I Gave Up Being Stronger

The light enveloped the entirety of Seoul.

The small monsters hiding in narrow alleyways had disappeared. Even Broadcaster's Clairvoyance did not show anything.

[The 「 Hongeun Overpass」 Dungeon in Seoul, Korean Region, Earth Server, has been closed.]

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[The 「...」Dungeon in Seoul, Korean Region, Earth Server, has been closed.]

The relentless stream of similar notifications forced Cha Jin-Hyeok to fiddle with the settings and turn off the notification alerts.

“It seems that not only have the monsters in Seoul vanished, but the Dungeons have also shut down.”

This was not entirely good news. Now, Jin-Hyeok could not enjoy Dungeon Play in Seoul anymore, and he needed Dungeons and monsters to create content for his livestream.

Had Jin-Hyeok achieved this during his government official days, he would have received great appreciation from the public.

“This tree will ensure the safety of the citizens of Seoul to an extent, and that makes me very, very pleased.”

This was like eradicating all cars because some people died or got injured in car accidents every year.

Jin-Hyeok had not imagined a Guardian Tree could cover the entirety of Seoul.

-“This body has matured,” the Golden Guardian Tree declared. Its tone was a bit odd, as if it believed it had become an adult.

-“This level of pain is nothing. I was not affected by the pain at all! Muahahah!”

“I will check just how sturdy the Guardian Tree has become.” Jin-Hyeok approached the Guardian Tree and kicked it.

-“Ouch! Why did you hit me?!”

“It seems the Guardian Tree has grown strong.”

-“That hurt a little!”

“Nonsense. I just kicked you to test how strong you’ve become.”

-“I don’t believe you. I definitely felt something.”

“The Planter’s Record Journal has been updated.”

[Planter’s Record Journal (Bound)]

[A journal that automatically records the birth and growth of the Golden Guardian Tree.

•2022/7/26: Seed was sown.

•2022/7/29: The Young Golden Guardian Tree has grown.

•2022/8/19: The Young Golden Guardian Tree has grown significantly and become the Golden Guardian Tree (LV.3).]

The tree had skipped Level 2 and jumped straight to Level 3. This was probably due to the Pioneer’s Privilege achievement, which Jin-Hyeok had acquired in the New World.

[The power of the 「Golden Guardian Tree」 has been shared with the 「Planter」.]

[Within the Golden Guardian Tree’s domain, the Planter is set to 「Non-Attackable」.]

[This encompasses attacks from all living and non-living beings, such as monsters, NPCs, and Players, that are below Level 200.]

[The designated co-growers will also share in the same settings.]

Jin-Hyeok was aware that the co-growers could also enjoy the protection of the tree, but this effect had become even stronger now.

[The limit on the number of co-growers has been removed.]

[However, the number of co-growers cannot exceed the Guardian Tree’s capacity.]

The idea was both somewhat annoying and enticing, as it could make him too much money. This made him worry; such an amount of money would allow him to retire faster, which he did not like.

Jin-Hyeok quickly shook off these thoughts. “Huh? The Golden Guardian Tree is wobbling!”

Jin-Hyeok was not sure if it was trying to help him, but the Golden Guardian Tree began to shake. At the same time, golden dust started raining down. It seemed unlikely that his kick had caused this.

The large special fruit that had been precariously dangling from the tree due to its massive size shook as well. The Guardian Tree groaned softly, probably exerting force to drop that fruit. The situation mirrored that of a human struggling on the toilet due to severe constipation.

Jin-Hyeok was certain that if he caught the fruit with his hand, it would vanish into smoke. Without hesitation, he activated Time-Lapse Recording to delay the drop.

-“What are you doing? Why are you meddling with my natural process?”

The Guardian Tree seemed to protest, but Jin-Hyeok had no time to spare. He quickly pondered how to secure the falling fruit.

Jin-Hyeok considered why the fruit could disappear. Typically, such a thing would happen with an item because the item was unsuitable for the Server environment. It was like a fish taken out of the water.

The fruit began its inevitable descent.

“Spirit Summoning Technique.”

If the fruit was incompatible with the Earth Server, then perhaps something not of Earth could catch it. A Spirit seemed like a perfect match.

Jin-Hyeok briefly thought about giving up, but that would not be fitting for a true Streamer.

“Summon Cute Elly, Ta-da!”

A Spirit Gate made of fire materialized in the air, and out jumped a barefooted girl. It was Elly. She waved at Jin-Hyeok with a big smile, but there was no time for explanations.

As Elly sprinted toward him with arms wide open, Jin-Hyeok quickly scooped her up and threw her toward the falling fruit. Elly soared effortlessly, probably thinking it was a game. Her arms fluttered like butterfly wings.

“Elly is flying!” she exclaimed.

“Elly! I need you to catch that fruit!”

“A mission? For Elly?” Her expression shifted, reminiscent of a kitten eyeing its prey. “Elly’s first mission! Yay!”

Despite her cute looks, her current Level was in the 80s. She possessed agility and strength far surpassing those of average Players on the Earth Server.

“Mission complete!” She hugged the fruit, almost as large as her, and tumbled on the ground, eventually colliding with the Guardian Tree. A thud echoed, leaving a trail of flames that were shortly extinguished. “Hehe.”

Impressively, Elly held onto the fruit and stood up. She was covered in dirt, a quick splash of Spirit Fire enough to clean her, yet she found it fun to keep the dirt on her.

“Did Elly do well?” she asked. Her large eyes were full of anticipation, seeking Jin-Hyeok’s approval.

[...#Elly do great? #Your praise will make me happy!♡]

“You did well, Elly. Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten the fruit,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“Hehe.” Elly beamed, setting off multicolored mini fireworks above her head. “I got praised by Oppa!”

She approached Jin-Hyeok and poked her head toward him. He affectionately patted it, eliciting heart-shaped flames around her.

⁕ ⁕ ⁕

Jin-Hyeok sent Elines back to the Spirit Realm.

“I still haven't found a way to properly store that fruit on Earth.”

He felt he needed something like the belly of Jonprich to properly store that fruit. A tinge of regret surfaced inside him, as he wondered if he should have at least taken Jonprich’s corpse.

“We will need to store the fruit in the Spirit Realm until we find a way,” he said.

During his livestream, the Korean Region Minor Gallery had finally been upgraded to an Official Gallery.

[The 「Korean Region Minor Gallery」 has been incorporated into the System’s online community 「Nerver」.]

It was the first time an online community from the Earth Server had been integrated into the System’s online community, Nerver. While the identity of the creator and the manager of the Korean Region Minor Gallery remained unknown, as per rumors, they had received a whopping nine hundred billion Dias from the System.

Due to the significance of the KRMG, the System had granted it the privilege of being a proper part of the System’s community. Now, it was not just a Minor Gallery of the Korean Region, but a Minor Gallery of the System’s online community.

Choi Gap-Soo proudly grinned. “Lilia, it’s been years since a minor community from a Region was integrated into Nerver, right?”

“According to the official data, it has been thirty-eight years.”

“Hm… But why do you look so happy?”

“Well…”

“Doesn’t matter. Your reason is probably the same as mine. Hahaha!” Gap-Soo said.ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt

He was a sponsor who had discovered and supported Kim Chul-Soo from the beginning. As a sponsor, he found it fascinating and joyful to see Chul-Soo’s achievements. A large part of the reason the KRMG was integrated into Nerver was the Streamer Kim Chul-Soo. Over ninety percent of the content that made the KRMG trending was related to Chul-Soo.

“Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to call it Kim Chul-Soo Minor Gallery?” Gap-Soo said.

“Yes, I think so.”

“This is undoubtedly an achievement that is not related to his Play.” Gap-Soo, feet propped up on a coffee table, remained focused on Jin-Hyeok’s livestream. “He just sent the daughter of the Spirit King back to the Spirit Realm. He can take some time to rest right about now.”

At this point, Gap-Soo and Lilia’s reactions diverged.

“But I’m glad to see him push through. What a great Streamer!”

“I am concerned about his physical condition,” the Succubus said.

While Gap-Soo praised Jin-Hyeok’s attitude, Lilia worried about his health.

Gap-Soo chuckled. “Who would have thought the day would come when a Succubus would be concerned about someone else’s health? This is truly astonishing. Haha!”

“...I’m embarrassed,” Lilia said.

“No, it’s admirable. I support your genuine feelings. Ah, it seems like Chul-Soo is about to choose the Server to connect with the Earth Server!”

Straightening his posture, Gap-Soo intently stared at his phone. On the screen, Jin-Hyeok spoke.

⌜Upon clearing the New World Dungeon, I was given the choice to select the first Server to connect with the Earth Server.⌟

This Server connection signified the official launch of the Earth Server. Many Servers already showed immense interest in the Earth Server.

“MoneyShot, no, Michelle Jang told me that Players from a lot of Servers want to establish a connection with the Server that nurtured a Player like Chul-Soo,” Gap-Soo said.

Every Cinderella story had an origin, and the current Earth Server was the origin of Chul-Soo’s Cinderella story. Many Server Pioneers and Adventurers showed deep interest in Earth.

“I wonder which Server will be the first to connect with Earth!” Gap-Soo said.

“I believe Chul-Soo will come to the best decision.” With unwavering faith, Lilia eagerly awaited Jin-Hyeok’s choice.

⌜The first Server I will connect with is…⌟

Gap-Soo clenched his fist.

“Haha! He is indeed a Streamer! He knows how to take his time to build up the suspense!”

Watching the Streamer Chul-Soo grow was both gratifying and frustrating for Gap-Soo.

“Hopefully, he doesn’t choose Arvis,” Gap-Soo said.

“I checked in advance, and Planet Arvis is currently not a connectable Server.”

“That’s a relief.”

If Planet Arvis had been connected to Earth, Earth would have instantly become a colony.

Both Chul-Soo and Lilia had grown. Gap-Soo was pleased with their growth.

“I wonder if he will use the Pure Luck to make his choice. He’s dragging this out!”

Just as Chul-Soo was about to make his choice, a few protesters appeared.

⌜Kim Chul-Soo, shame on you! Aren’t you ashamed as a privileged individual?⌟

One of them was the leading representative of the HARD movement, Charles, a journalist and human rights activist from Great Britain.

⌜Your actions lead countless children and youths astray. You promote extremely dangerous Play, set strange standards, and normalize absurdities. Your negative influence causes pain for people worldwide. Please, deeply reconsider the impact you have. I beg you.⌟

Charles handed the microphone to Jin-Hyeok.