Chapter 9

　　[You have leveled up.]

　　“Oh? Hello.”

　　Having achieved level 2 after a bloody battle with the rabbits, Han Simin spotted Jeong Seolah.

　　“What’s this?”

　　“Do they know each other?”

　　“That woman’s gear is no joke either.”

　　“Seeing that faint effect, it must be +8 or higher, right?”

　　“If that’s a longsword from the weapon shop, it must be at least ten gold coins.”

　　“Is this some kind of rich kids’ club?”

　　He could hear the murmurs of the people around them. Jeong Seolah, who had been contemplating turning back without a word, approached Han Simin.

　　“What are you doing here?” she asked.

　　“Hunting.”

　　Her brow furrowed slightly at his nonchalant reply, but she didn’t let it show. She was, after all, just passing by and happened to spot him!

　　“I was waiting for your call.”

　　“Ah!”

　　Of course, that was just her last shred of pride talking; there was no coyness. The leisure of a woman who has it all! Han Simin slapped his knee.

　　“I’m sorry. It slipped my mind.”

　　“…Slipped your mind?”

　　“Yeah, something urgent came up.”

　　“Hunting rabbits does seem urgent.”

　　“No, that’s not it…”

　　Well, this was kind of urgent in its own way… Though it didn’t show on her face, Han Simin got the feeling she was slightly miffed. He was about to explain the whole story when he noticed the focused stares and shut his mouth. It wasn’t really something to hide. If it became widely known that he was a special enhancement master, one of the few on the continent, he could charge players several times the usual fee without any issue. It’d be like a luxury brand. To players looking for high-quality goods even at a high price, Han Simin’s job would be very appealing.

　　“I’ll tell you when we’re alone.”

　　But blabbing about it now wasn’t a good idea.

　　‘It’s embarrassing.’

　　Han Simin was well aware that his battle with the rabbits had been quite messy. To think he was rolling around fighting rabbits even with a +12 dagger! It was thrilling that they died with just one stab, but landing that one stab properly wasn’t so easy.

　　“Let’s go.”

　　Han Simin manfully took Jeong Seolah’s hand and led her away.

　　The murmuring grew louder. She hesitated for a moment before following him. She wasn’t pleased with the process, but she had met the person she needed to meet.

* * *

　　As soon as they reached a secluded spot, Jeong Seolah asked, “Did your job perhaps change?”

　　Han Simin nodded. “Yes.”

　　“…It’s a Unique-grade job or higher, I see.”

　　“Legendary.”

　　Changing jobs before the standard level of 15 meant he had obtained a job of Unique grade or higher. So, he didn’t hide it. Just as Jeong Seolah had decided she had to make him part of her team or at least an acquaintance after seeing him learn the skill from the enhancement master NPC and make her weapon +10, Han Simin had also decided the moment he saw her leather armor, weapon, and the enhancement stones and gold coins she offered without hesitation, that he had to make her his first regular customer. Being pretty is one thing, but business is business! He had to fill the income gap until he reached a high level and could start his business in earnest! The time had come to pull out one of the many money-making methods he had written down in his notebook.

　　“So that’s how you were able to get to +12…”

　　“Well, there’s a 200% EXP penalty, but it’s quite useful for enhancing,” he said.

　　Jeong Seolah’s eyes lit up. She had thought he only had a secret technique for enhancement, but now there was a job effect on top of it!

　　“Can I see the weapon’s options?”

　　“Here you go.”

　　[+12 Beginner’s Low-Grade Dagger]

　　* Grade: Normal

　　* Required Level: 1

　　* Attack Power: 10 (+20)

　　* Option 1: All Stats +5 (+10)

　　* Option 2: Unbreakable, Infinite Durability

　　* Option 3: ‘Deep Blue Aura’ effect applied

　　-Recovers 2% of Health and Mana every 10 seconds

　　“How about it? Cool, right? I think it’ll be amazing if I get it to +15.”

　　“It’s better than my longsword,” Jeong Seolah muttered, dejected.

　　Even though it was a low-level weapon and her longsword was bought from a weapon shop, she couldn’t help but feel bitter. On top of that, the aura effect that came with +12 was an option that money couldn’t buy.

　　“You won’t need potions.”

　　“It doesn’t seem to recover that much.”

　　That’s how it might feel now, but as his level increased, the percentage-based recovery of the aura would be very noticeable, even in the middle of a battle. To his enemies, it would be an even greater nightmare.

　　“Are you thinking of selling it?” Jeong Seolah asked seriously after a moment of thought.

　　She wanted it. It wasn’t simple possessiveness or a desire for a monopoly.

　　“Huh?” Simin was surprised.

　　“I’m in the middle of a named monster raid, and I’ve already failed twice. That’s why I went to get an enhancement. I kept failing by a hair’s breadth, but with this weapon, I think I can definitely succeed.”

　　An investment for progress! Fantastic World was vast, and there were many levels to gain. This meant the game wasn’t meant to end with just hunting around Haran Castle! You take on raids, get good items, and move on to other places. For that, Jeong Seolah had invested more and faster than others, and she had challenged herself. And she wouldn’t be the only one challenging herself.

　　“Hmm. I’m sorry.”

　　“The money, as much as you want…”

　　“It’s not about the money.”

　　Jeong Seolah fell silent.

　　Even after seeing her desperation, Han Simin refused. It was true that he was tempted for a moment. Her standard of ‘as much as you want,’ given the armor she wore and the way she handled enhancements, meant he could probably get more than he could ever imagine.

　　‘Still, not now.’

　　The reason he refused was that he was looking to the future. If this had been before Betago forced him into a Legendary job, he might have sold it. He would have thought that all he had invested were twelve of the twenty enhancement stones he received from the quest, and he could just make another +12 dagger. But now, the situation had changed. To ensure a successful enhancement, he had to travel the vast continent. While the low-level enhancements might still be easy, what if the probability of success dropped? The strange poses and times he had needed would surely change to more distant, more dangerous locations. If the quality of the enhancement target increased, it might even demand sacrifices. So, he had to prepare a countermeasure. In a game, those countermeasures were level, items, and stats.

　　“I need to use it myself. It seems like I’ll only be able to start seriously enhancing after I’ve leveled up a bit.”

　　“Ah… I see.”

　　On top of that, even if he wanted to deny it, he was now saddled with a 200% required EXP curse. The thought that he could just hunt twice as hard for a mere 2x penalty was shattered after he barely gained one level after a bloody battle with the rabbits. A two-fold penalty in Fantastic World, where leveling was already hard! He couldn’t think of it simply.

　　‘Damn this job. It wasn’t a good thing.’

　　The more he peeled it back, the more it was like an onion, but a rotten one. The advantage of being able to use it openly as a skill had, upon reflection, turned into a fatal disadvantage of not being able to obtain the corresponding skills of a Legendary job. Since an ability he already had was just changed into a Legendary job’s exclusive skill, he couldn’t help but feel like he was at a loss. They said that as you level up, various hidden abilities of the job would awaken, but considering the name ‘Ultimate Legendary Enhancement Master,’ it was highly likely that it wasn’t a combat-oriented class.

　　“Haaah.”

　　“I understand. But could I ask you for some enhancements instead?” She asked.

　　At Han Simin’s sigh, Jeong Seolah gave up without lingering. It was a shame, but her original goal wasn’t to buy the +12 dagger. It was to recruit Han Simin to her team!

　　“Yes, of course I can do enhancements for you. As long as you provide a reasonable fee.”

　　“Then I’ll ask for your help.”

　　First, she decided to build some rapport to close the distance.

　　4.

　　“What would you like to enhance?”

　　Arriving at the enhancement shop, Han Simin wiped the goofy grin off his face and asked. Business and personal life should stay separate. He had been swayed by the thought of mixing pleasure with business with Jeong Seolah, but then he remembered his empty bank account and the fact that he had wasted ten days, and the due dates for his living expenses and various bills were fast approaching, so he steeled his heart.

　　“This one.”

　　Jeong Seolah handed over her +10 longsword without hesitation. Han Simin had expected this, so he said without being flustered, “Normal enhancement is 50 silver, and special enhancement is 5 gold coins.”

　　He managed to keep a straight face. To rip her off for $500 in one go, he had to act convincingly.

　　“What’s special enhancement?”

　　It seemed to have worked, as Jeong Seolah showed more interest in the special enhancement than in questioning the high price. It was something he had made up on the spot, but Han Simin had come up with a plausible explanation.

　　“You know about prime locations, right? Places where enhancements go well. That’s my job skill. I find those places and enhance there. And I add my own long-researched secret technique to it.”

　　“…Ah.”

　　The real name was Absolute Enhancement, a skill that found a spot that would achieve a 100% success rate. But if he used it moderately, he could also enhance in places with a 10-20% increased probability. To really rip her off, it would be better to reveal that he could find a spot for guaranteed enhancement, but he judged it was better not to tell another player about such an overpowered ability, even if it was a job trait. It would be more efficient for his future business. Besides, the “secret method” part was a complete fabrication, but it was the kind of mystical nonsense that gamers ate up.

　　“Is that really possible?” Jeong Seolah asked, on the verge of nodding after a moment of thought.

　　It was curiosity, perhaps. Or maybe she was curious about a realm she couldn’t see with her own eyes. That was normal, and Han Simin had a duty to resolve her doubts, so he nodded.

　　“Follow me.”

　　Grabbing an anvil and a hammer, Han Simin left the enhancement shop and began to walk, concentrating while holding his +12 dagger. Ten minutes, twenty minutes. Soon, they had left the castle, crossed the wide plains, and entered a dense forest.

　　“It might be a bit dangerous here, you know?” Jeong Seolah asked with concern, but his steps showed no sign of stopping.

　　A manly, confident stride!

　　‘She’ll protect me,’ he thought.

　　Han Simin trusted her. She was a woman who had decked herself out in expensive gear and was hunting in the forest. It wouldn’t be a big problem. Although he was a beginner who would be on the verge of death from a single swipe of a wandering wolf’s paw, he continued to go deeper into the forest without worry.

　　“Here.”

　　After walking for an hour, he stopped in a place completely surrounded by trees.

　　“…Where is this?” She asked.

　　“A prime location.”

　　A deep smile spread across his lips.

* * *