Supply Depot Secured

Checking the supply depot.

'As expected.'

2. Procurement of drinking water / rations

I'd had a feeling the moment I saw it.

'Surprisingly, the supply depot turns out to be the facility most directly tied to survival—more than even the agents' quarters.'

Due to severe physical and mental fatigue triggering my mild ADHD, I'd fixated solely on the agents' quarters.

Of course, the [Shop] did have food items.

But calling them 'food' was a stretch—they were basically HP-restoring potions.

Still, if I was truly desperate, I figured I could choke one down, but now I had the shelter's supply depot?

Checking it out, the price was insanely jacked up, as expected.

'50 million gold?'

The intent to make me suffer was so blatant it pissed me off.

But I had the money.

The message popped up the instant I bought it.

- Flash!

This time too, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠light scanned the structure of my one-room apartment.

The light stopped at my 'refrigerator' this time.

The closet was the training ground, and now the fridge was the supply depot.

It made sense since it was for storing resources.

I was already familiar with the process from the training ground.

This time, the name appeared in small letters above the fridge.

Stepping inside—

- Flash!

"Gah!"

The training ground had an iron door inside the closet, but this time I was teleported straight into the fridge.

Before my eyes stretched a warehouse the size of a soccer field, just like the familiar supply depots from my military days.

Racks were neatly aligned for organizing items, and with its slight emptiness and faint paint smell, it felt like stepping into an abandoned big-box mart.

But that wasn't all to the structure.

'What's that?'

In one corner of the warehouse stood a massive shredder.

Getting closer to check—

Items go in here and get automatically shredded, it seemed.

I'm hungry, so I'll look into it later.

There was a section that looked like food storage.

It was completely empty.

'Just a storage spot, huh.'

What I wanted was procurement.

Sure enough, an LED touch panel for ordering sat in the center.

This was what I was hoping for.

"Yes!"

It was set up to fill the warehouse—drinking water could be procured via orders.

I checked what else was available for rations.

"?"

This didn't feel like ordering from a regular mart.

It reeked of the military, which put me off.

It seemed like a facility for bulk ordering and stockpiling, but I didn't need that much yet.

- Shh! Shh!

The items I'd bought neatly appeared on the food storage racks.

It felt reassuring somehow.

At the very least, eating the food sold here wouldn't drain my HP.

'Honestly, this has to be safe to eat. If I die from this, then something's seriously wrong.'

In fact, it was right to think this was the only thing I could eat.

- Gurgle

"Yeah. Let's eat."

To live, I had to eat something.

And if I was eating, it might as well be this.

First up, the 'Porridge for the Injured'—

Actually, I grabbed everything I'd bought and headed back to my room.

Using my household utensils.

I set the porridge, meat, and combat rations pack on the folding table,

"Hoo. Hah. Hoo. Hah."

Tension mounted.

Facing the crisis of dying mid-meal!

"I can do this. I can do this."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Vowing to survive no matter what,

"!!!"

An idea hit me in a flash.

A brilliant stroke of genius.

Failed.

Food items apparently couldn't be brought in.

I returned to my room and sat down again.

"Screw it. Die eating or starve—same difference."

Compromising by not heating it up hot.

Scooping the included porridge from its disposable container with a spoon, one bite.

I chewed it in my mouth, then mustered the courage to swallow!

"Oh."

No sense of danger, at least.

And it didn't taste bad. Not delicious, but... surprisingly decent actual food.

'Wait, this is totally edible? Yeah, it's actually pretty good.'

This was good news, at any rate.

No more worries about eating and dying.

Fortunately, the prices were a steal too.

On the way out of Dokgakchon.

Kim Chun-gyu's bald head was extra prickly today.

In his inventory was a bottle of liquor so exorbitantly priced it could drive anyone mad just to carry.

He'd given troublemaker Hae-dong a single shot instead.

Exactly one shot.

- "Ah, sure thing! Of course! Giving me Millennium Fine Liquor and all, I won't fight the unregistered guy anymore! That dude owes you big time, Team Leader! Haha! Man... if you weren't the team leader, I would've thrown down properly! Haha!"

The guy who usually ran around in just his underwear had suddenly layered on fur clothes that didn't suit him at all, sweating bullets.

- "But can I still upload the video? I'll definitely cut the ending line! The action came out awesome this time!"

Even in that mess, he stubbornly pushed for video editing.

'This is driving me insane.'

Dazed, Kim Chun-gyu couldn't stay any longer and conditionally approved the upload (ending excluded).

In exchange, he secured a firm promise to withdraw the declaration of war.

"I'm sorry..."

It was worth the Millennium Fine Liquor.

Seeing him jump straight into an apology broadcast.

He even checked the comment sentiment.

Not bad at all.

This put the unregistered hunter issue somewhat back to square one.

"......"

...He wanted to believe that, anyway.

The unregistered guy showed zero reaction despite a declaration of war from a group like Dokgakchon.

He'd asked if the sudden grunting at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end was due to the unregistered one's power, but got a claim of sudden indigestion.

He'd get the truth from Yoon So-i later,

"Sigh."

Too exhausted.

'Someday I'll quit.'

His nightly dream of [Farming Life Where Hunters Don't Bother Me] would one day become reality.

He was resolved right now, even.

Grumbling as he returned to the Hunter Management Bureau, a notification appeared in Kim Chun-gyu's status window.

New urgent business.

The Cartibes matter was top secret, so media only mentioned the villains.

'Can't stop this one.'

Dark corpse enthusiasts were already scampering around Seoul.

High-rankers on-site were slaying villains while secretly hunting the egg.

Kim Chun-gyu contacted Cheon Seung-hyuk among them.

"How's it going?"

- "We've found it. The Cartibes egg."

"!!!"

That fast.

"Ha......"

His whole body went limp for a moment.

Many concerns, but

Found it.

Other countries had spent a week without even sighting the egg before hatchlings doomed them to ruin.

But Korea, recognized immediately, cleared it in one day.

Thanks to Yoon So-i's abilities, high-ranker firepower, and prior knowledge of the Cartibes egg.

"Smash it."

With the massive weight off his mind, Kim Chun-gyu shook off fatigue and issued the order.

- "We can't destroy it yet."

And exhaustion returned.

The highest point in Seoul.

Amid dozens of villain corpses,

A 【Cartibes Egg】 easily over 2 meters sat atop a bizarre stone pedestal.

Its abyssal hue left no other word,

And irregular, grotesque patterns without rhythm.

"This is problematic."

Yoon So-i's face darkened rapidly as she examined the egg.

After slaying all villains and ending the call with Kim Chun-gyu, Cheon Seung-hyuk drew his sword again.

He swung a massive straight-down strike.

But

- Thummm...

"As expected, no good."

The Cartibes egg was unscratched.

Not a matter of hardness.

Ultra-high magic barrier rendered damage meaningless.

"Hmm......"

Now it was Yoon So-i's turn to think.

Sacred territory didn't work, nor did other skills pierce it—surroundings first.

'Necrophilia... how long have they prepared?'

A fully formed temple for enshrining Cartibes.

Patterns worshiping death and ruin everywhere.

"Hm?"

But something odd.

Pentagonal pedestals extended from the egg's center.

Thick and wide,

But the statues that should be there were missing.

All five pedestals empty.

The most suspicious—examining one closely revealed long-lost ancient magic script.

"I'll read it."

Yoon So-i began deciphering.

"......This,"

Her face growing darker, she checked the other four pedestals.

"These are pedestals for the five apostles' statues."

Meaning Cartibes had five apostles.

"Apostles... you say."

Cheon Seung-hyuk asked while searching the villains' corpses.

"Yes. But they're not here now."

Confirming the return magic circles engraved on the pedestals.

Yoon So-i's deduction boiled down to one thing.

"They've left the pedestals for somewhere else. Seems like they return after fulfilling their purposes."

Cheon Seung-hyuk drew his sword again.

"Then we hunt and kill them before they do."

No time to hesitate.

Success.

I ate.

Energy was flowing a bit now.

As long as I didn't die in my sleep, I'd survived another day.

'Good job.'

I decided to encourage myself for making it through the day.

'No point moping or being depressed.'

That was probably exactly what the system wanted. Fuck. You think it'll get its way?

'I can do it!'

I could pull it off.

Let's live. Life ain't over yet. Chin up.

- Snug...

Settling into bed with the utmost delicacy.

Might as well play some classical with [Surround Sound].

- ♪

Perfect.

- Kyaaaaah!

Then a weird noise started from outside.

A scream.