I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 141

Cha Jin-Hyeok’s heart skipped a beat.

‘That’s right. This is why I livestream.’

He did not think Yu-Mi had sent the message out of ignorance. In his life, he had never seen a supporter as capable as Yu-Mi. She noticed and interpreted things he glossed over from a different perspective and informed him about them.

So this message meant that everyone was curious about his next steps.

‘My actions have caught everyone off guard!’

To a Streamer providing content and story, it was an immense thrill.

“I can harvest those fruits even without a Harvester. Why? Because I have grown immensely.” Jin-Hyeok immediately took out the Rule Breaker to share its effects with the viewers.

[Rule Breaker (Upgradable) (Bound)]

[A weapon that can destroy the laws.]

However, this alone was not enough.

“Even if I use the Rule Breaker to shatter the rules, I am not a Harvester; those fruits have their own will, so I might not be able to harvest them easily.”

He prepared another information screen.

[All-Clear (Hope Rising From the Ruins)]

[In a place where there was no hope, a white flower bloomed.

Now, one can dream.

Achievement Effect: Subdue all items related to the 4th Seoul Scenario.]

“I’ve obtained the power to subdue all items related to the 4th Seoul Scenario.”

The 4th Scenario had ended a while ago. Instead of invaders from other Servers, the Queen Ant had appeared in the scenario.

“As I reflected on the disappointment I felt due to the previous All-Clear, I realized something.”

The Achievement effect of Hope Rising From the Ruins was limited to only items related to the 4th Seoul Scenario. When Jin-Hyeok had gained the achievement, he had been disappointed, thinking its versatility was lacking.

“The Achievement effect was not flawed. I was just weak.” He just could not properly utilize it.

Jin-Hyeok displayed the final information screen. “The long-awaited Major Achievement... the One Who Walks Alone!”

Jin-Hyeok omitted the details and shared only the Achievement effect.

[2. Enhancement of Achievement effects acquired during the first progression of any Scenario.]

“Hope Rising From the Ruins was the Scenario I undertook first.”

His All-Clear was proof that he had cleared the Scenario first.

“I will use this Major Achievement effect now.” Jin-Hyeok recorded and shared the entire process with his viewers. He had displayed two Achievement sections on the screen, the All-Clear section on the left and the Major Achievement section on the right, intending to show the viewers how the effects interacted with each other.

[You have applied the Major Achievement effect of the 「One Who Walks Alone」 to the Achievement effect of the 「Hope Rising From the Ruins」.]

A golden light momentarily flashed in the Major Achievement section, then became semi-transparent and moved to the left section. As it overlapped with the All-Clear section, sparkling golden dust fell. It seemed as if a synthesis was taking place.

[The Achievement effect of 「Hope Rising From the Ruins」 has been enhanced.]

[All-Clear (Hope Rising From the Ruins)]

Achievement Effect: Subdue all items related to the 「Seoul Region」.]

“With the Rule Breaker, All-Clear effect, and Major Achievement effect, it seems I can harvest those fruits even without a Harvester. I am quite fortunate.”

? ? ?

“T-This crazy bastard!” Kihael inadvertently shouted inside a coffee shop near Yeonhui-dong. He had been watching Kim Chul-Soo’s livestream through KimKnowItAllTV.

Feeling the stares of people around him, he quickly covered his mouth. After pulling his hat low over his face, he resumed watching the livestream. He was aware that Chul-Soo was crazy, but he had not realized the extent of the Player’s madness. Kihael felt a growing sense of dread, realizing he had sorely underestimated Chul-Soo.

‘I clearly told him to get rid of that massive fruit!’

Chul-Soo had ignored Kihael’s advice. Instead of going for the glaringly large fruit, he was harvesting the smaller ones surrounding it.

‘Why?!’

Kihael gripped his head in frustration.

‘He doesn’t even care if everything collapses...’

That was the only answer Kihael could think of. Otherwise, Chul-Soo’s current actions were incomprehensible.

‘He simply thinks it is enough to just get good views on his Eltube channel!’

Everything seemed to be falling apart.

‘I shouldn’t have trusted him!’

A wave of despair washed over Kihael, and it left him feeling like he would forever be trapped by his company and Serchan.

? ? ?

However, Kihael was unaware of one thing: Serchan was not a mere musclehead brimming with passion.

‘Serchan is remarkably sociable.’

Before Jin-Hyeok’s regression, Serchan had been the GM of Gangnam-gu and was later promoted to an executive position. If Jin-Hyeok’s memory served him right, Serchan had become the youngest executive. It was not something one could achieve with passion alone; one needed to be quick-witted and adept at handling situations.

In other words, Serchan was smart.

‘Serchan said it was rather a good thing that Kihael lost his girlfriend in front of him?’

That was not the Serchan Jin-Hyeok knew. Serchan was a GM obsessed with passion, but he was not socially inept. At the very least, he would have offered Kihael some form of consolation, even if just for formality’s sake. Serchan was not the type to cheerily exclaim and tell someone to get lost in their work and die from overwork.

‘Serchan manipulated Kihael into feeding me false information. But why?’

The answer had come from Kihael himself. Jin-Hyeok was on every GM’s watchlist. By eliminating him, one would receive a significant reward. It was evident that Serchan had plotted against Jin-Hyeok by using Kihael.

‘Don’t feel wronged, Kihael. This was inevitable.’

Serchan always lived fiercely, while Kihael yearned for a balanced life. It was clear why Serchan was more competent than Kihael.

‘Well... There’s a chance that I am wrong.’

There was no such thing as one hundred percent certainty in this world. Perhaps Kihael had indeed brought accurate information to him. However, pondering this for too long would yield no answer. Jin-Hyeok had to move forward with the mindset of accepting errors.

He continued with his livestream. “I am thrilled to offer you guys content in a new way.”

Jin-Hyeok felt like his mindset had evolved. Previously, personal growth and strength were the most important to him. However, his focus was now on whether or not that strength could be harnessed as content.

‘I bet no one else has put out content centering on aiding the growth of the Guardian Tree like this.’

It seemed his very constitution had transformed, fitting that of a Streamer. His mood lifted unknowingly, boosting his energy.

“I won’t pick that large fruit since it looks beneficial.” Jin-Hyeok picked the smaller fruits one by one. He held the fruits and cut the stem near the fruits, and the fruits fell effortlessly. With a swift sound, the hand-picked Unripe Golden Fruits then disappeared into thin air.

“These fruits are seedless. They seem to have no reproductive ability and merely hinder the Guardian Tree’s growth. Let’s remove them all.”

The task was not tough. As Jin-Hyeok moved between branches, picking dozens of fruits, he heard the Guardian Tree’s voice.

-“Phew, I feel better now. Thought I would die of hunger.”

Now, only the largest fruit was left. Jin-Hyeok rubbed his chin, pondering whether to remove it. “Hm... Should I pick this too? Nah, I’ll leave it be. Why, you ask?”

His heart raced again.

‘Did I pose a question to myself? Did I just succeed in communicating with the viewers?’

“No particular reason.” Jin-Hyeok felt like he had grown once again.

? ? ?

The Golden Guardian Tree grew rapidly. This was odd, considering plenty of time was still left out of the twenty-four hours.

“The timer is decreasing at an alarming rate!”

Once the fruits were removed, the Guardian Tree began to grow more quickly. It was as if Jin-Hyeok had applied the Time-Lapse Recording Skill on the tree.

‘Huh...? Wait, how could I have missed that?’

[You have used the Skill 「Time-Lapse Recording」.]

-“Ugh, I feel dizzy.”

“You need to endure such dizziness to become an adult,” Jin-Hyeok said to the Guardian Tree.

-“I... I think I’m going to vomit.”

“Don’t worry. Trees do not throw up.”

-“A-Are you sure...?”

The Guardian Tree seemed to be a little convinced by Jin-Hyeok’s logical explanation. However, the next second, it displayed another dramatic reaction.

-“M-My body feels like it’s breaking apart!”

“That’s just growth pains.”

‘How can one grow without experiencing growth pains?’

The Guardian Tree screamed and wailed, but Jin-Hyeok did not think it was a serious issue.

-“I-I’m dying!”

“No, you are not.”

There was no visible damage on its trunk or sudden wilting, so Jin-Hyeok was not sure why the tree was making such a fuss. In human terms, this was like having a few bone fractures.

‘It’s growing nicely.’

Perhaps because Jin-Hyeok was a Planter, he felt pleased seeing the Guardian Tree thrive. The timer rapidly decreased, leaving just an hour on the screen. However, given the rate of decrease, Jin-Hyeok estimated the growth would complete in less than ten minutes.

-“Aaargh! I feel like I am going to explode!”

“You’re just getting stronger.”

Indeed, the Guardian Tree’s trunk thickened and strengthened. It became so thick that it could fill a four-lane road.

“Leaving that especially large fruit seems to have been a good decision.”

That special fruit was absorbing the Guardian Tree’s vitality appropriately. Without that fruit, the Guardian Tree could have indeed broken apart, as the tree claimed.

“That fruit is like a safety mechanism for the Guardian Tree’s growth. I’ve learned something new. This is how you should nurture a Guardian Tree.”

A shiver ran down Jin-Hyeok’s spine.

‘I bet this is a brand new strategy on how to nurture a Guardian Tree.’

Little was known about the Golden Guardian Tree. Yet, here Jin-Hyeok was, discovering a new fact and livestreaming it to the world. As a Streamer, this was definitely the proudest moment for him.

Soon, a magnificent tree emitting a golden aura revealed itself.

[The 「Young Golden Guardian Tree」 has evolved into the 「Golden Guardian Tree」.]

[The territory of the 「Golden Guardian Tree」 has expanded.]

A blinding golden light burst forth from the Guardian Tree. All communications and electricity in the vicinity were momentarily disrupted.

“Hmm?” Jin-Hyeok came across something interesting.