God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 236: Episode _A Hero is Made in Turbulent Times (8)

Chapter 236: Episode 236_A Hero is Made in Turbulent Times (8)

10.

A secret meeting was underway in a high-class bar, one that still thrived in a prime location even as VR capsules became commonplace and more people enjoyed gaming from home.

"...You want me to take a roundabout way?" Simin asked into his comms.

"Yeah, I think we should. A small problem came up."

The meeting, which should have been a party of four, consisted of only two: Simin, who now casually poured himself a glass of expensive whiskey, and Kang Yeseul, who exuded a mix of youthful energy and mature allure as she sat with her legs crossed.

She had always been beautiful, though Jeong Seolah’s charms often appealed more directly to men. But with Seolah absent, Yeseul’s unique beauty shone all the brighter. As they shared a few drinks, Seolah and Hyeonsu were still nowhere to be seen. A secret rendezvous for two.

"Are Seolah and Hyeonsu really not coming?"

"Nope. We can’t properly control the black magic mages yet, so it wouldn’t be good for all three of us to be away. We’re even sleeping in shifts, just in case."

"Hardcore."

"Are we as hardcore as you? We were famous for it in the last game, but you’ve made me lose some confidence lately."

There was no special reason for their absence. They simply lived and breathed the game. Since they could meet in-game anytime, they had yielded the drinking session to Yeseul.

"Let me guess. You came because you have the least to do."

Yeseul frowned at Simin’s accurate assessment.

"You seem to know me too well."

"It’s pretty obvious."

She casually scooted her hips closer to his. The dim lighting, a man and a woman alone—it was a scene straight out of a romance, one where even strangers might fall for each other. Yeseul slyly placed a hand on Simin’s thigh.

"Simin."

"What are you doing?" Simin, who had earned enough to buy entire buildings but still couldn’t bring himself to splurge on such expensive whiskey, was focused on his drink and swatted her hand away. He then met her intense gaze.

’What is this?’ It wasn’t so much a surprise as a wave of nostalgia. ’It’s been a while. There she goes again.’

"Aww, come on. We have some history, don’t we?"

He remained silent.

"How about I become your dog again, just for tonight?"

From the moment they met, Kang Yeseul had been the very picture of a free-spirited modern woman. Attacked so suddenly after so long, Simin almost wavered, but unfortunately for her, he had never been far from a beautiful woman since starting Fantastic World. In fact, he’d had far more opportunities for titillation inside the game—there was even a princess who clung to him under the guise of being his wife.

So, he didn’t waver easily. Instead, he met her provocation with a witty counter.

"Does this mean I get to inherit the Hanshin Group?"

It was a remark designed to fluster her. ’If you wag your tail at me, I’ll bite down and drag you to the ends of the earth!’ For a chaebol heiress, it was a potent threat. A relationship funded by money was one thing, but marriage was another matter entirely. Especially since Yeseul was the sole heir to the Hanshin Group. Given Simin’s track record, he was more than capable of siphoning off the company’s funds—and its slush funds—for his personal gain and running it into the ground.

But Kang Yeseul was a formidable opponent.

"Oh? Really?"

"...Huh?"

Without a hint of panic, her hand on his thigh began to slide lower.

"Hey, you punk."

"A guy like you is more than good enough to marry. I’d be thrilled. When should we do it? Want to sign the papers today?"

He was speechless.

"My grandfather said he wants to see a grandchild soon."

He still said nothing.

"Let’s stop drinking. We don’t have much time. How about some ramen first?"

Simin was at a loss for words.

Simin subtly picked up the whiskey bottle and moved to the opposite side of the table. ’She’s tougher than I thought.’ He shook his head and, as she leaned in again with a seductive smile, he pushed her head away with a single finger.

"It’s time to log in."

"Tsk. Are you impotent or something?"

"I’m not, but I’ve lived my life as if I were. I’m trying to be more thoughtful about how I live now."

Honestly, any man who wasn’t swayed wouldn’t be a man at all. She was playful and lighthearted, but when it was time to be serious, she knew exactly how to capture a man’s heart. And her background was so incredible that any man with a functioning pair of eyes and a nose would pledge his life to marry her. On top of that, she had the looks and body of a TV celebrity and was still young. If not for the nagging doubts about her playful nature, there would be no reason to refuse.

But for Simin, that was the problem.

"I need to get back, enhance some items, and make money."

"...Haaah." Yeseul gave up, knowing he wouldn’t have gotten this far without that relentless drive. She had to be content with having expressed her feelings, sincerely in her own way. At least she hadn’t been outright rejected.

"Hey, why are you taking that? There’s barely any left."

"It’s a waste."

"I’ll buy you another one, so take that too."

"I love you."

Besides, she was starting to figure out how to handle him. Though more than half their time was spent on suggestive banter, they had successfully held the clandestine talks that were now difficult to have inside the game.

*

In truth, they didn’t need to meet in the real world.

"It’s not like anyone can eavesdrop on our guild chat."

"Aww, but it was nice to have a drink after so long."

"It was just tiring."

It had simply been a coincidence that Simin’s rest period had overlapped with Yeseul’s among the Specialists, who were sleeping in shifts, and she had insisted on the meeting. Seolah and Hyeonsu, knowing her personality all too well, had simply let her go.

In any case, after their secret planning session, they returned to the game and resumed their casual conversation in the guild chat while the enhancement process continued.

"Wow, Kenji’s really come a long way. A Special-grade staff and a Legendary-grade sword. Isn’t this that sword that dropped recently?"

The items were certainly valuable enough to warrant using two +14 vouchers. Considering the current levels of the top rankers, they were top-tier equipment, easily comparable to level 100 weapons. That was how important an item’s grade was. It was why the Specialists were still using their old enhanced weapons even after hitting level 100.

The items were so good he was tempted to just snatch them and run. He could easily sell them for billions. Enhancing them made him feel a pang of regret about the VVIP privilege.

’I think I’m giving away too much. I need to cut back on the benefits next time.’

It didn’t matter if a few low-level items were enhanced to +14 or +15. As players leveled up, new items would be released, and the value of older gear would inevitably drop. Of course, players at that level would still buy them, but their value would be a fraction of what it was at their peak.

However, it was a different story for high-level items. The higher the level, the slower the leveling pace, and the fewer players who reached that tier. Ambitious players were willing to pay a premium for better gear to reach even greater heights, naturally driving up the item’s value. Since the gear-swapping cycle was longer, a high-level, high-grade enhanced weapon would be cherished for a long time.

The weapons Simin was currently enhancing were a prime example. Kenji hadn’t said who they were for, and Simin hadn’t asked out of courtesy, but it was obvious.

’Kenji and Dino, I bet.’

Kenji, the pay-to-win warrior who decked himself out in Unique-grade gear or better, and Dino, the universally acknowledged genius who had claimed the Legendary Grand Magus class, one of the continent’s five legendary classes. As future competitors, they were a significant threat. No matter how skilled Simin was, he was ultimately just an enhancement master. He also had the Tamer class, but aside from Squeaker, he felt it didn’t quite live up to its Legendary status. The skill book had somehow ended up with Yeseul, but Dino was still a Legendary-grade mage. As he leveled up again and again, he would eventually learn the spells of the legendary Grand Magus and become a star who could command the continent.

’A meteor falling from the sky. Can I block it with my enhanced gear?’ He might be able to protect himself, but he wasn’t alone anymore.

’I need to put more thought into my territory’s defenses.’

The ultimate expression of a Grand Magus’s power was in territory warfare. And that was precisely the direction Kenji’s guild was heading. Perhaps they had deliberately shifted their focus to target him. The thought made him serious.

’Should I just break them?’

He would take a lot of heat for it, but it would be better than having a meteor drop on his territory in the future. He shook his head. He could probably block it if he spent enough money, and Squeaker could help. Besides, there was no need to make an irreconcilable enemy out of Kenji, who seemed to have a bottomless wallet.

"Hah. The enhancement master and Tamer really are the trashiest of the Legendary classes," he grumbled, continuing to hammer away, shamelessly uttering words that would make anyone on the continent want to pick up a rock and throw it at him.

*

Act 3 of the main quest scenario was the Specialists’ stage. This was a reality no player in Fantastic World could deny. But now, someone else had crashed the party. Kenji.

—Wow, how lucky is Kenji?

—I felt bad for him when he got caught in the crossfire, but this is like a massive promotion out of nowhere.

—I heard he’s commanding the Imperial Army, the Holy Knights, and even the priests.

—Rumor has it he spent over two billion gold just to get that commander position.

—...

—Stop spreading rumors.

—It’s not a rumor. Kenji bought up all the gold on the market for the past few days.

—Damn. Is it really worth it?

—Of course it is. Even the small castles the Specialists are tearing through are worth billions in damages. Imagine if he gets just 10% of that.

—Is this even a game anymore?

Profit aside, this opportunity allowed Kenji to forge close ties with the Empire and the Grand Temple—connections any player would envy. Furthermore, at some point, the black magic mage army had even changed its course, almost as if it were waiting for his forces to assemble.

—Is this the calm before the storm?

—Why does it feel like they’re waiting?

—Are they that confident?

—So they’re really going to fight, then?

—Shouldn’t they attack before more forces gather?

Simultaneously, other movements began to stir across the continent. Black magic mages who had been lying in wait emerged from the shadows. From every corner of the land, they began to converge on a single point. It was the signal flare for a massive war.

—D-Day: 20 days. Everyone clear the path and get your popcorn ready.

A war was coming. No one doubted that for a second.

*