The Only Enhancer - Chapter 179

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 179
179 – Newcomer Training Camp (4)
Min-jun’s declaration to conquer the sea!
The camp became a peculiar mixture of fervent cheers and melancholy sighs. Everyone understood they were heading somewhere even more grueling than the deep-sea fishing vessel, so preparations were essential.
The only consolation was that they wouldn’t be going alone—most of the guild members had been summoned.
While some found comfort in this, there was one person who was absolutely flustered and troubled.
None other than Won Eun-seong, the Awakener’s Association chairman and not even a guild member.
His level 6 quest wasn’t even complete yet—did he really have to go along?
Or would they gather again next time to depart? Logically, waiting until next time made sense.
But this wasn’t a place where logic prevailed. This was a place where things that would constitute human rights violations elsewhere happened naturally. Logic had no place here.
So Won Eun-seong looked around with considerable worry in his eyes.
Yet no one spoke to him.
Previously, they’d had enough composure to chat with him and offer encouragement, but now? Everyone’s hands were full. These people were being dragged off to the deep-sea fishing vessel.
They had no leisure to comfort anyone else.
Won Eun-seong understood this, so he didn’t dare ask the busily preparing members. Instead, he lingered awkwardly nearby until Min-jun spotted him and asked what he was doing.
“Ah, Chairman Won Eun-seong, what are you doing here?”
Won Eun-seong flinched noticeably and smiled awkwardly at Min-jun.
He understood it was just a simple question, but for some reason, he felt like he’d been caught by someone he shouldn’t have been caught by.
It was like that feeling in school when a teacher caught you going to the bathroom during study hall and asked where you were going. He felt guilty for no reason and flinched.
Seeing Won Eun-seong’s reaction, Min-jun tilted his head in confusion.
Wondering if something was wrong, Min-jun approached him, and Won Eun-seong smiled awkwardly.
He’d been deliberating what to say, but since he didn’t want to follow them to the deep-sea fishing vessel, he asked Min-jun very carefully.
“Ah, haha, I, I haven’t completed my quest yet, so I wasn’t sure if I should go now or come back next time. I was just wandering around, unsure. Haha.”
Whether he went to the deep-sea fishing vessel or came back later, both seemed difficult, but wouldn’t coming back later be better? Hadn’t they said they’d be at the deep-sea fishing vessel for at least a couple of months?
So when Won Eun-seong asked carefully, Min-jun blinked and burst out laughing.
“Of course we should finish it now. Come with me. You’re almost done anyway, right?”
“Huh? Ah! Yes! That’s right. Just one more raid and I’ll be finished.”
“Then let’s go right now. It’ll be fun if all the executive candidates go together.”
“Huh? Ah, yes! Understood. I’ll prepare right away.”
“Yes. Then, roughly thirty minutes from now should work. I’ll ask someone else to pull a monster’s aggro for us.”
Min-jun said this to Won Eun-seong, then asked another guild member to handle pulling a monster’s aggro before heading into his tent.
Won Eun-seong watched his retreating figure and let out a relieved sigh.
It seemed he’d forgotten about it, but mentioning it had been a lifesaver.
As Won Eun-seong made rough preparations and waited, all the executive candidates gathered.
First came Natalia and Evan, and then Hong Myeong, whom he wasn’t even sure belonged here.
Once everyone assembled, Won Eun-seong looked at them with some concern.
‘Will they be alright?’
Hong Myeong was fine since he was a healer and only needed to cast heals from the rear, but the others worried him. Including Hong Myeong, both Natalia and Evan felt like level 3 hunters.
He thought level 3 might struggle against a level 5 disaster, but surely Min-jun had a plan. Still, seeing that everyone had +5 reinforced equipment gave him some confidence.
Besides, with Min-jun and himself there, what was there to worry about?
To assemble the final raid team for the last mission on land, several guild members were mobilized for Hong Myeong’s sake.
Those who had won at rock-paper-scissors were all here, delighted to have made the cut.
And among them was Yu Ji-min.
“Ugh, honestly, getting beaten by monsters during a raid and resting beats all the preparation work.”
“Right? The preparation process is surprisingly tedious and difficult.”
“Exactly. We just get hit and lie around—this place is paradise. Hong Myeong, please take good care of us~”
“Huh? Oh! Yes, yes.”
As Hong Myeong bowed his head in response to Yu Ji-min’s words, everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became cheerful. Just from this, one could tell something was off.
Calling it paradise to get beaten by monsters and just lie there was certainly strange. Won Eun-seong had thought the same thing at first, but now he found himself nodding in agreement.
Because honestly, getting beaten by monsters and just lying around really was paradise.
Our thought processes had crossed beyond the bounds of normalcy.
How long had we all been preparing and waiting? Soon after Min-jun emerged, we could see a monster charging toward us from the distance.
Though this was originally meant to be my quest, Min-jun addressed them as he looked at the group.
“This position was prepared for Awakener’s Association Chairman Won Eun-seong’s quest, but it also serves as a practical test of your abilities. I’ve observed Hong Myeong quite extensively, but I haven’t yet seen the full extent of Natalia’s or Evan’s capabilities. Let’s use this opportunity to assess them.”
Though Min-jun spoke lightly, his words ignited fierce determination in both Natalia and Evan.
Watching them burn with the desire to impress their benefactor and boss, I couldn’t help but admire them.
The Awakener’s Association does attract passionate individuals consistently.
Given its nature, it’s inevitable—it’s a state-affiliated organization, and those without a sense of mission wouldn’t have joined in the first place.
As a result, there were always passionate newcomers with burning enthusiasm.
Anyone could see how intensely they burned. Yet compared to Natalia and Evan right now, even they seemed lukewarm.
‘I should see what their abilities are like myself.’
Truthfully, I hadn’t yet witnessed the power of these so-called unique traits firsthand.
The battles I’d fought here were with Hong Myeong and regular guild members, not with them.
Since no one here had received trait enhancement or possessed unique traits originally, I watched them with anticipation before turning my attention to the monster drawing steadily closer and preparing for combat.
As the creature approached, I could see it was a long-limbed monkey.
Using its elongated arms like whips, it swept the surrounding area, and all Reinforce Guild members leaped into the air to evade the attack and reposition.
Whoosh!
They launched themselves through the air and charged at the creature, successfully drawing its aggression.
Without attacking directly, they used skills attached to their items to pull aggro, and when the creature struck back with its abilities, they bled and retreated. In that opening, Yu Ji-min swiftly transported the injured guild members to Hong Myeong.
By now accustomed to healing the wounded, Hong Myeong worked with practiced speed.
Up to this point, it was the same as always. Normally, I would attack freely while holding aggro, and once it dropped, I’d fall back and the guild members would take hits again. But today was different.
The executive candidates stepped forward.
From a distance, Evan began casting spells, and countless magical circles suddenly materialized behind him. I couldn’t help but be astounded at the sight.
‘What… what is that?’
Judging by the mana circulation alone, it should have been a skill, but the atmosphere and feeling were entirely different from any skill. The way Evan directly manipulated mana to draw the magical circles and then channeled magic through them was so alien that I swallowed hard, watching intently.
Evan’s magical circles unfolded in an instant, then merged into one another, forming a massive magical circle. Just before that magic could fully manifest, Natalia moved.
The moment I saw Natalia move, I stared in disbelief.
I was watching, yet I nearly lost sight of her in that instant.
She moved without a sound, and her movement itself was blurred. I could only perceive it because I’d reinforced my vision with mana. If I hadn’t learned this vision enhancement from Min-jun, I would have lost her completely.
Positioning herself discreetly and chambering her weapon, Natalia took her shot.
The gunshot itself was inaudible, yet a hole had appeared in the creature’s skull.
Thwack!
Even after the final bullet struck, the sound was so faint that I questioned whether it had connected at all.
But the destructive force was terrifying.
Though it didn’t penetrate the creature’s head completely, the damage was severe.
Of course, the creature regenerated immediately as if to spite us, but the pain was excruciating.
“Screeeee! Kiii-kiii-kiii! Uuuuuuuuuh!”
As it thrashed in agony, the surrounding area was swept clean, but there was no one here foolish enough to be caught by such an attack. Everyone had retreated to safety, watching for their opening—and Natalia was the fastest among them.
She established her sniper position with precision and prepared to fire again from that exact spot.
Crafting ammunition, loading it, and firing once more.
Watching the seamless flow of her movements, I found myself forgetting that I too should be attacking, unable to do anything but observe Natalia’s performance.
Another bullet was fired, and though even I could barely track it, the round struck the creature’s temple with perfect accuracy, shattering it.
Thwack.
As the creature thrashed about in indignation, unable to discern where the shots were coming from, Evan immediately unleashed his completed spell, and a colossal sword plummeted down upon its head.
Not merely a blade falling, but a massive sword descending with clear intent and purpose.
Shhhhhhhhhhh-crack!
The sword pierced cleanly through one of the creature’s arms and severed it, leaving the beast consumed entirely by pain—unable to move, unable to scream, only gaping its mouth silently.
Watching up to this point, I nearly stood dazed in admiration, but I quickly regained my senses and rushed forward, spear in hand.
I thrust my spear rapidly, landing blow after blow, increasing my Quest count with each strike.
And once I withdrew, Min-jun stepped forward and personally healed the creature.
When it was first healed, the creature seemed bewildered by the inexplicable recovery, but soon it attacked again, and the pattern repeated from there.
As the battle continued, I couldn’t help but let out a silent whistle of admiration for the executive candidates. I never imagined they’d be this formidable.
‘They really are a monstrous group.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————