1.

Kim Buja didn't particularly like enhancing. In fact, he wouldn't touch it unless he absolutely had to. It wasn't just about enhancing; he was rationally aware that the game company designed any content involving probability to beat the player, so he avoided it whenever possible. For him, games were a business. It was the same principle that kept casino dealers from gambling their own money on the floor.

If he absolutely needed an item that wasn't on the market, he would settle for a slightly inferior but available substitute. If he couldn't progress without a specific item, he would rather pay a premium to buy it, use it, and then resell it. Pouring money into a gacha system and praying for good luck was simply not in his playbook.

This wasn't just because he was unlucky. On the contrary, luck had been on his side quite a bit throughout his gaming life. And that was all the more reason to stay away.

"Probability always regresses to the mean, after all."

Luck could be good one moment and terrible the next. A successful outcome brought fleeting happiness, but a loss meant more than just a disruption to his plans; it could mean going without dinner. In that sense, Gold Enhancement was not a feature he particularly welcomed.

The one-percent 'miracle' that had greeted him the very first time he tried Gold Enhancement was a stark reminder of exactly why he avoided it. Still, there was only one reason he was now willing to reinvest the roughly 2,300 gold he'd worked so hard to save without a second thought: this was different. The hologram wasn't some predatory game company hell-bent on milking its players for cash. And while the low success rates were likely similar, the fundamental principle was not.

Pay to win. The rewards that came from paying for power here were on a completely different level. Gold Enhancement was a permanent asset. The game, the dungeons—they might all disappear someday, but the character of Kim Buja would exist until the day he died, and any stats he enhanced would apply forever. No matter how much gold he poured into it, if it resulted in even a single step of growth, it would never be a waste.

That's why he initiated it without hesitation.

[Would you like to enhance the weapon?]

▶ Current Level: 3 → 4

▶ Gold Required: 200

▶ Success Rate: 60%

▶ Failure Rate: 40%

▶ Destruction Rate: 0%

▶ On Success:

1. Attack Power +15 → Attack Power +25

A single click would vaporize ten percent of the gold he'd painstakingly saved over the past week. A sixty percent success rate was a maddeningly thin line between triumph and failure. He'd summoned the item casually, but staring at the stark figures, he couldn't help but swallow hard. 'What if I land on that forty percent?'

The zero percent destruction chance was a small comfort, but the thought of 200 gold—half a day of grueling work—evaporating into thin air was a far more immediate terror.

"But if it succeeds…"

For a mere 200 gold, he could gain a permanent +10 to his attack power. The potential payoff was too good to ignore.

"Enhance."

He had a good feeling about this. A familiar tension settled over him, the light thrill of an enhancement attempt after so long. He'd been forced into gambles of probability before, and his beginner's luck had always been solid. 'Just get it to +4, then we'll see.'

[200 Gold has been used.]

[Enhancement has failed.]

['Achievement: Enhancement Failure (R)' progress has been updated. (5 → 6)]

[You have earned the achievement 'Achievement: Enhancement Addiction (R)'.]

['Achievement: Enhancement Addiction (U)' progress has been updated. (495G → 695G)]

The word 'Failure' flashed before his eyes, a stark, digital slap in the face. With it came a dawning, bitter realization: whatever beginner's luck he had in games, it clearly didn't apply to reality.

* * *

"Hmm."

Anyone who'd ever gambled on an enhancement knew the feeling.

"Should I wait until tomorrow?"

Every gambler knew the numbers were supposed to be independent, but every gambler also knew that was bullshit. Luck came in streaks. There were good days and bad days. On a good day, successes would follow one after another. On a bad day, you could burn through your entire fortune and have nothing to show for it but a pile of digital dust.

It was only one attempt, but the superstition wormed its way into his mind. 'Should I try one more time? But what if it fails again?' The pressure of losing another 200 gold made him hesitate.

Of course, he had to do it. He couldn't afford to waste a single day during the event, and there was no guarantee tomorrow would be any luckier. The real dilemma was one of priority.

"Should I level up my skills first?"

His original plan had been simple: get the weapon to +4, then spend 300 gold to level up his Gold Enhancement skill to see what new benefits it unlocked. After that, he'd bring all his armor pieces to +3 to activate the next tier of the Enhancement Stage Level effect. One failure had thrown a wrench in the works, but his situation hadn't fundamentally changed.

He still had a hefty 2,100 gold. If he could just forget the failure, it was like getting a free do-over. But another failure would trap him in a costly loop, and he'd risk accomplishing less than half of what he'd set out to do.

It was time for a decision. Buja re-evaluated his priorities. 'What do I need most right now?'

He was doing this to win the event. To do that, he needed to conquer a Legendary-grade dungeon. When he weighed weapon enhancement against the other potential upgrades, the weapon was the undisputed priority.

"I can go all in."

He decided to postpone leveling the Enhancement Stage effect. The level-1 and 2 bonuses were efficient, but a raw, tangible boost in attack power was the most critical factor for a Legendary clear. He made his decisions and invested 300 gold.

[300 Gold has been used.]

['Gold Enhancement' level has increased. 1 → 2]

This, too, was a gamble—one last roll of the dice before committing to his weapon. 'Come on, an extra enhancement slot or a direct attack buff…'

That's what he hoped for. With a fluttering heart, he opened the level-2 Gold Enhancement window.

[Gold Enhancement]

▶ Grade: Legendary

▶ Classification: Passive

▶ Level: 2

▶ Enhancement Stage Level: 2

▷ Level-2 Gold Enhancement effect is active.

▷ Level-2 Enhancement Stage Level effect is active.

▷ Pet Codex effect is active. (Attack Power +8, Defense +8)

▷ Currently enhanceable slots are 'Weapon', 'Hat', 'Top', 'Bottoms', 'Gloves', 'Shoes'.

▷ Upon reaching VIP4, you can spend 1,000 Gold to increase the level.

▷ 'Gold Enhancement Level: 2' effect is active. Lv 2: Enhancement success chance increases by 5%.

It wasn't the direct damage buff he'd been hoping for, but as he read the new effect, a slow grin spread across his face. It was better.

"Let's go with sixty-five percent."

Suddenly, that 200 gold investment didn't feel so wasted after all.

[200 Gold has been used.]

[Enhancement was successful!]

[Weapon level has increased. 3 → 4]

[You have earned the achievement 'Achievement: +4! (R)'.]

['Achievement: Enhancement Addiction (U)' progress has been updated. (695G → 895G)]

His luck had turned.

"Now we're talking."

Finally, a genuine smile bloomed on Buja's face.

2.

The Jeong Cheol Guild was a hive of activity. As a small, elite force of mostly 6-star players, they were all diligently participating in the event on their guild master's behalf.

"Signal from Team A, clear confirmed."

"Let's move immediately."

Not everyone could be a ranker. In a fiercely competitive event like this, it was nearly impossible for a single guild to produce more than one. So, with a singular purpose, they funneled all their efforts into one person. No one complained—a testament to how much their guild master, Jeong Cheol, had invested in them.

Jeong Seora was coordinating their efforts from the guild house, sacrificing sleep to help her father climb the ranks. Then, her phone rang. Normally, she'd ignore any call that wasn't critical, but the name on the screen made her step away.

"Buja? Is everything alright?"

He was her responsibility now. She'd come to help her father because Buja had said he needed a day or two to rest and reorganize. A call less than half a day later was cause for concern. The voice on the other end of the line was as grave as she feared.

—"Seora."

"Yes?"

—"I've got a fifty-fifty shot to enhance my weapon, but only enough for two attempts. Alternatively, I could use that money to enhance my armor and get the set bonus. What should I do?"

"...Hmm."

It was an odd question, but his serious tone immediately drew her into deep thought. He wasn't the type to joke at a time like this, not after spending a week grinding for the event.

"The reward for succeeding must be huge, then?"

—"It is. If just one of the two attempts works, I could probably aim for a Legendary item by the end of the month."

"And if it fails?"

—"Depending on my luck, I might stall out as a mid-tier ranker, or I might not even be able to attempt the real challenge during the event at all."

The stakes were clear. A choice for the event: a high-risk gamble or the safe, steady path. Seora didn't need long to decide.

"You have two chances," she said, her voice firm. "Go for it. If they both fail, I'll just work harder to find you more dungeons. I'll map out a schedule that will at least put you ahead of Park Sijun."

—"Thank you."

He hadn't called for her to make the decision for him; the Kim Buja she knew was always resolute. Even with enhancement, his one visible weakness, he never hesitated when it was time to act, treating it as a bonus he never had to begin with. He was only conflicted now because the stakes of the event were too high to write off so easily.

The potential was so massive that he had to try, but failure would derail everything. All she did was give him the push he needed.

A much more relaxed voice came from over the phone.

—"If I succeed, I'll treat you to a trip to a Japanese hot spring. I'll even give you a good back scrub."

"That sounds like a deal that only benefits you, Buja," she teased.

—"Well then, I'm off to enhance."

He hung up, neatly sidestepping her point, and a small laugh escaped her lips.

'But what kind of enhancement is he talking about?' she wondered, before setting the thought aside. That was a question for another time. Seora turned and walked back to her work.

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