I Gave Up Being Stronger

Chapter 470

‘Only I can see the crack?’ Cha Jin-Hyeok thought. Neither Lilia nor the two Trinity Club members could see the rift.

Curious, Jin-Hyeok turned to Lilia. “Lilia, could it be that the space is trying to seduce me?”

“That’s possible.” Lilia nodded. “It happens if a space carries intent. The most famous example is the Well of Witch Ritumaril. Ritumaril was a Witch obsessed with blonde beauties between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, and her well is known to enchant such individuals. Why? Do you feel like you’re being seduced?”

Lilia hoped Chul-Soo would say no. At least when it came to seduction techniques, she wanted to be the expert over him. However, her hopes were shattered.

“Yes, that rift seems to be seducing me,” Jin-Hyeok replied.

“Do you mean the rift that none of us, except for you, can see or sense?” Though her pride was a bit bruised, she accepted this quickly. After all, the one they were dealing with was Kim Chul-Soo. This was definitely how the past challengers of the Sword Emperor Tournament had felt when they lost to an Eltuber.

With humility, Lilia decided to seek guidance. “Could you describe the feeling in more detail, Chul-Soo?”

Seduction techniques could indeed be added to spaces and objects. Items like the Mirror of Bewitchment or Love Potions were also forms of seduction. Lilia, who had not yet reached that level of applying seduction techniques—though she hardly needed to, being a Succubus herself—sensed the need for new techniques.

“I want to learn what you’re feeling, Chul-Soo,” she said.

“Hmm...”

“Could it be that an artifact designed for seduction technique is hidden in that rift?”

Even if someone was adept at something, it did not mean they could explain the thing well. The two skills were vastly different.

Without becoming impatient, Lilia continued coaxing Jin-Hyeok. “Or maybe there is some trace of Alluring Dust mixed in with the rift? Or perhaps the Breath of Temptation lingers there.”

She wondered what kind of advanced seduction techniques were at play. Patiently, she awaited Jin-Hyeok’s answer.

“It’s not that...”

“Yes, I’m all ears.”

“Hm...” Jin-Hyeok hesitated. “I’m not sure if this even makes sense.”

“Don’t worry. Seduction technique is such a profound field that it’s impossible to fathom all its depth. Even things that seem implausible tend to happen if you look back at the history of the universe. That’s the beauty of seduction techniques, isn’t it?”

“Could the universe itself be trying to seduce me?”

“What...?” For a moment, Lilia was taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure. “That’s entirely possible. After all, every Chul-Soo Lander across the universe loves you.”

“No, not like that. It feels like the universe itself is trying to seduce me.”

Lilia was speechless. She had never heard of a seduction technique used by the universe itself. She contemplated if that could even be called a seduction technique. “I’m sorry. That’s beyond my abilities...”

Lilia realized that for someone like Jin-Hyeok, even something of that scale was possible. Her desire to compete with him vanished entirely.

***

In the end, Jin-Hyeok knew he had to face the seduction technique to truly understand what was going on. The feeling he sensed from the rift was unmistakable—seduction. It was calling out to him.

‘It feels like overwhelming affection,’ he thought.

It was as though the whole world adored him, a sensation reminiscent of being surrounded by Chul-Soo Landers.

‘If this is a seduction technique... honestly, I wouldn’t stand a chance.’

This seduction technique was on a different level compared to those he had seen before his regression. Before his regression, seduction techniques were limited by factors such as gender or appearance, but now it had transcended all that—a few levels beyond. No one could have imagined the universe itself would try to entice him.

‘If Chul-Soo Landers turned into the universe to seduce me, could I even resist it? Probably not.’

Sensing some unease, Elines grabbed onto Jin-Hyeok’s sleeves. “Don’t go.”

“Hm...”

Faced with the kind of seduction before him, Jin-Hyeok couldn’t do anything to stop himself.

“Something feels wrong,” Elines said.

“You said you felt nothing, though?”

“Still..., I feel uneasy.”

Lilia, who had been eyeing Jin-Hyeok, reached for his left sleeve.

“Lilia? What are you doing?” Jin-Hyeok said.

“I wanted to hold you at least once.”

At some point, Lilia had given up trying to seduce Jin-Hyeok. He was an insurmountable mountain. But today, she found herself unexpectedly brave. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘The universe and Elines are being so open about their feelings,’ Lilia thought. As a Succubus, losing to the universe and a Spirit was unacceptable.

Michelle, who had been cautiously watching them, reached for Jin-Hyeok’s right sleeve. “May I join too?”

“Michelle...?”

It came as a shock to Jin-Hyeok. He could not believe a Trinity Club member was trying to use a seduction technique.

‘Can I even use this as content for my channel?’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

His mental compass felt a bit off. A Trinity Club member like Michelle seducing someone would be trending content, but he never thought it would involve him.

“You’re now a fine man. Don’t worry about the age difference. Among the Trinity Club, I’m actually quite young—only a few hundred years old,” Michelle said with a smile.

The wave of seduction didn’t end there. Frowning deeply, Choi Gap-Soo muttered to himself, “If the age difference isn’t an issue, could I get some exclusive time with Jin-Hyeok as well?”

Gap-Soo thought about getting the Miracle from Hassan. Although he hadn’t grabbed Jin-Hyeok’s sleeve like the others, he found himself lost in contemplation.

***

Mole Woman and Lessefim, while searching for clues about the Final Abyss, stopped by Gap-Soo’s workshop and stumbled upon an interesting scene.

Everyone was surrounding Jin-Hyeok. Even Gap-Soo was beside him! The two Navigators, quick to assess the situation, stepped forward simultaneously.

“Hmph, I can’t lose, moly moly, honorary moly.”

“This time, I’m gonna win!”

It was a competition to determine who was the true Navigator. Mole Woman, as always, wore her tight leather outfit that accentuated her figure and grabbed Jin-Hyeok’s sleeve. “I’m joining too, moly!”

Jin-Hyeok swiftly scanned Mole Woman’s provocative outfit. ‘Phew, the level of exposure is acceptable for my delayed livestream.’

Too much exposure could violate livestreaming regulations. A small misstep, and he would risk cutting entire scenes from the video. Fortunately, the crucial parts were well-covered, and it didn’t break any rules.

‘That was close.’

At that moment, Jin-Hyeok heard a voice from his shoulder.

“It’s me!”

The voice came from the adorable squirrel Beastkin—a fluffy, soft, brown-furred squirrel Beastkin. Jin-Hyeok unconsciously reached out to pet the back of the small squirrel. It was a lethal level of cuteness.

“Are you... Lessefim?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Yes, that’s me!” Lessefim smiled broadly and explained, “I was granted a miracle as well!”

“Hassan’s Miracle?”

“Uh-huh. That’s why I became this cute!” She spread her short arms wide with pride. “It’s a cuteness ability transformation!”

Jin-Hyeok’s eyes grew tender as he looked at Lessefim. He was touched by the cuteness, but he also saw an opportunity to appeal to another viewer demographic.

‘A squirrel Beastkin this cute...,’ Jin-Hyeok thought. It was obvious that viewers interested in animals would be drawn to the livestream featuring Lessefim.

Mole Woman felt a pang of frustration. ‘Damn it! I should have transformed into an animal!’

Lessefim proudly made a “V” with her tiny hands.

‘Damn it, moly!’

Today’s victor was Lessefim.

***

Wang Yu-Mi adjusted her round glasses. She was sweating profusely, which was quite unlike her. “We only have five minutes!”

She had to create a story that viewers would accept or pull off proper editing within that short time. Editor Kang Chul, who usually boasted about his competence in any situation, was feeling utterly defeated.

“Yu-Mi, this is beyond my capabilities,” he said.

It seemed like Chul-Soo Landers were on the brink of starting a riot. The people at Gap-Soo’s workshop were practically tearing apart the very foundation on which Chul-Soo Land was built. With the world already facing potential collapse, things were getting even more chaotic.

“There is no other choice,” Yu-Mi replied.

“Should we just end the livestream?”

“No, we have to go the opposite direction.”

This was beyond what editing could resolve. In situations like this, a direct approach could be the best solution.

“How do you plan to handle the aftermath?” Kang Chul asked.

“That’s for tomorrow’s Kang Chul to figure out!”

“What...?”

“We’re going all in on the overt seduction technique concept.”

“But just now, you said tomorrow’s Kang Chul...”

“Come one! We don’t have much time. Let’s focus on our work!”

Yu-Mi and Kang Chul got busy.

***

After a brief conversation with Yu-Mi via messages, Jin-Hyeok made up his mind.

‘Alright, since it came to this...’ He thought that it was better to spread the attention across multiple people rather than have all the focus on Elines alone. Though Chul-Soo Landers could get somewhat upset, preventing the end of the world was the higher priority.

‘This alone will draw a lot of attention.’

Jin-Hyeok decided to take those casting seductive glances his way and head out, planning to go to other Spirit Realms.

‘First, I will visit the Spirit Realms friendly toward me and make them my allies.’

-What? He’s doing a harem concept at this time?

-And the Trinity Club members are a part of it too?

-Whoa, this is insane! Ysael is furious!

-Even Marshmallow is not holding back.

-The Seo Sisters said they’re going to participate too.

-Muenne took a leave.

-Breaking news: Katrina is coming armed with a wrench.

From Jin-Hyeok’s perspective, some unexpected things were happening.

‘This is strange. It seems more popular than the Final Abyss.’

He thought nothing could be a bigger issue than the end of the world, but this seemed even more sensational.

‘The Spirit Realm tour is going well...’

Thanks to that, his Level was increasing exponentially. His leveling speed was faster than ever before.

‘Is this okay?’ Jin-Hyeok was almost scared at the speed of his level-ups. ‘Am I supposed to be this strong? And I’m still becoming stronger every day!’

These two conflicting emotions were constantly at war. He always wished the former would win, yet he diligently continued to level up each day. The more attention he drew, the faster his leveling became.

‘I was naive to think another singularity would come at Level 600.’

The idea that the Final Abyss might open at Level 600 was nothing but the shortsightedness of not seeing the forest for the trees.

[You have leveled up!]

[You have reached Level 700.]

It was only after reaching Level 700 that the leveling speed finally began to slow down.

Then, Gap-Soo contacted him.

—Come here! Immediately! Please, I beg you!