Various potions poured from the sky like rain during the large-scale supply drop, quickly filling the site.
“This is… possible?”
Yun Tae-seong marveled as he surveyed the surroundings.
The quantity was sufficient — no, more than enough — to handle the pack of Black Goats.
As Park Sun-woo opened a supply box, a warm light enveloped him. At that moment, he felt a surge of strength coursing through his body.
“Huh? I thought there were just too many supplies, but it turns out they aren’t all potions.”
“What? Really!”
Surprised, Park Sun-woo examined a colorful supply box that looked different from the standard Rocket Delivery boxes and shouted in astonishment.
“A buff! Attack speed increase! There’s a buff inside!”
“I received a regeneration buff, too!”
Another Hunter who had opened a differently colored supply box spoke with a look of wonder. A faint green aura was swirling around her body.
“This one is a defense buff! With this, we’ll be much safer even against ranked monsters!”
Another Hunter said with satisfaction. A blue light, resembling a solid barrier, emanated from his body.
“Now we can fight properly again!”
“No. There is no need for that. Please continue to help the citizens evacuate. I will handle the monsters.”
“What?”
As Yu Min-ha spoke calmly while checking her status, a powerful aura, distinctly different from the other Hunters, began to flow around her.
“My body definitely feels lighter, and the buff I received seems to have significantly increased my agility. I’m in peak condition now.”
Yu Min-ha took a few steps to test the changes. Her movements were clearly much faster and more precise than usual.
“Will you be alright on your own, though?”
Park Sun-woo had a worried expression, but Yu Min-ha gave a confident smile.
“Don’t worry. Thanks to the time you bought me and the recovery and stamina potions, I’ve completely regained my condition. Besides, this buff… the effect seems much stronger than the ones the others received.”
Yu Min-ha drew her sword. A subtle mana infused the blade, making it glow with a silver light. It felt far more precise and sharper than before.
— Baaa!
As the Albino Black Goat lowered its massive horns to charge again, Yun Tae-seong adjusted his grip on his shield, but Yu Min-ha signaled him with a wave of her hand.
“Please step back.”
Yu Min-ha swung her sword in a wide arc.
*Swish!*
The sharp blade energy instantly and perfectly sliced through the albino specimen’s vital point.
*Thud!*
“In one shot?”
Park Sun-woo watched with a stunned expression. The albino specimen that had given him so much trouble had fallen to a single strike from Yu Min-ha.
“Now, let’s clean up the rest.”
Yu Min-ha moved with elegant grace, weaving through the pack of Black Goats as she swung her sword. Thanks to the agility buff, she evaded all the goats’ attacks while accurately targeting each of their vital points. One by one, the monsters began to collapse.
“That’s incredible, Yu Min-ha! But what exactly is this buff?”
Yun Tae-seong, who had only just checked the effects after blocking the Black Goats, asked in admiration. He, too, felt that his defense and durability had been greatly enhanced.
“I think it’s a special support from the Rocket Store. It’s truly amazing that they provide various buffs like this instead of just simple potions.”
Yu Min-ha replied with a smile.
***
At 3:00 AM, I quietly watched the scene through the hologram.
I was glad the situation was being handled well, but what caught my attention was the power of the large-scale drop.
‘A large-scale supply drop… it’s a much more powerful ability than I thought. I didn’t expect the buff effects, especially.’
I muttered quietly as I checked the results.
**[Your reputation has increased significantly due to the sponsor’s activities.]**
**[New Achievement Unlocked: Large-scale Rescue Operation Success]**
**[Detailed information for the special ability ‘Emergency Response Supply’ is being revealed.]**
“Huh? Detailed information?”
A new window appeared on the screen.
**[Large-scale Supply Drop]**
An ability to drop large-scale supplies using mana accumulated in multi-dimensional space. Beyond simple quantity support, it can grant special effects.
Cost: Minimum 1000 Mana (72-hour cooldown)
Effects:
1) Large-scale supply drop (Targets all allies within range)
2) Includes random buff boxes (Maximum number proportional to the user’s level)
3) Buff type and power determined by affinity with the interracial groups interacted with
“So it was a sort of class-exclusive skill.”
I marveled and continued reading the details.
[Current Buff List]
– Barbarian (Affinity Level 3) — Combat Power Enhancement Buff (Low-grade)
– Lamia (Affinity Level 2) — Poison Resistance & Regeneration Buff (Low-grade)
– Halfling (Affinity Level 5) — Agility & Luck Buff (Mid-grade)
– Dwarf (Affinity Level 3) — Defense & Durability Buff (Low-grade)
“The reason Yu Min-ha felt particularly light and lucky was because of the Halfling buff. Since my affinity with the Halflings is at Level 5, a mid-grade buff was applied.”
Only now did I fully understand the reactions of the Hunters I had seen on the field.
“The problem is the 72-hour cooldown and the minimum requirement of 1000 Mana. It demands a massive price.”
However, the effect was just as powerful. I had personally seen the noticeable improvement in the abilities of the Hunters who received the supplies.
“So the buffs change based on affinity? If I develop my relationships with these races further, the power of the buffs will increase. And if I interact with new races, I can add diverse buffs.”
Mago wagged her tail on my lap, acting cute.
“If used at the right timing, it could completely turn the tide of a battle.”
As I stroked Mago, I felt a sense of peace, and drowsiness washed over me. Looking at the clock, it was already past 5:00 AM.
“It seems the colors of the supply boxes represent each race, and the buffs are different accordingly. I’ll have to organize this and report it to the Hunter Association. More importantly, it’s too late for today.”
I yawned while stroking Mago.
“I need to sleep. You worked hard too, Mago.”
I gave Mago a few more snacks and quietly went into my room. Exhausted in both body and mind, I finally went to bed much later than intended.
***
“Guardian! Wake up! Aren’t you sleeping in too late?”
Aria’s urgent voice woke me. Looking at the clock, it was already past 12:30 PM.
“Ugh… what time is it?”
“It’s 12:30 PM! I was worried because you didn’t eat breakfast and just kept sleeping!”
Aria pouted with her cheeks puffed out. It seemed she was more worried about my skipped meal than me. ‘If I point that out, she’ll get angry, right?’
“Ah, sorry. I had something urgent to do last night, so I didn’t get to bed until almost 6:00 AM.”
“At dawn? What happened?”
I briefly explained the operation from last night and the newly discovered Large-scale Supply Drop system to Aria.
“Something that big happened? I didn’t even know; I was just sleeping soundly.”
“No, I intentionally didn’t wake you. Also, I found out that our affinity with the other races manifests as buffs.”
“Affinity as buffs?”
“Yeah. Especially the Halflings — since our affinity reached Level 5, they provide a mid-grade buff. It was an agility and luck buff.”
“Wow! Then all that hard work trading with Mr. O’Donnell and starting the delivery service was worth it!”
Aria clapped her hands in delight.
“Anyway, let’s grab some brunch.”
“Yes! As fast as possible! My stomach is sticking to my back!”
“Where did you even learn an expression like that?”
“From a broadcast!”
Aria flew excitedly toward the kitchen.
After a simple brunch, Aria said she had something to show me and entered the sub-space to check the status of the World Tree.
“Something really amazing happened while you were sleeping, Guardian!”
Aria greeted me with an excited voice.
“Something amazing?”
“Yes! There’s been a change in the World Tree. I kept observing it while you were asleep.”
Aria pointed at the World Tree. There was a noticeable difference from yesterday. Small buds, like new sprouts, were peeking out from between the lush green leaves.
“Huh? What are those?”
“The World Tree has started to bear fruit!”
Aria explained confidently.
“Fruit?”
“Yes! They’re still very young, but they are definitely World Tree fruits. I stayed up all morning confirming it.”
Approaching the World Tree, I saw things that definitely weren’t there last night. Several small, round objects were hanging, all tinged with a light green color.
Aria clasped her hands together in joy.
“But are those tiny things really fruits?”
“They’re not ripe yet. They need more time to fully mature. But this is a truly incredible event.”
I looked at the World Tree again while listening to Aria. The life force radiating from the entire tree felt stronger than it did yesterday.
“So, what do these fruits do?”
“I’m not sure what kind of fruit they will be yet, so I can’t be certain, but they are far more valuable than the branches of the World Tree!”
“That’s amazing. But when will they ripen?”
“Hmm… at this rate, the first fruits should ripen in about 1 week. However…”
“However?”
“The first fruits of the World Tree are very precious and delicate, so they need better management. Bearing fruit consumes a lot of energy.”
Now that Aria mentioned it, the leaves of the World Tree did seem a bit less vibrant than yesterday.
“Ah. Then the management is going to get even trickier.”
“Yes. I can’t do it alone. You have to help me, Guardian!”
“Just tell me what to do.”
Aria hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“Actually, for the World Tree to grow healthier, I think we need help from the Dryads in Terra.”
“Ah, that makes sense. The Dryads lived in symbiosis with the World Tree, after all.”
“Yes! Especially in Terra, there are Dryad Elders who are experts in managing the World Tree. I’ll ask them to share the nutrients needed for fruit management.”
“Is it different from the usual sap?”
“It’s not different, but the amount we need to request this time is much more than usual.”
“Aha. In short, it’ll be hard to get it for free?”
“Yes…”
“In that case, well… should I ask if they need anything else?”
“Yes! Please do!”
“But what would the Dryads need?”
“Well… when we did the pruning before, we sent them World Tree branches. It’ll probably be similar this time. The Dryads also cherish everything related to the World Tree.”
“Then let’s contact them first.”
I sent a message to the Dryads.
**[Fruit has started to grow on the World Tree, and I would like to seek advice on how to manage it.]**
A reply came back soon after.
**[Congratulations! The first fruit of the World Tree is a truly meaningful event. We will gladly offer our help. However, once the fruit ripens, would you be willing to share a few with us?]**
“This time, they want the fruit of the World Tree.”
“The fruit is very precious even to the Dryads. But it’s okay. We’ll have several from the first harvest anyway, so sharing a few will be fine. If the World Tree grows healthily, it will bring much greater benefits than that!”
Aria spoke with a voice full of conviction.
“I suppose so.”
“Very well. I will share a few fruits once they ripen.”
A reply arrived immediately.
**[Thank you! We will send a detailed guide on World Tree fruit management.]**
“Managing the World Tree… I’m getting busier these days. But it seems like it’ll be fun.”
“Yes! It will definitely be worth it!”
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