Chapter 19. I'm not good enough.
Chapter 19. I'm not good enough.
"What? You're saying I might not need to go to the gate for a while? Why?"
"Because there was a madman spouting nonsense."
Choi Yeon-ju answered me like that, after I had broken my back entering the gate and massacring all the surrounding herbs. I was about to feel deflated, but then I grew curious about who the madman spouting nonsense at Choi Yeon-ju was.
"A madman?"
"He goes by the name Lee Si-woo. He was a handsome man with a good physique. Looked like he was about 185 centimeters tall."
"His dick is probably small..."
"Did you say something?"
"No. It's nothing."
He seemed like an unfairly perfect son-in-law. With his looks being the first thing that comes at you, from my position, he was pretty much my main enemy.
"But why a madman?"
"Because his way of thinking and judgment seemed like a madman's. I've managed to coax him and agreed to receive byproducts instead. Once we get those byproducts, we'll be able to proceed to the next step."
"...Don't you think you cut too much out of the explanation?"
You explained, but I don't understand a single thing. Is this normal? You've shortened so much that I can't grasp a single word of what you're saying.
Seeing me look anxious, Choi Yeon-ju gave a light chuckle and shook her head.
"You probably don't need to concern yourself with it. After all, he's just a person who'll cause a bit of noise for a while and then fizzle out."
"Are you sure I don't need to worry?"
"At the very least, it would be better for you to worry about your own future than worry about that."
I was hurt.
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Lim Seo-yoon showed up in attire not much different from last time. Her face was slightly flushed, and she was clearly showing signs of anticipation.
Well then, I should act in a way that lives up to Lim Seo-yoon's expectations.
"Thank you for coming, seonsaengnim. First, please have some juice before we start."
Choi Yeon-ju had already left for work. Earlier today, I received notice that she wouldn't be joining the training from now on. It meant I was supposed to handle things on my own from here on out.
Of course, that didn't mean she left me completely in the dark without any tips.
"Ah! Thank you."
Lim Seo-yoon bowed her head slightly and received the juice with both hands. Naturally, it was juice containing goblin fluid. I didn't put in the same amount as last time.
Because the effect was way too strong.
Without Choi Yeon-ju around, I couldn't rely on that sense of safety from having another woman in the same space.
If she ended up fainting in the bathroom like last time, the reaction this time might be different.
Lim Seo-yoon gulped down the juice I handed her without suspicion. Goblin fluid has a strong smell. Since I only put in a minuscule amount, it wasn't enough for her to notice just from drinking it.
But this was the same woman who didn't notice when she drank juice with much more of it last time. She wouldn't notice drinking a smaller dose.
"Whew. Well then, shall we get started?"
"Please take care of me, seonsaengnim!"
"Hehe... Yes!"
Seemed a bit creepy, but I casually ignored it and began my physical training.
ㅡ
"Hmm..."
Choi Yeon-ju was dissecting and observing a goblin's genitals from all angles in her personal lab. Since it was a private lab, even the lab's researchers couldn't enter freely without Choi Yeon-ju's permission.
Since there was no risk of being caught even if she researched here, it was the optimal place to study goblin genitals.
"He should be doing physical training around now, right?"
Choi Yeon-ju thought about Seong Byeong-jin. The man who had taken her loyalty probably thought he was doing physical training for his own sake.
In a way, that was true. If you exercise, you do get healthier. Of course, there had to be results of that level.
But she didn't think that doing a little bit of bodyweight training would give him the combat power to fight monsters.
Getting monster byproducts from the gate? She felt sorry and apologetic, but even against someone she had sworn total loyalty to, Choi Yeon-ju had zero expectations for Seong Byeong-jin. His solo combat power, no matter how much he trained, would only reach the level of a goblin at best.
He could only enter the gate; after all, he was an ability-less person.
Instead, she had to put her hopes in the Dark Slave Crew that would be built around him from now on. In that sense, Lim Seo-yoon was one of the members Choi Yeon-ju had carefully selected. It wasn't for nothing that Choi Yeon-ju, usually greedy about her research, was paying attention to Lim Seo-yoon's hypnosis.
Because her ability could be defined as a useful buff and an overwhelming debuff.
The goal was to create at least three, maybe four members for the crew. She didn't know how long it would take, but with what she was researching now and the byproducts that madman Lee Si-woo would bring, it didn't seem like it would take that long.
"Found it."
Look at that.
Hadn't she already found the necessary part?
Choi Yeon-ju smiled alone in the quiet lab.
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I couldn't help but find it strange.
"Seonsaengnim? Are you sure you used your ability?"
"Wha... Yes? Yes! I did use it! Why... why do you ask...?"
"Well... I can't really feel it..."
That's weird. This isn't how it felt before. Lim Seo-yoon claims she used sensory amplification on me, but having experienced it twice, there's no way I'd forget that feeling so quickly.
Plus, seeing her flustered makes me suspicious.
"Th...this is weird? I... I definitely used it..."
Lim Seo-yoon avoided my gaze and played dumb. Why is she acting like this? Does she not want to use her ability today? Or did she actually use it, and I'm just an idiot who can't feel it?
Training is hard without the ability. I could do it without, but the efficiency would be worlds apart compared to doing it with the ability activated. Because it's a cheat ability that lets you feel every single muscle fiber.
Why is she suddenly like this? Do awakened people have ups and downs in their abilities? Is she just not feeling well today and can't use her ability?
I was thinking that when—
"I-I definitely! U-used my ability, but if you can't feel it, then there's nothing I can do! I have no choice but to teach you d-directly!"
Lim Seo-yoon shouted with a bright red face.
Right then, I could accurately grasp what kind of situation this was.
"Ah. Then I'd be grateful if you did, seonsaengnim!"
So she wants to act like a teacher now.
Her intention was obvious, and I couldn't help but laugh. But I also knew this was a situation where I shouldn't laugh. Her face was already flushed from shouting like that, so she must be wondering whether I was truly fooled or just pretending to be.
It was better for both me and Lim Seo-yoon if I just played along.
Lim Seo-yoon approached me, her eyes seeming to spin.
"I-I'll use my hand to p-point to the area you need to focus on..."
"So I should pay attention to that area when I move?"
"Ah! That's right. I'm going to t-touch various places... but since I'm the seonsaengnim, you don't have to feel shy!"
I wasn't shy in the first place.
Is there an exercise that trains the groin? I wish there was. If there were, Lim Seo-yoon would point to my groin, right? I've seen leg-press machines at the gym. Can I buy one of those?
It's a damn shame there isn't one right now.
"S-squats. Sit down with your back straight..."
Lim Seo-yoon naturally placed her hand on my waist. Since it was over my clothes, I couldn't feel much. Same when I bent my knees and lowered my body. Lim Seo-yoon didn't take her hand off my waist.
The problem was when I went up.
"When you go up, you need to... firmly extend your knees and put power into your glutes to squeeze them up. You know what glutes are, right...?"
"Glutes?"
"Ah. Your buttocks. Squeeze your buttocks and tighten them..."
Lim Seo-yoon explained with a red face, looking embarrassed. That was natural. After all, Lim Seo-yoon was only here because of her ability; she hadn't received proper trainer training.
She was teaching me, but she was basically no different from a regular person when it came to exercise.
She had already drunk the juice containing goblin fluid. The dosage was smaller than last time, but she was quite aroused right now. This aggressive behavior was probably half Lim Seo-yoon's own volition and half estrus from the goblin fluid.
I only had one thing to say.
"Where are the glutes?"
"Wha... Yes?"
"Do I need to tense up the whole area? Or just part of it?"
"Th-the whole area..."
"Is that so? But it's kind of hard to put power into my glutes..."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Could you... help me with that, 'seonsaengnim'?"
Where are the glutes? I don't know~
If you don't point it out, I won't do it right!
"Huff... huff..."
Lim Seo-yoon snorted at my request. It must be because the situation she had imagined was unfolding. Lim Seo-yoon took a deep breath, then nodded with a face that couldn't hide her excitement.
"I g-guess there's no choice. If the posture and method aren't correct, the exercise won't work... I'll p-point it out with my hand, so you need to concentrate, okay?"
"Please do, seonsaengnim."
"Se...seonsaeng...! Ha...haa..."
Lim Seo-yoon's body trembled. I once again realized how well Choi Yeon-ju's hypnosis had taken effect and trembled my body just like Lim Seo-yoon. Of course, for a completely different reason. I just got goosebumps.
The hypnosis worked way too well.
Lim Seo-yoon carefully poked my buttocks with her finger as I held a squat, sticking my rear out. Just one index finger. It was so cautious that I could only feel a faint touch.
But that alone made my dick swell like it was about to burst. Because while I had touched Lim Seo-yoon's pussy before, it was the first time a woman had touched my ass. Especially a woman so sexually aroused that her face was red.
"D-do you feel it...?"
"Is your hand touching my butt right now?"
"Ah..."
Lim Seo-yoon's face turned even redder. She must have known that what I just said was a lie. Because when her finger barely touched me, I instinctively tensed my ass. It was a reflexive reaction from being startled, not something I could control.
But the reason I lied was simple. I was giving Lim Seo-yoon another chance.
So, what are you going to do? Are you going to scold me for lying?
Or are you going to play along and accept it?
This was a tense moment for me too. Because depending on what Lim Seo-yoon chose, my report to Choi Yeon-ju when she returned would change. Of course, it might also make it impossible for me to enjoy Lim Seo-yoon's reactions any further.
But it was a pointless worry.
Because Lim Seo-yoon chose the latter.
"I g-guess there's no choice. I'll point it out a bit more clearly..."
"Ah. Please do, seonsaengnim."
"Yes... yes... My... my student..."
Lim Seo-yoon nodded at my answer. Then she moved her hands.
I felt both of Lim Seo-yoon's hands firmly grab my buttocks.
"H-huh!?"
"D-do you feel it well?"
Lim Seo-yoon grabbed my ass with both hands!
Lim Seo-yoon asked cautiously, but I had no wits to answer. All my nerves were focused on my ass, desperately feeling Lim Seo-yoon's hands.
A beauty like Lim Seo-yoon was grabbing my ass.
Under the pretext of teaching.
I couldn't help but get excited.
"I can feel it very well, 'seonsaengnim.'"
"Is th-that so...? I'm glad..."
"Do I need to focus on my buttocks when doing squats?"
"Ah, yes. It's the most important part."
Lim Seo-yoon nodded. Then, with a sound like "Hot!", she wore an expression of realization and looked at me.
Then she carefully asked.
"Squats are important for the buttocks... since my student can't feel it, do I have no choice but to keep touching his buttocks...?"
It was the question I wanted.
I nodded without hesitation.
"I would really appreciate that, 'seonsaengnim.'"
"Heh... I-I guess there's no choice..."
Lim Seo-yoon smiled with a dazed expression.