God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 76: Episode 15 _ I’m Bored, So Let_s Unlock a Chest (3)

Chapter 76: Episode 15 _ I’m Bored, So Let_s Unlock a Chest (3)

5.

Han Simin’s personal channel was quite famous in Fantastic World. It had generated a huge buzz early on, and he’d had the audacity to switch it to a paid subscription while tens of thousands of people were watching. Of course, if that had been all, he would have been dismissed as just another jerk. People were always looking for new things to capture their interest, and past events were usually forgotten.

But there was one reason Simin’s name kept coming up in conversation, and why people occasionally checked to see if his stream was on.

—Ah, that stream was so much fun.

—Enhancing a reward box to +15 was hilarious, but the item that came out of it was even crazier. It was just some weird ring, right?

—Does anyone know that the players with him back then are now ranked 1, 2, and 3?

—There’s a rumor going around that they have an EXP buff artifact. You think that’s it?

—Nah, no way. If that were true, the person who had it would be rank 1. Why would they share it? Besides, the three of them are leveling up at almost the same time.

—You never know. Maybe it gives EXP to nearby players too.

—If you had an item with a function like that, would you use it on someone else?

—Being rank 1 would get you sponsorships and stuff worth tens of thousands a month. If it were me, I’d just use it myself.

It was a broadcast that offered the potential to satisfy the most important elements for players: vicarious satisfaction and excitement. In fact, after that stream, perceptions about enhancement began to shift. More and more players started enhancing their weapons, even if not to high levels. It was limited to those with money, of course, but the simple change in mindset—from thinking it was better to buy other items to considering enhancement as a potentially more efficient option—was a very positive development for Simin, who made his living from it.

—It’s been two months. Is this guy dead?

—Doubt it. He still posts on the FW forums regularly.

—Have you seen this player’s items? Someone compiled all the screenshots in a post. You should check it out. It’s insane. From his dagger to his armor, everything is +15. Even his accessories are +15.

—At this point, isn’t he basically a bug exploiter?

—Bug my ass. I’m jealous, but there are no bugs in Fantastic World. Betago even said that if there’s a bug it can’t catch, players are free to use it.

—True.

The number of active players was approaching twenty million, with more than double that number participating in broadcasts or on the community forums. Among them, it wasn’t strange that there were people who missed Simin and looked forward to his content once more.

For them, good news arrived.

[The broadcast has started.]

—Huh?

—What’s this? Is he streaming?

—Whoa. Awesome.

With the notification, his personal channel went live. Naturally, there was a viewing fee this time as well. It had been a while, yet he was charging for it. In an era where a personal broadcast would be lucky to get a thousand viewers even if it were free, this was madness.

—Wow. A $10 entrance fee? Is this guy a complete psycho?

—LMAO, he did this last time too. During his first stream, with tens of thousands watching, he just announced he was charging a fee and kicked everyone out.

—But it was worth the money. At least, I didn’t regret paying $1 one bit. I’m watching this one too.

—Plus, this guy doesn’t upload VODs.

Though complaints about the price flooded in, most of the people who had been waiting for Simin were fans who had been captivated by his unique charm. They were a demographic willing to pay a mere $10 for a bit of vicarious satisfaction, as were most players of Fantastic World.

Though only a few hundred people paid the fee, they willingly unlocked the broadcast screen. What would it be this time? They were curious and excited. This man’s stream, his equipment... perhaps they were the first to discover and follow the broadcast of someone who would one day become incredibly famous in Fantastic World.

The star of their expectations appeared. Han Simin. In his hands were three chests.

—Is it another box opening?

—Looks a little different from last time.

—Of course it’s different. That was a box he got from clearing the main quest.

—So the last one was better?

—Who knows. By simple math, the last one was $1 and this one is $10, so it could be ten times better.

—What kind of nonsense is that? The one he enhanced and opened last time was Legendary-grade. How can this be ten times better?

Once again, it was Pandora’s box, leaving viewers confused. As the chat scrolled faster, their anticipation soared.

—What is it? Say something.

—Does he not read chat?

—Dude, please look over here.

—Give up. This guy doesn’t read chat.

The lack of communication was the same as before. Amid the chaotic atmosphere, a magical thing happened: the viewer count grew just from him sitting silently in a tree, staring intently at the three chests.

—Guys, why does this stream have so many viewers when it costs $10?

—Heyo. Can’t let you guys have all the fun. Just posted about this on the FW community forums.

—You won’t regret it. This is my second time watching, and he doesn’t disappoint.

While the viewer count was nothing for a free stream, for a paid one—especially considering the price—it was an astonishing number that piqued the interest of even those who didn’t know about Simin. It sparked their curiosity. What kind of broadcast was this that people were paying $10 to watch? Could there be something incredibly entertaining?

Was this some VIP stream I didn’t know about?

There was a reason companies used premium pricing strategies. Even if only a tiny fraction of the vast player base thought this way, the viewer count had already surpassed a thousand. The broadcast title was also more than enough to attract attention.

—“Opening 3 Legendary-grade Chests”? Are there really people who fall for this and pay $10?

—You, apparently.

—LOL, then why did you come in?

—Oh, right. Damn. The clickbait is real. This looks less like a Legendary chest and more like something he picked up off the street.

In any case, enough viewers had gathered. Simin, who had been spacing out, picked up one of the three chests. A tense moment. He pulled a crimson key from his pouch and opened the lock.

The chest opened, revealing a single book and a piece of parchment.

“Son of a bitch.”

The moment he saw it, Simin’s cheerful curse echoed through the stream, his scowling face perfectly conveying his current mood.

* * *

“Why this, of all things...?”

Seriously, out of all the treasures in the world, why did those damn old geezers have to put such unlucky things in their chests and call them treasure? It was obvious they didn’t trust their own disciples. That’s right. They must not have trusted them to do something like this.

The old man who made it so opening a chest forced a class change was the root of the problem, all because he was too lazy to save his own disciple and wanted to screw over the other legends. If his chest hadn’t been opened, that job might have rotted inside it forever.

‘That might have been for the best.’

Only those who have experienced the hell of a 200% experience penalty could understand. All for the ability to lead around a hundred rabbits.

“Haah.”

And now, another book. It was so blatant it was practically an advertisement telling him not to open it. Of course, when the five old men prepared the chests, they must have assumed only one would be opened and prepared their "bombs" accordingly. They probably never imagined someone would be sighing in front of a treasure.

“Does this mean I’ll get another Legendary job if I read this?”

Then the 550% penalty would become 750%, and he would truly become a beginner fumbling around, never able to reach the max level, let alone level 100.

As he fell into another panic, a thought suddenly struck him.

’Wait a minute. Am I being too pessimistic? It’s a Legendary job, after all.’

If they had any sense, they wouldn’t create something as crazy as the Tamer job, right? This was a chest that their own disciple had a 20% chance of opening. Besides, he was only able to get the Tamer job because his sub-job slot happened to be empty. Normally, wouldn’t a message pop up asking if he wanted to abandon his current job and choose the new one?

“In that case...”

The thought made him feel a little embarrassed. He had gotten ahead of himself. And even if it were true, he wouldn’t be struck by lightning out of the blue this time.

’Could there be a genuinely good Legendary job among them?’

If so, he was more than willing to ditch the Enhancement Master class immediately. The job’s passive options were a waste to throw away, but even without them, Simin was confident he could make money with his own abilities. If he were given a combat class that could rule the continent, he could leverage his items and skills to rake in cash by the bucketful.

So, he unfolded the parchment first. It would probably explain what this book was.

[To the one who opens this.]

[You who are reading this must be the disciple of one of us five. I would be pleased if you were my disciple, the Ultimate Legendary Grand Mage, but if not, that is fine as well. The treasure I have prepared is a magic book containing my life’s enlightenment. Magic is a secret art that allows humans to transcend their given limitations and approach the magic of the dragons. With just that small, incomplete enlightenment, I made a name for myself on the continent and was able to defeat the demons that invaded it. Opener, I pray you attain this enlightenment. And if by chance a disciple of another has seen this, I ask that you please deliver it to my disciple...]

“What is this? Useless.”

The most important final words on the parchment faded away, unseen by Simin.

—??? Isn’t that the most important part?

—I think I saw something about delivering it to his disciple, but maybe not...

—LOL, what an ass.

—But I think the old geezer who wrote the parchment is at fault. Who’s gonna deliver it? He sounds like some delusional mage. I’d take it for myself too.

Since his chat was off, he didn’t see the viewers’ reactions either. He picked up the book and opened it. He wasn’t a mage, so he couldn’t understand it, but he figured it was some kind of spellbook.

“It would be nice if it had about ten 9th-Circle spells in it.”

If so, he could sell it for a very high price. No player could use it right now, but for any user dreaming of becoming a mage, it would be the ultimate skill book.

Naturally, he couldn’t read the text in the spellbook. As he slowly flipped to the last page, a hologram appeared.

[Would you like to learn Chantless Casting (SS)?]

[Would you like to learn Penta Casting (SS)?]

He was taken aback.

He got two messages. It wasn’t as many as he’d hoped for, but it was enough to make his jaw drop. They were SS-rank skills, and their names alone were so incredible that even Simin, who wasn’t a mage, felt an overwhelming urge to learn them.

But he suppressed his greed and closed the book. He was certain it was a million times more valuable than the Tamer’s treasure, which just forced a job change on you. Why? Because he could sell it!

“If I sell this...”

He could make up for the loss he took on the Ring of Blessing. No, he might even get more. Comparing the two, the Ring of Blessing would lose its value the moment he hit the unknown max level, but this skill book would only truly begin to shine after reaching that point.

“Hehe. Hahahahahahaha!”

He knew it!

Not all five of them could be psychopaths! A hearty laugh echoed through the gloomy forest. Filled with newfound confidence, Simin reached for the remaining two chests.

* * *

Episode 77