God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 41: Episode 8 _ Wanna Bet On It_ (5)

8.

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

‘Holy shit...’

This was a situation that called for a sigh of relief instead of a cheer of joy, even as he watched the ring’s aura turn a vibrant light green. The desire to jump up and down was immense, but he couldn’t show it.

"Success, is it?" the Emperor’s voice cut through his thoughts. "Did you not say it was a sacrifice?"

The damn emperor had been watching from behind him the whole time.

Driven by his single-minded determination to enhance the ring, Simin had wracked his brain and come up with a plausible script. With a grave expression, he had declared that he would sacrifice his +13 ring to enhance the Highest-Grade Holy Water and brought down his hammer. The Emperor, unable to tell that the plain, shabby-looking ring was a Legendary item, had simply watched. Thanks to that, Simin had managed to perform the ritual, but he hadn’t been able to include the actual sacrifice the Ring of Blessing required.

As a result, the success rate that appeared was 81% for a mere +14 enhancement. Without the base 5% bonus from his job class, it would have been 76%. Normally, that was a safe bet, but for a one-of-a-kind item he was already counting on to sell for millions, the number felt cruelly low.

But what choice did he have? If he confessed the truth to the Emperor and asked for his understanding, he’d likely be thrown out for being an insolent bastard, losing even that 81% chance and having to start his journey all over again. And that wasn’t all. What about getting to a +15? The success rate was 81%, but he was 99% sure a prime location for +15 was in here. With that conviction, he had to take the gamble.

He had brought down the hammer with a trembling heart, and thankfully, the result was a good one.

Now, he had to clean up the mess.

Buoyed by the relief of success, his words flowed effortlessly. "Do not worry! A sacrifice is always best when it succeeds."

The line just popped out, without a single thought behind it. It was only possible because even an emperor wouldn’t know the first thing about enhancement. Besides, he really did intend to succeed with the holy water.

‘Let’s scratch each other’s backs.’

Simin’s serious, greedy eyes swept over the Emperor. Having regained his composure, he gripped the light-green ring and confirmed it: the +15 prime location was somewhere in here. And it was close.

If the +14 site was in a treasury that required the Emperor’s permission to enter, then logically, the +15 site would be in a place even more difficult to access. His only option was to win the Emperor over.

"I will proceed quickly," Simin announced.

The Highest-Grade Holy Water was nothing. Getting it to +15 would be a piece of cake. While this wasn’t the perfect prime location for the holy water, the location itself was so good that he could challenge it with a 50% bonus.

The base success rate for +9 was 30%. Add the 5% from his job option and the 50% bonus from the prime location, and it rose to a whopping 85%. He had just succeeded on an 81% chance for his ring, which was practically his second heart. He wasn’t about to get nervous over some stupid holy water meant for a demonstration.

Clang! Clang.

To back up his words, he struck the anvil with an overt display of confidence.

The Top-Grade Holy Water began to emit a brilliant light. But he wasn’t done yet. At least to +10! And if the Emperor paid a price that satisfied him, he would take full responsibility and get it to +12 or higher. This was the only exception Han Simin would allow to his vow not to use his ability for others.

After all, you had to be flexible in life.

‘If my parents offered me a studio apartment in Gangnam, I’d start paying them a visit every single morning, even if I’d lived like a bum my whole life! Damn right.’

Armed with such an enlightened philosophy, he turned to the Emperor with a passionate gaze. “Let’s go. I’ll get this to +15 in no time.”

Han Simin was a man ready to get his studio apartment.

* * *

The imperial palace was a veritable gold mine of prime locations. He could find them just by wandering around, and as a result, the +9 Highest-Grade Holy Water was at +11 in just twenty minutes. For Han Simin, it was just another day at the office. For the Emperor, however, it was a scene of utter disbelief.

“...Incredible.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

‘He doesn’t look like the type for empty flattery, so that praise must be genuine, right?’

Simin’s shoulders puffed out with pride. Praise was always sweeter coming from someone of high status. It was basically an admission that he was a slave to power, but he straightened his shoulders with dignity. What was so wrong with that?

“However...”

Even as things progressed smoothly, one problem remained.

“Are you going to keep following me?” Simin asked.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not a problem, but...”

‘What a needy bastard.’ If he weren’t the Emperor, Simin would have given him three sharp smacks on the head and asked him if he was serious. Why the hell was he tagging along with nothing better to do?

“I am curious,” the Emperor stated simply.

‘Oh, right. Of course. A man who could have water brought to him while lying down is following a lowly enhancement master around because he’s curious.’

Simin was speechless. The Emperor wasn’t ordering him to present his work; he was walking around on his own two feet to watch. And he had even helped out at the perfect moment. Still, it was undeniably uncomfortable.

‘If this thing fails, am I actually going to die?’

The higher the enhancement level climbed, the more intense the Emperor’s gaze became, filled with hope and expectation. Simin had no idea what he wanted from a simple bottle of holy water, but he was beginning to realize that there was far more at stake in this undertaking than he had first thought.

“I will now attempt +12,” he announced, almost briefing the Emperor without realizing it. He said it timidly, but the hammer he brought down was the very picture of manliness.

Flash!

A 1% probability for most people was a casual success for him. Simin had the distinct feeling that the light in the Emperor’s eyes grew a little brighter.

Unable to stand it any longer, Simin finally asked, “Um... Your Majesty, do you have a particular use for this?”

There was no other explanation. The Emperor could have his men gather holy water by the cartload, uprooting the very source if he wished. He wouldn’t be staring at this single vial with such a loving gaze otherwise. Simin wanted to hear the reason—the Emperor’s secret! How intriguing.

“I will tell you when the enhancement is complete,” the Emperor replied.

“Ooh!”

Thankfully, instead of dragging him away for asking impertinent questions, the Emperor showed mercy. No quest window popped up, but Simin’s instincts were screaming at him.

‘I have to clear this! What is it? What could it be?’

His best guess was a terminal illness. It was the most common plot device used to kill off characters in fantasy novels and Korean dramas. Naturally, the people around the afflicted character would do anything to save their loved one, sometimes even embarking on a quest for a hundred-year-old ginseng root. There was no guarantee the Emperor was immune to such tropes.

Considering the circumstances, it seemed plausible. Why else would he insist on enhancing holy water that was already more effective than most panaceas?

‘Oh!’

The thought ignited a sense of mission within Simin, and a heavy feeling settled in his chest. What a noble act to open the imperial treasury just to save someone, whoever they were!

‘This is the perfect situation to bleed him dry!’

He might not be great at spotting the kill shot, but he could always sniff out a gold vein. This mission reeked of money. The rewards were already immense, but he sensed something much, much bigger was hidden beneath the surface.

‘Maybe it’s a close relative, at least? Or his wife?’

If he could save such a person with this enhanced holy water...

Simin fell into thought silently.

As long as Simin didn’t make an insane demand like asking for the entire Empire, his future success was guaranteed. Of course, with the numerous rewards already promised, the Emperor wouldn’t just blindly accept any new terms...

‘Life is all about what you make of it!’

If you want more, you just have to create the right situation. It would be much easier to maneuver the Emperor into a position where he had to offer more, rather than just begging the steely-eyed ruler for another handout.

The gears in his head began to turn rapidly. He arrived at the next prime location.

“I will now attempt +13.”

The Emperor nodded.

A completely different level of seriousness from the +12 attempt now imbued Simin’s hammer. It was the resolve of a man with a purpose. The hammer rose high, paused at its apex... and his expression darkened. His gaze shifted to the Emperor.

Simin stated, “From +13 onward, I’ll need a sacrifice to increase the probability.”

9.

There was no such thing as a sacrifice for enhancing Highest-Grade Holy Water. But the only person who knew that was Han Simin—which meant it wasn’t a scam if he said it was! Having grasped the situation, he immediately moved to collect his fee.

“I think it will require about 100 gold coins,” Simin said, laying it on thick.

He launched into an explanation like a seasoned expert. “There are two kinds of sacrifices. One is to enhance other items to grasp the probability pattern. The other is to insert a different item during the process to boost the success rate.”

He feigned a look of regret. “From +13, it’s difficult to find a suitable sacrifice. I haven’t fully mastered my teacher’s abilities yet. I can only apologize.”

It was utter nonsense, but his performance so far had earned him the Emperor’s trust. The ruler summoned an attendant and gave the order.

“What about that ring from before?” the Emperor added, showing a proactive spirit.

The unexpected suggestion startled Simin, but he recovered quickly. “That is, of course, the sacrifice for the +15 attempt. We can’t possibly use it for a mere +13 enhancement.”

‘This bastard! How dare he try to touch my ring!’

“I see,” the Emperor conceded.

“Yes. In a little while, I will shatter the ring and get the holy water to +15,” Simin said, forcing a smile through gritted teeth. ‘Agh, damn it. If he weren’t the Emperor, he’d be dead.’

Simin had to endure it. What else could he do? After a short wait, the gold coins were brought to him. With a joyful heart, he pretended to place it on the anvil before slipping it into his subspace. A tidy side income! The sweetness of it made him forget all the tedious hours it took to get to the Empire.

‘Okay, so that was for +13...’

Should he ask for 500 for +14? And maybe 2,000 for +15? The first time asking was always the hardest; the second and third times were easy. Besides, wasn’t this the Emperor, a man overflowing with wealth? He couldn’t be certain about the holy water’s purpose yet, but the fact that the Emperor was being so generous, combined with the game-like nature of the situation, emboldened him.

“Hmm. +14 is much more difficult.”

“Can you succeed?”

“Your Majesty, what a disappointing thing to say! Of course I can!”

His confidence surged when his carefully worded probe was met with no suspicion. ‘It would be great if I could secure a sacrifice for my ring in advance.’

That would be the best-case scenario, but unfortunately, he couldn’t push it that far. The Emperor wasn’t a complete pushover. If he even suspected that Simin was playing him or just using him, everything he had gained and stood to gain would vanish like a dream. This was just a game, but the stakes felt more lethal than in reality. He had to be careful.

So, he simply accepted the 300 gold goins.

“I will now attempt +14.”

Right. His original goal was the ring, anyway.

Clang! Clang!

The Emperor’s eyes were filled with a desperate hope, a miracle-seeking gaze that trusted in Simin’s confidence. Seeing him like that, Simin couldn’t help but shake his head.

‘Seriously, there isn’t a sane one among them,’ he thought, along with a sharp pang of self-awareness.

Flash!

[Enhancement successful.]

The plain, colorless liquid now radiated a light green aura. At the same moment...

Shing!

The imperial knights, who had been standing silently behind the Emperor, drew their swords in unison and surrounded him.

What was this? He shot a bewildered look at the Emperor, who kindly answered the unspoken question.

“I see now that you are indeed the successor to the legend. I acknowledge it and will grant you everything I promised. However, you will stop enhancing the holy water here.”

“...Excuse me? Why?”

Why? They were so close. Even a stray dog knew that the effects of +15 were far superior to +14.

“There was a prophecy from the temple,” the Emperor explained. “It said that to save the princess, she must be given Highest-Grade Holy Water of at least +13. I know that +14 is better, and +15 better still, but I am not willing to risk losing the holy water for a slight increase in probability.”

Ah. So that was it.

His deduction had been correct! And the dying person was his daughter! It all made sense now—the reason the Emperor had tolerated his rude behavior and had personally granted the requests of a lowly adventurer wandering his palace.

‘So you’re saying this is indispensable, right?’

The long journey had come down to a single sentence. And the holy water that would conclude this whole affair was in his hands. The countless swords pointed at him were filled with the intent to kill if he tried anything funny, but...

‘Shit. I can’t let it end like this.’

He hadn’t achieved his real goal yet! A smirk curled at the corner of Han Simin’s lips as he raised the hand holding the vial of holy water high above his head.

“Freeze!”