Chapter 38: The Pain of Poverty, Who Understands!

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Pain of Poverty, Who Understands!

[Character Name: Yu Zhun]

[Level: Lv8 (1930/2400)]

[Profession: Enhancer]

[Luck: 14.7 → 21] [Environment: +5%]

[Profession Skill 1 (Enhancement)]

[Profession Skill 2 (Enhancement Transfer)]

Looking at his Life Profession level, which was not too far from Lv9, Yu Zhun took a deep breath.

Was it fast to level up? He had bought it with money!

Yu Zhun had forcefully smashed in nearly four hundred Equipment Enhancement Stones. Even factoring in the doubled experience from enhancement failures, he had barely grinded his way to Lv8. The Equipment Enhancement Stones consumed alone were worth as much as two pieces of Purple Equipment.

However, looking at his renewed Red Equipment, Yu Zhun felt it was all worth it.

[Nether’s Sigh +10]

[Equipment Attributes:

Physical Attack +1260 → Physical Attack +2457]

[Guardian of the Nether +10]

[Equipment Attributes:

Health +2400 → Health +4680]

[Nether’s Deep Embrace +10]

[Equipment Attributes:

Physical Defense +400 → Physical Defense +780

Magic Defense +400 → Magic Defense +780]

The weapon, Armor, and accessory, after a bumpy series of enhancements, had finally all reached the +10 enhancement level!

"Next up is enhancement above +10," Yu Zhun muttered to himself, a cautious look appearing in his eyes.

Enhancements beyond +10 not only had a higher probability of dropping a level—potentially even dropping two levels—but also carried a ten percent risk of shattering the equipment entirely.

This was Red Equipment of immensely high value, yet with such a low equipment requirement level. Yu Zhun himself wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to obtain something like it again in the future, so he naturally couldn’t let it shatter and vanish during enhancement.

If he wanted to prevent it from vanishing, it wasn’t completely impossible.

Enhancers had the Three Divine Talismans: the Lucky Talisman, the Level-retaining Talisman, and the Divine Protection Talisman.

The Lucky Talisman could provide a single additional luck bonus, granting an extra 500 points of Luck Value for the current enhancement.

The Level-retaining Talisman ensured that equipment, which would otherwise drop a level upon an enhancement failure, maintained its original level. However, it couldn’t guarantee that the equipment wouldn’t shatter.

The effect of the Divine Protection Talisman was the exact opposite of the Level-retaining Talisman. It was an item specifically meant to ensure the equipment didn’t shatter if the enhancement failed.

For each enhancement, only one of each of these three items could be used, but all three could be used simultaneously.

In high-level enhancements, these three items were practically essential to guarantee the safety of the equipment and the success of the enhancement.

Yu Zhun had six Lucky Talismans in hand, which he had obtained in the Nether Trial. Buying such Lucky Talismans directly would cost two million, and even with a twenty percent discount, it would still require 1.6 million.

The selling price of the Divine Protection Talisman was slightly higher than the Lucky Talisman. The original price was three million, making it 2.4 million after the twenty percent discount.

As for the Level-retaining Talisman, it was the most expensive of the three items. Its original price was five million, and its discounted price was four million.

Using all three items together meant a single enhancement would cost eight million.

This was where the Enhancer profession burned money the most. As for the price of Equipment Enhancement Stones, it was basically just pocket change.

Yu Zhun took out a Lucky Talisman and tentatively placed it on the enhancement page for the accessory, [Nether’s Deep Embrace]. Then, he suddenly let out a gasp of surprise.

[Nether’s Deep Embrace]

[Enhancement Level: +10 → +11]

[Equipment Attributes:

Physical Defense +780 → Physical Defense +880

Magic Defense +780 → Magic Defense +880]

[Enhancement Consumption: Equipment Enhancement Stone x16]

[Enhancement Success Rate: 64.6%] [Luck: +546%]

[Auxiliary Item: Lucky Talisman]

[Begin Enhancement]

The Lucky Talisman could provide 500 points of luck. His own base luck at Lv8 was 20 points, which became 21 points under the five percent boost from the Enhancement Room.

Added together, it should have been 521 points. But now, his luck had increased by 546 percent, directly bumping the enhancement success rate from ten percent to 64.6 percent.

Could it be... "Does the Enhancement Room even amplify the luck provided by the Lucky Talisman?" Yu Zhun murmured, revealing a look of surprise.

If that was the case... he suddenly understood the price of a top-tier Enhancement Room a little better.

Although the rent was expensive, if the enhancement success rate could be greatly increased, it would actually save more money in the long run.

It was totally worth it!

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."

Outside the Enhancement Room, a muffled knocking sound rang out at that moment, followed by a staff member’s polite voice coming from beyond the door. "Sir, your rental time is up. Would you like to renew?"

His time was up? Perfect timing. He could switch to a different Enhancement Room.

"Coming!" Yu Zhun replied. He put away the three pieces of Red Equipment and pushed the door open to exit the Enhancement Room.

The person standing outside was still the same woman who had received him earlier. At this moment, without waiting for her to speak, Yu Zhun spoke up directly.

"I’d like to rent a top-tier Enhancement Room for an hour, and buy six Divine Protection Talismans and five Level-retaining Talismans. All together, that should be 42.4 million, right?"

As Yu Zhun spoke, his heart had already started to ache. Nearly fifty million, and it was only enough for six enhancements.

"Sir, it doesn’t cost that much." The woman chuckled softly. "I was just about to tell you the good news. Ten minutes ago, the Divine Revelation Hall headquarters announced a new regulation.

"In order to enhance the overall strength of all citizens and encourage more players to choose Enhancer as their Life Profession, all Enhancer-related resources are universally discounted by fifty percent.

"Therefore, what you’ve asked for will cost a total of 26.5 million."

"...A fifty percent discount?" Yu Zhun fell silent for a moment. "What about the extra 3,000 I spent earlier when I rented the Basic Enhancement Room..."

"It’s non-refundable, sir," the woman said, spreading her hands.

"Alright." Yu Zhun rubbed his cheeks, feeling a surreal sense of incredibly convenient luck. "Let’s go pay."

"Please follow me."

As they walked, the woman suddenly stopped and bowed slightly toward the front. Yu Zhun subconsciously looked over and froze.

A tall man was walking right toward them.

The man had extremely rugged features, his chiseled face partially obscured by a hideous scar that covered more than half of it.

By the time they brushed past each other, Yu Zhun slowly retracted his gaze, but the image of the man remained etched in his mind for a long time.

"That man just now... who was he?" Yu Zhun couldn’t help but ask.

"Oh, him, sir!" The woman smiled. "Yesterday, in conjunction with the reforms, the Divine Revelation Hall made a series of personnel transfers. That is Mr. Zhu Zhe, the newly appointed Sub-Hall Master of Divine Strategy City who just took office today."

Yu Zhun looked thoughtful, silently committing the name to memory.

The two of them soon arrived at the storefront that sold items. Because of the fifty percent discount, Yu Zhun simply spent another twenty million to buy four more sets of the Three Divine Talismans.

Gathering enough for ten enhancements, he figured he would just boost them as much as possible. After this single wave of spending, his savings, which had originally exceeded fifty million, directly dropped back down to the millions.

Entering the top-tier Enhancement Room, Yu Zhun activated [Enhancement].

[Nether’s Deep Embrace]

[Enhancement Level: +10 → +11]

[Equipment Attributes:

Physical Defense +780 → Physical Defense +880

Magic Defense +780 → Magic Defense +880]

[Enhancement Consumption: Equipment Enhancement Stone x16]

[Enhancement Success Rate: 82.8%] [Luck: +728%]

[Auxiliary Items: Lucky Talisman, Divine Protection Talisman]

[Begin Enhancement]

Upgrading from +10 to +11 didn’t necessarily require a Level-retaining Talisman, because if it dropped a level, it could easily be enhanced back up. However, beyond +11, all Three Divine Talismans had to be used simultaneously; missing even one could result in catastrophic losses.

Looking at the enhancement success rate, which had already surpassed eighty percent under the buff of the top-tier Enhancement Room, Yu Zhun took a deep breath.

Enhancement, begin!