The Only Enhancer - Chapter 75

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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 75
Episode 75 – The Alchemist? (2)
1.
Naturally, all of Min-jun’s numerous fathers ended up behind bars.
Well, they deserved it for attempting fraud.
They all lined up to give their statements, and the matter was handled as a criminal case.
Every single one charged with fraud.
Most of them were men, and they’d probably tried using some tired cliché—your mother slept with another man and had you, but I still consider you my biological son—but it didn’t work at all.
“I’ve handled everything.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Min-jun expressed his gratitude to Jung Ji-hwan with an air of indifference.
Honestly, I had wanted to ignore those people entirely, but Jung Ji-hwan had explained that crushing them once would dramatically reduce their frequency of contact. I’d agreed to do it, but Jung Ji-hwan ended up handling everything.
Thanks to him, I’d gotten what I wanted without lifting a finger.
Either way, it was a good outcome for me.
‘But that’s not what matters.’
Min-jun smiled as he prepared to establish a company.
He’d decided to name it Reinforce, just like the guild.
What mattered wasn’t the name, but what the company would do.
And what Min-jun planned to do was painfully obvious.
‘The weapons business!’
One of the most profitable ventures known to man!
But it was also a business that not just anyone could enter.
But what did I have to fear?
My assets alone amounted to roughly forty trillion won.
In liquid cash.
With just cash alone, I ranked in the top twenty of Korea’s business elite.
The power of such wealth was truly staggering.
I could afford to lose a company or two without any real impact.
I could even lose everything.
‘If the money runs out, I’ll just auction off more tier-six items.’
Wasn’t the Reinforce Guild already receiving an enormous number of inquiries?
People begging to buy items.
If they wanted them, I’d sell.
Through the company.
Of course, establishing the company wasn’t something I needed to worry much about.
I was only thinking in terms of uploading and selling items.
So I figured the only difference would be that items would be sold under a company name instead of my personal name.
The idea naturally came from Jung Ji-hwan.
He’d devised a plan to turn my name into a brand, and that was the beginning of the Reinforce Market.
A new marketplace that would dominate a world of diverse items for sale.
Jung Ji-hwan’s responsibilities had certainly grown, but since he said he could handle it.
Moreover, he’d even made a contract stipulating that I use a skill to bind his loyalty, claiming he found it difficult to trust himself otherwise.
‘It’s a bit burdensome, isn’t it?’
Honestly, I was grateful, but gratitude and burden are two different things.
Of course, I trust Jung Ji-hwan’s loyalty and his heart completely.
That’s precisely why he’s going to such lengths.
If I were the original Min-jun, I would have simply sold through auction houses, but that comes with commissions and various cuts, so I suggested establishing a company instead.
I’m studying the business side too, but it’s still difficult—yet somehow Jung Ji-hwan manages to handle all of it.
Well, thanks to him, I can simply focus on crafting items, selling them, and running raids.
My mind was at ease.
‘I’ve completed all the experiments.’
With that thought, I gazed at the item before me.
[Dagger of Creeping Venom]+3
-A dagger crafted through methods whose creation remains unknown.
-It carries a poison so subtle that victims rarely notice its application.
-If you possess a concealment-type skill, the skill ‘Swift Step’ becomes available.
-If you possess a concealment-type skill, the skill ‘Venom Fang Dagger’ becomes available.
-When using a skill with this dagger, the skill bypasses the barrier of Calamity Level 3 monsters.
└When used against Calamity Level 2 or lower monsters, it bypasses their barrier and deals additional damage.
Normally, a +3 item can only have a single skill attached.
Yet strangely, two skills were affixed to this one.
Of course, the initially attached skill ‘Swift Step’ wasn’t particularly impressive.
But the fact that a skill existed at all was what mattered.
Having any bonus at all was the important part, wasn’t it?
My Alchemist level was too low for the skill’s utility to be anything but limited.
But that was fine.
‘I can extract weak skills using Skill Extraction and leave an empty slot.’
I’d tested this immediately as well.
As expected.
The Swift Step skill that had existed moments before vanished, and an option appeared showing an empty slot.
‘If I customize and sell these, I’ll make a fortune.’
Honestly, I had no intention of flooding the market with +6 items.
If too many +6 items circulated, the Reinforce Guild would lose its exclusivity.
Someone might argue that with Calamity Level 5 monsters suddenly appearing in the world, shouldn’t I release more items?
‘Then I’ll just release +5 items instead.’
While not as rare as +6, +5 items were in such short supply that they couldn’t meet demand.
In fact, statistics showed that if enough +5 items flooded the market, casualties from Calamity Level 5 raids would drop to thirty percent or below.
I planned to release items up to +5.
But +6 was off-limits.
Even if I sold them, I’d do so only very rarely.
That is, if Min-jun were presented with terms he couldn’t ignore.
Though it seemed unlikely to happen.
‘Still, it’s funny how things worked out so perfectly.’
Gwen Cooper.
As expected, her compatibility with me as an alchemist was exceptional.
To be honest, the business would have succeeded with just me alone.
Frankly, if I simply released an adequate quantity of 5-star items, it would obviously become a global enterprise.
But with Gwen, I could add something special to it.
I could sell 3-star items with two skills attached.
How many hunters in the world could actually afford 5-star items?
In Korea alone, you could count them on one hand.
Globally there would be more, but even worldwide, hunters would be thrilled to buy just 3-star items.
But selling 3-star items with not one, but two skills attached?
‘It’s absurd.’
The existing skills were of a level hunters wouldn’t use even if I gave them away, but that was fine—I could simply extract them and insert different skills instead.
After all, non-reinforced items were abundant.
Especially now that I could even craft them myself.
The short sword I completed this way had far superior effects compared to before.
The nimble footsteps that emerged when Gwen crafted it vanished entirely, replaced by a concealment skill with a poison condition attached, making the two effects synergize perfectly.
A truly flawless item.
“Wow…”
When Min-jun first proposed the contract, Gwen had felt like she’d gained the world, but now her confidence couldn’t help but plummet.
He’d asked her to make an item, and she did—only for him to completely transform it.
Even Gwen had to admit her own creations were somewhat mediocre in performance.
Though they had skills attached, since they lacked reinforcement, only pathetic skills with a rating of 0 were affixed.
She’d thought that merely having skills on non-reinforced items gave them rarity value.
But Min-jun had instantly transformed it into something far more powerful.
“You’re really… amazing.”
“Not at all. None of this would be possible without you, Gwen.”
“…???”
That didn’t seem right, but hearing him say it made her feel better anyway.
She genuinely thought she’d made a good contract.
“By the way, do you gain experience when you craft items, Gwen?”
“Oh! Yes, but I can also gain it by absorbing mana when hunting monsters!”
“Absorbing mana?”
Min-jun tilted his head, clearly not understanding what she meant.
Absorbing mana—what did that even mean?
When Min-jun asked again in confusion, Gwen smiled brightly and explained.
“Yes! So when a monster dies, its corpse disappears and drops mana stones and items, right?”
“Right.”
“Back then, I think I was absorbing some of the mana contained in the magic stone and gaining experience points from it. Even though I awakened before, I was worried I’d be suspected if I didn’t go on raids, so I went out a few times and realized my level had risen to 2.”
“Oh…!”
I had assumed I was only gaining experience by mindlessly crafting items.
But that wasn’t it at all!
‘If I had been hunting monsters and absorbing mana to gain experience, wouldn’t my level have risen much faster?’
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but the current leveling speed was already formidable enough.
I brushed it aside without much concern.
In any case, the method was to hunt monsters, absorb their mana, and gain experience points, right?
“Then the stronger the monster, the faster your level would rise?”
“Y-yes? Well… I suppose… that would be the case…?”
Gwen Cooper’s words grew uncertain, as if she’d become anxious, but seeing Min-jun grin wickedly, she trembled.
When she realized it was already too late, Gwen Cooper turned her gaze toward Yu Ji-min, who was working as both a guild member and secretary since the guild was busy.
Still, they’d grown quite close in just a day!
Their hearts were in sync too.
With that thought, she turned her head and sent a pleading look for help.
But Yu Ji-min firmly turned away and ignored her.
Sorry, but dealing with administrative work at this guild was preferable.
In that moment, Gwen Cooper’s expression became one of betrayal, but Min-jun didn’t care at all.
“Let’s go then.”
“…Y-yes.”
What else could she do?
Min-jun was the one in charge, so she had to follow.
As Gwen Cooper tried to follow Min-jun, who had already left first,
I noticed that Yu Ji-min, a guild member, was still working at her desk.
“Huh? Ji-min, aren’t you coming?”
“Me?”
From what I could tell, it seemed like they were going on a raid, but the Reinforce Guild only had one attack team, didn’t it?
Yu Ji-min was one of its members.
Why wasn’t she coming along?
The question suddenly arose.
Yu Ji-min nodded, thinking that Gwen Cooper still didn’t know.
After all, this was something she wouldn’t believe even if told.
“The guild master and you will be going together, just the two of you.”
“J-just the two of us?”
“Yes, do your best!”
Yu Ji-min made a fighting spirit gesture with both fists clenched,
but for some reason, Gwen Cooper seemed to interpret it differently.
“…W-well, you should have mentioned that. You scared me for nothing. W-well then, I’ll be going!”
She seemed to be misunderstanding something quite badly…
Yu Ji-min considered correcting the misunderstanding but shook her head instead.
That’s a thought you can only have before going on a raid.
Yu Ji-min muttered something like an old fogey about how nice it was and focused on her work.
Compared to running around like a madman on raids in barren environments where you couldn’t even wash properly, paperwork was far more comfortable.
Of course, Yu Ji-min knew this too.
‘But no one knows how long this peace will last.’
As Yu Ji-min sighed, she caught sight of Gwen Cooper ahead, casually touching her hair while looking in a mirror, giggling to herself as she headed out.
That poor woman.
No matter how much she maintains it, it’ll all be for nothing soon anyway.
2.
When Min-jun first brought up the monster story and suggested going on a raid, I thought that’s what we were doing!
But it turned out to be this!
Gwen laughed shyly, her face flushing slightly, but she resolved not to show it.
After all, hadn’t Min-jun asked her to change into different clothes?
So she’d put in just enough effort to look effortlessly put-together.
In a flowing one-piece dress and comfortable flat shoes that were still easy to walk in, she looked quite prepared, and when she checked the mirror one last time, she looked rather good to herself.
‘Yes, this should be enough!’
Gwen thought this way and exhaled, perhaps a bit nervous.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and headed down to the First Floor.
In that moment, she could see Min-jun tilting his head as he looked at her.
‘Huh? Is this not it?’
Even she was satisfied with how she looked, yet he tilted his head in confusion?
She wondered if something displeased him.
Gwen was well aware that her appearance was quite exceptional.
How could she not know?
The men around her and most people showed her favor right to her face.
But to tilt his head with such a questioning expression.
What could it mean?
“You’re going out dressed like that?”
“Yes, yes? Um… Oh, is that not okay?”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Min-jun nodded and said it was fine.
Gwen sighed with relief, grateful.
‘So it’s not a problem.’
Thinking it was at least fortunate, Gwen asked with a bright smile.
“Where are we going?”
“Well… just follow me. I’m not entirely sure of the exact location myself.”
“I see.”
Where could it be that he didn’t know the exact location?
So she simply followed Min-jun without question.
And then.
Whirrrrrrrrrrrr!
The propeller spun violently, unleashing a torrent of wind.
Dust and sand swirled chaotically around us, and Gwen Cooper’s flowing, billowing dress began to flutter wildly in the gale.
An ordinary person would have been pushed back by the wind pressure, but Gwen Cooper was an Awakened One.
A Level 3 Awakened One at that.
There was no way she couldn’t withstand the wind pressure from a helicopter’s propeller.
Yet Gwen Cooper stood motionless, staring blankly at the helicopter.
“…?”
What is this?
That was the expression on her face.
But Min-jun looked at Gwen Cooper as if she were the strange one.
“Aren’t you getting on?”
“Oh, ah!? Yes, yes! I’m getting on!”
I thought it was a bit odd, but wasn’t it true that the wealthy often go on dates that ordinary people would never even think of?
I figured Min-jun must be one of those types.
So I boarded the helicopter, and not long after, a densely forested area came into view.
I did think it was strange, but the landscape of Korea’s mountains was so magnificent that I forgot those doubts and began to enjoy the view myself.
“Wow! The scenery is really beautiful! It’s so amazing!”
“Huh? Oh, the scenery. Yeah, it is.”
What kind of reaction was that?
Wasn’t that what he wanted to show me?
As I tilted my head in genuine confusion, the pilot spoke through the headset.
-We’ll be arriving soon.
“Ah, thank you. Let’s get ready to jump.”
“Huh?”
It was only when I saw him casually preparing a parachute that I finally understood.
I’d suspected it the whole helicopter ride, but I kept hoping it wasn’t true.
‘This really is a raid!?’
But wait, can just the two of us handle it?
Min-jun was preparing to jump as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and the pilots responded the same way.
And Yu Ji-min hadn’t acted any differently before leaving either.
What on earth was going on?
First came the embarrassment of having dressed up so excitedly on my own, but the situation was so confusing I could barely process that.
In a forest this dense, there could easily be Disaster Level 4 monsters, so could we really handle it with just the two of us?
Watching my bewildered expression, Min-jun looked at me as if asking what I was doing, and overwhelmed by the atmosphere, I found myself fastening the parachute without thinking.
Honestly, at this point I wondered if I was dreaming.
It was a chaotic dream, but such things happen, don’t they?
The flight from the United States to Korea must have exhausted me more than I realized.
With that thought, I nodded and jumped together with Min-jun, both of us strapped into our parachutes, and the sensation of falling felt far more real than I expected.
Gwen thought so too, nodded, and jumped out of the plane with Min-jun while wearing parachutes. The sensation of falling felt more real than she had expected.
‘Is this a dream?’
That was the thought that crossed my mind in that instant.
A colossal monster appeared directly below where we were about to fall.
ROOOAAARRR!
Gwen Cooper recognized the creature immediately.
A Calamity Level 4 monster—the Stone Mountain Turtle!
Just as Gwen Cooper was about to cry out in alarm—
SPLURCH!
A massive single horn erupted from beneath the Stone Mountain Turtle’s belly, piercing straight through it, and the creature died instantly.
“?”
Witnessing this, Gwen Cooper became certain.
‘Ah, so this is a dream.’
While entertaining that thought, Min-jun asked from beside me.
“How’s the experience gain looking?”
“…Ah, I’m not quite sure yet?”
“Hmm, let’s hunt a few more.”
Gwen Cooper thought it was quite a vivid nightmare.
Of course, it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t a dream at all.

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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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