The Only Enhancer - Chapter 89

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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 89
Episode 89 – European Press Conference (1)
‘Enhancing a characteristic?’
It wasn’t that I failed to understand the message itself.
I naturally understood that enhancing a characteristic would reveal a new one.
In gaming terms, wasn’t this a second-class advancement?
The only thing that remained somewhat ambiguous was how this would manifest as a new characteristic.
For instance, would it transform me into something like an Enchanter or Alchemist?
That didn’t concern me.
I never believed I would naturally surpass Enchanters or Alchemists from the start.
But still.
‘How exactly would the enhancement work?’
For example, if a dealer enhanced themselves, would they become a super dealer?
No, that probably wasn’t how it worked.
As I pondered this, I suddenly recalled Jung Ji-hwan.
By coincidence, Jung Ji-hwan—the one who obtained all his skills as debuff abilities.
What if Jung Ji-hwan’s characteristic were enhanced?
‘Would a Curse Caster characteristic emerge?’
It was speculation, but quite plausible.
It certainly seemed like it would develop that way.
After making my predictions, various thoughts crossed my mind.
Jung Ji-hwan came to mind easily since he was a debuff-specialized dealer, but what about the others?
First and foremost, I was curious about Ma Hyun-seok, who stood right before me.
Ma Hyun-seok, called the Steel Hero.
What would happen if he enhanced his characteristic?
Would it become similar to his epithet, the Steel Hero?
Or would it be enhanced by mixing with Entrebite’s authority, like the transcendence he obtained upon reaching Level 7?
This was truly unknowable.
‘He completely changed after obtaining the Infernal Steel Armor.’
His playstyle transformed entirely after gaining transcendence.
Perhaps his rejuvenated body and renewed vigor also had some influence.
Thinking through all these possibilities, nothing definitive came to mind.
Would his characteristic become a fusion of explosion, fire, steel, and tank abilities?
It seemed fortunate timing.
He mentioned joining the guild.
And then there was Gwen.
She already possessed a special characteristic like me—not an ordinary one, but that of an Alchemist.
What would happen if she enhanced her Alchemist characteristic?
That intrigued me as well.
Truly, the possibilities seemed boundless.
Enhancement varies depending on the individual, their characteristics, and their skills.
Isn’t that rather fascinating?
The one I’m most curious about is undoubtedly Gwen.
‘Back then, I could just… no, I should enhance her instead.’
With that thought, I chuckled softly before returning to my serious expression and reading through the materials again.
First, I need the Orb of Evolution.
At minimum, I’d need to hunt down a creature that’s at least Disaster Level 5—not just any monster, but one that obtained its seed through consuming its own kind.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully as I reviewed the requirements.
The Alps Mountains were towering and treacherous, and Germany was no exception, but Europe had quite a few Disaster Level 5 creatures scattered about.
Moreover, not all radars functioned perfectly.
There could very well be even more Disaster Level 5 monsters out there.
Considering that…
‘I think it would be best to stay here in Europe for a while longer.’
It seemed I’d need to remain here far longer than I’d initially anticipated.
There was so much work waiting for me back in Korea.
But farming the Orbs of Evolution alone made it worthwhile to stay here.
I’d originally planned to return to Korea to handle matters regarding the Second Strike Team.
Well, it doesn’t matter.
‘I can take care of it here instead.’
There were people waiting to be interviewed, certainly.
I could simply send them plane tickets and ask them to come to Germany.
And if I covered their return travel expenses, they’d have no complaints.
Suddenly, I recalled the memory of arriving in Germany aboard a private jet.
“I really should purchase a private aircraft.”
It certainly was convenient, wasn’t it?
If I simply maintained a pilot and necessary crew, I could create the perfect personal vehicle.
I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.
Even though I didn’t yet own a car.
I was already contemplating purchasing an airplane first.
In any case, my stay in Germany was about to become considerably longer.
As I was making this internal decision, Ma Hyun-seok approached and offered his congratulations.
“Congratulations. You’ve reached Level 7 as well, haven’t you?”
“Huh?! L-Level 7?! C-Congratulations to you too!”
“Ah, thank you.”
Watching my somewhat bashful response, both Ma Hyun-seok and Gwen thought the same thing.
The world’s greatest.
Or rather, the only person who could be called normal.
It was rather endearing to see such a person grow flustered by praise.
Gwen, observing me in that state, let out a genuine sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness.’
Looking back now, I realize it was an arrogant delusion, but until recently, I hadn’t considered myself on equal footing with him.
Yet when I examined the facts, the gap between us was staggering.
We awakened around the same time, and yet he had already reached Level 7.
In fact, there were only two Level 7 awakeners in the entire world.
And the other one was created by Min-jun himself, wasn’t it?
To have considered myself his equal—the thought alone made my face burn.
Even now, remembering those days filled me with embarrassment.
Ma Hyun-seok’s reaction was much the same.
He simply couldn’t believe that the young upstart he’d once known had grown so formidable.
Min-jun spoke to Gwen and Ma Hyun-seok.
“Then let’s head back to Berlin.”
“Sounds good!”
“Sure, that works.”
Ma Hyun-seok had been planning to stay longer in Heidelberg and do some sightseeing.
But he needed to stay in the future guild master’s good graces, didn’t he?
With that understanding, they set off toward Berlin.
0.
Meanwhile, Liam Schmitt stared at the report in disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had been preparing to head to Heidelberg, but now he sat quietly, reviewing the documents.
There was no choice.
All the commotion had already ended.
He read through it multiple times, struggling to accept it, but the conclusion remained the same.
At this point, he might have dismissed the report itself as unreliable, but he didn’t.
If he couldn’t trust the report from Matteo, Germany’s top operative, whose report could he trust?
And the other reports said the same thing.
They were no different from Matteo’s account.
“…A solo hunt success.”
Not even a Disaster Level 4.
He had hunted a Disaster Level 5 creature entirely alone.
Even with a Tier 6 item, it was impossible.
To reiterate: safely eliminating a Disaster Level 5 creature required two Level 6 awakeners and thirty Level 5 awakeners.
That’s why only a handful of nations had ever defeated a Disaster Level 5 creature, and only the Reinforce Guild among guilds.
Yet now someone had done it alone?
I knew that newly spawned Disaster creatures were weaker.
But even so, it was still a Disaster Level 5 creature.
‘This makes no sense.’
Normally, this would be someone I’d prioritize recruiting immediately.
But the problem was that the person who succeeded in this solo hunt was affiliated with the Reinforce Guild?
I couldn’t be certain yet, but based on Min-jun’s words and his loyalty, the description matched someone with East Asian features.
Germany’s side hadn’t yet identified him as Ma Hyun-seok, but the assessment wasn’t wrong.
It was the Reinforce Guild again.
‘At this point, it would be stranger if it wasn’t the Reinforce Guild.’
If someone else defeated a Disaster Level 5 monster and had no connection to the Reinforce Guild, that would be the real surprise.
That was the image the Reinforce Guild had cultivated.
It was quite exceptional for a guild that had only recently been founded to develop such a reputation, though considering Min-jun, it was actually underplayed.
“Sigh.”
Liam Schmitt thought of Min-jun and pressed his throbbing temples, pondering.
‘Is there any way to keep him in Germany longer?’
Honestly, just having Min-jun in Germany right now had dramatically elevated the nation’s safety rate.
In just these past few days with Min-jun here, five Disaster Level 5 monsters had been eliminated.
The two in the Alps Mountains were debatable as to whether they counted as German territory, but regardless, with five gone, it was fair to say safety had spread across all of Europe.
At this point, Germany was at a loss for what to offer Min-jun.
Though Germany ranked among the world’s economic powers, Min-jun’s value was enough to make even them tremble.
‘Sigh. Even if it costs a fortune, I wish he’d stay longer and keep hunting Disaster Level 5 monsters….’
The problem was there was no way to convince him.
Liam Schmitt wondered if he should go and ask himself.
But he soon shook his head.
‘I haven’t even finished handling all the matters in my own country yet, so making such a request wouldn’t be appropriate.’
It could be misunderstood, couldn’t it?
So he decided to restrain himself.
“Director Schmitt! I’ve just received word from Mr. Reinforce, and it seems he’ll need to stay in Germany for several more weeks.”
“W-what?! Who convinced him?”
“Oh, no! It’s not that—he says he has something he wants to do of his own accord….”
“Hehehehe.”
Liam Schmitt spoke as if heaven itself had helped him.
“Do whatever it takes to make him fall in love with Germany.”
“Yes! I’ll mobilize every available agent we have in Germany.”
As Matteo left, Liam Schmitt nodded to himself.
Could this actually be him immigrating to Germany?
He couldn’t help but get excited at the thought.
1.
“Hmm.”
Min-jun exhaled deeply, lost in thought.
I had decided to take a vacation and rest, but before that, there were urgent matters to handle.
First, negotiations with Germany.
I needed to receive proper compensation for eliminating this Disaster Level 5 monster.
And that wasn’t all.
Whether it was a Disaster Level 5 monster or a newly emerged special Disaster Level 5, I could just hunt them down, but it felt wasteful to do it for free.
‘I treated the two I caught in the Alps Mountains as a service and hunted them for free, but I can’t keep doing that.’
Since they weren’t in German territory and were in the Alps Mountains, I had treated them as a service, but for creatures hunted in German territory like this one, I planned to bill for all of them.
After all, this time I actually asked for help.
Even if I’m grasping at straws out of necessity, if I just hand over what’s being asked of me, I’ll be marked as an easy target.
That won’t do.
‘Should I negotiate with the European Union in this case?’
The situation did feel like it was spiraling, but I decided to take it in stride.
Well, that’s how it goes.
If I convey my intentions through Germany, it’s up to them whether they accept or not.
Of course, no one would refuse when I’m offering to eliminate a Disaster Level 5 monster, but it all comes down to cost.
Still, they’re a union of nations—surely they have the funds to hire me.
As I thought this through, the next issue came to mind.
First, announcing Ma Hyun-seok’s and my Level 7 status.
This needed to be handled urgently.
‘I need to make my Level 7 public.’
Along with revealing my level, I planned to announce my potential enhancement.
Since trait enhancement isn’t something I can do immediately, I could announce that later, but these two had to be revealed.
As I pondered this further,
I thought of a way to handle everything at once without going through Germany.
‘I should hold a press conference.’
I hadn’t held one yet.
I could express my intention to be hired by the European Union, announce both my and Ma Hyun-seok’s Level 7 status, and more.
The potential enhancement too.
It would be a massive bombshell for everyone else.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t fully aware of just how significant this was.
Thinking this way, I let out a small chuckle.
‘After the press conference, I’ll need to clean up Europe once the promised vacation is over.’
Then, as if I’d almost forgotten, I added,
‘I should also buy a private jet during the vacation.’

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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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