I Gave Up Being Stronger - Chapter 309

Wang Yu-Mi had recently portrayed Cha Jin-Hyeok’s endeavors in a rather beautiful light, significantly boosting the public’s affection towards Kim Chul-Soo to its peak. Furthermore, Jin-Hyeok’s popularity soared even more as Encyclopedia published analytical articles about him.

[Although the Alchemist Association is still branding Chul-Soo as a villain, their arguments barely resonate with the public. Returning to the main point, it appears that Chul-Soo finds immense joy in nurturing talents. He never hoards resources for himself.]

Encyclopedia was delighted. His articles analyzing Chul-Soo garnered views in the tens of millions. The mere name Kim Chul-Soo had more impact than any sensationalist headline.

[By offering his livestreaming channel, which he considers more precious than his life, as a condition, he succeeded in moving Katrina’s heart.]

Ultimately, Chul-Soo managed to make Neilson Katrina’s disciple.

[In the end, he gave the forgotten genius, Neilson, another opportunity, performing the most beautiful act a person with power can do.]

As the view count on his post skyrocketed, Encyclopedia could not help but smile with satisfaction.

Marshmallow frowned. “Aren’t you hyping up Chul-Soo way too much? I thought you usually hate hyping Players up.”

“I am just stating the facts.”

“No, you’re not. Anyone can see that this is all about hyping Chul-Soo.”

“Nope. I am not like your so-called Chul-Soo Landers.”

“Hey, I am not a Chul-Soo Lander either.”

“You are the official one thousandth Chul-Soo Land member. Impressive.”

At the mention of being the one thousandth Chul-Soo Land member, Marshmallow briefly wore a proud expression before hastily attempting to justify himself. “Of cour— NO! That’s not what I mean. As I have said time and time again, I am just curious to see how emerging talents like Chul-Soo grow. I want to analyze what the younger generation likes in this new era… It’s essentially just market research.”

Encyclopedia grinned broadly. ‘It’s like he is repeating the script without missing a single word. He is saying the same thing as last time.’

That meant Marshmallow had prepared a script in advance to have excuses ready. Encyclopedia threw a bait. “Ah, come to think of it, Chul-Soo did something impressive again, right? Something amazing, but I seem to not remember.”

“Oh, you mean remembering the neglected Assassins? Or giving Brick the chance to repay his gratitude, easing his burden of debt? Or deciding not to monopolize Harkoen’s legacy but to share it with Lessefim, contributing to the advancement of alchemy? Or leading a new wave of alchemy that can counter the corrupt Alchemist Association?”

“See? Not just anyone can be the official one-thousandth member of Chul-Soo Land.”

Marshmallow’s face flushed. “This is purely for market research…”

“Wait, Chul-Soo started his livestream!”

“He did?” Marshmallow leaped up to search for his phone. “Where the hell is my phone?!”

“The title is Soloing.”

Marshmallow’s head, soft as a marshmallow, seemed to melt away. Steam was visibly rising from his head. “Soloing? I can’t miss this!”

***

When he came to his senses, Jin-Hyeok found himself in front of the Banyan Tree Hotel.

‘Huh? Why am I here?’ He felt as if he was under some spell, perhaps even a victim of a mental attack.

[Soloing]

‘When did I ever start my livestream with that title?’ Clearly, he had been hit by a powerful mental attack. Jin-Hyeok quickly composed himself. ‘Well, I guess there is nothing I can do about it.’

A livestream was a promise to the viewers. A dedicated Streamer knew to treat such promises more seriously than life itself. This was the essence, attitude, and gravity that life demanded.

‘Wait, but the Dungeon shouldn’t be active yet?’

He remembered that the Banyan Tree Dungeon would remain inactive for at least another five years from now. He had just rushed here, blindly driven by the mere name Banyan Tree. Sometimes, he would become fixated on something to the point of being oblivious to everything else.

‘Well, I’m still a human. And humans are occasionally like this. This just means that I am not crazy.’

Since he had started a livestream titled Soloing, he felt obliged to show something related to that. Especially since many viewers had already flocked to Wang Yu-Mi’s channel.

-Oh wow, it’s been a while since Chul-Soo did soloing content!

-I heard this channel is known for soloing content.

-Chul-Soo never forgets his roots.

Soloing content was rare to see, especially beyond Level 100. Streamer Kim Chul-Soo was the only one capable of delivering it.

A message from Yu-Mi popped up.

[Are you doing soloing content at this time? That’s great. But you are currently within the Guardian Tree’s territory. What are you planning to do by yourself?]

Though it was unplanned, Yu-Mi was fully prepared. Whatever the soloing content was, she was confident she could make Chul-Soo shine.

Jin-Hyeok managed to contain his panic inside. “Well, what I will be soloing is…”

He knew that if he talked with the Guardian Tree and employed the God of Luck Mystery, he could easily spawn a decent Field boss monster here. However, he did not want to deceive his viewers like that.

“It will be the Banyan Tree Dungeon.”

-Banyan Tree Dungeon?

-What is that? Is there a Dungeon in the Banyan Tree Hotel?

“Although it’s not revealed yet, as the owner of the Guardian Tree, I can certainly feel it. A Dungeon is set to be created here.”

The Guardian Tree responded.

-“You have sensed something that I haven’t?”

The Guardian Tree was heavily influenced by its surroundings. It never doubted Jin-Hyeok’s words.

-“I am sorry for not being more intense. I will try to sense it too.

With those words, the Guardian Tree focused all its mental energy on the Banyan Tree Hotel.

Jin-Hyeok continued, “Therefore, this content will focus on soloing, from the creation of the Dungeon to my clearing it.”

‘Phew.’ Jin-Hyeok sighed. Since he had not misled his viewers, he grinned. Moreover, he had announced the soloing content to his viewers, so he was obliged to follow through.

“However, as I am a Streamer, I will accept the minimum help required to proceed.”

The one who had activated the Banyan Tree Dungeon was none other than Mole Man.

***

Mole Man was near the Banyan Tree Hotel. When Jin-Hyeok met Mole Man, his eyes widened in surprise. “Mole Man?”

“No, no. From now on, call me Mole Woman, moly.”

A slender woman with brown hair stood before Jin-Hyeok, wearing a white helmet equipped with a lantern, presumably from some work she had just been doing. Her face and clothes were smeared with dirt, and she carried a dirty pickaxe over her shoulder.

-Wow, can someone look that pretty in such a state?

-Wait, is that really Mole Man?

Viewers shared reactions to Mole Woman’s appearance.

-This has to be some sort of scam.

-We need to look more into this. I’d bet my wrist that it’s not Mole Man.

Jin-Hyeok, with Broadcaster’s Insight, examined Mole Man’s Player name.

[Mole Man]

It was the first time he had seen an underline in a Player’s name. Looking closer, he found something else.

[Name change process is currently underway.]

Mole Man was no longer Mole Man but Mole Woman, or rather, he was in the process of becoming Mole Woman.

“I thought about this over and over, moly. Whether I should change to Mole Woman or Mole Girl.”

“…”

“Mole Woman seemed stronger than Mole Girl, so I put in ‘Mole Woman’ in the name change application.”

“I heard that changing the Player name is quite hard.”

“Miracles make everything possible, moly. Changing the Player name is a trivial matter.”

“Did you receive the Intimate Miracle from Hassan?”

“Yes, I did, moly.”

“But isn’t that something only official Chul-Soo Land members can receive?”

“I am an official Chul-Soo Lander, moly.”

“You too?”

“Of course, moly. After experiencing your Play firsthand, it was hard not to become a Chul-Soo Lander. Oh, and I also received the miracle with the consent of ninety percent of Chul-Soo Landers, so there is no need to worry on that front, moly.” Mole Woman beamed with a smile.

-Wow, she is gorgeous!

-I would consider gender transformation if I looked like that.

-Hassan is a God!

Mole Woman then turned to Jin-Hyeok, effectively speaking to the viewers through the livestream. “Hey, No.2, I am greatly disappointed in you. To fully experience this miracle, you should have gone through with the gender transformation. You were not intense, being a bit lacking as a single-digit Chul-Soo Lander, moly.”

Jin-Hyeok felt oddly stung by those words. He, too, had been hesitating about a gender transformation. In fact, following what Mole Woman had done was arguably the more correct action for a Player.

‘At least she is not scolding me,’ Jin-Hyeok thought. But then he noticed something slightly odd. “Hey, Mole Woman… Your Job seems a bit weird.”

[Is This a Miner or a Navigator, For In Seeking, One Finds Treasure]

It was a job title Jin-Hyeok had never seen before.

***

Mole Woman explained why she was wandering near the Banyan Tree Dungeon. “There is an enormous amount of energy condensed here, moly. Places like this usually yield treasures, spawn boss monsters, or give rise to Dungeons.”

“I felt something similar. I believe a Dungeon is about to be formed here.”

“If it does, it will be the Banyan Tree Dungeon, moly!” Mole Woman smiled again. Discovering and activating a new Dungeon was a glory for a Navigator. “We are at ninety-nine percent, but missing that last one percent, moly. Water doesn’t boil at fifty or ninety-nine degrees; it boils at one hundred degrees. It’s the same with Dungeons, moly! We need a trigger, moly!”

Mole Woman excitedly continued, “There is enough energy condensed under this Field, and I can use good minerals to draw it out, moly. That will activate the Dungeon. But, if mishandled, it could explode.”

“What happens if it explodes?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“At the very least, the vicinity could be devastated, or at worst, the Dungeon could be destroyed.”

Jin-Hyeok and Mole Woman sought a solution. To bring the future forward, a sophisticated strategy and method were undoubtedly needed.

Then, Mole Woman got an idea. “You said you could feel the energy here as the owner of the Guardian Tree, right, moly?”

“Yes…”

“And the Guardian Tree has the power to amplify its protective power.”

The two devised a plan.

“What if we use branches from the Guardian Tree to make stakes, moly? If we place them strategically, couldn’t we effectively control the energy’s eruption?”

“Oh…”

It was a plausible hypothesis. Even if it was not, they intended to try that out. Jin-Hyeok was already eager. He wanted to enter the Banyan Tree Dungeon as soon as possible to keep his promise to the viewers.

“Then, first, we need to see if we can make artifacts from the branches of the Guardian Tree,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Jin-Hyeok was uncertain whether Earth had a Craftsman capable of such a feat. However, if he asked Song Ha-Young, he could likely find one quickly. If not, he could ask Lessefim or Muenne to recruit artisans from Arvis.

‘I can also ask Trituri.’

But Mole Woman said as if she was confused. “There is already someone capable of doing that, moly.”

Jin-Hyeok was puzzled. ‘There is such a person?’

Then, someone crossed his mind. ‘Could it be?’