For a moment, I pondered how to handle Kargar’s request.
Suddenly, a system message floated in the air.
Unlike usual, it was accompanied by a loud fanfare sound effect.
[South Korea, first in humanity to achieve Condition 2!]
[Providing reward for 50% reaching floor 5 to all of humanity.]
“They said it would happen today or tomorrow, but it’s faster than expected. It’s only evening.”
The reward was distributed thanks to the news of the fastest clear in the world.
This is mostly thanks to me, right?
[Level 10 achieved. Rocket Store is enhanced.]
“I’m already level 10?”
I guess I was insensitive to leveling up because I was cooped up in my room.
Even if my level rose just by obtaining coins, I had no reason to hunt monsters, so I didn’t feel any changes other than my physical strength improving a bit.
“I haven’t even decided how to spend my points yet, so I’ve just been hoarding them.”
Since there were no immediate problems, I intended to save my points until I found a use for them.
More important than that was the enhancement effect of the Rocket Store gained upon reaching level 10.
[Rocket Store Always Open Function]
The Rocket Store can now be used at all times, not only inside The Tower but also outside of it.
“Does this mean I can use the Rocket Store even inside a rift?”
I put down the piece of pizza I was about to pick up.
Until now, the services of the Rocket Store were limited to the inside of The Tower.
One had to enter The Tower to finally use its functions, which meant it was like a pie in the sky for hunters who weren’t interested in conquering The Tower.
“If this is the case, I can secure hunters who focus on rift conquest as potential customers too.”
Many hunters were focusing more on gate conquest than The Tower.
Gates didn’t require solo challenges like The Tower and could be tackled with reliable colleagues, making them much better in terms of stability.
“Ignoring the fact that monsters are spat out if a certain number of hunters don’t climb The Tower, there aren’t many merits to challenging it.”
However, as gates are also unknown territory, supplies to prepare for unexpected situations were essential.
The burden of carrying heavy equipment and enduring long exploration periods always existed.
Now, the Rocket Store could perfectly fill that niche.
“I’m already doing well with just The Tower, but if the personnel conquering rifts are added… the reaction will be interesting.”
Besides, I hadn’t even checked the real reward yet.
The function to use the Rocket Store outside of The Tower was the reward for reaching level 10.
It wasn’t the achievement rate reward.
[Rocket Store Display Case function is unlocked.]
[Please select one of three special ornaments to exhibit in the Display Case.]
“Display Case and ornaments?”
[Three ornaments (Common) are presented as rewards for special achievements. The effect will be applied if you choose one of these and decorate the Display Case with it.]
Golden Slime Decoration
Gargoyle Statue
Greedy Piggy Bank
Three relics appeared before my eyes, emitting light.
An ornament shaped like a cute slime with a golden glow biting a coin, a small gargoyle statue with a fierce expression, and a chubby pig-shaped piggy bank with a greedy expression—those were the three.
I couldn’t decide what to choose just by looking at their appearances.
First, I checked the description of each ornament.
[Golden Slime Decoration]
Grade: Common
Possession Effect: The amount of coins received as rewards for requests increases by 10%.
Set Effect: If you collect all three different grades of Golden Slime Decorations, coin profit increases by 100%.
[Gargoyle Statue]
Grade: Common
Possession Effect: If you rub the statue, the probability of receiving requests from specific Undead races increases. (Cooldown: 144 hours)
Set Effect: If you collect three different Undead statues, high-ranking Undead like Vampires will be added to the request targets.
[Greedy Piggy Bank]
Grade: Common
Possession Effect: Coins earned from now on are deposited into the piggy bank. Every time the target amount of the piggy bank is filled, the deposited amount is multiplied by 1.5 and returned. If you give up halfway, 50% of the deposited coins are returned. (Expandable up to 5 times)
“Oho. It feels like a relic you’d see in a game.”
Each ornament had its own unique possession effect, so depending on which ornament I chose, I could make a huge change in the operation of the Rocket Store.
“Which ornament should I pick to make it known that I chose well?”
There was enough justification to choose any of the three ornaments.
At that moment, Aria, who was eating pizza, spoke up as if she had become curious.
“Guardian, what are all these? Wow, the slime and that piggy bank are cute.”
“It’s a new achievement reward. I was agonizing because I can only pick one of the three.”
“Hmm. I don’t know which is which, but please don’t pick that statue. I feel an ominous energy from it. It’s such a creepy feeling…”
Aria shivered and avoided her gaze from the gargoyle statue.
“It seems that if you rub this statue, you can receive requests from certain Undead at the Rocket Store. If I collect three different Undead statues, Vampires will eventually be added to the customer list.”
“Vampires on top of the Undead? I don’t like the Undead. Their very existence is unpleasant.”
Since Aria was a spirit of the World Tree, which could be called the source of life, she seemed to have a strong hostility toward the Undead.
Indeed, the image of the World Tree’s existence being the polar opposite of the Undead naturally came to mind.
However, that was strictly from Aria’s perspective.
“It’s not that I don’t understand, but is it something to react so oversensitively to when you’re not even facing them directly?”
Telling a merchant to be picky about customers.
I didn’t want to do something that would lead to a loss when I was just barely getting settled.
“Besides, if it’s the Undead, I feel like there might be something special about them compared to other races.”
Aria would probably have a fit, but it was true that I was interested.
However, since Undead requesters were still unknown territory, I could expect rare rewards, but I didn’t seem to need them right now.
With Aria’s opinion factored in, the gargoyle statue was at the bottom of the list.
Since it was an ornament, I thought it would be better to have an effect that could start a snowball rather than a specific effect.
Next was the piggy bank.
The Greedy Piggy Bank offered an incredible return rate of 1.5 times when the target amount was met, but it had the fatal drawback of locking up all the coins coming in from now on until the target amount was reached.
“I wonder if I would have chosen it if I had the choice.”
It was a big risk for the liquidity of the Rocket Store, which was just starting its business.
“I have to buy relief goods regularly according to the contract with Leon, and there’s no rule saying a request requiring a large sum of money won’t appear.”
On the other hand, the Golden Slime Decoration wasn’t an immediately noticeable big profit, but it guaranteed a steady additional income of 10% for all request rewards.
Furthermore, considering the set effect, it was clear that it would bring the greatest benefit in the long run.
“I should go with this one.”
“Really?”
Respecting Aria’s opinion and considering the stability of the business, I carefully picked up the Golden Slime Decoration, which I judged to be the most rational choice.
As soon as the slime touched my hand, it emitted a faint golden light and took its place in the center of the display case.
Aria then smiled brightly as if relieved and spoke.
“As expected of the Guardian! That’s an excellent choice! I like slimes because they’re cute!”
I laughed along at Aria’s words.
As I placed the new ornament in the display case, another system message appeared before my eyes.
[Request Clear: Lamia’s Herb Delivery]
[Lamia Narcia’s request has been successfully completed.]
[Obtained a 3-piece set of Lamia’s special potions as a reward.]
[Magic Shop membership grade rises from ‘Associate’ to ‘Regular’.]
As soon as my grade rose, I did not hesitate to send Kargar the rocks along with a sufficient amount of Corrosive Resistance Potions.
How would Kargar react to the potions that included my arbitrary judgment?
I waited with an anxious heart, hoping my judgment was correct.
“Did I do something unnecessary?”
The request was completed, but an immediate review did not come from Kargar.
“Is he offended by my meddling? Or is he testing them out right now?”
I paced around nervously.
But all I could do was wait.
I decided to calm my mind by browsing the community.
[Is it true that the Rocket Store finally works outside the Tower? This is crazy for real.]
I just checked and it really works inside the rifts!
– Seriously? I just came back out a few days ago while conquering a Rank 0 Gate with my guild members because we ran out of supplies. Such a waste of time, dammit. If only they updated it a few days earlier.
– Wow. Amazing. I’m going to check it out right now.
– (Author) Yeah, for real. Go check it out. No need to worry even if you run out of supplies.
– The Rocket Store is truly a god. A god, I say!
[I’m going to conquer the Tower and become a Rocket Store member too.]
Lower-rank hunters like me couldn’t even dream of conquering the Tower and just barely survived by doing gates Rank 6 or below. But based on what people are saying, Rocket Store members can now get what they need immediately even inside rifts, so I’m thinking of challenging the Tower too.
For hunters like us, it’s truly a hope.
– Just consider a Rocket Store membership card a must-have and go for it.
– (Author) But how do you become a member? They say you have to experience a crisis.
– I’ll have to go without supplies on purpose. Don’t challenge a floor that’s too hard or you’ll actually die.
– Securing an escape route is a must.
– They should add another way to become a member.
– For real, lol.
– This will really have a huge impact on the Tower conquest rate.
– My guild leader also said he’s happy because there won’t be any more time wasted on long expeditions.
– True, it was a pain to withdraw from large dungeons because supplies ran out and then have to travel back to the conquest point.
“Well, the reaction is as expected.”
Posts and comments showing an active attitude toward Tower conquest were lining up among hunters who had parked on specific floors of the Tower to repeatedly catch easy bosses, or hunters who had no interest in the Tower at all.
This would soon bring about a new positive change in the Tower conquest rate, and it was clear that it would be a huge benefit for me as well.
While I was briefly forgetting my anxiety while looking at the enthusiastic reaction of the community.
Finally, with a cheerful notification sound, the long-awaited system message appeared.
[A review from Kargar has arrived]
My heart skipped a beat.
My hands trembled, and it took a few seconds before I could check the review.
[A re-use review has been registered at the Rocket Store.]
[Review: I failed to conquer the octopus head with the rocks you prepared. If it weren’t for the potions you sent along, my colleagues and I would have become food for that octopus head. Thank you. Thanks to you, we survived. A Barbarian does not forget to repay a debt as a matter of honor. My colleagues and I are now your mercenaries.]
“Holy! It was a success…”
And it was a huge hit.
To think I would officially hire Kargar-level Barbarian colleagues as a group of mercenaries for the Rocket Store.
“Even if the next conditions are updated, our country will be safe thanks to this.”
I let out a sigh of relief and joy.
My heart swelled with the fact that Kargar expressed his gratitude and that it was proven that the Corrosive Resistance Potion I sent was effective.
[Barbarian Kargar and his colleagues wish to register as official mercenaries.]
[Do you wish to accept?]
I accepted this with a happy heart.
Through this incident, I realized that in solving requests, suggesting creative solutions suited to the situation held much greater value than simply providing items.
“If I had only sent the rocks, the request would have been successful, but I wouldn’t have gained Kargar’s trust and his honorable proposal.”
This was a major event that brought about a big change in my approach to future requests.
“Since a large number of mercenaries have been added, I can afford to buy one Rocket Store enhancement function from the exclusive shop.”
The goal I had in mind was the Emblem Buff Enhancement Ticket, which cost 2,000,000 coins.
Now that I had secured a large number of potential customers.
If I also enhanced the buff ability of the emblem at this perfect timing, even those who were hesitating would surely burn with enthusiasm to register for membership.
[Purchased the Emblem Buff Enhancement Ticket from the exclusive shop.]
– The buff ability of the emblems held by members is enhanced by one stage.
– All stats that rise are increased by +2.
– Experience points gained in the Tower increase by 12.5%.
It was safe to say that this was like pouring oil on the already frantic community situation.