The Only Enhancer - Chapter 183

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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 183
183 – The First Level 8 (2)
The monsters that suddenly descended upon us resembled a tower defense game.
Despite the overwhelming numbers pressing forward, everyone endured the pain while rapidly unleashing skills to contend with them.
Eventually, many tanks and melee dealers began striking using only mana, as if casting skills had become inconvenient.
As they freely expended mana without hesitation, skill activation became smoother afterward, and gradually they began using skills again.
When we had repelled 200 of them, the expressions of the Reinforce Guild members had changed quite noticeably.
Rather than the complacent look of thinking it was over or that we could rest, their faces now bore the tension of warriors who knew danger could strike at any moment from anywhere.
Min-jun nodded with satisfaction watching his guild members, but Ma Hyun-seok, who approached beside him, shook his head as if fed up.
Honestly, while it was crude and excessive, it was an effective method.
Sure enough, at that very moment, a guild member’s cry rang out.
“Mana detected within one kilometer ahead of the stern! Here they come again, damn it!”
“This is maddening! Everyone prepare for combat! Even if we scatter, keep fighting as we scatter!”
“What? There are scattering bastards? Who didn’t prepare three mana stones each!?”
“Shut up and gather mana like crazy! Do you want to get swept away!?”
Everyone shouted with sharpened tongues and fierce expressions toward each other.
And just as the guild member who sensed them quickly said, monsters began rushing from the stern direction.
This time, there weren’t only Calamity Level 3 monsters.
About 100 Calamity Level 3 monsters and 10 Calamity Level 4 monsters.
In some ways, they were a more difficult opponent than 200 Calamity Level 3 monsters, but perhaps because the numbers were reduced, the expressions of the Reinforce Guild members seemed slightly more relaxed.
And someone shouted.
“There are Calamity Level 4 mixed in, but for now it’s manageable! Still, don’t let your guard down! We don’t know when those Calamity Level 4 bastards might rush in and create chaos!”
“Understood, sir/ma’am!!!!!”
“Ugh! I’ll kill them all!!!!”
“Calamity Level 4? We don’t need any of that! Bring it on!!!!!”
The Reinforce Guild members, whose guts had grown considerably, shouted with all manner of ferocity.
At first glance, it might seem their personalities had deteriorated significantly, but they were all making an effort to maintain this intensity while hunting.
Both Min-jun and Ma Hyun-seok, understanding this, nodded approvingly.
Ma Hyun-seok, thinking this was getting a bit excessive, remained quiet beside Min-jun while timing when to speak.
And as the second wave of Calamity Level 4 monsters began, Ma Hyun-seok carefully opened his mouth.
“Ahem, I think we could rest a bit soon.”
“Hmm, already?”
“…?????”
I didn’t think it was quite time to say “already,” but watching Ma Hyun-seok observe quietly, I could sense what he meant. Even Ma Hyun-seok hadn’t noticed at first, but I had been continuously healing mana and mental stamina for everyone, so “already” was fair to say.
But suddenly, Ma Hyun-seok’s eyes widened in shock as he realized Min-jun had been healing so discreetly that even his detection couldn’t catch it.
Just days ago, Min-jun’s abilities weren’t at this level. Yet suddenly they’ve grown this much?
Ma Hyun-seok, realizing this, quickly tried to peer into Min-jun’s depths.
Previously, even with a skill gap, since they were the same level, he could see to some extent, but now he couldn’t see anything at all.
Or rather, if anything was visible, it was an abyss? Or should I say a universe?
Even that small glimpse felt like a privilege Min-jun had granted him.
At this revelation, Ma Hyun-seok swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Min-jun.
Watching Min-jun smile faintly while returning his stare, Ma Hyun-seok spoke.
“You… you didn’t?! Surely… you didn’t????”
“Yes, I’ve leveled up.”
Not merely “leveled up,” but the deliberate phrasing suggested a certain arrogance—yet Ma Hyun-seok didn’t see it that way. Rather, could anyone else deserve such words more than Min-jun?
Only then could Ma Hyun-seok truly perceive it.
When Min-jun willed it, nothing could be sensed from him. It was as if he felt like an ordinary person.
No discord, no oppressive aura, no presence, no sensation whatsoever.
He blended so naturally with the surroundings—like a passerby on the street, or even weeds—that it seemed entirely unremarkable.
Merged with nature itself, I couldn’t even comprehend or detect anything unusual.
Faced with such a phenomenon, Ma Hyun-seok could only let out a hollow laugh.
“Heh heh heh, quite the achievement. But what is that realm like?”
“Um, well… honestly?”
Though Ma Hyun-seok felt a twinge of fear at Min-jun’s words, he nodded obediently.
He couldn’t fathom what would happen if that state were described truthfully.
Then Min-jun casually pulled a green grape-flavored hard candy from his pocket and handed it over.
Ma Hyun-seok accepted it uncertainly, wondering what it meant, before noticing something strange.
The green grape-flavored hard candy sold at any convenience store was wrapped in a violet radiance, radiating pure mana abundantly.
As if it were a Level 6 item.
Swallowing hard, Ma Hyun-seok examined the candy closely.
[Divine Green Grape]+6
-Could this be the grape that the celestial god once favored? Yet, still unripened, it maintains the form of a green grape.
-Consumption brings joy, heals all ailments, and dramatically increases mana.
-When used as a weapon, Divine Green Grape ignores the defensive barriers of Disaster-rank Level 6 monsters.
What kind of item was this?
The packaging was merely an ordinary green grape hard candy, yet the system’s description was utterly absurd.
Ma Hyun-seok couldn’t comprehend what he was witnessing, but he turned to Min-jun and spoke.
“…This is extraordinary.”
“Yes. It seems reaching Level 8 will be difficult for you, Team Lead Ma.”
“…That’s unfortunate, but in another sense, perhaps fortunate.”
Ma Hyun-seok genuinely believed this. Witnessing Min-jun’s power alone evoked the image of divinity itself. Of course, even if Ma Hyun-seok reached Level 8, he wouldn’t attain such magnificence, but the fear remained real nonetheless.
Already transcending humanity, what would happen if he became like this? The thought terrified him.
Ma Hyun-seok believed that obtaining such overwhelming power wasn’t entirely pleasant either.
Could Min-jun truly bear such strength?
As Ma Hyun-seok gazed at Min-jun with concern, Min-jun responded with an awkward smile, as if to say it was fine.
“Well, I’m managing fine. I think everyone has their own capacity, so to speak. I could probably open a path for you to reach Level 8 through enhancement, but…”
“The likelihood of me not enduring it is high, then?”
“Yes, you may have already sensed it instinctively.”
“…That seems to be the case.”
My limits end here. Knowing that felt both satisfying and bittersweet.
For some reason, I felt a simultaneous wave of displeasure, dissonance, and unease.
It was the thought of leveling up. Perhaps it was for the best—I smiled wryly and nodded my head.
“I see.”
Displaying a bittersweet sentiment, I looked at the others with a hint of regret and asked a question.
Whether anyone besides me among the group had reached their limit.
After a long pause, Min-jun spoke with a somewhat sorrowful smile.
“…Yes. It seems that those with unique traits tend to reach their vessel’s capacity.”
I sensed an apology in his words for not being able to raise my level, and I smiled gently before bursting into laughter.
With a hearty laugh, I patted Min-jun’s back and spoke.
“Hahaha! It’s better for the younger ones to level up than an old man like me. Besides, isn’t this enough to be useful?”
Min-jun could only nod at my proud words.
It was indeed the truth.
That’s what Min-jun thought.
“You’re absolutely right.”
“So don’t worry too much. Everyone has their limits, after all.”
Ma Hyun-seok said this while loosening his body lightly and spoke again.
“Then can I join in over there too? Can I increase the difficulty?”
“…Hehe, of course. I’ll add three more Calamity Level 5 monsters. Let’s have some real fun.”
“Excellent! I like it!”
Ma Hyun-seok said so and headed toward the guild members. Min-jun immediately spread his mana, allowing the Calamity Level 5 monsters to join swiftly.
Most of the Calamity Level 3 monsters in this area had been annihilated, so Ma Hyun-seok, entering the sea filled with Calamity Level 4 creatures, wielded the Star’s Core to slaughter them.
Watching Ma Hyun-seok, Min-jun added three Calamity Level 5 monsters.
Indeed, the Calamity Level 5 monsters proved difficult, causing panic, but it wasn’t entirely bad.
With Ma Hyun-seok present, the situation stabilized quickly.
There were many wounded, but the healers and Hong Myeong poured healing magic relentlessly to keep everyone alive, and I was there too. In truly critical moments, I stepped in to provide some healing as well.
Now that the guild members were fighting while sensing the threat of death, everyone engaged with genuine resolve. The participation of three Calamity Level 5 monsters was that dangerous and powerful.
Everyone pushed their abilities to the limit, and needless to say, Evan and Natalia, who had the lowest levels among them, were no exception.
But there was something slightly different—unlike their seniors, they hunted with remarkable composure. Natalia’s judgment in particular was beyond imagination.
Though made of mana, bullets are bullets, and they lose force easily underwater. Yet Natalia utilized her concealment ability—a mana technique—to its extreme, merging the seawater with the bullets to create an effect like a torpedo.
The water-formed bullets adapted to the underwater environment faster than anything else, and since they were made of seawater, the unsuspecting monsters that were hit could only shriek in agony.
‘That’s quite impressive.’
Bullets made from seawater—it was ingenious, but seeing her pay attention to power as well, she had clearly reflected my feedback properly.
Smiling at that, I looked at Evan too.
Evan wasn’t much different from Natalia, but similarly, he was desperately absorbing and applying my feedback.
Rather than using large-scale magic, he employed small spells one by one, creating combinations and combos to produce magic with greater power than individual spells.
Perhaps because we were still underwater, the speed hadn’t increased much, but on land, it would surely be at least twice as fast.
I was quite pleased with how both of them listened to feedback and corrected themselves.
Then I should make them work a bit more this time and give them some rest.
‘Should I have them do one more round?’
I smiled, thinking of how the Reinforce Guild members would be shocked if they heard about 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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