I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 144

Another notification followed immediately, asking Cha Jin-Hyeok to select a Trait.

‘Right now? I’m livestreaming!’

Jin-Hyeok had already decided which Trait he was going to enhance. For getting the maximum benefit from a single application, the most rational choice was the All-Rounder Trait, which encompassed all his Traits.

‘If I do it here, it will reveal too much about me.’

He reassured himself several times that he was going to retire at Level 150.

‘Of course, it should be alright to have a Plan B, right?’

Jin-Hyeok had not forgotten about his retirement plan, still determined to stop at third place.

‘I should have at least a trump card of my own. That should be okay, right?’

Jin-Hyeok thought he had evolved as a genuine Streamer, but unforeseen situations could not be avoided sometimes.

With increased confidence in his ability to act, he spontaneously spoke to his viewers. “Wait a minute! What’s going on? The signal seems to be getting weaker.”

He hurriedly shut down his livestream, making it appear as though he was facing technical difficulties. However, his act was not as natural as he believed. In truth, Jin-Hyeok was not cut out for acting.

-Ah~ IntenseMan is being intense again~~

┗Does he really think he is good at acting? That’s hilarious, LOL.

┗Must be his concept. Haha!

┗No, he genuinely believes he is a good actor. No doubt.

┗This is clear evidence that he does not monitor his livestream, LOL.

┗Ugh, you guys are idiots. It’s a gimmick. How can you guys fall for this? LOL

The viewers of KimKnowItAllTV once again debated over whether Jin-Hyeok’s acting was genuine or just a part of his streaming persona.

1. Kim Chul-Soo intentionally cut the livestream.

2. No, a Streamer as devoted as Kim Chul-Soo would not intentionally cut off the livestream.

As these two opposing opinions clashed, the viewers began to express their doubts.

-Why would Chul-Soo deliberately cut the livestream? It’s the first time he’s done this.

The debate continued fervently on the Korean Region Minor Gallery, which had recently merged with the Nerver online community, with many wondering why Chul-Soo would do such a thing.

-It’s the perfect time for him to livestream, isn’t it? Why would he cut it off just as the new Server is officially opening?

-I’m inclined to believe this was an unintended glitch.

The unexpected termination of the livestream at this crucial moment raised many questions among the audience. However, a figure emerged to offer a definitive answer.

[It is likely this was a temporary disruption due to a System error. A meticulous Streamer like Kim Chul-Soo, who calculates his every move, would not intentionally cut off his livestream before such a golden opportunity. Chul-Soo cleverly used his awkward and inadequate acting to turn this disruption into content. Despite the interruption, his viewers are invested in his content and discussing what is going on without any complaints. Chul-Soo’s response to the System error epitomizes the essence of a Streamer.]

[-Written by: Encyclopedia]

┗Wow, Encyclopedia’s analysis is on point!

┗2222

┗3333

┗Anonymous: The livestream was interrupted due to a System error, but Chul-Soo showcased his top-tier adaptability.

┗What’s with the quality of this summary? It’s amazing!

┗Thanks for the summary! Long posts are so tedious.

With the Encyclopedia’s input, everyone came to that conclusion. Of course, they were wrong. There was no System error. However, Chul-Soo’s intensity was genuine, not a gimmick.

‘Since the livestream is off, I should choose the Trait.’

Jin-Hyeok immediately selected the All-Rounder Trait. This Trait was the upgraded version of the Almighty Jack of All Trades Trait. Jin-Hyeok’s heart raced as he wondered what the next upgrade would be.

[You have applied Pioneer’s Privilege to the Trait 「All-Rounder」.]

[The Trait 「All-Rounder」 has been upgraded to the Trait 「???」.]

‘What the hell is going on? Question marks?’

[???]

[A special constraint has been applied to the Trait, rendering it unviewable.

*Attempting to break the constraint can lead to the destruction of the Trait.

[Until the constraint is lifted, the Trait 「???」will act as the Trait 「All-Rounder」.]

Jin-Hyeok had a guess about why this had happened.

‘The System, or perhaps the GMs, doesn’t want me to acquire this Trait.’

Given how the constraint was applied to the new Trait, it might even be the System’s will. While Jin-Hyeok was slightly disappointed, it was not a big deal.

‘Kihael might have some insight.’

Today, of all days, Jin-Hyeok wanted to see Kihael.

Afterward, continuous notifications popped up about the launch of the Official Service of the Earth Server.

[Four hours remain until the Server connection is complete.]

‘Oh, that’s good.’

Jin-Hyeok left a post on the livestream bulletin. He apologized for the poor livestream environment, mentioning overload from connecting to the new Server as a probable reason. He also added that he would take a short break.

‘I can finally take a break.’

Perhaps it was the constant forward momentum, but he had started to feel some fatigue.

‘I’ll rest a bit and start again.’

? ? ?

The Black Rose Alliance had swiftly risen to become Korea’s largest information and Thief Alliance. This was a significant change from the state before Jin-Hyeok’s regression. Unknown to him, prior to his regression, this point in time had been chaotic for the information and Thief Alliances; numerous Alliances had waged silent wars over the position of Korea’s strongest.

However, the Black Rose Alliance had bypassed that struggle entirely this time. Centered around the Alliance leader, Angel Girl, many thief-type Players had united in this Alliance.

‘In truth, they gathered because of Kim Chul-Soo, not me,’ Angel Girl thought.

It was the so-called Kim Chul-Soo effect. Song Ha-Young knew this well and pushed herself even harder, continuously refining her skills.

‘I need to become stronger. That is the only way to prevent the Alliance from falling apart.’

She endeavored to be a better Player, a Player who prioritized the basics. She closely followed in the footsteps of Chul-Soo, the one who set the standards. As a result, she was recognized as the genuine leader of the Black Rose Alliance.

“It’s not bad that we are called the Twin Alliance. We can focus on our respective areas and support each other,” Ha-Young said.

The Black Rose Alliance and the Black Thorn Alliance pledged to form a tight cooperation. The one who had made this all possible was none other than Chul-Soo.

“I also think it is a good idea.”

“But let’s get one thing straight. I want my Alliance to be the Noona of the two Alliances,” Ha-Young said.

The leader of the Black Thorn Alliance, Kwak Do-Hyeong, disagreed. “I think we should be the Oppa.”

“No, we’re the elder one.”

“Why?” Do-Hyeong had dozens of reasons prepared about why the Black Thorn Alliance was superior.

“I met Chul-Soo first,” Ha-Young said.

“Damn it!”

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Dongsaeng.”

“...You too,” Do-Hyeong replied.

“You too?”

“...You too, Noona...”

This was another deviation from before Jin-Hyeok’s regression. In Jin-Hyeok’s past life, the Black Rose Alliance and the Black Thorn Alliance had been rivals and adversaries.

“So, why did you want to see me... Noona?”

“The Saint of Freedom, Cha Jin-Sol, has started to move.”

“Really?”

Ha-Young had predicted that the Saint of Freedom, Jin-Sol, would eventually make her move. Alliances of Healers had started appearing worldwide, becoming privileged groups. Korea also had a few Healer Alliances, but none were as influential as the foreign Alliances because the country’s strongest Healer, the Saint of Freedom, had yet to make significant moves.

“The existing powers will definitely challenge her. Acting away from Kim Chul-Soo, the Saint of Freedom lacks strong support. She will face resistance from Players and, undoubtedly, pressure from the government.”

“The government?”

“The government is nurturing Players right now. They will not want a powerful Healer Alliance centered around the Saint of Freedom.”

It was a global trend. Non-Players getting involved in Play because of state power was problematic, but Players were a different story. The government nurtured government-official Players to maintain control and power.

“I see.” Do-Hyeong nodded. “So, what do we have to do?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

They needed to eliminate all factors hindering the rise of the Saint of Freedom and do everything possible to ensure Jin-Sol properly established her position. That was the new goal for the Black Rose and Black Thorn Alliance, colloquially known as the Black and Black Alliance.

? ? ?

In a coffee shop in downtown Seoul, KingGodGeneral Yumi, also known as Wang Yu-Mi, met with the Saint of Freedom, Jin-Sol.

“What is so urgent that you wanted to speak about?” Jin-Sol asked.

“I want you to heal the British journalist, Charles.”

“What did you just say?” Jin-Sol frowned. She disliked Charles even more than Jin-Hyeok himself did. She had long been aware of the HARD movement and that her brother was a prime target of it.

“Why would I heal such a person?” she asked.

“Because it’s all for the sake of Mr. Cha Jin-Hyeok.”

Jin-Sol and Yu-Mi talked for quite some time.

“I still don’t fully understand, but I will do as you ask,” Jin-Sol said.

“You might want to hurry up. If my assumptions are correct, the Black Thorn Alliance might be targeting Charles.”

“The Black Thorn Alliance? Do you think my brother ordered them to?”

“Nope! His Majesty has no reason to get involved in such a mess. Hehe. Anyway, that’s my guess. At this point, the only one who can save Charles is the Saint of Freedom, which is you, Babyshark. Du-du-du-du.”

Tracking Charles was not too difficult. Streamers following him had made his location quite evident; he was heading to a hotel near Gwanghwamun. Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Fist Monkeys, Charles collapsed as soon as he reached the hotel lobby.

“Look! It’s the Saint of Freedom!”

“Really?”

Unlike Jin-Hyeok, Jin-Sol was relatively famous.

She approached the fallen Charles and emitted a holy power, healing him.

‘His injuries are more serious than I thought.’

It was not just his physical injuries; Charles’s mental trauma seemed severe too.

The 9-Star Healer, Blood Priest, also mended Charles’s mind. Yu-Mi livestreamed the entire process, and the Assassins of the Black Thorn Alliance gave up on killing Charles. They couldn’t kill Charles, especially after the Saint of Freedom, who was also Chul-Soo’s sister, had saved him.

The incident of Jin-Sol helping Charles became a topic of interest.

“I didn’t expect this to become trending,” Jin-Sol said.

“See how the chat is exploding?”

-Wow, the mighty Blood Priest is healing him. LOL.

-It reminds me of my mom applying ointment after spanking me.

-Isn’t this almost like parental-level care? LOL.

Yu-Mi winked. She quickly set her chat to mute mode before speaking. “This will provide a valid justification for Jin-Hyeok. The harsh treatment of Charles was, after all, a passionate lesson for humanity! What a grand excuse! This video is going to let everyone understand where His Majesty stands, forced to harshly punish his ignorant subject. Hopefully, it has been a valuable lesson for Charles.”

Indeed, Jin-Sol’s actions garnered significant attention from the public, severely weakening the HARD movement. The popularity of Chul-Soo and Saint of Freedom skyrocketed, with global platforms being almost plastered with their names.

[The Server connection is complete.]

[The 「Earth Server」 has been connected to the 「Scanorbia Server」.]

[Warp portals have been created throughout the Server.]

Resting at home, Jin-Hyeok received a barrage of notifications.

[Adventurer 「Captain」 from the American Server has requested warp portal access.]

[Navigator 「Zi Yuan」 from the Chinese Server has requested warp portal access.]

.

.

.

[Adventurer 「Layla」 from the Czech Republican Server has requested warp portal access.]

The flood of notifications was overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, Jin-Hyeok turned them off.

‘Whew, that was an unexpected onslaught.’

Clearly, the System was not fond of him. The sheer volume of information pouring in from all around the world had almost made him lose his focus.

‘Had it not been for Imperial Resilience, I would have lost it. It was like some kind of DDoS attack.’

With no room for relaxation in this world, Jin-Hyeok became really happ— tired. He could understand why he had received such notifications.

[The Achievement bearer is recognized as the Pioneer of the new world and granted the right to bestow the permission to move between Servers.]

‘So no one can move between the two Servers without my permission?’

Jin-Hyeok gulped. Soon, travel between the two Servers would become frequent, and Players from all over the world would be using the warp portals. Yet, only one individual had the authority to allow the passage.

‘Before my regression, everyone could use it freely after paying a fee.’

Jin-Hyeok had never heard of a mere Player being granted such massive authority.

‘Should I just hit the [Approve All] button?’

But there was a slight issue with this.

[Ten percent of the warp portal usage fee will be automatically transferred to the Pioneer’s inventory.]

“Oh, this is just too good.” Jin-Hyeok instinctively frowned.

‘...Ah, I might become the richest man on the planet.’

He began to suspect whether the System was trying to expedite his retirement.