God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 147: Episode 29_Kenji Performs, Simin Profits (2)

Chapter 147: Episode 29_Kenji Performs, Simin Profits (2)

In the Ain Kingdom, it was a concept one rarely encountered.

Hunting ground control.

While not completely unheard of, the monopolization of a top-tier hunting ground was categorically nonexistent. The reason was simple: the top guilds didn’t do it.

Here, “top guilds” referred to the Specialists, who held the top three spots on the overall level leaderboards, and the Kenji Guild, which had narrowly fallen to fourth but was widely rumored to be the unofficial number-one guild thanks to Kenji’s insane spending.

Those who were always pushing forward had no interest in clinging to a single hunting ground. The Specialists were too few in number to bother with controlling a hunting ground, and their overwhelmingly high levels meant they naturally monopolized whatever new area they pioneered.

The Kenji Guild, for its part, sought out deserted hunting grounds that suited their needs, efficiently farmed experience, and quickly moved on.

Both guilds were fully capable of locking down a hunting ground if they wished. They had just never felt the need to. The Unknown Mountains were no exception.

Observing this, the players and guilds of the Ain Kingdom had developed a weak concept of "hunting ground control." Middling guilds that tried it for a bit of extra cash were quickly dismantled by player backlash and call-out posts on community boards. It was a kind of local culture—an unspoken agreement.

If the top-tier guilds had decided to do it, things might have been different. But they hadn’t, and so the culture had developed this way.

Apparently, that wasn’t the case here.

“What do you mean, control?”

“This hunting ground belongs to the Kaiser Guild. We’d appreciate it if you turned back.”

The words were so brazen that Jeong Seolah, who had stepped forward as guild master to negotiate, was left speechless. So this was how they were going to be blocked. It would be easy enough to turn back—they were only here to find the dwarves deep inside the mountain anyway—but she couldn’t help feeling dumbfounded.

“However, if you really want to hunt, I can, on my own authority, arrange a spot for a beautiful player like you. If you’d be willing to have a meal with me sometime, I could make things very convenient for you.”

Then he had the gall to throw out a sleazy line like that. Riding high on his guild’s backing, the man guarding the entrance grinned as another player beside him laughed and slapped him on the back.

The laughter didn’t last long.

Jeong Hyeonsu, who had poked his head out of the wagon at the sound of that nonsense, took in the scene.

“What kind of dogshit punks are these?”

“What?”

“Is he talking to us?”

He picked a fight without preamble.

Han Simin and Kang Yeseul followed him out.

“You got any popcorn?”

“Five gold.”

There was no way they were going to stay in the wagon when things were clearly about to get interesting. Normally, this was the kind of situation where Han Simin would step up, blow things out of proportion, and strip everyone involved down to their underwear. This time, however, he decided to watch from the sidelines.

It didn’t seem like he needed to get involved. Jeong Hyeonsu was already striding forward, furious at the lecherous looks being thrown at his sister. He would escalate this faster and more efficiently than Simin ever could.

And that prediction came true almost immediately.

“W-What the hell?”

“What do you think, punk? This is me throwing the first punch.”

With his massive six-foot-three frame, he strode forward and brought his shield down. He didn’t waste time with questions. Where Han Simin’s style was to confuse his opponent with words, Jeong Hyeonsu’s was the exact opposite. His approach alone was intimidating enough, but his level and gear were simply overwhelming.

“Gah!”

The player crumpled into critical condition in a single blow. There was no way some guy guarding an entrance could withstand Jeong Hyeonsu’s attack. At the same time, he punished the other player, who was still frozen in shock.

“Wow. That was so cool.”

“As expected. You’re amazing.”

It was the confidence that came from knowing he could handle any fallout. From Han Simin’s perspective, it was a mindset he couldn’t even imagine. How could someone just charge in and start something like that? ’Well, it helps to have the kind of money that lets you stand tall no matter what.’

Watching him, Jeong Seolah shook her head.

“Haah...”

From an outsider’s perspective, her cool big brother’s protective display might have been moving, but she didn’t exactly welcome him complicating something that could have been resolved by simply leaving.

More importantly, this wasn’t their turf. Spreading rumors that they had come to another kingdom just to cause trouble would do them no good. Even if you didn’t care about public opinion, games were always easier with fewer enemies.

Still, she didn’t say anything. Neither the gatekeepers nor Jeong Hyeonsu were the type to listen to reason. And besides, she didn’t know the way back.

This wasn’t a style she particularly disliked, either.

“Let’s go. For now.”

“Oh yeah, popcorn time! It’s been a while!”

“As expected of you, Hyeonsu. You really know how to stir things up.”

“...You’re the last person who should be saying that.”

The die was cast. It was the kind of clichéd setup you’d expect to see in a game-fantasy novel. The future was obvious, but the Specialists simply moved forward.

“Now I get why the protagonist in novels never just turns back in situations like this,” Simin mused. “If they did, nothing would happen. They have to charge in like idiots and cause trouble.”

“Why?” Kang Yeseul asked.

“Because it’s fun. And the side income’s pretty sweet.”

The most important reason, of course, was that they could get away with it. A guild controlling a hunting ground. And the heroes who smash them. Who cared who started the fight? Whose side did anyone think the local players would take?

For a moment, the dwarves slipped from Han Simin’s mind. It felt like a detour from the main storyline, but if even this side story could make him money, he was more than ready to enjoy the show.

’If there are any weak spots, I can always patch them up with a little seasoning.’

As he watched the players blocking their path, he turned on his stream.

3.

Most of the viewers had been waiting for him, curious to see what outrageous scheme Han Simin would cook up to profit from the massive war Kenji was running. They weren’t interested in the same old strategies and tactics; they wanted Han Simin’s unique brand of play—so brilliant it left them laughing in disbelief.

He had gone live far too late, but they all came running. They didn’t ask where he had been or what he had been doing. They just dutifully sat through the ads, which, for some reason, felt oddly comforting this time. The important thing was that the stream was on.

—Kenji’s stream hasn’t shown him. Is he secretly doing a boss raid somewhere else?

—The Specialists are missing too. Could be.

—Don’t tell me they already pushed it into the last phase...

Anticipation mounted. What kind of jaw-dropping scene would greet them once the ads ended? A slice of the audience glued to Kenji’s stream peeled away at once. Of course, with hundreds of thousands watching worldwide, the drop barely registered. At most, a few thousand. Even if word of mouth pushed that number toward ten thousand, it wouldn’t put a dent in Kenji’s viewership.

It would, however, split the market share. Where all attention had once been focused solely on Kenji, now Han Simin’s point of view was being spotlighted once more.

And the first thing those curious eyes saw was not a fog-shrouded battlefield, but an ordinary green forest and a group of players.

“So, you’re the bastards who trespassed in our hunting ground without permission?”

And those players threw out the most generic, simple, childish line imaginable.

—??????????

—Huh?

—What?

In a way, it was the most impactful opening any stream could have.

* * *

It was a breather, of sorts. For viewers who had spent all day watching a bloody battlefield and retreating players, it was like a sweet nap.

Or a drama.

“What guild are you from?”

“Us? We’re the Specialists!” This time, Han Simin stepped forward and declared proudly.

“Pfft. What kind of no-name guild is that? Unbelievable. And you nobodies dare to mess with our Kaiser Guild?”

“And what do you have going for you?”

“I don’t feel the need to explain myself to some nobodies.”

“Ha!”

The bickering continued.

—What are they doing?

—What is this?

—Who are these guys? Where’d the fog go? Why are a bunch of scrubs blocking the road instead of monsters?

—Are they spies?

The viewers were just as lost as the players.

Meanwhile, the confrontation continued.

“Anyway, if you want to walk out of here alive, pay twenty gold each, and that includes the dead ones in your party. I don’t feel like dragging this out.”

“Just twenty gold?”

“’Just’? For a broke-looking guy riding the coattails of those rich folks, you sure run your mouth.”

Right on cue, Han Simin quietly toggled his aura off. It was a masterstroke.

The Kaiser Guild Master snorted, but Han Simin ignored him and pressed on.

“In that case, I’ll give you sixty gold. In return, guide us to the dwarves.”

“Dwarves? You’re saying there are dwarves here?”

“I heard they live deep in this mountain range.”

“...That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“What kind of guild controls a hunting ground and doesn’t even know what’s inside it? Aren’t you the real scrubs here?”

“Bullshit! Don’t lie to me.”

To reel them in, he even shared the quest information.

“What the—!”

The Kaiser Guild Master’s eyes widened in shock.

“So? Honestly, I was a little worried because I heard the level here was pretty high. How about this: I’ll throw in another ten gold on top of the sixty, and we clear the quest together.”

He remained silent for a long moment.

—What kind of brain-dead idiot hesitates here?

—Dude, your guild members died, remember?

—Seventy gold is enough to tempt anyone. Plus, if it’s a dwarf-related quest...

—So the reason they’re here instead of the Unknown Mountains is that they picked up a dwarf quest?

—Damn, that’s huge. I’ve never even heard of dwarves existing in Fantastic World.

—I’m a blacksmith, and this is news to me.

The viewers, baffled by the absurd turn of events, slowly began to acclimate.

And once they did, they started to enjoy it.

They couldn’t help but enjoy it.

That’s how trashy dramas work. They’re ridiculous, nonsensical, and completely over the top—yet you can’t stop watching. You just have to know where the train wreck is headed.

The only problem was that this particular trashy drama cost a hundred dollars to watch—but they had already paid.

“Fine.”

—He really said “fine.”

—...What am I even doing? I’ve still got Kenji’s stream open, but I keep watching this instead.

—Can someone explain what the hell is going on right now?

—I’m from this kingdom, and that guild really is Kaiser. They’re total scum who monopolize prime hunting grounds and bleed players dry. They’re on the exact opposite side of the continent from the Ain Kingdom, so I have no idea why they’re tangled up over there, but... wait, why are they teaming up to do a quest?

Regardless of what anyone thought, the Kaiser Guild Master accepted. Han Simin, radiating an air of supreme confidence, climbed into the carriage.

“Hey, the money...”

“What money?”

“...The seventy gold.”

“I’ll pay you when we get there. I mean, if you decide to take the money and bail on us, how exactly are we supposed to stop you?”

He fell silent.

Given the way they had just smashed through the players guarding the entrance, it seemed like they could absolutely stop him and then some.

But the Kaiser Guild Master’s pride wouldn’t let him admit they were outmatched. Wearing a sour expression, he gave a stiff nod.

And just like that, the entire Kaiser Guild contingent that had been controlling the hunting ground began to move.

To carry out an S-rank dwarf quest.

Or rather, to be someone else’s errand boys.

* * *