I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 430

Han Sae-Rin remembered that normally, Players could not keep a Skill activated indefinitely. She suspected that when Broadcaster’s Light faded and darkness crept back in, the monster would likely launch its attack. However, she soon chided herself for this thought. ‘I still have a long way to go.’

A true Ruler had to thoroughly understand their companions’ abilities. Only then could they respond flexibly and appropriately in any situation. Yet, when it came to Jin-Hyeok, she struggled with this concept.

‘I should assume that things that seem impossible are usually possible with Chul-Soo...’

She still found it difficult to accept this idea. An exceptional Ruler would have assumed that if a Skill could have unlimited uses, it probably did.

“Of course, it won’t turn off unless you switch it off,” Sae-Rin said.

Jin-Hyeok was silent. He felt unexpectedly grateful that Sae-Rin understood his feelings.

“But we can’t let our guard down, Chul-Soo.”

“Let our guard down?”

“Do you think you can sing while writing?” Sae-Rin said. This was a matter of common sense. “I’m certain the king of the forest will attack us.”

Even if it did not approach them, she would make her words come true regardless. After all, this was her role as a weak companion.

“Fighting with Broadcaster’s Light on is like trying to sing while writing,” she explained.

“But...” Jin-Hyeok protested.

“This is my judgment as a Ruler.”

“Then I guess I have no choice.”

Jin-Hyeok felt even more grateful to Sae-Rin. When she spoke as a Ruler like that, he had no choice but to comply.

‘Turning Broadcaster’s Light off will definitely heighten the tension!’ he thought.

“Let’s set up camp here for now. You might be fine, but I’m getting tired. Turn off Broadcaster’s Light,” Sae-Rin said.

“Alright.”

Once again, the darkness-attribute fog rolled in. They could no longer distinguish between day and night.

Despite the lack of visibility, Sae-Rin skillfully set up the campsite. She used a magic torch to light a fire, but the fog quickly consumed it, causing it to rapidly dim. After several attempts to keep the fire going, she managed to create a faint light. It was just bright enough for them to barely make out each other’s faces at close range.

Suddenly, Sae-Rin’s keen senses detected something swift and agile. ‘It’s coming!’

A bright ball of light soon appeared before them, powerful enough to dispel the darkness of the fog that had been swallowing the magic torch’s light. It was a massive bear shimmering with golden light—the Golden Bear, classified as a mythical monster.

‘Huh?’ Sae-Rin noticed something odd about the Golden Bear’s attack.

***

The Golden Bear reigned as the ruler of the forest. No peculiar magical monster, man-eating tree, or Adventurer could match its might. This Forest of Mist served as the perfect habitat for the Golden Bear.

Among the various mists in this forest, some possessed the properties of gold. While most living beings suffered upon inhaling this mist—some Adventurers likened it to acute heavy metal poisoning—the Golden Bear thrived on it. It grew larger and stronger with each breath, its body brimming with powerful mana. Now, its hide had become increasingly impenetrable, rendering Adventurers’ weapons and spells ineffective. No monster dared to challenge the Golden Bear’s authority.

However, on this day, the Golden Bear had sensed the presence of a predator far more massive than itself. The Golden Bear thought this could be the dragon that the Adventurers spoke of. It could feel that the newcomer’s strength was overwhelming.

As the ruler of the forest, the Golden Bear was duty-bound to deal with intruders. Yet, it found itself unable to attack. Since it had grown by absorbing the mist’s inherent mana, the Golden Bear was incredibly sensitive to magical auras, equating magical potency with physical size. It had always believed itself to be the largest entity in the forest, but now it faced a monster thousands of times its size.

The Golden Bear decided to acknowledge this being as the new ruler. It hunted the Seven-Colored Salmon, its favorite prey, and dropped the wriggling fish at Sae-Rin’s feet.

“Is this... the Seven-Colored Salmon?” Sae-Rin marveled at the fish, which was shimmering with seven distinct hues. At about five meters in length, the fish was considered one of the rarest treasures in Arvis.

“What’s going on?” Jin-Hyeok emerged from the tent.

Upon seeing him, the Golden Bear immediately prostrated itself, even rolling onto its back in a display of complete submission.

***

‘So much for creating artificial tension.’ Jin-Hyeok was disappointed with the forest. Despite its reputation as a natural labyrinth, it had proven less challenging than expected. Sara Kyen, the head of the Kyen Family, had not been exaggerating when she said to just keep walking east.

Still, Jin-Hyeok could not just stop recording. The appearance of the mythical Golden Bear provided good material for his video.

“Did you bring this for us to eat?” he asked.

The bear nodded emphatically.

“Oh, you understand human speech?”

The bear nodded again.

“That’s impressive,” he remarked, reaching out to touch the bear.

Though feeling startled at first, the Golden Bear allowed him to touch itself.

“Its fur truly shines like gold, but there seems to be a misconception,” Jin-Hyeok said. Contrary to popular belief that a living Golden Bear’s fur was as hard as armor and sharp as spears, it was incredibly soft, like a microfiber blanket.

“The fur is indeed soft,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Really?” Sae-Rin replied. Feeling intrigued, she approached the bear. Mesmerized by its golden appearance, she placed her hand on its flank. “Ouch!”

Sae-Rin screamed, clutching her bleeding hand.

‘I can feel the curse seeping into my body!’ Sae-Rin thought. Thankfully, she had consumed a curse-resistant potion earlier, or her blood could have turned to molten metal. Even so, the curse was potent.

Noticing Sae-Rin’s distress, Jin-Hyeok quickly took out a Chul-Soo Potion from his pocket. “This should help.”

“Thanks,” Sae-Rin replied, gulping down the potion. Her mind cleared, the pain subsided, and the invading curse was completely purified.

***

Jin-Hyeok marveled at their unexpected encounter with such a rare creature. Each strand of the Golden Bear’s fur would be a treasure for a Mage. Those who specialized in metal attributes often cited meeting a Golden Bear as their life’s ambition. For Tamers, encountering this beast represented the pinnacle of their Job. Some even regarded taming a Golden Bear as more prestigious than taming a dragon, given the former’s rarity.

‘I might be able to create more content with the Golden Bear,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Recognizing the need for expert advice, he immediately contacted Park Terse through Wang Yu-Mi. Upon receiving the message, Terse rushed out, forgetting even to put on his shoes.

“W-What should I do? Isn’t Chul-Soo in the Arvis Server?” Terse muttered to himself.

The Arvis Server was notoriously difficult to get in. While someone like Chul-Soo could come and go out of it freely, ordinary Earth players could not enter it.

‘I can’t waste time. The Golden Bear might disappear!’

Known for its mastery over various magic spells, the Golden Bear could potentially use invisibility magic followed by a warp spell to vanish. Every second counted. Terse resolved to negotiate with the warp portal GMs, even prepared to offer bribes if necessary.

“Hi, my name is Park Ters—”

They cut him off.

“Ah, we were informed of your arrival. You’re Tamer Park Terse from Earth, correct?”

“Yes, but...”

“It’s an honor to receive you.”

Contrary to their reputation for strictness, the Arvis warp portal GMs treated Terse with unexpected courtesy. This was thanks to the intervention of Kyle, the emperor of the Swedeen Empire, and Muenne, the mayor of Muren.

Terse entered the Arvis Server, his mind fixated on the Golden Bear. However, he felt slightly lost. ‘How do I get to the Forest of Mist from here?’

His worries proved unfounded.

“Let’s go, Terse,” a voice called out.

“You’re...”

It was Lessefim, a famous ranker from Arvis and an expert Navigator, who had come to escort him.

‘Is this... is this even possible? Is this allowed?’

Everything felt surreal to Terse as if he were in a dream.

***

Terse called out in an excited voice, “Where is the Golden Bear?! Where is it?!”

“Oh, it’s right here,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

The monster truly lived up to its mysterious reputation. Terse had heard it was as large as a house, but in reality, it was only about the size of a large dog. As Terse appeared, the Golden Bear curled its lips and growled, sensing an unworthy presence in its forest.

With a slightly disappointed expression, Lessefim said, “I will head back now, okay?”

“Thank you, Lessefim,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“Are you... really sure you want me to leave?”

“We can’t keep busy people around just to help us.”

“Alright, I understand.” She said in her mind, ‘I mean, you can always ask for my help...’

Although Lessefim, a devoted Chul-Soo Lander, was reluctant to leave, her loyalty allowed her to step back. She vaguely realized her presence could hinder Chul-Soo’s work.

Terse’s gaze remained fixed on the Golden Bear, oblivious to Lessefim’s departure.

“Terse, your nose is bleeding,” Jin-Hyeok said.

A dark liquid was trickling down Terse’s nose. Despite Lessefim’s guidance, the journey had taken its toll on him.

“This is nothing,” Terse dismissed.

“Still, drink this. Otherwise, you might die within three minutes.”

After drinking the Chul-Soo Potion, Terse hastily asked, “May I try to communicate with the Golden Bear?”

“Of course,” Jin-Hyeok replied, finishing his recording preparations.

‘Should I livestream this?’ Jin-Hyeok briefly considered turning on his livestream but decided against it, fearing the forest’s energy could curse the viewers. He settled for a recorded video instead.

“Golden Bear. My name is Park Terse. I have come to be your friend,” Terse addressed the creature.

The Golden Bear regarded him with disinterested eyes and growled again, warning him not to come closer. Its paws could turn human blood into molten metal with a single swipe.

Just then, Jin-Hyeok whispered, “Stay still.”

The Golden Bear stopped growling. Terse stood directly in front of it, biting his lip as he sensed the creature’s dislike for him.

‘I will start with an insignificant physical contact,’ he thought, knowing this approach could result in severe injury or even death from acute metal poisoning. However, that was the fate a Tamer had to accept.

“I would like to give you a name. I want to be your friend,” Terse said, carefully placing his hand on the Golden Bear’s chin.

As expected, blood spurted from his hand. Despite the overwhelming pain, Terse endured it, thanks largely to the Chul-Soo Potion he had drunk earlier.

The metal curse was truly terrifying. Molten metal began to trickle from Terse’s eyes, ears, and nose.

“Are you okay, Terse?” Jin-Hyeok asked, concerned.

“This is nothing.”

“Really?”

“For a Tamer, this is normal.”

“That’s normal?”

“Yes, it is.”

Jin-Hyeok nodded. He assumed all Tamers had to go through such ordeals and decided to continue observing Earth’s first attempt at taming a Golden Bear.