Red-17 Gate.
I stepped up to it.
"Hey! Over here!"
"Medic! Where's the medic?!"
Even though quite some time had passed since the wave ended, the Ark was still in chaos.
It couldn't be helped.
While the Rotting Body, Opacum hadn't reached the Ark, that didn't mean the other beasts and monsters hadn't.
'As expected, it's impossible to eliminate all damage entirely.'
While the Ark's firepower had been focused on Opacum, damage elsewhere had inevitably increased.
There was nothing I could've done about that. I simply suppressed the bitter feeling and walked between the rows of corpses.
"Hendrik... you dumb bastard..."
I saw soldiers nodding to one another as they carried bodies.
Among them, I heard a familiar name.
'...Hendrik's dead?'
Hendrik was one of the veteran soldiers of the Red Line—someone I knew by name.
Tsk.
Normally, with the Ark coming out of a wave this intact, it was rare for someone like Hendrik to die. But it seemed he'd been unlucky this time.
It was just one more reason why I needed to speed up the training of playable characters like Kalakin.
I quickened my pace.
If even someone like Hendrik had fallen, there was no time to waste.
"You've arrived."
The first person I encountered was Lieutenant Imosha, the officer in charge of Gate Red-17.
It would've been odd to pass through here without seeing her.
"Yeah."
"Thanks to you, we were able to minimize the damage again. We're grateful."
"I just did what had to be done."
"What had to be done..."
Second Lieutenant Imosha nodded, as if chewing over those words.
"Do you have business here?"
"I do. First, I want to meet with Gedwin."
I had many things to take care of in the Ark.
But the top priority was meeting with Quartermaster Gedwin to sell the beast byproducts and stock up on supplies.
"I'll call him for you."
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. It's nothing compared to what you've done for the Ark, Carl Marcus."
"Still, I appreciate it."
"Not at all."
Lieutenant Imosha contacted Quartermaster Gedwin via comms.
"He'll be here shortly."
"Thanks."
"Is there anything else you need here?"
"After I'm done with Gedwin, I want to see Lieutenant Colonel Banol."
"Lieutenant Colonel Banol, sir?"
"That's right."
"May I ask what it's regarding?"
There was no reason to hide it—Imosha would find out eventually.
"I want to take command of a team."
"A team, sir...?"
"I'd prefer to discuss the details directly with Lieutenant Colonel Banol."
"I see... Understood."
She didn't press further.
A sign of her own discretion.
While she nodded thoughtfully, Gedwin approached from the other side.
"There you are."
"Then I'll take my leave. Until next time."
"Right."
With that, my brief exchange with Imosha ended, and I naturally turned my attention to Quartermaster Gedwin.
"You've arrived. I heard your performance this time was impressive."
"I just did what needed to be done."
"You always say that. Haha."
Gedwin chuckled.
"So then... what do you need this time?"
"I've got things I need—but first, I want to sell these."
"Sell? May I take a look?"
"Here."
I pulled out the sealed containers I had prepared in my rift space and laid them before Gedwin.
"What's this?"
"Byproducts from beasts and monsters."
"...Don't tell me this includes that particular monster's byproduct?"
"Want to check for yourself?"
Gedwin's face went pale.
He knew better than anyone what kind of disaster could result from recklessly inspecting anything from the Rotting Body, Opacum.
"...I'll check them later. Could you tell me exactly what you've brought?"
"Not a problem."
I began calmly explaining the contents of each container.
At first, Gedwin responded with astonishment—but as I went on, his face shifted toward sheer disbelief.
"How in the... how did you even... no, never mind..."
His expression was a blend of shock, awe, excitement, and joy—a real spectacle.
"Phew..."
After taking a deep breath, Gedwin asked,
"Would you like payment in cash? Or shall I transfer it as credits?"
"Transfer."
"Understood. I'll be able to confirm and process everything once the inspection is complete. Is that alright?"
"That's fine."
"Thank you. This stuff is extremely sensitive, after all..."
With that, the matter of the beast and monster byproducts was settled.
Between that and the credits I should've received for my performance during the wave, I figured I'd have enough to visit Maybel Pilgrim again without worry.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"There is."
"Yes, please go ahead."
"ICE-54 Plasma Cooler. I want that."
"The Plasma Cooler... just a moment."
Gedwin's enchanted eye scanned me, almost like a formal gesture.
Then the cheerful expression he'd worn earlier slowly hardened.
"Incredible... The rumors were true. You really did bring down the Rotting Body, Opacum, didn't you?"
"The price should cover it, right?"
"Ah—yes! Of course!"
The ICE-54 Plasma Cooler was typically something you'd only acquire in the later stages.
But given the sheer volume of contribution points I'd accumulated, acquiring one wasn't out of the question.
'More importantly, the ICE-54 Plasma Cooler has no special restrictions besides contribution point requirements.'
Most items from the quartermaster came with additional constraints beyond contribution points.
But the ICE-54, despite being a late-stage item, had no real limitations beyond the cost.
"Anything else you need?"
"Yes."
"Please, go ahead."
I told Gedwin what other supplies I needed.
Thanks to the massive number of points I'd earned, I requested a generous amount.
"Meat... You mean real meat, not synthetic?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
That also included some food for a more human life.
Even I couldn't live on multi-calorie bars forever. With resources to spare, I planned to enjoy actual meals again.
'Besides, I'll need to feed the soldiers properly if I want them to train well.'
After what felt like intense mental calculation, Gedwin finally said,
"With the amount you've requested, it'll take some time to prepare. Would you like to go somewhere else while you wait?"
"Then I'll meet with Lieutenant Colonel Banol."
"Understood. I'll notify him."
With a bow, Gedwin disappeared deeper into the Ark.
It was my cue to move as well.
'Alright then... let's go.'
I began walking toward Lieutenant Colonel Banol's office.
*
Thanks to the heads-up I'd given through Lieutenant Imosha, I didn't have to wait long—I was able to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Banol right away.
"You're here. I've been expecting you. Your performance this time was nothing short of outstanding. Thanks to you, we were able to minimize the damage, even against the Rotting Body, Opacum. On behalf of the Ark, I thank you."
It was a long opening, uncharacteristically so for Lieutenant Colonel Banol.
That only underscored just how monumental it was that I had taken down the Rotting Body, Opacum.
"I just did what had to be done."
"I figured you'd say that. Still, credit where it's due. The reward for your efforts has been deposited to your ID card as credits. It's nowhere near enough to repay your sacrifice, but consider it the Ark's minimal gesture of gratitude."
From that, I understood something without needing it to be said directly.
My level of authority within the Ark had significantly increased.
Lieutenant Colonel Banol didn't say it outright, but the atmosphere made it clear.
"I'll make good use of it."
"So... you came here with a purpose, didn't you?"
"I did."
"You want to take command of a team?"
"That's right."
Neither of us had any interest in dragging out the conversation. We got straight to the point.
Probably because we both had a lot on our plates.
"Hmm... I acknowledge the merit of everything you've done for the Ark. Your capabilities, too. But the Ark still needs a reason for this. What exactly do you intend to do with this team?"
"I want to train the soldiers."
"Train them?"
"Yes."
"And why is that?"
"The soldiers in the Ark are weak. If I'm gone even for a short while, the damage could be irreparable. I want to prevent that before it happens."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm..."
He looked as if he were mulling it over, but I already knew the answer.
Given my current standing in the Ark, there was practically no chance Lieutenant Colonel Banol would turn me down—especially if my proposal benefited the Ark.
"In that case, you'll need a mission. A reconnaissance assignment sounds about right, don't you think?"
"I appreciate the consideration."
"Will you be selecting the soldiers yourself, or shall I assign you a few?"
"I'll choose them. In fact, I already have a list."
"Oh...? I didn't realize you were paying that much attention to the soldiers of the Ark."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol nodded.
"Alright then, who are you selecting? I'll need to know."
"Hildegarde, Dmitri, Iris, Klutz, Kurilta. Those five."
There was a reason I left Kalakin off that list.
Kalakin would be fine on his own. He'd grow just fine without my help.
What I needed right now was for the rest of the playable characters to grow.
'And Kurilta in particular—it's about time he started standing out. That would benefit me as well.'
Of course, I had already formed enough connections within the Ark that I didn't strictly need Kurilta's help.
But the more cards in hand, the better.
Kurilta was just another piece I intended to play down the line.
'Soon, those six—including Kalakin—will become the core of the Ark.'
Because I would make them into that.
"Understood. Anything else?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Then I'll assign a suitable mission soon. Take good care of the soldiers."
"No need to worry."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol didn't need to worry—those soldiers would become stronger.
Much, much stronger.
'That's a promise.'