Chapter 45: How to Help People (1)

3:00 AM.

A message from Yun Tae-seong arrived just as I was about to drift off to sleep.

**[I apologize. An emergency has occurred. If you are awake, could you please reply?]**

I didn’t know what was happening, but it seemed serious enough for Yun Tae-seong to contact me at this hour of the morning.

— What’s going on?

**[You were awake? Thank goodness. A dungeon break occurred on the outskirts of the city. Since it’s late, there’s a shortage of hunters, so I’m heading to the scene while on duty.]**

— And?

**[I wanted to ask if you could provide supplies. The situation on-site is more serious than expected.]**

I woke up completely and sat up.

— I’m coming. Can you tell me what kind of monsters they are?

**[A pack of B-rank Black Goats. The population is estimated to be over 100, and the leader and an albino individual are the problems.]**

— Is the leader the boss? And what do you mean by albino?

**[Yes. The leader is the boss, and the albino is at least an elite-level monster, though not quite at the boss level.]**

— Can I see them?

**[I haven’t arrived at the scene yet. I should be there in about 10 minutes.]**

In the meantime, I had to get ready too.

Leaving the sleeping Aria behind, I walked out of the bedroom and toward the living room.

As I moved quietly so as not to wake her, something approached me.

It was Mago.

“You weren’t sleeping?”

“Gao?”

*Munch munch.*

After handing some minerals to Mago, I organized the list of supplies.

In addition to the lethal poison potions and snake scale shield potions I obtained from Narcia, I prepared some simple potions as well.

Soon, a message from Yun Tae-seong arrived, saying he was ready to connect.

**[I have arrived at the scene.]**

Through the hologram, the distant scene gradually began to come into view.

“Gao!”

Mago watched the screen curiously as it floated around.

In the hologram, three or four hunters were already hunkered down behind barricades, facing off against a massive pack of Black Goats.

They were monsters that resembled giant goats covered in black fur.

At least fifty of them formed a pack, looking threatening as they flaunted their massive horns.

The specialty of the Black Goats was a collective charge.

*Thump, thump, thump, thump!*

The sight of dozens of them rushing forward at once was truly overwhelming.

“How are we supposed to stop that?”

“The temporary barricades will break soon!”

The hunters on the scene were trying to establish a defensive line using narrow paths and barricades, but they were struggling because of the sheer number of goats.

That was when Yun Tae-seong appeared on the scene.

“Everyone, get behind me! I’ll take the front line!”

“Is that backup?”

“We’re saved!”

As Yun Tae-seong raised his shield, the hunters quickly gathered behind him.

**[Taunt]**

With the activation of Yun Tae-seong’s skill, the aggro of the Black Goats focused on him.

*Crash, crash, crash!*

A portion of the Black Goats charged at Yun Tae-seong all at once.

However, he managed to block most of the attacks with his shield and skills.

“The barricades are doing their job.”

He was reducing the number of goats he had to deal with at one time while absorbing direct damage.

The problem was the durability.

‘It looks like it will be hard to hold out for long.’

**[Shield Gauge: 100% → 96% → 92%]**

“Alright! Now’s the time!”

“Counterattack!”

The hunters behind him began pouring attacks onto the Black Goats all at once.

Swords and arrows pierced the bodies of the Black Goats, but they didn’t cause as much damage as expected.

“I already used up all my mana in the previous engagement.”

“We can’t deal a proper blow to those guys unless we use skills!”

The anxious voices of the hunters drifted through.

Safety was secured by Yun Tae-seong’s defense, but the monsters weren’t being handled easily due to a lack of firepower and being outnumbered.

But then it happened.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Along with the sound of much heavier footsteps, a massive shadow appeared from behind the pack of Black Goats.

“D-Dammit!”

“Why is the elite individual coming toward us?”

“What should we do? Should we retreat?”

A massive individual, 1.5 times larger than the other Black Goats, revealed itself.

But what stood out the most wasn’t its size.

It was an albino individual whose pitch-black fur had turned completely white.

Its red eyes glowed ominously, and powerful magic was flowing from its massive horns.

“If we back down here, there’s only the police mobile strike force behind us. It will be hard for them to even buy time.”

“But do we even have a way to deal with this?”

“You saw how the attacks didn’t work properly because of the fur!”

— Baaaah!

As the albino Black Goat roared, magic erupted from its red eyes, further agitating the normal individuals nearby.

*Boom!*

The massive horns struck Yun Tae-seong’s shield.

It was an impact on a completely different level than before.

**[Shield Gauge: 92% → 78%]**

“This is too dangerous!”

More than 10% of the shield gauge was wiped out by a single attack.

— Baaaah!

The albino individual looked ready to charge again.

Its red eyes glowed even brighter as it charged its magic.

“But we have to hold out.”

Of course, Yun Tae-seong’s expression was grim as he said that.

No matter how capable a tanker Yun Tae-seong was, it was difficult to face an elite monster alone.

‘At the very least, if a dealer doesn’t distract it, he won’t even have a moment to breathe.’

That was when it happened.

— Look at the sky!

*Whish!*

A rocket-shaped drone deployed a parachute and descended.

“Rocket Store!”

Yun Tae-seong shouted in a surprised voice.

— I’ve prepared basic supplies!

As the box landed on the ground, Yun Tae-seong quickly ran over and opened the lid.

Inside were basic supplies like health potions, mana potions, and emergency treatment kits.

“Thank you! With this…!”

The hunters who received the mana potions quickly finished their recovery.

“Now we can launch a proper counterattack!”

“I can use my skills again!”

Reinvigorated, the hunters began pouring full-scale attacks on the Black Goats.

This time, proper magic attacks flew toward them.

“It’s finally working properly!”

“We’ve taken down a few of them!”

The normal Black Goats began to fall one by one.

However, the problem was the albino individual.

— Baaaah!

The albino Black Goat attacked even more fiercely in a fit of rage.

It had stepped up in earnest after seeing the other goats being defeated.

*Boom!!*

Yun Tae-seong’s shield gauge dropped rapidly under the continuous attacks.

**[Shield Gauge: 78% → 64% → 51%]**

“Ugh.”

*Whish! Whish!*

I continued to send supplies.

In addition to health and mana potions, I even sent snake scale protection potions and lethal poison potions.

However, due to the number of Black Goats and the strength of the albino individual, the consumption was faster than the rate I could send supplies.

‘At this rate, there’s a limit…’

I was starting to feel anxious.

Right then.

“Kieeeeee!”

Something dropped rapidly from the sky and landed right in front of the albino goat, delivering a strike.

As the dust settled and the view cleared, a female hunter revealed herself.

She was a woman with a slender build and long, flowing hair.

In her hand, she held a thin, sharp sword that resembled a rapier.

“I’m here for support.”

“Ms. Yu Min-ha!”

Yun Tae-seong’s face brightened.

“I succeeded in hunting the leader. I left the remaining pack to the others and came here.”

“Really? You handled the boss?”

“That’s amazing!”

The hunters rejoiced for a moment, but their expressions soon turned worried when they saw Yu Min-ha’s condition.

‘She must have been in a fierce battle.’

Yu Min-ha’s face showed clear signs of fatigue.

Looking closely, the traces of the fierce battle with the leader were evident, and her long hair was disheveled and damp from the ground.

“Are you all right? You look very exhausted.”

“I’m fine. This is no problem.”

“If you’ve already fought a boss, isn’t your energy completely depleted? You shouldn’t push yourself.”

‘Energy? Not mana?’

But “Energy” was a word I was familiar with.

Since I had obtained the potions that restored it from Narcia’s shop.

“I have enough energy. The Rocket Store sells potions that restore energy.”

“Is that true?”

‘Aha. So Yu Min-ha was my customer too.’

Yu Min-ha replied with a forced smile, but she couldn’t help her body feeling heavy after the consecutive battles.

With Yu Min-ha joining, they managed to maintain the front line while facing the albino individual, but it was a situation where it was difficult to launch an active attack with her exhausted body.

**[Moonlight Slash]**

Pale energy like moonlight rose from her thin rapier, firing off a harassing attack.

Thanks to that, the number of Black Goats was decreasing, which was good news.

‘Though they haven’t completely overwhelmed the albino.’

— Baaaah!

The albino was also being cautious and measuring its distance, not daring to charge recklessly against an A-rank hunter.

‘Is it better than before, even if they just maintain this stalemate?’

But it was a shame.

If only I could send a massive amount of supplies, I felt like the situation could be resolved.

But then it happened.

“Additional support has arrived!”

Where did I see that person before?

“Ah!”

Park Sun-woo. He was the low-rank warrior who was using the Living Armor long-term rental service.

However, his appearance now was distinctly different from before.

In particular, his stance while handling the sword had completely changed.

“I’ll buy some time! Ms. Yu Min-ha, please treat your injuries!”

“… I’ll leave it to you.”

“I’ll assist him.”

“Alright.”

Leaving Yu Min-ha to safely withdraw to the rear, Yun Tae-seong and Park Sun-woo calmly looked at the pack of Black Goats.

He seemed to be focusing on a voice coming from inside the Living Armor.

[Good, brat. This is real combat. Use what you’ve learned so far.]

“Yes, Master.”

Park Sun-woo muttered and raised his sword.

That stance looked quite proficient, even to my eyes.

‘He’s grown through learning the Imperial Swordsmanship from the Living Armor.’

**[Imperial Swordsmanship First Form — Piercing]**

Silver energy gathered at the tip of Park Sun-woo’s sword and shot out in a straight line toward a normal Black Goat.

*Pshh!*

The sword pierced through the Black Goat’s sturdy fur and embedded itself deep, taking down the monster in an instant.

[Brat, next is the Second Form! Focus!]

As the Imperial Swordsman instructed, Park Sun-woo’s body moved naturally.

**[Imperial Swordsmanship Second Form — Whirlwind Slash]**

The sword, swung in a circle, attacked three or four Black Goats simultaneously.

Although he didn’t take them down in one blow, he succeeded in dealing significant damage.

[Watch out, brat! That one is on a different level!]

— Baaaah!

When its subordinates were touched, the albino individual’s massive horns flew toward Park Sun-woo.

But Park Sun-woo didn’t panic.

**[Third Form — Flash Step!]**

Park Sun-woo’s body slid sideways in an instant, evading the attack.

Then, he aimed for the albino individual’s flank.

[Now! Strike with the First Form!]

*Pshh!*

However, the albino individual was different from the normal ones.

The sword was blocked by the fur and couldn’t penetrate deeply.

“As expected, an elite is different…”

Park Sun-woo clicked his tongue, but he didn’t give up.

He continued to face off against the albino individual without being pushed back.

Judging by the current situation alone, it was hard to believe he was a low-rank hunter until recently.

“Amazing. He’s really grown a lot.”

I watched Park Sun-woo’s performance with emotion.

I could tell how hard he had trained through the Living Armor service.

However, the number of Black Goats was still overwhelming.

There was a limit to what Park Sun-woo could do alone.

[Back off! Brat! This is too much for you right now.]

“But…!”

[Ahem.]

The spirit’s warning was accurate.

Thanks to the albino individual attacking and buying time, the other side had also reorganized their ranks.

Moreover, they had been steadily destroying the barricades in the meantime.

‘Cunning bastards. If he hadn’t backed off, he would have been surrounded.’

Fortunately, a way to support the people had just opened up for me as I watched this scene.

‘Coincidentally, thanks to Park Sun-woo joining Yu Min-ha, I don’t have to just sit here and watch.’

**[Special condition met!]**

**[Three or more Rocket Store premium members are in danger simultaneously in one location.]**

**[The Large-Scale Supply Drop System is being activated for a trial run.]**

I checked the screen in surprise.

Yun Tae-seong, Yu Min-ha, and Park Sun-woo.

‘Park Sun-woo has been quite active too.’

**[Large-Scale Supply Drop System — Trial Run]**

Dropping optimized mass supplies to the entire scene.

(*Even those who are not members of the Rocket Store are included in the supply target if they are friendly toward members.)

“This was the function I needed most right now!”

**[Deploying Large-Scale Supply Drop!]**

A swarm of rockets, both large and small, were dropped into the air simultaneously, almost to an excessive degree.

It was the largest scale I had ever seen.