The Only Enhancer - Chapter 176

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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 176
176 – Newcomer Training Camp (1)
0.
Reinforce Guild wasn’t steeped in centuries of tradition, but by now it had certainly developed its own formal structure.
Though lacking history, we could boast of being stronger and more exceptional than any other guild.
Our training reflected that philosophy. Other guilds wouldn’t dare attempt what we did. In fact, if they tried, they’d be arrested for abuse and human rights violations.
Why hasn’t Reinforce been arrested? Try arresting Min-jun and see what happens.
If people saw the training Min-jun underwent, they’d shudder, sure—but they’d brush it off as acceptable. If another guild did it, though, they’d face charges for human rights violations.
Regardless, that atmosphere persisted even without Min-jun present.
What does that mean? The newly recruited executive candidate Evan was undergoing similar training.
“Ugh, brother, just kill me already.”
“That won’t kill you. And besides, the other new executive candidate is working just as hard. Hey, and you’ve got Team 2—me and my friends—helping you out, so you can’t fall behind the one Team 1 is training!”
“Argh! I’m going to die from exhaustion!!!!”
Evan grumbled and whined, but he still pushed himself up from the ground and drew forth his mana. He had to endure and keep going no matter what.
Sergei wasn’t wrong. His older brother and Team 2—his friends—were personally overseeing his training, so how could he fall behind Natalia, who’d joined later?
Despite his complaints, Evan’s pace was hardly slow.
He’d already reached level 3—impressive speed. But from here on, progress became genuinely sluggish, forcing him to invest considerable time.
He was advancing faster than Natalia, whom Team 1 was managing, but she was closing the gap menacingly from behind.
Of course, Evan wasn’t slow or incompetent. Quite the opposite.
When Sergei managed to bring a Disaster-grade level 4 monster and hand it over to Evan, his eyes blazed as he began manipulating his mana.
He recalled the various spells Min-jun had demonstrated and cast them.
Crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle!
Tremendous electrical current flowed through the air, taking shape, and that form—like lightning itself—materialized into a spear that he hurled at the creature.
The lightning spear shot forth with blinding speed, tearing through the air itself as it descended upon the beast. Even a Disaster-grade level 4 monster couldn’t possibly react to it.
Boom!
The lightning spear pierced deep into the creature’s core, but that wasn’t the end.
The lightning spear remained firmly in place like a lightning rod, and Evan’s eyes blazed with brilliant blue light as he cried out.
“Heavenly Judgment!”
The moment Evan shouted, dark clouds gathered in the sky, friction building between them, and a colossal bolt of lightning descended from above upon the creature.
Accompanied by thunder, the sky’s lance paralyzed the Disaster-grade level 4 monster’s entire body, and Evan unleashed spell after spell upon it.
Countless magical circles unfolded, revealing the true nature of a mage.
Those multiple circles merged into one through the mage’s skill, and a single enormous golden blade materialized in the air before being swung down at the creature.
Slash―――――――――――crack!
The ground split as if cleaved in two, the creature splitting with it, and the moment it was severed, it transformed into energy and vanished. First, he’d immobilized it with lightning’s power, then unleashed a slow but devastating spell that struck with perfect precision.
Had the creature not been electrocuted and able to move, the attack would have been slow enough to dodge easily. But he’d managed to halt it completely before striking.
Sergei trembled as he watched his younger brother make that judgment in an instant and actually execute it. It had taken barely a week to reach this level of skill.
How was he supposed to describe this?
‘He’s a true monster.’
Sergei had always believed himself superior to his older brother.
In fact, within Russia, many compared Viktor, the eldest, with Sergei, and Sergei had always emerged victorious.
Even his older brother Viktor had admitted defeat and withdrawn, so I could gauge just how formidable Sergei truly was. No wonder he’d passed into Reinforce Team 2 and earned his place here.
Still, I couldn’t help but think of him as a frog in a well.
Min-jun, the guild master? Honestly, was there anyone in humanity who didn’t know how extraordinary he was?
That couldn’t be—Min-jun wasn’t even a subject of comparison; he was closer to an object of worship, so I just accepted it.
But what about the executives directly beneath Min-jun?
‘When I first saw them, every single one looked like monsters.’
I honestly hadn’t expected to be outmatched so completely. The sparring sessions under Min-jun’s direction were nothing short of a stage that vividly demonstrated why they held executive positions.
To be more frank, there were those like Jung Ji-hwan and Isabella who possessed similar skill levels, but they were far more skilled and dazzling than we were.
And once training began, I understood why.
With training like this, even with comparable skill, they had no choice but to be far stronger!
Such frustration emerged, but the other executives operated on an entirely different dimension.
Especially those called “Unique Traits”—they were all monsters without exception, and my younger brother was among their ranks.
At first, I couldn’t believe it, but once we entered training together, I had no choice but to accept it.
‘A monster of a kid.’
Despite being only Level 1 from the start, the insane power and skill he displayed while using magic learned from Min-jun to hunt down Disaster Level 3 monsters left everyone in awe.
Even Sergei, who’d been boasting about his younger brother, was left speechless—what about the others? Sergei had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Though they themselves had been called geniuses, these were monsters that transcended genius.
With that in mind, Sergei thought of Woo-jin and the other executives, hoping Evan would become such a monster too, and was pushing him even harder.
Soon after, I felt the Reinforce Guild’s communication terminal vibrate and quickly pulled it from my pocket.
As Sergei took out the terminal and brought it to his ear.
Someone spoke to Sergei.
-The guild master intends to gather all executive candidates who’ve reached Level 3 or higher in one place for training. I’ll send you the coordinates—gather there.
It was Jung Ji-hwan’s voice.
Hearing this, Sergei didn’t even respond and stopped his teammates who were about to bring another monster.
Then, with clear tension etched across his face, he spoke to them.
“I need to take Evan to the guild master now. I’ll go, so everyone else disperse.”
“…S-Sergei! You don’t have to shoulder everything just because you’re the older brother!”
“R-Right! No matter what you say, let’s split this fairly!”
“No, it’s right that I go as the older brother. I’ll make sure we don’t fall behind Team 1, so wait for us.”
“Ugh, Sergei!”
“This guy! Sergei really is a man!”
“Thank you! Sergei! We won’t forget your sacrifice!”
As they descended into tears, Evan looked at them as if something seemed odd.
They comforted Sergei as if he were departing for war, gave him thumbs up calling him cool, and cheered him on—everyone prepared for his departure.
Sergei did the same, and his younger brother Evan, watching him, asked with a puzzled expression.
“Why are they acting like that over just going to training? Things are already tough, and now it’ll get tougher?”
“…? What are you even saying, Evan?”
“Huh?”
Surely it wouldn’t get tougher than this. That was hard to believe, but I figured Min-jun’s training would be different, so I nodded in acknowledgment.
But my brother’s reaction seems strange—isn’t it going to be harder?
Or else, why would they be reacting like that?
When Evan tilted his head and looked at Sergei, Sergei grasped Evan’s shoulder with a half-contemplative expression.
Then he spoke with a grave tone.
“Everything I’m about to say is the truth.”
“Yeah, why are you being so serious about it?”
“Until now, you’ll feel like we’ve been playing house. Think of it as a game called training house play.”
“…W-what? Then what about that place?”
“Real training exists there. You should prepare yourself mentally.”
Evan took a breath and swallowed hard as he looked at Sergei speaking those words.
Evan recalled when Min-jun had taught him magic before—it hadn’t been that difficult then, but now it would become incomparably harder?
Did that even make sense?
Was it even possible in the first place?
Though he harbored such doubts, denying it first, he couldn’t understand how it was even possible, so how could he know? He simply had to accept it as Sergei said.
And just as he was about to leave, Sergei handed something to Evan.
It was a notebook and a ballpoint pen. Upon receiving them, Evan looked at Sergei with an expression asking why, and Sergei spoke.
“You’ll definitely need it. Be careful not to lose it anytime.”
“…Ah, understood.”
He couldn’t bring himself to ask what this was.
Sergei’s expression was far too grave and serious.
Evan placed it in his bag, thinking it would be useful someday.
Not knowing that hell was about to unfold before him.
1.
Meanwhile, the training team Min-jun had created for Hong Myeong was going through hardship.
The number of people suddenly coming here had increased, so there was much more to prepare.
Initially, only Natalia and Lee Ji-eun were supposed to come, but then Woo-jin and Mary said they’d come too, so Min-jun decided that everyone leveling up should gather here and train properly.
Everyone couldn’t help but feel gloomy.
Hong Myeong was merely level 3, and Natalia and Evan were also level 3.
So looking at the current atmosphere, they seemed destined to be trapped here until those three reached level 5.
Actually, when there was only Hong Myeong, it was manageable. It was simply a matter of getting hit, lying down, recovering, and getting hit again.
Though there was pain, it could still be called easier than anything else.
But now other executive candidates like Evan and Natalia were coming too?
Then they’d have to drive monsters here and manage those numerous monsters when they arrived.
The number of people seemed insufficient for this, but Min-jun had already issued his orders.
To gather here. So they’d do it with just this team.
Only the newly arriving Lee Ji-eun and Sergei?
Even if only two were added, the number of people was undoubtedly small.
While everyone else felt gloomy, only Hong Myeong and Won Eun-seong wore bright smiles.
Why? If other executive candidates came, Hong Myeong was pleased that Min-jun’s attention would be divided, and Won Eun-seong was happy because the Quest would soon end.
‘Finally, I’m leaving.’
‘If the attention directed at me gets divided, the treatment will decrease a bit, right?’
With personnel being deployed to handle the monsters, it was clear that Hong Myeong would have fewer opportunities to exert himself.
Both of them wore such blissful smiles on their faces.
Indeed, joy comes after hardship.

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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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