God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 191: Episode _Name Your Price (4)

6.

There’s a saying that to conduct a successful siege, the attacking force must outnumber the defenders by at least three to one. But that rule only goes so far. It doesn’t apply when the walls are too high to even place ladders, when the catapults have been destroyed, and when the only way to breach the walls is with soldiers whose strength is halved the moment they approach.

And that wasn’t all. The ground was littered with all sorts of landmines. Dying in battle against the enemy might at least be honorable, but how embarrassing would it be to die by stepping on a mine while simply walking?

Thus, the Marquis pulled his troops back. He didn’t retreat entirely. He withdrew just far enough to set up a camp out of range of a counterattack. His intention was to settle in for a long siege—a decent decision, considering how impregnable the walls were.

’I just need the gate to open,’ he thought. The interior was truly empty. They could crush the defenders with sheer numbers if they could just push through. It was unlikely the Rich Territory only had a few hundred soldiers, but the Marquis’s army was still massive. The problem was how to open that gate. It was the biggest hurdle, but the Marquis wasn’t worried.

"A long-term siege is to our advantage."

Ultimately, it was a battle of inside versus outside. The number of tourists within the Rich Territory was beyond imagination, and as time passed, their food supplies would inevitably dwindle. With so many nobles among them, they would surely try to get out one way or another, creating an opening. That’s what he would aim for. He couldn’t afford to worry about the cost of supplies in a war that would decide the fate of his domain. What mattered was that he could procure them.

With that confidence, the Marquis set up his camp. "They can’t come out anyway." If they dared to bring out their Mana Cannons or anything else, he would simply charge and push all the way inside their walls. They knew that, which is why they were staying put. This line of reasoning helped him forget the humiliation he had suffered earlier. How the other nobles must be mocking him—the sight of him struggling, unable to take a single territory from a man who became the Emperor’s son-in-law by sheer luck. He had to secure victory, no matter what. Regardless of the process, it is the final victor who laughs and writes history.

The Marquis was certain of this. And his certainty was not mere arrogance. In a conventional territory war, his judgment would have been flawless. But the Rich Territory was not conventional. While it had focused its investments solely on defense, the aide was not foolish enough to have overlooked a situation like this. There were several solutions available, but he hadn’t used them. There was no need.

A few days later, one night, the reason why began to emerge from the shadows.

*

Demonic energy-imbued Gates appeared randomly across the continent. They even appeared inside castles, a testament to how truly random their placement was. Yet, even in that randomness, there was a pattern. After enough time had passed and enough gates had appeared to establish a baseline, a general outline emerged when their locations were mapped across the continent.

They appear in dark, gloomy places where demonic energy is likely to gather.

It sounded like nonsense, but it was the literal truth. First, the location had to be sparsely populated. While gates did appear in castles, it was in deserted back alleys or underground storerooms where human traffic was nonexistent. Naturally, they appeared more frequently in high-level hunting grounds that humans couldn’t enter. The monsters from gates in such areas were powerful. You could think of them as mobile hunting grounds—new hunting grounds for humans. Of course, they would appear in places hidden from the enemy’s eyes.

In that sense, the area around the Rich Territory was a perfect breeding ground for these gates. Although much of it had been developed, the development was for tourism; only the monsters had been driven out, leaving nature untouched. Those displaced monsters constantly tested the borders, trying to reclaim their territory. Furthermore, a short journey deeper into the wilderness revealed areas still teeming with monsters. Go even further, and you would reach the Unknown Mountains. Beyond that lay uncharted lands. The Rich Territory, situated near the Four Forbidden Zones, was a veritable hotbed for demonic energy-imbued Gates.

The demons emerging from these gates wandered about, searching for prey. While other monsters were also targets, the top priority was always humans. ’Reduce the number of humans to make the coming invasion from the Demon Realm easier!’

Drawn by the scent, they swarmed. Other monsters stealthily followed, hoping to pick up some scraps. And these monsters caught a scent. It was impossible to miss. Tens of thousands of humans. They had set up camp right next to the monsters’ territory, some even brazenly setting up within it.

Normally, they wouldn’t have even considered attacking. Tens of thousands of humans. Any monster with a brain would know not to pick a fight with such a force. But this time was different. The monsters from the Demon Realm, survivors of its harsh conditions, acted on instinct.

"Grrrr!"

They knew when to strike and when to retreat. They would find the weakest point, tear into it, and pull back. There was no need for a life-or-death struggle with the humans. They would use their advantage: the night.

Night was the monsters’ greatest advantage. It was when humans slept. Attacking then would allow them to strike without taking damage and withdraw. They preyed on the humans this way. Naturally, the Marquis’s troops were forced to shift their sleeping schedule to the daytime.

Retreat? To pull back during a territory war, not because of the enemy, but because of mere monsters? A clean surrender would be far less humiliating. In a way, it was a matter of pride. Useless pride. But this world had been built upon the pride of nobles like him. The difference was that Han Simin, the master of the Rich Territory, and his Aide were always prepared to cast aside such unprofitable pride.

Boom. Boom.

During their sleep, a rough vibration echoed. The tremors from the Mana Cannons shook the ground, preventing the soldiers from getting proper rest. At night, they fought a desperate battle against monsters. As if the reversed sleep schedule wasn’t hard enough, their sleep was now irregular. Morale plummeted, and their combat effectiveness dropped with it.

7.

While the aide was successfully defending the Rich Territory as expected, Han Simin was finally ascending the last mountain.

"Going for +15," he announced.

This was it. The level requirement was high, and the Special grade meant the necessary sacrifices and rituals were immense, but he had finally completed his preparations and begun the broadcast. At this moment, the fate of the pendant—whether it would become soulbound—was far more important than some territory. The money he had invested in the Rich Territory felt insignificant anyway. He had put in a little at the start, but the rest had developed on its own. It couldn’t even be compared to the pendant, which would soon be converted into cash.

"Haa."

He took a deep breath and prepared for the enhancement. With a solemn posture, he washed his hands, set down the anvil, and placed the pendant upon it. He prayed and prayed again. Everyone who had been eyeing the pendant was watching. Its price had long been estimated to be higher than a Legendary-grade sword. If he actually hit +15 and started a bidding war, the price would soar even higher.

’I should buy a car after I sell this,’ he thought positively as he raised the hammer. For a moment, he considered selling it as it was, at +14, but he quickly shook his head. If he was going to sell it, if he was going to sell an item bearing the name ’Simin,’ it had to be the absolute best. A perfect item. An item that needed no further work. The luxury brand image of dealing only in such items was something money couldn’t buy.

Clang!

He brought the hammer down after a long, drawn-out ritual. A flash of light erupted.

[Enhancement successful.]

[Legendary Achievement! You have acquired 32 Stat Points.]

[‘Simin’ has successfully enhanced ‘+15 Bloody Grudge’!]

The enhancement announcement, which had been off for a while, was broadcast across the entire continent. Holograms followed.

[‘+15 Bloody Grudge’ evolves into ‘+15 Contagious Bloody Grudge’.]

[A special option is added to ‘+15 Contagious Bloody Grudge’.]

[You have completed the 5th Awakening of the Legendary job ‘Ultimate Legendary Enhancement Master’.]

[The range of targets you can enhance has been greatly expanded.]

He swallowed hard. He barely registered the 5th Awakening notification. The hologram about expanding his range of targets had been popping up constantly since the 3rd Awakening. Without any other benefits, it was hard to feel excited. Then, a hologram he had hoped not to see appeared. Evolution!

He instinctively scowled, even as congratulations and bidding wars flooded the chat. ’Please, no.’

He prayed desperately and cautiously checked the item’s options.

[+15 Contagious Bloody Grudge]

- Grade: Epic Special

- Level Requirement: 70

- Defense: 100 (+100)

- Special Option 1: Converts a portion of absorbed blood into a shield for the caster.

- Special Option 2: Converts a portion of absorbed blood into attack power for the caster.

- Special Option 3: Recovers the caster’s health with a portion of absorbed blood.

- Effect increased by 30% (+30%) for blood from the Demon Realm.

- Option 1: Applies ‘Deep Red Aura’ effect.

- Level requirement reduced by 15.

- Attack power increased by 3%.

- Chance to increase bleeding on attacked target.

Two new special options were added.

- Special Option 4: The Bloody Grudge effect is contagious to party members.

- Special Option 5: Binds to the wearer due to deep-seated resentment.

"...Ah."

Simin was greeted by good news and bad news at the same time. But his eyes were immediately drawn to the latter. ’It finally happened. Binding.’

As despair washed over him, his mind quickly tried to deny reality. "Wait a minute."

He instantly backed away from the pendant on the anvil and forced a bright smile. "I haven’t equipped it yet, have I?"

His words were broadcast to the viewers, and those who had been disheartened quickly regained their spirits.

—Is it Bind on Equip?

—Wow. Still, look at that price.

—Wouldn’t this actually make it more valuable? Once it’s bound, you don’t have to worry about dropping it.

In any other game, such a reaction would be unthinkable. A top-tier item that binds the moment you equip it. What a white elephant. A useless treasure that couldn’t be resold. If you ever quit the game, it would be literal trash. You might be able to sell the account to recoup some cost, but that wasn’t possible in Fantastic World.

However, for those who had no intention of quitting, it was a treasure secured with a perfect lock. No one plays a game—another world for another self—thinking they will ever quit.

His face now that of a seasoned merchant, Han Simin swiftly grabbed the pendant, displayed its options, and shouted, "Alright, folks! We’re not even going to an auction. Give me your best offer! I’ll sell it to the highest bidder!"

It was a sales tactic where buyers couldn’t even guess the other offers—a ploy to sell it for far more than they were thinking!

Was it divine punishment for his greed?

[It has been bound.]

"...Huh?"

As Han Simin held the pendant to his neck to explain how its appearance also added to its value, a devastating hologram appeared. Simultaneously, the chain unwound itself, snaked around the back of his neck, and fastened. It all happened before he could even process what was going on.

*