The Only Enhancer - Chapter 171

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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 171
171 – Leveling Up (3)
2.
Magic and sorcery that manipulated space were notoriously difficult to master.
For the Deep-Sea Monsters, who merely inherited magic transmitted by the Monster King rather than creating their own, the challenge was even more formidable.
Beyond the bewilderingly complex incantations, they consumed enormous amounts of mana and required multiple spatial coordinates to function.
More critically, they needed a sufficient number of sorcerers and a commanding mage capable of controlling all of them—and that was precisely Ursula’s role.
Up to this point, there were no problems.
Spatial sorcery? With repeated research, it would be perfected soon enough. I had prepared in advance just in case, and now the research was nearing completion. But there was one problem. Just one.
It was Min-jun.
When I tried to implant the factor remotely, he refused to leave Hong Myeong’s side for even a moment.
From the moment I instructed the remote implantation, he showed no intention of leaving his post.
I even began to wonder if my plan had been discovered, such was my bewilderment.
-What on earth was I supposed to do?
Initially, knowing he was perceptive, I had tried to draw his attention and abduct him discreetly, but when he dealt with my guild members and eliminated the Deep-Sea Monsters, it was absurd. Later, when I tried to bring him secretly from Busan after the battle ended, Min-jun spirited Hong Myeong away inland first.
Fine, that much was manageable. So when I tried to lure Hong Myeong for the remote implantation, what was this? Now he wouldn’t leave his side at all.
I felt contempt toward that cursed Min-jun, but what could I do?
I was the weaker party now. So when I attempted to implant the deletion factor into Hong Myeong discreetly, what happened? The implantation itself became impossible.
-Damn it. He awakened him? Awakened him!? This cursed bastard!
Ursula, who had always lived with cold cynicism, cried out in fury so intense that the surrounding monsters instinctively distanced themselves from her.
The research had to continue, so it proceeded as planned.
Ursula left the sorcerers and mages to their work and fell into contemplation.
Why was I so incensed now? It was simple enough.
Even if Min-jun stayed by Hong Myeong’s side twenty-four hours a day, there would still be gaps in his vigilance, and I had only needed to wait for that opportunity to implant the factor. But now Hong Myeong could no longer receive the implantation.
Because of his artificial awakening, his unique trait had already taken root in his soul. If I implanted another trait—the Monster King’s factor—Hong Myeong would die.
If Hong Myeong died, the factor would vanish through the system and be sealed away once more.
The method of deceiving the system and extracting the factor had been blocked by the system’s barriers, making it a one-time-use approach. So implanting the factor into Hong Myeong now would only amount to returning it to the system. Did Min-jun intentionally awaken him knowing this?
I couldn’t be certain, but at least it didn’t feel that way.
It seemed nothing more than a series of coincidences piling upon one another.
The feeling of being abandoned by fate was unbearably intense, but there was nothing to be done about it.
Since matters had progressed this far, I couldn’t simply remain idle.
The real problem was what to do with this factor, and with its suitable vessel now gone, my options were severely limited.
-Should I simply abandon the research into spatial sorcery?
At my muttered words, the monsters conducting the research trembled in unison.
Should we stop? they seemed to ask, gauging my expression. But the atmosphere was far too tense to broach the subject, so they simply continued their work.
If they had suggested stopping, I felt their heads might roll.
While they all watched my mood carefully, my mind raced rapidly.
In this state, our domain would surely be discovered and we would be annihilated.
Even if I gathered all the remaining monsters from the Heavens and Underground across the world and combined them with the Deep Sea, I had no confidence in defeating Min-jun.
Especially not after witnessing the overwhelming power he displayed at the end.
Yet Ursula found herself troubled, sensing an ominous premonition that this would not be the end.
She even entertained a desperate thought: should they surrender here and merely beg for their survival?
Perhaps if they surrendered, they might be spared after all.
But Ursula already understood the foolishness of such a choice.
If they did that, they would simply be slaughtered where they stood.
—’So what exactly can we do?’ she thought.
The monsters had dwindled to a pitifully small number.
Attacking the human world with these few would only expose their location, so she needed to devise a way to kill Min-jun regardless.
In this suffocating, hopeless situation, Ursula’s gaze fell upon a book held by one of the Deep-Sea Monsters studying spatial magic.
The book’s title was “Spatial Coordinate Calculation Summoning Methods for Fairies Learning Summoning Arts.”
And seeing that book, a sudden realization struck her.
The Great War! In the aftermath of that catastrophic conflict, the Fairy Planet where the fairies dwelled had become nothing but ruins, and all the fairies perished. Of course, the monsters suffered near-annihilation as well, but many of them survived.
Most of those survivors fell to Earth, but there were still brethren remaining on the ruined Fairy Planet.
Surely there were quite a few Disaster Level 8 monsters still lingering there.
—Yes! I can bring those creatures here!
Did she truly believe that sheer numbers could defeat Min-jun?
Not in the slightest. But they could buy time against his subordinates, and with coordinated attacks, they might hold him back to some degree.
But then, who would face Min-jun himself?
Ursula exhaled a weary sigh, her gaze settling upon the Monster King’s essence held in her hand.
There was only one path remaining.
The Great War had ended in defeat for both sides.
The fairies had lost the Fairy King and all their kind. The monsters still existed, but their Monster King—who could modify and strengthen them—was dead.
When their lifespans expired and all perished, the monsters would surely lose their intellect once more.
If Ursula, as a sorcerer, created subordinates, monsters with intellect would indeed be born, but they would be little more than familiars bound to her soul. The moment Ursula died, they would perish as well.
And so the monsters would face their inevitable decline.
Therefore, a Monster King must be born by any means necessary. Hong Myeong had been needed for this, but now that no suitable candidate remained, she would have to force it.
And that candidate was none other than—
—myself. I must consume it.
Of course, not immediately. There was a mountain of preparations to make, and only after completing them all could she attempt the absorption.
Even so, it was far from without danger. Even for Ursula, the wavelength did not align particularly well with the Monster King’s essence—that is, the Fairy Prince’s essence.
After all, fairies and monsters meshing well together was an irony in itself.
She would raise her compatibility by any means necessary, absorb that essence, and stop Min-jun.
This was the best option available to her now.
If no suitable candidate existed to absorb the Monster King’s essence, then she would simply become the suitable candidate herself.
—Gather all the scattered ones. And prepare to open a portal. We prepare for war.
The prelude to the Second Great War was beginning.
3.
At Min-jun’s words, Won Eun-seong, the chairman of the Second Generation Awakened Ones Association, stepped into the Reinforce Guild building with a bright smile. Normally, if an association chairman entered a specific guild’s building, it could invite gossip, so he would refrain, but this time was different.
It was the Reinforce Guild, after all. The citizens would likely even ask how his visit went.
And for good reason—the Reinforce Guild’s prestige was recognized throughout the entire world.
Because of this, when citizens saw the South Korean government maintaining a friendly relationship with Reinforce—or rather, with Min-jun—they even praised the government’s political acumen. That said everything.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason Won Eun-seong wore a smile.
Today, finally.
‘I’m becoming Level 6!’
Wasn’t this something I’d longed for? Truth be told, I’d never felt sorrow over the sealed level cap.
Even Level 5 was an extraordinary level of power. Receiving proper treatment was natural, and being a national talent was fact, but when had it started?
Because of the Reinforce Guild, Level 5 Hunters began to be undervalued.
Level 6 could still command respect, but Level 5 Hunters found themselves in an awkwardly diminished position.
Won Eun-seong would soon become Association Chairman, so he wouldn’t lose out in power or status, but Level 6 was a different matter entirely. Above all, Won Eun-seong harbored a competitive spirit toward Jung Ji-hwan, which made it even more so.
Jung Ji-hwan, who had already reached Level 6, was so enviable—but now I could reach Level 6 too.
At first, I became Chairman and resented Ma Hyun-seok somewhat, but not anymore.
‘It all had such noble purpose! Thank you so much!’
It was amusing how I’d cursed him as a senile old fool before, yet now treated him like a benefactor, but hearing about a level increase made it all forgivable.
As Won Eun-seong entered the Reinforce Guild building with a beaming smile, he spotted a familiar face. It was none other than former Association Chairman Ma Hyun-seok.
Seeing Won Eun-seong enter with that radiant grin, Ma Hyun-seok acknowledged him knowingly.
“Oh! If it isn’t Eun-seong! What brings you here?”
Speaking with that rejuvenated face still felt strange to Won Eun-seong, but what did it matter? Today was a day when everything felt perfect.
With the world appearing beautiful to him, he spoke to Ma Hyun-seok.
“Ah, Min-jun said he’d strengthen my level today. Haha!”
“Ah! You mean that special privilege for the new Chairman?”
“Yes! If it weren’t for you, former Chairman, would I ever receive such a thing? Hahaha! Thank you!”
“Hehehehe! You were ready to kill me before, but you seem pleased now!”
“Yes, well, it’s a matter of leveling up, after all.”
Watching Won Eun-seong nod enthusiastically at Ma Hyun-seok’s words, Ma Hyun-seok nodded as well. For Hunters, nothing was more important than that.
Looking at Won Eun-seong, Ma Hyun-seok spoke.
“Hehehehe, while you’re at it, why don’t you ask for a +6 enhancement item as an inauguration gift?”
“Uh, but wouldn’t that seem shameless no matter what?”
“Listen, Eun-seong. Imagine you have ten million won in your hand, and a close friend gets promoted—wouldn’t you buy them a drink for ten thousand won?”
“I’d definitely buy them a drink for that.”
“To the Guild Master, a +6 item is worth about that much. So go ahead and ask.”
“Oh! Ohhh!”
Won Eun-seong laughed with unbridled delight, and Ma Hyun-seok chuckled at the sight, telling him he’d see him later before sending him off.
Thus Won Eun-seong headed toward the Guild Master’s Office.
With a heart full of hope.
‘I hope I get a +6 item too.’

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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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