I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 143

Charles’s eyes held an undeniable confidence.

‘This is my domain.’

Cameras were rolling, a crowd had surrounded him and Kim Chul-Soo, and he had posed a pointed question to Chul-Soo. While Charles did not know how incredible a Player Chul-Soo was, he was certain that right now, they were in his domain.

‘His head will surely go blank.’

Charles was certain that this situation was unfamiliar to Chul-Soo. He assumed that Chul-Soo, who had grown accustomed to being exalted by everyone, would never be able to escape this intricate trap.

‘He will stumble after making a few good remarks.’

Charles’s goal was not the downfall of Chul-Soo per se. He simply wanted to raise awareness about the HARD movement and inform people that Chul-Soo’s style of Play was overly dangerous and harmful to humanity. With so many viewers, Charles was confident Chul-Soo would play right into his hands.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Cha Jin-Hyeok scowled. Seeing Charles brought back memories he never wanted to recall.

‘Ah, this is giving me PTSD,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Before his regression, Jin-Hyeok had been a government official who was constantly under media scrutiny. Things had improved slightly after Wang Yu-Mi joined his side, but whether he performed well or poorly, he always faced criticism.

‘Back then, I had to endure the frustration no matter what.’

At the time, there had been certain things Jin-Hyeok was unable to change. He was a Player sponsored by the government, and to enjoy the benefits of that sponsorship, he had to endure such treatment from the public.

“Player Kim Chul-Soo, don’t you have any regrets about your actions?” Charles asked again.

“What kind of bullshit are you spouting?” Jin-Hyeok approached Charles. “Good thing you are a Player too.”

Charles was Level 10. Although that was extremely low, he was still a Player. If he were not, confronting him would have been a bit difficult for Jin-Hyeok. Thankfully, he was.

“Anyone can act all high and mighty like you,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Anyone could say those things, that everyone should Play with elegance and nobility and as humanly as possible, ensuring everyone’s safety. Charles’s words were indeed appealing.

“Have you cleared a Dungeon even once?”

“I would appreciate it if you remained respectful, Kim Chul-Soo. Instead of making offensive remarks, please answer my question.”

‘I’m getting under Chul-Soo’s skin!’ Charles smirked.

As far as he knew, Chul-Soo livestreamed without interacting with his viewers. Charles suspected this was due to his lack of communication skills. So, a situation like this had to be unfamiliar and frightening for Chul-Soo.

“This is my answer.” Jin-Hyeok lifted Charles by the waist. It did not require any effort due to the vast Level difference between the two of them.

“W-What are you doing?”

“People like you, who just run their mouths, need a firsthand experience.”

Contrary to Charles’s expectation that Jin-Hyeok would not do anything with so many viewers, Jin-Hyeok’s approach was quite radical.

“Go inside a Dungeon and see if you can still spout such nonsense.”

? ? ?

A fully-grown Guardian Tree came with a few advantages.

[With the Planter’s authority, you can open Dungeons.]

Jin-Hyeok had gained the authority to reopen closed Dungeons. This was a significant achievement in its own right; he could now create relatively safe Dungeons without worrying about a Dungeon Break.

[You have entered 「Sareoga Mart Dungeon」.]

“Hey, let go of me! What are you doing?” Charles shouted.

Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. And sometimes, violence spoke louder than actions.

“Try it, come on.”

“How can you call yourself a civilized Player after this?”

“I never said I was.” Jin-Hyeok threw Charles amid a group of Fist Monkeys and continued his livestream. “I think Charles is confused about the definition of peace.”

This was not something new. Those engrossed in peace would always come out to challenge and annoy Jin-Hyeok. He did not think their thoughts or beliefs were wrong, but they pissed him off. No matter how hard he risked his life and accomplished dangerous missions, they would always complain about how he could not save everyone, how he could have done it faster, or why he did not find a safer method.

“With the Server connection imminent, I do not have the luxury of indulging in such talks.”

Humans could live like humans only when they were strong. The Players of Earth Server were mediocre in terms of strength. That was why, before Jin-Hyeok’s regression, humans were often caught between powerful Servers, getting bullied and intimidated. However, this was only because they were at least moderately powerful; had they been any weaker, other Servers would have colonized them.

A fairly large percentage of the population on many Servers lived in near-slavery.

“ARGH!!”

The Fist Monkeys started beating up Charles.

[...#How can he be so barbaric? #Chul-Soo is insane!]

‘I guess he is still delusional.’

“AHHH!!”

[...#Please save me! #I don’t want to die!]

The Fist Monkeys treated the newly arrived low-Level Player like a toy. They tossed him around and used him as a punching bag.

Thud! Thud!

The satisfying sounds of blows echoed throughout the entire Dungeon.

“Pl...Please save me...”

“If you spout off about peace and human rights in front of me one more time, I will smash your head in,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“I-I’m sorry... Please, just this once...” With the fear of death looming large, naturally, Charles softened up.

‘But, he sure is a drama king.’

His insides had not splattered out, and he was not even bleeding profusely enough to die, but the way he shook in fear suggested he was greatly underestimating his limits.

‘Maybe I should let him get beaten up a bit more.’

“The world we are going to live in from now on is like this.”

Whoosh!

Charles went flying. A Fist Monkey leaped and smacked Charles as if it were spiking a volleyball.

“If we are powerless, this is what happens. We might even be abused by intelligent beings from other Servers.”

‘Hm... Maybe I should just end him.’

Recalling the things he had endured during his time as a government official, Jin-Hyeok was tempted to do so.

Tsk.

Nevertheless, he decided to spare Charles since the journalist was a low-Level newbie. If Charles’s Level were over 60, Jin-Hyeok would not have turned a blind eye to him. However, it was basic courtesy among Players to be lenient toward low-Level newbies.

“Peace is the privilege of the strong. I hope there won’t be other shameless beings who leech off the peace created by the strong while demanding that they fulfill even more responsibilities. They make me seriously want to smack them in the head.”

Jin-Hyeok lifted the unconscious Charles as if he were picking up a plush toy from a claw machine. “I am going to spare him because he is a low-Level Player.”

Jin-Hyeok subtly applied some force, breaking another one of Charles’s ribs—a petty act of revenge.

? ? ?

At the Korean Region Minor Gallery, as always, discussions were explosive.

-Damn, he is so cool! Totally swooning over Kim Chul-Soo right now. That was so satisfying!

-That’s what true power looks like.

-How is he so relaxed?! He speaks too calmly!

A few also expressed concern over Chul-Soo’s aggressive and violent actions.

-Isn’t that too violent? Honestly, wasn’t Charles somewhat correct?

┗Get this SJW outta here.

┗Without Chul-Soo and other Players during the Queen Ant’s raid, we would’ve all died.

-He is excessively oppressing the weak. That doesn’t look too good.

┗Charles barged in and confronted him about remorse. What weak are you talking about?

┗This is reverse discrimination against the strong.

A former Streamer with the Player Name ShutUpAndPlay and now an editor of KimKnowItAllTV and a Named user on KRMG, ChulSooIsGod, left a lengthy comment.

[IntenseMan is showing us a miniature version of reality. If you are weak, you get devoured. And you won’t gain strength by sitting in your comfy chairs. The fact that you guys are not supporting or backing those who risk their lives and sacrifice themselves and instead have the audacity to criticize them for being a negative influence is just beyond me. IntenseMan saved Earth, yet these jerks demand more things from him! Can you guys think of any medicine that doesn’t have even a few side effects? IntenseMan has achieved and will continue to maintain peace in the world, and you leeches are siding with the HARD movement? Get a life!]

[Written by: ChulSooIsGod]

Then, another Named user, NoOverpackagingPlz, chimed in.

[Did Chul-Soo really need to show the reality in such a violent way? Even if that’s close to reality, he crossed the line. Just because he is that powerful, he has no right to act like a thug. And you guys praise such violent acts? Praise when it’s due, idiots.]

[Written by: NoOverpackagingPlz]

┗So you’re admitting that’s the reality?

┗He just admitted that this is what happens when you’re weak. LOL! You are an idiot.

┗At this rate, you are not a hater, but actually a fan of Chul-Soo. LOL!

Joseph, known on the KRMG by the username NoOverpackagingPlz, chuckled. “Good, Good! Mock me all you want!”

Joseph did not care if he became the target of ridicule. If it helped Jin-Hyeok, he was prepared to become the scapegoat.

He gently tapped the shoulder of the person sitting next to him. “Hey, Kang Cheol! Try using more radical and aggressive expressions in your comments!”

“I am trying, hehe.”

Kang Cheol, with the username ChulSooIsGod, drew in radical advocates for Chul-Soo, and Joseph subtly swayed those in the middle ground to side with Chul-Soo. The mastermind behind the two was none other than Wang Yu-Mi.

“His Majesty’s recent actions were quite aggressive, which had me worried, but things seem to be going smoother than expected,” Yu-Mi said with a smile.

This was the power of a powerful persona. Had anyone else but Chul-Soo acted in the same manner, they would have received harsh criticism.

“The Great Britain government probably won’t openly protest to what happened in Korea.”

From the outset, it was challenging for governments and authorities to intervene in the Play.

“Having witnessed the power of the Queen Ant, they would not want to fall out of His Majesty’s favor, hehe.”

Yu-Mi believed that if another powerful monster like the Queen Ant emerged, the national governments of other countries would inevitably seek Jin-Hyeok’s assistance. Therefore, they would not criticize or attack Jin-Hyeok.

Just then, Yu-Mi received a secret message from Jin-Hyeok.

‘Oh?’ Yu-Mi’s eyes widened in surprise.

While she often sent secret messages to Jin-Hyeok, this was the first time he had sent one to her.

‘This is exciting.’

The content of the message was not particularly complicated.

[“Rich Server Vs Aggressive Server?”]

Yu-Mi immediately deciphered the meaning hidden in this short message and swiftly sent a reply.

[“Aggressive Server.”]

Jin-Hyeok smiled upon seeing her response. He had been uncertain and had reached out to Yu-Mi for guidance. She had promptly pinpointed the essence of his question and provided the answer. Yu-Mi then offered another piece of advice.

[“Apologize to your viewers. Say you are sorry for the delay in the livestream due to an unwanted guest.”]

Kang Cheol questioned, “Why ask him to apologize? Chul-Soo did nothing wrong.”

“It will make every viewer from across the universe criticize Charles,” Yu-Mi explained.

“...Ah!”

“We need to clean up anything that gets in His Majesty’s way.”

“I look forward to more of your teachings, Master.”

Meanwhile, Jin-Hyeok resumed the livestream. “I will now attempt to connect to another Server. I sincerely apologize for the delay in our content due to the unexpected intrusion. Let’s get back on track.”

As Yu-Mi had predicted, the criticism toward Charles became even harsher.

Jin-Hyeok scrolled through the list of connectable Servers and selected Scanorbia. Scanorbia was a Server inhabited by highly aggressive warriors. This was the beginning of a new era in its truest sense.

“Scanorbia. I have chosen this Server as the first connection.”

The boundary between day and night disappeared, plunging the entire Earth into darkness. Some long-dormant volcanoes began erupting, and auroras became visible in the skies everywhere.

[Preparation for the Official Service of the new Server 「Earth Server」 has begun.]

On the back of Jin-Hyeok’s right hand, the All-Clear mark emitted a dazzling light, similar to the auroras seen in the sky.

[The Official Service of the new Server 「Earth Server」 has launched.]

As the notification for the official launch of the Earth Server appeared, Jin-Hyeok saw several changes.