God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 107: Episode 21 _ Do You Know Who I Am, Punk_(3)
4.
This is awkward.
Looking at the tigers that had already surrounded us, as if they knew we were coming, I let out an awkward laugh.
"Hi there. Long time no see?"
There was no way they could understand me, but for some reason, it felt like the gazes of dozens of tigers were all directed solely at me.
I felt like I should wave my hand or something.
GRR-RRR.
At that, the killing intent thickened.
"Simin, we’re screwed, right?"
"...Hey, you punk. A girl should speak a bit more prettily."
"Oh, come on. Hyeonsu too. It’s not like it’s the first time."
Yeseul tried to force a laugh to change the mood in the murderous atmosphere, but it didn’t work at all.
True to their nature as rulers of the forest, they approached with a meticulousness that gave the enemy no time to prepare.
I gulped involuntarily.
The fact that they weren’t just big monsters was a factor that tripled the pressure.
"It’ll hurt if we get hit, right?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"We might die."
"I wasn’t this nervous even when hunting three at once."
He didn’t respond.
"If they knock me down roughly and handle me..."
"Shut up."
Even while saying that, we prepared for battle.
If you can’t avoid it, fight.
Although Squeaker could fly, it wasn’t big enough to carry 99 rabbits.
Han Simin wasn’t the type of person to leave his pets behind even if he died, so what else could he do?
"Focus fire on one of them!"
SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
At the voice shouting confidently while drawing the hammer, the rabbits cast aside their anxiety and formed a formation.
Right! Let’s fight!
Our levels might be low, but we have +15 equipment and courage!
At best, they are just monsters belonging to Act 2 of the Main Quest, designed to be cleared before level 100.
No need to be scared.
Anyway, getting hit and dying is the same for every living creature in this world.
"Rabbits, if you see an opening, don’t look back and run. Prioritize survival by squad and meet at the territory. Got it?"
SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
Han Simin shouted his instructions to the rabbits.
He was speechless.
A sacrificial spirit that left his companions speechless!
As expected of a Legendary-grade Tamer!
The resolve to give up his own life for the monsters he tamed.
"Well, yeah. They cost thousands each, how could he throw them away?"
"Ahem. Thousands! Don’t say such value-dropping things. They’re worth at least 200,000 dollars each."
Correcting Kang Yeseul’s sarcastic remark, Han Simin stepped forward.
Squeaker, who had grown gigantic in an instant, also prepared for battle.
Sighing, the Specialists also formed up to support.
All that was left was the battle!
"Since we’ve set the mood and painted the picture this far, there won’t be any retreating or anything like that, right?"
ROAR!
GROWL!
"...Guess not."
Without much talk, the battle began.
But it was more flashy and thrilling than ever before.
The sight of dozens of tigers charging and jumping in unison.
I almost lost my mind watching it for a moment.
If it were a player who had just started the game, they might have done just that.
And as the price for quietly admiring it for those few short seconds, they would have received a verdict of being unable to log in for two days.
But Han Simin was not some random nobody.
He put Squeaker in front and raised his hammer.
He didn’t have flashy skills that could damage dozens of tigers at once, but his base defense, attack power, and the dozens of options attached to his enhancement aura provided power that certainly didn’t lag behind.
"Haa!"
The swinging hammer and the rabbits following it.
Since it was a battle where the rabbits’ survival was the top priority, they had no choice but to break through a single point.
The Specialists ran after him.
Naturally, the encirclement tightened, and the space to escape shrank even more.
In this situation, if they couldn’t break through in the direction they were running, there was no chance of victory!
"Go! Squeaker!"
Scree!
In that critical situation, Squeaker charged forward, carrying everyone’s hope.
A body slam from a giant hawk!
Even against the combined size of three tigers, Squeaker didn’t flinch and collided with them.
SLAM—!
A tremendous roar!
Six tigers were sent flying.
The hole that was punched open in an instant made the encirclement of dozens pointless, creating a wide escape route.
Silence descended.
No one could speak.
A momentary silence fell.
And gazes turned toward Squeaker.
"Simin, what is that?"
Even the Specialists, who had been extremely tense, lost their strength.
’I didn’t see that wrong just now, did I?’
Even looking back on the memory, it wasn’t wrong.
Squeaker had slammed its body directly into the tigers charging at it, and a whopping six tigers flew away like puppets with cut strings, stunned.
Seeing that they still couldn’t regain their senses, it wasn’t a simple collision either.
The tigers, perhaps surprised as well, couldn’t pounce on the prey that had paused.
In that chaotic situation, the most surprised person was Han Simin.
"...Huh?"
’What is this?’
It felt like a game. I started thinking I’d have to play 20 hours a day for 365 days a year to barely clear, but it turned out to be Easy Mode, and I cleared it in just 20 hours.
The gap wasn’t quite that extreme, but it felt like dozens of rays of hope were flooding in.
"We don’t need to run away, do we?"
"...I guess not."
The fact that my original goal wasn’t to run away from the tigers naturally came to mind.
At the same time, the fact that targets worth 30,000 dollars had walked right up to me on their own feet.
"Rabbits, 10-column formation, assemble!"
The rabbits, who had been running away excitedly, turned right back and stood behind Squeaker, who was flapping its wings and crying out triumphantly.
An advancing army.
"Troops! Do not die!"
SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
"If you think you’re going to die, you can sacrifice this guy here."
SQUEAK!
"Wait, why me?"
"Because you’re my dog."
He was at a loss for words.
The second round, which had turned from a one-sided hunt into a tense war, began.
5.
The Kenji Guild finally succeeded after a long raid.
Overwhelming funds.
Over a hundred helpers.
And even the descendant of the Legendary Grand Mage.
For them, who had synchronized their teamwork and tried a single monster dozens of times in one spot, the key to the raid’s success was ultimately time.
"Phew. Good work, everyone."
"You worked hard, Guild Master!"
"We must be the first ones."
"Of course. We’ll have to take the carcass to see if this is the ruler or not, but since we succeeded with one, even if it’s not, the next raid will be smooth sailing."
Their steps toward the Rich Territory were full of pride.
Not being able to wash and playing the game for days on end was the same for them!
They looked scruffy, but the numerous spoils in their hands naturally captured the players’ attention.
"Wow. Isn’t that the Kenji Guild?"
"Haven’t seen them for a while. Must have caught a named monster?"
"Truly amazing. Amazing. The level difference must be huge."
"A victory of tenacity. And a victory of money."
Such envy and jealousy were the driving force of Kenji’s life!
No matter how much they chattered, they were people who would be envious upon seeing the Unique-grade items that dropped from the named monster.
Thus, the Kenji Guild, returning home in glory, sought out the aide first.
"Oh my! You’ve arrived!"
The aide came running out in a hurry.
Since they were the town’s biggest source of income, he had to be polite even though they were adventurers.
It had been a long time since he shed his prejudices regarding adventurers for the sake of the territory anyway.
"We caught the guy presumed to be the Ruler of the Forest. Please take a look."
"Pardon?"
But even he tilted his head at Kenji’s words.
’What kind of nonsense is this?’
An uncomprehending expression.
Kenji caught that quickly.
"Is there a problem?"
’I haven’t even shown the carcass yet, so why is he acting like that?’
He didn’t know the reason, but he could tell something was wrong.
The aide didn’t hesitate and kindly explained the dissonance he was feeling.
"It’s not that, but the Lord already caught the Ruler of the Forest, so I was wondering how there could be another ruler."
"...Pardon?"
"It’s not certain, so you seem to have caught a different one, but the Ruler of the Gloomy Forest was caught by the lord and the lord’s party."
"Then this guy is..."
"Ah! I’ve read in a book that this fellow also made quite a name for himself in the forest. It’s a shame, but you’ve still been a great help to the territory."
Kenji bit his lip in silence.
And the quest proceeded.
Although they lost the initiative, it was an opportunity to obtain necessary information by having their accumulated contribution points and the capture of a similar Named monster recognized!
However, Kenji couldn’t speak for a while.
Because he lost again.
Not only did he lose, but he had mistakenly thought he won and was happy about it.
Even his pride was hurt.
No matter how cool he could be about these things, he was ultimately human.
How could he feel good?
"You look very tired. I have a favor to ask of adventurers who are qualified, but I will tell you after you’ve rested."
"...Thank you."
In the end, the aide showed him consideration.
Normally, an opportunity once missed rarely comes again.
It was only possible because the contribution points he built up with money were practically enough to have built one side of the territory’s walls!
The Kenji Guild withdrew bitterly.
That evening, a drinking party broke out for the first time in a long while.
They couldn’t even imagine that such consumption was making the very person who made them feel miserable smile.
* * *
Still, the fact that the Kenji Guild raided a quite powerful Named monster didn’t change.
Although an enormous amount of money was consumed in the process and time was delayed, putting a brake on leveling, the armor they obtained was a level 70 restricted armor!
They couldn’t just fall behind like this, so they revealed it on the broadcast.
’Let’s at least gather people’s attention.’
Even if the Main Quest was pushed back a bit, he who laughs last, laughs best.
Besides, weren’t the Specialists the ones who started the quest a week earlier than them anyway?
"Through this raid, we obtained one piece of Unique armor and one accessory, as well as various Rare items. It is expected that the named monsters spread throughout the Gloomy Forest will drop each piece."
This broadcast, under the guise of boasting, was an important occasion to publicize the guild’s name and raise the player’s dignity.
Even if people called it spending recklessly or whatever, eventually, when they heard Kenji’s ID, they would first think of the image, ’Ah. That person covered in Unique items?’ and naturally feel intimidated comparing their gear to his.
Then Kenji’s voice would carry more weight, and later, when players took over territories and kingdoms, the foundation to truly live like a king of a country would be laid!
"Seeing that this named monster dropped two Unique items, I suspect that this Named monster is located at the top of the food chain in the forest..."
However, in the middle of his boasting, a single annoying message appeared in the chat window.
A chat that could never be ignored, and one that captured people’s attention.
—What’s this? Is the raid monster that drops Unique items that hard to catch? Right now on Simin’s broadcast, he’s showing a few Special items and Unique items that came from catching some tigers? What’s up with that?
Kenji’s broadcast was strict.
That player was quickly kicked, but the players had already seen the chat.
—Oh. What the hell? I didn’t get a notification.
—Pay-per-view rooms don’t send alerts. Simin’s room is always paid.
—How much is it today?
—100 dollars.
—Shit. I’m broke.
—Going to watch. Bye.
—Isn’t Special higher than Unique?
—Guess that stream is higher tier.
Viewers began to leave before he could even do anything.
Kenji, who had suffered two mysterious defeats, let a frown mar his face in front of others for the first time.
* * *
