I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 475

“You’re just asking for a beating, aren’t you?” Cha Jin-Hyeok tapped his younger sister on the head.

Cha Jin-Sol screamed dramatically, “You’re the one who should get a beating, not me!”

“...”

“I really thought I was going to die...” Her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to sob.

“If you Play intensely, there is a chance that you might die, right?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“See? Why do you have such ridiculous beliefs?”

Jin-Sol fell silent. She realized that she had always believed dying while Playing was inevitable. But now, her perspective had changed. It wasn’t as natural as she once thought. There was something beyond just the intensity, something she hadn’t seen before when she was focused on being intense.

“Let’s go back to Mom and Dad,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“Well... we do need to go back, but...” Jin-Sol was hesitant.

At that moment, Mole Woman, who had been waiting for the right opportunity, interrupted them.

“This is the Otherworld, moly. You can’t just return whenever you feel like it, moly!”

“We can’t go back?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“That’s right, moly! Depending on the type of Otherworld, the rules vary, but in this one, you need to defeat the king of this world and use the Mana Stone you obtain to create a rift that leads back to Earth, moly!”

Mole Woman’s gaze shifted toward Lessefim. ‘How dare you crawl all the way here after losing the bet?! And with Chul-Soo, no less! You’re such a shameless and audacious rival! Do you think being cute makes everything okay?’

Feeling the intensity of Mole Woman’s glare, Lessefim clicked her tongue. “That’s your method, Mole Woman.”

“What are you talking about, Lessefim?! We’ve always explored Otherworlds the same way, moly!”

“That was during the last expedition. I’ve grown far beyond that. I’m on a whole different level now.”

Jin-Hyeok noticed something strange. ‘She can pronounce everything correctly after all.’

As soon as Lessefim knew that Chul-Soo realized this, she started speaking cutely again. “I met Chul-Soo! He gave me great inspiration.”

“Hmph, inspiration, my ass,” Mole Woman replied. She thought Lessefim was bluffing again.

Still sitting on Jin-Hyeok’s shoulder, Lessefim continued, “The optimal method for escaping the Otherworld!”

Even the K-Force members were listening intently. Despite thinking that Lessefim was just bluffing, Mole Woman also gulped and perked up her ears.

“Chul-Soo, if you could do the honor,” Lessefim said.

Mole Woman was slightly disappointed. “What nonsense are you talking about, moly?”

Mole Woman knew that Chul-Soo was undoubtedly a man of great power, possibly the strongest in the universe, but this was a different matter entirely. If someone was the best chef in the world, it did not mean they were also the best gardener. Moreover, Chul-Soo had just barely escaped the Final Abyss after being devoured by it. So, there was no way that he could get them out of the Otherworld easily.

“I know Chul-Soo is powerful, but this is a different issue. What are you going to say next, that Park Terse is a fantastic Navigator, too, moly?” Mole Woman said.

“You’re losing your touch, Mole Woman,” Lessefim replied.

Jin-Hyeok, who had been quietly observing them, had to focus on regaining a sense of reality. Only three hundred days had passed by in this place, but he had drifted through the other universe for so long that it had become hard for him to distinguish between what made sense and what didn’t.

“Um...” After organizing his thoughts, when he looked back on things, it started to become clear. What Lessefim had said seemed like a reasonable course of action. “Don’t we just need to create a rift?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He raised Miri and struck the Otherworld.

“...”

“...”

He had tamed worlds before and wrapped an entire universe with Absolute Barrier, so creating a rift was not a big deal.

Mole Woman desperately shouted, “No, moly! If you forcefully create a rift like that, the energy from this world will spill into Earth and cause all sorts of disasters, moly!”

She glared at Lessefim with a look full of resentment, unable to believe that Lessefim had let Chul-Soo make such a careless mistake while knowing what was about to happen. If the energy of the Otherworld escaped from the rift and reached Earth, it would lead to droughts, floods, and plagues that would surround the entire Earth’s civilization.

Even some monsters had escaped from the rift before, though thanks to the Guardian Tree, the damage had been minimal.

Having spent so long in space, Jin-Hyeok tilted his head. “Can’t I just block the energy spilling to prevent that power from escaping from this world?”

If he sealed it properly with Absolute Barrier, there would be no problem. He didn’t know why Mole Woman was acting so seriously and wondered if she was putting on an act.

‘Ah... does she think I’m livestreaming right now?’

Jin-Hyeok felt a bit remorseful. He hadn’t noticed his comrades’ intent. Mole Woman was far more professional than he was. She definitely had the perfect talent for livestreaming.

“Let’s go back to Earth,” Jin-Hyeok said.

***

When Jin-Hyeok’s mother saw him and Jin-Sol, she fainted on the spot. The Guardian Tree used its power to gently lay her down so that she wouldn’t get hurt, and the Healers from the MK Foundation, who were waiting at the side, immediately used their healing magic over her.

“My spells are not working on her...!”

“She’s not responding to the treatment.”

Although Jin-Hyeok’s mother had some physical issues, it was the psychological impact that had made her faint. Her mind had become so fragile over the years, always on the verge of collapsing. She had held on, worrying about her missing son and daughter, but now, the wave of shock had washed everything away.

“Only time can help her gain her consciousness,” one of the Healers said.

Jin-Sol lifted her mother into her arms.

“No matter how powerful Saint of Freedom is, she can’t heal her,” another Healer added.

“I bet the Saint of Freedom won’t be able to exert her full strength on her.”

The Healers looked on sympathetically. Her mother’s life wasn’t in danger, but it would take at least a few months of rest before she could return to her normal condition.

Jin-Sol gently poured some Chul-Soo Potion into her mother’s mouth.

“But we also used Chul-Soo Potion, and it didn’t have any effect,” the Healer said.

“I guess the Saint of Freedom isn’t in her right mind right now.”

Even though Chul-Soo Potion couldn’t restore a completely shattered mind, no one could mock Jin-Sol’s earnest attempt to do something for her mother.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

After drinking the potion, their mother slowly opened her eyes. Then, with more energy than she had shown in years, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “Cha Jin-Hyeok!! Cha Jin-Sol!!”

The Healers exchanged confused gazes.

“How is that possible?”

“Her skin even looks healthier than before!”

The potion made from the blood of Jin-Hyeok after he had surpassed Level 700 was incomparable to its previous versions.

“She’s starting to regain her color!” a Healer exclaimed.

“How is that... possible?”

Although the Healers couldn’t believe what was going on, the results were undeniable. Their eyes lit up with newfound determination. This was the path Healers had to strive for—their ideal future.

Chul-Soo had shown them the way.

“If we push ourselves, we can reach that level.”

“Let’s work even harder!”

***

As always, their father’s greeting was brief.

“Have you guys eaten?” he asked.

“Dad!!!” Jin-Sol, with a heart full of guilt, threw herself into her father’s arms. She apologized profusely, explaining how she hadn’t been in her right mind and had caused him to worry. As she kept saying sorry, her father smiled gently.

“No need to apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry for not being able to take better care of you,” he said. Though he was smiling, his eyes were slightly bloodshot.

‘Dad...’ It had been a long time since Jin-Hyeok had seen his father, and his father had grown noticeably thinner. His once-thick hair was now streaked with white, and his face was etched with deep wrinkles. ‘He’s gotten old.’

The years of hardship had taken a toll on him. His father, who had always had a full head of hair, was now balding to the point where his scalp was visible. Feeling awkward, Jin-Hyeok approached him and handed him a potion. “Dad, you should drink this.”

“I’m fine, you take it.”

‘As long as you’re healthy, that’s enough for me.’ His father didn’t seem particularly interested in the potion.

“I have plenty. I already gave one to Jin-So. There is more than enough, so please take one,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“...”

Then, a miracle happened.

A Healer next to Chul-Soo saw a new future and hope unfold before him. This Healer had been bald ever since he was born and was nicknamed Baldy.

“His hair... his hair is growing back! Humanity has evolved!” Baldy raised his hands in the air, forgetting all embarrassment. “A new era has dawned!”

***

Riding atop the Thunder Dragon, Jin-Sol asked, “Oppa, why isn’t anyone looking at us? We’re literally riding a Thunder Dragon.”

“Oh, I’ve activated Absolute Barrier,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

Jin-Sol was a bit confused. From what she knew, Absolute Barrier was a defensive barrier. She didn’t know that it could block even their presence. Though she didn’t fully understand, she decided to let it go. “Okay... I see.”

“Yeah.”

Now that she realized, aside from a few Healers and the nearby Players from the MK Foundation, no one seemed particularly surprised by Jin-Hyeok’s appearance. ‘They’re not paying attention to us at all.’

This also seemed to be the power of Absolute Barrier. Though she didn’t understand it completely, she felt like they had somehow separated from the world—as though they were in a different realm altogether.

“Is this also because of Absolute Barrier? Like the world’s been cut off from the rest?” Jin-Sol asked.

“No, this is the power of Omnipotent Director.”

“Oh, I see...”

In truth, whether it was Absolute Barrier or Omnipotent Director didn’t matter much. Jin-Sol had given up trying to understand her brother through ordinary logic. She decided it was better for her mental health to just accept things as they were.

When they returned home, however, Jin-Sol was taken aback.

“Elines?” she said, surprised.

Standing in front of them was Elines, in human form, wearing an apron and mask made of fire. Bowing politely in front of Jin-Hyeok’s parents, Elines smiled sweetly. “Welcome back!”

“Uh...”

“Um...”

Jin-Hyeok’s parents were understandably flustered, but Elines beamed brightly.

“I’ve purified the house with the cleansing flame,” Elines said. She had burned away all impurities to purify the place. Then, Elines turned her gaze toward Jin-Hyeok. “You too, my dear husband, welcome home.”

Jin-Hyeok was momentarily speechless. He had no idea where Elines could have picked up such old-fashioned mannerisms. It seemed like she had learned something entirely wrong.

‘Well, I will just let it slide for now.’ Since his parents had all been through so much, he decided to let things be for a while, even if the Fire Spirit before them was acting strange. After all, this was all his fault, in a way.

“Elines, do you even know what husband means?” Jin-Sol asked cautiously.

“I think... it means someone you rely on and are always with...” Elines trailed off. Despite her enthusiasm and energy, she was still lacking in knowledge and had clearly learned some things incorrectly. It wasn’t long before the culprit behind her faulty teachings revealed itself.

“Mother, Father, you’re here!”

A woman, dressed in a beautifully traditional hanbok[1], bowed. Jin-Hyeok couldn’t help but let out a bewildered laugh. The woman standing before them, in human form, was clearly the Guardian Tree.

‘The Guardian Tree always had odd speech patterns, but where did she pick up these old-fashioned manners and etiquette?’ Jin-Hyeok wondered.

It seemed like the Guardian Tree had referenced historical television shows or some old novels for her behavior. The references were all wrong.

“I’m sure you’re wondering who I am. I’m Leafy,” the Guardian Tree said.

The faces of Jin-Hyeok’s parents brightened.

“Leafy? You’re Leafy?”

“Hm..., so you’re Leafy...”

Their parents seemed quite familiar with Leafy. They mentioned how, back when they were camping in Cheongdam-dong, a leaf fairy had come by every day to keep them company.

“Yes, Mother, Father, I visited every day to check on you, worried you might feel lonely. I’m so glad you remember me,” Leafy said.

Just as Kim Min-Ji’s universe had manifested in human form, so had the Guardian Tree. Jin-Hyeok’s mother seemed especially fond of Leafy.

“You are so polite and well-mannered,” the mother said.

“I’m delighted to hear you say that,” Leafy replied. She bowed once again, smiling victoriously. ‘Do you see this, Elines? You’re no match for me. Just being good at cleaning doesn’t mean you can compete with me!’

When Elines felt Leafy’s smugness, her fiery apron shook furiously.

1. Hanbok is traditional clothing of the Korean people. ☜