God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 35: Episode 7 _ Hitting the Jackpot on Top of a Jackpot (4)
8.
[Character Information]
* Name: Simin
* Job: Ultimate Legendary Enhancement Master (1st Awakening)
* Sub-Job: None
* Titles: 7
* Level: 17 (EXP Requirement +300%)
* Stats (152): Strength (40+55), Agility (55+90), Stamina (50+55), Luck (183+55), Mana (40+55) 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
* Skills: Enhancement (F), Absolute Enhancement (SS), Legendary Heal (S), Divine Protection (SS)
* Additional Options:
1. Special Option Addition Chance on Successful Enhancement +23%
2. Chance of Increased Enhancement Effect on Success +5%
3. Enhancement Success Chance +5%
He let out an impressed whistle. He looked at his character information with pride. It felt like raising a child with an expensive education who grew up to be successful, taking you on overseas trips and giving you a fat allowance. Not that Han Simin, who had been a leech to his parents for twenty years, would know anything about that feeling, but he was proud all the same.
“152 unallocated stat points. A long life is a good life.”
This was hardly something to say while lazing about in a carriage. After working his fingers to the bone enhancing for the past few days, he had nothing left to do for the time being. The proof was that the golden auras on his leather armor had all turned a vibrant green.
“Still no +15, I see.”
He had managed to get all five pieces of armor to +14, but he still hadn’t reached +15. The final step was proving to be a real pain, even for a mere level 5 item. Resigned, he had enhanced his other items, and the results were more than satisfactory.
[+13 Decent Mid-tier Magic Pouch]
* Grade: Rare
* Option 1: Space Expansion Magic Applied (4x4x4)
* Option 2: Engraving Seal Applied
* Option 3: ‘Deep Golden Aura’ Effect Applied
- Subspace Synchronization
[+12 Blessed Goblin’s Necklace]
* Grade: Unique
* Level Requirement: 25
* Defense: 10 (+20)
* Option 1: Attack Lifesteal +1% (+2%)
* Option 2: ’Deep Blue Aura’ Effect Applied
- Attack Manasteal +1%
[+13 Ring of Blessing]
* Grade: Legendary
* Level Requirement: 1
* Option 1: Experience Gain +30% (+12%)
* Option 2: ’Deep Golden Aura’ Effect Applied
- Rare Grade or Higher Item Drop Rate +10%
- Bonus Experience +3% when defeating monsters 10+ levels higher
* Special Option 1: Bonus Experience +50% (+20%) when defeating named monsters
"Hahahaha!"
He couldn’t help but laugh. While he was a little disappointed that neither the necklace nor the ring had evolved or gained any special options, the base stats alone were enough to make him ecstatic. The Ring of Blessing, in particular, was so exquisite he felt like kissing it over and over.
"How could the aura effect have turned out so perfectly?"
Khan remained silent.
The random aura option that appeared upon reaching +12 was a perfect fit for an item worth hundreds of thousands. As for Khan’s disapproving glares, he could ignore those a hundred, no, a thousand times over.
"Hehehehehe."
’Just keep getting better,’ he prayed earnestly. ’If I have one wish left, please evolve, gain a special option, and change into a special aura!’
He had only seen it happen once with Kang Yeseul’s staff, so he had no idea what the conditions or probabilities were. But one thing was certain: if he managed to get the Ring of Blessing to +15 and it gained a special aura that boosted the experience of nearby players...!
’I could skip everything in between and become a landlord for life right away.’
It would be an unprecedentedly overpowered item. Imagine an entire guild leveling up with a 50% experience bonus. He gently stroked the ring on his finger.
’Just let me know when you find a prime location, my dear. I’d give up the Empire or anything else for you.’
"Tsk, tsk."
"Don’t scoff, Master. An enhancement master must cherish his enhanced items as if they were his own children!" Simin retorted to the disapproving Khan, his expression solemn and his tone full of pride.
"I don’t want to hear that from a guy grinning from ear to ear at the thought of selling his own children."
"...That’s a bit harsh."
Unfortunately, his noble speech fell flat against Khan’s sharp retort. Worse, Khan had a point, so he couldn’t even muster any real indignation. Simin clicked his tongue.
Still, this was all for the sake of making a good living. Time to check for prime locations. Averting his gaze from Khan’s stare, he focused on his armor, sensing each piece one by one for the telltale sensation. Focusing on a single item expanded his sensory range, but for now, he was concentrating on enhancing multiple items more efficiently, so he limited his search to a travelable distance from his current position.
"Oh?"
He checked periodically and hadn’t been expecting anything, but his expression suddenly changed. He could feel it.
"Jackpot!"
His leg armor and his boots! He could sense two prime locations, both in the same location.
"Master, I’ll be right back!"
Han Simin leaped from the moving carriage and vanished into the forest.
Inside the carriage, only the sound of Khan clicking his tongue remained.
* * *
Of course, it wasn’t that simple. His armor pieces were only level 5 and didn’t require sacrifices, but the level 25 Unique-grade Blessed Goblin’s Necklace and the level 1 Legendary-grade Ring of Blessing sometimes required materials he didn’t have on hand. He had only managed to get them to +12 and +13, respectively, by hunting for the necessary components nearby. The premium boards on the FW community had been a huge help in that process.
"I need to raise my grade," he muttered, realizing the importance of his community standing.
He had to climb higher than his current silver grade. For now, it didn’t matter since most users were still silver, but as time passed and players reached gold and beyond, he risked being cut off from vital information. Leveling up might not be his priority, but information on game trends and rare items was vital for someone who made a living by enhancing and selling them. He needed to prepare now to avoid a situation where he was locked out of crucial information.
He resolved to hunt more often and clear quests with his golden plaque to improve his standing. Just as he made this decision, he arrived at the prime location: a swamp deep in the forest, surrounded by dense trees and thick vines.
He was silent for a moment. He didn’t even think much of it anymore.
"A dungeon, huh."
In fact, it would be stranger if it weren’t something like this. A truly satisfying +15 enhancement had to be done somewhere spectacular, preferably with a named monster lurking about. Accepting his fate, he opened his character info. He would have to face the monsters in this dungeon alone.
It was unlikely he’d be lucky enough to find someone already clearing it like last time, and it was difficult to gauge the level of the monsters inside. He had to be prepared.
"46 Strength, 46 Agility."
He allocated the points he’d been saving. With over 140 Strength and nearly 200 Agility points, he felt much more confident. His Health and Mana were also approaching 100, so he figured he could handle monsters up to level 50 without much trouble.
"No matter how I look at it, this dagger is broken."
All stats are +55! On top of that, as an ultimate enhancement master, he gained bonus stats starting from +12 successes. If he hadn’t distributed his points so evenly, he might have been able to take on even higher-level monsters. Still, in reality, he was just a gimp stuck with a 300% experience penalty.
With a sigh, Han Simin jumped straight into the swamp. His body slowly sank. Even when the murky water reached his chin, nothing happened. He was confused.
It rose past his mouth, his nose. Was he going to die like this? Just as the murky water covered his eyes and he felt he could no longer breathe...
[You have entered the dungeon.]
[This is a limited-entry dungeon. (5/10)]
"...Huh?"
Along with a strangely familiar hologram, his vision went black.
9.
After their encounter with Han Simin, the Johnson Party had fallen behind in the leveling race and tasted true frustration. A 48-hour login ban! Considering that the top 20 rankers were all around the same level, it was a devastating loss. In just two days, their rank plummeted to the 200s.
Even after logging back in, they had to waste several hours acquiring new weapons and armor to replace what they’d dropped. An ordinary person would have given up, but the Johnson Party was not so easily broken.
They formed a guild and acquired more gold to get back on their feet. They scoured the official FW item trading site daily, snatching up any item that would boost their stats, and didn’t hesitate to use potions and consumables while hunting. Their persistence and skill, combined with a grueling schedule of sleeping only three hours every two days, eventually allowed them to claw their way back into the double-digit rankings.
Of course, that was as far as they could go. The other rankers in the double-digits were just as dedicated. Having lost 48 hours, the Johnson Party could not push any further, so they looked for another way. And they found one.
"If we clear this quest, we can get into the top 80," Johnson said.
"Damn it. If only we could find that bastard..."
"If it weren’t for that boss goblin, we could’ve killed him!"
It was an S-rank quest they had obtained by investing an amount of money unimaginable to the average person. The dungeon raid was tough to clear at their current level, but they had hired a mercenary by slipping a large sum of money to a noble. Just thinking about the gold they’d spent sent a chill down their spines, and every time, they thought of the one who had caused this hardship: Han Simin.
They didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, but their resolve to kill him on sight remained unchanged. They wanted nothing more than to player kill him until he quit the game, but they had to restrain themselves; every second spent on revenge was a second not spent hunting monsters.
One day, they would have their revenge. Grinding their teeth, they arrived at the boss room.
"What the hell! A dungeon in a swamp, but it’s an enclosed cave?!"
"I feel a chill in my bones."
"That damn bastard!"
Another member remained grimly silent.
The dungeon’s strange structure brought back unpleasant memories. The monsters were different, and the layout was a common one, so there shouldn’t have been a problem, but an unshakable chill left them uneasy.
"We’re counting on you," Johnson said.
The mercenary nodded.
They wanted to get out of there quickly. After politely making their request to the level 60-plus NPC mercenary, the members of the Johnson Guild fell back. Aside from the healer and mage providing minimal support, they had nothing to do. They would get a little less experience from the kill, but the quest completion reward was far greater.
"By the way, what exactly happened back then when I was gone? You said he didn’t interfere," the mage who had been logged out first asked cautiously while they waited.
He’d heard bits and pieces, but they had been so furious at the time that he couldn’t press for details. Now, the mood seemed right to ask.
"It was as good as interfering. That bastard! He didn’t backstab us, but he stood right in front of us, taunting us, waiting for us to die."
Just as the mage had hoped, the still-incensed Johnson spilled every detail of what had happened. "Damn bastard. If he hadn’t shown up, we definitely would have succeeded."
"That’s true. I died, but I’d put in plenty of damage."
"He must have been tailing us from the start, showing up at a time like that."
"What a scumbag."
Hearing only one side of the story, it was easy for the mage’s opinion to become skewed. Even though he hadn’t been there, he developed a deep animosity toward Han Simin after hearing the story.
"If I see him, the first thing I’m doing is shoving a fireball up his ass!"
"That bastard’s probably low-level. He was probably too scared to backstab us, so he just taunted us instead."
"Next time something like that happens, forget the monster, we kill him first."
While they were busy badmouthing him, the boss raid was nearing its end. The mercenary was certainly worth the high price. It wasn’t efficient, trading money for experience like this, but his performance was admirable.
"Scrieee!"
The named monster’s scream erupted. As long as the mercenary didn’t suddenly drop dead, victory was assured.
"After this, if we clear a few more, we can get into the top 50. From there, we can aim for the very top ranks."
Ignoring the money draining from their bank accounts, they were filled with hope.
"Huh?"
But a visitor arrived.
"Wha—?"
It was a familiar, yet unplaceable, voice. The four of them turned, their gazes locking with a single figure. Their faces were a whirlwind of shock, horror, and confusion.
Han Simin was the first to break the silence.
"Hey, Yankees!"
He was genuinely happy to see the Johnson Guild.
* * *
