The Only Enhancer - Chapter 41

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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 41
Episode 41 – Emergency Mobilization (2)
4.
No matter how much mana remained, rest was necessary.
For tanks who collided physically with monsters, the need was even more acute.
Even if their bodies were physically fine, the mental exhaustion was considerable.
Healers and dealers typically didn’t understand this well, but this time everyone was in agreement.
Everyone except one person.
“Hmm, hmm-hmm.”
Min-jun, humming while inspecting his equipment, was that exception.
Everyone else was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, yet he alone remained perfectly fine.
Min-jun.
Using skills didn’t consume only mana.
While not specific, mental stamina was consumed quite heavily.
Dealers required concentration to avoid hitting party members, and healers had to watch when buffs expired and reapply them at the right moment, or heal injuries as they occurred.
In ordinary raids, dealers and healers wouldn’t reach the point of exhaustion, but this emperor-tier cultivation raid was different.
It demanded more skills than any other raid.
And one person had created all of it.
Everyone stared at Min-jun as if he were a monster.
‘Is he actually a monster?’
‘How is a healer outdamaging the dealers…?’
‘Are we really using the same tier 3 equipment?’
‘How is he not exhausted when he’s using three times more skills than everyone else?’
‘Can debuffs even land like that?’
This was why so many people were hesitant.
He used far more skills than anyone else yet showed no signs of fatigue.
It felt awkward to suggest rest first.
The only saving grace was that Park Min-ho, the commander, took the initiative to call for rest, and Min-jun didn’t complain.
‘W-we’re alive. Really alive.’
‘I almost collapsed if we’d gone any longer.’
‘How much mana does he even have?’
‘More than that—what about his mental stamina?’
‘Does he not feel tension at all?’
Their reactions bordered on fear rather than mere shock, but Min-jun paid no attention.
In fact, he hadn’t even noticed.
‘I’ve already taken down four.’
I’d been somewhat tense about this being a Disaster Level 3 raid, but it turned out to be manageable.
Well, when you bring tier 4 equipment to a raid that only requires tier 3, it naturally feels easier.
Of course, that was only Min-jun’s perspective.
No matter how much tier 4 equipment one possessed, without nearly infinite mana for basic skills like Min-jun had, neither this level of power nor this kind of endurance would materialize.
How could Min-jun have known that?
His teammates were surprised because of it, but he simply assumed it was due to the semifinals and moved on.
Of course, that was part of it, but the power of the exclusive options couldn’t be ignored either.
‘The auxiliary skills created by the exclusive options are quite substantial.’
They were genuinely well-suited for combat.
The only regret was that Dark Sphere was the sole offensive skill.
I wondered if I should craft more weapons.
No, wait.
Now that I thought about it, that wasn’t quite right.
When I reinforced all the Origin-grade 2 items I had to grade 4, didn’t I also enhance various miscellaneous weapons up to grade 4?
And among them, there was indeed one that synergized well with the auxiliary skills I’d obtained.
This one, specifically.
[Condensed Lightning Bow]+4
-Lightning woven and condensed, then braided into the shape of a bow.
-The condensed lightning can apparently draw in all the stray lightning scattered through the air.
-If you don’t possess arrows, the skill ‘Lightning Arrow’ becomes usable.
-If you lack an earth-attribute skill, you can imbue the skill ‘Writhing Lightning’ into arrows.
-When using skills after equipping this, the skills used ignore the defense barriers of Disaster Level 4 monsters.
└When used against Disaster Level 3 or lower monsters, it ignores their barriers and deals additional damage.
While it unfortunately didn’t gain an exclusive option, it had quite synergistic skills attached.
The accuracy boost and trajectory alteration definitely complement each other well!
But that’s not all.
[Scattering Pisco Horn]+4
-A dagger crafted from the horn of a Disaster Level 4 Pisco.
-Made from the horn that flew off when torn from the creature in life, retaining all its original properties.
-When equipping a bow, the skill ‘Propulsion’ becomes usable.
-If you lack a poison-related skill, the skill ‘Scattering Blade’ becomes usable.
-When using skills after equipping this, the skills used ignore the defense barriers of Disaster Level 4 monsters.
└When used against Disaster Level 3 or lower monsters, it ignores their barriers and deals additional damage.
Similarly, combining this dagger would allow me to use projectile-related skills as well.
A true six-skill collaboration!
But doubt crept in.
‘Can I actually use this, though?’
Nominally, I was a healer, after all.
Sure, I’d been dealing damage lately, but wouldn’t it look odd for a healer to openly wield a bow?
Still, I wanted to test it.
In situations like this, there was only one approach.
When no one was watching, I tucked the wand into my belt and pretended to retrieve the dagger and bow from my bag.
I stashed my old dagger and equipped the Condensed Lightning Bow and Scattering Pisco Horn from my subspace.
I’d been dealing damage well enough already, so there was no reason for anyone to complain.
Demoros’s Wand was secured at my waist, and thanks to its exclusive option for increased equipping, the skill Dark Veil remained usable.
At this point, it was more accurate to call my equipment setup that of a dealer rather than a healer!
Min-jun paid no mind and brazenly attempted to leave.
But then.
“Min-jun.”
Park Min-ho, the commander, hurried over urgently.
Was he trying to stop me?
“Ahem, it’s just that I can use a bow as well….”
“Huh? Oh, that’s not it.”
“Huh?”
Then why did he approach with such a serious expression?
Min-jun looked at Park Min-ho with a puzzled expression.
Park Min-ho spoke.
“The Hunter Association has issued a mobilization order. All Level 4 and above hunters, as well as Level 3 healers, have been called to duty.”
“What? Suddenly…, could it be?”
Min-jun had left his phone elsewhere during the raid, so he had no way of knowing.
Park Min-ho, being the commander, had learned of it through communication devices.
There was only one reason the Hunter Association suddenly issued a mobilization order.
A powerful monster had appeared.
And they had mobilized all Level 4 and above hunters, as well as Level 3 healers.
There was only one scenario for this.
“Yes, a Disaster Level 5 monster is currently approaching the Gangneung area.”
“Ah.”
Just as I had anticipated.
Upon awakening, one is exempted from military service.
In other words, it meant not going to the military.
However, when such powerful Disaster Level monsters appeared, participating in mobilization orders was the duty of all awakened hunters.
Of course, they didn’t call everyone indiscriminately.
With a Disaster Level 5 monster present, you couldn’t ask a Level 3 tank to draw aggro.
The same applied to Level 3 healers.
Direct combat participation was nearly impossible.
However, it was possible to rapidly heal the wounded who had withdrawn from the front lines while stationed in the rear, away from the combat zone.
Combat healers had priority targets to treat, so they couldn’t waste mana; thus, Level 3 healers were mobilized to treat the wounded from the rear.
Min-jun was also being mobilized for this duty.
A Disaster Level 5 monster.
Min-jun unconsciously nodded, feeling somewhat tense.
Park Min-ho then spoke to Min-jun.
“A helicopter will arrive to transport you and the other healers here, so please wait a moment.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll go inform the other healers.”
Park Min-ho spoke and rose from his seat.
Min-jun caught sight of the bow he’d just drawn and quickly stowed it away.
The bow wasn’t what mattered right now.
He swiftly swapped his gear for equipment fitted with defense-exclusive options.
A Disaster Level 5 monster, no less.
‘I’m grateful I completed the defense set.’
With two +4 reinforced items and one +5 reinforced item in the mix.
Even against a Disaster Level 5 monster, I was confident I could at least escape with my life.
‘Thank goodness the Ring of Reincarnation has an evasion option.’
When struck, mana depletes and the wearer is displaced backward—an evasion option of considerable utility.
Of course, the consumption rate varied with damage taken, but except during reinforcement attempts, I had mana to spare.
With this, I could certainly flee if things went south.
The sudden news sent the entire team into a frenzy of activity.
Confusion rippled through them, and some wore expressions of concern.
These were people devoted enough to the Hunter Association to dedicate themselves to the nation.
‘They’re all worried about the country first.’
I found myself admiring that.
I, on the other hand, had been concerned about my own hide.
Yet I felt no shame in that.
Some could possess such righteousness, but I believed that at least for me, survival came before virtue.
Lost in such musings, I heard it.
A sound that should never have echoed near the Disaster Zone.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
A military helicopter shielded by a protective barrier descended onto the open clearing with a violent gust of wind, its rough propeller blades churning the air.
The powerful wind sent hair and fabric fluttering, scattering dust in all directions.
From the helicopter emerged a sharp-featured man wearing glasses.
A man in his early thirties, dressed in a formal suit and carrying a leather briefcase, approached us.
The image suited him perfectly.
Then a sigh escaped from beside me.
“Oh no! Of all people, it had to be Senior Jung?”
“This is bad.”
“Ugh, this won’t be comfortable.”
The healers who’d planned to board with me let out groans of dismay, as did Park Min-ho and Kim Hyun-yong, who’d come to see me off.
“With Senior Jung here, it’ll definitely be thorough… but are you sure you’re okay?”
“…Still, he’s a senior.”
Park Min-ho answered quietly, his tone suggesting clear reluctance.
What kind of person was he, exactly?
Given that he was called a senior, he was undoubtedly affiliated with the Hunter Association, but did people usually react this way?
I grew slightly uneasy and asked Park Min-ho.
“Is he dangerous?”
“Hmm….”
Park Min-ho struggled to find the right words to explain.
And in his stead, Kim Hyun-yong spoke up.
“No, he’s not a bad person. He handles work decisively and impeccably. He’s a veteran.”
“Then why…?”
“Well, he’s a bit of a lunatic.”
“Pardon?”
At Kim Hyun-yong’s words, I tilted my head in confusion.
The man referred to as Senior Jung was able to arrive before us.
He glanced around at us briefly, spotted me, and opened his mouth with an expressionless face.
“Are you perhaps the healer Kim Min-jun?”
“Yes, I am Kim Min-jun.”
I nodded in affirmation.
The man continued speaking.
“I am Jung Ji-hwan. It is an honor to meet the healer Kim Min-jun, whose very existence is a blessing to the nation.”
Usually, such words were mere pleasantries.
But I could keenly sense that Jung Ji-hwan spoke with absolute sincerity.
Why, you ask?
“S-Senior, please don’t bow.”
“Please, Senior, get up. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
“If you feel honored, just say it with words. Please.”
The moment he confirmed I was Kim Min-jun, he prostrated himself in a full bow.
As if expressing reverence.
With his entire body, he was conveying how honored he felt to meet me.
“Sigh.”
“That’s why he’s called a lunatic.”
“Ah, I see.”
“…He’s not a bad person, though.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
5.
Upon news of a Disaster Level 5 monster, the residents of Gangneung swiftly complied with the evacuation order.
After the monsters appeared, such procedures had become routine, allowing for rapid evacuation.
Despite the residents having evacuated, leaving Gangneung and its surroundings seemingly quiet, many people still roamed the area.
Yet all of them wore items and maintained vigilance.
They were all hunters.
And in the temporary tent positioned at the center, quite a number of them had gathered.
Twenty-one people in total, yet each and every one of them was extraordinary.
Level 5 hunters who had earned their names long ago, and even Cha Hae-yeon, who had achieved Level 5 relatively recently.
Every Level 5 had assembled in one place.
“Sigh, I’m already busy with Min-jun’s matters, so why did a Disaster Level 5 have to show up~”
Myung Ha-jin, who would soon have to engage in battle, was grinning with an air of leisure about him.
And the Saint Lee Hee-bin, who was watching Myung Ha-jin with cold eyes, opened his mouth.
“The situation will become critical soon. Do you really have to speak that way?”
“Ah, I’m sure everyone thinks the same way. If we’re lucky, we’ll catch it, but this time too, the Steel Hero will be too busy driving it away anyway.”
“Hmm, that’s not wrong.”
At Myung Ha-jin’s words, Han Mu-gyeol of the Changgong Guild also lent his support.
At words that bordered on criticism, Kwon Woo-jung, the Master of the Mirae Guild, one of the Top 5 Guilds, chuckled and spoke.
“Two people who failed to recruit others are talking. It looks like nothing but venting frustration.”
“…What? Does the Mirae Guild not want healing support?”
“There’s a contract in place. Throwing a tantrum over it is something only children do, isn’t it? Am I wrong?”
“…Myung Ha-jin, stop it.”
Myung Ha-jin turned his head at those words and looked at his friend.
But soon, with a sulky expression, he pouted his lips and turned his head away sharply.
To anyone watching, it was childish behavior, but none of them underestimated Myung Ha-jin.
The other Level 5 Hunters were listening to their conversation with curiosity, and now that it had ended, they were clicking their tongues in disappointment.
It was only natural, as they had countless questions about Kim Min-jun, the Level 6 prospect who had appeared this time.
But then.
“Everyone’s here. Let’s begin the meeting.”
The moment the Association Chairman, the Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok, appeared, all conversation ceased as if the room had been silenced.
They were curious about the new Level 6 prospect, but the current crisis took priority.
One wrong move could mean death.
“The Level 5 Disaster coming this time is this one.”
At Ma Hyun-seok’s words, a screen materialized, and a monster that looked like a cross between a scorpion and a lobster appeared. Everyone who saw it furrowed their brows.
Its massive body and seemingly solid carapace looked difficult to penetrate easily.
“Even if we use Grade 5 items to bypass the barrier, piercing through that thick carapace will be difficult.”
“Hmm. This won’t be easy.”
“It wouldn’t be surprising if someone dies this time.”
The relatively older Level 5 Hunters spoke pessimistically, and the younger Level 5 Hunters wanted to object, but they said nothing.
It certainly looked difficult to them as well.
“The Association will lend out thirty Grade 5 items.”
“Ooh! If that’s the case, the odds improve somewhat.”
“Still, it’s reckless.”
“And…”
Ma Hyun-seok spoke quietly.
Everyone fell silent and listened intently to Ma Hyun-seok’s words.
Then shocking news came.
“Approval has been granted for the use of Grade 6 items.”

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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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