[Enhancent has failed.]
[’ 13 Sanctuary of the Curse’ will be destroyed.]
[You have acquired the title ’First Destruction!’]
[First Destruction!]
Grade: Rare
Description: After a long challenge, you have tasted frustration! The goddess of patience will be with you!
Benefit: Stamina 5
"Yes!"
It worked! A wave of emotion washed over him. ‘So a god does exist.’ He hadn’t slept in over twenty hours, doing nothing but hamring until he was on the verge of developing a hysterical aversion to the sound, but at least his desperate prayers had been answered.
"Wow. It actually broke."
A sense of pride swelled within him as he watched the gloomy, oppressive aura inside the detached palace clear away. Enhancent truly was a mysterious thing. Although there were still countless things that couldn’t be enhanced, seeing with his own two eyes that the scope of his ability expanded with each awakening gave him hope. Passion surged. He wanted to research more, to enhance things no one had ever imagined. How much could he charge for items born from creative thinking and enhancent? The thought excited him.
At the sa ti, he moved to focus on the present.
‘I’ll just take 100.’ That wasn’t his original plan, but in the midst of the repetitive hamring, he’d reached a point where he wasn’t even counting the attempts anymore. Naturally, he didn’t know how many stones were left, and neither did the palace servants. As long as he wasn’t caught, it was free money.
He imdiately opened his subspace and began shoveling the nearly empty bags of enhancent stones inside, not forgetting to scan his surroundings ticulously. He had to be ready to stop at any mont and act nonchalant. The only ones watching were the two imperial knights, who stood like statues staring straight ahead.
‘Huh? Two?’ Suddenly, he felt a sense of emptiness. Only two? That didn’t seem right. Sothing was nagging at him, sothing that felt off. His hands continued to scoop up stones, but he had a strange feeling that it wasn’t supposed to be just two people.
‘I don’t think it was just the three of us, including ...’
At that mont, he rembered what he had forgotten. It wasn’t complicated. The answer was obvious if he just recalled why he was going through all this trouble in the first place.
‘The Princess!’
He had been so blinded by the enhancent stones that he had forgotten her.
‘She’s drinking it, right?’ With no ti for remorse, he whipped his head around. With the Sanctuary of the Curse gone, she should have been drinking the holy water imdiately. It was a matter of critical timing where not even a fraction of a second could be wasted.
"Aargh!"
But what Simin saw when he turned was an uncapped bottle of Highest-Grade Holy Water spilling onto the floor, and next to it, the collapsed form of the Princess.
"No! Damn it!" He hadn’t even pocketed his target number of stones, but he threw the bag to the ground and sprinted. That wasn’t important right now.
"Son of a bitch! Why didn’t you just drink it when I gave it to you!"
What kind of tragic irony was this? Had she collapsed so quickly that she couldn’t even open the bottle and take a sip? He didn’t know what bastard had cast this curse, but he resented them with every fiber of his being.
This curse wasn’t just for the Princess; it was clearly designed to tornt anyone who tried to save her.
‘You son of a bitch... If I ever find you, you’re dead.’ He laid the Princess across his lap and gritted his teeth, cursing the anonymous caster—soone whose na, age, face, gender, and even race were a complete mystery. ‘Soday, when the main quest progresses, I’ll get my chance.’
He let out a sharp breath. For now, saving the collapsed Princess was all that mattered.
‘She’s not already dead, is she?’
Since she had stopped breathing and collapsed instantly, it was a real possibility.
"No!"
That couldn’t happen. If she died, the Emperor would imdiately have him thrown in prison and find a way to get his character deleted. The thought alone was horrifying. To fail on the very cusp of turning his life around... His 14 Ring of Blessing would rot away in so imperial dungeon, its value never recognized. And with it, his dream of making a new life for himself as a gar would die.
He shook his head violently. What a terrifying future. His vision narrowed.
"Haa... Haa..."
A venomous glint appeared in his eyes. He coolly tossed aside the half-spilled bottle of Highest-Grade Holy Water and grabbed another, twisting the cap off.
‘I have to save her.’
With fierce determination, he t her lifeless eyes.
"...Shit."
A heartfelt curse escaped his lips, but what else could he do? He brought the bottle to his own mouth, took a large swig of the Holy Water, and leaned over the Princess. The foul stench made him gag.
"Ugh."
It was a precious opportunity to get a small taste of what the Princess had endured for months. He carefully pried open her clenched jaw and let the Holy Water flow from his mouth into hers. He didn’t stop there, pressing on her throat to ensure the liquid went down before watching her anxiously.
‘Please, live.’
Praying, he imdiately uncapped the next bottle. The thought of potential side effects from an overdose never even crossed his mind. She was sure to die if he did nothing, so what did a few side effects matter? Aside from the fact that the acid reflux made him feel like he was about to die, the current situation was a hundred tis better for the Princess.
He continued to pour Holy Water down her throat. Without a mont to check if her condition was improving, he used up every last bottle he had prepared. For a fleeting mont, he considered pocketing a few to sell later, but what good would that do if the Princess died? He summoned the last speck of his conscience and focused on the task.
"Hah."
When he was finished, he felt as if the curse had transferred to him. He turned his head, gulping in the fresh air, but the stench lingered. He honestly felt like dying just once to get rid of the sll. He glared resentfully at the Princess, who was the source of all this trouble. ‘I’ve done this much. Isn’t it about ti you woke up?’
He stared at her for a long ti. There was nothing more he could do. He still had the 14 Holy Water, but that was his final trump card to win the bet. There was no guarantee that giving it to her would miraculously wake her up, and he had no intention of throwing it away without a plan.
"Cough!"
"Oh!"
Thankfully, the Princess had the decency to show signs of life finally. Just then, the Emperor, having heard the news, arrived.
"Father!"
"...The curse is broken."
It was a tearful reunion between father and daughter. Simin’s shoulders swelled with pride, soaring past the sky and into the cosmos. The Princess’s voice, free from the curse, was no longer grotesque. While she didn’t instantly transform into a beauty like in a novel or movie, the boils and pus that had covered her body vanished without a trace. Her intelligent eyes, bright as if she were erging from a shell, took in the world around her.
"Heh. How touching."
The sight of her running into the Emperor’s arms was moving to anyone who saw it. The surrounding palace servants were secretly wiping away tears. Simin was no different.
"Hic... Mom, I’m rich now."
Simi’s tears were for a different reason, but they were real. All this suffering had finally paid off. After considering the worst-case scenario of having to give up and start over, he had achieved his goal through a twenty-four-hour grind he’d never attempted in his life. Who wouldn’t be moved? He quickly ran through a ntal checklist of everything he needed to extort from the Emperor.
‘Enhance the ring, enhance the Holy Water, sign the marriage certificate, then go to the treasury and grab three items...’
He wouldn’t miss a single thing. With a look of grim resolve, Simin interrupted the touching father-daughter mont.
"Excuse . Sorry to interrupt, but could you save the drama for later and finish shooting the rest of the movie?"
The Emperor and Princess fell silent, their joyful reunion cut short.
Resentful glares shot Simin’s way, but he didn’t flinch. He had already spoken his mind to the Emperor. With a nonchalant stride, he headed back inside the now-clean detached palace. It was ti to see the end of the bet of the century between Han Simin and the Emperor, as well as the second bet taking place far away in the Ain Kingdom between Jeong Seolah and Kang Yeseul.
6.
It went without saying that Simin had not the slightest, not even an ant’s toenail’s worth, of an intention to enhance the ring to 15 for the bet. This entire journey had begun with the Ring of Blessing. In terms of value, the ring ca first, then the Holy Water—not the other way around. Most importantly, there was its rarity. As for the Holy Water, even if he lost the bet in the worst-case scenario, the Emperor was unlikely to actually enslave him since he had saved the Princess. He had already gauged the Emperor’s feelings on the matter, so he could just relax and make another 15 Holy Water later. The Emperor might not even want it anymore.
Therefore, he could sacrifice the Holy Water, but never the ring. His plan was to enhance the ring first. He already had a precedent with the curse’s sanctuary exploding. It felt like he could use the sanctuary as a sacrifice to overco even the slimst chance of failure.
"There is no need to enhance the Holy Water now."
"...Huh?"
An unbelievable voice reached Simin’s ears. It was the Emperor’s solemn, serious pronouncent.
"The Princess is free from the curse, so I will consider the bet my loss."
‘What nonsense is he saying?’ At first glance, it sounded like a favor worthy of cheers, but Simin’s brow furrowed instinctively.
"No, you can’t!" he protested, stopping the Emperor. ‘Please don’t do this. It’s so out of character.’
Confused stares naturally fell upon him, and Simin hastily made an excuse. "I an, a bet is a bet. And since she’s already had the Highest-Grade Holy Water, she should finish it off with a 15 Highest-Grade Holy Water. Who knows? It might wash away any lingering remnants of the curse still in her body."
"It seems to have been lifted the mont she left the detached palace," the Emperor noted.
"No! Absolutely not!" Simin vehently denied it, his eyes scanning the Princess. ‘There’s no way the Princess is supposed to look like this. Nope.’
‘There must be sothing more like hidden beauty. And I will be the one to find it!’
Seeing Simin burning with a strange sense of duty, the Princess smiled and said, "Please allow him to do so, Father."
"Very well."
Her words were approved without question. Simin imdiately headed for the pri spot, over which he had agonized for these few short steps!
"Heheh."
Without wasting ti, he took out the anvil and checked the ritual and the required sacrifice. A 15 Legendary-grade item. It would be no easy feat, and his body tensed on its own. The pri spot alone was draining enough, so this was to be expected.
But the sacrifice was simpler than he thought. No, it wasn’t just simple. There was only one, short, potent sacrifice. His gaze naturally shifted to the Emperor. The Simin who had been spouting insults was gone, replaced by one wearing a servile smile.
"Ahem, Your Majesty."
The Emperor looked at him, puzzled.
"I’m sorry, but you couldn’t just pretend you didn’t hear what I said earlier, could you?"
"What did you say?"
"The part about how it would be good for her to drink the 15 Holy Water. Sothing’s co up."
The Emperor remained silent, his expression unreadable.
The sacrifice required for the 15 Ring of Blessing was a 15 Highest-Grade Holy Water. Whether it was Betago’s mischief or the system chose sacrifices based on his inventory, the result was the sa. He was going to enhance the ring, and he needed the Holy Water to do it.
The Emperor let out a disbelieving laugh. He was no fool. He instantly understood the aning behind Simin’s words. "So you were enhancing the ring in the treasury because this was your true purpose all along."
"I can make you another one if you need it."
"...What are your thoughts, daughter?"
"If my savior needs it, then I am fine with it," she replied.
‘Her heart is truly beautiful.’ The effects of the curse still left her looking pitiful, but for so reason, she looked lovely.
"Fine. I will forgive you in exchange for one of your wishes."
"Thank you!"
He had received the Emperor’s forgiveness. One wish was a small price to pay for a 15 Ring of Blessing.
"Well then..."
All that was left was to enhance the ring to 15. With a joyful heart, he took off the ring and placed the Holy Water on the anvil.
He paused. Then he realized sothing.
"Um, Your Majesty."
"Adventurers are truly strange and troubleso creatures. You ask for so much."
The 15 Holy Water also required a sacrifice. Wearing his 15 shalessness, he smiled sheepishly. Fortunately, the needed item was a Rare-grade with a low level requirent, so it was easy to obtain, and the Emperor simply handed it over. And with that...
[Player ‘Simin’ has successfully enhanced ‘ 15 Highest-Grade Holy Water’!]
[Total 15 Successes: 4]
A sacrifice impossible for any enhancent master other than Han Simin was complete.
[Player ‘Simin’ has successfully enhanced ‘ 15 Ring of Blessing’!]
[Total 15 Successes: 5]
[You have acquired the title ‘Ultimate Legendary Enhancent Master!’]
[You are the first to achieve a 15 Legendary item.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[First-ever Mythic Achievent! You have acquired 50 Stat Points.]
[‘ 15 Ring of Blessing’ evolves into ‘ 15 Ring of Blessing of Choice’.]
[A special option has been added to ‘ 15 Ring of Blessing of Choice’.]
[‘ 15 Ring of Blessing of Choice’ requests a selection.]
"Huh?"
Two holograms blocked his view.
* * *
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