The Only Enhancer - Chapter 43

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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 43
Chapter 43 – The True Nature of Kim Min-jun the Healer (2)
3.
A Disaster Level 5 raid.
The atmosphere grew heavy in the support unit stationed in the rear—a situation no different from a national catastrophe.
A raid where many could die.
‘Damn it.’
Kim Seok-won, a Level 3 hunter, ground his teeth.
This had to happen again.
No country in the world was free from Disaster Level 5 threats, but how wonderful it would be if this could be handled safely.
I’d recently seen news about a healer with Level 6 aptitude who’d achieved Level 3 in record time.
But what good does that do?
Right now, they’re merely Level 3 like me.
There’s no way they could be helpful in this raid.
That’s what Kim Seok-won thought.
‘What… what in the world is that!?’
With a single heal, a Level 4 hunter with severe injuries was completely restored.
Impossible healing output.
Healing power that couldn’t be attributed to someone of the same Level 3.
Had it been him, he would’ve needed at least four heals to mend such a wound.
Most arrogant healers were intimidated by the display, while others couldn’t help but admire it.
The latter were mostly healers from the Hunter Association, known for their gentle temperament.
“D-did you see that just now?”
“They healed them in an instant!?”
“Insane.”
“H-hmph! Still just Level 3 like the rest of us, aren’t they?”
“Saying such nonsense after seeing that… you’ve lost your mind.”
They all spoke in unison, offering praise.
Even if someone asked why they weren’t stepping in, there was nothing they could do.
“D-do we even have a place to step in?”
“They’re already healing almost everyone by themselves…”
“Ah! That person!”
“The one from the news a while back!?”
Several healers spoke as if they’d remembered something, and most could grasp the truth.
The one now raising most of the wounded with a single heal was the healer with Level 6 aptitude from the recent news.
Of course, not all eyes were favorable.
“Pfft, can’t even control their mana and brags about using it constantly. What’s there to be proud of?”
“No matter how much Level 6 aptitude they have, mana isn’t infinite. Do they really want to show off like that?”
“Must be an attention seeker.”
“What, just because they have Level 6 aptitude, do they think they’re a hero like Ma Hyun-seok, the Association Chairman?”
Those standing behind with arms crossed, sneering.
Kim Seok-won looked at them as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Did they not understand the gravity of the situation, yet still felt compelled to spew inferiority complexes?
They were out of their minds.
Just as Kim Seok-won was about to say something.
A handsome man with glasses and a cold expression standing behind them let out a derisive laugh.
“How amusing. I suppose you don’t realize how pathetic you look the more you speak.”
“W-what are you—what, what!?”
“Those words aren’t meant for someone who’s doing their utmost to heal people with every ounce of their strength. And in a situation like this, there’s no room for the kind of mana control that allows for leisurely remarks.”
When they turned to confront whoever had criticized them, they found Han Tae-jun standing there.
Seeing Han Tae-jun’s cold, piercing gaze fixed upon them, they quickly averted their eyes from his stare.
They knew exactly who Han Tae-jun was.
And Han Tae-jun, observing their reaction, spoke.
“You and that person are different.”
“W-what do you mean by that?”
“You’ll understand if you watch.”
Since the raid began, Min-jun had already healed those flown in by helicopter well over a dozen times.
Even the Level 4 Hunters who recovered and awakened instantly were equally bewildered.
Yet they quickly regained their composure and boarded the helicopter once more to return to the front lines.
How much time had passed since then?
Even those who had initially mocked him, saying he couldn’t control his mana and was delusional enough to think he was a hero, now stood with their mouths agape.
While several healers had exhausted their mana and were rotating out with others, Min-jun—who had entered first—continued to endure.
What was even more remarkable was that he showed no signs of mana exhaustion whatsoever.
Dozens of healers were already experiencing mana depletion and rotating out.
Yet Min-jun, as if his mana were infinite, continued to expend it repeatedly, leaving no room for further criticism.
“W-what is this…”
“H-how is this possible?”
“Could there be zero casualties?!”
“S-surely not…”
As everyone stared at Min-jun as if he were a monster, Han Tae-jun also furrowed his brow, clutching his head as if it might split from mana exhaustion.
More precisely, he was frowning while looking at Jung Ji-hwan, who stood beside Min-jun.
‘Of all people, why did that one have to be here.’
As Han Tae-jun thought this, his eyes met Jung Ji-hwan’s.
It felt like standing before an enormous serpent.
That was Jung Ji-hwan, the captain of the Villain Subjugation Team.
He’d heard stories about him, but meeting him in person was even more intimidating than the rumors suggested.
When Jung Ji-hwan’s eyes met Han Tae-jun’s, he gave him a cold stare for a moment before turning his head away.
Then he thought to himself.
‘Han Tae-jun—he truly has discerning eyes. Min-jun the healer is indeed remarkable.’
Jung Ji-hwan simply admired what he saw, never once thinking Han Tae-jun was making a move against him.
Of course, if anyone approached Kim Min-jun or attempted anything, I monitored them thoroughly as his escort.
As a result, no one could easily get close to Kim Min-jun.
Han Tae-jun was in the same situation.
Those from other guilds thought the same way.
They had hoped to make contact during this opportunity.
It seemed Jung Ji-hwan and his group were the ones standing beside him.
‘The Hunter Association has drawn its blade.’
Though unable to face monsters, against hunters, he was like a natural predator.
Watching Jung Ji-hwan, Han Tae-jun was grateful that his contract still remained valid.
4.
As the massive claw descended, the ground split open.
A radius of over 500 meters ruptured and vanished.
It literally disappeared.
The force was such that anyone caught in it would surely perish, yet there was one who steadfastly endured it.
Boom!
A towering figure of 2 meters blocking that colossal claw with a shield.
Ma Hyun-seok, called the Steel Hero, drove his aging body forward and swung his hammer down hard against the claw.
Crack!
Ignoring the defensive barrier, the hammer’s impact sent the creature’s claw flying upward.
Ma Hyun-seok pressed forward, closing in on the beast.
Despite the overwhelming pressure from the creature’s enormous frame that could engulf the port, he charged forward unflinchingly and swung his hammer.
Without activating the Hammer of Retribution’s special function, he simply attacked to pierce through its defenses.
Yet that dealt more damage than using all the abilities of a Tier 5 item at full power.
Crackle!
Grraaaaaaaahhhhh——!
As the creature’s roar echoed in all directions, a massive energy dome materialized behind it.
Recognizing the ability being used, Myung Ha-jin unleashed his ultimate skill from behind.
But even that could not hold for long.
The creature’s roar shattered Myung Ha-jin’s ultimate skill helplessly.
Crash!
“Ugh, cough.”
The backlash from the defensive barrier shattered by the creature’s single ability struck Myung Ha-jin.
Myung Ha-jin coughed up blood briefly, then quickly healed himself.
Watching this, Won Eun-seong, the Spear Breaker, whistled.
“Whew! A Disaster Level 5 really is something else! It shattered Myung Ha-jin’s ultimate in just one blow.”
“….”
Myung Ha-jin wanted to glare at Won Eun-seong, but an order came down from Ma Hyun-seok.
“Everyone, attack.”
Though spoken softly, his voice came through clearly, and the Level 5 dealers prepared their ultimates.
And the Level 4 dealers preparing behind them also readied their skills and fired immediately.
With insufficient Grade 5 equipment, the Level 4 dealers couldn’t bypass the barrier to land direct hits, but their strategy was to overwhelm it with sheer numbers and dissolve the shield as quickly as possible.
This was the most dangerous phase.
A Disaster Grade 5 monster was an opponent that even Ma Hyun-seok, a Level 6 tank, struggled to hold aggro against completely.
The Level 5 dealers unleashed their ultimate abilities upon it.
A colossal spear plummeted from the sky, and auras and grand spells cascaded down.
Then the Level 4 dealers’ attacks also struck the creature’s barrier in full.
“Grrrraaaaaahhhhh!”
Writhing in agony, it spun its massive body with startling speed.
Despite its enormous frame, the movement was far too swift—Ma Hyun-seok realized this must be one of its inherent abilities.
Crash!
Ma Hyun-seok stepped forward and raised his shield, but he couldn’t block all the shockwave’s force.
As shards of impact scattered in all directions, Lee Hyuk, the leader of the Sacerdotal Society, emerged from the Level 5 ranks.
He created a barrier that nullified the impact fragments.
This too appeared to be his ultimate ability, consuming considerable mana.
Even with that ultimate, quite a few fragments remained, and while everyone tried to evade them, a substantial number scored direct hits.
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
“Gaaahhhhh!”
Mostly Level 4 hunters were struck, and people immediately shouted.
“Transport them to the support unit!”
“Hurry!”
“Any fatalities!”
“No fatalities!”
At that report, several Level 4 tanks moved quickly into action.
The Level 4 tanks couldn’t participate in the raid itself, so they handled transporting the wounded and blocking these fragments.
They pulled the injured back as far as possible to send them to the rear.
A war of attrition was the only way to conduct this raid.
It couldn’t be helped.
Still, Hunter Association Chairman Ma Hyun-seok gritted his teeth watching it unfold.
While it was fortunate there were no deaths, quite a few Level 4 hunters had been hit.
With so many Level 4s already incapacitated, considerable gaps in the roster must have opened.
He’d thought they had a real chance once Grade 6 equipment was approved, yet this was the result.
‘This might take longer than expected….’
The vacant positions of Level 4 hunters couldn’t be filled immediately.
It was obvious the operation would take considerably more time.
Even if the support unit recovered them as quickly as possible, it would still take a while.
As Ma Hyun-seok pondered this, someone spoke from behind.
“S-sir, Chairman! All the Level 4 hunters who were transported to the rear earlier have returned to the field.”
“…?”
Over twenty hunters had just been pulled out moments ago.
But you’re saying that all those who suffered before have returned to fill that gap?
Even with many Level 3 healers gathered, it’s a difficult task.
Ma Hyun-seok suddenly turned around with a puzzled expression.
Can it even be done?
He looked back wondering, but seeing the formation completely filled without a single gap, he let out a hollow laugh.
Crash!
Even as he did, he didn’t forget to keep the creature in check.
As he continuously drew aggro, he recalled why the Level 4 hunters were able to return so quickly.
Only one thing had changed.
‘Kim Min-jun the healer is truly remarkable.’
Ma Hyun-seok smiled faintly with that conviction, then thought to himself.
‘I’ll entrust all the healing to you.’
As an old man, it was right to clear the path for others.
With that thought, Ma Hyun-seok activated his second ultimate skill obtained at Level 6.
The ultimate skill that bore the same name as his epithet.
“Steel Hero.”
With him working so hard from behind, I couldn’t simply stand idle as a senior hunter.
5.
Rummmmmble.
Shrieeeeeeek——!
Crash.
With the sound of the massive body collapsing in the distance, everyone knew the raid had ended.
But just when the support team thought they could finally breathe easy.
Everyone swallowed hard with expressions of shock.
Not a single person opened their mouth as they stared at one man.
The raid had lasted a full six hours.
No matter how many Level 3 hunters gathered, it was a duration where mana depletion was inevitable.
As expected, most of the healers were experiencing mana exhaustion.
Yet Min-jun stood alone, serene and untouched.
“Is it over?”
He spoke with composure, but the sweat on his brow proved he was still human.
All those who had initially mocked Kim Min-jun and felt inferior fell silent.
It wasn’t just that they lacked the strength to speak.
They were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of mana Kim Min-jun possessed—having entered first and remained until the very end for hours.
“…Is that the caliber of a Level 6?”
“…Are we really the same level?”
“…This is insane. Truly.”
Every healer in this place bowed their head before an insurmountable wall.
When inferiority is overwhelming enough, it ceases to be felt at all.
They couldn’t even feel inferior to Kim Min-jun, who had held his position until everyone else had to retire.
I simply came to understand that the sky existed.
Meanwhile, Kim Min-jun was genuinely astonished at how much mana he’d consumed through healing alone.
It was the first time he’d depleted his reserves like this without using Enhancement.
Though it amounted to roughly thirty percent of his total capacity, it was already replenishing swiftly.
Why had he pushed himself so hard?
When I saw people dying before my eyes and possessed the strength to intervene, I did.
At first, anyway.
‘I wondered if perhaps I’d satisfied some special condition and a hidden option would appear… but it seems that wasn’t the case.’
Later, I’d suspected I might have triggered some unknown special condition.
Unfortunately, nothing materialized.
Perhaps physical Enhancement might yield something next time.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to focus on that in the future and observe the changes.
While Kim Min-jun entertained these materialistic thoughts, Jung Ji-hwan was genuinely applauding him in admiration.
“That was extraordinary.”
“Pardon? Oh, it’s just because I have a large mana pool.”
“No, having abundant mana doesn’t mean you can endure to the very end. You expend not just mana, but mental fortitude as well.”
Continuously witnessing the critically wounded would inevitably drain one’s mental reserves.
Even a seasoned physician would falter if hundreds of critical patients flooded in all at once.
Yet Kim Min-jun poured out mana like a madman and healed them all regardless.
For someone barely twenty years old, it was truly remarkable.
It wasn’t something that could be accomplished by sheer abundance of mana alone.
Still, Kim Min-jun felt a twinge of guilt, wondering if his desire to test his abilities had driven him.
That made him even more embarrassed.
‘This is… kind of awkward.’
Jung Ji-hwan continued applauding in amazement.
Soon, the exhausted healers nodded in acknowledgment as well.
This raid might have been far more difficult without Kim Min-jun.
And the Level 4 Hunters healed at the end could only express their gratitude.
“You’re the healer Kim Min-jun, correct?”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
“Thanks to you, there wasn’t a single casualty among the Level 4 Hunters.”
“That’s right. It’s all thanks to you, healer.”
“Normally, Level 4 Hunters suffer the most casualties in Disaster Level 5 raids, but not a single one died this time—it’s entirely your doing!”
With everyone saying such things, Kim Min-jun scratched his head in embarrassment.
Jung Ji-hwan spoke up at that moment.
“I will strongly recommend to the Association Chairman that you receive compensation equivalent to other Level 5 Hunters.”
“Pardon? Oh, yes, thank you…”
Kim Min-jun thanked him, but in that instant, confusion struck him.
Did Association personnel normally speak to someone like him—not affiliated with the Hunter Association—in such terms?
He had certainly earned merit, after all.
I simply remained still.
As the raid concluded and everyone took their rest.
A helicopter flew in from Gangneung Port, and Min-jun, still at the helicopter landing pad, lifted his head to observe it.
Wondering if there were still wounded to evacuate, Min-jun watched the helicopter approach.
From it descended Ma Hyun-seok, the Association Chairman, clad in tattered equipment and beaming with a radiant smile as he spoke toward Min-jun.
“Your contribution was immense. No one could deny it.”
The other Level 5 Hunters from the Association who had arrived with the Chairman also nodded in agreement.
Without Min-jun, the Level 4 Hunters would have taken far longer to return.
Had that occurred, dismantling the barrier would have consumed more time, and casualties would surely have resulted.
Yet the fact that we defeated a Disaster Level 5 monster without a single death meant the support unit’s role was crucial, and the greatest credit belonged to Min-jun.
“Without you, we would have simply decided to drive that creature away—its defenses were too formidable. We couldn’t sacrifice all the Level 4 Hunters to defeat it. But thanks to you, we succeeded.”
The Chairman then retrieved something he had brought and held it out toward Min-jun.
“So the Association has decided to reward you with this. You’re fortunate.”
The item he presented was a gauntlet that gleamed with a brilliant crimson radiance, burning like the intense light of a ruby.
Min-jun gazed at it as if entranced.
Could it be?
“That’s right. Fresh from the monster we just defeated. It’s yours.”
As Min-jun examined the information of the gauntlet Ma Hyun-seok offered, he could only marvel.
[Crimson Lotus Gauntlet]+5
-Legend speaks of blazing flames dwelling within this gauntlet, illuminating the hands of heroes.
-The burning crimson lotus inflicts no harm upon its wearer, it is said.
-Increases defense.
-When armor is equipped, the skill ‘Crimson Lotus’ becomes available.
-If you possess concealment-type skills, the skill ‘Radiant Sphere’ becomes available.
-When equipped with ranged weapons, the skill ‘Crimson Lotus—Bloom’ becomes available.
“Wow….”
I had obtained a naturally born 5-star item.

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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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