I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 165

The Kim Chul-Soo Kaylin knew would have killed Humphrey Millen on the spot.

‘He even killed Erin.’

Erin had been one of Kaylin’s assassination targets. However, it was not due to an order from the Avengers Army; it was because of a personal matter. Kaylin could not stand how Erin, the supposed successor of the HARD movement, was making noise about Chul-Soo’s wrongdoings.

If one were to champion the HARD movement, one at least needed to have a plan for maintaining peace for humanity. To Kaylin, Erin was an idealist who was all talk and no action and a detriment to the Earth Server in the long run.

Eventually, Kaylin had tracked Erin to Nowon-gu, only to find her already dead. Aside from a few scraps of clothing, not even a trace of Erin could be found.

Kayin was certain.

‘It’s like she evaporated.’

Kaylin had misunderstood Chul-Soo.

‘He killed her for the sake of peace on the Earth Server.’

In Kaylin’s eyes, Chul-Soo appeared more righteous than he actually was, and she thought he was a Player who positively contributed to the Earth Server. Whether it was fighting against the Queen Ant, lifting the restrictions on warp portals, or working with the MK Foundation, it seemed as if he was doing all this for humanity’s sake.

‘It might appear like he is working solely for his content, but in reality, he is doing it all for humanity.’

If this was the case, killing Humphrey on the spot was the right thing. Humphrey was a major threat to world peace. Yet, for some reason, Chul-Soo was casually interviewing him.

“If you tell me who was behind all this, I will spare your life, Mr. Humphrey Millen,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“...”

Humphrey did not open his mouth. The organization he was affiliated with, the Black Alliance, was not a secret Alliance, but speaking about it here would not look good.

“Wait a minute, hm... The livestreaming quality is not very good right now.”

Wang Yu-Mi, who always paid close attention to Jin-Hyeok’s livestreams, quickly caught on to his intentions. She activated her Storyteller Skill.

[You have activated the Skill 「To the Room of Truth (Exclusive)」.]

Using this Skill, a Storyteller could emit interference waves around the original provider of the narrative, who was Jin-Hyeok here. It was a Skill exclusive to Storytellers and one that Yu-Mi could use whenever something happening around Jin-Hyeok needed to be kept secret, when some truth had to be hidden, or when the flow of the story had to be interrupted.

Yu-Mi turned the screen black and spoke. “The livestream quality on my end is not that great either. I will get it back up and running. Just hang on a bit!”

Then she sent a secret message to Jin-Hyeok.

[“No evidence will remain. You can unlock the Room of Truth!”]

? ? ?

When Jin-Hyeok’s livestream resumed, Humphrey’s face was blurred out. Jin-Hyeok explained, “I know he is a rebel who threatened the Earth Server’s peace, but I still have to respect his right to his image.”

The users of the Korean Region Minor Gallery expressed their curiosity.

-All of a sudden? LOL.

-I know Humphrey has been blurred out, but why is his face so red?

-Warm blood flows in IntenseMan’s peaceful interview.

The chat window on KimKnowItAllTV overflowed with laughter.

-LOL. Did he just say that he has to respect the rights of Humphrey’s image? What an excuse!

-IntenseMan is right. If he doesn’t listen, he should be beaten.

-IntenseMan’s fist can uncover the truth.

Initially, the prevailing sentiment was that IntenseMan’s fist had uncovered the truth. However, the tide quickly changed when a user named MoneyShower joined the chat, causing a sensation.

-MoneyShower: IntenseMan’s fist is laughable.

The sudden appearance of MoneyShower, who seldom engaged in chat, captivated the other users.

[<Pinned Comment> MoneyShower: IntenseMan’s fist is laughable.]

┗MoneyShower up!

┗Wow, it’s MoneyShower!

┗Hello, MoneyShower!

-MoneyShower: But a hammer is not to be taken lightly.

[<Pinned Comment> MoneyShower: But a hammer is not to be taken lightly.]

┗Huh? A hammer?

┗LOL, I think he is talking about the Rule Breaker!

┗He’s right! Haha! IntenseMan’s main weapon isn’t his fist but a hammer!

┗A hammer is perfect for a peaceful interview >_<

Whether Chul-Soo had used a first or a hammer remained unclear, but it was obvious that Humphrey had powerful backing.

As promised, Chul-Soo released Humphrey.

“That’s it for today’s livestream. See you again tomorrow!” Jin-Hyeok said as he ended the livestream.

Only then did Black Butterfly Kaylin ask, “Chul-Soo.”

“What? Are you going to stab me right here?”

“Nope!”

“Then what?” Jin-Hyeok’s gaze seemed to say that their relationship involved nothing but attacking and defending, making Kaylin feel oddly rejected.

“May I ask why you didn’t kill him?” Kaylin wondered if there was a bigger plan for the Earth’s peace. She thought there had to be some righteous intent. “Didn’t you hear that the Black Alliance was behind all this?”

“I did, but I didn’t mention the name Black Alliance on the livestream. Also, what does that have to do with releasing Humphrey?”

Jin-Hyeok had not specifically mentioned the Black Alliance, only referring to them as some sort of an organization.

“Content is best consumed bit by bit. A story needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. It loses its charm if you reveal too much at once,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“...”

“Leaving Humphrey alive might make the Black Alliance contact him, or vice versa.” Jin-Hyeok grinned slyly.

‘That alone will make great content for my Eltube channel.’

“Or perhaps a stronger villain might appear,” he added.

“Weren’t you doing this with a righteous intention?” Kaylin asked.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jin-Hyeok said with a frown. “Why would a Streamer think about righteous intentions while trying to create good content?”

“...” Kaylin closed her mouth.

‘No there has to be a righteous intention,’ she thought.

However, when she reflected on it, Jin-Hyeok had never once claimed to be doing the right thing, not in his own words.

‘He seems to be shier than I thought.’

Kaylin stole a glance at Jin-Hyeok.

‘But that makes him kind of cute in a way.’

? ? ?

Kang Mi-Na and Bong King sat across from each other at the table. An awkward silence filled the air.

“Um...”

“Um...”

Bong King extended his hand. “You go first.”

“No, you go first.”

Awkwardly timing each other, they spoke at the same time.

“Have you reflected?”

“Have you reflected?”

Both nodded resolutely. The tension between them slightly eased.

After taking a sip of her coffee, Mi-Na spoke first. “I was very happy at first. You were too, right?”

“Of course! It was a compliment from Chul-Soo.”

Both Mi-Na and Bong King had received praise, while the supposedly great Egan Paul had received slaps. This had become a topic of conversation, with memes circulating about it. Both were moved by this, but Jin-Hyeok’s words to Egan Paul had made them reflect on themselves.

“Mi-Na... Have you... ever done physical training?” Bong King asked.

“Do you think I did?”

Initially Awakened Streamers received a special barrier called Broadcaster’s Barrier. With that, they could fend off most dangers, so they typically did not focus on physical training.

“Exactly, you probably haven’t.”

“Bong King, you haven’t either, have you?”

“Of course not. Never even thought of it.”

Jin-Hyeok’s words had struck a chord in both Streamers.

“Don’t you do any physical training?”

It had made both of them realize that physical training was essential for Streamers.

Bong King continued, “Egan Paul fell for Humphrey’s brainwashing attack, but Chul-Soo didn’t. It’s not just physical training.”

“Yes, I know. Chul-Soo has some kind of mental barrier. I don’t know exactly what.”

“I heard there is a Mystery that forms a mental barrier.”

“Can you find it?”

“If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be called a Mystery. I will have to pull out all the stops and look into it.”

“...”

Their eyes met. Although they were always competitive, this time, they both thought they should join forces.

“Shall we work with each other until we find the Mystery?”

“I was going to propose the same thing. Let’s collaborate until then.”

They stood up and shook hands. For a moment, they decided to aim for the same thing—to become better Streamers and better rivals. It was a day of significant meaning for both.

? ? ?

Jin-Hyeok came home and lay down on his bed.

‘Man, this is exhausting.’

Creating large-scale content was mentally and physically draining. He had to constantly monitor the fluctuating viewer count and strive to create even better content with the same resources. Every moment was fraught with tension. It was more tiring and challenging than his days as a Swordsman, but it was also more enjoyable.

Just then, Jin-Hyeok heard a voice.

[“May I return now, Contractor?”]

“Oh, you’re still here?”

It seemed the Thunder Dragon had stayed near the Golden Guardian Tree after being summoned. The dragon’s powerful aura had disrupted communication networks throughout Seoul.

“Ah, yes. But before you go, can I ask you something?”

[“What is it?”]

“Why did you make such a dramatic entrance? What was your intention?”

Jin-Hyeok had to admit that when the Thunder Dragon had appeared in Seoul, he had been awestruck. Although he had also orchestrated moments meant to stir the souls of men, they paled in comparison to the supercell that the Thunder Dragon had conjured. The aura it exuded felt as if it was prophesying the end of the world.

However, the Thunder Dragon Atanna was usually not this grandiose.

[“I wonder about that myself”]

“So you didn’t do it on purpose?” Jin-Hyeok thought she had intentionally made a grand entrance.

‘I thought she wanted to look cooler than me, but was I wrong?’

[“There is no reason for me to do it on purpose. I am limited by many restrictions when it comes to inter-Server movement. The act of moving alone is physically taxing. Consciously generating such a massive thunderstorm would be impractical and inefficient.”]

‘Then why did it happen?’

[“One thing I can say is that I am influenced by the soul of my Contractor.”]

“...What?”

[“But it’s strange. I cannot image you, my Contractor, being so irrational.”]

“...”

Sometimes, style took precedence over efficiency. Transformers and other shape-shifting robots did not transform dramatically without reason.

[“Perhaps there is a protocol to protect Earth, encouraging me to consume more of my strength and energy to minimize my impact on Earth.”]

“...”

[“If you wish, I can try to minimize such inefficiencies.”]

“No, that’s okay. You got your hands full with childcare. No need to go to such lengths.”

Jin-Hyeok had a change of heart. The Thunder Dragon was his mount, after all. If she looked magnificent, that reflected well on him. Just like driving a fancy supercar drew attention, having an extraordinary mount would ultimately make him the center of attention.

‘I was about to get jealous of my mount...’

Jin-Hyeok felt more at ease.

[“I am grateful for your magnanimity.”]

“How’s the childcare going?”

[“Scanorbia is a barren land. It is hard to find good Mysteries there to feed Aton, but otherwise, everything is fine.”]

The Thunder Dragon returned to Scanorbia, and immediately after, the Guardian Tree spoke.

-“I can’t forgive that Thunder Dragon.”

“What happened?”

-“How am I supposed to get married now? I’ve been violated!”

The Guardian Tree had abandoned its formal tone.

-“The Thunder Dragon wrapped around me entirely, squeezing tightly! And it was a female Thunder Dragon!”

The tree let out a long, sorrowful howl. Understanding its thoughts was beyond the comprehension of ordinary human logic, so Jin-Hyeok decided to ignore it.

-“But, Master, there is a human that insists on meeting you.”

“A lot of people want to meet me. Just ignore them.”

-“But this time, it feels like you should meet her. Ahem, my excellent intuition tells me she is an important person. You can trust the Guardian Tree’s instincts!”

Jin-Hyeok abruptly stood up. The Pure Luck Mystery within him was giving an intense reaction.