The Only Enhancer - Chapter 18

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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 18
Episode 18 – Extended Raid (2)
3.
The longer one remains in a Disaster Zone, the higher the mortality rate climbs.
To establish a camp in such a Disaster Zone?
It typically came down to one of two things.
Either greed had blinded them, or they possessed unwavering confidence in their abilities.
‘But our party has a healer.’
With a healer present, everything changes.
Even a Level 1 healer with only basic buff skills could dramatically reduce mortality rates.
The combat power increase from buffs alone was more than sufficient.
And if we also had a skilled tank like myself?
It was nothing short of perfect.
Now was the time to think not of survival rates, but of profit margins.
Kang Na-gyeong’s party was no exception.
Seven members in total.
Even when hunting the Black-scaled Serpent—the most resilient creature in Disaster Level 1 Zone—seven was quite a substantial number.
Considering that the average temporary party size in Disaster Level 1 Zone ranged between four and five, this was definitely larger than usual.
‘We originally planned to go with six, but circumstances changed.’
Who would have thought a healer would actually join us?
Not only that, but one willing to participate in what could be called an ordeal—an extended raid.
Kang Na-gyeong couldn’t forget Min-jun’s expression at that moment.
‘He agreed as if it were nothing.’
Bringing up such a proposal to a healer was frankly absurd.
How temperamental they could be.
The slightest discomfort and they’d refuse, and with their coffers already full, they rarely participated in raids at all.
The healers affiliated with Mirinae Guild were no different.
He wasn’t authoritarian, and when he showed up without a word during the interview, I took a chance and made the proposal—only for him to accept it as if it were trivial.
Honestly, even if he’d expressed displeasure, I’d have had nothing to say in return.
For Kang Na-gyeong, it was an opportunity.
‘I need to hunt as much as possible this time and level up Kang Na-jin and Jung Da-un.’
The reason why she, a promising prospect even within Mirinae Guild, would undertake an extended raid in Disaster Zone 1.
It was to nurture her younger sister Kang Na-jin and Jung Da-un, whom she’d been close to since childhood.
Both were still Level 1.
If they waited for their turn at Mirinae Guild and participated in raids through the normal process, their leveling speed would inevitably slow.
Above all, the rumors had proven true.
‘If I assemble a party perfectly suited for those two and join Mirinae Guild?’
They could raid immediately without waiting for their turn.
By then, I’d be at ease.
The rumors about Kang Na-gyeong had been true after all.
I would scout for talented hunters and bring them into the guild to form a fixed raid party.
That was her goal—the objective of this raid.
Though I would need to put in more effort to make it happen.
While Kang Na-gyeong was making various preparations for the camping expedition, she suddenly found herself thinking of that healer.
‘Certainly an unusual person.’
In truth, it was extremely rare for a healer to participate in long-term raids.
One could say it almost never happened, but on the rare occasions it did, adjustments to the loot distribution were always made.
But Min-jun had none of that.
He said he would take the standard share that healers normally received.
Instead, he claimed all the enhancement materials, regardless of type.
The enhancement materials from the Black-Scaled Serpent were expensive even among such drops, but they were still just enhancement materials.
Even including accessories, it could only be seen as a concession.
‘A healer joining a long-term raid without much to gain.’
There were two reasons hunters camped in Disaster Zones for extended raids.
Either they were greedy or they were confident.
Kang Na-gyeong had a feeling Min-jun fell into the latter category.
Just how confident must a healer be to step forward like this?
He had only said he couldn’t reveal his affiliation.
There was no way to even guess.
But she was certain of one thing.
‘This healer might actually be incredibly skilled.’
While Kang Na-gyeong was making camping preparations and speculating about Min-jun, he was getting a good night’s sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s expedition.
“Mmph, serpent enhancement materials.”
He was scratching his belly while sleep-talking.
Unfortunately, Kang Na-gyeong’s guess was only half right.
How could she possibly know, after all?
“Hmmm… sweet deal.”
How would she know he was a greedy, talented hunter?
4.
Jingang Mountain, a Disaster Zone 1 located on Ganghwa Island, Incheon, was not a particularly popular destination.
The terrain and elevation were not particularly high or treacherous.
It was not very tall and belonged to the gentler side of mountains.
Normally, such terrain should have been popular, but there were quite a few reasons it was not.
It all came down to one thing: the Black-Scaled Serpent appeared here.
In terms of difficulty alone, it should be classified as a Disaster Level 1.5 monster rather than a standard Disaster Level 1 creature—one of the highest-tier monsters even within that category.
Thanks to this, the items it dropped were valuable, but the number of teams hunting it remained small.
In other words, coming here meant the team was confident they could take down the Black-Scaled Serpent.
Kang Na-gyeong’s team was no exception.
“So once the healer arrives, we’ll have everyone, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Choi Jung-pal, the oldest among the unaffiliated hunters, answered Kang Na-gyeong’s question.
He was a middle-aged man who had awakened late but threw himself into raids with fervent dedication.
At Choi Jung-pal’s response, Kang Na-gyeong nodded as if it were no great matter.
They could be late.
Besides, I’d already received word from them.
“They said traffic is heavy and they’ll be a bit late, and they apologized. Let’s wait for them.”
“Ha! Of course. We’d be in real trouble without a healer, wouldn’t we?”
“Well, with Kang Na-gyeong as our party leader, we wouldn’t be in trouble, but it’s true things would go more smoothly with a healer present.”
“It’s only natural to wait until all party members arrive.”
The unaffiliated hunters were chatting amicably among themselves.
In the meantime, Kang Na-gyeong’s younger sister Kang Na-jin had joined in as well.
Kang Na-jin already knew that her older sister was forming a party for her and Jung Da-un.
So it seemed she was trying to get along with them in case they might join a fixed party.
Kang Na-gyeong watched her younger sister Kang Na-jin with satisfaction.
Jung Da-un stood beside her, looking displeased.
“Hmm, why are you like that?”
She asked, but she already knew the reason well enough.
It had to be because of Min-jun.
“…It’s nothing.”
“…I see.”
If that were the case, why show it so plainly?
I sighed inwardly and shook my head.
There was no point in pressing the issue when they didn’t want to talk about it.
I ignored Jung Da-un.
I understood the reason, but I couldn’t defend her on this.
‘Who’s ever going to break through that stubbornness?’
The truth was, the reason wasn’t anything major.
It was a family matter.
Jung Da-un’s younger sibling was also a healer.
When the sibling first awakened and revealed they were a healer, no one was happier than Jung Da-un.
Even though they bickered and fought constantly, a sibling was still a sibling.
Jung Da-un had believed that anyone would be happy if their younger sibling succeeded.
And not long after, Jung Da-un also awakened.
But Jung Da-un was a dealer.
At first, Jung Da-un thought that once they awakened too, their sibling would surely invite them along.
Before hearing those words.
-What? You? Are you insane? How am I supposed to take a dealer older sibling around as a healer? How embarrassing.
Embarrassing, they said.
That was when it started.
When Jung Da-un developed an inferiority complex toward healers.
It went beyond mere disapproval—she outright despised him.
When I first revealed Min-jun’s identity, the lack of cheers or warmth wasn’t coincidental; it stemmed from this very prejudice.
Healers who wielded their privileged status like a weapon, rotting raids from within.
Who could view them favorably when they exploited the fact that raids were impossible without a healer, leveraging that necessity into unearned privilege?
Any hunter would sympathize with that sentiment.
But few, like Jung Da-un, harbored outright contempt.
‘All healers are like that.’
With such a mindset, how could Jung Da-un’s gaze toward Min-jun be anything but cold?
She even arrived far later than the scheduled meeting time.
Yet Jung Da-un knew better than anyone.
Without him, this expedition would be fundamentally impossible.
Precisely because she understood this did she refrain from voicing opposition to Kang Na-gyeong.
Discontented though she was, she wasn’t so foolish as to confuse personal feelings with professional necessity.
“Tsk.”
She couldn’t suppress the displeasure that escaped her lips.
Still, her frustration was justified.
‘All the other teams have already entered.’
Though there had been several parties here just moments ago, now only Kang Na-gyeong’s team remained at the entrance to the Disaster Zone—whether due to the late start or some other reason.
A delayed start wouldn’t reduce the number of black-scaled serpents or prevent us from hunting them, but it was undeniably a disadvantageous position.
Yet no one besides Jung Da-un seemed troubled by this reality.
After all, this was a prolonged raid, and it would have been impossible without a healer.
Better to wait with good spirits than to complain.
Except for Jung Da-un, the atmosphere was cheerful—until someone came rushing from afar.
Clad entirely in equipment bathed in pale blue light.
Several pieces even gleamed with a radiant azure brilliance.
All of it was +2 enhancement or higher, with some pieces at +3.
I knew Min-jun was a healer, but I never expected him to arrive equipped like this.
Wasn’t that level of gear too much even for a healer at Level 1?
Everyone stood stunned, mouths agape like fools.
“I’m truly sorry for being late. Traffic was terrible. I should have left earlier if I’d known it would be like this.”
As Min-jun apologized with a bow, everyone waved their hands dismissively.
“Oh, no. These things happen.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“W-we don’t mind at all.”
“R-right, exactly.”
With everyone reassuring him, Min-jun’s tension eased, and he finally managed a small smile.
Yet even after his apology, Jung Da-un’s gaze remained unkind.
Jung Da-un hadn’t actually expected Min-jun to apologize at all.
In her mind, healers were supposed to behave differently—with arrogance and entitlement.
But seeing him apologize instead left her bewildered, though it did nothing to change her opinion.
Kang Na-gyeong’s stubbornness was quite formidable, as expected.
“Wow, but that wand and robe seem even more radiant—could they be Tier 3?”
“Ah, you have a discerning eye, I see.”
“Wow! That’s impressive. Those are items that are difficult for a Level 1 Hunter to obtain, so naturally….”
“Ah, of course. Haha. They were quite difficult for me to acquire as well.”
Min-jun spoke with a satisfied smile in response to his younger sister Kang Na-jin’s words.
Watching him speak humbly despite wearing Tier 2 and Tier 3 equipment, Jung Da-un thought to herself internally.
‘…I can’t view him favorably.’
It absolutely wasn’t jealousy driving that thought.
Probably.
5.
The atmosphere had suggested they would depart immediately after a brief explanation once Min-jun arrived, but the group lingered a bit longer as they marveled at his equipment.
Who would have expected to see someone wearing both Tier 3 and Tier 2 gear in Disaster Zone 1?
With equipment of that caliber, even if attacked by a monster in Disaster Zone 1, there would be no problem.
In fact, it would be harder to die in Disaster Zone 1 at that point.
Typically, armor cannot be expected to provide significant protection at Tier 1.
Of course, it was far better than having no reinforcement or nothing at all.
But it was merely enough to withstand one or two attacks from Disaster Level 1 Zone monsters.
If struck directly, one wouldn’t die on the spot.
Even if the effect wasn’t substantial, it did keep you alive, didn’t it?
One might argue that armor becomes meaningless in raids then, but that wasn’t quite right.
Armor truly shines starting from Tier 2.
This was thanks to two options that only appear on Tier 2 armor.
Defense and Evasion.
Armor with the Defense option literally blocks impact.
And armor with the Evasion option creates a thin barrier that allows one to evade by letting the impact flow through.
In terms of utility, wearing Tier 2 armor and taking a hit from a Disaster Level 2 Zone monster means you can block it without any damage.
Of course, mana is consumed when taking a hit, but that’s far better than dying.
Moreover, these armor options can stack.
Wearing multiple pieces of armor with the Defense option reduces mana consumption.
This meant Min-jun could survive even if Disaster Level 2 Zone monsters appeared.
More than sufficient for a Level 1 Hunter to possess.
Even a large guild wouldn’t provide support like that from Level 1 onward.
If any, perhaps only the Top 5 Guilds could manage it.
‘But even if it’s one of the Top 5 Guilds, would they really provide this level of support to a Level 1 healer, no matter how skilled?’
Just from the visible items alone, the value exceeded 2 billion won at minimum.
Support could certainly be provided to a Level 1 healer.
The Top 5 Guilds had sufficient resources for that.
But to deliberately provide support to a Level 1 healer?
That’s where the question arose.
‘What on earth is this person’s true identity?’
Either a healer with enough potential to receive such substantial support, or someone wealthy enough to casually carry around two billion won.
Those were the only two possibilities Kang Na-gyeong could conceive of.
What could their true identity possibly be?
Curiosity stirred within her, but Kang Na-gyeong shook her head and dismissed the thought.
Regardless of Min-jun’s true identity, it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was focusing on this raid.
Kang Na-gyeong had settled the matter in her mind.
Fortunately, the other party members had also begun to tire of marveling at Min-jun’s equipment.
“Then let us depart now.”
The party members responded to Kang Na-gyeong’s words, and Min-jun did likewise before offering a smile.
Now it was time to sweep up both money and experience points.
‘I’ve already claimed all the rare drops for myself.’
Thinking of the rewards, my mood lifted once more.
This was my first extended raid, but it seemed manageable enough.
With equipment of this caliber, there was no way I could fall here.
If I did die, wouldn’t that be the real oddity?
There was, however, one thing that nagged at me.
‘Why does that person keep glaring at me like that?’
Jung Da-un would stare at me intently, but the moment Min-jun turned his head, she would avert her gaze as if nothing had happened.
Watching this, I scratched my head.
There was no malice or hostility in it, but it was certainly unsettling.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Perhaps she’s envious.’
She could very well be jealous of the equipment.
These items—what remarkable pieces they were.
Once we move to the next location, they’ll become even more perfect here.
Probably.

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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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