Debuff Master

Chapter 423

Enhancing an existing artifact was an extremely difficult process that even the most seasoned veteran blacksmith would not be able to guarantee the outcome.

It was not strange at all, as creating something from scratch was sometimes easier than altering something already existing in most cases. Thus, the workshops stopped offering manual enhancement services and switched to fully automated enhancement services using the Enhancement Machines.

Moreover, manual enhancement was far more expensive than automated enhancement, which was why the workshops on the continent stopped issuing enhancement coupons and gear protection coupons more than a hundred years ago.

They had made quite a lot of money when they started selling enhancement coupons, but those coupons later came back to bite them hard, as guaranteeing enhancement success was simply too expensive for them to handle.

Of course, all of that happened before the Adventurers descended onto the continent.

Anyway, Quandt could not help but be shocked to see that Siegfried possessed both an enhancement coupon and a gear protection coupon. Not to mention, he felt extremely pressured after seeing those two coupons.

Why?

It was all because the workshop would have to spend a fortune to make sure that the artifact wouldn\'t be destroyed and that it would be enhanced.

Siegfried smirked and asked, Mehehe What do you think?

H-How did you

Why? Am I not allowed to have this?

No, but

Are you scared how much youre going to lose from this?

Ugh!

Mwahaha! Siegfried flashed an evil grin and laughed like a villain.Then, he glared at the old blacksmith and growled, What goes around comes around! Its time for you to pay for exploiting other people!

But that was not our workshops fault That was purely your

Im not interested in your excuses, Siegfried waved his hand and dismissed the old blacksmiths excuse.

However, he suddenly stopped and stared at the two coupons as if pondering something important.

I have a question.

What is it?

If this weapon gets upgraded to a Universal weapon, whats going to happen to the enhancement? Will it remain?

I don\'t think so. Upgrading it will involve disassembling it and adding new materials to it

Tsk Siegfried clicked his tongue in response and now had a dilemma after hearing that the enhancement levels were going to be reset once Horse Fly was upgraded.

Please wait a second I need some time to think Siegfried said and inspected his coupon.

[Bavarian Workshop Enhancement Coupon]

[An enhancement coupon officially issued by the Bavarian Workshop.]

[The Bavarian Workshop will enhance a +10 or above artifact requested by the coupon holder one time with a 100% success rate. (No level limit)]

[Type: Coupon (Consumable)]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Remarks: Using this on a piece of equipment with the highest enhancement rank will yield the most reward.]

What was going to happen after Horse Fly was enhanced to +10 Vanquishers Grasp? He could use the coupon to turn it into a +11 Vanquishers Grasp, and it was going to become +11 without a doubt, thanks to the coupon.

However, the problem was that his greed had no limits.

Siegfried read the protection coupon once again.

[Bavarian Workshop Equipment Protection Coupon]

[Prevents the equipment from being destroyed upon enhancement failure.]

[Type: Coupon (Consumable)]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Remarks: Prevents the player from ruining their life once.]

The Equipment Protection Coupon was basically insurance.

Will the protection coupon maintain the artifacts enhancement level too? Siegfried asked.

Of course not! Read the backside of the coupon!

Huh? Siegfried tilted his head in confusion and read the backside of the coupon as told.

There were small words written on the backside of the coupon.

[The equipment will not be destroyed, but all enhancement levels will be reset.]

It turned out that the protection coupon would only protect the equipment from getting destroyed. The equipment\'s enhancement level would still be reset upon enhancement failure.

What the hell?! This is a scam! How can you call yourself a reputable business when youre running scams like this?! Siegfried screamed in anger.

What?! Scam?! How can it be a scam when its written clearly right there?! Quandt retorted.

Kiss my ass! This is a scam!

A-Ahem!

Wow, I don\'t know what to say. You guys are a bunch of thieving thugs! Tsk And you call yourself a business Siegfried grumbled and cursed the blacksmiths of the Bavarian Workshop hundreds of years ago.

He found himself in another dilemma. He could enhance Horse Fly into +11 without any problems with the enhancement coupon, but the protection coupon was going to become useless.

Why?

It was all because if he enhanced Horse Fly from +11 to +12, and it failed, the protection coupon was going to save his weapon, but it was going to reset its enhancement level.

In other words, the maximum enhancement level he could reach was +10, which was no different from what he could achieve without the coupons.

In other words

I should use the protection coupon first.

What if he succeeded in enhancing Horse Fly to +11 with the help of the protection coupon? He could then use the enhancement coupon to enhance it to +12.

However, what if he mustered the courage to take it a step further and enhanced it once again with the protection coupon and managed to succeed in enhancing it to +12? Then he could use the enhancement coupon to enhance it to +13!

He could end up with a +13 Horse Fly if he played his cards right.

To sum it all up, using the protection coupon first was definitely the right choice.

Please enhance that first. Ill use these later, Siegfried said after making up his mind and handing the +10 Enhancement Coupon he had received as a gift from King Allen.

Quandt shed a tear and replied, "A-All right"

Argh! Our workshop might go bankrupt because of this! Quandt inwardly lampooned as he took Horse Fly and the coupon away.

Quandt was nervous. Siegfrieds luck was rotten, but if he somehow managed to succeed in enhancing the artifact to +12 then the materials used to guarantee the +13 enhancement were definitely going to deal a huge blow to the workshops finances.

***

Siegfried logged out and rested before descending onto the Nrberg Continent a few hours later.

Welcome back, Quandt greeted him.

Siegfried stretched and replied, Aaaaah~ I rested quite well, all thanks to you!

The enhancement is done. Here, take it, Quandt said as he passed Horse Fly to Siegfried.

A message popped up in front of Siegfrieds eyes.

[Alert: You have obtained +10 Vanquishers Grasp!]

Siegfried flashed his Rune of Insight on the +10 Horse Fly.

Lets see he muttered as he inspected its details.

[Additional Attack Power: 1,900]

The +10 Horse Fly received a whopping +1,900 bonus Attack Power!

What? Siegfried could not believe his eyes. It was understandable why he was so surprised, as the +15 Gaias Fist had +2,432 bonus attack power.

However, a mere +10 Vanquisher\'s Grasp already had +1,900 Attack Power? This was a massive bonus if taking into consideration that a weapon only received a massive boost in Attack Power from +11 onward.

What the hell?! This weapon is going to be stronger than a +15 weapon if I get it to +11?! Siegfried screamed. Horse Fly was going to have the same, if not more, bonus Attack Power than the +15 Gaias Fist.

What if he somehow managed to enhance it to +12? The bonus Attack Power would make the +15 Gaias Fist look like a toy hammer. However, there was one thing to take into consideration, and it was the fact that Horse Flys base Attack Power was already higher than Gaias Fists base Attack Power.

In other words, +10 Horse Fly was bound to be stronger than +15 Gaias Fist!

Oh!

Hoho! Are you happy?!

Yes, I am! Siegfried exclaimed in response while nodding, and then he exclaimed in awe once more, This is the stats of a +10 weapon?!

Its not a Universal artifacts component for nothing! But trying to enhance it to +11 right now will come with some risks, so I dont really recommend doing

Nope, Im not falling for that.

Tsk Look at this old man trying to con me in broad daylight, Siegfried clicked his tongue and shook his head. Then, he asked, You are honestly scared, arent you? You are worried you will have to enhance it for free from +11 or even +12 if I get lucky.

N-Not at all!

No, your face!

A-Aheeem!

Tsk, tsk I didnt think you were this petty of a person

In the end, Quandt could not say a word at Siegfrieds repeated harassment.

Ugh! Those damn coupons! Why did our ancestors have to issue those coupons?! No, rather than that! Who the hell preserved such an old coupon in the first place?! Quandt could not help but loathe his ancestors.

Ill use this freshly enhanced weapon first. Dont worry, Ill come back to use these babies if I need more Attack Power. Hehehe! Siegfried laughed sheepishly before putting both coupons back into his Inventory.

Ughh Quandt could not help but groan in agony. He could already see the massive loss he would incur in the near future.

***

I cant wait to use this, Siegfried itched for battle, curious about the destructive power of his freshly enhanced +10 Horse Fly.

This was the beauty of games, was it not? Testing out your newly upgraded weapon and wreaking havoc was a thrill all gamers enjoyed.

I should go to the Bayaba Territory first

Siegfried started walking away upon deciding on his destination, but the crowd in front of the workshop\'s enhancement machines attracted his attention.

Murmur Murmur Murmur

It was normal for a crowd to gather in front of each workshops enhancement machines, but they seemed unusually noisy today.

Did something happen? Siegfried looked and went over to see what was going on.

One more time?

Wow Going for it is insane

Is self-control not a thing these days?

Really? One more time?

All eyes were focused on a single Adventurer.

Huh? Is someone attempting something risky? Siegfried wondered and watched.

Haa

The Adventurer in question collected his breathing before putting his shiny trident into the enhancement machine.

Siegfried could tell that the trident was at least +13, judging from the bright glow it was giving off, and there was a high chance that it was above +13.

The enhancement machine vibrated vigorously and started the enhancement process.

Chik! Chik! Poof!

Chik! Chik! Fwoooooosh!

The enhancement machine unleashed steam and cried out.

[Alert: The enhancement requested by MassacreFlag has succeeded!]

[Alert: MassacreFlag-nim has successfully enhanced the +15 Poison Trident to +16 Poison Trident!]

The result was a jackpot.

The Adventurer with the ID MassacreFlag managed to upgrade his trident into plus sixteen!

Whoa!

Crazy!

Sixteen?

SIXTEEEEEN?!

The crowd raged the moment the result came out.

Sixteen!

It was an enhancement level that only a select few from the three hundred million players could enjoy! In addition, it was extremely rare for a high-tier weapon to have such a high enhancement level!

That Adventurer could live comfortably for the rest of his life without having to worry about money until his last dying breath if he sold his +16 Poison Trident.

Sixteen Siegfried muttered while dazedly looking at the Adventurer. He was a gamer, too, and it was impossible for him as a gamer not to feel challenged after seeing someone succeed right in front of his eyes.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Siegfried could feel something pulsating deep inside him as if it was trying to climb all the way to his head.

N-No! Siegfried desperately tried to keep his reason intact.

It hasnt even been ten minutes! This is still brand new! Nooo! No No Nooo Nooo!

He repeatedly told himself not to do it, but a magic spell was cast on him.

No Noy Nyo Nye Yeo Yes Yes Yes

The no he was repeatedly telling himself changed letter by letter until it became a yes.

Thud, thud, thud.

Siegfried walked toward an enhancement machine as if he had been bewitched by a magic spell.