The Only Enhancer - Chapter 76

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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 76
Chapter 76 – The Alchemist? (3)
3.
Hunters gained experience in various ways.
It typically involved monsters, but in the case of an Alchemist, simply absorbing mana when monsters were defeated nearby would increase experience.
Of course, using alchemy also increased it, but when all mana was full, using it twice was the limit, so the efficiency wasn’t particularly good.
Just look at Min-jun, who achieved Level 6 in less than three months through Enhancement alone—didn’t that prove it?
Well, that didn’t mean the Alchemist trait was bad.
After all, she had reached Level 3 in just two months.
That was far better than the typical qualities of a Level 6 Hunter.
Considering that it usually took half a year for a Level 6 talent to reach Level 3, one couldn’t deny that the Alchemist was an extraordinary trait as well.
‘Hmm, still nothing?’
I turned around and looked at Gwen, whose once-flowing sundress now bore several tears, giving her a rather pitiful appearance.
Still, she didn’t look exhausted.
Though she did seem somewhat uncomfortable.
In any case, it had already been four days since we arrived near Chiaksan.
Even after four days, there were no signs of a level increase.
‘The Enhancement trait also seemed to have a larger experience pool than normal traits—does the Alchemist have that too?’
That wasn’t to say experience wasn’t increasing.
Hadn’t I asked Gwen several times already?
This time was no different.
I used a skill when I spotted a Disaster Level 4 monster trying to flee from us in this area.
A single horn appeared, and a Disaster Level 4 monster with the form of a saber-toothed tiger died instantly.
Once again, just one hit.
And I looked at Gwen again.
“Wow….”
After hunting nearly dozens of Disaster Level 4 monsters over four days, I asked again, watching Gwen still marvel at the sight.
“Did the mana get absorbed?”
“Phew… Yes. Ah, you can’t see it?”
With an Alchemist’s eyes, Gwen could see the flow of mana and perceive it, so she could see a massive amount of mana flowing into her.
After four days of hunting and absorbing mana, Gwen now possessed a mana quantity similar to a Disaster Level 4 monster, yet she still couldn’t even compare to me.
Just how much mana did I have, with no apparent limit?
‘He’s truly amazing.’
Gwen gazed at my mana with genuine admiration.
But I tilted my head in confusion.
Only Gwen could see mana with an Alchemist’s eyes.
Of course, it wasn’t as though I couldn’t perceive it at all.
I could faintly sense a subtle energy flowing, but I didn’t understand it well.
Well, if she says that’s how it is, I’ll trust her word.
Still, it wasn’t a complete loss.
“…I think my level will rise soon!”
Despite four days of grueling travel that had left Gwen covered in dust and grime, her radiant smile as she spoke seemed to shine with its own light.
Even Min-jun found himself momentarily taken aback.
Well, that wasn’t what mattered right now anyway.
“What makes you think that?”
“Well… the amount of mana I can absorb has decreased significantly. It’s as if I’m reaching a limit?”
As Gwen spoke, she recalled the mana absorption she had just performed.
Normally I would have absorbed it all with mana to spare, but this time I only absorbed about half before the rest converted back into mana stones dropped by the monster.
Judging by this, it resembled the warning signs from when I leveled up to Level 2, so I’m fairly certain about it.
“…? Then can you see the mana of other people as well?”
“Huh…? I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure?”
“Oh! Let’s experiment with that next time.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Watching Gwen respond with a bright smile, Min-jun felt they were quite compatible.
Despite the grueling pace, Gwen didn’t appear particularly exhausted, which contributed to that impression.
The other guild members showed signs of fatigue at this level of exertion, so was her stamina just exceptional?
Min-jun thought as much and moved on.
What Min-jun didn’t know was that this was related to mana capacity.
The energy commonly called mana affected the body, and it was said to be most deeply connected to willpower, the most abstract aspect of all.
During raids, fatigue wasn’t merely from extreme tension—there was a theory that consuming this mana also depleted one’s mental fortitude.
Mana exhaustion was said to be a phenomenon related to this as well.
There were even papers based on actual research, though Min-jun would have no way of knowing that.
Setting Min-jun aside, both he and Gwen possessed mana quantities that were overwhelmingly superior to ordinary people.
For Gwen, this level of exertion was nothing.
She wasn’t even consuming mana, after all.
“Then I’ll continue.”
“Yes!”
Though we continued, we didn’t venture far.
We simply hunted every Disaster Level 4 and Disaster Level 3 monster we encountered.
Thanks to my new skill, Enhancer’s Butchery, items with stats matching my level kept dropping constantly.
It was a sight that would have left anyone’s jaw agape, but Gwen had grown weary of witnessing it over the past four days.
So she wasn’t particularly amazed.
Yet watching me hunt monsters never ceased to astound her.
I poured 2-3 times the mana normally required for standard skills into items to activate their skills.
Gwen marveled as she watched me work.
‘Wow, he uses mana like that!’
That was precisely why my item skills were so much more powerful than when others used them.
Thanks to that, even Disaster Level 4 monsters that normally wouldn’t fall in one hit crumbled helplessly.
Just as Gwen was discovering my secret this way.
Suddenly, she detected an odd flow of mana.
Normally, when a monster died and mana was absorbed, it would flow in slowly like a stream of water.
But this time was different.
Look at the mana rushing toward Gwen like a massive wave, crashing down upon her.
A mana wave I’d already experienced twice before!
Whoooooosh——!
Brilliant light wrapped around Gwen’s body.
And so.
[Your level has increased.]
[You have reached Level 4 and acquired a new skill.]
[A hidden effect of the Alchemist’s Secret is revealed.]
“Huh, huh!?”
Gwen’s eyes widened in surprise.
Min-jun was collecting items and mana stones from the defeated monsters when Gwen cried out like that, so he quickly turned his head.
Then I could definitely feel the change in Gwen.
I couldn’t see mana directly, but I could sense it well enough.
Her presence had shifted.
I could clearly feel that she had far more mana than before.
‘Interesting.’
I let out a small exclamation of admiration as I gathered the items and mana stones, then approached Gwen.
Gwen looked at her newly acquired skill and cried out in surprise.
“Whoa! What is this!!!”
“…Why is something wrong?”
Normally I would have waited a bit before asking, but how could I not be curious at such a reaction?
So I had no choice but to ask.
Then Gwen seemed to notice I had arrived, looking slightly startled before turning back to the skill and speaking.
“I… think a pretty amazing skill has been unlocked.”
“What is it?”
Come to think of it, I always got powerful skills, so I was a bit fuzzy on what I’d gotten at Level 4.
But if Gwen said it was a pretty amazing skill.
I looked at her with considerable anticipation, and her answer was truly astounding.
“I can make potions?”
“…!!!”
“That’s the thing from games, right? The ones that restore health or mana….”
“Huh.”
Alchemist.
So it really was an incredible trait.
It wasn’t quite on the level of Enhancement, but it was certainly an extraordinary trait capable of reshaping the world’s balance of power.
“G, Guild Master?”
4.
After Gwen reached Level 4, I was about to push harder on raids to get her to Level 5, but I shook my head.
My mana had increased significantly anyway, and it seemed like it would take quite a while to level up by hunting monsters.
It seemed far more efficient to participate in Disaster Level 5 Zone raids instead.
In any case, after returning to the City in four days, Min-jun and Gwen should have rested immediately upon arrival, but they gathered again after only freshening up.
The mental fortitude to reunite so quickly despite conducting raids so relentlessly was remarkable.
Had the other Guild members witnessed this, they would have clicked their tongues and called them a perfect pair.
But there were no Guild members here, and Gwen and Min-jun quickly gathered and spoke.
“Let’s make it right away.”
At Min-jun’s words, Gwen nodded and brought over an enormous cauldron.
A massive cauldron of the type typically used only in food factories.
Min-jun retrieved it, having somehow procured this difficult-to-find item, and Gwen nodded as if satisfied.
They filled the cauldron with water, and then Gwen manifested mana stones from thin air into it.
The grade was roughly equivalent to the mana stones of Disaster Level 1 Zone monsters.
When she had first awakened, she used to purchase them due to insufficient production quantity and craft weapons, but now with the enhanced mana stones Min-jun provided, she never lacked mana, so she created them directly like this.
Gwen took a deep breath as she placed both water and mana stones into the vessel.
Since this was her first time using this skill, she felt quite nervous.
“Alright then, I’ll use the skill now.”
“….”
At Gwen’s words, Min-jun silently nodded, and Gwen closed her eyes, stretched out both hands, and shouted.
“Alchemist’s Secret!”
Whoooooooosh——!
It wasn’t as flashy or eye-catching as when Min-jun performed enhancement.
The mana stones and water in the cauldron began to glow and mix together.
The mana stones, originally hard and solid, quickly melted like liquid, and as they thoroughly blended with the water, a luminous liquid was completed that emitted a soft glow.
The shimmering liquid had a subtle blue hue, and if compared to enhancement, it emitted light similar to an item enhanced twice.
Seeing this, Min-jun boldly slashed his own forearm with a dagger.
Splash!
Blood spurted, and Gwen’s eyes widened in surprise, but Min-jun immediately plunged his wounded forearm into the cauldron regardless.
Then.
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
“…Huh.”
Min-jun, letting out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded, gazed at his forearm.
He had expected some scarring to remain, but instead it was perfectly healed.
Observing the difference from before, Min-jun’s sharp eyes detected that the liquid in the cauldron had decreased slightly.
This was certain.
But before that, there was one more experiment to conduct.
Min-jun wounded his forearm again, and this time retrieved a ladle, scooped out a portion of the liquid, and drank it instead of pouring it on.
The same effect occurred.
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
The wound bubbled as if foam were forming, and soon it healed.
It was completely identical to the potions commonly depicted in games and novels.
The issue was that I hadn’t consumed enough of the elixir to heal completely.
When Min-jun scooped up another ladle and drank it, even the remaining wounds vanished without a trace.
Even Gwen, who had created it, gasped and covered her mouth, while Min-jun smiled with satisfaction.
“You’re truly remarkable.”
“What? No, no! The Guild Master is far more remarkable!”
Well, that was certainly true.
The concept of enhancing items was genuinely extraordinary.
But the alchemist was quite impressive as well.
“Gwen, you’re absolutely incredible too. To think you could create potions. Actually, as an alchemist, that might be even more fitting for you.”
In games, alchemists typically enchant items or brew potions, after all.
This role suited her even better.
A potion that had never existed in this world before.
And it was a trait that could create such things?
While less powerful than enhancement, it was undeniably extraordinary.
With potions, alongside enhancement, the world could be transformed.
For now, it was a health potion, but what if she could create mana potions as well?
My enhanced magic stones were honestly difficult to sell.
But potions were a different matter entirely.
‘They’re easy to sell, and if I lower the price appropriately, they could become a flagship product.’
Now that the Reinforce Market was being established, selling my enhanced items was natural, but given the price point, I couldn’t expect consistent sales.
That’s why I had planned to enhance items Gwen created and sell signature products with three enhancements and two skills attached.
For steady sales.
But now, creating potions and selling them exclusively?
This was more than enough to become the main product of the Reinforce Market.
And conveniently, I had already signed an exclusive contract with Gwen.
Since her level seemed to have no ceiling, I couldn’t sign a lifetime contract, but Gwen appeared to be willing to continue working with me.
I smiled with considerable satisfaction and spoke to Gwen.
“Let’s work well together going forward.”
To my sincere words,
Gwen’s face flushed slightly, and she simply lowered her head and nodded.
5.
Not long after an internationally renowned auction house had been thrown into turmoil by a six-enhancement item, another world-shaking item emerged.
A subtle blue liquid contained in nothing more than a glass bottle.
Though the bottle was somewhat elegant, no one paid it any attention.
Not until its identity was revealed.
[Low-Grade Health Potion]
-Can heal wounds inflicted by monsters of Disaster Level 2 or below.
Seller: Reinforce, Alchemist.
And everyone who saw that description erupted into chaos.
Reinforce was shaking the world once again!
In doing so, people began to focus on the name attached to Reinforce.
Alchemist.
It was the moment an Alchemist revealed themselves to the world.

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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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