I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 246

“Universe-level Scenarios? Is that the title of a new movie?” Choi Gap-Soo acted like he had no clue what it was.

“Ah, come on, old man,” Jang Michelle said. Gap-Soo’s acting was so awkward that Cha Jin-Hyeok did not even have to use Broadcaster’s Insight. Michelle sighed and continued, “It would’ve been more believable if you just didn’t say anything at all. You’ve always been terrible at acting, old man. How did you even manage your business with such a poor poker face?”

“Nonsense! My acting is phenomenal! When I was young, I got many offers to become an actor!”

“That's because you are famous for being a doormat... I mean, rich!”

“What does being rich have to do with acting offers?”

“I’m sure all of those acting contracts had a clause asking you for money.”

“T-That’s because they needed the marketing fee and money for my acting lessons...”

“Other actors don’t usually pay for that,” Michelle replied with a sigh.

Jin-Hyeok quietly waited through their banter, then said something that hit the nail on the head. “Michelle, it seems like you are trying hard to change the subject.”

“Oh, seems like I got caught~”

“If you two are acting like this, a universe-level Scenario must be something serious.”

“Hm...” Gap-Soo stroked his chin. “It’s not so much serious as...”

“It’s not exactly pleasant for us. A universe-level Scenario can bring about a huge backlash powerful enough to reshape the order of the universe. And you know that powerful beings of the universe don’t really like change,” Michelle said with a broad smile.

“But about the unpublished video... You’re really going to show it to us first, right?” Gap-Soo said with narrowed eyes.

“Of course, I will show it to you.” Jin-Hyeok showed them the unpublished video, which would be made public the next day anyway. It was the scene where he achieved the All-Clear, and due to the Achievement effect, Absolute Barrier was significantly enhanced.

Gap-Soo heartily laughed. “Yes, this is why I watch your livestreams!”

Gap-Soo felt vicarious satisfaction watching Jin-Hyeok become stronger.

“Now, you have to tell me about universe-level Scenarios,” Jin-Hyeok said.

***

When Jin-Hyeok returned home, his heart was racing. ‘This is going to be a massive amount of content!’

A universe-level Scenario had appeared only once in history. It was a period of great upheaval from a universal perspective.

‘I heard that Garbinu had carried out the previous universe-level Scenario.’

He had heard about this from Wang Yu-Mi.

“Known as the sexiest Demon King in the universe, Garbinu is the only Demon to have ruled Arvis! They say he possessed the Munchkin Trait.”

However, Garbinu was active hundreds of years ago, which made the Scenario that Jin-Hyeok had chanced upon the first universe-level Scenario in centuries. For a Streamer like Jin-Hyeok, the opportunity to cover such a major content was exhilarating.

‘But let’s not get too excited.’

Jin-Hyeok decided not to reveal it for the time being. Disclosing this information after getting a clearer picture of this project was the better option.

“Hm... Anyway, the Trinity Club members don’t seem to like the emergence of a universe-level Scenario, do they?” Yu-Mi asked.

“Seems so,” Jin-Hyeok answered.

Hundreds of years ago, Garbinu, who was just a Demon-born boy, had become a legend. During that time, many changes had occurred in the universe.

“Back then, the status of the Arvis Server was not what it is today,” Jin-Hyeok continued. At that time, the Arvis Server was traditionally strong, but it was not a superpower Server. “It became what it is today when Garbinu started ruling the Server. The universe-level Scenario was the foundation.”

During that process, a lot had happened. The Arvis Server had transformed from being an ordinary strong Server to the top Server in the universe. Numerous shifts had taken place in power. Traditional powers fell, and new forces emerged.

“I heard that many of the Trinity members from that time also fell.”

The Trinity Club had only ninety-nine members. If one left, another had to take their place.

“Then there must have been a generational shift at that time?” Yu-Mi asked.

“Yes. I think less than ten of the surviving members were from before.”

Out of the ninety-nine members, only about ten percent had survived the overhaul.

“That’s why the current members of the Trinity Club might not welcome a universe-level Scenario. It’s probably best to keep it a secret for now!” Yu-Mi said. She adjusted her round glasses and thought about it for a moment, “But do Gap-Soo and Michelle know about this?”

“I didn’t directly tell them that I had received a universe-level Scenario, but they should have probably figured it out by now.”

Jin-Hyeok was also a bit worried. The existing members of the Trinity Club did not want too big a change. Just as the Trinity members of the previous generation had been replaced, the same could happen this time.

That was why there was a chance Gap-Soo and Michelle were not keen on a universe-level Scenario. If they decided to interfere with the Scenario, it could get inconvenient in many ways.

Yu-Mi cleared her throat. “It’s actually better this way.”

“What?”

“Only two of the ninety-nine members know about this, right? And it just so happens that they are obsessed with your livestreams.”

“Are they that obsessed?”

Content creators always had to be mindful of their audience. No matter how many subscribers they had, they always felt a bit of unease. Even Jin-Hyeok had been quite shocked when the viewer count had suddenly dropped in his last livestream.

“You can be confident in your livestreams, Chul-Soo! You are the best Streamer in the universe, in my opinion!”

“...”

“Those two are already addicted to your livestream. They cannot get out. People know drugs ruin lives, but why do they still reach for them? And I think your livestreams are even more addicting than drugs... I know that content creators always suffer from anxiety, and I do think it’s a good attitude to have.” Yu-Mi adjusted her glasses again and grinned. ‘That’s why you have supporters like me! If we play our cards right, we can completely win over the two Trinity members.”

Jin-Hyeok decided to keep the universe-level Scenario undisclosed for now. However, revealing the information to the two Trinity members and giving them time to prepare for the upcoming upheaval seemed a bit unfair.

‘...Is that okay?’ Jin-Hyeok wondered.

“Think of it as a kind of fan service!” Yu-Mi said.

“...Ah!”

That would be okay.

***

“Hahaha!”

“Hohoho!”

Gap-Soo and Michelle were pleased with Jin-Hyeok’s proposal.

“If I can receive real-time information about the universe-level Scenario, I can prepare for it in my own way,” Gap-Soo said.

“I didn’t donate to Chul-Soo with this in mind, but anyway, it’s an enticing offer.”

The two Trinity members smiled contentedly and made another proposal to Jin-Hyeok.

“How about operating a VIP system like KimKnowItAllTV? We are talking about granting the right to view your unreleased videos.”

“That’s a good idea. That way, other viewers won’t be mad that we’re getting special treatment. Let’s open up the channel only to the top two members, like the Trinity Club.”

They were referring to the top two individuals in terms of total donations, essentially suggesting that he create a channel that only those two could view.

“Then wouldn’t other members of the Trinity Club be able to join it as well?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“No, no.” Gap-Soo slightly grimaced as if he was displeased. “I am MoneyShower.”

“And I am MoneyShot.”

The world had many talented individuals, and these two individuals had earned their place in the Trinity Club by accomplishing many things.

“I have the most money,” Gap-Soo said.

“No, I have the most money,” Michelle interjected.

MoneyShower and MoneyShot were almost unmatched in the universe when it came to money.

“Don’t worry about other members joining. Just create a channel exclusive to the top two. I will have a buttload of money ready,” Gap-Soo said.

“I just donated ten billion Dias.”

“Then I will also donate ten billion Dias.”

The two together donated twenty billion Dias. They were already the top two donors, and this further widened the gap between them and the third-place donor.

‘Wow...’

While the amount of money was certainly exhilarating, a greater sense of accomplishment flooded into Jin-Hyeok’s heart. It felt like his chest was swelling with pride.

‘I guess I’ve become a Steamer worthy of receiving this kind of money.’

This meant that he was receiving a lot of love from the viewers, which made him more happy than the amount of money he received.

***

The popularity of Egan Paul and the Avengers Army skyrocketed, seemingly without limits. Their narrative of returning with their fallen comrades’ bodies alongside Chul-Soo deeply resonated with the American public. However, while the general public audience received them positively, the American rankers did not share the same sentiment.

“Are you happy?” The top Ruler of the American Region, known by the Player name ‘Emperor’, openly expressed his discontent to Egan. “Because of your little show in Korea, many are underestimating the capabilities of American Players.”

Before the Korean Region rose to fame, the American Region was considered the strongest. With numerous Dungeons, diverse resources, favorable Fields for leveling up, and excellent Quests, the American Region was blessed. Consequently, its Players were highly skilled.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves, you clowns.”

Egan was not entirely displeased by Emperor's remarks. “I am a showman. I put on a show. That’s what I do. And the value of that show was recognized by the public.”

While the Avengers Army was a group of exceptional Players, they were fundamentally entertainers and were generally weak to be called the strongest in America. Thus, to hardcore Players like Emperor, the Avengers Army’s performance was less than satisfactory.

“Because of your show, all of the American Players are being looked down upon.”

“Are you blaming me for that?”

“Like it or not, when people think of the top alliance of the American Region, they think of the Avengers Army. It’s the fault of your damned marketing.” From Emperor’s perspective, the Avengers Army was a group of charlatans who had gained fame through marketing rather than skill. “If you are claiming to represent the American Region, shouldn’t you guys have shown worthy Play? All you did was follow Chul-Soo’s coattails.”

“...” Egan was not really angry. He actually found Emperor somewhat pitiable.

‘You just haven’t experienced Chul-Soo yet.’

Apparently, Emperor was intent on causing a stir to restore the pride of the American Region.

“Just a small piece of advice for you, do not declare a Regional War against the Korean Region. That would be a foolish move,” Egan said.

The Great Ruler, Emperor, with his 9-Star Job, had the ability to declare Regional Wars against other Servers. Egan sincerely advised him not to, but it only hurt Emperor’s pride even more.

“It’s only you and your weak party members who think Chul-Soo and the K-Force are powerful,” Emperor said.

Videos and reality were vastly different. No matter how advanced the System’s video technology was, it could not match what was happening in reality. The Chul-Soo seen in the videos was very different from the real one. Emperor continued, “I will show the world how overrated Chul-Soo and the K-Force are. And how pathetic your marketing and production are.”

“I’m telling you, it’s a foolish move.”

“The foolish ones are you guys.”

The next day, the Great Ruler Emperor actually declared a Regional War against the Korean Region. This war was a system where five volunteers from the American Region and five from the Korean Region would battle. Audiences, also known as the Observers, could participate in the war as well.

The participants of the Regional War moved to a new virtual Field for a five-versus-five mock battle. The event was set in a way that anyone could join on a first-come-first-serve basis, without penalties.

Many Players participated in the new event. At the beginning, the score was 95:98, with Korea having a slight lead. However, over time, things began to change.

221:142

299:162

As time passed, the win rate of the American Region’s Players increased, and the results became increasingly one-sided. This sparked much discussion online.

-The Korean Region is so small that their talent pool has been exhausted, LOL.

-It seems like all the good Players have come out.

-I thought the Korean Region was the strongest.

-They are way weaker than I thought.

Netizens of the Earth Server began mocking the Korean Region Players.

-The Korean Region is way overrated, LOL!

-Basically, they are nothing without Chul-Soo.

337:180

393:193

-By the score, it seems like even Chul-Soo is overrated LOL.

-The Korean Region is exposed! Feels so good, hahaha!

999:254

1,000:254

The score was overwhelmingly one-sided. And then, Encyclopedia appeared.

[There is a fact that the Earth Players are not thinking of. You will be shocked to see my analysis data.]

As Encyclopedia released the analysis data, the situation began to shift abruptly.

-What the hell? Is this for real?

-This is crazy! LOL!

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