The Only Enhancer - Chapter 16

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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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Chapter 16
Chapter 16 – Hunter Market (3)
Sharp features accentuated by glasses, a meticulous appearance that suggested fastidiousness, and an aura of cold detachment.
A man whose presence seemed flawless in every conceivable way.
A member of the Changgong Guild, one of the five major guilds, and a healer.
The man famous for being the domestic record holder—the fastest to achieve Level 3 as a healer.
Han Tae-jun.
His achievement stood in an entirely different league from the possibility that Choi Jung-min of the Han-byul Guild might achieve the fastest record within his own guild.
The average time required to reach Level 3 was known to be five years.
Yet Han Tae-jun had shaved three full years off that timeline.
He had achieved Level 3 in merely two years.
As a healer, no less.
A man whom many believed without question would become a cornerstone of the Changgong Guild in the future.
And here he sat, quietly cutting into his steak.
As though it were nothing at all.
‘I never expected to see him here.’
He was in an entirely different tier from the promising prospects and celebrities I’d glimpsed near the market earlier.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I was permitted to sit, but then I settled into my seat without further deliberation.
Besides, if shared seating made him uncomfortable, he wouldn’t have indicated his willingness to share in the first place.
I had encountered someone far more prominent than expected, yet I felt no particular unease.
In the past, I would have been consumed by inferiority, paralyzed by anxiety, barely able to endure sitting at this table.
But that was no longer the case.
‘There’s nothing for me to feel inferior about.’
To overestimate one’s own value was to court arrogance.
Yet I understood this clearly.
My true worth in this world.
Because I alone possessed the unique ability to perform enhancement.
The world’s sole being capable of enhancement versus the man who reached Level 3 in record time.
There was no need for comparison to know who held greater value.
I said nothing more.
‘I can’t interrogate him or interrupt his meal, after all.’
I simply reviewed the menu in silence and pressed the call button.
Before long, a staff member knocked and opened the door.
“Yes, you called for me?”
“I’ll have the beef course.”
“Understood. Your order has been confirmed.”
It wasn’t the most expensive course available, but its composition appealed to me most, so I selected it.
The staff member confirmed my order and left.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Yet neither of us felt uncomfortable.
I checked my phone while waiting for my food, whereas Han Tae-jun was savoring his meal.
It wasn’t awkward, but a question suddenly crossed my mind.
If that’s the case, why did he permit table-sharing in the first place?
He didn’t seem like the warm, sociable type, nor did he appear to particularly enjoy people’s company.
I was curious, but not curious enough to ask.
Everyone has their own circumstances, after all.
Clink, clink.
“….”
“….”
Even cutting as quietly as possible, some noise was inevitable.
It was after Han Tae-jun finished his last piece of steak.
“Were you waiting for your meal?”
That cold man in glasses asked.
Suddenly?
I was a bit taken aback, but not flustered.
In my past self, when I admired Hunters, I would have excitedly rambled about what an honor it was, but that wasn’t me anymore.
So I shook my head at his question.
“No. Rather than waiting for my meal, I figured I could simply go about my business quietly even while table-sharing, couldn’t I?”
“I see.”
He nodded in understanding.
I could certainly understand that reaction.
‘He must have been curious.’
There were few people in the Hunter world who didn’t know Han Tae-jun.
To dine at the same table with such a man without asking any questions—
It would have been surprising indeed.
A Healer who participated in more raids than anyone else, and a man rumored to have the finest character among all Healers.
He wouldn’t have set the record for reaching Level 3 in the shortest time without running more raids than anyone, and if his character were poor, other Healers wouldn’t have participated in raids with him so frequently.
But I still couldn’t fathom why he’d permitted table-sharing.
Why?
Just as I was pondering this.
Han Tae-jun spoke again.
“You may not be wondering, but the reason I permitted table-sharing is simple. Talent recruitment.”
“Ah.”
Now it made sense.
This was the optimal place to discover promising Healers.
First, this was a Healer-exclusive seating area.
It was easy to observe Healers, and by dining together through table-sharing, one could learn far more than expected.
For instance, choosing to share a table when seats were unavailable already implied that dining with a stranger wasn’t uncomfortable.
At least extroverts had a relative advantage in raids compared to introverts.
And for good reason—raids fundamentally required cooperation.
Likely, he wanted to observe such tendencies, and he studied his companion while dining together.
In other words, it was a way to gauge both character and the healer’s disposition.
Skill could always be verified later anyway.
Looking at it this way, there was no better place to scout from.
“It’s certainly a sound approach. You can definitely discern someone’s nature and character this way.”
At Kim Min-jun’s words, a faint smile crossed Han Tae-jun’s lips, which had remained expressionless throughout.
Had his words been amusing?
I couldn’t say for certain, but it didn’t seem to carry any negative intent.
“However, very few people pass through this method.”
“That’s likely the case.”
Among healers with such strong sense of authority, discovering such talent wasn’t an easy task.
Kim Min-jun thought the same way.
Han Tae-jun quietly observed Kim Min-jun for a moment before speaking.
“I’m Han Tae-jun. Might I ask your name?”
A polite tone accompanied the extended hand.
How could I refuse this?
Kim Min-jun chuckled softly, grasped the offered hand, and shook it as he spoke.
“I’m Kim Min-jun.”
“Kim Min-jun, I’m sorry to leave early today as I have other matters to attend to. Would it be possible for us to have a proper meal together next time?”
“Hmm.”
With those words, Han Tae-jun handed over a business card, and after a moment’s consideration, Kim Min-jun accepted it.
Though I hesitated briefly, it was certainly not a loss.
I still didn’t know much about this hunter world.
So I needed someone to talk with.
Choi Jung-min?
He was fine too, but since I was registered as a healer anyway.
I needed to understand the hunter world from a healer’s perspective.
“I’ll be waiting for your contact. Then.”
Han Tae-jun bowed politely until the end and left the room.
Watching him go, Kim Min-jun thought to himself.
‘It seems I passed the test?’
It appeared I had passed Han Tae-jun’s test for scouting.
And with quite excellent results at that.
Meanwhile, Han Tae-jun, having left the room, walked down the corridor while tapping his thigh with his hand in his pocket.
A habit that emerged when he thought deeply.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen a decent healer.’
By decent, he didn’t mean the character and disposition Kim Min-jun had just mentioned.
The disposition and character were certainly decent, but he was referring to ‘Kim Min-jun’ himself—the person as a whole.
Usually, one healer recognizes another healer.
Kim Min-jun was no exception.
It wasn’t mere self-consciousness—when he first opened the door, his expression was that of someone who recognized me.
Yet even so, he didn’t strike up a conversation.
As if deliberately choosing not to speak.
Han Tae-jun recalled that demeanor and offered a faint smile.
That’s when I could discern it.
‘He believed he had nothing to lose to me.’
So he wasn’t particularly startled, and he conducted himself with casual indifference.
The human body reveals far more than one might expect.
Through pupil dilation, pulse, breathing—such tells.
As an elite healer, Han Tae-jun possessed an exceptional sensitivity to these subtle signs.
And from Han Tae-jun’s perspective, Kim Min-jun wasn’t merely posturing or acting recklessly—he was genuinely composed and at ease, without a trace of false confidence.
Truly believing he had nothing to lose.
He genuinely held that conviction.
While not everyone one believes in proves exceptional, for some reason Han Tae-jun sensed that Kim Min-jun possessed genuine pride in his abilities rather than mere arrogance.
That’s why he offered his business card and proposed they share a proper meal next time.
Fortunately, Kim Min-jun accepted the proposal.
‘Next time, I should learn more about him.’
3.
It had been quite an eventful day.
After consecutive failures at enhancement, I visited the Hunter Market to clear my head through shopping, and encountered Han Tae-jun—a major figure.
Though the day proved more turbulent than expected, I didn’t dwell on it.
‘What a long day this has been.’
I thought I wouldn’t be overly preoccupied, yet it seemed I was more affected than I’d anticipated.
Well, it was Han Tae-jun, after all.
The most renowned healer across Levels 3 and even 4.
And I’d received his business card and been invited to a proper meal.
It was a good day.
Not merely being seen as a ‘healer,’ but having Kim Min-jun as a person recognized in his own right.
Though I knew my own worth better than anyone, I couldn’t help but feel proud.
Being acknowledged by such a prominent figure was certainly cause for satisfaction.
My steps toward home felt light and unburdened.
With this mood, the enhancement might actually succeed?
The thought became irresistible.
Upon arriving home by taxi, I immediately spotted the Level 1 ring I’d placed on my desk without even washing up first.
Though I’d purchased a new ring, somehow it felt like abandoning the old one if I didn’t enhance it first.
‘This time it’ll work!’
In truth, failing four times at a 60% success rate—boosted by the Enchanter’s Blessing—was absurd.
Besides, good things had happened outside today.
So this time, it would succeed.
Without fail!
“Item Enhancement!”
I spoke the words with resounding clarity.
As the incantation left my lips, a torrent of mana surged from my carefully clasped hands.
When thirty percent of my total mana drained away, a sphere of light burst forth from my palms.
‘The color… what color is it?’
I watched the sphere intently, my breath held—it shimmered with a pale blue hue.
A sign of success!
Yet I refused to relax my guard.
‘I’ve seen this exact same color on my third attempt before, only to fail.’
I swallowed hard.
Perhaps because I’d already experienced such disappointment.
I scrutinized every movement of the luminous sphere with meticulous attention.
The pale blue orb danced above the ring, tracing a perfect circle around it.
Was this finally success?
I held my breath, watching with every fiber of my being.
The sphere lingered a moment longer, as if applying some invisible catalyst, before finally settling into the ring itself.
Even now, failure remained possible.
‘It could still slip back out.’
In that instant, I refused to release the tension coiling within me.
A brilliant light engulfed my entire home.
Whoooosh—!
Witnessing that radiance, I could be certain.
I had finally succeeded.
True to my intuition, once the light faded, the ring now gleamed with a pale blue luminescence.
But how could I stop here?
Accessories only gain options starting from +3 enhancement.
There was no reason to halt now.
‘I’m riding the wave!’
In all my attempts at +2 enhancement followed by +3, had I ever failed?
Not even once.
Two successes out of two attempts!
Wasn’t that essentially a hundred percent success rate?
With the Enchanter’s Blessing active, +3 had a twenty percent chance.
This was irresistible.
Without hesitation, I attempted the enhancement again.
“Item Enhancement!”
Once the momentum takes hold, one cannot stop.
Ninety percent of my mana vanished in an instant, and dizziness threatened to overwhelm me, but I pushed through with sheer willpower.
Yes, this is what +3 enhancement demands.
I was certain of it.
So a new tier-3 reinforced item has appeared.
I really hope it’s a skill related to mana consumption.
I was in the middle of counting my chickens before they hatched.
When the luminous blue orb emerged from Kim Min-jun’s hand, it immediately flew toward the ring.
Was it working?
No, but the pattern is different from last time?
The moment I sensed something amiss, the orb shattered into powder above the ring and vanished, leaving me staring at it in disappointment.
‘I thought it was going to succeed?’
I lowered my head with a dejected expression.
It was frustrating, but a 20% success rate was certainly low.
After all, I’d failed a 60% probability four times—there’s no way a 20% would succeed on the first try.
It’ll take a bit longer.
Since tier-2 took over two days, I should probably expect about a week for tier-3.
Tsk, it’s unfortunate but unavoidable.
As I was thinking this, the shards created from the shattered orb
began spreading throughout the entire room.
A beautiful sight like the Milky Way.
As if stars had poured down into the room, I found myself mesmerized, gazing at it without realizing it.
What on earth is happening?
While I was still struggling to comprehend the situation,
“Wh-what?”
the powder scattered like the Milky Way began gathering in one place, forming a single massive star.
No—a luminous orb.
And as if asking if I was surprised, the brilliant blue orb circled around me.
The orb wandered through the air before settling into the ring.
Brilliant light flooded the room once more, and the ring absorbed the orb, now emitting a luminous blue radiance of its own.
The blue glow suited the ring’s appearance perfectly.
I had succeeded in tier-3 reinforcement.
‘This actually worked.’
But it’s not over yet.
If the option isn’t mana-related, then all of this would be for nothing.
My heart pounding, I checked the ring’s information.
[Blessing of the Sea]+3
-This ring, brimming with the essence of the sea, grants its wearer the Blessing of the Sea.
-Mana consumption reduced by 30% when using skills.
You’re saying there are more items to reinforce?
Bring them all here then.

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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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