I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 208

‘You have the potential to become a superstar of the universe, as long as you are on the right path. It would be a shame to waste that.’

With his face turning red, Eun-Woo gauged Jin-Hyeok’s reaction and cautiously asked again, “So... Can I really join your livestream, Mr. Chul-Soo?”

“Yes, if you do well.” Jin-Hyeok was immensely grateful for this opportunity. He wanted to tell Eun-Woo that, but managed to hold back.

A few days later, Jin-Hyeok introduced Eun-Woo to Wang Yu-Mi, who seemed quite pleased.

“He is not as charming as you are, but his foundation is trendy. And a Homepage Master doesn’t have to be particularly handsome anyway. I will take good care of him.” Yu-Mi seemed to know quite a bit about the Homepage Master Job.

A few more days passed, and Eun-Woo came to Jin-Hyeok with a camera as big as a cannon. Apparently, taking pictures and videos of Jin-Hyeok rapidly increased his Level. Eun-Woo did not look like the glamorous Eun-Woo Jin-Hyeok knew before his regression; he was dressed more modestly and was even wearing a baseball cap, looking very different from the Eun-Woo Jin-Hyeok remembered.

‘Is this really what he should be doing? He should be Playing as Everyone’s Idol, not Homepage Master.’

Jin-Hyeok was thinking of trusting Yu-Mi’s decision, as she always made the right choices, when strange notifications came to him.

[You have become the subject of a Homepage Master.]

[Homepage Master’s Trait ?Are You Worthy of Love? has been activated.]

‘What is this? Are you Worthy of Love?’

[The Traits ?Are You Worthy of Love? and ?Munchkin? are violently reacting with each other.]

[The Trait ?Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol? has been created.]

Up to this point, the situation was somewhat understandable. The problem was what came next.

[The Traits ?Imperial Resilience? and ?Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol? are violently clashing with each other.]

The System didn\'t usually give such detailed explanations. Thanks to his consistent meditation and training in contemplating the microcosm within him, Jin-Hyeok could accurately sense what was happening inside his body.

‘This might fuck me up real bad.’

For the first time in a while, he felt a significant threat. So, he immediately sat down with his legs crossed.

‘Clashes between Traits are common.’

But this felt more like an explosion. It was like a nuclear bomb dropping in his mind. If left unchecked, his mental world would get torn apart, leading to a high likelihood of him becoming a vegetable.

‘Even Extra Life won’t help me in this case.’

The explosion that was about to occur would far exceed the revival value allowed by Extra Life. In his microcosm, two stars were about to collide, both bursting into flames. Jin-Hyeok had to choose sides between the two stars, and at this point, he could not choose both.

‘Right now, the easier Trait for me to handle is Imperial Resilience.’

Jin-Hyeok had possessed this Trait for a long time, and it was well-settled in his microcosm. He could not let the new Trait come in and disrupt his entire mind. So, he tried to help Imperial Resilience and push the new Trait out of his microcosm.

‘Damn it!’

The new Trait pushed in regardless of his will. As he tried to push it out, he felt like he was burning, and the sensation was especially intense in his palms. Jin-Hyeok liked this feeling.

‘This is thrilling!’

Filming a sentimental vlog had loosened his mental discipline, but now, he felt he could get it back on track. It was the real thrill he had missed for a long time.

‘Hey, what are you doing?’

Jin-Hyeok called in another star from his microcosm, a very large star called Pure Luck. It seemed as if Pure Luck itself was speaking to him

-If I help now, the microcosm will be destroyed. You will die, Master.

‘It’s okay if you destroy it. Extra Life can handle the fissure you\'ll create.’

Although Extra Life could not stop the explosion caused by the collision of the two Traits, it could handle the fissure that Pure Luck would create.

[You have used the Mystery ?Pure Luck?.]

Flash!

There was a bright flash before his eyes. Then, he lost consciousness, and it seemed like he had died.

***

It was only after three days that Jin-Hyeok could open his eyes.

‘Thank goodness for Extra Life.’

The first thing he saw was Eun-Woo tied up with ropes against the wall. Cha Jin-Sol was dozing off beside Eun-Woo, seemingly watching over him.

“...What are you doing?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Oppa! You’re awake!” Jin-Sol ran to him and shook his shoulders. “Are you alive?”

“What? Did you think I was dead?”

“You are alive!” She pinched her cheeks hard. Then, suddenly, she hit him hard on the back. “You crazy bastard! What the hell did you do?”

Jin-Hyeok could have dodged the hit, but he chose not to. Somehow, it felt like taking the hit would be less exhausting.

“I thought you had really died because you were not breathing.”

Jin-Hyeok noticed that her eyes were swollen. Faintly, he remembered what had happened in the meantime.

-Please! Please don’t die! If you die, I will really kill you!

When the news of him waking up spread, his mother, who had been resting in the room, rushed over to him. Surprisingly, his father came running too, his eyes red.

“It’s good you’re not dead.” After speaking gruffly, his father turned away.

Jin-Hyeok wondered if his father was actually angry, so he checked with Broadcaster’s Clairvoyance.

[#Men don’t cry. #Especially not in front of their sons.]

‘Dad, your shoulders are shaking too much to hide it...’

His mother hugged him and cried her heart out. Jin-Hyeok awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Why is everyone acting so sad when I’m not even dead?”

“You weren\'t breathing, you maniac!” Jin-Sol had another outburst.

The people around Jin-Hyeok had been acting strange lately.

‘Is there some law of conservation of madness?’

It seemed like as Jin-Hyeok regained his senses, those around him lost theirs.

“Ah, I guess I had died, since Extra Life is on cooldown right now.”

“...You talk about it so casually.”

“Why shouldn’t I be casual?”

“You’re an idiot.”

Jin-Hyeok felt wronged. He had boldly used Pure Luck because he had Extra Life. Even if this Mystery went berserk and destroyed him, he could come back to life once.

‘Would an idiot plan this much ahead? And why am I the one being scolded?’

Jin-Hyeok believed he had made the best choice, successfully reviving by calling on Pure Luck; so, he did not understand why he was being reprimanded.

‘But why don’t I feel bad about being scolded?’

Jin-Hyeok had been feeling strange lately. His mother went to the kitchen to cook samgyetang[1] for him. Then, the Seo sisters, who had been hiding on the ceiling, revealed themselves. Long shadows stretched from the ceiling and rained down, binding Eun-Woo. They pressed down on him like a python, causing him to make a pained sound.

Crack!

‘I think one of his ribs just broke.’

“What are you guys doing?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

‘Are they training? But Eun-Woo seems too weak for training. What kind of training is this?’

Seo Ji-Soo asked with a fierce expression, “Did this bastard try to kill you, Oppa?”

Seo Ji-Ah, who seldom showed emotions, had an expression as if she was about to murder Eun-Woo. “I am going to kill him.”

‘Wow, the Seo sisters have loosened up again after acquiring impressive Jobs!’

Jin-Hyeok smacked both sisters on the head and said, “Do you really think he has the ability to kill me? Are you that stupid?”

“Ouch!”

“...”

The sisters’ reactions were strange too. Even after being smacked, they did not seem too upset.

‘They are Shadow Rulers now, but they’re not even fighting back.’

Tsk!

Jin-Hyeok clicked his tongue and looked over at Eun-Woo. Eun-Woo was making muffled sounds, looking wronged. Upon closer inspection, Jin-Hyeok realized that Eun-Woo had a gag in his mouth. Eun-Woo had been tied up for the three days Jin-Hyeok had been unconscious.

“Ah...”

Seeing Eun-Woo like that brought back some of Jin-Hyeok’s lost memories. Jin-Hyeok had eventually succeeded in expelling the Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol Trait, which had burrowed into his microcosm, with the help of the Pure Luck Mystery. The homeless Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol Trait had been absorbed by Eun-Woo. For a moment, Jin-Hyeok felt a great regret.

‘With that Trait, I could have become a top ranker of the universe.’

However, he soon corrected his thoughts.

‘No, it’s actually good that he absorbed the Trait.’

Jin-Hyeok could mimic others’ abilities. It was much better for him to receive these abilities filtered through Eun-Woo.

‘Eun-Woo will grow in his own way.’

Jin-Hyeok had a conversation with Eun-Woo, and it seemed that Eun-Woo had acquired a dual-class Job following his Job change. Now he was both a rainbow-colored Homepage Master and a rainbow-colored Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol.

‘I guess real talent shines through.’

What had been a Trait for Jin-Hyeok had become a Job for Eun-Woo. This meant that Eun-Woo and the Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol had an incredibly good compatibility.

‘Obtaining fate like this? I didn’t know it could work like that.’

A kid with the qualities of a universe-level ranker really was different. Though it took a roundabout way, Eun-Woo had eventually obtained the Everyone’s (Beloved) Idol Job.

‘Wait, but before my regression, wasn’t he just Everyone’s Idol?’

***

Jang Michelle visited Choi Gap-Soo’s workshop at Cheongdam-dong after a while and engaged in a lively conversation. She asked, “The Rule Breaker is a weapon that finds its master’s aptitude on its own, right?”

“That’s true. In the Arvis Server, they are also used as talent identifiers,” Gap-Soo answered.

“But why did Chul-Soo’s Rule Breaker turn into a hammer? Why not something more fitting for a Streamer, like a microphone or a camera?”

“Hahaha! You don’t know?” Gap-Soo said, laughing heartily.

“Do you know, old man?”

“It’s simple. It means that Chul-Soo’s talent is most specialized in wielding a hammer. Haven’t you seen the Guardian Tree in Seoul?”

“The Guardian Tree?”

“Yes. Among the Golden Guardian Trees of the entire universe, only one breaks the back of monsters with a hammer. This aspect is unique to the Guardian Tree in Seoul.”

“...”

“A Guardian Tree naturally comes to resemble its owner.”

“But isn’t livestreaming Chul-Soo’s greatest talent?”

“It’s true he has incredible talent in livestreaming. I, too, find Chul-Soo’s livestreams the most entertaining these days. But even that innate talent pales in comparison to the Infinite Chaotic Hammer Destruction Technique, doesn’t it?”

“Infinite Chaotic Hammer Destruction Technique?

“That’s a name I came up with. Fits Chul-Soo’s style, right?”

“You don’t know Chul-Soo’s style nowadays!” Michelle said while shaking her head in disbelief.

“What don’t I know?”

“The old Chul-Soo might have preferred a name like the Infinite Chaotic Hammer Destruction Technique. But not anymore. He has evolved and is becoming a more refined Player.” Michelle continued with a confident expression, “I have decided to call Chul-Soo’s talent a Graceful and Complete Hammer.”

“...What does that mean? Why include the word complete?”

“I don’t know! I just decided to.”

“Nonsense! There is no name cooler than the Infinite Chaotic Hammer Destruction Technique!”

“Come out of your old-fashioned sentiment, old man.”

“Shall we make a bet on which name Chul-Soo likes better?”

“What’s the wager?”

“Let’s bet ten billion Dias. Half of it will be donated to Chul-Soo.”

“Fine. I will bet double, twenty billion!”

It seemed necessary to ask Chul-Soo directly. However, at that moment, someone arrived at the workshop to meet Gap-Soo, guided by Lilia.

It was a girl in her late teens, wearing a school uniform and sporting a bob cut. She had a laptop on her left side and a yellow name tag on her left chest, with the number ‘1’ instead of a name.

Gap-Soo immediately stood up. “What brings you to this humble place?”

Michelle tilted her head in confusion.

‘Who is this girl that made MoneyShower behave so respectfully?’

“Who is she that you are acting like this?” Michelle asked.

“Stand up and greet her,” Gap-Soo replied to Michelle. He then guided the girl to sit on the sofa and said, “It’s been a long time since we last met.”

“Do you recognize me?” the girl asked.

“Of course. What kind of idiot wouldn’t recognize the Mad God of Favoritism?”

As he said ‘idiot,’ he subtly glanced at Michelle. She was also surprised.

‘Mad God of Favoritism?’

It was a name she also recognized.

1. Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, is a traditional Korean soup for nourishing the body. ☜