I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 331

Cha Jin-Hyeok conducted his livestream with a composed demeanor, despite the tremors of excitement he felt inside.

“As our viewers know, this Recording Journal is automated. The title Great now precedes the title Planter,” Jin-Hyeok explained. The Great Planter title had granted him new knowledge. “I have now earned the right to plant Guardian Trees in other Servers as well.”

Young Guardian Trees were thriving all over Earth. Consequently, he had received requests from the Scanorbia Server to plant some there, and he had attempted this task several times.

“Until now, Earth’s Guardian Tree could not be planted on other Servers,” he explained.

-Finally, that clears things up.

-Where are those who mocked Chul-Soo for his slow thinking? Come out, come out, wherever you are.

-What happened to those who teased Chul-Soo for being dumb?

Some had argued why Earth’s Guardian Trees were not being exported to other Servers, criticizing Kim Chul-Soo’s business acumen as subpar. They claimed that exporting the trees would skyrocket Chul-Soo’s value and often boasted about their insights.

-Chul-Soo had a plan all along.

-Those who acted all high and mighty are now silent.

-Chul-Soo is always right!

Jin-Hyeok went straight to Hell Man. “It seems we can now plant Guardian Trees in Hell. What do you think about that?”

“Guardian Trees... in Hell?” Hell Man said.

“Moreover, here, it is geographically easier to transport soil from Mount Kelibergh, so we can grow them faster here than we can in other Servers.”

“We have no reason to refuse your proposal. However, currently, Hell is not in a position to offer you adequate compensation...”

The integration of the Fourth and Third Hells was not an easy task, despite the power of hot showers and delicious baked goods. There were various disruptions, and Hell Man was quite preoccupied.

“I don’t need any compensation,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Hell Man did not ask why. ‘Chul-Soo would probably say it’s because the viewership numbers are good.’

However, Hell Man knew the real reason Chul-Soo was not asking for any compensation.

‘Chul-Soo is incredibly righteous. He is a fervent advocate of justice and order, not expecting anything in return for his deeds.’

That was, of course, a misconception of Hell Man.

Good viewership numbers were compensation enough for Jin-Hyeok. Yet, Hell Man was touched once again.

‘I truly learn a lot from you, Chul-Soo.’

***

[Chul-Soo has announced that he would transplant Guardian Trees to the Third and Fourth Hells for free!]

└That’s insane! Isn’t that beneficial for the Hell Server?

└That’s a win for them.

└I can’t even imagine Guardian Trees in Hell.

Hell was a Server far removed from civilization. Known for its brute strength but bare technology for daily living, the Hell Server was perceived as barbaric and barren. The idea of planting Guardian Trees there astonished many since these trees typically existed only in highly civilized, advanced Servers.

[But I heard there is significant opposition from the residents of Hell.]

└Are they crazy? They should be begging for this.

└There is a rumor going around that Guardian Trees cause terrible diseases.

└Are you serious? LOL! What disease could Guardian Trees possibly bring?

└But it seems a lot of people believe that rumor.

Just like the rumor, protests against Guardian Trees were happening all around the Server.

[There is also a claim that Guardian Trees are a foothold for invasion.]

└Using Guardian Trees for invasion? How the hell is that possible?

└Apparently, they believe that the trees can serve like turrets or something.

Videos of Hell’s residents protesting spread across the universe.

?Placing a potentially hostile weapon in every city is something we as residents of Hell cannot accept!?

?Earth must stop its acts of aggression toward Hell!?

This reaction made some in the universe somewhat sympathetic.

[Well, come to think of it, isn’t there something off about Earth’s Guardian Trees?]

└(Photo attached) Look at this. The backs of the monsters’ heads are all smashed to pieces.

└Ugh... that’s horrible.

└Please, blur that shit out.

Earth’s Guardian Trees were indeed more aggressive and powerful than those of other Servers, being especially skilled at smashing the backs of monsters’ heads, a trait not shared by other Servers’ Trees.

[Usually, other Guardian Trees just create barriers to prevent monsters from approaching.]

└Ones like Earth’s that smash monsters’ heads or temples are rare, aren’t they?]

└Not just rare, they exist on only Earth!

└I can see why Hell’s residents do not want Earth’s Guardian Tree over there.

Hell Man frowned and said, “It seems some forces are actively trying to undermine you and Earth’s influence.”

“I think you’re right,” Jin-Hyeok said. He figured it was likely. People naturally resisted what they were not accustomed to. “Normally, using violence would suffice...”

His statement made Hell Man’s expression darken. Hell Man cared deeply for the residents of Hell.

“...but it’s not possible to beat all the residents of Hell,” Jin-Hyeok added.

Hell Man’s expression lightened.

“After all, even with your brainwashing capabilities, you can’t brainwash all of Hell’s residents. The resistance is stronger in the Third Hell than the Fourth, right?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“That’s right.”

The Fourth Hell was more favorable toward Chul-Soo than the Third, as it was originally Hell Man’s territory.

“Then let’s start by planting the Guardian Tres in the Fourth Hell as a trial,” Jin-Hyeok proposed.

Jin-Hyeok was now the Great Planter, and Earth had many skilled Technicians.

“The land here is incredibly barren.” Initially, the Technicians from Earth were hesitant, but they overcame that soon. “The soil from Mount Kelibergh can cover that!”

Using soil from Mount Kelibergh, they successfully planted a Guardian Tree. When Lessefim collaborated with Katrina to apply their specially formulated fertilizer to the Guardian Tree, the tree thrived rapidly.

Livestreaming the tree’s growth became a hot topic across the universe.

-That tree looks like it has grown for at least ten years.

-Hasn’t it been just a week?

-I thought it took two to three years for Guardian Trees to take root in the ground.

This Guardian Tree had immediately taken root and grew incredibly fast.

-Judging by the sheen on the leaves and the condition of the bark, it seems perfectly adapted to the environment.

-Is this even possible?

-How can a Guardian Tree grow so stable and so fast?

Jin-Hyeok was enjoying tremendously happy days. Since a group of botany experts claiming ‘Guardian Trees could never grow this fast’ had appeared, the issue had drawn a lot of attention. This led to heated debates over whether Jin-Hyeok’s videos were manipulated.

‘Viewership is skyrocketing, and comments are pouring in,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

When the time seemed ripe, he released a video.

[Trade Secret]

The video revealed that the stable and rapid growth of the Guardian Tree was possible thanks to the Tamer Park Terse.

-Terse’s help?

-But Terse is a Tamer!

“Terse said that a good Tamer should be able to communicate with trees as well,” Jin-Hyeok explained.

-But isn’t he no longer a Tamer at that point?

-Can we even call him a Tamer now?

“By deeply communicating and conversing with the mutated Sacred Tree of Mount Kelibergh, Terse learned a lot. You talked a lot with the mutated Sacred Tree, right?” Jin-Hyeok asked Terse.

Terse nodded and responded, “It was not just a matter of genetics or soil. The problem was that our Bakubaku grew wrong without a teacher to advise or guide it.”

-Don’t trees usually not have teachers?

-I am so confused. What world am I living in?

“So, I decided to warmly communicate with the lovely Guardian Trees that will grow here in Hell,” Terse said. He raised his left hand, scooping up a handful of soil from Mount Kelibergh. “This soil is not ordinary. It influenced our frail and slender Bakubaku to command thousands of monsters. The only downside was its negative mental impact.”

He then raised a handful of the Lessefim/Katrina collaborative fertilizer with his right hand.

“This will minimize the side effects. It is kind of a mental conditioning process.”

-Mental conditioning?

-But didn’t he just say that he was going to warmly communicate?

“Moreover, since the mental powers of Hell Man are outstanding, we can raise this Guardian Tree to be desirable and upright.”

Although the process and explanation were a bit strange, ultimately, growing the Guardian Tree was a huge success.

***

In the capital of the Fourth Hell, a significant transformation was underway.

“Starting today, you don’t need to stand guard all night anymore.”

“What?”

Monsters that used to spring up incessantly in the streets at night were now said to no longer appear. If they did, they would automatically die with their heads smashed.

“Now, Mom and Dad can sleep peacefully too.”

“But, isn’t it a bit risky not to keep guard at all?

There were changes in every household. Families and community members who had been unable to sleep peacefully due to monster attacks started to rest more comfortably.

“We set up a night watch just in case, but...”

“We just slept, but nothing happened!”

As time passed, the residents of Hell began to rave about the powers of the Guardian Tree.

“Is this what a civilized society is like?”

“We can take showers with hot water, and now we can sleep without standing guard!”

“I can’t believe we do not have to worry about attacks at home...!”

The residents of Hell quickly adapted to the civilized society as if the protests to get rid of Chul-Soo had never happened.

“Tsk. Those fools from Third Hell.”

“They say Guardian Trees would bring disease. How stupid of them.”

“My child’s skin has improved instead!”

As the diseases carried by the monsters began to disappear, the city became more pleasant. This put the factions that had led the opposition and protests in an awkward position.

“It seems like our plan to get rid of Chul-Soo is not effective anymore.”

“Who knew the Guardian Tree would take root so quickly?”

“We should not just be sitting around. There is a limit to controlling information. Residents of the Fifth Hell are getting restless too!”

In fact, the Rulers of the First, Second, and Fifth Hells had been behind the anti-Guardian Tree and anti-Hell Man/IntenseMan protests. They feared Hell Man would also integrate their territories with his.

The Ruler of the First Hell, Emperor of Hell Memphis, said, “If we continue like this, we will get devoured too.”

With Jin-Hyeok’s arrival, the balance in Hell was disturbed. The Hell Rulers needed to find a way out.

The Ruler of the Fifth Hell came up with an idea. “How about we create a situation to negotiate with Hell Man and Chul-Soo?”

A full-scale war would take too long. By then, the Guardian Trees would be fully established, making it impossible to win the war.

“Better to pretend to negotiate and then ambush, right? We will receive some moral criticism, but we can suppress that with force. Our Hell does not care about justification.”

They plotted their plan accordingly. The Rulers of the First and Second Hells were on brotherly terms, and the Ruler of the Second Hell, Zhenba, was the strongest in terms of military power among them.

“I will distract IntenseMan and Hell Man. When I give you the signal, Zhenba, you will kill Chul-Soo. Then Memphis and I will combine our forces to subdue Hell Man,” the Ruler of the Fifth Hell said.

“But won’t Hell Man’s mental powers be a huge nuisance?”

“All of Hell Man’s focus is on Chul-Soo right now. Once Chul-Soo is gone, he will lose his marbles and become incapable of using his powers effectively.”

Under the leadership of the Ruler of the Fifth Hell, Jun, the plan was set into motion.

“I am Jun, the Ruler of the Fifth Hell. Hell Man, IntenseMan, I have come to represent the First, Second, and Fifth Hells.” Jun entered the palace of Hell Man after discarding all weapons to show his lack of hostility.

In a secluded room within the palace, he cautiously continued, “The First and Second Hells will propose negotiations. Then they plan to stab you in the back and kill both of you. Here is the detailed plan. I was supposed to put you off guard, and then Zhenba, the strongest in combat among us, will launch a surprise attack on you.”

Jun carefully observed Jin-Hyeok’s reaction. Most Players would erupt in rage upon hearing such a revelation. Conspiring and ambushing while pretending to propose a peace treaty was a vile act even by the standards of the uncivilized Hell.

Naturally, someone called the IntenseMan of Justice and Order, known for his honor, would be furious upon hearing this. However, the reality was somewhat different.

‘Is he smiling?’ Jun thought.

Jin-Hyeok smiled. ‘Betrayal content. Sweet.’