I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 110

Chairman Choi Gap-Soo burst into hearty laughter upon discovering all of Cha Jin-Hyeok’s secrets. Both he and Jang Michelle were highly satisfied with his livestream.

“So, why are you showing this to me?” Gap-Soo asked.

Though it seemed like a casual question, Michelle quickly caught on the nuance.

“You mean showing this to us, right?”

“You’re sharp. Alright, why show this to us then? Or better yet, why have you been hiding such abilities?”

There was no need for a lengthy explanation.

“Isn’t it boring if I reveal everything?” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“Fair enough.”

“That’s true.”

“The important thing is that I’ve proven that both of your judgments about me were correct. With my abilities, I can at least maintain my performance up to Level 150.”

Gap-Soo nodded. “You’re absolutely right. What do you think, Michelle?”

“I agree. Although I’ve seen countless Streamers with this concept, what’s especially impressive is the All-Rounder Trait he hid as the Almighty Jack of All Trades. Have you ever seen the All-Rounder Trait, old man?”

“Never. This is a first for me.”

Both of them were quite satisfied with the content Jin-Hyeok provided. Watching their reactions, he, too, felt a sense of satisfaction.

‘This is what I was aiming for.’

This was the joy of livestreaming. It was regrettable that he had not known this excitement in his previous life.

“I’ve shown you everything. Secrets unknown to tens of thousands are now known only to the two of you. I will leave it to you both to evaluate the worth of this livestream.”

This time, Michelle spoke first.

“Alright. The price has been more than met. So? What’s this tempting proposal you mentioned earlier?”

“I know there is a major event before the official launch of the Earth Server. I need you to help me survive it.”

Michelle narrows her eyes.

“Someone wants you dead, don’t they?”

“From the System’s perspective, I am highly likely to be a disruptive element in the ecosystem. The GMs aren’t too fond of me either. If I were them, I would want to eliminate me during the upcoming event.”

Jin-Hyeok’s impending crisis—his gut told him Gap-Soo and Michelle already knew. Considering them entirely on Jin-Hyeok’s side would be a mistake. These two were extreme hardcore viewers among the hardcore, living for their own enjoyment. However, that also made them more predictable.

“To perfectly unfold the story and complete the Scenario, I suspect they will back the Queen Ant. I’ve detected a certain strategy in play here.”

“What kind of strategy?”

“The Queen Ant is powerful in her own right, but she essentially wants to build an empire. Hence, she needs an army and numerous ants as her soldiers. However, as you saw in the video, her army-level ants are all dead, and the eggs in the Hatching Chamber were also destroyed. So, she must be raising ants somewhere as we speak.”

Jin-Hyeok reached a single conclusion.

“For a newly raised ant army, the Queen Ant will need a large amount of food. However, Earth doesn’t have quality food in abundance.”

This was the essence of the Scenario Jin-Hyeok had discerned.

“I anticipate Monster Waves occurring all over the world.”

Monster Waves were a frequent event, but triggering one would require a substantial amount of resources. If the members of the Trinity Club were making moves, a Monster Wave was highly likely.

“Most likely, Monster Waves will erupt to provide food for the ants. And I suspect that the Queen Ant, empowered time and time again at various corners of the world, will ultimately aim for the Korean Region, where I’m currently located.”

Gap-Soo stroked his chin and looked at Jin-Hyeok, his eyes filled with genuine interest.

“Haha. I thought you were just crazy, but it turns out you are a clever kind of crazy.”

“Is my theory accurate?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“I wouldn’t know the details. Do you watch TV with such deep analysis? No. I’m just a consumer, not a creator.”

Michelle added a comment.

“However, hearing you out, your argument does make sense.”

Michelle wore a subtle smile, clearly very satisfied with Jin-Hyeok’s theory.

“Alright, let’s bet on your future then. I’m looking forward to your episode with the Queen Ant. What do you need? Just say it. If it’s something money can accomplish, consider it done,” Michelle said.

⁕ ⁕ ⁕

After the Cataclysm, the demand for online games surged dramatically. No longer were they a realm of fantasy, as monsters and Dungeons now existed in the real world and Players lived among civilians. What was once an escape from reality had now become reality itself, and those who could not engage as Players in the new world became even more engrossed in games.

Naturally, the popularity of game Streamers rose exponentially, and among them, ShutUpAndPlay was a Streamer who recently garnered much attention. Although he had Awakened as a Player, he ultimately could not overcome his fear of actually Playing and transitioned successfully to being an online game Streamer. He had just blown three million won on a Gacha game.

“AHHH!! Damn this luck-based trash game! Fuck! AH!!”

Pounding his keyboard furiously, ShutUpAndPlay yelled, and his chat window was filled with LOLs. His livestreaming persona was simple: whatever he did, he was bad at it, and whatever he tried, it never worked out. Yet, he was always overly confident and energetic, which ultimately led to him losing his temper and smashing things.

Grabbing a baseball bat, he struck his keyboard.

Thud! Thud!

-LK312: LOL! Here comes the keyboard shotgun!

-Takumi: HAHAHAHAHA!

-Handsome: LOL

Still fuming, ShutUpAndPlay declared, “If I ever play this shitty-ass luck-based garbage of a game again, just kill me please.”

-GrandBaby: LOL. If that’s the case, he should’ve been killed 322 times.

-DungDungPoo: Maybe he’s immortal. Haha!

The chat was buzzing, and a considerable amount of donations flowed in. ShutUpAndPlay eventually ended his livestream. He then tuned into the most popular channel, KimKnowItAllTV, to keep tabs on what was trending around the world. The host, KingGodGeneral Yumi, spoke.

“For those of you unfamiliar with the Gacha system, let me explain briefly. A single draw costs a whopping ten million Dias! If you don’t have the money, you can’t even attempt it, and most of the time, you end up with crap. All Gachas are luck-based disasters, but the System’s Gacha is the epitome of a luck-based garbage game.”

It was the bitter truth ShutUpAndPlay had just experienced.

⌜Egan Paul had famously poured about seven hundred million won and ultimately gave up. What do you think Kim Chul-Soo has in mind?⌟

A lot of people were eagerly tuning into the actions of Kim Chul-Soo’s livestream.

-WhistleHouston: That’s insane! LOL. This guy just lost 370 million won. Hahaha!

-TaylorSwag: So the downfall rumors are real, huh?

-ChulSooIs#2: Streamers of this sort usually fizzle out around Level 100. It’s academically established.

For context, ChulSooIs#2 was actually ShutUpAndPlay.

-ElCute: 400 million has evaporated and he’s still going!

-CrazyOne: He doesn’t even feel about it though.

The comment gaining the most traction was that of ChulSooIs#2.

[ ChulSooIs#2: Streamers of this sort usually fizzle out around Level 100. It’s academically established.]

┗Seems accurate.

┗222.

┗333.

┗Looks like he’s dumping all his assets before quitting.

┗Why the hell would he dump all his assets like that?

┗No need to worry about Kim Chul-Soo.

┗He’s a billionaire with a building under his name. LOL. No worries.

ShutUpAndPlay laughed without realizing it.

“Haha. This feels good,” he said.

ShutUpAndPlay had always been envious of Chul-Soo. Both as a Player and as a Streamer, he had felt insignificant in comparison. It was because Chul-Soo was always above him.

“He’s plummeting! Straight into the abyss!”

In ShutUpAndPlay’s view, Chul-Soo was committing career suicide as a Streamer, probably pulling these stunts to grab the last bit of attention. Though no one was listening, he smugly said, “Most people face the harsh reality of their limits around Level 100. The sense of loss and despair they feel upon encountering their own limitations are almost impossible to overcome!”

He grinned slyly.

“If you can overcome that like I did, you can make a comeback in another field. It won’t be easy for someone like you, who’s had a smooth path all along, haha.”

However, something felt off. As more time passed, ShutUpAndPlay, too, sensed the strangeness.

-WhistleHouston: Two billion won gone, just like that.

2.1 billion.

2.2 billion.

2.4 billion.

2.5 billion.

Chul-Soo was recklessly pouring out Dias to the Gacha game. The chat, which once mocked him, now sang praises of awe and astonishment. This was something ShutUpAndPlay could not stand.

[ChulSooIs#2 has donated 10,000 Dias.]

[“Kim Chul-Soo is not in his right mind right now. He is burning his last spark even while using his building as collateral and accumulating debt. Rumor has it that his donation money is almost exhausted.”]

ShutUpAndPlay began to spill his own calculations and experiences, arguing how much Chul-Soo would have earned, what his current assets should be, and how close he was to bankruptcy.

His comment rose to the surface thanks to the invisible support of Wang Yu-Mi and became a major topic of discussion. So many comments flew by that usernames became almost impossible to read. However, with keen eyes, Yu-Mi did not miss one specific name.

-MoneyShower:? What do you guys take me for?

[ MoneyShower:? What do you guys take me for?]

┗? Is that really him?

┗It’s MoneyShower! Up! Up! Up!

┗MoneyShower up!

┗What? MoneyShower?

┗Wooowwww. This is insane!

┗Seems legit.

┗This is madness. MoneyShower has arrived!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the screen, Chul-Soo kept rolling the Gacha.

3.1 billion won had evaporated.

3.2 billion won had evaporated.

3.3 billion won had evaporated.

“Once again, thank you to MoneyShower and MoneyShot for your support. This is the first time I’ve received unlimited donations.”

As Contributors, both of them could send messages directly on Chul-Soo’s livestream.

[Contributor 「MoneyShower」 is proud.]

[Contributor 「MoneyShot」 is pleased.]

“MoneyShower, thank you for the one hundred million won donation. If I get what I want in between, I will refund the rest. MoneyShot, thank you for the one hundred million won donation.”

[「MoneyShower」 refuses the refund.]

[「MoneyShot」 refuses the refund.]

MoneyShower continued his donation as if to show off and didn’t forget to leave a comment on Yu-Mi’s livestream.

[ MoneyShower: What did you say about my donation?]

┗LOL! Where did ChulSooIs#2 go?

┗Hey, ChulSooIs#2, where are you? I thought Chul-Soo had no donation money left!

┗Chul-Soo is showering with money!

┗Can I borrow some money?

┗MoneyShower sensei! How can I get rich like you? Teach me your ways!

┗LOL, he’s literally saying that his donation is unlimited! Where did ChulSooIs#2 go?

Meanwhile, Jin-Hyeok had spent four billion Dias. Even he could not believe the reality of this unlimited donation. Both Gap-Soo and Michelle promised unlimited support, but he didn’t think it would be this much.

‘But when will my Pure Luck be ready?’

After a few tries, Jin-Hyeok could feel it—the timing of when to use Pure Luck for the most significant effect. He was waiting for the perfect moment.

‘It’s not time yet.’

4.1 billion.

4.9 billion.

Having invested nearly five billion Dias, Jin-Hyeok felt the time had come.

[You have activated the Mystery 「Pure Luck」.]

Timing it perfectly, Jin-Hyeok pulled something from the Gacha system.

“At last, I have acquired a Mythic-Grade Card! It is a card-type item of Mythic quality. I think I’m the first one on the Earth Server to do so. Truly, the greatest power comes from items!”

ShutUpAndPlay let out a loud scream. He wasn’t even on air, but he still smashed his phone with a hammer in a fit of rage.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

His phone shattered to pieces.

“Fuck! How can anyone be this damn lucky?!”

From that day on, ShutUpAndPlay retired from livestreaming, and nobody remembered his retirement. Two massive events had eclipsed his exit.

Firstly, Jin-Hyeok had acquired the first-ever card-type Mythic-Grade item, and he had done so by spending a staggering five billion Dias. Given that one Dia held a currency value of approximately one Korean won, it was akin to spending five billion won.

[A Five Billion Won Miracle: What is this Mythic-Grade Item?]

[A Journey of a Streamer or Unrivaled Content?]

News outlets and countless online communities were plastered with stories about Jin-Hyeok. At the same time, another event unfolded.

The United States.

Germany.

China.

A new Scenario, Devourer of Bugs, was simultaneously activated across three different Regions. Swarms of bugs appeared, causing significant damage to these countries. The situation was so severe that it was widely predicted to escalate into a global catastrophe. Thus, the so-called Bug Tsunami had begun.