When I first received the clock pendulum from Han Seo-yeon, it was described as a substance containing the power to control time.
‘I naturally expected a Haste-type buff.’
However, the item Garnet created, while definitely related to time, was a result completely different from my expectations.
First, its appearance was that of a pocket watch encased in a sophisticated golden case, and the surface was meticulously engraved with patterns of complex mechanical parts interlocking like gears.
Upon opening the lid, the original light and rusted pendulum in the center of the watch had been completely restored to a brand-new state, moving slowly.
**[Restoration Pocket Watch]**
Rank: Relic
Description: A masterpiece created by the Iron Blacksmith Garnet, who reinterpreted the time-control ability of the clock pendulum.
Effect: Using the Reset ability reverts the Player’s status to the point when the battle started. (Can be used once every 24 hours.)
Looking at the detailed description, it reverted everything to the state just before entering combat.
Not only buffs and debuffs but also the Tanker’s shield gauge and skill cooldowns.
‘Garnet made a totally broken item.’
It was an item anyone would covet, but more than anything, it was a customized item that could restore the shield gauge—Yun Tae-seong’s chronic problem.
I sent an emergency delivery to Yun Tae-seong without hesitation.
Inside the hologram, Yun Tae-seong appeared surprised by the sudden message.
**[An emergency sponsorship has arrived from the Rocket Store!]**
Inside the hologram, Yun Tae-seong appeared surprised by the sudden message.
Since he had already made the group retreat, they were resting at a safe distance.
“Something is falling from the sky?”
“Huh? It’s a Rocket delivery!”
“Whose membership is it?”
“… It’s mine.”
After checking the message, Yun Tae-seong struggled to stand up.
A rocket appeared in the air, deployed a parachute, and dropped a giant box.
“Wow! That’s a huge package!”
“What’s inside it?”
“It’s likely supplies.”
As the Hunters gathered around, Yun Tae-seong opened the box.
It was full of the supplies they needed right now.
“Divide them and use as much as you need.”
“Potions!”
“This one is a mana potion!”
“Wow, so many!”
The low-rank Hunters rejoiced at the sight of the various supplies. Potions they had been using sparingly were included in abundance.
Yun Tae-seong picked up a special potion that caught his eye first.
“You can give me all of these green potions.”
“The green potions? What are they?”
“They’re Venom Potions. They’re the weakness of the Crystal Ant Queen. Physical attacks don’t work on her, but she’s vulnerable to toxic attacks.”
The Hunters’ eyes sparkled at Yun Tae-seong’s explanation.
“Then does this mean we can catch the Queen with these?”
“Yes. This amount should be enough. The problem is the shield gauge.”
Just as Yun Tae-seong’s voice trailed off, a beautiful golden pocket watch lying on one side of the box caught his eye.
“What is this?”
One Hunter carefully picked up the pocket watch and handed it to Yun Tae-seong. The surface, engraved with an intricate gear pattern, was glowing mysteriously.
“That’s strange. Why a watch?”
Seeing Yun Tae-seong looking puzzled, I immediately sent a message.
— It is the Restoration Pocket Watch. Using the Reset ability will revert your status to the point when the battle started. Your shield gauge will also be restored to 100%.
Yun Tae-seong’s face froze for a moment after reading the message.
[Is that really true?]
— Yes. It can only be used once every 24 hours, but all status ailments and skill cooldowns will also be reset.
[This is… such a miraculous item…]
Yun Tae-seong’s voice trembled.
The ability he needed most as a Tanker was right before his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
As Yun Tae-seong stood still, lost in emotion, the other Hunters flocked to him.
“A way to restore the shield gauge has been found.”
“Really?”
The Hunters let out a collective exclamation of awe.
[I don’t know how to express my gratitude.]
Yun Tae-seong spoke sincerely as he looked up at the sky.
— I’ll accept your thanks after you take down the Crystal Ant Queen.
Seeing my message, Yun Tae-seong nodded with a determined expression.
[Understood. I will definitely succeed!]
As Yun Tae-seong used the pocket watch’s ability, a golden light enveloped him.
In an instant, all of Yun Tae-seong’s conditions were completely restored.
**[Shield Gauge: 18% -> 100%]**
“Whoa!”
“It really was reverted!”
The Hunters marveled.
I also couldn’t help but admire Garnet’s craftsmanship while watching the hologram.
“Everything is different now. I will stake everything to take down the Queen!”
With his status fully restored, Yun Tae-seong led the low-rank Hunters and charged toward the Crystal Ant Queen.
**[Shield Bash]**
Yun Tae-seong’s shield struck the Crystal Ant Queen’s head, but the Queen’s crystal shell remained solid.
The Hunters’ attacks also bounced off, failing to deal proper damage.
*Ting! Ting! Ting!*
Yun Tae-seong grit his teeth, but his target was different this time. He had already applied the Venom Potion I sent to the front of his shield.
*Thud!*
The Ant Queen’s massive front leg lunged at Yun Tae-seong, but he held his ground with his shield.
**[Shield Gauge: 100% -> 88%]**
“It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m fine! Now is the chance!”
Yun Tae-seong executed a daring strategy that he never would have attempted without the shield gauge.
“Just a little more!”
While taking the Queen’s continuous attacks head-on, he continued to approach.
*Thud! Thud!*
“Now!”
Finally reaching the Queen’s mouth, Yun Tae-seong shoved the venom-coated shield into it.
The Queen instinctively tried to bite and crush the shield, but that was a fatal mistake.
*Kieeee!*
The poison that entered through her mouth seeped into her interior, and the Queen let out a painful scream.
Although the Ant Queen’s movements slowed, she was still alive.
“Everyone, draw the Queen’s attention! I’ll finish this!”
The Hunters attacked the Queen from all directions to distract her. In the meantime, Yun Tae-seong quickly pulled out several bottles of Venom Potion.
“This time for sure!”
Yun Tae-seong popped the caps of the Venom Potions and, seizing an opening, poured them bottle by bottle into the Queen’s mouth.
*Kieeeeeeee!*
One bottle, two bottles, three bottles. A large amount of concentrated venom completely paralyzed the Queen’s insides.
The giant Crystal Ant Queen finally collapsed.
“We did it!”
“We really did it!”
Cheers erupted from the Hunters.
Then, an unexpected message appeared before my eyes.
**[Reputation has increased due to the sponsor’s activity]**
‘Huh? My reputation increases this way too?’
Contributing to a raid through sponsorship increased reputation. It was a new discovery.
*Gao! Gao!*
As soon as the work was finished, Mago flew toward me.
“Don’t rush me. I was just about to ask anyway.”
I sent a message to Yun Tae-seong.
— Great job. Would it be possible for you to hand over the crystal shells that dropped from the Ant Queen?
[Of course! We only survived thanks to the Rocket Store, so this is the least we can do. I will send you every single crystal shell fragment.]
Yun Tae-seong’s reply was without hesitation. Well, my help was absolute. Was this much favor natural?
Before long, a Rocket delivery arrived.
“Guardian! The package is here!”
Hearing Aria’s voice from the living room, I hurried outside.
“Wow, they’re really pretty.”
Transparent yet blue-tinted crystal fragments were neatly arranged inside the box. Touching them felt cold yet heavy.
*Gao! Gao!*
Mago, who appeared behind me, made excited noises upon seeing the crystal fragments. As expected, he was interested.
“Yes, Mago. I brought these for you.”
I looked at Mago with a smile. Mago had already picked up one crystal fragment and put it in his mouth.
*Crunch!*
‘Oh? He’s actually eating it?’
I expected it, but seeing it in person was fascinating. I guess he didn’t just eat minerals from the ground. A crisp sound came from the crystal as it was chewed.
Mago swallowed with a satisfied expression.
“He must find it delicious.”
As Mago reached for another fragment, Aria said with a laugh, “Eat slowly, Mago. It’s all yours.”
*Crunch! Crunch!*
*Gao!*
Having eaten the crystals, Mago let out a satisfied burp. But then, something was strange.
‘Huh? Is Mago’s body glowing?’
Mago’s scales were glowing faintly, as if he had absorbed the blue light of the crystals.
“Wow! It’s true! Mago became even prettier!”
Aria marveled as she flew around Mago. Mago also seemed fascinated by his own change and wagged his tail.
‘Did the crystal shell make Mago grow?’
Maybe the two uses were different. I observed the situation with interest.
*Gao.*
Mago approached the crystal fragments again.
“Eat slowly. You’ll get an upset stomach if you rush.”
I smiled and placed the rest of the crystal fragments in front of Mago.
“Mago has a dedicated snack for a while now.”
***
After watching Mago eat the crystals, I watched the news with Aria.
As expected, the Miracle Department Store incident was being covered as the top news.
**[Breaking News] Miracle Department Store rift cleared. Everyone rescued safely!**
The screen changed, and Yun Tae-seong appeared.
“The abnormal rift incident that occurred at the Miracle Department Store has been successfully resolved. We will interview Team Leader Yun Tae-seong from the Association, who commanded the scene.”
The reporter held the microphone toward Yun Tae-seong.
“Team Leader Yun Tae-seong, could you explain what the situation was like?”
Yun Tae-seong replied calmly despite appearing tired.
“There were more citizens trapped in the department store than expected. Our top priority was guiding them to a safe place.”
“Were there any difficulties during the evacuation process?”
“We formed a temporary team on the spot with other Hunters who were present. We had to divide roles to protect the citizens and respond to the monsters simultaneously.”
The reporter nodded and continued the questions.
“How much of a threat were the monsters?”
“Starting with Crystal Workers, Guard Ants appeared continuously. Due to their blue crystal exoskeletons, they were difficult to deal with using standard attacks. However, through cooperation with the team members, we were able to defeat them one by one.”
“But I heard the real crisis was the boss monster?”
Yun Tae-seong’s expression darkened for a moment.
“It was the Crystal Ant Queen. It had a massive body over 2.5 meters long and was covered in a completely transparent crystal shell. All of our attacks bounced off.”
“That must have been quite desperate.”
“Yes. To be honest, it would have been absolutely impossible with just our strength. Especially since I was the Tanker; my shield gauge had run out, and I was in a situation where I could no longer protect my team members.”
The reporter leaned forward with interest.
“Then how were you able to overcome the situation?”
“If it weren’t for the Rocket Store, we all would have died.”
“The Rocket Store? Was the Rocket Store involved in this incident as well?”
“That’s right. They sent us urgently needed items during the crisis. If it weren’t for the supplies and Venom Potions delivered when we lacked firepower against the boss, we wouldn’t have been able to subdue the Queen.”
“Venom Potions?”
“They are the weakness of the Crystal Ants. General physical attacks didn’t work, but they were vulnerable to toxic attacks.”
The reporter continued the questions with a surprised look.
“That’s a relief.”
“The Rocket Store is truly a lifeline for us Hunters. They always provide the exact help needed at the right moment. I believe many people will realize the true value of the Rocket Store through this incident.”
“Will you be able to receive such support in the future?”
“Yes. We have established a cooperative relationship. I am confident that many Hunters will be able to receive help in the future.”
My face flushed.
‘Ugh… Isn’t he exaggerating too much?’
“What are you talking about! You really are amazing, Guardian!”
Aria hopped around on my shoulder and clapped her hands.
“You can be proud! Everything Mr. Yun Tae-seong said is true!”
‘I guess that’s true.’
I felt embarrassed, yet proud deep down. I thought about wrapping things up for the day, but then a message blinked.
**[A new quest request has arrived]**