The Only Enhancer - Chapter 37

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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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Chapter 37
Chapter 37 – Level Measurement (1)
0.
“Haaah, haah.”
“Kheeegh!”
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Every member of the team participating in the Emperor-tier raid was breathing heavily, their breath coming in ragged gasps.
Park Min-ho observed his teammates with this thought in mind.
Their shoulders heaved as they exhaled forcefully, and some had even collapsed to the ground, their chests heaving violently.
All of them showed signs of being dangerously close to mana exhaustion.
Park Min-ho himself was hardly in a comfortable position either.
His complexion was far from good, and he had expended at least 80% of his mana reserves.
‘This is no joke.’
Since the tanks’ mana was on the verge of bottoming out, he had no choice but to participate himself.
If only he’d known, he would have reduced the number of dealers and recruited one or two additional tanks instead.
Thus concluded nearly eight hours of hunting.
They had gathered in the morning, and the raid ended as the sun was setting.
The number of Disaster Zone Level 2 monsters they had defeated was a staggering ten.
In essence, they had run relentlessly without a moment’s rest.
Yet despite all this, the client, Kim Min-jun, appeared perfectly fine.
“I apologize. I got a bit too excited in the middle there…”
He was so unaffected that he was even offering an apology.
Naturally, no one was in a position to accept it.
If they didn’t rest, they might actually collapse.
If Park Min-ho hadn’t regained his senses midway and made the quick decision to return, they would still be in the Disaster Zone right now.
The very thought was dizzying.
While Park Min-ho understood why Kim Min-jun was apologizing, everyone stared at him as if looking at some kind of monster—not with resentment or complaint, but with pure bewilderment.
‘Is… is that even human?’
‘How… how is he so fine?’
‘Even combining all the tanks and dealers, it seems like that person used way fewer skills than all of us combined?’
‘No matter how much potential a Level 5 has, does this even make sense!?’
Their shock had transformed into something approaching fear.
As everyone stared at Kim Min-jun with such expressions, he scratched his head awkwardly.
‘I got a bit too carried away.’
Of course he felt good when his damage output was effective.
Moreover, even that damage had been restrained intentionally.
He hadn’t reduced mana consumption when using skills, but he simply hadn’t activated mana reinforcement.
He could have increased his damage output further.
If he equipped better items later on?
‘I could probably solo lower Disaster Zone monsters, couldn’t I?’
Monsters matching my level would naturally be impossible, but if the Disaster Zone level was lower than my level and enhancement stats, I felt confident I could handle them alone.
After all, hadn’t Cha Hae-yeon from Changgong Guild cleaved a Disaster Level 3 in a single stroke with her one-handed sword?
It was possible because she was a tank, but if I, the only enhancement mage, equipped myself with exclusive options and reinforced my items to +5 or higher, wouldn’t it be worth attempting?
Well, from Disaster Level 4 onwards—which began to be called out-of-spec—it might be difficult without a raid party, but at least up to Disaster Level 3, solo play should be feasible.
I had fun using Dark Sphere here and there, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied.
And for good reason.
I hadn’t been able to use the other item skills.
The poison fangs on the dagger, the stealth on the cloak, the additional skill Dark Veil on the wand—and so on.
There were still many skills I hadn’t used.
Hmm, things are shaping up nicely, aren’t they?
As I was thinking this, Park Min-ho approached me.
His expression was quite apologetic.
From Park Min-ho’s perspective, it was only natural.
Rather than providing help, we had been the ones receiving it.
This was supposed to be an emperor-tier training raid, after all.
Yet it was we who had benefited from the training.
Especially including Park Min-ho, who was only Level 3.
It was only natural to feel embarrassed and ashamed.
“I should have shown you a better performance, but instead I’m sorry for showing you a poor one.”
“What? Oh! No, that’s not it. I’m actually sorry—I think I may have pushed the pace too hard.”
“Not at all. The fault is mine for underestimating the skill of you, the healer, and failing to expand the team. Please, accept my apology.”
At Park Min-ho’s words, I found myself thinking: was that really the case?
With him saying it so earnestly, I couldn’t say anything more.
Then it suddenly occurred to me.
That Park Min-ho was affiliated with the Hunter Association.
Was it because he was a civil servant?
It was half-true, but I could understand and move past it.
Park Min-ho bowed repeatedly to me as he spoke.
“I will ensure this doesn’t happen again in the next raid.”
“Mm, yes. Then I’ll take the items we obtained today and dispose of the mana stones.”
“Ah! Yes, I’ll handle that. Please be careful on your way.”
As I said this, I gathered the spoils from this raid.
From ten kills, we obtained four +2 items and six +1 items.
Statistically, the probability of obtaining a +2 item from hunting Disaster Level 2 is thirty percent.
Getting four was quite fortunate.
True to our agreement, the Hunter Association didn’t take any of the spoils—everything went to me.
So I gathered my equipment with a satisfied smile and headed home.
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief as they watched me leave alone, carefully collecting even the smallest pieces of equipment.
But one thing was certain.
Could we work together again?
‘If I keep this up for just a month or two, I think I can level up?’
‘Seriously.’
‘I’m definitely volunteering.’
Everyone was resolving to seize the opportunity if it came again.
Park Min-ho wasn’t unable to understand their feelings either.
After all, he himself was hoping he could return to the dungeon again.
‘If I keep going like this, I’ll definitely level up soon.’
He raided with such intensity that he wondered if he’d been settling for complacency in reality.
And Park Min-ho reached out to the Saint with conviction.
-Yes, this is Lee Hee-bin.
“Yes, Saint. This is Park Min-ho, the one assigned to Kim Min-jun’s healer.”
-…Ah. Yes. Is the raid over?
“Yes, it just ended.”
-…? Didn’t it start this morning?
“Yes, that’s correct.”
-…?
The Saint couldn’t respond, as if unable to comprehend.
But Park Min-ho spoke to Lee Hee-bin as if that wasn’t the important part.
“It’s possible that Kim Min-jun’s healer leveled up from this raid.”
When someone leveled up, it didn’t show to others.
Park Min-ho was certain.
-…What?
“From mid-tier onwards, I confirmed the buff amplification increased. I’m sure of it.”
Lee Hee-bin couldn’t simply dismiss the words spoken with such conviction.
The fact that Park Min-ho had said it was already significant, but the evidence that followed was conclusive.
But neither of them could have known.
During the raid, when Min-jun used Dark Sphere, he accidentally failed to control his mana and applied the buff a bit too generously—and it happened to be on Park Min-ho.
Park Min-ho was mistaking that for a level increase.
And Lee Hee-bin, hearing this report, fell into the same misunderstanding.
-He’s already leveled up? This is certainly an important matter.
“Yes, so I reported it immediately.”
-Does anyone else know?
“No, only I know so far.”
-Keep it as confidential as possible. If this is true, Min-jun may inform me himself, so I’ll need to prepare accordingly.
“Yes, understood.”
-Then.
Lee Hee-bin said that and ended the call, and Park Min-ho also hung up before a chill ran down his spine.
He’d heard that it had been less than a month since his awakening.
And yet he’d already leveled up.
‘Terrifying speed.’
And now that his level had risen, assembling a team for Min-jun would become far easier.
‘I’ll need to consider even Level 3 Disaster Zones.’
Park Min-ho observed his struggling yet cheerful teammates with this thought in mind.
“Well, even if tomorrow’s too much, we’ll go at least once more this week, right?”
“Come on! Didn’t you see the Healer? The way they’re excited, they’ll probably go tomorrow too!”
“Right! Once you’re intoxicated by damage output, there’s no escaping it!”
“Absolutely!”
I turned away, regarding them with a mixture of pity and resignation.
They likely wouldn’t be joining the next raid.
If I aimed for Level 3 Disaster Zones, I’d need to assemble a team primarily of Level 3 hunters.
All I felt was regret.
“Ah! I hope the next raid gets decided soon!”
“Tell me about it!”
Park Min-ho deliberately ignored that final remark.
And silently apologized.
‘I’m sorry.’
It seemed I would be included in the next party regardless.
1.
Before attending to his duties, Han Mu-gyeol tapped his desk with his fingers, lost in contemplation.
The rhythmic sound made it easier to organize his thoughts.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
For a long time, Han Mu-gyeol had yearned to leave Korea and venture into the wider world.
But he knew all too well it was impossible.
Even within this cramped land of Korea, Changgong Guild remained unrivaled.
How then could he make his name known on the world stage?
Korea received treatment as a great power because it possessed one of the world’s only fifteen Level 6 monsters—the Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok—and one of merely ten 6-tier items in existence, but Han Mu-gyeol’s assessment differed.
‘Such a weak nation.’
Should a Level 5 Disaster Zone calamity-class monster appear, the current situation was that all Level 5 hunters combined with the Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok could barely contain it.
How could such a nation be called great?
Of course, the mere ability to contain it qualified a nation for great power status, but Han Mu-gyeol refused to see it that way.
Trapped in such a mediocre nation.
Infuriating.
And then the key to escape appeared.
‘Kim Min-jun.’
A healer with the qualities of Level 5, or perhaps even Level 6.
With him, venturing into the world would be entirely feasible.
I could fully satisfy my ambitions and still have more.
But my nephew Han Tae-jun had squandered that opportunity right before his eyes.
It wasn’t a complete failure yet.
But it was as good as one.
‘The Hunter Association has made its move, and they’ve already begun protecting him.’
It was something I already knew before hearing Han Tae-jun’s report.
I tried everything in my power to prevent it, but even I couldn’t stop what the Sacerdotal Society had failed to contain.
The only consolation was that the Hunter Association hadn’t completely secured him either.
That was all.
Could Han Tae-jun truly pull this off?
He’s a capable nephew.
But contingencies must always be prepared for.
Tok—.
A sound that stopped like a period being placed.
And I concluded that a decision had been made.
‘…If he fails, I’ll have to act immediately.’
If I can’t obtain it, the solution is simple.
I just need to ensure no one else obtains it either.
2.
Returning home and finishing my shower, I stepped out feeling refreshed, drying myself off.
Honestly, it had been ages since I felt this invigorated.
After showering, I grabbed a cold carbonated drink can from the refrigerator.
Click! Fizzzzz!
“Ah, that hits the spot.”
Normally, after finishing work and showering, I’d crack open a beer and enjoy that refreshing sensation, but now that I’d just turned twenty, a carbonated drink suited me better.
With a satisfied smile as the crisp beverage went down, I settled onto the sofa.
The sunset had completely faded, leaving only the night view of the Han River visible.
Gazing at it, I fell into thought.
‘The damage output is stronger than I expected.’
If I’d used mana reinforcement at full capacity, I probably would have dealt two to three times more damage.
Considering that, it felt wasteful to keep playing around in Disaster Zone Level 2.
The damage I’m dealing now is already more than enough.
But even so, I can’t exactly ask to be sent to a Disaster Zone Level 3 raid when I’m officially Level 1 to the public.
‘Hmm, but do I really need to hide it anymore?’
I’d decided it was better to conceal my strength, so I’d been hiding it since my level first increased.
But is there really a need to do that anymore?
‘At this level, I seem incredibly strong?’
I possessed damage output superior to at least Level 3 dealers, and aside from my 5-enhanced belt, all my equipment was 4-enhanced.
I had setups for both protective skills and damage-dealing configurations.
With this, was there any reason to hide my level besides from enhancement artisans?
Hadn’t I heard it from the Saint Lee Hee-bin herself?
Level 6 candidates level up significantly faster than others because of their larger mana pools.
Of course, becoming Level 3 in less than a month was exceptional.
But wouldn’t this be just barely within the acceptable range?
And.
‘Besides, revealing my level wouldn’t expose me as an Enhancer, would it?’
Min-jun’s reasoning was sound.
No one would say, “Wow, look at how fast that person’s leveling up! They must not be a Healer but an Enhancer, that’s why they’re advancing so quickly!”
Even if someone did, they’d be written off as insane.
Revealing that I’m already Level 3 right now probably wouldn’t cause any real problems.
I could be certain of that.
Based on what I’ve learned about Level 6 individuals, there was nothing problematic about it.
Just that even for a Level 6’s caliber, leveling this quickly is fairly impressive?
My mind had already tilted toward disclosure.
‘Besides, hiding everything is so suffocating.’
I’m already concealing that I’m an Enhancer, and now I’d be hiding my level too.
Honestly, it was far too frustrating.
More than anything, if my level increased, wouldn’t I be able to freely use healing and other skills?
‘If I say the barrier and healing are skills I already possessed, I can use my existing skills more!’
That was the biggest reason here.
It was still somewhat naive thinking, but it wasn’t a wrong decision.
‘Yeah, I should probably tell her in advance, right?’
With that thought, I immediately called the Saint, whom I now considered my handler.
Once again, Lee Hee-bin answered right away, as if she’d been waiting on standby.
Click.
-Yes, yes! Min-jun. I’ve answered your call.
“Ah, I apologize for calling so late.”
-Not at all! You can call anytime!
She answered as if she’d been waiting for this.
I found it a bit strange, but I’d overlook the details.
“The reason I’m calling is that I’d like to have my level measured tomorrow.”
-As I thought.
“Pardon? What did you say?”
-Oh! No, it’s nothing! We’ll prepare everything on our end right away.
“Ah! Yes! Thank you so much.”
-Not at all. Then I’ll see you tomorrow!
And so my level measurement was scheduled for the next day.
‘Then maybe I should do some enhancing before tomorrow comes?’
I’d just obtained six 1-star base items anyway.
It seemed quite entertaining to see what useful exclusive options might appear.

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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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