I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 52

‘But… What is this?’

The light of the Sword Emperor Trait dimmed. More precisely, a darkness darker than the light swallowed the illumination of the Sword Emperor Trait. An indeterminate sense of unease flooded in. Within Cha Jin-Hyeok’s meditative state, his inner world shook violently. The darkness darker than the light of the Sword Emperor Trait was none other than this microcosm itself.

[The Trait, 「Sword Emperor」, is being absorbed.]

[Absorption rate: 0%... 35%...]

This microcosm was ridiculously dark, absorbing the light of the Sword Emperor Trait relentlessly.

Like a black hole.

‘This is insane! How could this happen to a Trait I just obtained? Why is it vanishing?’

Jin-Hyeok desperately reached out and swam toward the light of the Sword Emperor Trait, but it was futile.

[...70%...90%...100%]

The light that briefly illuminated his inner self completely disappeared, and profound darkness descended. He opened his eyes abruptly and ended the meditation.

“Fuck…”

Without realizing it, profanity slipped out. Of course, being a Streamer, his Job and Trait efficiency was not as great as when he was a Sword King. However, obtaining the Sword Emperor Trait would have allowed him to wield a sword with much more freedom.

Jin-Hyeok would have been able to converse with the sword and easily reach the realm of unity between the sword and himself. At least until around Level 100, he could have possessed power similar to what he had in the past.

‘Why isn’t it working?! If this was going to happen, It would’ve been better for it to not appear at all. If I had not had any expectations from the beginning, I wouldn’t have been disappointed like this. Sigh.’

Jin-Hyeok let out a long sigh.

‘Let’s think for a moment.’

There were instances in the past where Traits were absorbed.

‘I forget what the reason was…’

It was not a common occurrence, so the reason did not come to mind easily. Someone had experienced a situation similar to this, but he could not remember.

‘Ah! It was Han Sae-Rin!’

Although it was a long time ago, Jin-Hyeok remembered because she let the world know of what happened by cursing for an entire day.

‘After venting her frustration by swearing and going on a rampage, she disappeared for a few days… Then she reappeared, smiling as if nothing happened.’

As he recalled the memory, other memories began to resurface one by one. Finally, it clicked.

‘I remember this happens when there is a higher-tier Trait that surpasses the newly acquired Trait!’

It was a rare occurrence, but it definitely existed.

‘If a higher-tier Trait devours a lower-tier Trait… The Trait itself becomes enhanced. Wait a minute… Does that mean there is a higher-tier counterpart to the Sword Emperor within me? Does such a thing exist? The only one that would make sense is my Almighty Jack of All Trade.’

In the end he was able to draw one conclusion.

‘The Almighty Jack of All Trade might be a growth-type Trait!’

Traits could be broadly divided into two types:

Active Traits

Passive Traits

Active Traits were those that were actively triggered by the caster’s will, like Jin-Hyeok’s Broadcaster’s Barrier. Passive Traits were those that were automatically applied to the body or soul, regardless of the caster’s will, just like his Imperial Resilience. Active Traits consumed mental energy, while passive Traits had little to no mental energy consumption. These two types were generally known in the world.

Sae-Rin, who started as a Navigator and later rose to become an unrivaled Ruler, had a growth-type Trait called Pioneer of Miracles. This Trait later grew into the Trait called Absolute Monarch.

So in this world, there was one more type of Trait called the growth-type Trait.

‘What about my Almighty Jack of All Trade?’

Jin-Hyeok had a rough idea of what Almighty Jack of All Trade was as a Trait. It elevated most talents to a reasonably good level, serving as a foundation for becoming a moderately versatile Player.

‘Now that I have absorbed the Sword Emperor Trait, my abilities with the sword should be better, right?’

Thinking that way, it did not seem like a completely bad idea. Although he did not know if it’s the same as Sae-Rin’s case, she was very satisfied with her growth-type Trait.

‘Wait, Now that I have absorbed the Sword Emperor Trait, can I absorb other Traits, like Dao Emperor, or Mana Emperor?’

Dao Emperor and Mana Emperor.

These were the Traits possessed by the monsters that gave Jin-Hyeok a really hard time. There were also Traits like Martial King, God of Archery, and others. A multitude of top-tier Traits came to mind immediately.

‘If I were to absorb all of these… Then my Almighty Jack of All Trade can potentially transform into something like a Complete All-Rounder?’

This unrealistic thought briefly crossed his mind.

‘Nah, that’s not possible.’

It would be foolish for Jin-Hyeok to get ahead of himself. The concept of the Almighty Jack of All Trade was a Trait that had never been known in the world. It could not be directly compared to Sae-Rin’s case. Suddenly, Jin-Hyeok snapped out of his happy daydream.

‘What was I thinking?’

Seven years had passed since his regression. It seemed that those years made him forget his sense of reality. He knew very well that there was no such thing as a Complete All-Rounder in the world he had experienced, yet he found himself entertaining such thoughts. People truly did not change.

Once again, Jin-Hyeok recalled the truth he had kept in his heart.

‘It is difficult to excel even in just one thing.’

In the past, he lived much more intensely than he did now. Looking back, he was truly obsessed. It was through that obsession that he barely became a master in one field.

‘It’s impossible to master every field.’

So Jin-Hyeok decided not to indulge in empty fantasies.

‘Even if it were possible…’

It was unlikely, but if his Almighty Jack of All Trade truly possessed such potential and power…

‘...Then I would be hunted down around Level 200.’

By that point, the power of the Almighty Jack of All Trade would have revealed itself to some extent, and Scouts or Players with scanning abilities would be able to grasp that power. Then, the Players who hunt down Awakened would come into action. They usually did not bother Players below Level 200, but if the Almighty Jack of All Trade was truly an extraordinary Trait, that was a different story.

They might face worldwide ridicule, but they would quickly kill Jin-Hyeok.

Jin-Hyeok reached a conclusion.

‘I need to reach Level 100 at least. This is not going to work.’

It was certain that he absorbed the Sword Emperor Trait. Until the lower Levels, where Job boundaries were not clearly defined, he should be able to unleash the power of Sword Emperor to a level comparable to that of Players of the blade-wielding class.

‘But only until Level 100.’

His original plan had not changed. It was just that the intermediate process had slightly shifted.

Just a little bit.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Serchan let out a sigh of relief.

‘This should do.’

He quickly deployed a new monster called Flying Toad (♀). Despite staying up for three consecutive nights to stabilize the Yeosu Scenario, he managed to accomplish it.

‘It’s back on track.’

During that time, he barely even had time to use the restroom.

‘What happened to that guy? Surely he didn’t actually obtain the Unleashing Technique.’

He cautiously examined the Nak An Historic Village using the Administrator’s Prerogative.

‘That crazy bastard.’

In the meantime, Kim Chul-Soo had already obtained the Unleashing Technique.

‘How on earth did he get it so quickly.?’

Serchan did not understand. For this to be possible, Chul-Soo would have had to be a regressor, but he even had the Certificate of Authenticity from the System.

‘This is a problem that is out of my hands.’

He decided not to dwell on it any longer. Serchan completely erased Chul-Soo’s existence from his mind.

‘It’s none of my business.’

Unleashing Technique might be an excellent Trait, but it did not have any significant impact on the Yeosu Scenario or the world like the Master Trait. It did not matter who obtained it.

‘I’ve never met Kim Chul-Soo, and that’s how the world is going to remember it.’

Serchan decided to focus only on his own affairs.

For the sake of the promotion.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

When Jin-Hyeok returned home, he saw several articles about him.

[Where has the hero of Yeosu disappeared to?]

[Yeosu’s swordsman. What is his true identity?]

[The hero who faced the monster that even the military could not handle.]

Even on Eltube, it was filled with stories about that hero. A considerable number of drones captured footage of Jin-Hyeok wearing the Deceiver’s Mask. But when Serchan appeared, all the drones were destroyed and Jin-Hyeok disappeared without a trace.

[He was a hero who had true power.]

[Has the hero who showed his power to the world fallen into the sea?]

Everyone thought he was dead.

⌜The coast guard has been immediately deployed for a search operation…⌟

⌜After sixteen hours of searching… we still hold onto a desperate hope… for the hero’s return. This is Park Dae-Jeong, reporting.⌟

For now, Jin-Hyeok’s identity had not been exposed. The Deceiver’s Mask seemed to have played its role quite well. But this was only a temporary solution. Eventually, the people were going to find out about him. The National Intelligence Service of South Korea had exceptional capabilities.

‘If I want to truly enjoy Playing more actively, I need a more fundamental solution.’

“It’s just until I reach Level 100,” Jin-Hyeok murmured to himself, trying to find a good solution.

He laid down on the bed. Absorbing the Unleashing Technique might be his last chance to enjoy Playing. It was a bit regretful to obtain it as a Streamer, but it could not be helped. He had to make the most of this precious time.

‘I need to kill two birds with one stone.’

Regardless, it was right for him to grow as a Streamer.

‘Now that I am not a crazy person anymore, I should focus more on my livestreaming.’

He wanted to become the owner of a building in Yeonhui-dong and live a happy and easy life. He was truly someone who desired that. It was much better than becoming stronger.

It was true.

‘Let’s put being a Streamer as my main job, and becoming strong with a sword as my hobby.’

A normal person would focus on their main job rather than a hobby.

‘But for that to happen, I need a way to hide my identity better.’

He thought about what could be done. It was something that was not originally part of his plan, so he had to dig up memories from a long time ago.

‘There is something I can do, but…’

He came up with a suitable idea.

There was a Mystery called the Second Identity. With this, anyone could completely transform into a different person. Even fingerprints and irises changed. In gaming terms, it was like leveling up an alternative character. It was quite a rare Mystery, and there was one person who used it amazingly well. Jin-Hyeok had a big run-in with her back in the day.

‘Angel Girl.’

Angel Girl was a skilled Thief who made great use of the Second Identity. This was not something Jin-Hyeok discovered by himself.

Before regression, Angel Girl was always one step ahead of Jin-Hyeok’s team. It was not Jin-Hyeok who caught Angel Girl, but top-tier Players from the National Police Agency[1] who eventually caught Angel Girl.

In the end, it was the police who caught the Thief, and Angel Girl’s methods were all exposed to the media. The arrest of one of the most famous Thief Players in Korea was a big issue. Jin-Hyeok remembered the National Police Agency guys mocking him.

‘I remember Angel Girl obtained Second Identity in the early stages.’

He was not sure if Angel Girl obtained it during the Tutorial. Anyway, she obtained it before Level 60, that was for sure.

‘The location… Where did she obtain it?’

It was somewhere in Jongno-gu, Seoul, but Jin-Hyeok could not remember exactly.

‘I should look into this.’

If he wanted to enjoy his hobby, he should be willing to put in this much effort.

‘But I really want to hold a sword right now…’

Using the Unleashing Technique consumed a lot of his mental energy. So he hadn’t had a chance to hold the sword in the past few days because he had been taking a break. He didn’t know it would have such an aftermath when he used the Mystery.

‘For now, let’s focus on the main job.’

Hobbies were just hobbies. His main job was being a Streamer.

Coincidentally, Cha Jin-Sol came into his room and asked, “Oppa, what’s the next big content going to be?”

“Well, I'm planning to enhance the necklace.”

“Necklace?”

“This one.”

Jin-Hyeok turned on his livestream as a teaser.

[This is the teaser for the next content.]

Jin-Sol turned her head.

“Ugh… I don’t want to see that…”

It was the Berklev Necklace imbued with Im Kkeok-Jeong’s blood. Jin-Hyeok assumed it had absorbed enough blood.

“So? What are you going to do with that?” Jin-Sol asked.

“I received this booklet from Katrina, who owns a jewelry store.”

There were detailed explanations on how to enhance the Berkalv Necklace. And Jin-Hyeok had already decided which way he was going to enhance it.

“I’m trying to manifest this ability,” Jin-Hyeok said.

While flipping through the booklet, he pointed to one section. Jin-Sol came closer and examined the booklet carefully.

“What do you think?” Jin-Hyeok asked, even though he was not going to consider her opinion anyway.

“Which one?” Jin-Sol said.

“This one.”

Jin-Sol looked at the content for a moment, then raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“Hm… Hm? Huh? What the…”

She looked at her brother with a perplexed and incredulous expression.

“Is this for real? Are you sure?”

Jin-Hyeok did not understand why her reaction was like that.

1. One of the national police organizations in South Korea. ☜