The Only Enhancer - Chapter 123

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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 123
123 – The Researchers Underground (1)
0.
Deep beneath Baekdu Mountain.
Within its depths, someone stood gazing anxiously at the world beyond.
An elderly hunchback staring intently at something from a spring of lava.
Lava Hunchback stood before him, lava cascading down his back like a volcano, his fingers trembling nervously as he gnawed at his own nails.
-Damn it all.
I’ve already exhausted all my pieces.
I’ve used up masterpieces and great works alike, yet they’ve long since become prey for those creatures.
Where did things go wrong?
Lava Hunchback shuddered and closed his eyes.
I had already found a solution.
-I didn’t want to ask her for help.
I can’t even fathom how much I’ll lose over this.
The thought was too overwhelming for words.
But abandoning this base and fleeing was far worse.
Lava Hunchback had no choice but to summon his ally.
How much time had passed?
As the lava, already churning violently, surged even more ferociously, Lava Hunchback’s expression crumpled.
She had arrived.
Whoooosh!
As a pillar of lava shot upward, something burst forth.
A girl in a white coat with short crimson hair.
From every angle where she appeared nothing like a monster, the girl looked at Lava Hunchback and chuckled softly to herself.
-Asking for help? How unusual~
-…It was unavoidable.
Humiliating as it was, having asked for aid, I had no choice but to clench my eyes shut and grit my teeth.
The girl watched Lava Hunchback and chuckled again, then shook her head.
-Humans have been making quite a racket lately, it seems.
-You shouldn’t underestimate them either.
-Ah, and I heard that woman from the Deep Sea has been moving around too.
-Ursula? That woman?
-Yeah, is there anyone else besides her?
Lava Hunchback flinched at those words, shrinking back before swallowing hard.
I hadn’t realized she would move as well.
-I’m telling you not to be careless, but what are they anyway? Just humans, right?
-…All of my masterpieces and great works were slaughtered.
-Hehe~ Of course they were, mixed with those hybrid mongrels and humans. Could they withstand our monster essence? Leave it to me.
How humiliating.
But since she was right, I didn’t say anything more.
Eventually, she would realize it herself and back down.
‘Let’s wait and see until then.’
Even so, the Lava Hunchback didn’t think she would suffer the same fate.
Though she had weakened after the Great War just like I had, she was far more powerful than me.
-Baba Yagi, I’ll entrust you with their commander.
-Don’t worry~
The girl who answered that way lifted her arm, and at the same moment, I nodded as I watched steel thorns rise from her black shadow.
1.
Regardless of how high the morale of the Reinforce Guild members soared, the situation was far from ideal.
How could it be good when they were charging straight into the enemy’s stronghold?
They had to watch out for various traps, and since no one knew what might emerge.
It became all the more dangerous.
No matter how much Min-jun was there, it wasn’t a situation without danger.
Naturally, the Reinforce Guild members were aware of this as well.
Yet their soaring morale was possible precisely because there was a greater merit than the danger.
If we just clear out this main base, we can go home!
But somehow, an ominous feeling flowed among the Reinforce Guild members.
Was it because someone might die or get hurt?
No, that wasn’t the reason.
For some reason….
“This isn’t like last time where we can’t do anything and the guild master and executives handle everything, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“…Surely not.”
“…Ahem.”
No one answered with conviction that it wouldn’t happen.
There was actually such anxiety.
Until now, everyone had tried to grow stronger, but the strongest ones always ended up being handled by the executives, including Min-jun, didn’t they?
Honestly, they harbored that anxiety.
Getting hurt or sustaining serious injuries in battle?
That was possible.
They could even take pride in it.
But the opposite—if Min-jun, an executive or guild master, solved everything and they just became cheerleaders clapping in support?
They really hated that.
Honestly, wasn’t that why they had thrown themselves into the hunt without losing focus?
The Second Team hadn’t felt it yet, but the First Team was different.
“…Until we grow stronger, let’s try to be as helpful as possible, and if we can’t, we’ll just do our part.”
At someone’s words, all of the First Team nodded solemnly, and though the Second Team didn’t yet understand, their expressions were bewildered.
But they felt it vaguely.
The gap in power between them and Min-jun and the other executives.
Of course, if Min-jun elevated all of them to Level 6, the situation would change entirely.
Each team might then be capable of taking down something like the Lava Hunchback we encountered before.
Until then, there was nothing to do but wait.
Everyone bolstered their morale this way, each harboring their own concerns as they pressed forward.
“Hmm.”
Min-jun, observing his guild members, scratched his head as if perplexed.
Ma Hyun-seok, watching from beside him, nodded with a somewhat sympathetic expression and spoke.
“So you’re not entirely ruthless after all?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought you were just pushing them recklessly for the sake of unity, but that’s not it at all.”
“Well, that’s right.”
Initially, I had driven them for the sake of unity and various other reasons, but without any grand design.
After all, the guild members never complained, whether they grew stronger or were simply worked hard.
I was only interested in the items that dropped from defeating monsters and farming.
But lately, things had changed somewhat.
These people were now truly mine, in every sense.
Yet they worried whether they might not be helpful to me.
With someone else, I might have been able to reassure them with words, but that wasn’t my nature.
“Rather, you push them hard and help them grow stronger. It may not be exemplary, but it seems like a good method.”
“Haha, thank you.”
As Min-jun laughed awkwardly, Ma Hyun-seok smiled faintly at him and spoke.
“You’re doing well, so don’t worry too much.”
“I try to think of it that way.”
As I said this, I suddenly sensed something approaching rapidly toward us.
Ma Hyun-seok, though slower than I was, eventually noticed as well, and Homunculus Bella, Gwen, and Mary all felt it too.
Andrew, however, hadn’t sensed it and was standing there dumbly, apparently exhausted.
“Prepare for an attack!”
At my shout, everyone heard the command and readied themselves.
Shortly after, the ground trembled violently, but perhaps because everyone had prepared in advance—
When the earth suddenly split open and lava erupted, no one panicked and calmly dodged the assault.
The healers quickly cast protective barriers on their respective teammates, and I likewise cast a full protective barrier before retreating.
Crash!
As the ground split and lava surged through the fissure, two blurry shadows shot out from within—one I blocked, the other Ma Hyun-seok stopped.
The shadow Ma Hyun-seok blocked was that elderly Lava Hunchback.
It erupted from the lava with a body heated to scorching temperatures, attempting to pressure Ma Hyun-seok, but against his muscles backed by tremendous strength, it couldn’t even leave a scratch and was simply forced back.
Crash.
-Damn it, you’re absurdly solid.
“Heh. This time, don’t even think about running away.”
As Ma Hyun-seok growled fiercely, the Lava Hunchback laughed mockingly and spoke.
-Ahahaha, why would you think I would flee? You’ll all die here! Kekeke!
Ma Hyun-seok’s brow furrowed deeply as he watched the Lava Hunchback mock him with a voice full of metallic resonance.
Wondering what gave the creature such confidence, Ma Hyun-seok glanced toward Min-jun.
The small shadow that had erupted from the lava had transformed into a colossal giant of molten metal gleaming with crimson light—he swallowed hard at the sight.
This was no ordinary transformation.
Ma Hyun-seok hadn’t thought Min-jun would lose, but he sensed a power that would be difficult for him to overcome.
Ma Hyun-seok stood there, somewhat gripped by apprehension.
The Lava Hunchback sneered at Ma Hyun-seok and reached behind itself, extracting something from the volcanic crater on its back.
It hurled a blackened object that seemed melted by lava.
As it mixed with the still-erupting magma, it took the form of humanoid monsters.
There were ten of them in total.
While none individually reached Disaster Level 6, each appeared to be at least Disaster Level 5.5.
Five of them were absorbed into the Lava Hunchback’s body, strengthening it, while the other five launched themselves toward Ma Hyun-seok from behind like projectiles.
He tried to block them, but couldn’t.
-Krhehe, I didn’t want to resort to this due to its severe side effects, but I felt it necessary to kill you all.
At the Lava Hunchback’s words, Ma Hyun-seok’s expression darkened.
Certainly weaker than the giant made of liquid metal, but this creature was also one Ma Hyun-seok alone couldn’t confidently defeat.
But that was fine.
-I shall assist you according to my master’s command.
Bella, now in her Armored Centaur form, approached and spoke while gripping an enormous spear.
With Bella alone providing reassurance beyond measure, Gwen, Mary, and Jung Ji-hwan approached as well.
Andrew, still at a lower level, naturally remained behind.
Though they hadn’t coordinated their movements beforehand, they instinctively understood what needed to be done.
Jung Ji-hwan moved first.
Sssssss.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and an ominous aura descended to the earth, striking down upon the Lava Hunchback.
The Lava Hunchback, struck by it, widened its eyes and cried out.
-Ursula?! Where did you obtain her power?!
Ignoring its suddenly weakened body, the creature charged forward, and Ma Hyun-seok raised a massive shield to block its advance.
Simultaneously, Jung Ji-hwan activated his skill again, and as a similar force struck the Lava Hunchback, Bella moved next.
She rushed toward the weakened Lava Hunchback at tremendous speed and thrust her spear, but the creature didn’t even consider dodging—instead, it enlarged the volcanic crater on its back and spewed magma.
Roooaaarrr!
Fierce lava erupted, about to engulf Bella’s entire body.
As she thrust her spear, a massive explosion blasted the lava away in an instant.
Boom!
Bella rushed through the opening.
Just as the creature moved to retreat.
Zzzzzzzt!
With the Lava Hunchback focused solely on Bella, Gwen, like Jung Ji-hwan, wielded her long staff from behind.
Simultaneously, all the surrounding terrain became engulfed in ice and frost.
Moreover, a blizzard swept through, filling the area with bitter cold.
The situation was particularly dire for Lava Hunchback.
Was it because he had frozen solid in an instant?
In the blink of an eye, before he could even feel the heat from the crater, he had been completely encased in ice—Lava Hunchback had no choice but to be astonished.
So this was the true extent of human power.
Had he been the one to let his guard down, not Baba Yagi?
As Lava Hunchback contemplated this, a colossal explosion erupted from where Baba Yagi and Min-jun stood, sending a tremendous shockwave rippling outward.
Roooooooooaaaaaarrrrr!!!
The massive wave of force overturned the entire surrounding terrain, and Baekdu Mountain’s midpoint was carved away as though it had been cleaved in half.
Just how devastating must a single strike be to cause such destruction?
Ma Hyun-seok and all the executives and Reinforce Guild members watching felt their spines go cold.
Could Min-jun have taken that blow?
While they harbored such fears.
-Kahahaha! Death is all that awaits you! Come!
Roooaaarrr!
Watching Lava Hunchback drag the frozen crater back up, they all gritted their teeth and had no choice but to engage the creature.
There was no time to check on Min-jun’s condition right now.

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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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