I Gave Up Being Stronger

The one who had spoken just now was Lessefim. She had secretly followed Cha Jin-Hyeok to the treasury. Recently feeling inspired by him, the Navigator had rediscovered her initial passion and Played diligently, achieving the remarkable feat of rising to third place in the Navigator rankings. She had also gotten very interested in the Imperial Palace’s secret treasury.

Though she wasn’t a Thief or exploration expert, she was a master of tracking. Breaking through the path alone could be difficult for her, but she had a knack for following others. She had thought that the talks about the security of the treasury were somewhat exaggerated, given how easily Song Ha-Young and Jin-Hyeok had breached it. However, the greatest danger often struck when one let their guard down.

‘Why now? After coming this far!’ Lessefim thought.

Although the treasury wasn’t as secure as people made it out to be, it was still the Imperial Treasury. One could not lower their guard until the very end. Perhaps this was a space designed to give up some treasures to lull intruders into a false sense of security before ambushing them.

She had never expected Jin-Hyeok to blatantly attack the stone gate. It was the worst of the worst strategies. ‘Should I reveal myself here?’

Although Lessefim was a citizen of Arvis and a ranker, she did not have the authority to enter the Imperial Treasury without permission. Right now, she was breaking the law.

‘With Ha-Young gone, I’m the only one who can stop Chul-Soo.’

While she contemplated that, Jin-Hyeok was already swinging Miri toward the gate.

‘He’s gotten even faster!’

“Do you really think such a crude method will work on the stone gate?!”

As if he were mocking her brief hesitation, Jin-Hyeok had already shattered the gate. He whirled around at the familiar voice like he didn’t know someone was following him.

“I definitely heard a voice just now,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Unable to withstand the impact, the gate of the Imperial Treasury swung wide open.

Jin-Hyeok looked back, but no one was there. Though, he was aware of Lessefim’s presence. He thought, ‘For a tracking expert, she’s following me rather laboriously.’

Jin-Hyeok glanced at the wall where Lessefim was hiding. Their eyes met for a moment, and Lessefim realized he had discovered her.

‘How did he detect my hiding spot so quickly?’ she wondered. Chul-Soo seemed to have grown significantly in just a few months. Lessefim felt slightly dejected. ‘But why did the gate open?’

She had expected dangerous traps to activate, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

‘Is the Imperial Treasury this lax?’

***

Imperial Scholar Yulette anxiously checked his watch. Observing the situation, he approached Emperor Kyle and whispered, “Their return is delayed.”

By this time, even skilled Thieves would have been caught by the guards or rolling on the floor begging for mercy—trapped in illusions.

He continued, “The longer they take, the more dangerous traps they will encounter. Even though we have disabled the most lethal ones…”

“Let’s wait five more minutes,” Kyle replied.

“Five minutes here could be five years there.”

The Falling Pit trap distorted time, making victims experience the terror of falling for years. Though it wasn’t lethal, it was a vicious trap that drove many to madness.

“You might need to intervene soon, Your Majesty,” Yulette said.

“Is it that serious?”

“Even if they’re lucky enough to pass all the traps, Protectors await at the end. These Protectors are designed to grow stronger over time. Centuries of mana are concentrated in them; a single individual or a team of two cannot handle them. The Protectors will show no mercy to intruders. Only Your Majesty can stop them.”

Just then, the golden thread on Kyle’s wrist turned red, and he said, “The entrance to the treasury has opened.”

“Pardon?”

Only the emperor was allowed direct access to the Imperial Treasury, and even that required several procedures and official seals.

Kyle, who had completed the preparations in advance, immediately headed to the treasury and found Jin-Hyeok standing at the entrance.

“I see that you managed to get here,” Kyle

“I was lucky, Ky—I mean, Your Majesty.”

“Did you encounter the Protectors?”

“I did.”

“Then how are you still alive?”

“They let me in. I’m not sure why.”

“I see…”

The more Kyle observed him, the more intriguing Jin-Hyeok became. Kyle could not believe that Jin-Hyeok had bypassed the Protectors and managed to open the stone gate.

“What about Ha-Young?” Kyle asked.

“I’m not sure. She seems to have infiltrated further. I heard a scream and was about to rush in.”

“I see.”

If Imperial Scholar Yulette could witness this, he would faint from shock. Two people had breached the Imperial Treasury.

“I will go first,” Kyle said. “I can temporarily disable all barriers and traps from the inside. That way, both you and Angel Girl will be safe.”

“Oh really…?”

At the mention of safety, Jin-Hyeok’s expression seemed oddly disappointed.

***

Yulette led the VIPs participating in the opening ceremony as they began gathering in front of the Imperial Treasury. Although he felt flustered, Yulette maintained a calm exterior while saying, “As expected, you have succeeded in breaching it. I knew you would.”

Just a couple of hours ago, Yulette had claimed that the treasury was impenetrable; his shift in attitude was remarkably swift and precise.

“Did you anticipate this?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Of course!” Yulette gently smiled. “I believed it was right to clear out the remnants of the old era according to His Majesty’s wishes. I hoped that Sir Chul-Soo, the rising star of the new Server, would take on that role.”

He explained that the event was designed to show Chul-Soo, the new rising star, breaking down the old and ultimately moving toward a new era.

“I see. So, that was the intention all along,” Jin-Hyeok said.

The VIPs applauded at Yulette’s words. It was an event that perfectly aligned with the purpose of this opening ceremony. Jin-Hyeok also wore a satisfied smile.

[#Flustered. #Bewildered. #Why did the gate actually open?]

Jin-Hyeok chose to ignore Yulette’s thoughts. Fearing his true feelings could show if he kept looking, Jin-Hyeok quickly shifted his gaze to Kyle.

“Will you really give me a gift?” Jin-Hyeok asked Kyle.

“Of course.” Kyle smiled gently. He was extremely satisfied right now.

‘As expected of an Imperial Scholar,’ Kyle thought. ‘To think he could even deceive me and create a genuine sense of crisis…’

Yulette had perfectly timed everything to ensure Chul-Soo’s arrival at just the right moment. It had been a good opportunity to confirm Yulette’s abilities.

“Pick anything from the treasury. I’ll give you one thing you desire,” Kyle said.

“I want the Sword of the Old Era, which I mentioned before.”

The Imperial Treasury was like a living organism. After a few steps, a vast sea revealed itself. Kyle walked on, unbothered. As he submerged in the sea more than halfway, the VIPs worried if it was safe, but soon Kyle vanished with a flash of light.

Jin-Hyeok and the other VIPs followed suit. The next instant, they seemed to have moved and crossed the sea. They arrived at an island where a large skull floated.

“I am Kyle, Emperor of Swedeen. Open the way.”

The skull grew larger and opened its mouth wide. Inside the mouth, a cave-like passage stretched out, with a purple magic circle spinning at the entrance.

“What you are looking for seems to be inside here,” Kyle told Jin-Hyeok.

As they walked into the skull’s mouth, Kyle felt strangely odd.

‘Normally, I should feel an immense pressure,’ Kyle thought.

Even for an emperor, this grand space usually exerted pressure. Sometimes, it was a pressure so intense that it was almost suffocating, as if it was declaring that no matter who you were, you would not be allowed in without proper qualifications. However, Kyle felt nothing.

‘Why?’ Kyle could not understand. ‘Is it because I’m with Chul-Soo? No, that can’t be it. Even if Chul-Soo is very powerful, that can’t be it. It’s not like he can nullify the surrounding energy.’

After they had walked for a while, they came across a large rock. It was so massive that it could be mistaken for a cliff at first glance.

“The sword you mentioned is stuck at the top of this rock.”

This was a special rock. One had to dash toward it as though they would collide with it to reach the top

“Let me demonstrate first,” Kyle said.

Kyle had succeeded in doing this only after several attempts. The Imperial Treasury was not an easy place, even for the emperor. He had fallen several times, sustaining various injuries

“I’m not certain, but it seems the stronger one’s will is, the easier it is to reach the top,” Kyle said.

He walked toward the rock and collided with it. As familiar as he was with this space, he paid attention to Jin-Hyeok, who would follow.

‘I must guide Chul-Soo well so that he does not embarrass himself.’

Meanwhile, Jin-Hyeok felt quite excited. ‘Oh, how fascinating!’

From the outside, it looked like Kyle was burrowing into the rock. That solid rock seemed to have turned into water.

“It’s like walking through water,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Presumably, if he kept walking like that, he would eventually reach the top. Such mystical experiences were rare. Jin-Hyeok gulped and began to walk. The rock loomed larger as he approached.

‘I’m walking toward the inside!’

Jin-Hyeok did not feel any fear of colliding with the rock. He was simply excited, wondering how the viewers would experience this first-person perspective and thinking it could be quite interesting.

‘I’m about to collide with it.’

Kyle also felt Jin-Hyeok approaching.

‘Good. Come on, Chul-Soo!’ Kyle thought. Suddenly, something whooshed by him. ‘What was that?’

It happened too quickly for him to properly register. Although this was a bit strange, as this space distorted all senses of a person, Kyle did not pay the incident much mind.

‘Why isn’t Chul-Soo coming? Has he already failed?’

Kyle did not want to embarrass Chul-Soo in front of the VIPs. As he was thinking this, he reached the top of the rock. He was met with the view of the blue sky and the refreshing air that could not be felt from below.

Just then,

‘Chul-Soo?’

Chul-Soo was already there.

***

Jin-Hyeok spoke first. “It seems there are multiple routes to reach the top.”

“It appears so…” Kyle replied. He tilted his head, feeling baffled. He had been here several times, but he had no other explanation. “Look, the sword is stuck there.”

“Can I really take it, Your Imperial Majesty?” Jin-Hyeok said sarcastically.

Jin-Hyeok’s eyes seemed to ask, ‘Isn’t there some kind of trial? Have you changed your mind now? Isn’t it a bit odd for a universe-level Scenario to progress this smoothly?’

However, Kyle was not very perceptive. “Of course! A promise must be kept.”

“Thank you so much…” Jin-Hyeok stood before the sword.

“I couldn’t pull out that sword.”

“I will try to pull it out.” As Jin-Hyeok grasped the sword’s handle lightly, he had a feeling. ‘This is not going to work.’

In truth, rather than having a feeling, it was what he wanted. It seemed like it would make for a better story if he could not pull out the sword.

‘Huh?’

The sword really didn’t come out. Jin-Hyeok tried with all his might, but the sword remained immovable.

“The sword won’t budge!” Jin-Hyeok said, excited.

“I see… It appears so,” Kyle replied. He let out a small sigh. He wanted to help Chul-Soo more actively, but he did not know how. “Shall we try pulling it together?”

“Alright.”

Jin-Hyeok seemed somewhat pleased for some reason. They stood facing each other with the sword between them.

“One, two, three!”

They exerted their strength, but the sword did not budge. Somehow, Jin-Hyeok looked slightly happy about this.

“Well, if that’s the case, there is no helping it,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Like an Eltuber facing a trial, he decided to demonstrate another solution.