God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 226: Episode _Don’t Talk to Me About Suckers (6)

Chapter 226: Episode 226_Don’t Talk to Me About Suckers (6)

9.

Kenji was a man of action. He had been taught to be one since childhood, and it had never once caused him a problem. His swift actions were always backed by sound judgment and precise analysis, which only ever helped illuminate his path, never hinder it. Furthermore, the vast fortune at his disposal allowed him to humbly accept any rare mistakes and use them as stepping stones for growth.

In a world where money solved everything, putting his thoughts into action was simple, and it always earned him the applause of the world. It was how he had become a global tycoon.

Thus, whenever he believed something was right, he acted on it immediately.

『Fantastic World』 was no different. His company had grown so large and stable that it no longer required his direct management. In fact, aside from a few major documents, it probably ran better without him. He decided it was time to gain experience elsewhere, and so he began, determined to become the best in this new world as well.

Now, he was heading to the Empire’s Grand Temple with a single thought in his mind.

’I want to see her.’

It wasn’t the same burning, passionate love that consumed Saint. Kenji, unlike Saint, hadn’t spent his youth chastely avoiding women. He had dated his fair share and, though it was nothing to brag about, he felt he understood the difference between love and physical relationships.

This was simple curiosity. That was the reason he was on the move in 『Fantastic World』, a game where territory wars were piling up even more than his real-world schedule. He had to see her—the woman who had made his heart, long since cooled to the idea of romance, beat again.

But at the same time, she was in the hands of a rival he could never afford to cross. He knew it instinctively. The amount of money he had already poured into her fan club was staggering, and if he decided to take another step, the infamous Han Simin would never let him be.

’I’ll see her and then make up my mind.’ He would either give up or commit completely. Who knew? Maybe seeing her in person would change things. Perhaps if he managed to court her, he would grow tired of her, just like all the other beautiful women.

Still, he was wiser than Saint. It was easy enough to come up with a plausible excuse.

’As my territory expands, there’s nothing to lose by strengthening my relationship with the Grand Temple.’

It was his money, after all. And his guild members, having witnessed the effects of the Sanctuary provided by the Temple in the Rich Territory, had no objections.

And so he arrived at the Grand Temple. There, he came face to face with him.

“I am Saint, one of the... two remaining elders.”

His rival in love.

*

It went without saying that an elder didn’t personally greet every visitor who came to make a donation. But Kenji was no ordinary donor. He had shown up unannounced and casually dropped a sum exceeding a thousand gold.

Even on a continent that revered the gods, where nobles frequently donated for divine favor or protection, a donation of this magnitude was rare. Who, even at the largest church in South Korea, could just hand over $150,000 upon their first visit?

A promising sprout had to be nurtured from the moment it broke ground. That was why Saint had come out to greet him personally.

But he hadn’t expected this.

“I wish to see the Saintess,” Kenji declared.

“Excuse me?”

“I came all this way to see the Saintess.”

Saint was speechless.

Saint was taken aback by his sheer audacity. Kenji’s gaze was genuine—confident, not subservient. Moreover, there was no real reason to refuse him. For a believer who had made such a large offering, it wouldn’t be strange for the Pope or the Saintess herself to grant a private audience to express their gratitude. After all, while they represented the gods, they were not gods themselves. It was only natural to offer thanks on their behalf.

“Ah, um...”

The only problem was that it bothered Saint a great deal. If Kenji had been the type to simply donate and show off, he wouldn’t have felt so anxious. But his intuition told him that wasn’t the case with Kenji.

“It was love at first sight. I would like to meet her just once.”

He was even saying it out loud! Saint’s brow furrowed involuntarily. But how could he, an elder, let his feelings show? He forced his expression into one of composure and nodded.

“I will convey your request.”

With that, he rose from his seat, praying that the Saintess would refuse. Or that something had come up and she was unavailable.

*

“Hello,” Squeaker chirped.

“Good day,” Kenji replied.

Unfortunately for Saint, Squeaker had nothing better to do and, thanks to some coaching from Simin, had decided to make an appearance. To her, a donor was a five-star restaurant.

After exchanging greetings, Kenji gave Saint, who was staring intently at her with longing eyes, a pointed look.

“I would like to speak with her alone.”

“I’m sorry, but that is not possible.”

“Hm. Very well.”

Kenji was quick on the uptake. He immediately understood the meaning behind the look Saint was giving the Saintess. But for now, he ignored it. The important thing wasn’t how many rivals he had, but confirming his own feelings. After that, he was confident he could defeat them all.

His gaze returned to Squeaker’ crimson eyes.

Gasp.

For a moment, he felt as if he were being pulled in and quickly looked away. It was a pressure he hadn’t felt even while dining with the President of the United States. In fact, back then, he had been more relaxed, confidently meeting the president’s gaze with a smile. This was the first time in his life he had ever looked away from someone.

It only fueled his curiosity. Mustering his courage, he looked at her again.

He had seen plenty of photos, but this was the first time seeing her in person. She did not disappoint. If anything, the photos failed to capture her essence. Photoshop? There wasn’t a trace of such technology. His first thought was that her real-life appearance was so perfect it looked like it had been enhanced by Photoshop.

At the same time, a sense of regret washed over him. ’If only she were a player.’

She was beautiful enough to make the great Kenji consider offering up his entire fortune. A beauty he wanted to marry and keep by his side. Her personality didn’t matter.

At that point, Kenji decided to stop thinking. He had set many standards and conditions on his way here, but...

He never imagined she would be this beautiful. When someone was so lovely that you could throw everything away and fall in love, what did other conditions matter?

“I have fallen for you, Saintess.”

“Pardon?” Squeaker asked.

Once Kenji had made a decision, there was no turning back. It was Saint who was more flustered by the direct confession.

“Sir...”

But he didn’t get a chance to say more.

“I was told the Saintess has the freedom to marry. Is that not correct?” Kenji pressed.

“...Yes, that is true. However, are you not an adventurer, my son...?” 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Adventurers fall in love, too.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Elder, could it be that you also harbor feelings for the Saintess?”

“What?”

The confident Kenji was, in fact, a man so capable that had it not been for the Specialists, he would have already claimed every top and first-time title in the game. It was just his bad luck that he’d run into the wrong person and become a pushover in their circle.

In a setting without Simin, he was more than capable of dominating a conversation with an NPC.

Saint was at a loss for words.

Saint was at a loss for words. He never thought he’d be called out so directly. He wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t. Yet, when he tried to say no, the words wouldn’t come out.

As Kenji smirked victoriously, Squeaker spoke up on Saint’s behalf.

“This one is my pushover.”

Kenji was confused.

“Excuse me?” Saint asked.

Both men’s expressions froze simultaneously. Their gazes fixed on Squeaker’ innocent face.

10.

Grokile was on the ground, face down, with Han Simin sitting on top of him.

“You crazy bastard. I almost died,” Simin grumbled.

Grokile said nothing.

It had been a simple matter. Simin had asked for information on the monsters, and Grokile had told him the truth. The problem was that Grokile’s truth and Simin’s reality were slightly different. As a result, Simin and the Specialists had been sent flying and were nearly trampled to death by a herd of stampeding boars. It wasn’t an exaggeration; he had almost experienced death by trampling. If Grokile hadn’t been standing behind them, and if the boars, driven by pure instinct, hadn’t hesitated at the sight of him, Simin would have been waiting alone for two days.

In any case, this had been his punishment for the last few hours. It was infuriating, but he held his tongue, having no desire to be beaten by a human again. For someone who had fought with severed arms and broken legs countless times, the pain wasn’t the issue. It was his pride. He had to return home alive, one way or another. But the humiliation of being toyed with by a human would be an indelible scar he would carry for the rest of his life. If word got out, he would likely become the first demon in history to die of shame.

“Simin, is Squeaker at the Temple by herself, then?” Yeseul asked. Having found a comfortable way to hunt by using Grokile’s face to halt the monsters in their tracks, she had the leisure to ask questions.

Simin nodded. “Pretty much.”

“Will she be okay? I wouldn’t worry if it were Kardian, but Squeaker is a little...”

“I gave her a two-day crash course overnight. She’ll be fine.”

“A crash course?”

“Yeah. She’s technically alone, but not really.”

Yeseul looked confused.

“There’s a pushover who’s completely smitten with her. He’ll take good care of her on his own.”

“Does he know he’s a pushover?”

“Of course not.”

“What if he finds out?”

“It’s fine. Squeaker is... well, she’s not a person, but she’ll figure out how to get by. She was doing great before I left.”

“True. With a face like that, I’d probably give her anything even if I knew I was being played,” Yeseul admitted, though her questions always ended with her looking dejected.

It was a testament to how much easier the hunting had become. In fact, their levels were rising rapidly.

“You could make a lot of money selling this hunting method.”

“Right?”

“Yeah. It would cost a lot, but I don’t think the buyer would regret it.”

“Really?”

“Huh?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Why?”

“Because the buyer will be satisfied.”

Yeseul fell silent.

Squeaker was quickly forgotten.

“Hey, how come you call Kardian unni but you’re so casual with Squeaker?” Simin asked.

“Squeaker was just born.”

“Is that it?”

“Well, that and Kardian feels more like an older sister than me in a lot of ways...”

Yeseul’s gaze drifted to the area below Kardian’s neck.

Hyeonsu clicked his tongue and shook his head. “By that logic, you should be calling Squeaker unni too.”

“Hey! You bastard!” Yeseul shouted, a fresh wound carved into her heart.

*