God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 24: Episode 5 _ One Dagger, One Life (2)

3.

Lalala!

Simin tuned a hum. The reason was simple.

[‘Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing ‘+13 Wolf Leather Top’!]

[‘Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing ‘+13 Wolf Leather Bottoms’!]

[‘Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing ‘+13 Wolf Leather Hat’!]

[‘Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing ‘+13 Wolf Leather Gloves’!]

[‘Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing ‘+13 Wolf Leather Boots’!]

His specs were upgraded, and the aura effects were stacking. The +13 aura didn’t meet his expectations, but as they say, every little bit helps. With all five pieces at +13, options like health recovery and defense increase were applied handsomely.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have acquired 20 stat points.]

And a bonus on top of that.

"This should be enough."

With the ten enhancement stones he’d wheedled out of the dumbfounded Khan, Simin finished preparing for his journey. A handsome face and a good height. The golden light emitting from his leather armor was so brilliant that one would never guess he was only level 8.

"Hehe."

As a price, some players might have vaguely noticed that Han Simin didn’t enhance things with just luck. He had already revealed on the FW Forum that he could increase the enhancement probability, but a mere 20% increase couldn’t explain five consecutive +13s. But he didn’t care. Hadn’t he made a vow when he created the +15 dagger?

‘I’ll make money without caring what other people think!’

Besides, Betago already knew about his ability. It knew and had shackled him with that massive EXP penalty, judging that it was an acceptable price for keeping him in the game. And he was already going through hell searching for prime spots for every enhancement. In such a situation, if he had to worry about what other players thought, the game would no longer be a game but a stressful job. So he just went for it. Afterward, he felt relieved. If he had his way, he would have gone for +15 on everything, but from +14 onwards, there was a chance of failure even with his ability, and finding prime locations was a chore, so he was satisfied with +13 for now.

‘I’m only going to use it for a little while anyway.’

A convenient double standard for weapons and armor. Han Simin, with his confidence soaring, left the castle.

* * *

The path to the coordinates Jeong Seolah had given him was long but not difficult.

"Die!"

Pshnk.

"Kiee!"

Whether it was wolves or goblins, they were powerless before the +15 dagger. That wasn’t all.

Swoosh.

Fwish.

"What was that? A mosquito?"

Even poison darts couldn’t penetrate Simin’s defense, decked out in +13 gear, and simply bounced off. It was the perfect opportunity to avenge the humiliation of having run away from a goblin just a week ago. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Die!"

"Kreee!"

"Scree!"

He wasn’t bothering with finesse or control. He just ran and stabbed. Goblins caught in his path, their movements slowed by his superior stats, could only watch as the crimson dagger plunged into their necks.

"Heh. This is why I play games."

A thrilling pleasure ran down his spine. It had a different charm from sweeping through the highest-level dungeon alone in an online game. This was virtual reality, another space where another self was living and breathing. Even if they were just level 20 goblins, the overwhelming power gave him a sense of accomplishment.

‘So this is why everyone takes out loans to buy capsules.’

He could understand it even better since he had spent his entire fortune to buy one himself. He had thought he had become indifferent to the thrill of enhancement, but now he felt a desire hidden deep in his instincts stirring again—the desire to deck himself out in +15 items and reign over the other players. The image of weaving through hundreds of people and slaughtering them was something that was usually only possible in pay-to-win online games, but for some reason, it felt possible here too.

"No, Simin. Calm down."

Han Simin, who had almost opened his wallet without realizing it, shook his head. He had to maintain a reasonable line. If he got drunk on this feeling, he would forget why he started Fantastic World and pour all his time and money into making his character stronger. Then he would miss his chance, and the prices of enhanced items would drop. He couldn’t make such a mistake. He had to sell when he could, and enjoy things in moderation.

"Hahahaha! Bring it on!"

[You have leveled up.]

Han Simin’s amusement ended with a hologram announcing he had reached level 9.

4.

The Punishment Desert was the endpoint of Fantastic World’s first scenario quest. To investigate the secret of the monster legions that began to flood the world, one had to kill a named monster to prove their worth, obtain a token, and follow the questline to this place. This was the designated quest area for the Ain Kingdom.

"There are more than I thought," Jeong Seolah observed.

"At least twenty-five..." Jeong Hyeonsu added.

"How should we decide the order?" another player asked.

Investigate the evil energy flowing from the desert and defeat the named monster guarding the ruins!

Players who had steadily cleared quests while hunting gathered one by one. They were all top players, their names visible on the ranking page. Naturally, an atmosphere of mutual wariness filled the air. The quest was given to all the players here, but there was only one named monster. A respawn? There was no such thing in a scenario quest. If a monster that played a part in the story respawned, the narrative that followed its death would become meaningless. Therefore, everyone could work together to kill it. Fantastic World had a contribution system, so rewards were given based on effort. For a scenario quest, even a small contribution would grant the main reward.

‘We have to be the ones to get it.’

‘There are too many eyes to backstab someone...’

But cooperation was an impossible thing for these players. The very reason they were wary of each other was that they didn’t want to share. Who would form an alliance? Given the nature of players who would rather die than see others succeed, the thirty or so players gathered here would never work together.

"If we delay, more people will come. Let’s reach an agreement," Jeong Seolah proposed.

"Okay."

"Sounds good."

Those who had been wasting time at the entrance of the Punishment Desert agreed. The people gathered here were all hardcore players who valued every second. Wasting time was a shared frustration.

"How should we decide the order?" Jeong Seolah asked.

"How about we vote?" suggested another.

"That’s ridiculous. Your guild has the most people."

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

"Anything is fine as long as it’s fair."

The representatives of each group came forward and presented their opinions. Of course, a compromise was not easily reached. A debate longer than the silence ensued. Jeong Seolah tried to lead the conversation calmly, but it was no use. These were all people who had a voice in the game, if not in real life. Listening to someone else’s words could only feel like losing out.

"In that case," Jeong Seolah said, letting out a faint sigh as her head began to throb, "let’s just follow the game’s rules."

A new tension, sharp and cold, descended upon the group.

‘Why hadn’t we thought of that?’ It was an utterly barbaric method, yet no one objected. After all, this was a game.

Its overwhelming realism had made them forget for a moment, but this was a world where they could kill each other and still be revived—a place where murdering someone simply for not liking them was perfectly acceptable. This was especially true for the top-rankers gathered here, players who spent more time in Fantastic World than in the real world, all for the sake of getting ahead. There was no way they would pass up a golden opportunity to lock a competitor out of the game for a full forty-eight hours. However, no one dared to make the first move. Although the thirty players were split unevenly among the five factions, anyone with a brain could easily calculate how the fight would need to unfold to give their side an advantage.

"...Hah."

Jeong Seolah, who had unintentionally led them to this situation, stepped back and sighed. It was the most definitive method, but also the most foolish. A path where everyone would lose.

Considering the named monster guarding the oasis in the Punishment Desert was level thirty-five, it was only logical for the players—most of whom were in their early twenties—to join forces rather than fight. Even the Specialists, despite their superior gear, would be taking a significant risk by attempting the raid alone. But there was no other way. Jeong Seolah had spoken up, deciding it was better to resolve the standoff now than to attempt a raid while constantly looking over her shoulder.

A tense, peculiar standoff settled over the oasis as players began recording—a childish but necessary ritual to establish the game’s pecking order. The other guilds were doing the same.

“Are you all just going to stand there sizing each other up?” one player taunted.

“That bastard’s running his mouth. Should we hit him first?” another whispered to his guildmate.

“Those three watching quietly from the corner... their gear looks insane.”

And so, the preliminary skirmish began. The time-honored tradition of online gaming—sowing discord—was alive and well in virtual reality.

“Let’s team up and crush the biggest group first.”

“We can fight it out amongst ourselves after that.”

“We’re only focused on one target! Don’t mess with us!”

Once ignited, the flames would not be easily quenched. The brief civility that had existed—a courtesy afforded only because they could see each other’s faces in this virtual world—vanished in an instant, replaced by a storm of shouting.

The air crackled with hostility. Someone could have charged in a fit of rage, yet everyone hesitated, warily watching one another.

“Hmph. You talk a big game, but I bet you’re terrified of that forty-eight-hour login penalty.”

“I could take you down one-on-one, easy.”

“Then bring it on.”

This stalemate wouldn’t last. No matter how much they feared the penalty, most of them were far too proud. Few would stand idly by while being insulted, even if they knew it was a blatant provocation—especially not in a game.

“You son of a bitch. Say one more word, and I swear we’re both dying here today.”

“Idiot. You’ll be the only one dying.”

“You motherf—!”

The fragile balance was shattered with one player’s outburst. That was the signal—the signal for the battle that the opportunists on the sidelines had been waiting for, a chance to seize an advantage amidst the chaos.

Everyone swallowed hard as they watched a player break from his group and charge toward another. The moment he died, his group would move to retaliate. Just as a scene more tense than the main quest itself was about to erupt...

“Seolah!”

They all turned in confusion.

Han Simin had arrived.

‘What is that?’

‘What kind of special effect is that...?’

He made his entrance with a flair so dazzling it instantly cooled the overheated atmosphere.

“I’m here!”

Simultaneously, every gaze that had been fixed on the brewing fight shifted in the direction he was waving from.

There, standing one step back and observing the situation, were the Specialists.

A dreadful silence fell over the battlefield.

“Unni, I have a feeling we’re screwed.”

Jeong Seolah felt the same way.

* * *