The Only Enhancer - Chapter 63

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 63
Episode 63 – Taiwan Disaster Level 5 (1)
0.
Thump—! Thump—!
Ku-ku-ku-ku. Ku-ku-ku-ku—.
With each heartbeat, Yushan, Taiwan’s highest peak, trembled.
It was a vibration worthy of being called the mountain god’s own pulse.
Like the stirring of birth, its legs began to move one by one.
The black fur glistened as if coated in venom, covering all of its legs.
Gazing upon those massive, elongated, grotesquely uncanny legs, an instinctive urge to flee welled up unbidden.
The legs rose one after another, tearing through Yushan’s peak as its form revealed itself.
Its body was smaller relative to its legs, yet upon its back sprouted enormous wings resembling a raven’s.
Perhaps it had only recently been born.
Even as it raised itself, it showed no inclination to move.
It merely—
Kiiiiiieeeeee—!
It shrieked, announcing its existence to the world.
Though it had merely released a single cry, venom spread forth, engulfing Yushan’s peak.
Trees and stones melted away—a creature exhaling such lethal poison.
The Taiwan government watched in despair.
“…Is Taiwan finished?”
“What will become of this nation….”
“…We, we cannot die.”
Those in high office trembled with fear, forgetting even their dignity.
The desire to survive burned fiercely within them.
Anyone who saw that creature would feel the same.
Lai Wei-yuan, present here as well, trembled with terror.
He had spent approximately fifteen years as a hunter.
After reaching Level 5, he had even earned the title of Taiwan’s hero.
Yet even Lai Wei-yuan was powerless against this creature.
“H-how is Korea faring?”
“Ah!”
“H-Korea! We have Korea!”
Several officials brightened at the thought of Korea.
After all, wasn’t it the most recent nation to have defeated a Level 5 Disaster without casualties?
Though they couldn’t mobilize all of that nation’s forces, surely with their cooperation they could protect Taiwan from this abomination?
As hopeful thoughts emerged, several officials inquired about the status.
The last answer they’d received was affirmative—but what had transpired?
“Hunters from Korea are set to arrive today!”
“The Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok is also participating in the raid team, we’re told!”
“W-we’re saved!”
“We must bring them here no matter what we have to give up!”
“We’ll meet any conditions they ask for!”
“This is Taiwan’s only way to survive!”
Everyone shouted the same sentiment, and Lai Wei-yuan nodded in agreement.
Relying solely on their own nation’s strength might have felt shameful, but seeing that horrific creature’s form, he could cast aside all pride without hesitation.
After all, nothing could be more important than the nation’s fate.
With his long career as a hunter, Lai Wei-yuan was certain of one thing.
If that monster ran rampant, Taiwan would end that very day.
He prayed earnestly that Korea would send sufficient forces.
“I will personally go to greet them.”
His determination to receive them flawlessly was evident.
As the time arrived, Lai Wei-yuan hurried toward the airport.
Seeing the Korean hunters emerge from the gate with VIP treatment, his expression brightened noticeably with joy.
But something felt off.
This was a Disaster Level 5 raid.
Wasn’t this a raid that demanded the utmost preparation more than ever?
Yet the Korean hunters seemed different.
Their eyes gleamed with a wild fervor as they scanned the airport with shining gazes.
If someone unfamiliar with them saw only this, they might mistake them for terrorists or a group of psychopaths.
‘Why…?’
Why did they all have that crazed look in their eyes?
“D-didn’t expect we’d be doing raids before coming to Taiwan.”
“W-wouldn’t we not have come if the guild leader hadn’t gotten new items?”
“W-why did such items have to drop…?”
“At least Ji-min leveled up quickly, so that’s fortunate.”
“Otherwise we said we’d postpone and do more raids, right?”
“Ah, but the guild leader said if we finish quickly, we can go sightseeing, so everyone do your best!”
“Kehehehe, this’ll be killer, Disaster Level 5.”
“S-sightseeing!? Whew, r-rest!?”
“A vacation resort!”
Lai Wei-yuan couldn’t understand the Korean.
But one thing was certain.
‘T-they all seem abnormal.’
Could this possibly be the secret behind Korea’s Disaster Level 5 raid success?
If so, he’d need to reconsider applying Korea’s methods to Taiwan.
1.
On the airplane before Min-jun and the Reinforce Guild arrived in Taiwan.
There, Min-jun greeted Ma Hyun-seok, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time, warmly.
“It’s been a while.”
Unlike Min-jun, who greeted him warmly, Ma Hyun-seok regarded him with a somewhat worried gaze.
Seeing this, Min-jun looked at Ma Hyun-seok with a slight expression of bewilderment.
What could be bothering him?
The moment I thought that, Ma Hyun-seok looked at me again.
My appearance was immaculate.
I could confidently say there wasn’t a single thing out of place.
Moreover, my skin and complexion were flawless, showing no signs of wear.
But one shouldn’t be deceived by this outward appearance.
Ma Hyun-seok knew the truth.
I had completed a Disaster Level 4 raid before boarding the airplane.
“W-well, I mean… are you really okay?”
“…?”
Min-jun looked at him as if asking what could possibly not be okay.
Seeing that I didn’t understand the question itself, Ma Hyun-seok shook his head and spoke.
“Ah, never mind. Ahem.”
“During the raid, we kept reinforcing and found something good, so everyone’s satisfied. If we hadn’t, we probably wouldn’t have been able to level up at all.”
“…What was this good thing?”
How could they raid so intensely? What was it exactly?
I’d heard before that mana stone reinforcement could recover mana, but that didn’t mean stamina was infinite, did it?
Ma Hyun-seok was genuinely curious.
Min-jun’s eyes sparkled at Ma Hyun-seok’s question.
His expression was like, “See? You understand!” or something like that.
“Ah! It’s truly the best item for guild operations! It recovers physical fatigue!”
“…W-what did you just say?”
“It’s an exclusive option for reinforcement mages that puts you in peak condition immediately upon use, and the effect is incredible! Even after raiding all night, just casting this skill once and you sleep so soundly that all fatigue disappears!”
“…”
For a moment, Ma Hyun-seok wondered what happened to mental fatigue.
But he didn’t ask.
He could tell just by turning his head slightly without asking.
When Ma Hyun-seok turned his head, he could see the Reinforce Guild members sitting with dead eyes.
Their bodies had recovered from fatigue so they couldn’t sleep, but their minds were dying—that was the expression on their faces.
Some of them were even laughing in a way that was somewhat unsettling.
How cruel.
But he didn’t say anything.
‘If I get caught by it, won’t I end up like that too?’
Though the thought crossed his mind, there was no harm in being cautious.
Min-jun talked about the raid with Ma Hyun-seok and mentioned that in just one week, they’d hunted almost all the Disaster Level 4 creatures in Taebaek Mountain.
Ma Hyun-seok was inwardly shocked not so much by the fact that they’d hunted all those Disaster Level 4 creatures, but by the fact that they’d pushed themselves that hard, though he didn’t show it.
He simply praised him for his accomplishments.
Some guild members glanced at Ma Hyun-seok, but with his experience as an association director, he easily brushed off such trivial concerns.
As I was chatting with Min-jun, we arrived in Taiwan before long.
As everyone disembarked from the plane and set foot on Taiwanese soil, they found themselves contemplating what lay ahead rather than dwelling on the tension of the Level 5 disaster.
Just then, a Taiwanese man who had been regarding them with rather peculiar eyes approached and greeted them.
“Welcome. I’m Lai Wei-yuan, a Level 5 dealer from Taiwan.”
Though I initially found his gaze odd, I quickly set aside that impression as Lai Wei-yuan greeted us in English.
Ma Hyun-seok, observing Lai Wei-yuan, felt a certain kinship and shook his hand.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Ma Hyun-seok from Korea.”
“I cannot express how grateful I am that the Steel Hero has come. I offer my gratitude on behalf of all Taiwanese citizens. And this person is….”
“Ah, you may have heard, but this is the renowned healer Kim Min-jun.”
“Ah!”
Lai Wei-yuan’s genuine admiration was visibly apparent.
Though he was known to be Level 3, to think he was already participating in such a raid.
I didn’t consider it arrogant.
Rather, it was the opposite.
Just how exceptional was his potential?
If he lacked the qualifications, would Ma Hyun-seok, called the Steel Hero, have invited him to this place?
Lai Wei-yuan extended his hand to Min-jun as well.
Min-jun returned the greeting warmly with a handshake.
Lai Wei-yuan was somewhat surprised by Min-jun’s remarkably natural English.
To speak so fluently at such a young age.
Lai Wei-yuan couldn’t have known, but it was possible because one of my exclusive options came with a translation effect.
“I’m Kim Min-jun.”
“Ah, I’ve heard much about you. I look forward to working with you. But are the people in the back perhaps from the same guild?”
To Lai Wei-yuan’s cautious question, Min-jun nodded and answered.
“Yes, they are all guild members belonging to my Reinforce Guild.”
“Ah… they all have quite distinctive personalities.”
Having offered the highest praise I could manage, Min-jun tilted his head as if something seemed odd.
Weren’t they all fairly ordinary?
I didn’t think they had particularly strong personalities.
As I pondered this alone.
Ma Hyun-seok quickly addressed Lai Wei-yuan, steering the conversation forward.
“But I’d like to know what the current situation is.”
“Ah, I’ll brief you on the way. First, the gestation period has ended and the creature has revealed itself.”
“Time is of the essence then. Let’s move at once.”
At Ma Hyun-seok’s words, Lai Wei-yuan agreed, and everyone boarded a large bus following his guidance.
Once aboard the bus, Min-jun, finding something odd, asked Jung Ji-hwan beside him.
“Is our guild considered somewhat distinctive?”
“…?”
Upon hearing the question, Jung Ji-hwan regarded Min-jun with a puzzled expression.
Understanding his unspoken question of why he was asking, Min-jun added to his words.
“Hmm, from what I can see, it seems fairly ordinary. I was wondering if the Taiwan hunter’s strong personality made us push our guild members too hard.”
“I also think it appears to be at a normal level.”
“Right?”
“Yes, it’s at an ordinary standard.”
“That’s a relief. I thought it was because we had too many raids, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“How could that be? Didn’t you even use a physical fatigue recovery skill?”
“That’s right! Well then, we don’t need to reduce the raids significantly.”
If the guild members had heard this conversation, they would have done everything in their power to kill Jung Ji-hwan.
But the guild members, having decided to rest as much as possible on the bus, couldn’t hear that exchange.
Moreover, the meticulous Jung Ji-hwan had wrapped both of them in a protective barrier that could block sound waves, so no one could hear them.
The bus carrying the Reinforce Guild members, their hopes extinguished, finally arrived at a conference hall formed near the mountainous terrain after driving quite some distance.
They had gathered here for a briefing.
And since they couldn’t know when that creature would move, they had to hold the meeting as close as possible and be prepared to rush out at any moment.
‘Korean hunters are fewer than I expected, but if we cooperate with the Taiwan hunters, this should be sufficient.’
Lai Wei-yuan began the briefing with that thought in mind.
The information he possessed was extremely limited, but he still shared all the information he had gathered and explained the creature’s characteristics.
Just its legs alone reached hundreds of meters in length.
While its body wasn’t particularly large, the black fur covering its entire form, including its legs, contained a powerful toxin, and most notably, it had raven wings, so aerial mobility might be possible.
An extraordinarily formidable opponent.
Because of this, Lai Wei-yuan believed they needed to cooperate more than ever.
And he judged that the Korean side would feel the same way.
At least, that was true until he heard Ma Hyun-seok’s words.
“We’ll proceed with the raid on our own.”
“…What!?”
It was a statement that made him wonder if Ma Hyun-seok had actually heard his briefing.
He wondered if perhaps he was saying this while doing something else, but Ma Hyun-seok was one of those who had been more focused than anyone else in this place.
First of all, there was no way the Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok had only half-listened.
But how could he say such a thing?
Everyone on the Taiwan side present could only be bewildered.
Even the President and the council members were the same.
What was he saying right now?
Ma Hyun-seok nodded, as if he had already known that many people would fail to understand.
Honestly, Ma Hyun-seok felt the same way as those people.
No matter what, shouldn’t they combine their strength to fight?
But to do that.
‘Information about Min-jun’s six-star items would leak out.’
Since Min-jun hadn’t wanted that until now.
As the head of Korea’s Awakener’s Association, I intend to prevent it.
Moreover, he had calculated that with six-star items of this caliber, they could more than handle it.
Ma Hyun-seok himself possessed six-star items, didn’t he?
“There is information I cannot disclose. Due to its classified nature, we have no choice but to conduct this raid with only our own members.”
“B-but that fellow….”
He didn’t mention that it was a Disaster Level 5.
There was no way Ma Hyun-seok didn’t already know that.
Which meant.
‘He’s confident he can do this?’
Could they really take down a Disaster Level 5 with just over thirty people?
It was a judgment that defied all common sense.
Yet why.
There was a part of me that believed Ma Hyun-seok might actually be capable of it.
Lai Wei-yuan swallowed hard at that thought.
The Director-General and the council members were equally bewildered.
But with Ma Hyun-seok pressing so firmly, they couldn’t simply refuse.
Ma Hyun-seok then added a condition.
“If the situation becomes dangerous, I will immediately call in Taiwan’s hunters. Furthermore, I and the South Korean government will take full responsibility for any consequences arising from this.”
It felt awkward to object when he was willing to go that far.
The Director-General, the council members, and Lai Wei-yuan exchanged glances and discussed the matter among themselves.
The conclusion was inevitable.
“We will accept your proposal. However, we will maintain a standby position at a distance where we can deploy our forces immediately if the situation truly becomes critical.”
“I have no intention of stopping you there. I apologize for the imposition, and I’m grateful for your understanding.”
As Ma Hyun-seok spoke respectfully, everyone nodded, remarking that he truly lived up to his reputation as the Steel Hero.
Yet only Lai Wei-yuan watched them with an expression of unease.
Though they appeared normal now, wasn’t Lai Wei-yuan the only one who had witnessed the gleam in those guild members’ eyes when they disembarked at the airport?
There was no way not to feel anxious.
‘…I have to stop this.’
I had opposed it to the Director-General and council members until the very end, but with Ma Hyun-seok pressing so hard, there was nothing I could do.
Especially since he had officially declared he would take responsibility.
The consensus was that it should be fine.
As a fellow hunter, I couldn’t accept this.
No matter how classified the information was, nothing was more important than lives.
Moreover, I already knew that in the previous Disaster Level 5 raid that appeared in Korea, they had mobilized all their forces.
I knew they had barely managed to defeat it by assembling Level 6 Ma Hyun-seok along with both Level 5 and Level 4 hunters, yet now he was saying he’d defeat it with just over thirty people?
‘It’s impossible.’
No matter how much of a Steel Hero Ma Hyun-seok was, it was impossible.
There was no way there could have been such a dramatic change in the meantime.
I decided to let it pass for now, but I would persuade him while we were setting up the front lines.
‘I absolutely must convince him and prevent meaningless bloodshed!’
It was meddling on my part, though I didn’t realize it.
The gleam in their eyes when they disembarked at the airport—I couldn’t forget it.
2.
Forming a frontline before preparing for a Disaster Level 5 Raid—commonly called a Disaster Raid—was absolutely critical.
Just as with the Gangneung Disaster Raid, establishing a support base in the rear and preparing to provide healing at any moment was vital, and forming the frontline where direct combat would occur was equally essential.
In this process, many had become quite tense, leading to numerous petty disputes.
At least, that wasn’t happening this time.
Lai Wei-yuan blinked as if he couldn’t trust his own eyes, trying to comprehend what was happening, but still couldn’t make sense of it.
A scene that should never be visible before a raid where lives hung in the balance was unfolding right now.
Reinforce Guild members laughing cheerfully, chattering away, and radiating happiness.
“Hehehehe! You heard, right? If we just catch that venomous spider bastard, we can enjoy a couples’ retreat in Taiwan!”
“Ahahaha! Ji-min! That’s not even the end of it! We don’t have to do raids for a whole week!”
“Insane!? A whole week? Wow! With a week, couldn’t we even conquer Seorak Mountain?”
“With our level raised, we’d only need half that time!”
“If the guild leader keeps using Fatigue Recovery on us, he could probably take down Seorak Mountain and conquer the Taebaek Mountain Range.”
“Hey! Stop with the depressing talk and just think about getting vacation!”
“Sounds good!”
I couldn’t help but feel bewildered by their genuinely joyful laughter and chatter.
Since they were speaking in Korean, I couldn’t understand the words, but it was clear they were genuinely happy and not nervous at all.
‘What… what on earth is this?’
I could no longer tell.
Whether I was the strange one or they were.
Judging by the current situation alone, they were definitely the strange ones.
Watching them made me feel like an idiot for being so cautious and anxious.
“Is Taiwan sightseeing possible?”
“It’s possible!”
“Wow, I had a restaurant I wanted to go to!”
“Honestly, when I first got Physical Fatigue Recovery, I thought I’d rather die, but happiness comes like this!”
“Right! When I heard about Physical Fatigue Recovery, I thought we’d be doing month-long raids….”
“Hey! Take that back right now!”
“You should know what to say and what not to say!”
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to! I’ll t-take it back!”
The atmosphere briefly turned tense, but seeing it quickly become cheerful again, I seriously wondered if they were mentally unwell.
Overwhelmed by their atmosphere, I failed to persuade them.
Before I knew it, the time had come.
“Ah, then Lai Wei-yuan, would you please fall back?”
“…Yes.”
At Min-jun’s words, I found myself nodding without realizing it.
I was momentarily overwhelmed by the words of this green young man.
Could this really be happening?
For a moment I thought so, but I shook my head.
And just as I decided I had to persuade them somehow.
Screeeeeech———!
Kuguguguguguuu——!
The creature’s horrifying screech echoed across the mountain.
All of Yushan trembled as if shaken by an invisible force, the ground convulsing so violently that maintaining balance became nearly impossible.
Witnessing this, Min-jun turned to Lai Wei-yuan with a grave expression and spoke.
“Please hurry. We have a raid to conduct, do we not?”
That rigid tone struck Lai Wei-yuan with a fear far greater than the creature’s horrifying shriek itself. He nodded hastily and retreated with speed.
Driven by panic, Lai Wei-yuan fled the area in an instant, and only after putting sufficient distance between himself and the others could he regain his composure.
‘Why… why did I?’
Had he obeyed Min-jun’s command out of fear?
He considered other reasons, but there were none.
Should he simply trust Korea and wait?
It was while entertaining such thoughts.
Shuuuuuuuuu.
The creature’s body trembled violently as it scattered its venomous fur profusely into the air.
Watching black fur rain down from the sky like a downpour, Lai Wei-yuan’s body reacted before his mind could process further thought.
This could not be allowed.
He had to help them.
Even if he faced condemnation for violating the conditions and bore greater responsibility, he charged forward driven by the mission to ensure no one died meaninglessly.
Yet in that moment of movement, a colossal black dome materialized in the sky.
Confronted by its massive and ominous mana, Lai Wei-yuan’s feet moved faster than his thoughts could follow.
Pushing forward desperately, he managed to slip into the domain’s interior just before the black dome sealed shut.
This was undoubtedly one of the creature’s abilities.
It intended to trap everyone here and slaughter them all.
He had to help before it was too late.
When Lai Wei-yuan rushed forward and reached the position where Min-jun had established the front line.
He witnessed an unbelievable sight.
“Let’s go!”
“Hahahaha, I’m actually taking down a Disaster Level 5!”
“Come on! You bastard! We have the monstrous Guild Master Min-jun on our side!”
The guild members each drew forth resplendent purple equipment.
None existed in Taiwan, but Lai Wei-yuan could not fail to recognize what these were.
The Tier 6 Reinforced Equipment—of which only ten existed in the entire world!
Yet…
‘Why… why are there so many?’
Seeing over thirty Tier 6 Reinforced Equipment pieces by his naked eye alone, he swallowed hard, uncertain of what he was witnessing.
And without realizing it, he took a step backward and snapped a twig beneath his foot.
Crack.
Whoosh!
In that instant, Min-jun turned his head, and his eyes met Lai Wei-yuan’s.
“…You saw?”
“Ah, aah.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————