I Gave Up Being Stronger

Cha Jin-Hyeok said with a hopeful yet uncertain heart, “Are you thinking of Mok Jae-Hyeon?”

“Why do you look surprised? Jae-Hyeon is the Wood King, after all, moly,” Mole Woman replied.

Laughing in slight disbelief, Jin-Hyeok could not help but feel a bit deflated. “Do you even know what kind of Player Jae-Hyeon is?”

“He is a Tank!”

“And what kind of Player do we need right now?”

“A Carpenter, Craftsman, or perhaps a Sculptor?”

“Exactly.”

Mole Woman looked at Jin-Hyeok with sparkling eyes, as if questioning what the problem was.

“Do you seriously think anyone who can handle wood can do this job?” Jin-Hyeok asked, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

“Chul-Soo, even if Jae-Hyeon is the youngest in the group, I think you are underestimating him, moly,” she replied.

“What?”

Mole Woman’s heart was pounding. Being part of this livestream, she found melting into the script and performance crafted by Chul-Soo himself very thrilling. It was almost as exhilarating as becoming a universe-level ranker.

“You seem to take the youngest’s intensity too lightly. Jae-Hyeon can certainly do the job. I believe that he can create stakes from the branches of the Guardian Tree. You know this as well as I do, don’t you, moly?”

“...”

Just then, Jin-Hyeok got a call from Jae-Hyeon, as if the latter was watching the livestream all along.

—Hyung! I think I can do it!

Jae-Hyeon’s voice resonated with pride.

Rushing to the Banyan Tree Hotel, Jae-Hyeon chuckled. “A true Tank should indeed polish at least one Skill related to Craftsman-type Players.”

Jin-Hyeok was at a loss for words. The combination of a Tank and a Craftsman seemed incongruous to him.

‘But they both involve working with wood, after all…’ Jin-Hyeok thought. It appeared Mole Woman was right all along. ‘I underestimated Jae-Hyeon’s determination.’

Jin-Hyeok found himself reflecting on his judgments once more.

***

The viewers were baffled.

-Is Chul-Soo actually reflecting?

-It’s hilarious that he is reflecting on something like that, LOL!

-Normally, he would’ve just questioned Mole Woman, saying how absurd her idea was.

A Tank and a Sculptor—Jin-Hyeok could not imagine these two Jobs meshing together.

-In the IntenseMan Universe, anything is possible.

-But, I never saw that coming. LOL

-Tank and Sculptor, huh… Sounds odd, but since it’s the Wood King we’re talking about, it kinda makes sense!

Many doubted Jae-Hyeon’s abilities.

-There is no way Jae-Hyeon’s skills are up to par. There is zero synergy between his primary and his secondary Job.

-It’s the end of times, truly. It’s hard enough to succeed as a Player by sticking to one Job, tsk tsk.

-Chul-Soo is ruining the Player experience for all of the younger generations.

-Ah, back in my day, it wasn’t like this. Why are the kids these days like this? Tsk tsk.

At the Banyan Tree Hotel, Jae-Hyeon was a bit apprehensive.

‘Hm… Where should I start explaining?’ Jae-Hyeon felt a little guilty. ‘I might get scolded for not being intense enough.’

When Jae-Hyeon saw Mole Woman, he felt even more uneasy. If Jae-Hyeon had truly been intense, he would have undergone a gender transformation, which would have allowed him to attain greater skills.

‘Jin-Hyeok Hyung is a Streamer whose looks are critical to his Job, so that could be his reason for not undergoing the transformation, but what about me? I have no excuse!’

Jae-Hyeon was a Tank. His gender did not matter as long as he could block attacks effectively.

“Mok Jae-Hyeon,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Yes, Hyung.”

“You’ve seen my livestream, right?”

Jae-Hyeon secretly clenched his fist. ‘This is like a test from Jin-Hyeok Hyung.’

It appeared as though Jin-Hyeok wanted to check whether Jae-Hyeon was qualified to be a core member of the K-Force or not. It seemed like Jin-Hyeok wanted to test out if Jae-Hyeon also possessed the potential to have excellent abilities in his secondary Job, like the others.

‘I need to show how intense I am!’ Jae-Hyeon replied while nodding, “As the Wood King, I have vaguely thought about the day I might do something with the Guardian Tree.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” With a determined heart, Jae-Hyeon and Jin-Hyeok headed toward the Guardian Tree.

***

The Guardian Tree seemed quite pleased with Jin-Hyeok’s proposal

-“My branches were indeed becoming bothersome, so your offer comes at a perfect time. I eagerly await the pruning of those cumbersome branches.”

Due to the tree’s massive size, climbing it required significant effort, but Jae-Hyeon managed to summon a large tree trunk. This trunk transformed into a vine that snaked around the Guardian Tree, climbing upward. Jae-Hyeon mounted the vine like an escalator, making his way up the tree. However, after some contemplation with an axe in hand, he returned to the ground.

“Hyung, I don’t think it is wise to just cut any branch. It seems that some of them are best suited for the job, but it’s challenging for me to distinguish them at the moment.”

Understanding the situation, Jin-Hyeok immediately reached out to Trituri. Trituri, hailed as a hero on both Arvis and Earth, swaggered toward the Guardian Tree.

“You need stakes to activate the Dungeon, and you are asking me to select the branches that will be used as material? It’s not a hard task. I have a friend who is an excellent Carpenter; with his help, it would be a breeze!” Trituri said.

“Oh, really? If you assist us, Master, it would indeed simplify the task.”

“Didn’t I mention that I have a fear of heights?” Trituri hesitated, shaking his head.

Selecting the right branches required direct observation and touch, which Trituri’s acrophobia made impossible. Upon learning this, Park Terse offered to assist with a giant pelican.

“You can ride inside the pelican’s beak! It offers a comfort comparable to that of a luxury car,” Terse said. Terse had been somewhat excited about the opportunity since appearances on Chul-Soo’s livestreams were rare. Featuring on Chul-Soo’s show meant making an impression on hundreds of millions of viewers.

“Eh, no thanks. Well, it’s not that I don’t want to, but rather I can’t,” Trituri said. Despite his boastfulness about being one of the few capable of undertaking the task, he stubbornly refused to do it.

“Master, do you know how many subscribers I have?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Subscribers? I don’t know… About ten million?”

Jin-Hyeok slyly smiled. “I have about two billion subscribers.”

“What? That many? I had no idea!”

This just showed how disconnected the Arvis people, especially the Farmers, were from others, living in their bubbles of self-importance.

Trituri’s ears perked up at the mention of subscribers. Recently, he had been consumed by a desire for fame, enjoying the adulation and hero’s welcome wherever he went. The idea of having two billion subscribers watching him was enticing due to its immense potential influence.

‘That means I can be more famous after this!’ Trituri imagined a scenario where fans clamored for his autograph and hailed him as a great hero. Lost in these delightful thoughts, he glanced at the Guardian Tree. ‘Ah, but that height is still an issue.’

“Moreover, I have a dedicated photographer who captures every moment like a work of art,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“And?”

“I am not from the Arvis Server, and I do not have any remarkable talents. How do you think I was able to amass such a large following?”

“...”

“It’s all thanks to my photographer, who beautifully captures every moment. His work has become a hot topic across the universe’s online communities, which has significantly increased my number of subscribers.” Jin-Hyeok spoke softly. “Imagine, if such a talented photographer were to capture Arvis’s hero, Trituri. What do you think will happen?”

***

The giant pelican spread its wings and slowly ascended. Inside its enormous beak were Trituri and his friend, along with Jin-Hyeok and Jae-Hyeon.

“The ride is… surprisingly smooth,” Trituri remarked, though he was trembling.

“Master, I will start the livestream now.”

Trituri’s complexion visibly improved. Moments ago, he had been unable to even look forward, but now he was naturally extending his hand outward. The wind fluttered through his beard, and he adopted an expression filled with melancholy.

Jin-Hyeok noticed the changes within Trituri. It seemed like the Trait Livestreaming Prodigy, which lay dormant within Trituri, had awakened.

‘I can’t believe a Farmer is suited for livestreaming,’ Jin-Hyeok thought. He just found out that Jae-Hyeon was a Tank who was also a Carpenter, and now he found out that Trituri had a knack for livestreaming. ‘I was really narrow-minded before my regression…’

With the help of Trituri and the Carpenter from Arvis, Jin-Hyeok and his companions successfully pruned the branches of the Guardian Tree. The giant pelican’s beak was so large that even after stacking many branches inside it, there was still plenty of room.

Upon returning to the ground, Jin-Hyeok bowed to Trituri. “Thank you for all your help, Master.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Hahaha!”

After parting ways with Jin-Hyeok, Trituri sensed something amiss. ‘Wait?’

Recently, Trituri’s value had skyrocketed. He received invitations for lectures from all corners of the universe, earning millions of Dias for a single speech. The same was true for his lectures on agricultural technology.

‘I… didn’t get paid!’ This was a serious oversight. Not only was Trituri driven by a desire for fame, but his greed for money was also quite strong. Yet, it felt somewhat awkward to go back and demand a fee from his disciple now. ‘Did my disciple intentionally cheat me?’

Despite feeling swept up in the whirlwind of events, he still found it hard to believe that a famous Streamer with two billion subscribers would intentionally shortchange him for a fee, and he chose to trust this belief.

***

Jin-Hyeok grinned. ‘I saved some money.’

It was not just the saved money that pleased him; he had also skillfully steered the situation through adept livestreaming, which had made it all the more enjoyable. Soon after, Jin-Hyeok was slightly amazed.

‘Wow, Jae-Hyeon did go all out.’

The stakes Jae-Hyeon had crafted were clearly of high quality. They looked as if a master Craftsman had meticulously shaped them with care. They were so well-made that one could believe they radiated light from within.

Yet, Jae-Hyeon seemed a bit disappointed. “I can only make them out of wood for now.”

“No, this is more than enough. You did well. Your skill is impressive.”

“R-Really?” Jae-Hyeon’s eyes reddened. ‘Did Jin-Hyeok Hyung just acknowledge me?’

He had thought he would be scolded for not undergoing gender transformation. This unexpected acknowledgment and praise made him feel like he could soar through the skies.

“I will strive to be even more intense!” Jae-Hyeon said.

-LOL! So, it was true! Anything is possible in the IntenseMan Universe!

-I think Earth is a bit strange.

-A bit? It’s insanely strange! LOL

-I have never seen such a twisted and weird Server before haha!

-I thought Earth was doomed at first.

Streamers who specialized in combat usually fell behind around Level 100. This was not just limited to Streamers, but other Jobs as well. Diversifying into Skills outside one’s primary Job often led to obsolescence. Chul-Soo, along with other Korean rankers, was walking a path contrary to conventional wisdom, causing many experts to express concerns. They wondered if such practices could lead the entire Earth Server to ruin.

-But why aren’t they becoming obsolete?

-Instead, they are getting stronger! LOL

-The whole Server seems to be going crazy!

-Wow, I can’t believe this is working for the Earth Server!

-I’m just glad I am alive to see this in my lifetime, LOL!

Encyclopedia also sighed as he watched Jin-Hyeok’s livestream.

“People… have grown too accustomed to Chul-Soo.” His fingers trembled as he typed. “Chul-Soo is hammering stakes himself!”

This kind of task usually required a highly skilled Barrier Mage. It demanded intense concentration and meticulous work, adjusting even the composition and concentration of the air and soil. Barrier Mages would foam at the mouth seeing Jin-Hyeok’s current approach.

“This… isn’t something you can do while also livestreaming.”

However, there were hardly any comments criticizing this on Wang Yu-Mi’s livestreaming channel. It was as if in the IntenseMan Universe, this level of effort was not considered all that remarkable.

‘A new era. New standards are being established by Chul-Soo!’ Encyclopedia thought. He was strongly convinced that, in the future, Players’ benchmarks would be divided into before and after Chul-Soo’s appearance.

⌜Just about ten more stakes to go!⌟

Encyclopedia typed as if he was enchanted.

[Typical Barrier Mages, due to their limited stamina, would consider placing even two to three stakes a day a lot to work on. Chul-Soo’s working pace can be described as divine. Now, we must wait and see. Will the work done by Chul-Soo function as splendidly as expected?]

Eventually, Jin-Hyeok successfully installed all the stakes.

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