The Only Enhancer - Chapter 124
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 124
124 – Underground Researchers (2)
2.
Min-jun’s battle against the mysterious liquid metal giant.
Lava Hunchback and the executives’ battle.
While they fought, the members of Reinforce Guild’s first team smiled with delight as five monsters appeared before them.
They had their own work to do!
The two preceding battles were unfolding evenly.
Though Min-jun appeared somewhat vulnerable, the fact that the liquid metal giant hadn’t escaped from that location suggested he was still holding his own, didn’t it?
In any case, the Reinforce Guild members assessed the strength of the five monsters standing before them.
“Calamity Level 6 or below!”
“Measurable readings! We estimate Calamity Level 5.5!”
“All five of them!?”
“Yes!!!”
Not panic or fear.
The newcomers felt the same way.
Everyone grinned widely as they gazed at the monsters.
Level 5.5 monsters.
Quite formidable.
In another country, it would plunge the entire nation into chaos.
Germany had experienced exactly that, hadn’t it?
But for these hunters, it was no problem at all.
With everyone equipped in full Tier 6 gear, to struggle against Level 5.5 monsters instead of Level 6?
That made no sense whatsoever.
The monsters were equally bewildered.
Though they were created beings, that didn’t mean they were ignorant of their own strength.
Yet these humans were methodically ‘hunting’ them.
“Tanks, hold the line firmly!”
“No problem!”
“Full Tier 6 gear, baby!”
“This is Reinforce Guild, you monsters!”
Kuuuung!
The five monsters were herded together as the tanks pushed forward with overwhelming force.
Normally, even with powerful tanks, it would be difficult to push back monsters of Calamity Level 5 or higher.
Of course, if they were fully equipped in Tier 6 gear, the story would be different.
As the five monsters, overwhelmed by raw strength, struggled to escape, Cha Hae-yeon, who could be considered a vice-executive, stepped forward.
Having been inactive for so long, she seemed to feel this was finally her moment.
“Balance of the Scales!”
Naturally, even items with the same enhancement level had different grades.
And the item Cha Hae-yeon had just used was no exception.
Among the tier 6 items, it ranked among the very best—an ultimate ability that bound multiple people including herself, while simultaneously anchoring the targets in place.
In gaming terms, it was the type of ultimate skill called crowd control, and Cha Hae-yeon unleashed it simultaneously against Tank-jin and the five monsters.
Tank-jin and the five monsters were utterly immobilized where they stood.
What happened next?
Simplicity itself.
“Bombardment!”
“Aaaahhhhh!”
“Dieeeee!”
“Take my ultimate!”
Ultimate abilities from the tier 6 items rained down like carpet bombing upon the monsters’ location.
The terrain warped and the ground collapsed as if struck by aerial bombardment of such catastrophic magnitude that several monsters dissolved into light and vanished entirely.
Only then did the balance tip, and the staggering monsters desperately attempted to flee that place.
After unleashing such a bombardment, surely those creatures must have been weakened?
With such expectations, what was this?
They each gripped fist-sized mana stones brimming with tremendous mana and absorbed it to restore their strength.
“??????”
“??????”
The three remaining monsters exchanged bewildered glances.
Rather, they were creatures who had consumed even more mana defending against the assault.
Though they formed a collective, each of them individually transcended Level 5, constituting an elite force.
Moreover, they were all equipped head to toe with tier 6 items.
Their combined strength exceeded even what the monsters had imagined.
Then someone shouted.
“Guard those items carefully! If we lose them, we’re all finished!”
“Damn it! I’m going!”
“M-me too!”
“Get someone with good detection abilities over here!”
“I-if the guild master gets angry, we’re done for!”
They all rushed toward the area where the bombardment had just occurred, prioritizing it over defending against the monsters themselves, and the creatures flinched at the wild fervor blazing in their eyes, swallowing hard.
Was this truly normal behavior?
It couldn’t possibly be.
Which made them all the more terrified as they regarded these beings.
They wanted to flee.
But since no such order had been given, they charged forward with lethal intent—yet the Reinforce Guild members responded by thrashing about as if to say: don’t interfere.
“Tankers, hold the line!”
“Go!”
“Uwoooooah!”
Kwaaaang!
The tankers clustered together and repelled the charge of the three monsters.
The tanks grouped together and blocked the charge of the three monsters.
A technique unleashed with abilities pushed to their limit.
Yet it was blocked so easily.
The three monsters, steeped in despair, watched as the tankers retreated from their positions, allowing countless attacks to rain down upon them—and somehow, they endured.
Crash!
Initially, the carpet bombing claimed two lives, but the remaining three proved far more resilient.
They’d only died because the assault was nearly a surprise attack; had circumstances been different, all five would still be fighting.
Yet the monsters themselves understood.
Even with five of them, the outcome would likely have been no different.
Reinforce Guild, having secured the supplies, repositioned themselves with systematic precision, and in their eyes burned an unmistakable fervor.
The sense of accomplishment from contributing to the battle, combined with the hope that they could finally return home—their eyes transformed that hope into something wild and feverish.
3.
A colossal attack so tremendous it distorted the majestic form of Baekdu Mountain itself.
Truly, a battle worthy of being called a war among gods!
Lava Hunchback believed only that Baba Yagi was pressing forward with an overwhelming, relentless assault.
But appearances often deceived.
This time was no exception.
All of Baekdu Mountain trembled, lava blazing as if ready to erupt at any moment, the ground itself scorching hot.
Within that inferno, the metallic liquid giant moved, swelling its two fists to enormous proportions before driving them straight into the earth.
Crash!
The supposedly solid ground rippled like violent waves, spreading outward and obliterating everything in its path.
Had this been any mountain less formidable than Baekdu, the entire region would have become a flat plain—or worse, a crater—from such devastating force!
Yet even amid such cataclysmic impacts, something remained composed, stroking its chin as it observed the spectacle.
In this magnificent battle that could be called a war of gods from mythology itself, Min-jun—more at ease than anyone else—smiled toward Baba Yagi and asked.
“Hmm? Would you call that magitech?”
-Are you insane!?
Lava Hunchback had assumed from outward appearances that Min-jun was being overwhelmed.
The reality was the opposite.
He wasn’t even blocking Baba Yagi’s attacks—simply evading or deflecting them with ease while marveling at the metallic liquid giant.
Well, it made sense.
Unlike the Witch of the Deep Sea, the underground monsters each displayed a researcher’s sensibility in Min-jun’s eyes.
Lava Hunchback appeared to specialize in human transmutation.
Hadn’t he created new forms of monsters by transmuting beasts and humans together?
And this monster bearing the appearance of that girl seemed to be a golem of some kind.
Did it liquefy metal and animate it?
“Hmm, doesn’t seem like it. For that to be true, the giant itself would need to lack consciousness, but it clearly has one. Like this.”
So saying, Min-jun drew out a war hammer and prepared to swing it.
The metallic liquid giant flinched, desperately attempting to shield Baba Yagi.
In that instant, Min-jun saw it clearly.
Baba Yagi hadn’t even registered Min-jun’s attack.
She hadn’t even perceived it properly.
But the giant tried to block it?
“It has a sense of self.”
Watching Min-jun speak with a sinister grin, Baba Yagi felt goosebumps rise across her entire body.
Gulp.
‘W-what is this human!?’
I already knew that the Lava Hunchback warned me not to let my guard down.
I also knew well that the Witch of the Deep Sea, Ursula, had moved.
I even realized that everything was because of this human.
But this… this doesn’t make sense.
That overwhelming mana?
That’s possible.
It doesn’t make sense that such an enormous amount of mana could be contained within a body, but if they’re descendants of those beings?
That could be possible.
But I couldn’t comprehend this level of power.
‘Ah, no matter if he’s a descendant, this is just too much!’
I wanted to scream that, but I had no room to do so.
I was attacking frantically using the giant, yet he still evaded every single strike.
The fact that Min-jun wasn’t counterattacking right now wasn’t a good opportunity.
It was the opposite.
For some reason, that monster of a human was finding my giant interesting as he observed it.
He seemed to be analyzing the giant out of curiosity rather than counterattacking.
‘I-I have to seize this moment.’
I desperately racked my brain.
If I continued like this, I would die.
Couldn’t I tell from how desperately the giant had just tried to block the attack?
This was my chance while Min-jun was arrogantly letting his guard down.
After deciding I needed to go all out?
The story was predictable, wasn’t it?
-Hardening!
At my cry, the giant quickly contracted its body.
As its size gradually diminished, the massive giant’s frame shrank to less than five meters tall.
Min-jun smiled at the sight, genuinely fascinated.
Hardening works too?
So it wasn’t just that it could move because it was liquid.
As evidence, even though it had solidified into a perfectly rigid metallic giant form, I could see it moving with organic fluidity.
As it attempted to throw a straight punch toward Min-jun.
Min-jun found it rather amusing instead.
‘This is similar to Gwen’s shapeshifting. Plus, there are elements related to blacksmithing mixed in.’
If the two of them combined their powers, would that be possible too?
I haven’t tried it yet, but if Andrew could manufacture firearms, perhaps it might be possible.
Besides, if the alchemist Gwen participates in the synthesis, it’ll work out.
Even if the power or grade is lower, it doesn’t matter.
Once it’s completed, I can enhance both the grade and power through reinforcement, and that’s all there is to it.
But even so, not all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place yet.
It would be nice to obtain that bastard’s research records, but it can’t be helped.
Sparing him and receiving his research records was never an option to begin with.
I’ll have to do it myself, even if it means going through trial and error.
-Die drowning in your own arrogance!!!!
Hearing Baba Yagi’s shout, I turned my head to see what was happening, only to witness a metal giant hurling a punch directly at me.
It was too far away—what was it trying to do?
In that instant, my spine tingled with dread, and Baba Yagi screamed.
-Sublimation!!!
With that cry, the extended punch transformed in an instant—its solid form became light, then expanded into an enormous volume of gas.
The destructive force was beyond all imagination.
That punch, extending from Baekdu Mountain, consumed everything from the mountain itself to the ridge lines stretching into the distance, carving out a colossal ravine.
A single blow that transcended the very concept of a mere fist strike.
Is this what the fist of a god would be like?
A power so immense that it was nearly impossible to even measure.
Baba Yagi felt her consciousness grow distant as she watched me standing before that devastation, holding a brilliantly radiant orange shield.
“Whew! That’s no joke. I really want that—could you possibly tell me how to make it?”
At the sight of me speaking with a nonchalant smile, Baba Yagi could only sink into despair.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————