The Only Enhancer - Chapter 30

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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 30
Episode 30 – The True Mastery of an Enhancement Mage (1)
0.
The clash of auras between two Level 5 hunters was like a typhoon.
As the tempest swept past, those left behind could only stare in disbelief.
Myung Ha-jin of the Sacerdotal Society and Cha Hae-yeon, the Holy Knight of Changgong Guild.
Everyone witnessed the confrontation between those two, yet none could quite believe what they had seen.
‘This is absolutely insane.’
‘I never imagined Myung Ha-jin would come to save us.’
‘And Cha Hae-yeon too!’
‘No one would believe us if we told another team about this.’
‘We’ve witnessed something extraordinary.’
The near-death crisis had long since faded from everyone’s minds.
Though Cry Cat’s display of power had been impressive, it was nothing but a firefly compared to those two.
So who exactly was this Min-jun that had captured the attention of both of them?
‘Wait, did both of them really move because of a mere Level 1 healer?’
‘His buffs were incredible, though.’
‘And his healing—!’
The team members whispered among themselves about Min-jun.
Though Min-jun had left shortly after moving to safety, offering his thanks and promising to see them next time, the impression he left was unforgettable.
‘He said his initial skill at Level 1 was a buff, so the healing must have come from an item skill.’
‘But even so, that amount of healing is beyond comprehension.’
‘He brought someone back from the brink of death.’
‘Without that healer, we would have lost a team member for sure.’
‘If we see him again, we absolutely must thank him properly.’
They all spoke in unison, showering Min-jun’s abilities with praise.
In truth, without Min-jun, not just the tank but several others would have perished.
Had Min-jun not healed the tank the moment it took damage, the aggro wouldn’t have been drawn, and the melee dealers and tank nearby would have died without question.
Yet the way Min-jun had taken on the burden of that aggro, immediately healed, and then escaped with Blink was nothing short of heroic.
Healers rarely showed such dedication in saving their teammates.
It was only natural that they were moved by what they had witnessed.
Meanwhile, Cha Hae-yeon, leaving behind the members of Team 5 who were singing Min-jun’s praises, recalled the situation with a sense of bewilderment.
After Min-jun left and Myung Ha-jin departed to send an official notice to the Sacerdotal Society, she found herself equally displeased, but what could she do?
No matter how much he had arbitrarily invaded Changgong Guild’s territory, she couldn’t detain him.
All she could do was send an official notice to the Sacerdotal Society, just as Myung Ha-jin had said.
From what she understood, the mercenary healer who had come here was merely a Level 1 novice.
For the Sacerdotal Society to take interest in such a novice…
An explanation was necessary.
“Can you explain what’s going on?”
“Of course.”
When Cha Hae-yeon asked Han Tae-jun, who was most closely involved in the matter, she was able to hear the full circumstances.
Kim Min-jun appeared to be Level 1 with promising potential, so they brought him in, but upon closer inspection, he was talent capable of reaching Level 5.
She inquired through connections to the Sacerdotal Society and heard there were no recent candidates or new members, yet Myung Ha-jin had moved on this matter.
After hearing everything, Cha Hae-yeon couldn’t help but furrow her brow.
“It could have been classified information from the Sacerdotal Society?”
“At this point, that seems like a reasonable assumption.”
“But then why is a healer treated as classified information by the Sacerdotal Society working as a mercenary for our guild?”
“That’s….”
Han Tae-jun was also caught on that point, but there was too little he could deduce.
There was only one plausible explanation.
“…I suspect the healer Kim Min-jun might be testing the waters.”
“Hmm, testing the waters between the Sacerdotal Society and one of the Top 5 Guilds?”
“Yes, that seems most likely at this point, though there could be other motives….”
“No, I think so too. Seeing that ghost Myung Ha-jin stumbling around helplessly, it might even be talent beyond that.”
“…Are you suggesting Level 6 potential?”
“Why? We have one in this country, don’t we?”
“That’s true, but….”
“I heard he achieved complete healing with the curse attached to an item. You know that’s difficult even for you right now, don’t you? For that to be possible, his potential would have to be extraordinary. I think the evidence is sufficient, don’t you?”
“….”
Han Tae-jun couldn’t refute those words either.
The nation’s only Level 6.
And a healer carrying that potential.
Certainly, that would explain why Myung Ha-jin moved so actively.
After hearing Cha Hae-yeon’s words, Han Tae-jun nodded in agreement.
However.
“The important question is whether we can recruit him.”
“…It will be difficult, but just establishing connections will be a great help.”
“Sigh, what is this? The old man told me to go check it out, so I came with a light heart, and now there’s this ghost Myung Ha-jin and a potential Level 6? This is becoming a headache.”
“I’ll report this to the Guild Master.”
“No, let’s do it together. They’ll obviously need my testimony anyway. Still, if other guilds find out, all hell will break loose.”
“…That would be the case.”
He showed reluctance as if he didn’t want to work, but realizing there was no choice, he sighed.
Then Cha Hae-yeon spoke as if troubled.
“We’ll need to keep it as hidden as possible, but seeing that ghost Myung Ha-jin and I have moved, ‘that person’ from the Hunter Association will inevitably catch on. We need to hurry.”
“Yes, understood.”
The situation was clearly escalating.
1.
Meanwhile, Myung Ha-jin sat in the back seat of his luxury sedan, speaking on the phone with an apologetic expression.
-You foolish bastard.
“Sigh, this time there’s no room for rebuttal.”
—Cha Hae-yeon stepping in myself is a real headache.
“That’s what I’m saying. At least they didn’t catch on that she’s not fully one of us.”
Myung Ha-jin’s assessment was accurate.
No matter how you looked at it, they could only assume a connection to the Sacerdotal Society.
I was genuinely grateful that Min-jun had played along so smoothly.
But the voice coming through the receiver was dripping with irritation.
—…They’ve probably caught on to some degree. That we’re not in a completely tight relationship.
Myung Ha-jin agreed on that point too.
But it was still manageable.
“Still, I made it look like they’re secret members of ours. They won’t make reckless moves~”
—That may be true, but if you hadn’t moved and just sent some appropriate Level 4s, this mess wouldn’t have happened.
“Ah, I’m really sorry about that. Sigh. Who could’ve known Cha Hae-yeon would show up? And in the first place, why would a territory dispute even break out there?”
—You moved without a plan. Now it’s a complete disaster. The Hunter Association’s ‘that person’ surely noticed by now. Two Level 5s moving around like that.
“Tch.”
Myung Ha-jin clicked his tongue in resignation as well.
This was truly unfortunate.
Hadn’t we let a Level 5 Healer slip through our fingers like this before?
—Thinking of Lee Hee-bin, whom we missed last time, we absolutely cannot let this one get away.
“Yeah, you’re right about that.”
—Moreover, if he achieved complete healing with item restoration as you said, he has the makings of a Level 6.
“Exactly, just like ‘that old bastard.’ He could be the only person to complete our Sacerdotal Society.”
—I should have stopped you the moment you said you’d step in.
“Haha! I really am sorry, but anyway, spilled milk and all that! We need to think about the future!”
A suppressed sigh came through at Myung Ha-jin’s words, though he clearly wanted to say more.
—Phew, keep your mouth shut and make sure word doesn’t leak anywhere else.
“I wish we could wrap this up before ‘that old bastard’ makes a move, but a week won’t cut it, will it?”
—Probably not. I’ll do what I can to hold things back, so accelerate the contact if you can.
“Got it~ I’ve got sins to atone for, so I can’t exactly refuse.”
—…We absolutely cannot let the Level 6 prospect slip away.
The greed in that voice was palpable even through the phone.
Myung Ha-jin’s expression grew bitter upon hearing it, but what could he do?
He understood all too well why his friend was like this.
There was nothing he could say.
With those words, the call ended.
Myung Ha-jin lowered the phone and scratched his head in frustration.
“Sigh, that greed just keeps getting worse.”
It would’ve been ideal if we’d secured Min-jun this time, but since we failed.
He’d be anxious no matter what.
Honestly, if only that territory dispute hadn’t happened, it would’ve been a perfect plan.
What a shame.
There’s no point dwelling on the past or regretting what’s already done.
I need to focus only on what lies ahead.
‘First, I’ll wait for the right moment, then engineer a chance encounter.’
Living in the same area made fabricating a coincidental meeting all too convenient.
Of course, that assumed she’d actually leave her home—though surely she would.
‘She’ll come out, right?’
Probably.
2.
On the way back home.
Min-jun urgently stopped by the Hunter Market and purchased a staggering hundred Noga Enhancement Stones.
He arranged for them all to be delivered to his home and hurried back.
It was a bulk purchase he’d normally avoided to stay under the radar, but circumstances left him no choice.
The total came to nearly a hundred million won, but that was acceptable.
If this made him stronger, the cost was well worth it.
At least the different shops hadn’t found it suspicious when he bought ten pieces at each location.
They probably assumed he was gifting them to others or thought him a healer with unusual hobbies.
There was only one reason he’d gone to such lengths.
‘I refuse to become a puppet in someone else’s hands.’
Wasn’t that precisely why I’d hidden my abilities in the first place?
A jewel that cannot protect itself becomes a liability, no matter how precious.
That was exactly my situation.
Powers I couldn’t defend had to be concealed as much as possible.
The problem was that I hadn’t known the true extent of my healing abilities.
I knew they were considerable, certainly.
‘I never imagined a Level 5 healer would take interest in me.’
For now, I’d played both sides against each other, but if I encountered Myung Ha-jin alone next time, things could change.
He’d saved me, true, but he was a madman who’d invaded the territory of Changgong Guild—one of the Top 5 Guilds—just to find me.
And this madman had taken an interest in me.
I needed enough power to avoid being manipulated.
‘It would be nice to reach Level 3 and gain a useful skill, but finding a way to protect myself against Level 4 enemies would be wiser.’
Leveling up wasn’t inherently bad, but it might not solve every problem I’d face.
I couldn’t gamble everything on leveling when I didn’t know what skill would emerge.
Instead, I’d focused on raising my level to increase enhancement probabilities.
‘Both Myung Ha-jin and Cha Hae-yeon had fewer Level 4 items than I expected.’
How could there be many Level 4 items when they cost hundreds of billions of won?
Myung Ha-jin’s weapon was Level 5, three items were Level 4, and the rest were all Level 3.
Cha Hae-yeon had her shield at Level 5, a one-handed sword at Level 4, and everything else at Level 3.
Even Level 5 hunters couldn’t afford to equip themselves entirely with Level 5 or Level 4 gear.
But I was different.
‘When I reach Level 3, Level 5 enhancements might unlock!’
If I had five +5 items and two +4 items, with everything else at +3?
At minimum, I’d have the means to protect myself.
Once I’d set my goal, there was no reason to hesitate.
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot—the moment Kim Min-jun arrived home, he spread out all his items.
He currently possessed nineteen +3 items.
And ten +2 items.
He had no +1 items, and the unenhanced items he’d purchased today would all be delivered by tomorrow, so he’d have to wait.
‘First, I’ll upgrade all the +2 items to +3.’
The success rate for enhancing from +2 to +3 was thirty percent.
Using mana enhancement would raise that to thirty-five percent.
It was worth attempting.
He hadn’t given mana consumption a second thought.
With the enhancement light and the accessory’s options, he could now enhance as much as possible.
And so Kim Min-jun began the enhancement process.
Whoooosh—!
Fsshhh—!
Whoooosh—!
Fsshhh—!
Fsshhh—!
Fsshhh—!
He paid no mind to the successive failures.
Rather than hoping for success, he simply resolved to see it through to the end.
With that singular determination, he continued the item enhancement.
And perhaps it was that very persistence that bore fruit.
Whoooosh—!
He succeeded in upgrading all but one of his +2 items to +3.
He could have celebrated, but he didn’t.
His eyes remained fixed on the single remaining +2 item.
It wasn’t particularly significant, but the last +2 item was a belt.
Though it was equipment that could hold a dagger, it was classified as armor and bore an evasion stat.
Moreover, it wasn’t an item he’d crafted himself.
It was one he’d received during the Long-term Raid with Kang Na-gyeong’s party.
‘Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’m enhancing an item that was already enhanced.’
He’d sold all the items he’d obtained from parties, and when purchasing items for enhancement, he’d always bought unenhanced items for their exceptional cost-effectiveness.
This was indeed a first.
But in the end, it was just a +2 item, wasn’t it?
He didn’t think there was anything special about an item that started at +2.
Besides, there was no particular skill associated with it.
With such indifferent thoughts, Kim Min-jun cast the enhancement.
“Item Enhancement.”
But why was this happening?
A sensation unlike anything I’d felt before swept across my entire body.
Mana was draining faster than usual—I gasped in shock, my eyes widening as I realized this enhancement consumed twice the mana compared to upgrading existing +2 items.
‘What… what is this?’
I nearly stumbled in surprise, but as I steadied myself, a luminous orb burst forth from my hand just as it always did.
A radiant blue sphere—the unmistakable sign of a +3 enhancement.
But there wasn’t just one sphere.
Pop—!
The moment the first radiant blue orb emerged, another sphere of light erupted from my hand.
This one was different from the radiant blue sphere.
Instead, it gleamed with an icy, crystalline white light.
What was happening?
Unable to comprehend what I was witnessing, the two spheres intertwined and danced around me in playful spirals.
I could have sworn I heard the sound of childish laughter.
[Kyahahaha!]
[Kyahahaha!]
It seemed like an illusion, yet unlike before, a mystical aura permeated every corner of the room, and particles of light enveloped the space, transforming it into a playground for the two luminous spheres.
How long did they dance through the room?
As if laughing and waltzing together, the light was drawn into the item, settling within it with ethereal grace.
Faced with this unprecedented phenomenon, I stared in utter bewilderment, and when an intense light finally engulfed the entire room, a message appeared.
[You have successfully enhanced an innate +2 item for the first time.]
[A hidden ability of the skill ‘Item Enhancement’ has been activated.]
As the light faded with that message, only a radiant blue belt remained.
It appeared no different from any other +3 item.
But when I opened its description, everything changed.
[Shackle’s Rope]+3
-A rope as inextricably bound as the ties of fate that cannot be cast off like shackles.
-Equipped with pockets, making it quite useful for carrying various items.
-Increases evasion.
-When a dagger is equipped, the skill ‘Intimidation’ becomes available.
*Exclusive option for Enhancers*
-The skill ‘Inventory’ can be used.
“What… what is this?”
Without thinking, I opened the description for the skill ‘Item Enhancement’ as if entranced.
And I could see a description different from before.
[Item Enhancement]
-Enhances an item to increase its enhancement level.
-Success rate increases as the skill level rises.
-When enhancing an innate enhancement item, exclusive Enhancer options may be generated depending on the enhancement level.
└The probability of generating exclusive options equals the enhancement success rate.
“Insane!”
I had discovered yet another path to grow stronger.

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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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