The Only Enhancer - Chapter 67

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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 67
Chapter 67 – Saint Guild vs Reinforce Guild
0.
“Thank you so much for coming.”
“Not at all. Rather, I should thank you for the invitation.”
“Haha! Min-jun, you’re far too modest.”
Franklin hadn’t seen Min-jun in some time, yet something about him had changed—something that made Franklin break out in a cold sweat.
Though Franklin had never awakened as a Hunter, he possessed sharper instincts than most, and those instincts were screaming at him about the tremendous transformation radiating from Min-jun.
He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
He couldn’t sense the depth of mana or the profundity that Awakened ones possessed.
But Franklin had met with titans across the globe more than anyone else, negotiating deals with them—surely he understood power when he saw it.
To him, Min-jun was nothing short of a monster.
‘…It’s almost terrifying.’
He wanted to praise his past self for the decision he’d made.
To have cultivated such a favorable relationship with a monster like this—there was no greater prize.
Especially after sending Isabella, who could be called his most loyal servant.
‘I’ve made the greatest gamble of my life, and I’ve won.’
Indeed, that was the truth.
Franklin didn’t judge based solely on what he could see now.
Though only a select few knew this, a certain piece of information had been circulating in secret.
Taiwan’s Disaster Level 5 monster.
Rumors claimed that the Reinforce Guild had handled it alone.
From what he’d gathered, Ma Hyun-seok had participated and the Taiwan Government had been involved, yet the raid succeeded without a single casualty.
And the true star of that operation was undoubtedly the Reinforce Guild.
Franklin was well-informed about this as well.
‘A Disaster Level 5 raid… has he already reached Level 6?’
Franklin knew this well enough.
Even without experience points, if one met the conditions to advance from Level 5 to Level 6, the level would increase.
But that was truly bizarre.
Min-jun’s level, which had been made public not long ago, was 3.
Yet he’d already raided a Disaster Level 5 monster.
In cases like this, there were typically only two possibilities.
‘Either the information is fake… or the level was fake.’
Franklin considered both possibilities, but he was betting on the latter.
Somehow, the Level 3 that had been revealed was a lie, and his actual level was much higher.
Recalling Isabella’s assessment at the time made it seem certain.
If that was the case, he already understood the other party’s worth sufficiently.
Now, what should he stake in negotiations with him?
Just then, as Franklin was deep in thought, a Hunter whose entire body seemed armored with muscle approached Franklin and Min-jun.
Franklin’s brow furrowed slightly as he regarded the newcomer.
“What’s the matter, Daniel?”
“…I heard these people are allied with our Guild.”
“…Sigh.”
Franklin clutched his throbbing head at those words.
This was entirely my own oversight.
Being obsessed with talent acquisition, I had prioritized nurturing them according to their individual strengths rather than keeping them on a tight leash, and as a result, every member of Saint Guild possessed a formidable sense of self.
Just like now.
Daniel Henderson, the main tank of Saint Guild.
His imposing frame, adorned with the characteristic glistening musculature of his heritage, cut an undeniably threatening figure.
Yet Franklin found himself watching Min-jun’s expression more intently than Henderson’s.
Wondering if he might be displeased by this turn of events.
Should I call it fortunate?
He was actually observing Henderson with what appeared to be genuine interest.
As though he were anticipating what Henderson would say next.
It wasn’t an expression of displeasure, but neither was it an ideal situation.
‘I had meant to brief my Guild members beforehand.’
My own negligence.
I had been delayed verifying whether the information from Reinforce Guild was accurate, and on top of that, Reinforce Guild arrived earlier than expected.
Because of that, I missed the timing to explain the situation.
I had to salvage this somehow.
But contrary to Franklin’s hopes, Min-jun asked Henderson with considerable interest.
“You seem dissatisfied. Is there something you want?”
“Of course. I heard rumors that your Guild succeeded in a Disaster Level 5 raid.”
“Hmm, yes, that’s correct.”
“To be honest, I don’t believe those rumors are credible.”
Most of Saint Guild’s members nodded at Henderson’s words.
Each of them was among the world’s elite Hunters, after all.
Moreover, they were the finest talents Franklin had personally recruited.
Their pride could hardly be low.
From their perspective, the sudden appearance of Reinforce Guild was bound to be an eyesore.
Min-jun understood their sentiment as well.
Well, establishing a proper hierarchy was certainly necessary.
Besides, it would be interesting, wouldn’t it?
When else would I get to witness the true strength of the world’s third-ranked Guild?
Min-jun wasn’t the only one thinking this way.
“Wow, look at that audacity.”
“Is he really talking to our Guild Master like that?”
“Huh, I’ll give him credit for sheer nerve.”
“Isn’t that courage born from ignorance rather than audacity?”
“Hmm, the youngest might be onto something.”
“Hey, hey, hey! Jung Ji-hwan, stop it!”
Someone called out, and several people turned to see Jung Ji-hwan standing apart from Min-jun, flanked by members of the Reinforce Guild.
He was quieter than usual, but his gaze had grown razor-sharp, and an ominous aura began to radiate from him.
Those who knew Jung Ji-hwan recognized this as the look he wore when facing a villain.
“P-please, senior, hold back!”
“W-we were invited too! Please, senior!”
“What are you talking about? I’m being perfectly rational right now.”
Yet Jung Ji-hwan’s eyes gleamed brighter than ever.
The guild members who saw this spoke up.
“H-his eyes have gone wild! He’s insane!”
“Why did he have to say something like that!”
“What did we do to deserve this!”
The Reinforce Guild members grew increasingly flustered.
But since Daniel Henderson didn’t speak Korean, he simply ignored their murmuring.
After all, they were just the words of the weak.
Believing this sincerely, he was about to speak to Min-jun when—
Franklin stepped forward.
No matter how much Min-jun might overlook it, they had already crossed the line.
He had to stop this now.
“Henderson, that’s enough.”
“….”
At the Guild Master’s words, Henderson lowered his head slightly and stepped back, though his expression remained deeply displeased.
Still, he didn’t completely ignore Franklin’s command and complied.
Most of the other Saint Guild members wore expressions similar to Henderson’s.
Franklin found himself in an awkward position, but deciding he would explain later, he turned to Min-jun and offered a polite apology.
“I sincerely apologize. Our guild member has caused you trouble.”
Resolving this would inevitably cost him dearly.
As Franklin cursed Henderson inwardly and prepared to apologize further, Min-jun spoke.
“Hmm, no. I think it’s only natural that you’d have grievances. Hunters are bound to be hot-blooded, aren’t they?”
“…Thank you for understanding.”
It seemed like understanding, but something about the nuance felt off.
It didn’t seem like mockery or some hidden scheme, yet something felt wrong about it.
Could Franklin’s instincts be right on the mark?
“So, Henderson, is it? What exactly do you want from us?”
This was the second question.
Now Franklin too could clearly discern Min-jun’s intention.
Establishing hierarchy.
That’s what he was doing right now.
For Franklin, who already possessed considerable information, this seemed utterly pointless, but Henderson apparently didn’t see it that way.
“….”
Daniel Henderson’s eyes blazed as he fixed his gaze on Franklin, and Franklin, reading Min-jun’s intent, nodded with a half-resigned expression.
With the reins now loosened, Henderson revealed his displeasure openly as he spoke to Min-jun.
“Let’s settle this with three consecutive Disaster Level 4 raids.”
At Henderson’s confident declaration, half of the Saint Guild members behind him erupted in cheers.
“Wooooah!”
“Henderson! Henderson!”
“Henderson! Henderson!”
“Three consecutive raids!”
At that response, Min-jun and the Reinforce Guild members all wore stunned expressions.
Three consecutive what?
Min-jun, equally bewildered, looked at Henderson and asked for clarification.
“…Pardon? Three consecutive what?”
“Three consecutive Disaster Level 4 raids! Back down if you lack confidence!”
Hearing Henderson’s confident declaration, Min-jun realized he hadn’t misheard and nodded without even consulting his guild members.
“Very well. Shall we depart immediately?”
“…That’s what I hoped for.”
Henderson felt something odd about Min-jun’s ready acceptance, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
There was no way an obscure Eastern upstart guild could defeat them in three consecutive Disaster Level 4 raids.
While half of the Saint Guild erupted in cheers, already confident in victory, the Reinforce Guild remained eerily silent.
It wasn’t because they felt disrespected and angered.
It was quite the opposite.
“He said three consecutive, right?”
“Yes, I heard it clearly too.”
“Not thirty consecutive?”
“No, I heard it too.”
“…What confidence. Well, the Saint Guild does have reason to be confident.”
“Right, we’re the weird ones here.”
As they realized their own oddness, they somehow felt a bit sorry for the Saint Guild.
Seeing them get so cocky over merely hunting three creatures—it felt almost like bullying children, if you will.
Was that why?
“Should we go easy on them?”
Someone said that, and as a few nodded in agreement, a sinister aura emanated from somewhere, causing everyone to turn their heads.
When they turned, they saw none other than Jung Ji-hwan.
And that Jung Ji-hwan spoke with an expressionless face and eyes.
“A lion always gives its all.”
No one failed to understand the meaning of those words.
Everyone trembled as they shouted.
“Let’s fight!”
“Let’s kill!”
“Let’s win!”
“Let’s show them how much stronger we’ve become!”
“Remember Taebaek Mountain!”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Watching this display, Franklin sensed that something had gone terribly, irreversibly wrong, but since there was no turning back now, he simply squeezed his eyes shut.
1.
Three consecutive Disaster Level 4 raids.
Even the most exceptional guilds wouldn’t rashly attempt such a feat.
Yet the Saint Guild members all exuded confidence, chattering amongst themselves.
“Hahahaha, we run three consecutive raids all the time anyway!”
“Unlike other guilds, we don’t spread baseless rumors about taking down Disaster Level 5 monsters.”
“Glory to us!”
“Let’s crush them!”
While everyone shouted and the Saint Guild members boasted as though they’d already claimed victory, the Reinforce Guild remained silent.
And there, only Jung Ji-hwan spoke.
“Don’t disappoint Guild Master Min-jun.”
“…!”
“!!!”
Whoooosh!
The Reinforce Guild members trembled as if pierced by a chill, their eyes gleaming with a sinister intensity.
The momentum was so overwhelming that even the Saint Guild members flinched involuntarily.
The Saint Guild already knew that the Reinforce Guild’s equipment was superior.
Precisely because of this, they had brought their absolute strongest force with unprecedented focus.
The Saint Guild’s First Strike Team—the most formidable squad excluding Level 6 Robert Hauser.
They had stepped forward.
And from each guild, arbiters were selected—Daniel Henderson, a Level 5 from the Saint Guild, and Isabella, a former Saint Guild member now Level 5 of the Reinforce Guild, both took their positions.
“Seems like they’ll manage to hold their own there. Quite the spirited display—refreshing to see.”
Isabella nodded at Henderson’s unmistakably sarcastic remark and replied.
“Thank you.”
“…?”
Isabella surely understood his words were sarcastic, yet she responded like that?
Henderson knew Isabella had a composed temperament, but she rarely responded in such a manner.
“This is the best time of my life.”
“….”
What on earth was that guild doing to make even the legendary Isabella speak like this?
In that moment, Henderson sensed something amiss, but his judgment was clouded by ego and the guild’s twisted pride.
“…At least don’t regret going there.”
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”
“I don’t understand.”
Henderson shook his head as if throwing up his hands, then stepped forward to observe the Reinforce Guild’s raid.
Though he’d been aggressive so far, it was all because he felt the Saint Guild was superior—he didn’t actually think the Reinforce Guild was trash.
It was quite the opposite.
‘Still, even if we can’t match Saint Guild, we should be able to post a meaningful record.’
Daniel Henderson smiled as he pondered just how deep Reinforce Guild’s true strength ran.
‘Let’s see what kind of record they manage to set.’
2.
Disaster Level 4 raids were commonly known to take around four hours.
But that was merely the minimum for guilds capable of tackling Disaster Level 4 raids.
The speed of world-class guilds like Saint Guild was incomparable to others.
Roughly two hours per boss.
The fastest had taken only one hour and fifty minutes.
Thus, a total time of six hours and three minutes.
Two hours and one minute per boss.
Considering the previous record stood at five hours and thirty-nine minutes, this was nothing short of extraordinary.
“Whew! Isn’t this close to the all-time record for us too!?”
“Ah! What a shame! If only Daniel Henderson had been here, we could’ve actually broken the all-time record!”
“We really brought our A-game today, didn’t we?”
All the Saint Guild members who had participated in three consecutive raids were laughing and chattering as they headed back to the guild headquarters.
Perhaps they had burned with more determination than usual?
The record they achieved exceeded expectations.
Even the world’s number one guild would struggle to break this record.
Several Saint Guild members glanced at Isabella, who was serving as the judge, and chuckled.
Isabella had originally belonged to Saint Guild, so it wasn’t strange for them to speak casually with her.
“Seeing us win so overwhelmingly, don’t you feel like transferring back?”
“Come on, Isabella, why don’t you just come back to us, hmm?”
“Everyone, stop it~? You’re going to make me cry.”
“Haha! Don’t be too disheartened, Isabella. Doesn’t Reinforce Guild still have growth potential?”
Some spoke earnestly, urging her to return, while others mocked her with sarcasm.
Those who mocked her were the same ones who had envied her when she was still with Saint Guild.
Yet Isabella didn’t even flinch at their behavior.
She didn’t react as if it were pathetic, nor did she bristle with anger.
She simply maintained an expressionless face.
For some reason, the Saint Guild members who had been close to Isabella sensed something amiss.
Isabella’s poker face had never been quite this good, no matter how skilled she was.
Amelia especially knew her best.
‘Isabella is smiling.’
No one else noticed, but only Amelia could sense it.
Right now, Isabella appeared expressionless, yet she was laughing at all of them as if they were utterly pathetic.
Amelia found it somewhat puzzling as well.
She trusted Isabella, but not to the extent of Saint Guild’s own pride.
Yet Isabella, even when she was with Saint Guild, would have known that.
Yet such a reaction was definitely strange.
Then someone shouted.
“Oh! We’ve arrived!”
“What? Isn’t that Daniel Henderson?”
“Huh? Why is Daniel Henderson over there?”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion, but soon someone cried out.
“Wow! Did he give up and come in early?”
“Tch! That would be really disappointing!”
“I thought he at least had some skill. So that’s not it either?”
Everyone couldn’t hide their disappointment.
They looked at Isabella as if demanding she explain herself, but Isabella remained silent and still.
As the helicopter came to a stop and they truly arrived.
The Saint Guild members headed toward Daniel Henderson and shouted loudly with laughter.
“Hahahaha! Listen up, Daniel Henderson! Let me tell you what kind of record we set!”
“Haha! Why don’t we first hear about the losers’ record instead?”
“Oh! That’s a great idea!”
As they laughed and chattered while approaching Daniel Henderson.
Only then could they see Daniel Henderson’s trembling, pallid face.
His dark complexion had turned so ashen it was almost unrecognizable.
Everyone sensed the gravity and asked Daniel Henderson what was wrong.
“Why, why are you like this, Daniel Henderson?”
“Did those guys do something to you?”
“Those maniacs—think about their eyes! They must have done something crazy because they were losing!”
“Hey! Never mind that, let’s hear what Daniel Henderson has to say. Did they actually conduct the raid?”
Pressed by the Saint Guild members, Daniel Henderson trembled and muttered.
“…Twenty-five minutes.”
“What? How many hours?”
“What did you say?”
They all asked again, not hearing properly, and Daniel Henderson spoke again while trembling.
“…Two hours and twenty-five minutes.”
“Oh, so they did pretty well then? For just one, that’s quite fast!?”
“Right, I know?”
“That’s not it….”
At Daniel Henderson’s words, everyone tilted their heads in confusion, and then they could only be shocked by what came next.
“…That’s the time it took to hunt three of them.”
“…What?”
“?????”
“W-what are you saying, Daniel Henderson!”
“That’s a lie!??!!?”
As everyone was in shock, Isabella descended from the helicopter, looked at them, and smiled faintly as she spoke.
“Sleep well, you losers.”
“….”
“….”
“….”
None of them had the words to refute him.

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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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