God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 40: Episode 8 _ Wanna Bet On It_ (4)

‘What’s that old man doing here?’

Simin was glad the tightly sealed door was opening, but the prospect of being alone with the Emperor was not welcome at all.

‘Crazy...’ This was worse than the gap between a private and a four-star general. In the military, there were military law and human rights; a general couldn’t just kill a private on a whim. But the Emperor before him could kill someone like Han Simin a hundred, even a thousand times over, if he so chose. It was unlikely to happen, but the instinctive aversion was overwhelming.

"Is this sufficient?" the Emperor asked.

"...Yes."

With a cool smile, the Emperor strode into the treasury. Simin followed cautiously behind.

"Whoa!"

But his caution lasted only for a moment. The instant he stepped inside, a dazzling flood of light assaulted his eyes, and all thoughts of the Emperor vanished. It was just as he’d imagined. In the Emperor’s treasury, even a scrap of gold peeled from the wall would be enough to set him up for life. Greed began to bubble up inside him, even though he knew the Emperor was watching him with an intrigued expression.

‘Could I use my subspace storage?’

He briefly considered it but quickly gave up. Of course it wouldn’t work. It was unlikely the treasury inside the imperial palace would ever be robbed, but even if a thief did get in, there would be countermeasures. Disappointed, Simin was about to focus on the problem at hand when the Emperor’s voice cut in.

"Do you want them?" The Emperor had clearly seen the look in his eyes.

"Yes!" Simin answered without a shred of hesitation, wondering if the Emperor was actually going to give him something.

He didn’t know the reason, but he went for it anyway. Refusal? Such a word didn’t exist in his dictionary. He was well aware of the principle of give-and-take—that if you receive something, the other party wants something in return. But how could he be expected to make such materialistic calculations when faced with a mountain of priceless items? He’d rather die after getting his hands on just one.

"That holy water, what is its current enhancement level?" the Emperor asked.

"It’s at +8!"

If Simin had a tail, it would have been wagging so fast it would be a blur. It was a sight one would never expect from the Simin who usually treated NPCs as nothing more than data.

‘Whoever has money is my master.’

Fortunately, both King Ain and now the Emperor seemed to have a favorable impression of him. His Legendary job class was surely a big reason, but if he could gain something by selling out the master he’d never even met, he was prepared to do anything.

"Aside from proving you are a legend’s successor, if you enhance that holy water to +13, I will grant you the right to choose one item from this treasury," the Emperor declared. "You may choose two for +14, and five for +15."

He didn’t specify which items Simin could choose, but asking now would be so clueless he’d deserve a slap. Simin’s jaw dropped.

‘He’s insane.’ Why was the Emperor doing this? For a moment, he even felt a flicker of fear. Wasn’t this far too generous? The wish was one thing, but this kind of favor... His mind snapped back to reality, and he began to analyze the situation with cold detachment.

‘But why?’

He had to know the reason. It was just a game character, so he didn’t care if he had to sell his organs or be dragged off to a labor camp for a few years, as long as the reward was worth it. But this was on another level entirely, like being offered a handful of blank checks. The Emperor couldn’t be doing this just because he was drowning in money.

‘Well, maybe he is, but...’

There was no need for it. The look in the Emperor’s eyes told him this was not a man to be taken lightly. Carrots and sticks were meant to be used in moderation. When someone offered only carrots, it was time to be wary.

"Why? Do you not like the offer?" he asked Simin.

"No, it’s not that I don’t like it, but..."

’It makes me uneasy.’

But how could he possibly say that?

"You must be uneasy," the Emperor said, as if reading his mind.

"...Yes."

’He knows.’

"You do not need to know why. This is not a reward I offer lightly, nor is there any guarantee you can achieve it. Just answer. Will you do it?"

The Emperor didn’t elaborate. Whether it was pride or something else, it was clear his decision was final.

"I will do it."

And so, Simin just went for it. He’d somehow ended up here, alone with the Emperor. What harm could going a little further do? He was planning to aim for at least +13 for the proof anyway. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he took out his anvil.

"Ah!"

Then it hit him—a huge problem he had momentarily forgotten. It was great to be in the treasury, but being here with the Emperor was precisely what made it so awkward.

‘But this is the prime location for the Ring of Blessing...’

He was in deep trouble. To hell with the holy water. The greatest challenge of his life right now was getting the Ring of Blessing to +15. Simin was once again plunged into turmoil.

7.

The starting condition for Act 2 of the main scenario quest was reaching Level 50. In some ways, it felt even more difficult than clearing Act 1.

The experience needed to level up grew exponentially, and in a game like Fantastic World, where leveling was tough from the start, it was an incredibly difficult condition to meet. But what could they do? Fantastic World was a game that rewarded effort. The Specialists had received rewards for clearing Act 1 and defeating the boss, gained favor with NPCs, and accumulated a great deal of affinity and contribution points. So they pressed on, even if the path was one of hardship.

"Hyeonsu Oppa! Left! I’m dying!" Yeseul shrieked.

"Stop being so dramatic," Hyeonsu grumbled.

Crash!

Combat and teamwork were skills that sharpened with experience.

"Phew. That was tough," Yeseul panted.

"Good work," Seolah said.

The Specialists were still grinding away on their tight schedule. Their leveling speed had more than doubled compared to their early days between levels 1 and 20, but their expressions were grim.

‘We can’t close the gap in the rankings.’

And that was the reason. Not long ago, they had broken into the top twenty and had ridden that momentum to level 30, but since then, they hadn’t been able to climb any higher. Having three members on the first page of the rankings was an incredible achievement in itself, and the promotional benefits were significant, but it wasn’t enough.

They needed first place. Anything less than that was unacceptable. At least, that’s how Jeong Seolah felt. The need to be the best and the strongest. Her competitive spirit was second to none, and she was determined to claim that title.

That’s why she had to think. There was nothing wrong with their hunting method. She was confident they had chosen the most efficient monsters that gave the most experience, and they were taking appropriate breaks. The fact that their rank wasn’t dropping proved it.

‘We need to find another way.’

What they needed was a change. Their current method was only maintaining the status quo. To break through and be counted among the top ten out of more than ten million users, they needed to develop a better leveling strategy. Something like the post Han Simin had made a few days ago.

"Unni, are you worrying about that again?" Yeseul asked.

"If we keep on like this, we won’t just fail to catch up; we might even get overtaken," Seolah replied.

"No way. We’re grinding so hard. I doubt anyone else can even come here."

"Simin said the guild he met on his way to the Empire was farming a level 50 dungeon."

"...Huh? Really? Wait, what! Unni, have you been talking to Simin Oppa?"

Seolah casually ignored Yeseul’s budding tantrum and continued to rack her brain. But an answer didn’t come easily. The methods of the rankers above them weren’t just simple ideas they’d dreamed up. They were the result of countless failures and attempts. To devise and perfect a better method overnight would take a genius.

"There is one way, though..."

"What? What is it?"

Of course, Seolah was a genius, so she had come up with a brilliant idea—one she hadn’t just thought of on the spot.

"The Ring of Blessing. We just need to get the experience bonus."

It was a simple and perfect solution.

"That’s right," Hyeonsu said, nodding as if to say, ’That’s my sister.’

All they needed was money. The only problem was the price.

"The issue is how much Simin Oppa is going to sell it for," Yeseul pointed out.

"We have to buy it, no matter the cost," Seolah stated firmly.

"Besides that, what if it broke? It’s been over a week since he got it to +13, and there’s been no news..."

It was the single worst-case scenario. If the ring had been destroyed, their plan would go up in smoke.

"Why don’t you contact him? Did he not say anything?" Yeseul asked.

"Last time, he said he hadn’t found a prime location yet."

"Ugh! You don’t think it broke, do you? There’s no way he’s still wandering around looking for a spot. If it were me, I’d have just gone for it by now out of frustration."

She was wrong; he was, in fact, still wandering around. But Kang Yeseul, who knew nothing about the specifics of prime locations, let her frustration show.

"Damn. But if we really get that ring, our leveling speed will skyrocket."

"At least one of us could reach the single-digit ranks," Seolah agreed.

The one-person limit was a drawback, but it was a massive advantage nonetheless. If even one member grew stronger faster, it meant an increase in the party’s overall combat power, which in turn meant they could move to a higher-level hunting ground, especially if that person was Jeong Seolah, with her Unique job class and unparalleled control.

That’s why they couldn’t give up on it.

"Unni, this waiting is boring. Want to make a bet?" Yeseul proposed.

"What kind of bet?"

A devilish grin spread across Kang Yeseul’s face.

"What kind of bet?" Seolah asked again, intrigued. She wasn’t one to be easily tempted, but a bet like this would certainly make the wait more interesting.

"On whether Simin succeeds or fails his enhancement!"

"I’ll bet on success."

"Yay! Then I’ll bet he fails. And that counts even if it’s already broken, okay?"

"Deal."

Watching Yeseul jump around excitedly, Seolah couldn’t help but smile. She truly was the mood-maker and troublemaker of the Specialists. Seolah was betting on success, but she wouldn’t even be annoyed if she lost.

"What are the stakes?" Seolah asked.

"Hmm. What should we bet?"

"How about something simple, like gold coins?" Seolah suggested. She was already grateful that Yeseul was keeping up with their grueling hunting schedule, not to mention pulling more than her own weight with her special-grade class.

Hyeonsu would silently follow her into any game, but Yeseul played solely for the fashion. This kind of repetitive, boring grind was definitely not her style.

So, Seolah made an offer. Name your price! It was a common enough conversation between friends, but coming from the second daughter of the Jeil Group, it was a massive opportunity. Yeseul could probably get a few designer bags out of it.

"I’m good on gold coins!" But Yeseul was also a chaebol who could get her hands on similar amounts of money. The money wasn’t the point of the bet for her. "Let’s make the loser dance as a penalty!"

"Dance?"

After a moment’s thought, Yeseul shouted, a mischievous smile on her face. Her wicked eyes scanned Seolah from head to toe. "Yep! Dancing naked!"

Seolah was confused.

"In front of Simin Oppa!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yep! It’ll be fun, right?"

"Fine. But no backing out when you lose," Seolah said.

"You’re the one who should be worried!"

If Han Simin had heard this, he would have applauded it as a very desirable bet. Unfortunately, the man present was not Han Simin, but Jeong Hyeonsu.

"What? Are you insane? Why would you dance naked in front of that bastard!" he roared.

"It’s fun! That’s what makes it a good penalty," Yeseul responded.

"...No!"

"Hey, she’s the one who agreed to it, so why are you making such a fuss? It’s not like you’re her husband. You’re being weird!"

"I don’t care, it’s not happening!"

The two women clicked their tongues at the big man’s rebellion. It was obviously just a bet for fun. Of course, there was a very high probability that "fun" would turn serious if the other person lost.

"Don’t worry, Hyeonsu. Yeseul is going to lose anyway," Seolah said reassuringly.

"Pfft. How do you plan to survive in this world being so naive? The world is too harsh to live on hope alone. That’s what I’ve learned from my experience," Yeseul declared.

Seolah just smiled and patted the head of the newly minted 23-year-old. Yeseul was right, but she decided to believe in success. He was their guildmate, after all, and he’d earned their trust so far. But Yeseul seemed to think differently.

"Ah, really! That kind of baseless faith is no good! It’s definitely going to fail this time. Definitely!" Yeseul exclaimed.

"He might succeed, you know," Seolah retorted.

"Success, my ass! If a hologram pops up in the next 24 hours saying he succeeded at +14, I’ll find his address, strip naked in front of him, and bark like a dog. I’ll even record it."

"...Aren’t you going a little too far?"

"Not at all! If there’s been no news by now, it’s because he’s too embarrassed to admit it failed. He’ll be back soon, and when he is, we can corner him and really ask him what—"

And with that, her profound distrust in Han Simin summoned disaster.

[’Simin’ has succeeded in enhancing the ‘+14 Ring of Blessing’!]

A stunned silence fell over them.

* * *