘Is he taunting me?’

Yet, Jin-Hyeok’s eyes were excessively clear and pure. He seemed like a madman with clear eyes.

“What are you talking about,” Lessefim asked.

“Well, isn’t it a waste of your time? Helping out a rookie?”

“...”

“What if you fall to rank six because you Played with me?”

“No, I just find looking at your face amusing, so I want to help you out.”

‘How can that be the reason? I am not as handsome as Kang Eun-Woo,’ Jin-Hyeok thought. ‘She’s still suspicious.’

He decided to be a bit cautious, wondering if this was another form of seduction.