The Only Enhancer - Chapter 144

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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 144
144 – Within My Grasp (2)
“A Mana Gunner!”
The moment I heard those words, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
Wasn’t the Mana Gun the very thing I’d been developing with genuine passion above all else?
A Mana Gunner here, of all places?
An overwhelming sense of anticipation washed over me.
Uldin seemed momentarily taken aback by my reaction and fell silent.
Then, after a careful pause, he opened his mouth hesitantly.
-M-Master, the thing is… the Mana Gunner wasn’t exactly in good condition.
“Hm?”
What did he mean it wasn’t in good condition? This was a Mana Gunner we were talking about.
I looked at Uldin’s orb with a puzzled expression.
Uldin tensed slightly.
He worried that misspoken words might cost him his life.
Yet, if my master was curious, it was his duty as a servant to explain.
Uldin took a shallow breath and spoke quietly to me.
-The creature possessed the Mana Gunner trait, but without an actual Mana Gun, it couldn’t use its abilities at all.
“…I see.”
-We actually threw it among other monsters to test if it could use its abilities, but it couldn’t and was driven to the brink of death. That’s when we retrieved it.
Hearing this, it sounded utterly pathetic.
A Mana Gunner unable to use its abilities because it lacked a Mana Gun.
From its perspective, the injustice must have been unbearable, but that wasn’t my concern.
I could simply create a Mana Gun for it.
However, the fact that it couldn’t use its abilities without a Mana Gun meant its level was still 1.
While I did feel a sigh escape me, it wasn’t a problem.
Evan, whom I’d recently recruited, was also level 1, so training both simultaneously would be efficient.
In fact, I’d been somewhat concerned about focusing on just one, so having two would definitely save time and was actually beneficial.
I chose to think as positively as possible.
I should go retrieve it right away then.
With that thought, I stood up.
Then Uldin stopped me.
-Master, there’s no need to retrieve it immediately.
“Hm?”
The creature that had just been rattling off information to me moments ago was now suddenly trying to dissuade me.
However, I harbored no suspicion.
Uldin’s soul was already mortgaged to me.
Still, curious about his reasoning, I looked toward Uldin.
Uldin spoke with caution.
-Do you perhaps remember what I said about our current technology being inadequate?
“Yeah, but what about it?”
-Because of that, they decided not to waste precious resources and will keep the Mage Tower running until the newly kidnapped subjects arrive to fill the ranks. Additionally, since the technology is still underdeveloped, further research is needed, so operations are currently suspended. Most importantly, since they are valuable test subjects, they’re being treated with great care, so I believe there’s no need for concern.
Min-jun paused briefly at Uldin’s words.
If that was the case, there was no need to rescue them immediately.
Besides, I could go in and sweep through everything right now, but that might create complications.
On the other hand, I was hesitant about taking the executives away to wage war immediately, since they hadn’t fully grown yet.
Since they said they were managing the Mage Tower without laying a finger on it.
They wouldn’t suffer greatly, so it seemed best to wait and see for now.
Then was I just supposed to rest in the meantime?
That didn’t suit my nature either.
“Then let’s deal with the kidnapped personnel.”
-That sounds like an excellent idea.
-I agree!
-I’ve been giving them instructions anyway, so I know all their locations.
As soon as Baya agreed, Uldin quickly began rattling off information.
Exact numbers, locations, and power levels.
After receiving all the details, I couldn’t help but grin.
With this, I could probably level up Andrew, Mary, Henry, and Woo-jin to Level 6 much faster.
As for Jung Ji-hwan and Isabella, they had already reached Level 6 recently.
With just enhancement, they could reach Level 7.
Using the Sphere of Evolution, they could jump straight to Level 7 without needing to fulfill special conditions.
In other words, if I just leveled up Woo-jin, Andrew, Mary, and Henry to Level 6 and enhanced their traits?
It would be absolutely perfect.
With the right weapons, couldn’t they fight one-on-one against a Disaster Level 7 monster?
I held that expectation.
Well, it wasn’t just an expectation.
‘It will become reality.’
I thought that and loosened up my body lightly.
There were five Disaster Level 7 Sky Warriors running around.
Five, excluding Uldin.
I’d take four of them and have them fight the four of them first, then do level linking.
The only thing needed to level up from Level 5 to 6 was fulfilling the condition.
In other words, wherever I was, I could fulfill the condition anytime.
So where should I go for some grinding?
With that thought, I called Jung Ji-hwan and spoke immediately.
“Gather Woo-jin, Andrew, Mary, and Henry for me.”
2.
Mercury, a Sky Warrior of the same age as Uldin, had always been inferior in skill compared to Uldin.
Not that it was due to a lack of talent on Mercury’s part.
Mercury was always superior to other warriors of his generation as well.
If anything, it was the finest specimen among Disaster Level 7 monsters.
Perhaps that was why?
I often found myself dissatisfied with Uldin’s decisions.
I expressed my discontent toward Uldin, who had always been stronger than myself, in such ways.
It was nothing more than common inferiority and jealousy.
This time was especially severe.
Kidnapping humans and expelling the Fairy Elder’s bloodline? What was the point?
I couldn’t understand it at all.
Perhaps it was my nature to avoid thinking about difficult matters, but wasn’t this act itself proof that he was simply frightening the humans needlessly?
Mercury despised it most of all.
Why would mere humans tremble in fear?
The treatment was already complete.
Now a descendant of the Fairy Elder appears, and we must prepare more thoroughly?
-‘Uldin, you coward.’
The other Sky Warriors of my generation said nothing in response.
Rather, some could only agree with Mercury’s words.
It wasn’t an order they particularly favored.
Even this quiet kidnapping of humans seemed pathetically petty, yet there was no choice.
It was not merely Uldin’s command as Elder, but the command of the elders themselves.
Therefore, I had no choice but to act.
For a warrior, following the clan’s decision was a matter of duty.
Of course, though I expressed my discontent, the fact that I refrained from using force showed how much Mercury valued the clan.
Though discontent and that were separate matters, of course.
-‘I want to kill them all.’
Mercury, surveying the city from the heavens, gnashed his teeth as he gazed upon the metropolis that would crumble under a single strike from him.
He wanted to grind them all to dust immediately, yet he had to search for a particular human among them.
Quietly, at that.
Neither the method nor the task pleased him.
But then he sensed something foreign.
A peculiar aura emanated faintly from the mountain region, not from the city.
He sensed another anomaly as well, but couldn’t quite grasp it.
More precisely, he felt it briefly, and when he tried to perceive it properly, the aura vanished in an instant.
He tilted his head at this unprecedented occurrence.
-There’s something over there.
Mercury never even considered the possibility that it might be a trap.
He lacked the imagination to suppose that humans would dare set a trap for him.
Or perhaps he was confident enough that even a trap wouldn’t matter?
The moment Mercury sensed it, he immediately flapped his wings toward that location.
As his wings beat, the air compressed and exploded, creating a sonic boom that propelled him forward.
Boom!
An explosion echoed through the air, pushing Mercury back, and something glimmered before his eyes as he rocketed forward—a spear-wielding woman thrust her weapon toward his head.
Azure lightning coiled around the spear as it shot forward.
The sound of the spear tearing through the air reached his ears half a beat too late, and Mercury twisted his body to evade.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash!
Lightning erupted through the heavens, tearing the very air asunder, and an acrid stench filled the atmosphere.
The clouds were pierced and vaporized by the sheer intensity.
Though the power was tremendous enough to seem as though the sky itself had been torn open, Mercury spoke with contempt.
-How pathetic.
With those words, he channeled force into his fist and thrust it forward, and when Mary, wielding the lightning spear, raised the shaft to block his attack, a grotesque sound rang out.
A sound that could only portend something terrible.
Crack-crack-crack!
The bones in both her arms shattered as she gripped the shaft to block the assault.
Even for Mary, the pain of both arms breaking in an instant was unbearable, and a cry escaped her lips.
“Ugh.”
She furrowed her brow and retreated slightly, when brilliant light poured down over her head and both arms were swiftly restored.
It was Henry, standing ready on the ground.
And seeing them, Mercury’s face twisted into something monstrous.
How dare mere humans bare their fangs at him.
He could not remain idle.
Just as Mercury moved to act, he sensed something hurtling toward him from behind and quickly swept his wings to evade.
Boom!
The air compressed again, pushing Mercury back while simultaneously driving away the approaching figure, yet the crimson aura tore through the compressed air and lashed out with claws toward Mercury.
Unrefined, savage energy.
Normally, refined and elegant energy would be far superior technique and thus more powerful, but this time was different.
Realizing at once that this ferocious energy was the untamed force of a wild beast that would devour everything, Mercury scowled and drove his fist forward, striking Woo-jin’s head as he wielded his claws.
Bang-crack!
A powerful blow landed cleanly.
Woo-jin took the hit and plummeted straight toward the ground.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Woo-jin created a massive crater upon impact.
Normally his head should have burst and vanished instantly.
Yet through some means, he shook himself off unscathed and prepared to charge forward again.
Seeing the relentless Woo-jin, Mercury moved to act.
Once more, the lightning aura surged forward rapidly, attempting to pierce through Mercury.
He caught it with one hand while simultaneously reaching out toward Woo-jin charging at him again.
Grasping the lightning spear, a tingling sensation swept through his entire body, yet he brushed it aside and was about to strike both Woo-jin and Mary simultaneously when—
He felt something shoot toward him from behind once more.
Thud!
And in that same instant, something pierced through Mercury’s shoulder, and immediately a skill detonated.
Burst-burst-burst-burst―――――!
Whoooosh! Boom!
Mercury, struck directly by the tempest and sent crashing to the ground, rose to his feet with bloodshot eyes.
The damage wasn’t catastrophic, but his expression betrayed a wounded pride.
The storm had torn his skin, yet his shoulder remained intact.
Had it been a Disaster Level 6 calamity, his entire shoulder would have been obliterated, but Mercury suffered only superficial lacerations.
Rather, Andrew, who had successfully landed the shot from a distance, cried out as if this were the greater achievement.
“Hahahaha! Success! It worked!”
As Mercury lunged toward Andrew, overjoyed at his mana gun’s success, Mary and Woo-jin stepped into his path.
Though they too had been caught in the tempest’s fury, they had Henry, the Saint of Light, on their side.
-I’ll slaughter every last one of you worthless insects.

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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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