The Only Enhancer - Chapter 24
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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 24
Episode 24 – Moving Day, and Neighbors
0.
I had come to Seoul following the old adage: “Send horses to Jeju, but send people to Seoul.”
I had lived in Gimpo and considered staying there, but that wasn’t the right choice.
Seoul was where all the major facilities were concentrated.
After all, the largest Hunter Market in the country and the Hunter Association headquarters were both located in Seoul.
There was no reason not to come here.
I had long dreamed of living in a particular kind of home.
I hadn’t thought about it in concrete terms.
Just a vague image—a home from a high floor where the Han River spread out before me in a single sweeping vista.
That was the kind of home I wanted to live in.
Before, it had been nothing but a dream, but now it was different.
“This is Tramage, the finest apartment in Seongsu-dong.”
The Real Estate Agent’s words, brimming with pride, made me nod unconsciously.
A home like this certainly deserved such acclaim.
The floors were laid with pristine marble-like material, and the overall interior was predominantly white, similar in tone to marble.
The clean aesthetic impression was immediate, and even the basic furnishings were refined and luxurious, each piece carefully selected.
It truly lived up to being called the finest apartment.
The interior was impressive, but what truly captivated me was the view outside.
The Han River spread out like a painting across the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.
The open sky was breathtaking, and perhaps it was because of the twentieth-floor height.
With the Han River as a backdrop and the city sprawling beneath it, the view was absolutely mesmerizing.
Even if I had worries, I felt they would dissolve simply by gazing at this scenery.
Wasn’t this exactly the kind of home anyone would desire?
“This Tramage isn’t a home you can buy simply because you have money. Only those with social status and prestige can move in here.”
An apartment where only those with widely recognized names or significant social influence could reside.
I’d heard that a certain luxury car brand had employed a similar strategy, and this place was no different.
They filled the residency with such individuals to further elevate the apartment’s value.
“Of course, clients like yourself—Healers—naturally have a free pass!”
Healers apparently had a free pass as well.
Because of that, many other Healers lived here too, and it seemed like it would help with networking and connections.
I was genuinely grateful that Reinforcement Mages had a buff to their skills.
What would I have done without it?
In any case, I wanted to purchase it outright, but without the funds, that seemed difficult.
Setting aside the price, there were barely any listings available.
This home I’d taken a liking to was also listed as a rental.
The deposit was 500 million won with a monthly rent of 2 million, which was quite substantial, but I wasn’t worried.
If I sold two Grade 1 items, I could cover the monthly rent—what was there to worry about?
I toured the entire home, but there wasn’t a single flaw or defect anywhere.
Well, given that this was such a premium apartment, I couldn’t help but take my time examining every corner.
A phone rang from somewhere.
♪~♬~
“Oh! I’m terribly sorry, sir!”
The flustered Real Estate Agent apologized and opened his phone to answer, but upon seeing who was calling, he looked at me with unmistakable distress—clearly an important client.
I wasn’t so oblivious as to miss that.
“Go ahead. I’ll look around on my own.”
“Oh! Yes, yes! You’d do that for me!? Th-thank you so much. I’ll wrap this up and be right back!”
“No, take your time. I’m really enjoying the place, so I’ll take my time looking around.”
“Thank you so much!”
The Real Estate Agent bowed repeatedly in gratitude and left with the sound of the electronic lock.
Left alone, I didn’t mind in the slightest and continued exploring the apartment.
I genuinely loved this place.
Though I wasn’t buying it immediately, I’d purchase it the moment it went on the market.
As I thought this to myself, I began to head toward the exit when my gaze suddenly dropped.
The pendant necklace I was wearing.
I’d been hiding it under the glow of reinforcement, but it was a +2 enhanced item.
‘Wait… could it be?’
I glanced around and confirmed I was alone.
The Real Estate Agent hadn’t returned—his call must have been taking longer than expected.
Without thinking, I reached toward the necklace I was wearing and activated my skill.
‘Item Reinforcement.’
Because I was already using the reinforcement glow, no light emerged, but I could definitely feel it.
Whoooosh—!
It succeeded!
Entranced, I applied reinforcement to another piece of jewelry I was wearing.
Whoooosh—!
Whoooosh—!
“!!!”
I clamped both hands over my mouth, my eyes wide open in barely contained excitement.
Just as I was about to reinforce something else.
The electronic lock chimed and the Real Estate Agent returned.
Because of that, I hadn’t checked the options yet, but it didn’t matter.
I could always check the options anytime.
“Ah, I’m truly sorry. The call took longer than expected… C-customer, why… why do you look like that? Is th-there a defect?”
“….”
I simply shook my head at the Real Estate Agent’s words, my eyes burning with more earnestness than ever before, and quietly grasped both of his hands firmly.
The Real Estate Agent flinched at the sudden approach and the grip of my hands.
What was this about?
To the bewildered Real Estate Agent, I spoke.
“P-please, let me have this home.”
“Yes!? Oh, yes, of course.”
Faced with my earnest plea, the Real Estate Agent found himself nodding and responding without even realizing it.
I then grasped the Real Estate Agent’s hands, my eyes glistening with tears as I spoke.
“Really, thank you. Thank you so much.”
As I bowed repeatedly, expressing my gratitude, the Real Estate Agent could only stand there bewildered.
If anything, he should have been the one thanking me for signing the contract.
After all, he’d been utterly captivated by the breathtaking view.
It seemed I must have genuinely loved the place.
The Real Estate Agent drew this conclusion and quickly spoke up.
“Shall we head over to draw up the contract?”
“Ah! Of course! Let’s go right now!”
I was equally eager to move forward.
I absolutely would not let this home slip away.
‘This has to be it!’
What else could I possibly choose if not this?
A home that embodied my dreams, furnished exclusively with the finest materials.
And most importantly, a home where I’d succeeded with a 30% increase three times in a row?
Not choosing it would be foolish.
‘I should consider resale opportunities later.’
With that thought and a satisfied expression, I followed the Real Estate Agent into the elevator.
A man was already inside—apparently a resident.
He looked quite young.
Somewhere in his mid to late twenties, perhaps?
Yet there was something unusual about his expression and gaze.
An impression like gazing upon a sharpened blade.
But I paid it no mind.
He must be a high-level Hunter, I thought.
Then, at that moment.
“Oh, a Healer?”
He spoke to me in a playful tone, his voice tinged with amusement.
His face was now full of mischief, his eyes gleaming with interest and curiosity.
Though such a drastic shift in demeanor might have startled most, it didn’t faze me.
If anything, it only made the atmosphere feel more ominous.
I felt a prickling sensation, as if something were poking at my skin.
But.
“Yes, but why are you speaking informally to me?”
“Huh? What?”
As if recalling something from the past, I responded with evident displeasure, and the sudden tension caused the Real Estate Agent to panic.
It looked as though a confrontation might erupt at any moment, yet the man simply burst into laughter at my words, his shoulders shaking with amusement.
“What? Puhahahaha! Ah, sorry, I mean, my apologies. Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve done this, I made a mistake~.”
His expression and demeanor showed no apology whatsoever.
And what did he mean by “it’s been so long since I’ve done this”?
‘Is he stuck in his middle school phase?’
Yet something felt off.
Beneath that playful attitude lay a natural ease and confidence that seeped through effortlessly.
Perhaps because of that, I found myself not particularly offended by his demeanor.
Instead, I was simply curious about who this man really was.
‘What does he do?’
He was clearly a Hunter, that much was obvious.
But whether he was a famous one remained unclear.
At least, I didn’t recognize his face.
Yet judging by his attitude, he seemed to be quite a significant figure.
Someone this eccentric would be strange if he weren’t well-known.
As I studied the man intently.
After laughing for quite some time, he looked at me with a grin and spoke.
“Ah, I forgot that I shouldn’t use informal speech with someone I just met. My apologies. Well, since this is fate, shall we introduce ourselves properly? I’m Myung Ha-jin.”
“I’m Kim Min-jun.”
“Ah, I see you came to sign a contract? We’re neighbors now then. Let’s meet again later. And sorry again about the informal speech earlier. It’s just been so long, you know? Don’t take it to heart~.”
“Yes, understood. Since we’re neighbors now.”
At my response, he found it hilarious for some reason, covering his mouth and laughing for a while. When we reached the first floor.
Myung Ha-jin greeted me.
“Ah, really, let’s meet again~.”
Watching Myung Ha-jin leave with a genuinely cheerful greeting, I wondered what kind of person he was, but I chose to dismiss it.
How much would I really see of him anyway?
As I descended to the basement with the Real Estate Agent.
Myung Ha-jin, who had left on the first floor, found it genuinely amusing as he stepped outside and immediately pulled out his phone.
He then called someone, and when they picked up, he chattered excitedly.
-What is it?
The voice was curt, with an icy chill emanating from it, but Myung Ha-jin paid it no mind and spoke.
“Hey, hey. I just saw a really interesting Healer?”
-…You?
“Yeah. He looked promising, so I talked to him, and kekeke, you know what he said to me?”
-….
“He called me out for using informal speech!? Puhahahaha!”
The icy voice seemed ready to retort, but it was quite the opposite.
-He dared speak to you that way?
At the voice’s surprised tone, Myung Ha-jin grinned even more delightedly.
He knew they would take interest.
“Yeah, why don’t you look into him? From what I can tell, he’s at least Level 3 or higher, but since he’s unknown, he’s probably not Level 3. Maybe Level 2? That’s what I’m thinking?”
-…Your name.
“Oh! Right. You said Kim Min-jun.”
-I’ll look into it. Just handle the work I gave you.
“Ah, what do you take me for? Of course I will.”
A sigh came through the receiver at Myung Ha-jin’s words.
-Phew, a Level 5 with such a warped personality.
“Haha! Strength is something you’re born with, you know. Anyway, I’m off to take on some requests~ Poof~!”
Without even listening to the rest of what the other person had to say, Myung Ha-jin hung up, still wearing that smug grin as he muttered to himself.
“Ah, I’m really curious what kind of person our new neighbor will be.”
Speaking as if he genuinely looked forward to that day, he climbed into the luxury limousine waiting for him outside.
For some reason, it felt like I’d be seeing him soon.
1.
Though I had encountered that strange person named Myung Ha-jin, everything proceeded smoothly after that.
Most importantly, when I checked the options on the items first, they turned out to be quite excellent.
[Pale Radiance of Sunlight]+3
-The ring imbued with sunlight is said to always protect its wearer with a warm aura.
-When equipped, it grants minor fire resistance.
[Flow of the Wind]+3
-The ring containing the unobstructed flow of wind that traverses the world grants its wearer an unimpeded flow.
-When using skills, it reduces delay by 15%.
[Blessing of the Forest]+3
-This necklace imbued with the essence of the forest always grants its wearer many things.
-When mana is consumed through skill usage, mana recovery increases by 10% until all mana is restored.
That was the result of two rings and one necklace.
One had the mana recovery option I wanted, and the other two had options that fetched considerable prices.
Especially the fire resistance.
‘I heard that accessory options usually show skill enhancement, but occasionally resistance appears. So it’s real.’
As rare as it was, the price was steep.
Especially fire resistance—it was a popular option, so among accessories, it would fetch quite a substantial value.
Even after I wore it for a while, selling it later would be beneficial.
‘I really made the right call signing that contract.’
The feeling was just good, somehow.
I never thought it would actually succeed.
In any case, my instincts were good about these things.
And so the home purchase was finalized.
They said I could move in right after the move-in cleaning was done, but since the management handled all the cleaning rather than me having to arrange it, it was incredibly convenient.
All I had to do was arrange for the furniture delivery to arrive on schedule.
Since most of the furniture was already there, there wasn’t much I needed to buy.
‘Really, it’s perfect.’
Who would have thought I’d actually be living in a place like this.
I never dreamed it would come to this.
Now the feeling was entirely fresh.
Having lived in a Gosiwon all this time, I hadn’t truly grasped it until now, but the reality struck me vividly.
Next, I came to the Hunter Market to buy furniture.
Every floor wasn’t just selling hunter equipment—it was laid out like a general department store.
Apparently, it was designed so hunters would come for items and end up doing other shopping as well.
In any case, it was convenient.
‘While I’m here, I’ll just sell three Tier 1 items.’
I’d decided to exercise restraint and process only a small amount, but my stomach growled loudly—I was getting hungry.
‘Hmm, should I eat first?’
I’d planned to sell the Tier 1 items and buy furniture, but as the saying goes, even the most beautiful mountain tastes better on a full stomach.
Besides, the food here had been delicious the last time I ate.
As I headed toward the restaurant, intending to use my Healer-exclusive pass—
“Ah, I’m terribly sorry. All our Healer-exclusive seating is currently full, so I’m afraid you’ll need to wait.”
All the Healer seats were taken.
I asked just in case.
“Ah, is there no one checking on shared seating options?”
“Yes… I apologize.”
“Ah, it’s fine. This isn’t your fault.”
The apologetic staff member’s words made me say it was okay, and I considered going to a different restaurant.
Was it because this was a hunter-exclusive restaurant? Or was the timing just right?
The wait for general seating wasn’t as long as last time.
If Healer seating didn’t open up quickly, I could wait anywhere and eat—that level of wait.
This was worth waiting for.
I thought so and spoke to the staff member.
“Please let me know when a Healer seat opens up. I’ll wait at the general seating waiting area for now.”
“Ah! Yes, understood.”
I said that and wrote my name and number on the general seating waiting list, then sat on a nearby sofa.
Then I heard subtle murmuring.
“Wow, a Healer actually waiting in line?”
“Usually they just leave out of pride.”
“Right. A rare kind of Healer.”
“Sigh, if all Healers were like that, it’d be nice.”
They were talking among themselves, but with my keen hearing, I caught every word.
Well, they weren’t really criticizing me, so I didn’t mind.
Some time passed while waiting.
While I was browsing Hunter Net on my phone, a commotion erupted.
“What?! No Healer seating?”
“Yes, I apologize. W-would you like to be added to the waiting list? Ah! General seating should have you seated much faster than expected.”
“What? General seating?”
The man glared at the employee as if the very notion were absurd.
What on earth was he so angry about?
Wasn’t waiting the obvious solution?
As I pondered this, I took a closer look.
I could see a man confidently addressing his friends while pulling them along.
‘Ah, he’s trying to save face in front of his friends?’
I stared at him with incomprehension.
Even if someone wanted to save face, was it really necessary to go that far?
Then the man spoke loudly, his tone dripping with irritation.
“You’re telling me, Jang Ji-won, a healer from the Changgong Guild, to sit in general seating?”
At those words, I thought to myself.
‘Wow, this is the first time I’ve actually heard someone say something like that.’
In all my years, I’d never witnessed someone actually utter such words.
If I counted that person Myung Ha-jin from earlier, I’d seen quite a few peculiar individuals today.
He seemed far more reckless than I’d expected.
However, watching the employee break into a cold sweat and flounder helplessly because of Jang Ji-won made me feel a bit sorry for them.
So I couldn’t help but say something.
“Looks like you’re trying to save face in front of your friends, but that’s too bad. Throwing a tantrum like a child won’t make the impossible possible. Tsk, tsk.”
Loud enough for anyone to hear.
“…What?”
“Oh, I was just talking to myself. Did you hear that?”
Shamelessness was a bonus.
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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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