I was about to call it a night and head to the bedroom when a sudden notification sound made me stop in my tracks.
**[A new request has been received.]**
‘That’s strange.’
Usually, the system would say a new request had been updated, but it had never used the word “received” before.
**[Battlefield Supply Support]**
**Requester: Halfling Survival Chef O’Donnell**
**Content: I visited a frontline village where a friend lives, but a disaster has struck. The cooks ate spoiled food and have come down with a collective case of food poisoning. Monster subjugation is urgent, but the troops can’t depart because there’s no one to cook for them. I’ve stepped in to help, but there’s a limit to what I can do alone. I need you to gather assistant chefs for me. I also need help procuring supplies to replace the ruined food and a kitchen to work in.**
**Reward: Direct instruction in O’Donnell’s survival cooking, a large amount of Reputation, and registering O’Donnell as a Bonded Character.**
Seeing the name O’Donnell after so long brought back memories. He was the Halfling who had passed his class on to Lee Jun-ho.
“This is a massive request.”
Even if it meant pushing back my sleep, I couldn’t let this one go. Not only would people be able to learn cooking directly from O’Donnell, but it would be an incredible opportunity for Lee Jun-ho and other chefs as well.
‘I don’t know what a Bonded Character is yet, but I’ll find out if I succeed.’
“Guardian, what’s going on now?” Aria asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she approached.
“O’Donnell requested help for the first time in a while. Look at this.”
I immediately checked the mission details.
**[Group Sponsorship Mission — Max Participants: 3]**
**[Mission Reward: Transfer of O’Donnell’s Survival Cooking skills + additional rewards based on individual performance]**
“A group sponsorship mission…”
I immediately scrolled through the member list. Naturally, my first priority was Lee Jun-ho, whom I was already sponsoring. He had the Survival Chef class and a prior connection to O’Donnell.
“Lee Jun-ho is a definite inclusion. Who should I pick for the other two spots?”
As I scrolled further down the member list, two names caught my eye.
**[Chef Park Min-su – Survival Chef Class Change Completed]**
**[Chef Kim Da-young – Survival Chef Class Change Completed]**
‘Oh? Some people already changed their classes to Survival Chef in the meantime?’
It seemed they were brave chefs who had quickly made the switch after Lee Jun-ho unlocked the class.
‘It’s a bit late, but…’
Since it was a mission that required preparation time, it was better to get their confirmation today. I immediately sent out mission participation notifications to the three of them. It didn’t take long for the replies to start coming in.
**[Lee Jun-ho: Is this for real? To learn directly from Master O’Donnell! I will definitely participate!]**
As expected, Lee Jun-ho replied instantly.
**[Park Min-su: Is this really true?]**
**[Kim Da-young: I’m sorry, but this isn’t a scam, right?]**
‘Well, I suppose this is a first for them.’
It was a natural reaction. Anyone would be suspicious if they were suddenly told to go learn cooking from a Halfling. I sent an additional explanation.
**[This is the very same Halfling who helped Lee Jun-ho unlock the Survival Chef class. The Rocket Store guarantees it, so you can participate without worry.]**
A moment later, replies from the two arrived.
**[Park Min-su: Then it’s truly an honor! A chance to learn directly from O’Donnell the Survival Chef… I can’t miss this!]**
**[Kim Da-young: I still can’t believe it, but I’m nervous and excited. I’ll work hard!]**
“Everyone is so proactive.”
“Alright. Let’s form the team with these three.”
Checking the replies, I nodded in satisfaction and accepted O’Donnell’s group sponsorship mission.
**[The Group Sponsorship Mission ‘Battlefield Catering Support’ has been generated.]**
**[Participants: Lee Jun-ho, Park Min-su, Kim Da-young]**
**[A preparation time of up to 18 hours is granted before the mission begins.]**
But then, a new message appeared at the bottom of the screen.
**[You can earn additional Reputation by participating on-site.]**
**[Would you like to participate on-site?]**
“What?”
I stared at the screen in shock. What did that even mean? I was trapped in my room. However, just in case, I tapped the button.
**[This function is currently locked.]**
**[It will be unlocked upon reaching Rocket Store Level 5. (Current Level: 3)]**
‘Is this for real?’
My heart began to race.
‘Does this mean… I can actually go outside?’
“Guardian, what’s wrong? What happened?” Aria asked with a worried expression.
“It says here that if I raise the Rocket Store level to Level 5, I can participate on-site myself.”
“Really? You mean you can go outside, Guardian?”
“It seems like it… but I’m not entirely sure.”
Even the mere possibility was enough to make me wildly excited. Judging by the context, it seemed more like I could visit the site only during quests rather than being completely free to go outside, but even that was incredible. I had been trapped in this house for weeks now.
“Then we need to raise the Rocket Store level quickly!”
“Yeah. I’m at Level 3 right now, so I just need two more levels.”
I checked the level-up conditions once more. More transactions, interaction with a wider variety of races, and gaining more Reputation through successful requests.
“Let’s focus on making this mission a success first. That will also provide experience points.”
Having secured the Survival Chefs, I requested a list of necessary items from O’Donnell.
**[First, I need basic ingredients. The expedition consists of about 100 people, so I need enough for them. Meats, vegetables, grains… and I also need large brushes for cleaning and various cooking tools.]**
“100 people. Must be a company-sized force.”
It was a significant scale. Even for O’Donnell, it wasn’t an amount he could handle alone.
**[Could you send a more specific list?]**
**[Of course. Please wait a moment.]**
Soon, a detailed list of supplies arrived.
**[Required Supply List]**
**50 kg of dried meat, 20 kg of pickled vegetables, 70 kg of grains, 5 large outdoor cooking brushes, various cooking tool sets, spices, and seasonings.**
**In addition: monster meat, vegetables, or mushrooms that can be harvested from the Tower or Rifts. If available, even crops grown by Halflings.**
‘Procuring this will require a fairly large-scale operation.’
I could get the dried meat and pickled vegetables from the online shopping mall, but my routes for requesting monster meat or Rift vegetables were limited.
“I’ll have to put out a request to the hunters for the rest.”
I could get some from Lumi’s farm, but it wouldn’t be enough for everything. The problem was the 18-hour time limit. A standard request wouldn’t be enough to meet the goal.
**[Would you like to generate a time-limited mission as a linked request?]**
“Yes.”
I decided to create a competitive mission for the first time. The time limit was 18 hours. The requirement was edible ingredients that could be found in Rifts.
‘Should I set the reward as a Frost Pebble?’
It wasn’t a material that Garnet was particularly interested in, and I had no other way to use it, so it seemed appropriate.
‘The competition won’t be intense if the reward is too bad.’
For the other rewards, I used items already being sold in the Rocket Store. Once I designated the range, the competitive mission was automatically completed.
**[A time-limited mission has been generated.]**
**[Rocket Store Mission: Rift Ingredient Procurement]**
**Target: Rocket Store members (All)**
**Content: We need fresh, edible ingredients that can be found in Rifts to supply the Rocket Store’s food stores. Please collect any ingredients that can be used for cooking, such as monster meat, special plants growing inside Rifts, or rare spices. Rewards will be provided differentially based on quality and rarity.**
**Time Limit: 18 hours**
**Requirements:**
**- Edible ingredients obtained directly from a Rift**
**- Must be delivered in a fresh state**
**Rewards:**
**1st place (Highest Contributor): Frost Pebble + 500 Rocket Store Member Points**
**2nd to 5th place: Rocket Store Coupon (100,000 Coins) + 300 Member Points**
**6th to 20th place: Rocket Store Coupon (50,000 Coins) + 200 Member Points**
**Participation Prize (All successful deliveries): 30 font Rocket Store Member Points**
From there, I took the specific requirements from O’Donnell and explicitly mentioned certain monster meats and vegetables. Since I had done my part for today, the people would work hard through the night.
“Now I really have to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be busy.”
“Guardian, I’m so excited! I wonder what kind of food O’Donnell and Lee Jun-ho’s team will make!”
Aria was excited as well.
“Me too. Halfling combat rations… I’m curious to see what those are like.”
I headed to the bedroom, organizing tomorrow’s schedule in my head. Lee Jun-ho, the other Survival Chefs, and O’Donnell would all be in one place. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
***
“Welcome.”
Lee Jun-ho greeted the two with a bright expression. Park Min-su and Kim Da-young had already arrived at his kitchen.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Min-su.”
“I’m Kim Da-young. I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep last night.”
Park Min-su was in his mid-30s with a sturdy build and a confident demeanor, while Kim Da-young appeared to be in her late 20s and was visibly trembling with nerves.
“I’m nervous, too. To think we’ll be seeing Master O’Donnell in person,” Lee Jun-ho said excitedly.
“Have you not met him either, Mr. Lee?”
“No. I took his test, but the Rocket Store acted as the intermediary.”
“Ah! I see. Still, it’s amazing that you passed the standards of a Halfling, who are famous for having such discerning palates.”
“It’s thanks to you that we were able to get the Survival Chef class as well.”
“Haha, not at all.”
Just then, a small rocket appeared in a corner of the kitchen.
“Whoa! It’s a Rocket Delivery!” Park Min-su exclaimed, watching in fascination.
Stepping out of the rocket was a small-statured Halfling. The first impression was definitely different. He was a far cry from the round, chubby Halflings often seen in the media or described in community posts.
O’Donnell had a sturdy build that seemed optimized for outdoor activity, sun-bronzed skin, and above all, hands full of thick calluses. The backpack slung over his shoulder was packed tight with all sorts of cooking tools, and his clothes were made of sturdy leather and cloth designed for practicality.
“Master O’Donnell!” Lee Jun-ho greeted him warmly.
“Oh, friend Lee Jun-ho! How have you been? This is the first time I’ve seen you in person like this after only seeing you through a screen.”
O’Donnell’s voice was gravelier than expected, carrying the weight of his many outdoor experiences.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“These are the assistant chefs who will be joining us today. They’ve both changed their classes to Survival Chef.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Min-su.”
“I’m Kim Da-young.”
The two offered their greetings with nervous expressions.
“Nice to meet you all. But I’ll tell you now, keeping up with me today won’t be easy,” O’Donnell said seriously. “Survival cooking is on a different level from cooking in a comfortable kitchen. Even though we’ll be in a kitchen this time, time is usually tight, ingredients are limited, and the environment is harsh. You might even feel like giving up.”
The three looked at one another, their tension rising.
“But if you succeed, you’ll grow a lot. You’ll become true Survival Chefs.”
O’Donnell’s expression brightened again.
“We’re ready for it.”
“We’ll do our best!” the two replied determinedly.
“Good. But you see…” O’Donnell looked around, tilting his head. “What happened to the supplies? I felt bad asking so suddenly yesterday because the time was so short. Procuring enough ingredients for 100 people in a single day couldn’t have been easy…”
Lee Jun-ho replied with a slight smile. “Well… they haven’t arrived yet.”
“Is that so?” O’Donnell’s face darkened. “Did you fail? I suppose the time limit was too tight…”
The atmosphere suddenly plummeted. Kim Da-young fidgeted with her hands in a panic, and Park Min-su looked at Lee Jun-ho with a troubled face.
“A failure before we even start… It can’t be helped. I’ll have to cook with only the supplies I brought for now.”
O’Donnell let out a long sigh. It was at that exact moment.
*Vroooooom!*
A thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
“What is that?” Park Min-su shouted.
Dozens of rockets began falling simultaneously from the kitchen ceiling. It was a spectacular sight, like a formation of bombers.
“It’s Rocket Delivery!”
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Boxes equipped with parachutes began landing one after another all over the kitchen.
— I’m not too late, am I?
“They arrived just in time!”