The Only Enhancer - Chapter 32

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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 32
Episode 32 – The True Essence of an Enchanter (3)
5.
The Saint, Lee Hee-bin.
She was the most famous among Korea’s twenty-one Level 5 Hunters.
One could tell just from the title of Saint alone, couldn’t one?
A self-sacrificing person who devoted herself to the Hunter Association and dedicated herself to helping others.
When it came to helping people, she rolled up her sleeves without hesitation as if it were her own work, and people naturally called her the Saint without reservation.
While other Healers gained abilities and acquired tremendous leisure and arrogant pride like kings, Lee Hee-bin was the opposite.
She truly lived up to the title of Healer—devoted and fond of helping people.
She’d possessed such tendencies before, but they became more pronounced after her awakening.
Thanks to this, she earned the title of Saint.
However, she didn’t particularly care for the title of Saint.
Was it because there was a hidden truth that differed from reality?
No, that wasn’t the reason.
‘Sigh, what does it mean to be called a Saint at thirty-six years old, really.’
I’d lived long enough, yet I had to be called a Saint.
Every time I heard it, I felt my skin crawl.
But what could I do?
It was a title people gave me out of their own will.
I couldn’t say anything against it.
My devoted and timid nature meant I couldn’t tell anyone and only suffered in silence.
My reluctance to say unnecessary things in front of others was largely due to this personality.
Still, I often raised my voice when it came to Hunter Association matters or helping people, but this task I’d taken on was somewhat different.
‘Why did I agree to take this on, really.’
A newly rising Healer.
They said I had to recruit or persuade someone with Level 6 potential and prevent them from joining anywhere else.
Though Association Director Ma Hyun-seok had promised to grant me considerable authority to help convince them somehow, I honestly lacked confidence.
And here I was suffering because I’d agreed to do it.
I had a loose tongue.
I also had doubts about the suggestion that they’d view me more favorably since I was a fellow Healer.
If that were the case, wouldn’t they have already joined the Sacerdotal Society?
‘From what I’ve learned, that doesn’t seem to be the case, though.’
A sigh escaped me, but hadn’t I promised to do my best?
Though I’m timid by nature, I’ve always prided myself on handling tasks well.
This time would be no different.
Wouldn’t my reputation at least make them listen somewhat?
Then again, thinking of that eccentric Myung Ha-jin, they might not listen at all.
‘It would be rude to visit them unannounced.’
It was an extremely reasonable conclusion drawn from my considerate thoughts.
But leaving a message felt equally impolite.
One could argue what exactly was impolite about it, but that’s how the naturally timid Lee Hee-bin reasoned.
So then.
‘I should call and arrange a meeting.’
I took several deep breaths alone.
A call with a stranger.
I felt like I might die from nervousness.
But perhaps years of social experience and pride helped?
I steadied my expression and voice, then dialed Kim Min-jun’s number, which I’d obtained through the Hunter Association.
Ring, ring—, ring, ring—.
The dial tone sounded, and not long after.
The call connected.
Click.
“Hello, I’m the one called the Saint at the Hunter Association, though I’m hardly worthy of the title….”
-Ah, I don’t practice religion.
Click.
Before I could even finish speaking, Kim Min-jun coldly cut me off.
And just like that, the call ended.
“…?”
Level 6.
I’d leveled up.
Faster than when I’d reached Level 2.
Considering the amount I’d reinforced in the meantime, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
I’d attempted quite a few 4-star reinforcements.
It was bound to happen.
For Kim Min-jun, who’d been planning to just receive items and go back to sleep, it was exhilarating.
Sleep vanished in an instant, and I clutched my racing heart, swallowing hard.
There had been a call in the meantime, but what did it matter?
I think I heard something about a Saint, but in my excitement, I didn’t catch the details.
It was definitely some kind of religious solicitation.
Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter.
Right now, the level increase was all that mattered.
‘I can’t be disturbed!’
After waiting so long, I wasn’t about to waste time on a pointless call.
Along with the level increase and the sensation of my soul becoming fuller, I felt my mana surge tremendously.
With this much mana, I could probably manage ten 4-star reinforcements while recovering, whereas before I could only do five.
Incredible growth.
And it wasn’t just mana that increased.
New skills and enhancements to existing ones.
There was so much to see, but there was one thing I most wanted to check right now.
‘Enhancement probability first!’
*0→1 enhancement = 100% success rate
*1→2 enhancement = 100% success rate
*2→3 enhancement = 50% success rate, 50% failure rate.
*3→4 enhancement = 20% success rate, 65% failure rate, 15% destruction rate.
*4→5 enhancement = 0.1% success rate, 54.9% failure rate, 45% destruction rate.
*Insufficient level to perform 6 enhancement.
Up to 2 enhancement was now guaranteed, and the 3 enhancement probability had increased by a whopping 20%.
The 4 enhancement probability also rose by 15% from 5%.
Unfortunately, the destruction rate was only reduced by 5%, but that was acceptable.
‘Finally, 5 enhancement!’
5 enhancement had finally been unlocked.
The probability matched early 4 enhancement, and the destruction rate was a staggering 45%.
Among the skills I currently possessed, there was none that could lower the destruction rate, which was regrettable, but what mattered was that attempting it was now possible.
There’s a world of difference between being blocked and having even a 0.1% chance to attempt.
With the Enchanter’s Blessing and Mana Reinforcement, the probability had risen by at least 15%.
That guaranteed success.
Above all else.
‘Mana Reinforcement increased by more than half? An additional 7.5% success rate?’
That was truly jackpot.
I wished the Enchanter’s Blessing would also increase the probability.
Unfortunately, it didn’t.
‘Instead, the Enchanter’s Blessing’s usage count increased!’
[Enchanter’s Blessing]
-When the buff is used, enhancement probability increases by 10% for 1 hour.
-Can be used twice every 24 hours.
*Reusable 24 hours after the first use.
That meant I could maintain it for a full 2 hours.
This was actually better.
I could feel that other skills like Enhancement Light and Physical Reinforcement had also improved in small ways.
After reviewing all my existing skills, I examined the names of the new skills with a somewhat trembling heart.
Then two skills came into view.
-Essence of Enhancement
-Critical Success
“Gasp!”
The skill names alone were thrilling.
Essence of Enhancement and Critical Success.
Especially the name Critical Success drew me in strongly.
Could it possibly be what I was imagining?
*Gulp.*
Kim Min-jun swallowed involuntarily and opened the descriptions of the two skills.
[Essence of Reinforcement]
-Absorbs the reinforcement value of reinforced items to generate the essence of reinforcement.
-The essence is destroyed instead when an item of the same reinforcement value is destroyed during reinforcement.
*The item that had its reinforcement value absorbed becomes reinforcement value 0.
*Items with reinforcement value 0 can never be reinforced again.
[Great Success]
-When item reinforcement succeeds, there is a rare chance to succeed at reinforcement one additional time.
-At this time, reinforcement values that cannot be achieved due to insufficient level cannot be created.
“…W-what is this?”
Kim Min-jun, who had been reading the skill descriptions with an expression half nervous and half excited, felt his face stiffen without realizing it.
A bad skill?
That couldn’t be.
It was the opposite.
Great Success was exactly as I’d anticipated—not disappointing at all.
An absurdly broken skill that added one more reinforcement value at a low probability.
But Essence of Reinforcement caught my eye even more than Great Success.
The description was longer and more complex than Great Success, but I could understand it quickly.
In other words.
‘It lets me prevent destruction.’
What kind of cheat skill was this?
Kim Min-jun thought this to himself.
At first glance, it might not seem like such a good skill.
After all, I’d have to sacrifice a +3 item.
But you couldn’t think of it that way.
‘Heh.’
I could convert unwanted items into essence and prevent desired items from breaking.
How incredibly efficient was this skill?
‘It’s astounding.’
Essence of Reinforcement was essentially a skill I’d use for life as long as I engaged in item reinforcement.
It was far more important than Mana Reinforcement or a Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing.
Of course it was—I could prevent my desired items from being destroyed.
‘With this, it’s really possible?’
I could extract only the options I wanted and build up +4 items.
If I made all items with protection-related skills like Forest’s Protection into +4?
I doubted there would be many who could touch Kim Min-jun.
Moreover.
If I had enough materials, it would become possible.
‘Even +5 isn’t just a dream.’
Gulp.
Level 5 reinforcement.
I’d only just unlocked it.
By sacrificing a Level 4 item using the essence of reinforcement, I could definitely create a Level 5 item.
As long as I had enough materials.
And conveniently, I gazed at the items spread before me.
A staggering hundred items in total.
More than half of them I’d already reinforced to Level 1.
‘If I could raise all of these to Level 3 or higher…?’
It would take time, certainly, but since reaching Level 3, my mana reserves had grown far beyond my expectations.
Perhaps…
‘I could finish it all within a week?’
The thought had barely formed before I knew what to do.
I put it into action immediately.
They said I couldn’t leave for a week, but what did that matter?
If I could create Level 5 items this way, it was worth it.
I wouldn’t be able to make an enormous number of Level 5 items, but surely I could create at least one?
‘Even if I can’t eat, at least I’ll have this!’
And so time passed.
Seven days.
Han Tae-jun and Cha Hae-yeon.
Across from the sofa where the two of them sat was Han Mu-gyeol, the guild master of Changgong Guild.
Han Mu-gyeol was famous for handling his own work while listening to any report, but this time was different.
The heavy pressure emanating from him made it clear just how much he was deliberating.
For Han Tae-jun, who was merely Level 3, the oppressive weight was nearly unbearable.
Even Cha Hae-yeon, who had only recently reached Level 5, had her expression hardened, revealing just how formidable his aura was.
“Level 6 potential.”
At his low, measured voice, both of them flinched.
As if he disapproved.
“If Myung Ha-jin has made a move, that means it’s connected to the Sacerdotal Society, doesn’t it?”
“…Yes, it certainly seems that way.”
After hearing Han Tae-jun’s words, Han Mu-gyeol turned his gaze to Cha Hae-yeon as well.
With a slight sound, Cha Hae-yeon opened her mouth.
“From what I observed, they weren’t strangers to each other. I can’t say for certain whether he’s affiliated with the Sacerdotal Society, but at the very least, the Sacerdotal Society clearly understands the value of a healer named Kim Min-jun.”
“Hmm.”
“More importantly, since he said he was Level 1 and his initial skill was a buff, the healing he used there must have been a skill attached to an item—and its effectiveness surpassed the healing Han Tae-jun deployed at full power.”
“I see.”
“His mana reserves must be extraordinary.”
At Cha Hae-yeon’s words, Han Mu-gyeol nodded as well.
Skills attached to items apply differently depending on their properties.
For instance, if a dealer using a direct attack skill directly is rated at 100, a skill attached to an item would only be worth roughly half that—a mere 50.
In other words, the same applies to the healing attached to items.
“So if I level up and gain healing, I’d receive even greater healing than that.”
“Yes, even at Level 1 now, I only possess enough healing from item sources to be deployed in Disaster Level 3 situations. Once I level up and gain original healing, I’d have enough to be deployed in Disaster Level 4 immediately.”
“I agree. Tae-jun asked something remarkable.”
“…Thank you.”
Yet even as he offered praise, his momentum showed no signs of diminishing.
Instead, he pressed both of them with an even more ominous aura.
“…But you left such a person behind, didn’t you.”
“…Ugh.”
“…The Ghost, Myung Ha-jin, was there.”
“You should have brought him here even if it meant waging war.”
I couldn’t bear to meet the giant’s menacing, smoldering gaze.
Han Mu-gyeol, always expressionless and quietly attending to his duties, would not tolerate such a mistake.
Neither of us could offer any rebuttal.
Han Mu-gyeol was right.
We should have brought him to the Changgong Guild by any means necessary.
Even if it meant waging war against the Sacerdotal Society, as the giant said.
If he truly possessed the qualifications of a Level 6 Healer, he was worth far more than that.
“Moreover, the Hunter Association will have noticed his existence because of this.”
“….”
“….”
Neither of us denied it.
In Changgong Guild territory, an executive of the Sacerdotal Society—the Ghost, Myung Ha-jin—had clashed with Cha Hae-yeon of the Changgong Guild. It would be foolish to think the Hunter Association wouldn’t know.
No one in this room was ignorant of that fact.
“…You said he’d visit next week?”
“…Yes.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll give you one last chance.”
It was an ultimatum.
And Han Tae-jun spoke with eyes blazing.
“I won’t miss this opportunity.”
“Cha Hae-yeon, you assist as well.”
“…Of course.”
Han Mu-gyeol, hearing both their answers, finally released his oppressive aura.
Then he muttered as if disappointed.
“Sigh, it would have been better if we’d known before that reckless fool.”
“….”
“….”
Neither of us could respond to that remark.
Han Mu-gyeol looked at both of us and spoke.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
It was a dismissal.
As Han Tae-jun and Cha Hae-yeon left the guild master’s office.
Left alone, Han Mu-gyeol stroked his chin in thought.
‘Level 6, is it.’
In Korea, there was only one person who could be called Level 6.
Yet such a Level 6 could emerge anew.
And if that person belonged to the Changgong Guild?
‘We could expand onto the world stage.’
Han Mu-gyeol’s eyes gleamed with avarice.
I must covet him before his flower blooms.
Before he fully realizes his own worth.
8.
A week had passed since the territory dispute at the Changgong Guild.
I gazed at the belt held before me with eyes brimming with emotion.
Not the pale crimson of a +4 enhancement.
A belt suffused with the vivid red of a brilliant ruby, adorned with an option exclusive to Reinforcement Mages—I was overcome with joy at the sight of it.
“I finally succeeded.”
Only after exhausting an entire week and discarding countless +4 items could I achieve success.
Fortunately, I’d managed to complete a full protective set at +4 before the +5 enhancement succeeded.
[Ring of Samsara]+5
-A belt as tangled and inextricable as the cycle of rebirth itself, which cannot be cast away.
-Equipped with a pouch, it appears quite useful for carrying things.
-Increases evasion.
-When a dagger is equipped, the skill ‘Pressure’ becomes available.
-If no offensive skills are equipped, the skill ‘Barrier’ becomes available.
-When a wand is equipped, the ultimate skill ‘Ring of Samsara’ becomes available.
*Reinforcement Mage Exclusive Option*
-The skill ‘Inventory’ can be used.
The options were flawless, even beautiful.
Since Reinforcement Mage exclusive options could only attach one per item, no additional ones appeared, but the remaining skills were utterly broken.
Just as achieving Level 5 grants an ultimate skill, +5 enhanced items came with similar abilities.
This one was called the Ring of Samsara.
Its effect truly deserved to be called an ultimate skill.
‘Full mana recovery once per day…’
I’d created an absolutely incredible item.
I’d initially considered enhancing the wand, but since it wasn’t a naturally reinforceable item, it wouldn’t gain the Reinforcement Mage option, so I enhanced the belt instead.
Never did I expect it would become such an amazing item.
As I was laughing with delight.
The doorbell rang.
Ding-dong~♪
‘Who could that be? I didn’t order any deliveries.’
Kim Min-jun tilted his head in confusion as he glanced at the screen.
A woman stared directly into the camera from the other side.
-I’m… not here to proselytize. I’m from the Hunter Association.
The Saint had come to find me.

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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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