"…The Director, sir?"
Lieutenant Colonel Maybell Pilgrim, Director of the Special Purpose Weapons Research Facility.
Normally, at this early stage of the stage, she would be someone completely out of reach.
But that was only under normal circumstances.
After all, she was the one who had originally introduced me to Quartermaster Gedwin.
"Yeah."
Gedwin, well aware of my connection to Maybell Pilgrim, simply nodded.
Even if she refused my request, he had no intention of blocking it on his end.
"…Understood. Please wait here."
"Got it."
Gedwin turned and left.
Considering the number of items I had requested; he needed to move quickly to prepare everything.
'Now then…'
I glanced around.
I could stay put and wait for Gedwin to return, but with the amount of equipment I'd ordered, it would take a while.
'Might as well take a look around.'
Not for any particular reason—just that, given the unexpected multi-wave battle in this early stage, I needed to assess Ark's current condition firsthand.
'I minimized the damage as much as possible, but I should confirm it myself.'
I stepped further into the Red-1 Gate.
"Hey! Over here!"
"Pull it tighter!"
"More, more, more!"
The first thing that greeted me was the sight of soldiers busily moving about.
Outside, the cleanup of beast and fiend corpses was still in progress, and some of their bodies were being collected and transported.
Even in a dire situation like this, many parts of the beasts and fiends had practical uses.
'Their hides can be used for armor or tents, and other materials have their own applications.'
Of course, intact corpses were rare, and retrieving them wasn't easy, which made them highly valuable within Ark.
'That's not the main concern, though…'
I shifted my focus to the overall state of the Red-1 Gate.
Large-scale beast and fiend corpses being transported.
Soldiers repairing walls and structures damaged by massive beasts.
Newly delivered heavy weapons being moved into position.
'Less damage than expected.'
While the Red Line's frontlines were relatively secure, that was only relatively speaking.
Surviving a multi-wave attack with this little damage was practically miraculous.
'Should I be relieved, or should I just chalk it up to my own suffering making it possible…'
Of course, that didn't mean Ark had escaped unscathed.
Even though days had passed since the wave ended, and the immediate aftermath had been dealt with, the scars of battle remained.
No matter how much they repaired the walls and cleaned up the casualties, the traces of war were undeniable.
The kind of scars that never truly fade.
As I continued my observations—
"There you are."
Gedwin had returned.
It seemed the supply preparations had gone faster than expected.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's fine. The items you requested have been stored at the Red-1 Gate exit. You can collect them on your way out by providing your name. And… take this."
Gedwin reached into his coat and pulled out a very familiar object.
A gun, midway between a pistol and an assault rifle, coated in matte black.
The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher.
"Hmm."
I immediately inspected the weapon.
──────────────
[BLT-47 Plasma Launcher] [★★★★★★ (6-star)]
— A plasma launcher developed using Ark's cutting-edge technology.
— Powerful but highly inefficient in energy consumption.
"View Details"
──────────────
At first glance, a 6-star rating might seem underwhelming, but the key point was that this rating was without any modifications or upgrades.
'And given the nature of plasma launchers, its firepower is among the best in its class.'
Even my Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle, despite being fully customized and upgraded to a 6-star rating, was still outclassed by the BLT-47 in terms of sheer firepower.
And if I customized and upgraded the BLT-47 further?
I didn't even need to think about the results.
As I examined the weapon, Gedwin spoke again.
"And Lieutenant Colonel Maybell Pilgrim has responded as well."
"Really?"
To be honest, I had half-expected her to ignore my request, but it seemed I had underestimated the weight of being someone's lifesaver.
"Yes. You can meet her at the Special Purpose Weapons Research Facility. Do you require an escort?"
"No. I'll find my own way."
Gedwin might have found that odd, but now that I was an honorary citizen of Ark, I had no reason to hesitate.
"Understood. Then, I'll take my leave."
Gedwin gave a polite bow before heading off.
Despite his heavy workload as one of the few quartermasters in Ark, he had taken considerable time to accommodate me.
'I guess this is what it means to be a VIP customer.'
After all, I had just spent nearly 300,000 contribution points in one go.
Between the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and all the other supplies I requested, it was a massive transaction.
How many times had Gedwin, as a Red Line quartermaster, handled a deal of this scale?
This level of service wasn't surprising.
'Anyway, putting that aside…'
I set off immediately.
I was on my way to meet Lieutenant Colonel Maybell Pilgrim, Director of the Special Purpose Weapons Research Facility.
And the reason was simple.
If you get new gear, proper customization and upgrades are common sense.
'Especially with something like the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, using it in its base form is just asking for trouble.'
I didn't care much about its limited ammo capacity or energy efficiency, but the real issue was its durability.
Just because it didn't have a strict ammo limit didn't mean I could fire it recklessly—at some point, it would snap under pressure.
'Unlike the Ark-15 Auto-Conversion Rifle or other heavy weapons that just overheat temporarily, the BLT-47 is different.'
If I pushed it too hard, it could sustain permanent, irreparable damage.
Sure, Ark could repair it, but the real problem was what would happen if it broke during combat.
'Better to prepare in advance.'
Following my memories, I navigated through the city within the Red Line.
A city of dazzling grandeur, filled with towering skyscrapers that seemed oblivious to the approaching end of the world.
People laughing, seemingly untouched by war.
A place that had never truly known battle.
An unchanging landscape.
Even if Ark stood on the brink of annihilation, this scenery would remain the same.
Why?
There was no deep reason.
Simply because…
It always had.
And it always would.
The Shadow Order Route had gained widespread support for a reason.
Many saw the Shadow Order as heroic outlaws who had ended the inequality and conflicts between the Lines.
'Even though, in reality, they played a major role in fueling those very conflicts.'
But that didn't matter right now.
Passing through the towering skyscrapers and peaceful streets, I finally arrived at the entrance to the Special Purpose Weapons Research Facility.
A research lab for specialized weapons…
To me, this place held a special meaning.
I had once stood in front of this facility, praying that my equipment upgrades and customizations would succeed.
Hell, there were times I had literally placed a glass of water in front of my monitor before pressing the upgrade button.
It was a place that brought back complicated memories.
'…If I had known things would turn out this way, I should've come here before [Beginner's Luck] expired.'
Regret always comes too late.
Although, to be fair, I wouldn't have been able to afford the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher earlier anyway, so it was a meaningless thought.
Now standing at the facility's entrance, a researcher at the front desk greeted me.
"How may I assist you?"
"I'm here to see Director Maybell Pilgrim."
"May I have your name?"
"Carl Marcus."
"Confirmed. Please follow me."
Whether it was because Gedwin had properly arranged everything or because Maybell Pilgrim herself had given prior authorization, I was granted access without any difficulty.
'Or maybe she gave the order herself.'
Either way, it worked in my favor.
"The Director is currently in her personal lab on B31."
"Got it."
Following the researcher's directions, I stepped into the elevator.
At a glance, the security seemed absurdly lax.
But if I were an intruder, I wouldn't have even made it inside.
The moment I attempted to force my way into the facility, I would've been disintegrated by plasma defense turrets.
[B31]
When the elevator doors opened, a familiar sight greeted me.
["Whoa... What is all this?"]
Esther gawked in amazement.
Maybell Pilgrim's personal lab was filled with so many rare and cutting-edge technologies that it felt like stepping into the future.
But one thing seemed odd—
For someone like Esther, who had worked as a scout for the Shadow Order, this place shouldn't have been that surprising.
'Haven't you been here before?'
["This is my first time."]
'…Huh.'
Apparently, this was before Esther had started moving freely within Ark.
Regardless, as I stepped inside Maybell Pilgrim's lab, she greeted me in her work attire.
"You're here. I got a message from Gedwin."
"I came to ask for a favor."
"The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, right?"
"Yeah."
Considering I had rushed here right after purchasing the BLT-47, it wasn't hard for her to guess my intent.
But her next reaction caught me off guard.
"…I see."
A faintly bitter expression crossed her face.
It was a look I had never seen from her before, and to be honest, it threw me off.
'What's with that reaction…?'
"…Well, it's not a difficult request. But the BLT-47 is a sensitive piece of equipment, so there's a risk of failure. Keep that in mind."
"I know."
"Good, then."
Still, it wasn't something I wanted to hear.
"Now, about the cost…"
"The cost?"
"You didn't think I'd do this for free, did you?"
I had hoped she might, but of course, that wasn't the case.
Upgrading or customizing weapons under Maybell Pilgrim's expertise required credits.
While I could convert contribution points into credits, the exchange rate was terrible.
The value of items purchased with contribution points was far greater than those bought with credits, making the conversion highly inefficient.
'Luckily, I saved up some credits from my last mission in Ark…'
In other words, I would need to participate in future waves within Ark to earn more credits.
'I won't have to do it every time, but there will be times when I'll need credits.'
Alternatively, I could venture outside Ark, hunt relatively intact fiends or beasts, and sell their remains.
'That's something to consider later.'
I spoke up.
"I'll pay."
With the credits I earned last time, I'd probably only be able to afford one upgrade.
"Alright. You want an upgrade?"
"Yeah."
"Hand it over."
I placed the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher in Maybell Pilgrim's hands.
I had gone through this process hundreds of times before.
Yet, at this moment, I still couldn't suppress the tension in my chest.
"Give me a moment."
With that, Maybell took the BLT-47 and walked toward her workstation.
At last, the moment of fate had arrived.