I looked at the quartermaster who had appeared before me—Becky Baxter.
Twin-tailed golden hair.
Shining blue eyes.
A youthful appearance that made it impossible to guess her actual age.
Colonel Becky Baxter.
As her rank indicated, she was the highest-ranking and most authoritative of all quartermasters.
Fundamentally, in The Defense, the stages progressed from the rear lines toward the front lines, with the difficulty naturally increasing as one advanced.
And in most games, higher-level equipment performed far better than lower-level gear.
In other words, the higher you moved up toward the front lines, the better the equipment you'd have access to compared to the rear.
Put another way, it meant that a quartermaster stationed in the Rose Line would inevitably have far greater authority than one in the Red Line.
Items utterly unobtainable from a Red Line quartermaster could be surprisingly accessible through a Rose Line one.
'On top of that, since this introduction came from Gulshan Tripathi, it's practically safe to assume all purchasing restrictions have been lifted.'
Of course, the Ark's technology hadn't yet reached the heights seen in the late stages, but even so, being able to purchase equipment and supplies from the Rose Line at this point in time was an enormous advantage in itself.
"You were looking for me?"
"There's something I want to purchase."
"Then you've come to the right place! I don't know what you need, but I'll get you anything! That's my job!"
Becky Baxter beamed her usual bright smile.
Though I already knew, that cheerfulness felt jarringly out of place, considering the tension looming over the entire Rose Line.
"Can I see the inventory list?"
"Oh, of course! Let's see… I'll pull it up right now!"
Soon, a hologram projected from the device on Becky Baxter's wrist.
"Take your time browsing!"
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[Automatic Conversion Rifle]
[Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle]
[Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle]
[Ark-77 Automatic Conversion Rifle]
"Next Page"
────────────
────────────
[Grenade Launcher]
[NO-13 Grenade Launcher]
[NO-21 Grenade Launcher]
[NO-31 Grenade Launcher]
"Next Page"
────────────
────────────
[Machine Gun]
[NOA-8 Anti-Behemoth Machine Gun]
[NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun]
[NOA-44 Anti-Behemoth Vulcan]
"Next Page"
────────────
────────────
[Rocket Launcher]
[TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher]
[TITAN-21 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher]
[TITAN-24 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher]
"Next Page"
────────────
────────────
[Plasma Weapons]
[R-1 Plasma Sword]
[BLT-47 Plasma Launcher]
[ICE-54 Plasma Cooler]
"Next Page"
────────────
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[Protective Suits]
[Lv.1 Standard Protective Suit]
[Lv.2 Standard Protective Suit]
[Lv.3 Standard Protective Suit]
"Next Page"
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An unending list of items appeared before my eyes.
They were all decent, but nothing that couldn't be obtained outside the Rose Line.
So, the item I needed to confirm with Becky Baxter lay elsewhere.
["Enter Search Term"]
I used voice input to name what I was looking for.
"Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher."
The first thing to check was, of course, the deadliest weapon created by mankind—nuclear arms.
Even if it was a tactical nuke and not a strategic one, obtaining a Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher would all but eliminate the threat posed by future waves.
["No item matching the search criteria was found. "]
As expected, the Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher did not appear in the holographic list.
But that wasn't surprising. Weapons of that caliber were never easily accessible, so I wasn't particularly disappointed.
"Becky Baxter."
"Yes?"
"I want to purchase a Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher."
"Huh? A Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher? Sorry, but that's something I don't have the authority to access! If it's anything else, I've got you covered!"
"I see."
There was no need to feel disheartened.
Even with Gulshan Tripathi's backing, unless the Ark was in a state of absolute desperation, acquiring the Zero-999 via these means was virtually impossible.
This was more of a 'just in case' check.
"Then what about the Noah-01 Matter Disassembler?"
"Huh? The Noah-01 Matter Disassembler? Hmm… What's that? I've never even heard of it."
Hmm. So, it hasn't been developed yet.
If even Becky Baxter—the Rose Line's Quartermaster—didn't know about it, then it probably didn't exist at this stage.
"I see."
The Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher and the Noah-01 Matter Disassembler were both inaccessible at this time.
That left one last option.
"I want to purchase the Zeus-444 Railgun."
"That one… Hm, yes. That does exist. Hmm hmm, I'm not sure how you even know about it… but yes, it's available."
The Zeus-444 Railgun.
Thanks to Maybelle Pilgrim and the Thunderstruck Branch, I could use a limited railgun mode on the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle, but that was exactly that—limited.
It took considerable time to fire a single shot, and even then, it required recharging afterward.
But the Zeus-444 Railgun was different.
Named after the Greek god, it could unleash far more firepower than the Ark-34's railgun mode as long as you had the ammunition.
Even within the Ark, this was a weapon rare enough that the Rose Line was one of the only places you might hope to obtain it.
And even there, only a handful of people were ever entrusted with it.
"I want that."
"Wow… I really don't know how you found out about the Zeus-444 Railgun, but… well, alright. Just give me a moment!"
Becky Baxter looked at me.
More developed than Gedwin's Demon Soul Eyes, her ether-powered artificial eye scanned me.
"Ah… Hmm. As expected, you're incredible."
Unlike Gedwin, who had been shocked by my contribution points, Becky Baxter, despite seeing even more than he had, only looked slightly surprised.
Which made sense.
This was the Rose Line.
The Ark's frontline, where its greatest power was concentrated, and where the most monsters were slain.
Even so, my current contribution score was quite high.
But to someone like Becky Baxter, who came from the Black Line and had survived countless battles, it probably wasn't enough to shock her.
"Hm, yes. This is more than enough. You're eligible to receive the Zeus-444 Railgun."
In The Defense system, you used contribution to purchase goods, but Becky Baxter referred to it as a supply.
Even if it looked like a transaction, technically, this was part of the Ark's military provisioning.
"Hmm… Under normal circumstances, this isn't something I could supply… But since Representative Gulshan Tripathi vouched for you, I'll do my best. Please wait a bit."
Leaving those words, Becky Baxter turned around and vanished into some part of the Rose Line.
Given the nature of the item she was retrieving, even someone like her would need time.
["I'm back."]
As I waited on the bench for Becky Baxter, Esther returned, her task complete.
'How did it go?'
["…The Commander said she understood, but… I'm not sure if this was the right thing to do."]
'It was.'
["I hope you're right."]
Maybe it was the thought of using Isabel, but Esther's face looked gloomy.
'You don't have to worry. In the end, this is for Isabel too.'
["…Really?"]
'Yes.'
Esther started to say something, then simply shook her head.
Rather than questioning my words, she seemed to decide to just believe them.
["I just hope… you won't make the Commander sad."]
I didn't answer.
Even I didn't know if what I was about to do would make Isabel smile—or cry.
As far as I knew, no player in The Defense had ever witnessed Isabel's wish being fulfilled.
So, I had no idea what would happen, or how it might tie into the game's ending.
There was no way to know the answer.
All I could do was what had to be done.
"Carl Marcus, I'm back!"
At last, Becky Baxter reappeared—seated in an officer's vehicle.
What that meant was clear.
"The item?"
"Of course I brought it! Who do you think I am?"
With a proud smile, Becky Baxter opened the trunk of the vehicle.
Inside was a case larger than a person—and there was no need to wonder what was inside.
"Please check it!"
"I will."
Click─
When I opened the case in the trunk, something both familiar and foreign came into view.
One of the most powerful weapons currently in existence within the Ark.
───────────────
[Zeus-444 Railgun] [★★★★★★★★★★ (10 Stars)]
─ Ark-made Railgun.
─ Crafted with the finest technology the Ark has to offer, powered by its own miniaturized reactor.
─ Unparalleled destructive force.
"View Details"
───────────────
Even without a single upgrade, it already had a 10-star rating—outrageous.
It surpassed even my current highest-rated weapon, the [BLT-47 Plasma Launcher MK.IV], which was at 9 stars.
Considering the BLT-47 had undergone three upgrades thanks to Maybell Pilgrim, the difference was staggering.
'Of course, Janus's rating far exceeds that… but that's expected.'
Even though Janus took the form of equipment, it had long since surpassed the level of gear or monsters.
Given the number of region lords Janus had consumed, it was no longer something you could compare to any ordinary weapon.
"How is it?"
"Excellent."
"Right? Do you know how hard I had to work to get this? Normally, this isn't something that gets taken out easily—you know that, right?"
"I do."
Becky Baxter's voice grew slightly serious.
"And if the Ark learns this was mishandled, not just me, but everyone involved could lose their heads. So… please be careful with it."
"You don't have to worry."
"Well, if you say so, I'll trust you just this once!"
Whether my words reassured her or not, Becky Baxter returned to her usual cheerful smile.