I Gave Up Being Stronger - Chapter 307

Brick confessed he felt guilty for not being intense enough, but Cha Jin-Hyeok found it rather surprising.

‘It’s been only a few minutes since I requested him to kill those guys,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

“I expected you to take longer, Brick.”

—It seems like your standards are quite low, Sir Chul-Soo.

Even with the use of warp portals and such, it would have taken a considerable amount of time. Feeling a bit more boastful, Brick continued,

—Since Lady Lessefim and Lady Muenne proved their intensity, I thought I should do the same, Sir Chul-Soo.

Brick had decided that, unlike Lessefim or Muenne, proving his intensity in other areas was challenging for him. So, he focused more on what he could do best.

—When you were asking Angel Girl about Hassan, I was also gathering information about Hassan. I already knew what had happened to him! The past three days were more than enough.

Jin-Hyeok genuinely admired how fast Brick had completed the task. He had not expected Brick to approach his Play with such intensity. It felt good to have such a positively influential friend.

—Sir Chul-Soo, was I intense?

“I would say that you were intense enough.”

—Your compliments flatter me, huhu. Oh, and the Black Thorn guys were more intense than I thought. It seems like they have been touched by your positive influence.

In any case, six of the Streamers related to Hassan were wiped out. Though Brick offered to send their decapitated heads, Jin-Hyeok declined. Right before hanging up the phone, Brick asked one more question.

—Sir Chul-Soo, was killing them an act of justice?

“An act of justice?”

—I am aware that you are called the IntenseMan of Order, Justice, and Beauty on Earth. I fully understand your anger toward injustice. But on the other hand, as the IntenseMan of Order, Justice, and Beauty, weren’t you supposed to avoid personal revenge or sanctions as much as possible?

Jin-Hyeok tilted his head. “What are you talking about? What personal revenge? They were messing up the sanctity of livestreams.”

—…

“To misuse something as sacred as a livestream crosses the line.”

Brick’s curiosity was completely satisfied.

—I see. They had crossed the line in that aspect!

It seemed there was enough cause for the assassination request.

***

Hassan was still confused. He found it hard to grasp what Jin-Hyeok and Brick were discussing, let alone believe they had killed those six people.

Then, Jin-Hyeok checked a notification from MiNaTV.

“Oh, the video was uploaded quite fast.”

Kang Mi-Na had already uploaded a video featuring Brick.

‘Did she finish editing too?’

She was as swift as Brick. It seemed like everyone around him was Playing more intensely these days.

‘Everyone is… quite amazing!’ It was quite the motivation for Jin-Hyeok.

“Look, Hassan. These were the guys, right?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

Kang Mi-Na’s video was marked with a 19+ rating for the first time in a while, and the content was rather brutal.

⌜I have come to know there is an exceptionally skilled Player on Earth.⌟

Brick unsheathed a thin sword and charged at a man.

⌜His name is Lee Hyeon-Seong. On Earth, he is called the Weak Anus Destroyer.⌟

Brick had watched many of Jin-Hyeok’s videos, especially those featuring Hyeon-Seong, and he was deeply impressed with them. Hyeon-Seong’s sincerity and earnestness resonated strongly with Brick.

⌜My sword is inspired by his sword.⌟

As Brick charged at the man, he thrust his sword forward.

⌜And it has evolved into a more lethal weapon!⌟

Mi-Na cleverly edited the footage to fit the appropriate level of explicit content.

‘She edited the video so that it’s less heavy and has a comedic touch!’ Jin-Hyeok thought as he kept watching the video.

The background music was lively, and she also added elephant sound effects. Instead of blurring out the graphic scenes, she inserted an image of two bells jingling and dropping to the ground. Although the content was grim, the presentation made it feel less violent. Members of the Black Thorn Alliance, deeply impressed by Brick’s skills, were also motivated.

‘We should Play like Brick!’

They proved their intensity by killing the sixth Streamer, and the video ended there. However, Mi-Na did not reveal one particular scene.

“If you are going to kill this man, you need to kill me first!”

“If that is what you want, I will do as you please. Had you cared for your brother half as much as you cared for BoyLove, you wouldn’t have acted this way.”

Brick spared not even Hassan’s sister.

“You are the worst of them all, Lady Sister.”

Hassan could clearly see the death of the six Streamers. He shivered. “They really… killed them all!”

Part of him felt triumphant, while another part was scared. However, his fear quickly dissipated.

“Kids!” Hassan shouted.

The next video Mi-Na uploaded featured Hassan’s nephews and nieces, showing them eating pizzas and hamburgers to their hearts’ content.

⌜Your uncle has gone to a place called Korea to do something very noble. Yes, yes, it’s the country with the gigantic Guardian Tree. The owner of that Guadian Tree begged your uncle to meet him. Hm… because your uncle has a very special power. He is going to perform a miracle there and come back. Of course! Your uncle is an amazing person!⌟

The children in the video looked on in pure admiration.

⌜Our uncle is that amazing?⌟

⌜My uncle is so cool!⌟

Hassan felt inexplicably warm and fuzzy.

***

Jin-Hyeok said to Hassan, “Would you mind if we livestream your miracle?”

Hassan was flabbergasted. Not only had Jin-Hyeok avenged him, but now he wanted to livestream the miracle.

‘The famous Kim Chul-Soo is asking me to help with his livestream?’ Even Hassan, who knew nothing about Streamers, had heard of Chul-Soo. He was aware of Chul-Soo’s immense fame and influence as a Streamer. ‘If Chul-Soo promotes my miracle, it could change my life! But why would he do that? What if I make a mistake during the operation? Wouldn’t that tarnish Chul-Soo’s reputation?’

Hassan was confused. He could not understand why Chul-Soo was showing him such kindness. Unaccustomed to receiving kindness without reason, Hassan remained guarded.

“I am not doing this for kindness,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“What?”

“It’s only natural to pay for the benefits one receives from a consumable skill.”

“But my skill…”

‘It has never been proven before. Nobody believes in me…!’ Hassan thought.

“I know. I know that you have never used it before.”

“…”

“Isn’t that what makes it even more valuable?”

The lower the number of the miracle was, the more powerful would be the effect of the skill. Jin-Hyeok was very excited about what effect the very first miracle could bring.

Unaware of such details, Hassan eventually teared up. “That’s what makes it more valuable…”

That statement felt immensely profound to him. Though he had not proven anything yet, that made it all the more valuable. Someone finally believed in his ability. Hassan, who had faced countless rejections and ridicule, finally met someone who saw value in him.

‘And that someone is… Kim Chul-Soo! He is the most famous person on Earth right now.’

Chul-Soo’s words moved Hassan’s heart.

“I will make sure that operation is a success.”

Thirty minutes later, a person with tremendous muscles walked in.

“So, he’s the one? Is he the one who can perfectly transform my gender?”

***

The operation was remarkably straightforward. It merely involved the use of a Skill. The result was not just successful but also shocking.

“Is this really me? Oh, shit! What’s up with my voice? It sounds genuinely like a woman’s!” Standing in front of the mirror, Katrina touched her face in disbelief. The somewhat rugged appearance of her face had disappeared without a trace. Although the face was a bit sharp, it was very pretty.

“Why am I pretty?” She touched her hair in disbelief as well. “Why is my hair so fine? And why do I have so much more hair?”

And above all, “My biceps got bigger!”

Katrina stood in front of the mirror, trying various poses. Her biceps were much more defined and larger. The separation of her muscles had also significantly improved.

“The triceps too! And the anterior deltoids!” Katrina ripped her clothes off in excitement. “The pectorals! The abs!”

Then she realized something. While the chest muscles had enlarged, they were slightly different in shape from a man’s chest. Tears of emotion flowed from Katrina. “My face is pretty, and my body is exactly to my liking.”

It was a miracle for her. Katrina had received the perfect body she had desired. That was not all. Hassan’s first miracle drew out and amplified the abilities that lay dormant within Katrina. She even acquired a new Trait.

[Personal Training]

[One-on-one customized guidance from a trainer with specialized knowledge. Since everyone has different characteristics and talents, a program suitable for each student is developed to provide quality lessons.

Areas of application:

1) Physical training

2) Refining techniques]

“This must be fate, right?” Katrina said.

Jin-Hyeok’s condition for helping her secure a gender transformation was that she had to accept Neilson as a disciple. The timing of acquiring a Trait like Personal Training indicated it was her destiny to teach Neilson.

“It seems like the entire universe is helping you, Chul-Soo. Honestly, I know a lot, but it is somewhat hard to teach someone,” Katrina said. Being good at studying and teaching others were completely different fields. “I guess I have no choice but to teach Neilson now.”

Katrina promised to pass on all her knowledge to Neilson.

“I guess I have to go back to Arvis,” Katrina said.

“To Arvis?”

“Yeah. Now that I have completely become a woman, I am curious about how that bitch who gave birth to me will react.” She giggled. “To teach Neilson properly, returning to my family will be much better than staying here.”

Since she had decided to teach Neilson, she wanted to do it properly. It was also for Chul-Soo’s sake.

“Now that I am truly a woman, can I seriously consider marrying you?”

Jin-Hyeok shook his head. “I told you. That kind of content is not allowed.”

“It’s not about content…” Katrina caught herself before she went any further. Saying it was not about content could mean she would never see Jin-Hyeok again.

‘There is a saying in Korea that even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.’ She decided to take things slower, to look further ahead.

“Come to see Neilson and me sometimes. I will be teaching him diligently,” Katrina said.

“Sure. Oh, and can I ask you for a favor?” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“If I do you a favor, will you visit me?”

“I promise.”

Considering the situation, it was likely that the universe-level Scenario involved Katrina’s family. Jin-Hyeok was glad that she was inviting him to her home.

“What’s the favor?” she asked.

“I want to know everything related to the Forsaken Queen Veselity.”

“Veselity?”

“It’s likely deeply connected to your family.”

“I am not sure, but I will see what I can find.”

Taking Neilson with her, Katrina returned to Arvis.

Meanwhile, Hassan received something unexpected. Even Jin-Hyeok, the mastermind behind this event, could not have anticipated the direction of this event.