I opened my eyes to the sunlight pouring through the window.
“I can’t see outside the window, but seeing the sunlight come in, I’ll at least be able to tell day from night.”
As soon as I got out of bed, I checked the faucet to see if the water was running properly and pressed the light switch to see if the lights came on.
It was strange enough that the Wi-Fi worked yesterday, but I was relieved to find that the electricity and water were running without issues, though I had no idea how.
Next, I checked the sales status of the Sweet Potato Pies.
“What? They’re already sold out?”
I was confident they would sell out, but I didn’t expect it to be this fast.
And in just half a day, at that.
I also checked the system messages related to it.
[Achievement Unlocked: Sold out limited goods in half a day!]
[Achievement Reward: All stats +1 and additional coins acquired.]
There are things like achievements?
Even an elixir with low efficacy would cost at least ten million won.
Is it really okay to gain stats this easily?
“I don’t know if someone like me, trapped in a room, needs any stats other than mana, but it wouldn’t hurt to have them.”
However, the surprises didn’t end there.
There were still more system messages.
[Rocket Store’s level has increased!]
[The new feature ‘Membership Badge’ has been introduced.]
[This badge is sold for 1 coin to customers who have used Rocket Store at least once.]
“Membership Badge?”
A new feature? What could this be?
I touched the screen to check the details of the Membership Badge.
[Rocket Store Normal Member Badge]
Grade: [Rare]
Category: [Miscellaneous]
Effect: When held, EXP gained in The Tower increases by 10%, all stats increase by +1.
My mouth hung open involuntarily.
Normally, aside from leveling up, stat increases can only be obtained by consuming rare elixirs.
It was already amazing enough that I could increase my mana stats through cooking.
But to think that becoming a Rocket Store member allows you to enjoy a +1 increase to all stats at the low price of 1 coin.
“Even the acquisition conditions are much easier than for elixirs, aren’t they?”
Now, hunters would buy something from the Rocket Store just to get this badge.
This was a promotion more powerful than any super-discount a shopping mall would implement to attract people.
“Once the visit conditions are relaxed, this place is going to be packed.”
But the most enjoyable part was still to come.
As I expected, the community was heating up.
The very first post was a review praising the taste of the Sweet Potato Pie.
As I thought, my judgment was right.
[Holy crap… Rocket Store Sweet Potato Pie review]
It was the most delicious pie I’ve ever eaten in my life. I was sad every time the amount decreased with each bite. Perfect sweetness. Perfect softness. Ah, I want to eat it again.
– Wow, you bought that? It was limited to 100, so the stock disappeared in an instant.
ã„´ Ah, I saw it too. It was my first time seeing it, so I hesitated and didn’t buy it, but now I totally regret it ã…
– You’re exaggerating. How can a single pie be like that?
ã„´ Hey. Are you crying?
[Are the stats on the Rocket Store Membership Badge for real?]
Permanent +1 to all stats and 10% EXP increase? Isn’t this worth as much as a low-grade elixir? They’re selling this for 1 coin? damn
– I bought it as soon as I saw it. It applies perfectly.
ã„´ I’m so jealous. I want to buy it too, but I can’t get into the Rocket Store. I can’t exactly go throw myself into a crisis situation on purpose… Are there no other conditions?
– +1 to all stats for 1 coin is a total steal.
ã„´ This is worth more than an elixir. Seeing as it’s a ‘Normal Member,’ won’t higher grades be added later too? lol
ã„´ If a Normal Member gets this much, what kind of stats will ‘Excellent Customers’ get? lol
[So when is the Sweet Potato Pie being restocked?]
Both the pie and the recipe are listed as ‘Coming Soon,’ but there’s no date. Why isn’t the store owner posting a proper notice?
– What are you going to do if he doesn’t? It’s an exclusive product.
ã„´ (Author) You’re right. There’s nothing I can do. I’m just begging the store owner.
ã„´ LOL, I feel the same way.
– The Sweet Potato Pie is one thing. The chef board is in chaos over when the Candy Sweet Potatoes and the recipe will be released.
Just as the comment said, the chef board seemed to be in an uproar.
[When will the Rocket Store recipe be in stock?]
Will it even be restocked? I’ll pay extra, so I’m looking for a hunter who can buy and sell it to me when it drops. Price negotiable via DM.
By the way, are there any chefs who have tried the pie themselves?
– A friend succeeded in buying a pie and brought over a piece for me to try, and it was freaking delicious. I’m seriously holding out for the recipe.
– But you need those ‘Candy Sweet Potatoes’ to make it.
ã„´ Won’t Rocket Store sell those too later?
– What’s even bigger than the taste right now is the buff it gives. One permanent stat point and max mana is increased for 6 hours.
ã„´ Is it true that it gives a buff? You’re not lying, right? Then what have the dishes we’ve been making until now been?
– I’ve contracted with a few hunters to sell the recipe to me once they get it. But every single person I contracted with says they want to try it themselves and will only sell on the condition that I make some for them lol. I’ll probably hold a tasting session as soon as I make it.
ã„´ For real? Can’t I go to the tasting session?
ã„´ I’ll give you a premium, let me know.
– More recipes will probably come in later, should I try climbing The Tower myself? If I buy from others, I have to pay extra.
ã„´ Forget it, a chef?
Looking through the chef board, I grinned.
The reaction was much bigger than I had anticipated.
There were also opinions I could relate to.
“Of course, I intended to register the recipe when I registered the pie yesterday.”
But back then, there was a problem.
[Warning: You cannot sell the recipe unless you can supply the main ingredient, Candy Sweet Potato.]
I smacked my lips in disappointment.
It meant registering the recipe was out of the question until I acquired Candy Sweet Potatoes.
Just as I was regretting not setting aside a few items, fortunately, there was a way to solve it.
[If you register the recipe as a ‘Coming Soon’ product, the probability of receiving requests related to dimensional exchange will significantly increase.]
So I had immediately registered the recipe as ‘Coming Soon.’
And coincidentally, when I woke up, a request had been updated.
[Please find a Fatigue Recovery Potion from the Halfling farm.]
Requester: Halfling Farmer Lumi
Content: There is a lot of physical work, so fatigue is building up, but Fatigue Recovery Potions are hard to find.
Reward: Cream Potatoes and 1kg of Candy Sweet Potatoes.
I chuckled as I looked at the request.
“A Fatigue Recovery Potion? Can’t I just buy this at a shopping mall? This is a piece of cake.”
However, I hit an unexpected hurdle.
“What? You have to visit an Alchemist’s Magic Shop in person to buy the more effective products?”
There were similar products in the shopping mall, but their effectiveness was lower.
The other way to buy them without a face-to-face meeting was to register a Hunter license and order them.
“But I’m stuck at home.”
Neither was something I could do.
Reluctantly, I bought the lower-effectiveness product and sent it to Lumi.
[Favorability with the Halfling race has slightly increased.]
[Obtained Cream Potatoes & 1kg of Candy Sweet Potatoes as a reward.]
Not long after, a review was also registered.
[A new review has been registered for Rocket Store.]
Purchaser: Halfling ‘Lumi’
Rating: ★★★★★
Review: Thanks to the effective Fatigue Recovery Potion you sent, the workers are in high spirits! I’d like to ask for more in the future. I’m sending the finest Cream Potatoes and Candy Sweet Potatoes from our farm’s harvest.
Additional transactions were exactly what I wanted as well.
“This isn’t just a review, she wrote a whole letter. It makes me feel even more guilty.”
It seemed I would have to find some way to send an even more effective Fatigue Recovery Potion next time.
[Request Accomplishment Reward: You can suggest that the Halfling’s farm set up a shop within Rocket Store.]
[In the event of a shop opening, a 7:3 revenue split will be applied across the board.]
“Oh? Another new feature.”
I didn’t even hesitate and sent a positive response.
Shortly after, a message appeared saying Lumi had accepted the proposal.
[Congratulations! Lumi’s Farm has opened a shop in Rocket Store!]
[The crops handled change according to the season, and a certain quantity will be stocked daily.]
And once the Candy Sweet Potatoes were registered in the store, the message I had been waiting for appeared.
[Congratulations! You can now register the Candy Sweet Potato Pie Recipe as a ‘Limited Edition’ product.]
People are going to go crazy again, aren’t they?
***
D-rank Farmer Hunter Kim Do-yoon finished his lunch box in one corner of the orchard and leaned against his truck, lost in thought.
“I wonder if there are any profitable crops that others aren’t growing.”
A few years ago, when he was a novice farmer, Kim Do-yoon was the first to preoccupy Black Apples, a rift specialty, and earned a lot of profit and EXP for the first time.
Afterwards, Black Apples gained attention among many farmer hunters because they grew quickly and tasted excellent.
However, as fast as they grew, their lifespan was short, meaning the trees had to be replaced regularly. Once everyone started planting them, the market quickly reached a saturation point.
“I can’t last long with this anymore.”
He looked at the Black Apple trees beyond the orchard that were nearing their replacement period.
The trees he had planted first were already bearing fewer fruits and their productivity was decreasing.
“Whatever I plant next, I have to choose the new crop well this time too.”
Fortunately, thanks to the large amount of money he made from Black Apples, he had purchased land to be used as fields in addition to the orchard.
The problem was that finding a new variety to plant here was not easy.
The simplest and most stable method was to partner with an Alchemist Guild to cultivate and deliver specific crops, but the fixed commission was high, so there was a chance the profits wouldn’t meet his expectations.
Furthermore, if his partner was a large Alchemist Guild, he would inevitably be in a subordinate position.
“Ultimately, to maintain the current level of income, the best option is to find a new variety that others aren’t growing, just like with the Black Apples…”
The other farmers weren’t fools either, so even searching for a target was no easy task.
“High profits inevitably come with high risks.”
Fortunately, some healthy Black Apple trees still remained, so he had a few years of leeway.
Just then, he discovered some interesting news in a community he had logged into to ease his boredom.
[Did you see the Halfling farm opened in Rocket Store?]
This morning, they suddenly said it was available all the time, and then by afternoon, they got new stock?
Are these the same Candy Sweet Potatoes from those Candy Sweet Potato Pies people are talking about?
– It’s been up since yesterday evening as ‘Coming Soon.’ I just didn’t know it was today because there was no date.
ã„´ I haven’t been able to use Rocket Store, so could you tell me more?
ã„´ (Author) They’re selling things called Candy Sweet Potatoes and Cream Potatoes, saying they’re crops handled by the Halfling farm.
ã„´ What on earth is a Cream Potato?
– Besides the farm, the Sweet Potato Pie recipe was also posted, but it sold out in an instant. I don’t even know how many were posted. Now chef hunters are going crazy trying to buy those with extra premiums.
The board was flooded with new information about the Rocket Store.
Kim Do-yoon naturally started scrolling through the related posts.
– It’s a waste to spend coins, but I’ll admit it because it’s delicious.
– I was curious, so I tried it. It’s good raw, but even better when steamed.
ã„´ How do you buy it?
ã„´ Today’s stock is already gone. They say more is coming tomorrow, but with the rumors spreading, I don’t know if I’ll be able to buy any even if it comes in tomorrow.
ã„´ I’m on standby. I’m definitely buying it.
– Since they sold the recipe too, the demand is going to explode even more.
– I wish someone would grow them and sell them. I want to eat them every day.
“What? Cream Potatoes? Candy Sweet Potatoes?”
Even for Kim Do-yoon, who regularly checked for new crops, these were names he was hearing for the first time.
However, the reaction was more intense than he could have imagined.
It seemed certain that the Rocket Store, which had suddenly appeared in The Tower, was selling crops never seen before, grown by Halflings.
Already, word of mouth was spreading that Cream Potatoes and Candy Sweet Potatoes were easy to get and tasted great.
“This is it.”
Kim Do-yoon quickly made a decision.
If he could secure the seeds before anyone else and complete a cultivation route, he would be able to see the preoccupation effect once again.
“Of course, I won’t be the only one thinking this, but looking at the posts in the community, they haven’t appeared overseas yet, right?”
Many domestic farmer hunters who saw this post would surely try to secure seeds and start mass cultivation.
However, considering the potential overseas demand in the future, he felt that domestic competition wasn’t even real competition.
Kim Do-yoon logged into the system exchange.
As expected, those crops were already listed at premium prices.
“But this is a kind of investment.”
Even if it was a bit expensive, he purchased Cream Potatoes and Candy Sweet Potatoes at the ‘Buy Now’ price instead of bidding.
“I need to figure out faster than anyone else whether these crops grow well in Earth’s environment or not to invest properly.”
Growing new crops was ultimately a battle against time.
“I think I can even eat these raw right now.”
After tasting the Cream Potato and Candy Sweet Potato, Kim Do-yoon made up his mind.
He immediately wrote a post on the community marketplace board.
[Buying Cream Potatoes and Candy Sweet Potatoes by the kg.]
I plan to buy as many as possible for farming.
I will pay higher than the market price.
Please leave a comment or DM.
While waiting for orders, he had a lot to do.
“I need to start clearing the farmland right away.”
Just as important as securing seeds quickly was starting the trial cultivation before anyone else, which was the core of this challenge.
He was already picturing the route in his head, from the experimental plot to packaging and distribution, just like when he first brought in the Black Apples.
“There’s risk, but there will also be opportunities.”
There would certainly be trial and error, but that was always the case.
“It was the same when I first grew Black Apples.”
Instead, he felt certain that if he took the risk, a sweet fruit would be waiting for him.
However, a question suddenly crossed his mind.
“By the way, who is the owner of Rocket Store?”
Had someone awakened a new ability, as people speculated?
Or was it simply a part of the system?
Considering the huge changes that would blow in soon, this was quite an important issue.
“What if this really is someone’s ability?”
It could be a threatening competitor to farmers like Kim Do-yoon who grew rift crops.
But if their main ability was to constantly bring in such unfamiliar crops, they could also be a very important ally.
“Securing Cream Potatoes and Candy Sweet Potatoes is the priority for now, but I’ll have to keep a close eye on this.”
Kim Do-yoon intended to keep watching the community and the flow of this change.