The Only Enhancer - Chapter 172

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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 172
172 – Upward Leveling (4)
As Won Eun-seong stepped into the corridor leading to the Guild Master’s Office from the first floor—which evoked the image of a department store—he immediately sensed a shift in atmosphere. The path to the Guild Master’s Office was far more austere and imposing than he’d anticipated.
In truth, considering Min-jun’s power, he wondered if such precautions were truly necessary, but if the headquarters of a guild leader appeared unremarkable, that itself would be a matter of prestige, so he accepted it as it was.
After all, the residence of an organization’s leader would look shabby if it lacked proper dignity.
As Won Eun-seong drew closer to the Guild Master’s Office, a familiar face came into view.
The moment he saw it, Won Eun-seong grinned widely and raised his hand in greeting, but the familiar face merely tilted his head with a puzzled expression, as if asking why he’d come here.
At that reaction, Won Eun-seong’s expression cracked instantly into a frown.
The man was none other than Jung Ji-hwan.
“Are you out of your mind? It’s been ages, and instead of saying you’re glad to see me, what’s with that look?”
“Hmm, well, rather than glad, I’d say it’s unexpected to see you in a place like this. So what brings you here? As you can see, not just anyone can come to a place like this.”
“I was invited, you bastard!”
“I know.”
“…???”
Won Eun-seong was about to protest—then why ask?—when he caught Jung Ji-hwan smirking slightly and realized he was being toyed with. He erupted in indignation, but Jung Ji-hwan remained unfazed.
Instead, he even offered a gentle rebuke as he watched Won Eun-seong’s outburst.
“Still, this is where our Guild Master resides, so refrain from recklessness and behave yourself.”
“…Ugh, fine!”
“A man who came to receive a gift shouldn’t make such a fuss. What good will it do?”
“…Phew, I’ll restrain myself. I will.”
After all, Jung Ji-hwan, who served as Min-jun’s secretary of sorts, would naturally have known Won Eun-seong was coming.
It was definitely teasing, but his words were undeniably correct, so Won Eun-seong settled down.
With that, Won Eun-seong composed himself, and Jung Ji-hwan, observing his compliance, knocked on the door and spoke to Min-jun.
“Guild Master, Hunter Association Chairman Won Eun-seong has arrived.”
“Ah, please show him in.”
At Min-jun’s words, the door opened automatically, and Won Eun-seong entered with a somewhat nervous expression.
The interior was far more spacious than any other guild master’s office, and while not ostentatious, it exuded an air of refined elegance. At a massive desk positioned before the window sat Min-jun, engaged in some task.
When Min-jun lifted his head, emanating an inexplicable aura, Won Eun-seong found himself swallowing hard.
As a Hunter Association official, Won Eun-seong had visited numerous guilds for inspections and various other reasons, meeting with guild masters. He’d encountered many—guild masters of his own Level 5 rank, corporate executives, and others.
But he could say with certainty that this was the first time he’d encountered such an overwhelming presence and atmosphere.
When he’d first met Min-jun, the man had seemed naive and inexperienced. When had he grown so formidable?
Admittedly, Min-jun had gained tremendous renown, but Won Eun-seong had assumed he would remain largely unchanged.
Though he’d tried to dismiss that notion after seeing Min-jun at the amusement park yesterday, he’d still harbored some lingering belief that the man was somewhat of a novice.
Observing Won Eun-seong swallow nervously, Min-jun rose from his seat and guided him to the reception sofa, then extended his hand in a gesture for him to sit.
Won Eun-seong hesitated briefly at the sight, then took his seat. Watching him, Min-jun spoke.
“Congratulations on becoming Hunter Association Chairman. Of course, I’ll strengthen your level, but is there anything else you’d like to receive?”
“…Eh? Ah! No, no! Just strengthening my level is more than enough!”
Before arriving here, Won Eun-seong had intended to ask for a Tier 6 item, but the words—even the thought—evaporated. He’d been overwhelmed by Min-jun’s commanding charisma.
Seeing this, Min-jun spoke as if telling him not to be so reserved and to speak freely.
“No, please. I’ve heard that if I only give you a level enhancement, I won’t be able to save face either.”
“That’s right. Still, now that you’ve become the Hunter Association Chairman, it would be fitting to give you a gift befitting your new position.”
At Jung Ji-hwan’s words beside him, Min-jun nodded and smiled.
It seemed their conversation had already concluded. Just as Won Eun-seong was about to say it was fine while giving Jung Ji-hwan a slightly reproachful look for the earlier teasing, something unexpected happened.
Min-jun retrieved a spear from his subspace and handed it to Won Eun-seong.
“Actually, I was just asking for formality’s sake—I’d already prepared it. I reinforced and adjusted it to match your skills perfectly. Why don’t you take a look and see if it suits you?”
“Ah… ah…”
Won Eun-seong accepted the spear in a daze, staring down at it with a bewildered expression.
The most radiant spear he’d ever seen. How could anyone not be captivated by a +6 reinforced weapon gleaming with violet light?
It was essentially a weapon worth hundreds of billions. And yet Min-jun was offering it without hesitation.
Moreover, the skills embedded within the spear were perfectly suited to Won Eun-seong’s abilities.
Moved by the sight, Won Eun-seong looked at Min-jun, who offered a benevolent smile and spoke carefully.
“Since you two are friends, Ji-hwan was able to advise me well, which made it possible to craft such a fine spear. It seems to please you—how do you feel about it?”
“You, you… ahem. No, I’m absolutely delighted with it. It’s a bit unsettling that he’s the one who informed you, but the spear itself is so wonderful I could cry.”
Won Eun-seong spoke honestly, and Jung Ji-hwan simply nodded nonchalantly while watching him, creating the impression that he was teasing Won Eun-seong.
In any case, Won Eun-seong disregarded Jung Ji-hwan and expressed his sincere gratitude to Min-jun.
Even as Min-jun repeatedly insisted it was fine, Won Eun-seong performed a deep bow before the matter finally concluded.
With the spear in hand, Won Eun-seong examined it thoroughly with great joy, carefully storing it in his bag, and only after he’d calmed down could the conversation proceed.
Since Won Eun-seong was about to level up, he was naturally nervous, and Min-jun spoke softly to him.
“The reinforcement itself isn’t complicated, but there are several conditions involved, so leveling up won’t be easy for you.”
“Ah! I’d already heard about that.”
“Then I’ll proceed with the reinforcement right away.”
As Min-jun spoke, Won Eun-seong tensed automatically and was enveloped in brilliant light. Upon receiving the level-up notification, he felt somewhat anticlimactic, but the fact that he could now ascend to Level 6 filled him with immense joy. This was something he’d never imagined possible—it felt like a dream, so he couldn’t help but smile widely.
Honestly, before Min-jun arrived, would he have ever imagined his level cap could be raised?
Everyone had conducted research and even suggested hacking the system.
But all attempts had failed, and they’d accepted that the level cap was the absolute limit.
Won Eun-seong was no exception. As someone who believed that becoming stronger was a man’s destiny, his sense of regret had only grown deeper.
He’d received various techniques from Ma Hyun-seok, and though he couldn’t grow physically stronger, he’d tried to bridge the gap through skill training—but how could that ever be enough?
The more techniques he learned, the more meaningless it all seemed.
That’s why Jung Ji-hwan had always weighed on his mind.
Even though Won Eun-seong was a recognized Level 5, he felt this way. Jung Ji-hwan had superior skills and ability, yet his level cap was merely Level 4, leaving him capable of so little.
Won Eun-seong had always felt sorry for him and stuck by his side. The fact that they could now transcend that level cap and grow stronger filled him with unexpected emotion.
‘This feeling is strange, damn it.’
Thinking this, he felt his nose sting and wiped it.
He glanced at Jung Ji-hwan, wondering if he felt the same way, but the man seemed like a robot—utterly unmoved. He simply said he’d leave to attend to his duties.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
“Go on then. And congratulations on raising your level cap.”
“What gives you the right to congratulate me! Get out of here~”
Won Eun-seong spoke curtly, but both of them exchanged subtle smiles as they parted ways. Won Eun-seong expressed his gratitude to Min-jun once more. He couldn’t believe how fortunate this was.
However, upon checking the Quest, he thought it seemed rather demanding.
Since this was a Quest that required facing a Disaster Level 5 monster, it seemed impossible to handle alone.
No, even the Hunter Association felt uneasy about it. If Reinforce Guild was excluded when all of Korea was mobilized, facing a Disaster Level 5 wouldn’t be an easy task.
Of course, Won Eun-seong had obtained a +6 equipment from this, so he might manage somehow with it, but the truth was it wouldn’t be easy.
The only way would be to join Reinforce Guild’s hunting, but honestly, it felt too shameless to ask for that.
They’d raised my level and given me +6 equipment, and now I’d ask to join their hunt too?
That’s practically robbery.
‘I’ll find a way to clear the Quest eventually.’
Just as Won Eun-seong was about to leave with that thought, Min-jun suddenly opened his eyes wide as if asking where he was going, and stared at him.
Seeing Min-jun’s expression, Won Eun-seong wondered for a moment what he’d done wrong and looked back at him, and Min-jun asked while observing his reaction.
“Huh? Do you need to head back to the Hunter Association right away?”
“What? Oh, no. I cleared my schedule for today, so it’s fine.”
“Oh, that works out perfectly then! How about joining us for a hunt? We need to train anyway, and it might be quite difficult for you to clear the Quest alone.”
“Huh? Um, well, I’d love to, but are you really sure? I’ve already received a level boost and items, so if you’re including me in training too, I really don’t know what to do with myself.”
At Won Eun-seong’s words, Min-jun couldn’t help but smile. From his perspective, it wasn’t even a hunt significant enough to feel like he was giving anything.
But seeing him so grateful somehow made him feel good.
Was this what they meant by the virtue of generosity?
“Of course it’s fine. More training is always better. We were heading out to hunt a Disaster Level 5 monster anyway, so let’s go together and clear your Quest. Plus, you need to test out your new weapon and power to make sure they’re safe when you use them later, right?”
Every word Min-jun said made perfect sense.
It was enough to shake even Won Eun-seong’s resolve to politely decline out of shame.
The conflicted Won Eun-seong soon nodded his head and expressed his gratitude once more.
“Then I’ll join without reservation! Thank you so much!”
“Not at all. I’m excited to go together. I was disappointed we couldn’t run a raid together back in Gangneung, but now I have the chance.”
“No, it’s an honor for me!”
“Then since everyone’s gathered, let’s head out. Oh, I have something to take care of first, so would you go ahead? They should be gathering at Basement Level 1. I’ll let them know, so go on ahead.”
“Yes! Understood!”
As Won Eun-seong headed down to the basement, the Reinforce Guild members recognized his face and greeted him.
“Wow! Isn’t this the Hunter Association Chairman! You got a level boost today, right? Congratulations!”
“That’s right, congratulations! But what brings you here?”
“Oh, Min-jun said I could come along, so I just joined right away!”
At those words, the guild members fell silent and began looking at Won Eun-seong with pitying expressions.
“Huh? Why? What? Why is the atmosphere like this?”

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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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