The conversation with Yun Tae-seong had ended.
I was happy that a formal communication channel with the Hunter Association had opened, but more than that, I was curious about the man himself.
‘What on earth is his trait?’
I immediately searched for Yun Tae-seong’s profile in the Rocket Store’s member list.
Yun Tae-seong’s rank was Rank 8.
It was a quite high rank for someone who was said to have retired from the field long ago.
‘I’m getting more curious.’
**[Chain of Bond (A): Absorbs a portion of the damage taken by party members.]**
Yun Tae-seong’s trait was clearly listed in his profile.
‘It absorbs damage?’
Judging by the ability alone, it seemed like a top-tier trait for a tanker. This alone made it impossible to understand why he had retired.
‘Since he’s Rank 8, there should be some articles left, right?’
While not everyone was at the level of an influencer, someone at Rank 8 was perceived as a high-ranking Hunter by the public. It wouldn’t be strange for articles to still exist.
‘As expected, they’re here.’
When I entered the name Yun Tae-seong into the search bar, past action videos and articles poured out. Among them, an article titled “Interview with Hunter Yun Tae-seong, Starting a Second Life as an Association Employee” caught my eye.
I clicked on it, and it contained a detailed interview along with a video.
Reporter: “Hunter Yun Tae-seong, your ‘Chain of Bond’ was once evaluated as the best defensive trait for easing the burden of damage on party members. But what is the reason you eventually stepped away from the field and started a new life as an Association employee?”
Yun Tae-seong: “That was the case when my level was low.”
Reporter: “Then did the situation change after your level increased?”
Yun Tae-seong: “Yes. My ability is a double-edged sword. I could share and take as many weak attacks as I wanted, but the problem was the boss’s area-of-effect attacks. Against a continuous damage skill used by a boss, I had to bear all the damage that every party member would have received by myself.”
Reporter: “Specifically, what kind of problem occurred?”
Yun Tae-seong: “It far exceeded the limit of the amount of damage a single healer could handle.”
Reporter: “Pardon? The damage was that much?”
Yun Tae-seong: “To explain for those who might not know, if a healer concentrates single-target healing on one person, the boss’s aggro will shift, putting the entire party in danger. That’s why it’s standardized for general healers to learn area-of-effect heals rather than single-target heals.”
Reporter: “Ah. So that was the reason.”
The article continued, explaining that guilds that valued Yun Tae-seong’s ability had tried to hire exclusive healers or use provocation skills to distribute aggro, but they eventually hit a limit, leading to his decision to retire.
‘That’s a shame. So healers focus on area heals rather than single-target heals because of the aggro distribution problem.’
I understood why Yun Tae-seong had no choice but to retire. But at the same time, another thought occurred to me.
‘Conversely, doesn’t that mean I just need to fill the insufficient healing amount?’
The first person I thought of was Leon. A Paladin who could hold the front line with self-blessings and heals could perfectly cover Yun Tae-seong’s weakness.
‘…The problem is, can a Paladin class even be unlocked on Earth where the existence of a Goddess is absent?’
It was impossible to know. Or perhaps there was another solution. It was difficult to find an answer right now. Maybe a way would appear as I expanded my trade with new demi-human races.
For now, I put the thought aside. Next, I checked the progress of the requests.
‘The Living Armor and Perfumer-related quests are proceeding smoothly.’
Perhaps because I had sent the holy water, the supply of Pira Bamboo, whose harvest volume had increased, was already cleared.
**[You have signed a lunch box supply contract with the Halfling city, Rowden.]**
**[You have registered ‘Rowden Specialty Lunch Box Type A’ in the Rocket Store.]**
**[You have registered ‘Rowden Specialty Lunch Box Type B’ in the Rocket Store.]**
**[You have registered ‘Rowden Specialty Lunch Box Type C’ in the Rocket Store.]**
Up until now, except for Chef Finch’s catering service, few Hunters had tasted Halfling cuisine despite the enormous demand. Most of the limited-edition products had been desserts, anyway.
‘This is probably the first time most of them will have a proper meal, right?’
I felt a little regretful that it was just a lunch box, but if it were me, I would rather eat a lunch box even if it were a bit expensive than eat a tasteless energy bar. Since I, a former porter, felt this way, the high-ranking Hunters who usually only ate expensive things would feel it even more.
I predicted that since these were regular items, the Halfling-style lunch boxes would become the most profitable products in the Rocket Store for a while.
‘Is this it for today?’
Just then, a new notification popped up.
**[Procurement of Additional Materials]**
Requester: Garnet
Content: “The mana in the pendulum you sent is truly incredible. To create new equipment that can fully contain this power, I need minerals. I’m short on Lava Stone imbued with the essence of fire and rare Holy Light Ore.”
Reward: Unprocessed ores left over from processing.
“Lava Stone and Holy Light Ore? What on earth is this old man making?”
The Lava Stone and Holy Light Ore requested by Garnet were materials that were almost impossible for ordinary Hunters to obtain.
‘I heard they can only be found in at least B-rank rifts…’
Even if I requested them from the Rocket Store, where the majority of members were low-ranking, it was uncertain whether they could be delivered anytime soon.
‘Garnet doesn’t seem like the type to have much patience.’
But then, the conversation I had just had with Yun Tae-seong came to mind. He had definitely said he would cooperate with anything, right? I decided to request official cooperation from the Association this time. Without hesitation, I opened the sponsorship window and sent him a message.
I wondered if it was too late.
[There are some materials I need, but they aren’t things normal Hunters can find. Can the Association get them for me?]
[Yun Tae-seong: Please feel free to tell me anything without feeling burdened.]
[I need Lava Stone and Holy Light Ore.]
A brief silence followed. Was it perhaps a bit difficult considering the value of those minerals? However, his answer was much faster and clearer than I had expected.
[Yun Tae-seong: I understand. I will check if those minerals are in the Association’s warehouse. If they are in stock, I will provide them immediately.]
I was surprised by the unhesitating answer.
[Yun Tae-seong: We can certainly provide this much. What is more important to us is whether an entity like the Rocket Store can cooperate in a human crisis. This request is the first reward and proof of cooperation that we are providing to you.]
Reading Yun Tae-seong’s message, the corners of my mouth curled up without me realizing it.
‘Well, considering the contributions I’ve made, this much is natural.’
Since they said they would give it, I had no intention of refusing. I would make full use of that goodwill in the future.
I immediately delivered the Lava Stone and Holy Light Ore procured from the Association to Garnet. What I received in return were the unprocessed mineral ores left over from Garnet making the equipment.
‘I don’t have the skill to process these, but if I keep them, someone will want them eventually.’
Since there was a new flyer feature, I didn’t even need to promote them separately.
‘One last thing, let’s water the World Tree and go to sleep.’
I went to water the World Tree as my final routine before going to bed. When I went out to the living room after filling the watering can, what I saw was the World Tree, which had grown significantly overnight, and Aria, who was carefully tending to its base.
Aria spotted me and waved with a bright smile.
“Guardian! Look at this!”
Aria’s voice was full of pure, childlike excitement. Following where she pointed, I saw a small spirit resembling a baby squirrel had dug a burrow and settled down next to the World Tree’s root. The small spirit, which smelled of earth, was looking at me with eyes full of curiosity.
“It’s cute. This little guy is a spirit too, right?”
“Yes. But this time, it didn’t come from somewhere else; a new spirit was born!”
“A spirit was born?”
“Yes! It means the World Tree is growing well.”
Aria stroked the spirit as if it were precious.
“That’s a good sign. Does it mean the Dew of the Ghost Flower helped?”
“Of course!”
It was then. Along with a cheerful notification sound in my head, a system message appeared.
**[The World Tree’s Sanctuary ‘Root of Life’ has been unlocked.]**
**[World Tree’s Sanctuary: Root of Life]**
Description: This is a holy place where the Root of Life, said to have been left by the World Tree that governs primordial life, creates a massive flow of mana. It grants the power of rest and recharge to weary lives.
**[Visit Effects]**
Mana Flow Purification: Hunters who visit the sanctuary receive a buff that purifies their mana flow for a certain period, significantly increasing their mana recovery speed.
Earth Buff: Farmers who return to farming areas after visiting the sanctuary receive a special blessing that increases crop growth speed and harvest volume.
I stared at the screen blankly, stunned. I thought a sanctuary could only be obtained by achieving a special request.
Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Aria asked worriedly, “Guardian? What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just… this is so unexpected.”
I explained the situation to Aria while showing her the system message.
“I never expected to be able to get a sanctuary this way. Besides, if the sanctuary of the World Tree, which is still in its sapling stage, is this good, won’t the effects increase as the World Tree grows more?”
“That would be natural, wouldn’t it?”
At my words, Aria nodded her head, her eyes sparkling. Moreover, in a few days, the conditions of the Tower would be renewed. If I installed the World Tree’s sanctuary on Floor 10, it would have a positive impact on the reach rate as well.
‘What perfect timing.’
With a mixture of pride and fatigue, I realized it was finally time to end the day and went to bed.
***
The next day, I woke up a bit earlier than usual. In the silence of dawn, a rustling sound came from the living room.
‘What is it? Is Aria snacking?’
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I walked toward the sound. The mineral chunks I had left out like decorations last night were disappearing. And next to them, a baby dragon with a transparent crystal body was crunching and munching on the minerals.
I froze at the absurd sight.
“You—what are you? Are you a spirit of the World Tree too?”
At my voice, Aria, who had been sleeping next to the World Tree, rubbed her eyes and woke up. As soon as she saw the baby dragon, her eyes went wide and she shook her head.
“No, Guardian. It’s not a spirit!”
“Then what on earth is this thing?”
When I asked with a flustered expression, Aria shouted with an excited face.
“It’s a Phantom Beast! The egg hatched! It was born from that egg we picked up!”
The Phantom Beast egg I had received from the Druid a while ago. I had bought an incubator and turned the egg occasionally, but there had been no sign of it hatching. To think it would be born without any warning.
“It hatched? But is a Phantom Beast normally like this?”
More surprising than that was its appetite. There had been about 106 pieces of mineral chunks in total. Half of them were gone.
“Looking at its appearance, I think it’s a dragon. But they’re so rare that I only know the name and appearance; I don’t know much about their ecology.”
For Aria, a spirit of the World Tree, not to know meant it was an incredibly rare creature. It seemed like a precious existence. But would this turn out to be a jackpot? How much were all those mineral chunks it had eaten worth?
As soon as I woke up, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I clutched my forehead.
“Burp.”
“Unbelievable.”
Whether it knew how I felt or not, the creature even burped while patting its bulging belly.
“Goo?”
It seemed it had been so absorbed in eating the minerals that it only just noticed Aria and me. I wondered if it even recognized me as its owner.
“Come here.”
Flapping its small wings, the dragon flew toward me and pulled at my hand.
‘What is it? Is it trying to give me something?’
So I cupped my hands together. After licking my hand, it opened its mouth wide.
*Blech*
It then vomited into my hands. This was driving me crazy.
But wait a second?
‘…The vomit is sparkling?’
Gems.
What the dragon had spat into my hands were gems of brilliant color.