Erica and her team met the manager in front of the Black Horn Guild’s Korean branch.
“I apologize for the late hour. This is an urgent matter.”
“It is quite alright. We have already notified the Hunter Association. You can head straight to the scene.”
A young Korean Hunter standing beside the manager took a step forward.
“Hello. I am Kim Tae-jun from the Black Horn Guild. Since I am a Rocket Store member, I have been tasked with sharing today’s request.”
“Then, we will be in your care for the day.”
Erica nodded her head.
Only a member of the Rocket Store could share a request with their party members. That was why they needed a local member.
“Black Horn has prepared the vehicle. It will take about 30 minutes to reach Bukhansan.”
The manager pointed to an SUV parked in the parking lot.
“I heard you are very interested in the Rocket Store.”
“Yes, we haven’t had the chance to experience it directly in the United States. I have high expectations since the Hunter Association provided us with some prototype products this time.”
“I see. However, the quantity was likely limited. This is an extra supply. Please use it if you need it during battle.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Then, driver. Please depart.”
“Yes, sir.”
The car began to pull out of downtown Seoul.
“Has everyone eaten dinner?”
“Yes, we ate at the hotel.”
“What did you have?”
“Was it… Dak-hanmari?”
“It was nice because it wasn’t spicy, unlike most Korean food.”
“Right. You spent so long worrying about what to pick. I’m glad you were satisfied.”
“It will take a bit of time to arrive, so how about a light snack?”
“In the car?”
“Are you suggesting we stop at a restaurant or a convenience store? We don’t have time for that.”
“No. Delivery food is also available through the Rocket Store.”
“Delivery food?”
“Yes. They deliver food prepared by Survival Chefs who have mastered Halfling recipes. It can even be delivered inside a moving car, so do not worry.”
Erica and Asher looked at each other.
“Really? I heard that in Korea, even regular food is delivered like pizza. But this is even more convenient.”
“A full meal might be too heavy, so how about a snack? I recommend the Rock Boar jerky.”
“Rock Boar jerky?”
“Yes. It is made using a Halfling recipe, so it has a buff effect.”
“Is that true?”
Asher’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. It will help you in battle.”
“Please order some. Charge it to us.”
“No. I will cover this much.”
“Thank you.”
When Kim Tae-jun placed the order, it didn’t take long before a small rocket appeared inside the car.
“Wow.”
Asher marveled.
As they opened the box delivered by the rocket, a fragrant scent wafted out. Brown, seasoned meat jerky was neatly packaged inside.
“…Wow, this is delicious.”
Erica was genuinely impressed.
“Do you feel the buff?”
“Yes. It feels like power is surging through my body.”
Erica nodded. The sensation of her stats increasing was unmistakable.
“Let me try some too!”
Asher grabbed the jerky. One piece, two pieces… he devoured five pieces in an instant.
“Asher, eat in moderation.”
“If I eat a lot, does the effect stack or last longer?”
“No. Neither the stacking nor the duration increases. The effect is the same whether you eat one or ten.”
“What? Is that how it works? Well, it was worth a try.”
“Liar. The Association already told you that.”
“You caught me.”
Asher picked up the remaining jerky.
“Mr. Tae-jun is paying, after all!”
40 minutes later, the vehicle arrived at the Bukhansan National Park site.
“That seems to be the temporary base camp.”
Where Kim Tae-jun pointed, tents were set up in a large open space, and numerous Hunters were gathered.
“It already looks like there are over 100 people…”
“These are the people who responded to the Rocket Store’s emergency request.”
“They all gathered at this hour for a single request?”
Jimmy wore an expression of disbelief.
Stepping out of the car, Erica’s team headed toward the national park management office. The closer they got, the more they could feel the sheer number of Hunters.
“I have already contacted them, so I will go and register us. While you wait, why don’t you try using the Warpaint?”
“Ah, right.”
“But how do you use this?”
“Can’t you tell by looking? It’s simple. You just hold the stencil against yourself and spray the dye on top.”
“Like this?”
“Ah. It’s like a stencil tattoo.”
He sprayed the red dye. When he removed the stencil a few seconds later, a vivid pattern was engraved on the armor.
“Oh.”
Erica marveled. At the same time, she felt power welling up within her.
“This is fascinating. You’re saying the Barbarians draw this directly on their bodies?”
“Yeah. According to the reports, that is more effective, but it takes a long time and stays almost permanently, like a real tattoo.”
“Really? This method is very convenient, then.”
Asher spoke as he looked at the pattern engraved on his shield.
Meanwhile, Kim Tae-jun returned, and Erica’s team performed a final check of their equipment. Jimmy pulled a Lamia’s Deadly Poison potion from his bag.
“How do we use this?”
“It’s for throwing. If you throw it at a monster, the poison spreads and deals continuous damage.”
“I’ll have to test its performance in actual combat.”
“Please do.”
“All units, attention! The temporary primary defense line has been breached. Red Orcs will arrive here at the secondary defense line shortly. Everyone, get ready!”
The commander’s voice rang out through a megaphone. Soon after, someone ran up and whispered something to the commander.
“A group of Red Orcs is approaching! Move to your assigned sectors!”
Erica’s team also headed to the center of the secondary defense line. In the distance, they could hear the ground rumbling.
*Thump! Thump!*
It was the Red Orcs. The sight of a pack of over 250 charging toward them was overwhelming.
“Open fire!”
Spells and arrows poured out from the secondary defense line. Erica also drew her sword and unleashed sword energy. Thanks to the Warpaint effect, her sword energy was more powerful than usual.
“The effect is definitely real.”
Erica muttered.
The battle grew fierce, but Erica, feeling more relaxed than usual thanks to the buffs from the Warpaint and jerky, fixed her gaze on a certain Hunter. It was an archer.
He was clearly a long-range dealer. He wore light leather armor and had an agile build. However, the moment a Red Orc charged toward him, the archer did something strange. Normally, one would retreat or evade. Instead, the archer stepped forward.
“What is that person doing?”
“He’s going to get hit!”
Erica grew tense. The Red Orc’s axe swung down toward the archer. At that exact moment, a silver light erupted from the archer’s body. A protective barrier, shimmering like scales, enveloped him.
*Clang!*
The Orc’s axe collided with the barrier. However, the archer didn’t budge.
“What was that?”
Erica muttered with a look of disbelief. In that state, the archer fired an arrow at the Orc’s vital point. Point-blank fire. The arrow lodged in the Orc’s eye, and the creature collapsed.
“That is the Snake Scale Shield potion.”
Kim Tae-jun explained.
“It creates a shield that blocks physical attacks. He trusted the shield to aim for a definitive strike.”
“A long-range dealer can fight like that?”
Erica was shocked. This was a so-called ‘bone-for-flesh’ combat style. Usually, it was a tactic only a tank or a high-ranking warrior with specific equipment could pull off, as it required high defense. Yet, a long-range dealer was doing it.
“So as long as they have that potion, even long-range dealers can engage in close combat?”
“Yes. Of course, it is a one-time use, so it must be used carefully.”
“…That’s incredible.”
Erica marveled. At the same time, she realized something.
‘Korean Hunters are already accustomed to Rocket Store products. They are far ahead of us.’
“Erica! Look over there!”
Jimmy pointed in another direction. A Hunter whose mana didn’t seem particularly large was excelling on the battlefield. No, to be precise, the armor he was wearing was excelling.
“Is that the Living Armor from the report?”
Erica’s eyes widened. Normally, self-moving armor was dismissed as an undead-type monster. However, the Living Armor handled by the Rocket Store was different. It was what they called spirit-possessed armor. Although the Hunter held an ordinary sword, the armor was moving on its own to block attacks.
When a Red Orc’s attack flew in, the armor raised its own arm to block it. The Hunter only had to focus on attacking.
“That person’s skill is mediocre…”
“Hmm. But since the armor is supporting him, he’s fighting at the level of a mid-tier Hunter.”
“The price is high, but the effect is certain. It’s especially popular among Hunters who lack confidence in their defense.”
Erica felt increasingly overwhelmed.
“We need to use them like that too.”
“Hmm?”
“Since we are latecomers, let’s imitate their methods. That’s the fastest way to learn.”
“Ah. So that’s what you meant.”
Jimmy nodded.
After some time had passed in the battle, consumables began to run low.
“I’m out of mana potions!”
“I need more recovery potions over here!”
Requests could be heard from all over. Erica also drank her last mana potion.
“Now I have nothing left.”
“Me too.”
Asher and Jimmy were in the same situation. It was then.
“Uh, over there…”
Jimmy pointed toward the sky. Erica looked up. Dozens of rockets were filling the sky.
“What is that?”
It was an unbelievable sight. The rockets began to descend all at once. Supply boxes equipped with parachutes fell throughout the battlefield.
*Thump! Thump!*
Hunters who opened the supply boxes were enveloped in light, receiving more than just mana and recovery potions. It was a random buff.
“This…”
Erica stared blankly at the sky. Hunters immediately collected the supplies and resumed the battle.
“The operator of the Rocket Store is providing support.”
Erica quietly watched the sky.
‘This… is a system on a completely different level.’
Even if the United States launched a large-scale national operation, this level of resupply during combat would be impossible. Yet, the Rocket Store achieved it in real time.
“Is this the true power of the Rocket Store…?”
Erica muttered. The morale of the resupplied Hunters soared.
“Let’s go again!”
“Push them back!”
The Red Orcs began to be suppressed quickly. Erica also received supplies, replenished her potions, gained a random buff, and returned to the fray. However, her mind was troubled.
‘We must. Before any other country. Our United States must establish a cooperative relationship with the Rocket Store.’
***
I sat on the living room sofa, pulling up holographic screens. There wasn’t just one or two. More than ten screens were floating in the air.
“Guardian, isn’t it distracting to have so many open?”
“I still have to see this for myself.”
Thanks to the sheer number of Rocket Store members, there were no blind spots on the battlefield. The secondary defense line, the final defense line, and the area around the memorial stone were all visible.
“A lot of members really showed up.”
“Yeah. It’s impressive that over 200 people came at this hour.”
‘I didn’t know this many people would rush over. Even if the rewards were good…’
The Hunters on the screen were fighting desperately. They fired magic, launched arrows, and swung swords at the Red Orcs. And behind their defense line, in the distance, the memorial stone was visible. My parents’ memorial stone.
Watching the screen, I quietly whispered, “Thank you. Truly.”
Of course, the Hunters had come for the rewards. However, the fact that they were fighting to protect that memorial stone remained unchanged.
‘I was the one who issued the request, but they are the ones actually fighting.’
The battle seemed to be progressing smoothly. The Red Orcs were falling one by one.
“It looks like it’ll be over soon at this rate, right?”
“Yeah. Since more people gathered than expected, the subjugation is going well.”
I also breathed a sigh of relief. It was right then.
“KRAAAAAAH!”
A massive roar echoed. Several screens shook. It seemed they were affected by a monster’s Fear. And naturally, a monster capable of showing such grandeur with Fear was a boss monster. It was an individual twice as large as a regular Red Orc.
“It’s the boss!”
The shout of the field commander could be heard. The Red Orc chieftain swung its axe. A Hunter who stood in its way was sent flying in a single blow.
“Guardian!”
“I know.”
Issuing the request and the large-scale supply drop had already been a significant expense, but I made a quick decision.
**[Large-Scale Supply Drop!]**
I pressed the execution button. Dozens of rockets appeared in the sky simultaneously.
“Rockets!”
“It’s the Rocket Store’s supplies!”
The rockets dropped supply boxes across the battlefield, much like bombers.
*Thump! Thump!*
As the boxes landed, Hunters immediately checked the contents.
“It’s mana potions!”
“There are recovery potions too!”
The Hunters’ morale rapidly recovered.
“Attack again!”
“Push them back!”
The resupplied Hunters re-established the front line.
“Good.”
The Hunters on the screen began to pressure the Red Orcs again. Even their boss. Mages provided long-range support while tanks drew the chieftain’s attention. Five minutes later…
“Grrrrkh.”
The chieftain fell to its knees. Yu Min-ha, a familiar face, swung her sword and decapitated the chieftain.
“It’s down!”
Cheers erupted. But the joy was short-lived. An emergency message came from Yun Tae-seong.
[The Horn Wolves at the peak have started to move.]
— What?
I hurriedly checked Yun Tae-seong’s screen. The Horn Wolves began to howl in unison.
“AWOOOOOOO!”
They formed a circular formation, surrounding something.
[I think whatever they were guarding at the peak without moving has just awakened.]
“They were guarding something?”
I magnified the drone footage Yun Tae-seong was watching. However, because the Horn Wolves were surrounding it, the center was not visible.
“…This is ominous.”
As a powerful surge of mana radiated from whatever they were guarding, the screen shook violently.
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