The Only Enhancer - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 119
119 – Team 2 Interview (3)
All ten interview candidates flinched at the sound of Korean murmuring.
Though I concealed my aura entirely, they all sensed the overwhelming pressure bearing down upon them.
The natural emanation of a sovereign’s presence.
Everyone felt it, but Henry in particular trembled visibly, his gaze fixed upon me.
He hadn’t grasped it precisely, but he’d sensed something piercing through him and recoiled.
After examining each of them in turn, I opened my mouth.
“Thank you for your time. All candidates are rejected except for applicant 348, Henry. You may leave.”
Not a single person could muster an objection, and they had no choice but to exit with their heads bowed.
Though they’d sensed the sovereign’s presence and flinched, hadn’t they already witnessed enough outside?
What happened when Jung Ji-hwan suppressed those who resisted.
It would have been nice if I’d explained the criteria, but it couldn’t be helped.
As they left, everyone looked at Henry with envy, but his complexion had turned ashen, and he trembled like an aspen leaf as if something gnawed at him.
It resembled punishment rather than the object of envy, though no one paid it any mind.
Henry himself couldn’t even register the envious glances of the others—he could only stare at me as I regarded him.
Henry trembled as though struck by lightning.
Once everyone had left, I spoke.
“Your characteristic is Holy Saint of Light, isn’t it?”
“Eh? Y-yes?!”
“Well, I have a way of knowing.”
He asked back in surprise, but I answered with composure as though his reaction was only natural.
Henry nodded while trembling slightly as he looked at me.
He couldn’t help but be shocked.
He’d never told anyone about his characteristic until now.
Since his skills resembled those of a healer, he’d disguised himself as one.
Yet to have it discovered at a glance.
Was that piercing gaze from before truly seeing through his very identity?
It had felt like his soul was being penetrated.
Henry swallowed hard and nodded.
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
He wanted to speak with confidence, but being so passive by nature, that’s how it came out.
Observing Henry, I nodded and spoke.
“Don’t worry about it. Besides you and me, there are four more with special characteristics.”
“Eh? You don’t mean…?”
“Yes, it seems special characteristics naturally gravitate toward our Guild.”
“…It must be because of the Guild Master… yes.”
“Haha, that could very well be the reason.”
I smiled faintly as I spoke to Henry and nodded.
Though I hadn’t said it, Henry had come here for that very reason.
For some reason, special traits naturally seem to gravitate toward this place.
Whether it’s because Min-jun was the first to announce a special trait to the world, I’m not sure, but everyone seems to feel a similar pull toward Min-jun.
Is it something like the Avengers, roughly speaking?
In any case, Henry felt that pull too.
“Well, naturally Henry passes. However, we could form Team 1 or a special team instead of Team 2, so it’s good to keep that in mind.”
“!!!! Th-thank you so much!”
He expressed his gratitude with wide, astonished eyes.
Just moments ago, he thought he’d be rejected, yet here he was, accepted!
Watching Henry leave in such high spirits, Min-jun stroked his chin.
“There don’t seem to be any issues with his character. However, his somewhat passive attitude is a bit concerning.”
It was Jung Ji-hwan who spoke as Min-jun stroked his chin.
Certainly, that aspect was a bit bothersome, but I wasn’t particularly worried.
Why?
[Henry Bagger]
-Lv. 3(?)
-Ability Score: 15.
[Trait – Saint of Light]
His ability score was the same as Mary’s.
That alone was a sufficient score to pass.
However.
“You don’t need to worry, but I’m not sure why he’s so passive.”
“…Hmm, if it’s a special trait, I certainly can’t make sense of it.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“…?”
Jung Ji-hwan didn’t understand what Min-jun meant, but he nodded anyway.
After all, Jung Ji-hwan also knew about the ability scores that only Min-jun could see.
The way he spoke suggested the score came out quite high.
In any case, after filtering through all the special traits, the proper interviews continued.
The interviews, which lasted several days, finally concluded after a week had passed.
There were many with ability scores of 10 or higher, but quite a few were filtered out due to character concerns.
Unlike Team 1, we selected only those with scores of 10 or above, and then further classified and selected based on their abilities.
Thus, Team 2 was completed.
And excluding Min-jun, we gathered five special traits.
3.
Starting with Gwen, then Andrew, Mary, and finally Henry.
Woo-jin hadn’t yet completed his socialization training, so he couldn’t join.
Three entirely new members had gathered this time.
Among them, like Gwen and Min-jun, there was one production-type and two combat-types.
I’m not sure if we should classify the Saint as combat-type, but since they’re entering combat situations, we should consider them combat-type.
With the four gathered, Min-jun casually surveyed them.
“Hehe.”
“….”
“….”
“Cough, cough.”
Gwen smiled brightly at me while Andrew and Mary looked visibly tense, and even Henry swallowed hard enough to trigger a coughing fit.
Watching them, I spoke quietly.
“The reason I’ve gathered you all here is simple. I intend to designate those with special traits as executives—positions equivalent to team leaders—without distinguishing them by separate teams.”
“Oh!”
“…!?”
“…!?”
“M-Me?!”
Everyone reacted with surprise, though it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
They waited calmly for me to continue.
Bringing up such a matter meant there was more to come.
As they waited.
I produced a lifetime contract and handed it to them.
Then I presented another document.
A confidentiality agreement. Everyone present could sense it—the contract contained quite potent mana.
Some swallowed hard, wondering if I’d actually used a skill on the contract itself.
But rather than shock, they all felt tension about what I would say next.
“Please sign the confidentiality agreement first, then we’ll proceed. This is merely a confidentiality contract, nothing else, so you can rest assured. Of course, the skill embedded means that once you swear the oath, you won’t be able to disclose anything about me to anyone else, but that’s all it does.”
Everyone swallowed hard watching me speak such extraordinary words so casually.
Of course, Gwen was the exception.
Having already signed and completed the lifetime contract, she simply observed the others.
“W-What happens if we don’t sign….”
Andrew spoke fearfully, and I replied matter-of-factly.
“Then you simply leave this place. You won’t be joining our Guild.”
“Ah….”
Andrew swallowed hard, sensing the coercive undertone, and closed his mouth.
I looked at them and spoke as if I’d forgotten something.
“Oh! The lifetime contract is optional, not mandatory. I almost forgot to mention that. First, you sign the confidentiality agreement, then I present the proposal, and only if you accept it do you sign the lifetime contract.”
“Ah.”
“Oh!”
“Aha!”
I could see their expressions relax as some of the burden lifted.
Since everyone could handle a confidentiality agreement, they all proceeded to sign.
In an instant, mana erupted from the contract and bound them like chains.
Of course, it didn’t feel like restraint or anything of that nature.
There was no physical sensation whatsoever.
The chains only activated with the intent to deliberately disclose information about me to someone else.
It was beyond words.
Everyone was overwhelmed by that mysterious power as they gazed at Min-jun, and all agreed to sign the contract.
Min-jun grinned and asked.
“I possess a skill that can enhance traits. If you wish to strengthen your traits, you simply need to sign a lifetime contract.”
Everyone’s expression went blank at those words.
A skill that could enhance what, exactly?
That was precisely the look on their faces.
They’d heard that awakened ones could enhance things beyond their level, but what else could be enhanced?
Seeing them all dumbfounded, Min-jun spoke again.
“I can strengthen your traits to a state far beyond what they are now.”
Everyone gathered here had built their hunter careers on traits superior to anyone else’s.
Even Andrew, whose ability stats were the lowest, was no exception.
Of course, no one here was dissatisfied with their current traits.
But now there was an opportunity to enhance them further.
There was absolutely no reason to refuse.
Yet to obtain that, they had to sign a lifetime contract?
It might vary depending on one’s value, but a lifetime contract was certainly an unappealing condition.
The chance to become even stronger than now, weighed against being bound to a single organization for life.
Min-jun was certainly a person of such worth, but one could never be too careful.
Andrew felt this especially keenly.
He knew better than anyone that the Blacksmith trait paled in comparison to the Reinforcement Specialist trait.
Just looking at Min-jun standing before him proved it.
And seeing Gwen, Mary, and Henry only reinforced that feeling.
‘They’re all formidable.’
Though he’d come to realize that, it didn’t diminish his own value, did it?
Someday, when he became independent, wouldn’t he achieve greatness, even if not quite on par with a Reinforcement Specialist?
He still harbored such dreams.
As he pondered somewhat.
Mary suddenly raised her hand slightly, as if curious about something.
Seeing her raise her hand even though she could simply ask, Min-jun chuckled softly and nodded.
It was a sign for her to go ahead with her question.
“So what happens if you enhance a common trait?”
“It becomes like a special trait.”
“Pardon?”
“I haven’t actually tested it yet, so it’s not entirely clear, but based on my observations and analysis so far, aside from my own Reinforcement Specialist trait, common traits transform into special traits just like the special traits do.”
“Huh?”
Everyone listened intently to Min-jun’s explanation.
Min-jun’s explanation continued.
“If I were to use a game analogy, I’d call it a second class advancement? But since trait enhancement is only possible once, if you who possess special traits receive it, it would be a third class advancement? That’s how I see it.”
In other words.
Strengthening general traits meant they would gain special traits just like I had.
After hearing that, Andrew nodded and smiled.
Then he asked.
“Do I just sign here?”
“Yes, you can sign right there.”
Min-jun answered with a grin as well, and so everyone signed the lifetime contract.
It was the obvious outcome, after all.
When someone standing before you—someone who could demolish all the special qualities they possessed without making them any more special—was offering an opportunity, it was wise to seize it.
Andrew certainly thought that way, though Mary and Henry were somewhat different.
Along with curiosity about their traits being strengthened.
‘I could dedicate my entire life to this person.’
Mary harbored thoughts that were a touch chivalrous.
And there was Gwen, watching Mary with an enigmatic gaze at that moment.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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