Ark : The Legend
Prologue
“Is this the interview location?”
A 20 year old male asked while pushing up his glasses. In Seoul Gangnam, it was a building located 5 minutes away from the train station. A black glass in front of the building flashed ‘Global access Korea’ in English. It was the sign of a large company so the man naturally hesitated. He didn’t have the courage to go in. But he also didn’t have the courage to return
He took a deep breath and entered the building.
“I’ve come for an interview.”
“Please go to the 3rd floor.”
The model like receptionist pointed towards the elevator.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
He nodded and hurriedly walked forward and he heard laughter from behind him. His face turned red. He could guess the reason why she was laughing. He had suddenly received the notification for an interview so he had borrowed a suit from a friend bigger than him. The suit didn’t fit his figure so he looked quite unseemly. Of course, he didn’t have any hope even after receiving the notification for an interview……
“Director-nim is coming!”
A guard’s voice rang out and the lobby instantly became busy. The guides stood up while the guards lined up in front of the door. The man pushed up his glasses and looked confused by the atmosphere. One man was just entering through the front door. The man was surprisingly wearing baggy jeans and a jumper. He was in his mid-20’s? He was so young yet he received the title of Director. He had probably become the director because he was a 2nd generation heir to the conglomerate. They were similar ages but one person got a position in the company from his parents while the other one had to borrow some clothes for an interview. The young man once again despaired about the identity gap in modern society and was about to turn away when he suddenly flinched.
“Wait? No, that person….p-perhaps…..”
The young man’s mouth gaped open as he examined the face of the other man. The Director’s eyes then looked at the young man. The Director looked at the badge on his chest and smiled.
“You came for an interview?”
“Huh? Yes, that’s right!”
The young man replied with a rigid stance. The Director was about to say something else when the guards approached.
“Director-nim, Vice President-nim wants to see you straight away.”
“Vice President-nim? Understood.”
The Director nodded and was about to turn around when he looked at the young man.
“Don’t be too nervous. You will get good results if you try your best.”
“Thank you!”
The young man’s voice rang out through the lobby. The Director smiled and moved away while the young man asked a security guard.
“Director-nim…..is he? The famous…..”
“You already know?
“Of course! I am a user in New World so it is impossible for me not to understand!”
“Yes, Kim Hyun-woo. He is the legendary gamer who became a director of Global Exos, Ark.”
The guard answered as he watched Hyun-woo go up the executive exclusive elevator.
Space 1
The Name is Ark
‘I was also like that…..’
Hyun-woo recalled the old days. It had already been 4 years since Hyun-woo set foot in Global Exos wearing borrowed clothes like that young man. But now he became the advisor director and could get on the exclusive elevator to go straight to the vice president’s office. The difference after 4 years was huge! This meteoric rise was because he was the representative of Global Exos in New World. No, to be precise it was because he obtained the master code after defeating the Dark Lord Lucifer. The master code was what Park Woo-seong and Yuna used to create New World so he literally gained the power of the Creator. The master code ended up being absorbed by Hyun-woo and stuck to Ark’s character.
How could a mere user like Hyun-woo receive such a thing? It would take 10 days just to explain the eventful 3 months it took. This was the result so he had to accept it. In the autobiography ‘Ark,’ it stated that he survived on seaweed rolls as his meal three times a day while playing the game and had become the best user in New World.
‘Anyway…..’
Since then, Hyun-woo’s life had changed by 180 degrees. The reason why Hyun-woo first started New World was different from other users. He wanted to achieve two things through New World. The first was to get a job at Global Exos and the second was to gain enough money for his mother’s medical bills and their living expenses. He accomplished both things with the master code. In the view of the game company, it was impossible to leave Hyun-woo who had the power of the master code alone. They decided it was necessary to manage Hyun-woo and gave him the title of Advisory Director.
Even if he graduated from the large S or K universities, it would be difficult to cross the threshold to reach the title of Advisory Director. His life had reversed by playing the game!
‘When comparing to 4 years ago when I had to worry about the meals every day, there is nothing more I can wish for but…..’
It was the law of the world that he would lose something when gaining too much. Hyun-woo lost ‘Ark’ after he became the Advisory Director of Global Exos. He didn’t mean that the character Ark had died. Ark swallowed the master code and had gained the unique position of God in New World.
God!
Yes, Ark wasn’t a simple character in New World anymore. With the power of God, he could handle anything in the game world! It was a power that every gamer wanted. However, actually gaining the power was different. Think about it. If he had the power of God then he could delete a terrible moment or he could easily find legendary armour. No, level and equipment had no meaning.
“Huck! The trap worked!”
“There is a mob of monsters! The numbers are terrible!”
“Ugh, I can’t give up now!”
It was a desperate moment in the game!
“……Del.”
-Good job! You have wiped out thousands of monsters in one blow!
This happened with just one word from Hyun-woo. The Del key could destroy thousands of monsters in one blow. That was the power of the master code. Why would level of equipment matter? If was the same even if Lucifer was revived again. If he said ‘Kill’ then Lucifer would be smashed to death! Hyun-woo could no longer called New World a game. That didn’t mean Hyun-woo had nothing to do in New World. New World was a game so it was continuously developing new contents. Park Woo-seong was the creator and main person behind the ‘Lucifer incident’ (see autobiography of Ark) had been arrested. Therefore Global Exos had a new task team to develop new content but they failed to reach the level of the genius Park Woo-seong. Every time they updated with a new expansion pack, a serious bug would occur. For example, a devil would suddenly appear to wipe out a novice village. Hyun-woo’s main task as the director was to correct these bugs. Hyun-woo could easily use the master code to move the devil to the middle of nowhere.
‘It is a form of work but……’
He no longer felt exhilaration when exploring a new dungeon or tension when meeting a powerful enemy. It was good becoming a God at first but after being invincible for the last year, his passion for New World gradually faded away
Ark was a God, not a game character anymore. The time where Ark cried over 1 copper wouldn’t return. He sometimes felt despondent when thinking about it but Hyun-woo shook his head.
‘It sounds like I’m complaining after having a full stomach.’
He got everything that he dreamt about 4 years ago. He shouldn’t be excessively greedy. At this time, Hyun-woo never imagined what would happen. Hyun-woo didn’t know what was waiting for him in the Vice President’s room…..
Dding-!
The elevator stopped
***
‘……What?’
Hyun-woo looked surprised. When he entered the Vice President’s office, four people were sitting down. He knew the faces of three of them. The one with a bald head was the Vice President who called him and the man in his thirties next to him was Ha Myung-woo from the Planning Department. The problem was the other person.
‘If I remember correctly, he is Park Woo-seong!’
The real creator of New World! Park Woo-seong had been charged after the Lucifer event. Hyun-woo heard the consequences weren’t small because it was quite a large event. So why was he sitting in the Vice President’s office of Global Exos? Hyun-woo hesitated and the Vice President stood up.
“Ah, Director Kim, come on in.”
The Vice President introduced him to the other middle aged man in the room.
“This is Kim Hyun-woo who is known as Ark in New World.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Moon Ji-hun.”
“Yes, I am Kim Hyun-woo.”
Hyun-woo greeted and looked at the Vice President. The Vice President sighed heavily and said.
“He is someone from the government.”
“The government? Why is someone from the government…..?”
“Please sit down. Chief Moon will tell you the details.”
Hyun-woo sat down across from Moon Ji-hun and stared at him. It was an attitude commonly seen in people wary of the government. But he didn’t say anything since Moon Ji-hun seemed serious. Hyun-woo was 100% sensible. He noticed the atmosphere and intuitively sensed that what he had to hear was important. Not surprisingly, Moon Ji-hun’s starting words were extremely stressful.
“I wanted to point out one thing before telling you the details. I am the current chief of the department of the Emergency Planning services. And that is the reason why I’m here today. From now on, everything I have to say is confidential. You cannot say anything about it outside this room, no matter the reason. This is a matter of national security so you will be severely punished if you break this.”
‘Emergency Planning? National security?’
He had only heard those words in the news. Hyun-woo was stunned by the unexpected words but that was just the beginning. The following words that emerged from Moon Ji-hun’s mouth was something that he hadn’t even heard in the news.
“Around 4 p.m. yesterday, all the nuclear power plants in this country have been occupied by a terrorist.”
“Eh? Eh eh? The nuclear power plants have been occupied by a terrorist?”
“That’s right.”
“B-but I didn’t hear about it on the news……”
Hyun-woo stuttered with a disbelieving expression.
“If it was discovered that the nuclear power plants were shut down……”
“You’re very perceptive.”
Moon Ji-hun nodded.
“You’ll probably understand even if I don’t tell you. Currently the only people who know the details are the task force from the Emergency Planning department and the managers of the power plants. Together there are approximately 100 people who know.”
Hyun-woo was stunned. What type of place was the nuclear power plant? It contained nuclear power. If a problem occurred at a nuclear power plant then it was the same as receiving damage from a nuclear bomb. Yet Moon Ji-hun said that such as dangerous place was occupied by terrorists. That in itself wasn’t the only thing that made Hyun-woo puzzled
He couldn’t understand why they would talk about it with him.
“W-why are you telling me this?”
“We need Hyun woo ssi’s help.”
The answer was even more incomprehensible. Hyun-woo was certainly different from the general public. But that power was only limited to the virtual reality game called New World. In reality Hyun-woo was just an ordinary man.
“My help? Are you mistaking me with somebody else? I’m not a person who would be involved in such things. I’m just a gamer. I’m a person who shuts myself in my house and plays a game.”
“I know.”
“If you know then why…..?”
“You must be very puzzled. It is understandable. I would also be puzzled if I was in your situation. However, we desperately need Hyun-woo ssi’s help.”
“No, I mean I’m just…..”
“A gamer.”
Moon Ji-hun continued talking.
“But you’re not a mediocre gamer. You defeated numerous competitors in the game New World and gained the abilities like a god. It is the reason why I visited Hyun-woo ssi.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Moon Ji-hun paused after hearing Hyun-woo’s question and took out a cigarette. The Vice President was a non-smoker so he looked uncomfortably at the smoke.
“Have you heard of the game Galaxian?”
……He had heard of it. Before the advent of virtual reality games, the company ‘Successful Future’ had occupied 50% of the game market. And this was a virtual reality game that they invested 10 years into making. It was the reason why Global Exos continued with the updates despite the bugs. It was to prepare for the fluctuations in the virtual reality game market when Galaxian was released.
“The requirements from the terrorist involves Galaxian.”
“Huh? The terrorists want a share in a virtual reality game that is going to be released soon?”
“It would be better if that was the case.
Moon Ji-hun sighed.
“The terrorist wants to become the number 1 user in the game Galaxian that is soon to be released. His goal is to become the best user in Galaxian, just like Hyun-woo is in New World. If another user takes the position of first place then he would stop all attacks against government facilities.”
“What if the terrorist achieves his aim of coming first?”
“……In the worst case scenario, the nuclear power plants will be blown up.”
“Eh? Eh eh?”
Hyun-woo’s mouth dropped open. The nuclear power plants would be blown up. Hyun-woo knew the horrible results that would occur. The nuclear accident involving the Fukushima area in Japan had caused serious damage to Japan and the world. Yet the Japanese politicians still hadn’t apologized for it….
Anyway, decades had passed since there was a nuclear reactor accident so it would cause huge damage domestically and abroad. If someone blew up the nuclear power plants then the damage would be incomparable to the Fukushima accident
It would be astronomical damage several times that accident! Korea would also suffer from an economic downturn. But the terrorist’s demand was the most outrageous part.
‘If other users can’t stop him then the nuclear power plants will explode?’
This was the first time he heard of a terrorist like this. He couldn’t take it seriously. But this person came from the Emergency Planning department so it couldn’t be a joke. It was difficult to believe but it was true. Then the reason Moon Ji-hun visited Hyun-woo…..
“Now you can understand the seriousness of the situation. The Emergency Planning Department was summoned yesterday and after a long meeting, we decided to entrust it to experts.”
“Experts?”
“Gamers.”
Moon Ji-hun said to Hyun-woo.
“The Emergency Planning Department isn’t only meeting with Hyun-woo. New World, Royal Road, Mecca, etc. From all the virtual reality games, we asked for help from 50 gamers who stood out in the game. There is a higher possibility of a user who is already the best in their game reaching the number 1 position in Galaxian before the terrorist.”
That was the reason why Moon Ji-hun visited Hyun-woo this morning. Hyun-woo was the strongest user in the virtual reality game New World. He understood up to here. He understood but…..
“I still don’t understand. Why on earth is the terrorist doing such a thing? If he wanted to compete with other users they couldn’t he just play the game? Why would he need to bother with the nuclear power plants? Furthermore, to become the strongest user in a new virtual reality game? How long would that take? I don’t understand why the country would enlist help from gamers because of one terrorist.”
“Yes, it doesn’t make sense.”
He received a disappointing answer.
“We still don’t understand everything yet. But it is clear that the terrorist possesses the power to threaten the government. And….the terrorist’s ultimate goal is to reach the top position in Galaxian and time has no meaning to him. That….is because he isn’t a person.”
“H-he isn’t a person?”
“…….Do you remember the Lucifer project?”
Hyun-woo looked towards Park Woo-seong sitting near him. Project Lucifer was the name of the artificial intelligence that Park Woo-seong created in order to destroy New World. Hyun-woo (Ark) had defeated him. Moon Ji-hun continued talking while Hyun-woo looked at Park Woo-seong.
“The terrorist that took over the nuclear power plant if Lucifer.”
Hyun-woo naturally couldn’t understand what they meant for a while.
“Lucifer? After that incident…..”
“Officially, he has been disposed of.”
“Officially?”
“The government interfered.”
Ha Myung-woo who had been sitting quietly suddenly cut in. Moon Ji-hun sent him an uncomfortable look but Ha Myung-woo ignored him and continued.
“It’s natural for you not to know since it was even hidden from Global Exos. When Lucifer was sealed up and Park Woo-seong charged, Lucifer’s data was submitted to the government as evidence. But Lucifer wasn’t returned. He also wasn’t disposed of.”
“……Why?”
“Lucifer is currently the best performing artificial intelligence. The government desired it so they took him. They thought they could handle the enormous data of the most powerful artificial intelligence. By using it……”
“Ha Myung-woo ssi!”
Moon Ji-Hoon shouted. The Vice President who was opening the window for ventilation jumped with surprise. But Ha Myung-woo didn’t even lift an eyebrow
“You became an advisor of Global Exos because you sealed up Lucifer. You have to right to know all the information related to Lucifer. It will also help with your future work. Isn’t that right?”
“Uh……”
Moon Ji-hun just kept on sucking his cigarette. Ha Myung-woo accepted that as unspoken permission.
“The government probably intended to develop artificial intelligence using Lucifer. They thought it wouldn’t be difficult if they had Park Woo-seong who created Lucifer. However, Park Woo-seong didn’t cooperate with them. But the government didn’t give up and ended up retrofitting Lucifer and made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“The government unleashed Lucifer on a controlled internet network as a test measure.”
It was a closed circuit where they were able to 100% control Lucifer. The government thought he was a child that listened to them. However, the government had forgotten an important fact. Lucifer was an artificial intelligence with the ability to think for himself and he is cunning. Lucifer followed the control of the government until he was shut in the closed circuit. Everything changed the moment he connected to the internet network. Lucifer who had been upgraded quickly got past the government’s security and hijacked the nuclear power plant. This is the reason why the government can’t come up with any countermeasures and are afraid. The computer program occupied the nuclear power plant system so there is nothing for the anti-terrorism special forces to do.
‘That is the reason why the government didn’t decline Lucifer’s request.’
The control systems of the nuclear power plants had the best security. These days the modern smartphones could be more powerful than a nuclear bomb. Lucifer was a smart guy and obeyed the government at first. And the government was hit on the back of the head. Thanks to that, the government was really scrambling!
This was the result of their greed. Hyun-woo might have many complaints about the current government but this was still a national crisis. He couldn’t be glad after thinking about the potential colossal damage. And there was still an unsolved mystery remaining.
“Then what is Lucifer’s purpose? Why is he doing such a thing?”
“Lucifer only had one purpose from the beginning.”
Park Woo-seong started talking for the first time.
“Lucifer is an artificial intelligence. He might think and act like a human but he has no interest in the things humans enjoy. Lucifer doesn’t care about money, power and honour. His purpose if the one I created him for.”
“The purpose you created Lucifer for?”
“Revenge on the users.”
Park Woo-seong laughed and replied.
“However, Lucifer couldn’t accomplish his purpose and was sealed up. So he is going to start again to get revenge on the users. That is the only way he can be himself.”
“Then why is he trying to blow up the nuclear power plants?”
“Lucifer’s revenge target are the users not humans. Taking human life has no meaning to Lucifer. The nuclear power plant was just a method to escape from the government and to make them leave him alone while he connects to Galaxian. Lucifer can only prove himself if a world where he can compete equally with the users. He wants to prove that he is superior to the users.”
“Then what is he going to do if he proves himself?”
“I don’t know. I only made Lucifer for that purpose. I have nothing to do with anything else. No, his goal might’ve increased by one more thing.”
Park Woo-seong turned his gaze towards Hyun-woo.
“To beat the user who defeated him. That is you, Ark.”
“It is also why I visited Hyun-woo ssi.”
Moon Ji-hun sighed and handed him a note after hearing Park Woo-seong’s words.
Ark definitely has to participate in Galaxian. If Ark participates then I hand over the controls for the nuclear power plant.
Hyun-woo stared at the memo with dumb surprise. The NPC had been defeated 1 year ago and he took South Korea hostage to apply for another challenge. He couldn’t get a grasp of it in order to accept. But it was already meaningless whether Hyun-woo accepted the challenge. He had no choice. It was because of one part of Lucifer’s message.
“He won’t blow up the nuclear power plant if I participate…..does that mean I can prevent a nuclear explosion just by playing Galaxian?”
“It is just a temporary measure.”
“Temporary measure?”
“The current government can’t stop Lucifer because he is the most powerful artificial intelligence. Lucifer said that he wouldn’t commit terrorism if another user becomes the strongest in Galaxian. In other words, Lucifer will just commit another act of terrorism if he wins.”
That’s the reason why Park Woo-seong was here. Park Woo-seong was going to cooperate with the government to prepare a plan to stop Lucifer’s terrorism. The problem was they didn’t know how long it would take. So they needed to request the help of influential gamers like Hyun-woo to catch Lucifer in Galaxian. They had to find ways to neutralize or eliminate Lucifer.
‘……I have no choice.’
If Hyun-woo refused then the nuclear power plants would explode. But if Hyun-woo connected to Galaxian then he could stop the explosion at least. It all depended on who became the stronger player in Galaxian first. The burden on his shoulder was heavy because it was a national emergency. But reaching the top spot in Galaxian didn’t matter to Hyun-woo. The government had also contacted the strongest users of other games. They also wouldn’t be able to decline
Because a mere gamer couldn’t antagonize the government. In addition, there were a large number of other users
If one of them became the strongest person in Galaxian first than Lucifer’s terrorism wouldn’t occur. Even if Lucifer became the strongest, Park Woo-seong would’ve prepared a plan to stop him. There was no need for Hyun-woo to carry the heavy load alone.
‘But even so……’
This was happening in the first place because of the government’s greed. They were just dumping the messy situation on Hyun-woo and the other gamers. But Hyun-woo was still a citizen of Korea. There was no way he could ignore it if there was a chance that the nuclear power plants would explode. But……
“I understand. I don’t know if I can stop Lucifer but I will participate.”
“Thank you.”
Moon Ji-hun nodded and bowed. Hyun-woo laughed as he looked at the crown of Moon Ji-hun’s head.
“Then let’s start the negotiations.”
……Hyun-woo was Ark. Free labour wasn’t a concept that existed for Ark.
“This will be a difficult situation for me.”
Hyun-woo smiled and muttered. The explosive crisis of the nuclear power plant! A national crisis! An emergency! Moon Ji-hun thought Hyun-woo would be burning with patriotism and would plunge straight into Galaxian…..he was mistaken
Of course Hyun-woo didn’t want the nuclear power plants to explode. Patriotism also burned inside him. He was willing to do his best to stop Lucifer for the country. Even so, it was impossible for Hyun-woo to work for free. The politicians were the ones who caused this situation so they should pay for it. Why should Hyun-woo have to pay taxes to them and helping clean up their mess for nothing?
‘Anyway, I’ve grasped the sword hilt!’
Moon Ji-hun had already met with other users of virtual reality games and secured their cooperation. Of course, Hyun-woo also had to cooperate. However, Hyun-woo was in a different position from them. Lucifer threatened to blow up the power plants if Hyun-woo didn’t enter the game. In other words, if Hyun-woo didn’t play then they would have no chance to compete with Lucifer. And the nuclear power plants would explode! Not one single mark would be left. If Hyun-woo had some requests then the government would have no choice but to accept. The range of the nuclear blast would be absurd! The government wouldn’t dare risk it! He hadn’t earned the title of strongest user in New World by doing nothing.
“I have three requirements.”
Hyun-woo began to talk with a relaxed expression. Moon Ji-hun couldn’t hide his confusion at the unexpected deployment. He looked at Ha Myung-woo and the Vice President for help but they just looked into the distance. Ha Myung-woo was originally a cynical person regarding the government and the Vice President was fed up with Moon Ji-hun smoking. They also couldn’t afford to offend Hyun-woo who held the master code to New World. Ha Myung-woo and the Vice President were completely behind Hyun-woo! Moo Ji-hun eventually had to lift the white flag.
“P-please continue.”
“First I have a question. Did you say that Lucifer showed you the requirements a short time ago? So it is possible to communicate with Lucifer?”
“That’s correct. It is possible to communicate through the nuclear power plant control system.”
“Then there will be no problems. My first request is to deliver a message to Lucifer.”
“Lucifer? What do you want to say?”
Hyun-woo emphasized every word in his speech.
“I won’t be threatened by your threat. The dog who was stepped on during the war is trying to bark again. So I’m going to diligently step on you as time passes…..tell him that.”
Hyun-woo agreed but he didn’t like the situation right now. He didn’t mind playing Galaxian. Hyun-woo hadn’t been able to enjoy New World since he obtained the master code. He was the best player in the game but he couldn’t enjoy it. So this was like an opportunity for Hyun-woo. He didn’t have to worry about Global Exos and could concentrate on a game. But he was forced to do it. Hyun-woo was offended that he was threatened to play Galaxian by an artificial intelligence. Ark’s pride didn’t allow him to be dragged into a game by an artificial intelligence. If he had to do it then it was through his own will!
Hyun-woo’s, no Ark’s beliefs didn’t change.
“I understand what you’re saying. But intentionally irritating Lucifer……”
“Lucifer is already obsessed with Ark’s existence.”
Park Woo-seong laughed and jumped in. And he reassured the worried Moon Ji-hun.
“Don’t worry. I assure you. It is better that Lucifer hears these words. Lucifer wishes for proof of his existence but getting revenge against the users. Ark is a goal that he has to exceed. It is better that he thinks of revenge against Hyun-woo than against humans. But Lucifer thinks of Ark as the enemy, not Hyun-woo. He is the rival that Lucifer desires most.”
Park Woo-seong knew Lucifer better than anyone. Moon Ji-hun nodded with an assured look after hearing Park Woo-seong’s words. He was also relieved that Hyun-woo’s requirements weren’t that great. However, Hyun-woo’s main conditions were from now on.
“The second condition is exemption from taxes.”
“Huh? T-tax exemption?”
“Isn’t it natural? I’m not playing the game for fun. The nation needs me to play the game so I’m putting off my personal matters. Of course, I am a citizen of Korea so I’m not going to ask for money. But shouldn’t this be sufficient as thanks?”
Hyun-woo had been forced to play the game against his will. However, he needed to get some benefits for any lack of sleep he would get. In fact, the worst part about being an advisor in Global Exos was the taxes. He used to be a gamer so he never had to worry about taxes. He was just charged a commission when trading items in the auction room. But now he could feel the taxes. Most of the public works over the last few years had a deficit so the taxes had doubled. It was also common to see on TV news about public officials embezzling money. He was working yet it felt sour seeing his money going into their pockets. Now he was a high profit person so he had a lot of taxes.
“I should be exempt from taxes while playing the game and if I receive the final goal and defeat Lucifer then I’ll be exempt for life. I think I should be able to request that. Wouldn’t I be more motivated with a reward?”
“Oh, I’ll take a look.”
“Let me tell you the last requirement first.”
“T-the last one? Ah that’s right. You said there were three requirements. Yes. That is…..”
“Don’t worry so much. The last condition is the success fee I’d like to receive if I stop Lucifer. I’ll think it is fair to pay a price for defeating Lucifer.”
“I-I will have to meet with the government…..”
“It isn’t an unreasonable demand.”
“W-What is it?”
The eyes of the four men in the office focused on Hyun-woo. Moon Ji-hun was looking very anxious about what Hyun-woo would request. Hyun-woo looked around at them and laughed.
“I won’t say it now. You also won’t be able to agree immediately so I’ll send a note with the last condition along with the contract.”
“C-contract?”
“Shouldn’t my conditions be clearly written on a contract?”
Moon Ji-hun frowned at Hyun-woo’s words but he couldn’t say anything. The situation were clearly on Hyun-woo’s side. There was no need to worry about holding his tongue when the government was his opponent.
……Thus the negotiations finished. Hyun-woo then went on to ask something else.
“Lucifer is an artificial intelligence but he vowed to become the best user in Galaxian. But Lucifer won’t hack the game in order to give him an advantage. If he wanted to do that then he wouldn’t have used this method in the first place. He won’t break Galaxian’s rules even if his defeat was assured. You can 100% trust that.”
That was Park Woo-seong’s words. In fact, that was the part Hyun-woo was most worried about. Lucifer was an artificial intelligence that was able to seize the government’s internet network in a few hours. Galaxian’s firewalls wouldn’t pose an obstacle to him. But if Park Woo-seong said Lucifer wouldn’t use this power then Hyun-woo didn’t need to worry. Because he could easily get his revenge by exploding the nuclear power plant. Even so, Lucifer wanted to compete equally with the users. Pride was an essential part of the artificial intelligence.
‘It is annoying that he is a computer program. But my position is fortunate.’
“It is a fact that Lucifer has the ability to hack Galaxian’s system. That means we also have to obey Galaxian’s rules while competing with Lucifer. Lucifer wouldn’t use this power for himself but if he sees us break the rules then he might. Lucifer will press the switch without hesitation if he sees even the slightest suspicious movement. Yes, Lucifer won’t blow up the nuclear power plants if I participate but he can still commit the act of terrorism if the government does something.”
That’s why the government had to rely on gamers. Of course, the government wouldn’t just release their hold over the gamers. Then intended to make contact with the publishers of Galaxian to get a hint for the final goal. However, the publisher of Galaxian was a foreign company. Numerous problems could occur in other countries so they couldn’t just pay attention to one. And the problem was the final goal was connected to the life force of the game. They invested billions of money into the game so they wouldn’t give out that information so easily. Perhaps that was the reason why Lucifer chose Galaxian.
‘If the government hadn’t upgraded him……’
Lucifer who was already cunning became even smarter.
“Will Lucifer really play fairly?”
“I guarantee it.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Hyun-woo answered with a confident expression. Moon Ji-hun offered to make offer Ark government support but Hyun-woo declined. If he received help from the beginning then it would obviously be useful. But receiving their support was no different to be surveillance by the government. He had no intention of letting the government intervene with the way he played the game. He would settle it through the game system. Hyun-woo was the strongest person in New World. He later learned that other gamer that the government contacted also declined their offers of support. Even if the game was different, their pride as the strongest gamer was the same.
Anyway, the meeting ended there. The next day, all of Hyun-woo’s conditions were accepted and the Galaxian unit was delivered. When considering the normal processing speed of a government agency, everything really was handled at the speed of light. There was no choice. Lucifer wouldn’t wait.
“Is this the Galaxian unit?”
The Galaxian unit wasn’t much different from New World’s. The operation method was also similar. The game company heavily advertised that Galaxian would open at 7 a.m. The unit finished setting up at 9 a.m. He had already received 2 hours damage. He was impatient just thinking about it.
“Okay, shall I begin?”
Hyun-woo lowered his body into the unit and was engulfed in darkness. An endless dark space like it was the edge of the universe stretched out before him. Then he heard a firm voice speak the ARS message.
-You have started Galaxian. Please register the name of the user.
“Ark!”
Hyun-woo cried out without any hesitation. At the same time, there was an explosion of light and a new world unfolded in front of him. It was the return of the legendary gamer Ark.
Space 2
Galaxian
Just a short note. I highly doubt that Weed will actually show up in this story since he does belong to a different author and story. The mention of Royal Road was probably just a cheeky reference.
———————
“Hoo…..”
Ark looked around with interested eyes. When he first started at virtual reality game, he had been surprised by the movements of his character. However Ark wasn’t a beginner anymore. Now Ark had spent almost every day in virtual reality. But New World was clearly different from Galaxian. It was the backdrop. Cosy villages, endless grasslands, magnificent forests……this was the landscape of New World. The landscape that now caught Ark’s eyes wasn’t familiar. Everything was metal! The metallic walls were divided vertically and horizontally while the wide windows showed endless stretches of the universe. Just like the name Galaxian, the background of this game was SF.
“I can go into space!”
Space! The ancestors of the past wanted to experience the future so they created machines that could endlessly explore the universe. Galaxian was a game focused on the future. It was entirely different from New World. The sight set his sleeping gamer’s blood boiling. That point was very important. If he wasn’t interested in the game then he would have problems with concentration.
“I’m only level 1 so there is a long way to go before I can explore space……”
The people who passed by seemed like they were in SF and they wore space suits that he had previously seen in SF movies. Ark was also the same. He was carrying a bag. The bag was made with a metal material and there was a device that looked like a smartphone on his wrist. A 3D image appeared from it. It welcomed him to Galaxian. It also gave simple information for new users.
Currently it is the year 2357 and Earth has become barren 200 years ago thanks to environmental pollution. Therefore mankind turned to space to find a new sanctuary. But the universe wasn’t a hopeful place like humans thought. The universe had infinite resources and infinite dangers. There were numerous unknown monsters and alien species. They weren’t benevolent to humanity. Humanity suffered many setbacks but didn’t give up until they developed photon technology and technology to coat their body. This opened up a full-fledged space frontier. The pioneering age began as beginner pioneers took advantage to take their first steps into the universe. You have arrived at the federal R-14 space station orbiting Earth. This is the starting point of his space pioneering adventure. If you conquer a large number of trials while exploring the universe then you will leave your name behind in human space pioneering history. All the necessary information you need about Galaxian is attached to the terminal ‘Nymphe’ on your wrist.
Nymphe was the name of the device. Nymphe was the device shaped as a smartphone. A few icons were floating in a liquid crystal like an application button. He clicked on the icon of a person and the image became 3D. It was Ark’s character information window that recorded down his information.
Character information window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 1
Species Human Occupation Beginner Pioneer
Fame –
Health 100 Mental Power 100
Strength 15 Agility 15
Stamina 15 Wisdom 15
Intelligence 15 Luck 15
The basics weren’t that different from other games. But Ark felt the difference was enormous. Ark had gained the master code and became a God in New World. Naturally all his stats were the best! This Ark would vomit blood if the Ark from New World even touched him. But all users in Galaxian started like that. The same applied to the AI Lucifer.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this feeling.”
Ark smirked and laughed. Lucifer would also be seeing the same information window somewhere else. The thought of Lucifer seeing such a poor information window was rather refreshing for Ark. It also meant he could enjoy his growth from now on.
“Let’s see…..”
Ark erased the 3D image and looked around. The backdrop might be the future but the basic information window wasn’t that basic from a fantasy game. Similar occupations such as warriors, archers and magicians existed in Galaxian. Their names were just slightly different. So they were known as superconducting sword or gun or psychic powers instead of swords, bows and magic. Of course, it would be different once the details were more known but the game just opened so there was insufficient information. But there was no reason to be concerned as he would gradually learn as time passed
Level 1, level 1, level 1, all the users around him were level 1.
‘Is it in this area?’
When he looked around, he instantly saw a place where many users were gathered. The man gathered in the centre with a black beard was wearing a blue suit instead of the normal users wearing red. It was obvious what users would think about after just starting a game. When he wandered into that area and spoke to him, the answer was like he expected.
“You seem to be a novice based on the way you’re looking around. Is this your first time here?”
“Yes, I arrived a short time ago.”
“Then I’ll give you an introduction. I am Bhurad. I am in charge of R-14’s new pioneers training centre. Is there anything you didn’t understand?”
The NPC with a black beard said. Just yesterday he had been playing New World so it was the first time he had met an NPC who wasn’t respectful to Ark in a long time. His prickly attitude felt refreshing. It was like a noble experiencing the lives of an ordinary person…..heh, what was that? Anyway, he was always friendly to NPCs. That was Ark’s default character.
“Ah, Centre Manager-nim. I am Ark.”
“Ark? Yes, Ark.”
Bhurad laughed after hearing the name.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s not a big deal. I’m too busy to give such a simple explanation. Recently beginner pioneers have started to gather at this space station like cockroaches. The R-14 has some facilities but it is too hard to accommodate everyone. But if I leave them alone then they’ll just become vagrants. That’s what I thought. These young people just came into the universe and don’t know anything about how it works. How is it? Is it a great idea?”
Bhurad laughed and rattled on
……He was an overly outspoken NPC.
“That is catching the space bugs.”
“Space bugs? There are bugs at this space station?”
“Before R-14 became frontier station like now, it was a space farm. We can obtain leather and meat from the space bugs so most of the space bugs have been genetically modified to propagate faster. But recently there have been a lot of youngsters so they are dying too soon. The chief of the space bug processing centre is also worried. However, it will be difficult to send the youngsters out into space without any preparation or gear.” Therefore please take care of it.”
……Even foreign workers were handled.
Despite the grief of having too many users, there was no choice.
“I’ll work hard.”
“I thought you would. Anyway, this is a federal training centre so the federal government will pay for beginner pioneers to hunt 20 space bugs. If you bring a suitable amount of leather and meat then further fees will be calculated.”
<Space Bug Processing (Repeatable)>
The R-14 space station is a gateway to the universe and the crew member Bhurad has given you a job for a vagrant. This work if to catch the space bugs in sectors 1~5. Not a lot of compensation can be given to beginner pioneers but it will help them quickly adapt to life in the universe. If you gather a certain amount of leather and meat then it is possible to receive bonus compensation.
* Target: Hunt 20 space bugs or gather 30 leather or meat from the space bugs.
Difficulty: G
The quest was registered on the Nymphe.
“If you’ve decided then it is better to hurry. A lot of people have arrived so you’ll have many competitors. I don’t think there are a lot of people in district 2 so it is better to start there. However, keep this in mind. You can abandon the job but you won’t receive the compensation. If you die then you also won’t be given the rewards.”
Bhurad said and waved his hand. It was his first time but it wasn’t difficult to find the 2nd district. There were many monitors on the walls and ceilings that indicated a new area or had various advertisements. Ark followed the monitors towards the 2nd district while looking at his belongings through the Nymphe. His belongings appeared as icons on the screen.
-<Alloy Dagger>, <10 Purified Water>, <10 Space Food>
It was just like the character information window. He clicked on the dagger icon and a rough iron dagger soared from his backpack. If he hovered the item over the icon then it would be automatically stored. He finally arrived at the big gate that was the entrance to the 2nd district. Ark took out his dagger and entered.
“Now, shall I begin?’
And…..his mouth gaped opened. He saw an astounding scene after entering the 2nd district. It was a huge forest! He never imagined seeing such a landscape on a space station. But Ark wasn’t startled because of the forest. In a SF movie, he sometimes saw large space crafts flying towards botanical gardens to gather ingredients. When he thought about it, the space bugs were just like cattle. It was natural to make an environment to raise the cattle. The problem was the crowd in the forest
…..Users!
Bhurad said this was a place that raised space bugs. Looking at the scene now, it was like the users were being raised instead of the bugs. Users holding daggers swarmed over the forest like ants. The original space bugs couldn’t be seen. No, they were seen. Sometimes big insects that looked like slugs crawled out from the ground. But Ark could barely seem them before they were swarmed by players.
“A space bug!”
Seogeok! Seogeok! Seogeok! Seogeok!
The daggers continued to fall! The space bug quickly melted! It was like a group of piranhas gathering around 1 small fish.
“Damn! That’s right, Galaxian is a game that opened today…..”
Galaxian was a game that users had been interested in for several years. It was to the extent that hundreds of thousands of units were sold throughout the world before the game opened. In other words, hundreds of thousands of users were flocking to the starting area at the same time. Of course, R-14 wasn’t the only beginner area. There were dozens of terrestrial orbiting space stations that were the starting points for users. When combined with other races, hundreds of starting spots existed. At the same time, there were still thousands of people logging in and heading towards the hunting grounds so it wasn’t a pleasant environment to hunt in.
“I have to catch 20 space bugs in a space like this?”
At this rate, he didn’t even know if he could see 20.
“Yet I have no choice.”
Ark sighed and entered the farm with a dagger. There were no space bugs left when he looked around restlessly.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Me?”
When he turned around, 5 people were approaching him.
“Are you just trying to catch the space bugs like that?”
“What are you doing? Don’t you see that we’ve occupied this spot?”
“Spot?”
“Ah, really…..is this your first time in an online game?”
First time? Was this a joke? Wasn’t he New World’s Ark? Ark, don’t they know? The words bubbled up in his throat but he pushed it down. Ark might’ve been a legendary gamer but right now he was level 1. If he showed off for no reason then he would just incur their ill feelings.
“This isn’t my first time.”
“Yet you don’t know that this place is occupied? There are a lot of people gathered in this hunting ground so the person who occupies the spot first gets the right to it. If other people strike the monster first even though the spot is occupied then we won’t hesitate to PK. Does that make sense now?”
…….Ark was stunned senseless. So far Ark had never played a game that just opened. He always started a few months later. Therefore he never experienced fighting over a hunting ground. It had also been 4 years since he started New World so he was generally hunting in remote places alone. Ark had often heard of occupying a spot on online gaming sites but he had never experienced it.
“However, I can’t see any empty spots?”
“Do you see the people unable to hunt?”
“They’re all people waiting for a spot to open.”
“What if there is an empty spot?”
The group pointed towards the users gathered restlessly at the entrance. Then all of a sudden, the ground shook and a giant slug climbed through the ground. The group pushed Ark away and rushed to the slug.
“Get out of the way!”
Ark had no choice but to look around as they hit the bug. He felt a sinking feeling. However, he couldn’t question it. Ark didn’t understand it but he thought it was wrong. He really wanted to hunt the bugs but he would end up being PKed.
“Hunting in a party isn’t my style……”
Once again, Ark wasn’t a user that liked parties. He didn’t want to worry about maintaining the relationship as well as dividing the items. A deep rooted distrust of users had been lodged in his head from his early days in New World. He was a user who didn’t really know how to hunt in parties! That had been Ark’s cardinal rule during the past few years he was playing virtual reality games.
“Will the circumstances be easier elsewhere?”
He got fed up and headed towards the other farms but it was all the same. No, the 2nd district had the least users just like Bhurad said. Yet there were still 100 people looking for parties and a spot! The novice users couldn’t go anywhere else other than these beginner areas. In the end, Ark was forced to give up and join the job hunting ranks. When he got closer, a message rose from the Nymphe’s of the job hunters.
-Looking for a party spot. Level 1
-Unemployed person looking for a place. Level 2
-Save me. My wife and children are starving. Level 1
……They were ads seeking employment.
‘Nymphes can also be used as a message tool.’
Ark found a space between the job seekers and also placed an ad. Soon a hunting person looking for 1 person approached.
‘Ah! An opportunity!’
Ark quickly raised his head. He reached out a hand and tried to approach him!
“Our party has one vacancy…..”
“Me! Me! Me!”
The market of human resources fluctuated at the appearance of an employer. The users flocked around him like vultures. Some users even fell down and were stepped on. However, the other users didn’t care. They were only committed to getting a job no matter what. It was a lack of jobs due to a population increase!
“Well, over there. You can apply to the party.”
“Yikes! Oh, thank you!”
‘……What the, what’s this?’
Ark had suddenly been pushed to a corner. When he received the quest from Bhurad, it felt like a foreign worker was receiving help. It wasn’t pleasant but it couldn’t be helped. Now it wasn’t like a foreign worker receiving help but being sent down to a bustling job market. Yesterday Ark was a God in New World and now he had the status of a foreign worker
It felt like he would just be sitting on the road overnight. And the number of unemployed people was always increasing so it was frustrating. There were approximately 100 people. In order words, it was an employment competition of 1 versus 100
Moreover, that number increased over time instead of decreasing.
‘Should I come back in several days when it becomes free?’
But the game just opened so it would be like this for several months. This was an online game. If other people died then they would still be raising their levels for a while. So he would have to stay there. Needless to say, Ark wasn’t playing the game for the same reason as others. This was the beginning of a competition with Lucifer. He couldn’t stay idle for several months.
‘Yes, I have no choice but to obtain a party somehow!’
Ark braced himself and searched desperately for a job. However, it wasn’t that easy to find a job for an unemployed person. Moreover, the unemployed also had their own rules. Even maggots were divided into ranks. The senior unemployed occupied the front spots so they would catch the eyes of any employers first. Ark arrived late so he was placed in a corner where he couldn’t really be seen. So he just sat there for 30 minutes.
‘Dammit, the party occupying a spot is so irritating. At this rate, I might not be able to swing my dagger for a few days. However, if I just steal a spot then I’ll be considered a freeloader and killed. What should I do? Is there some way to catch their eyes?’
Then something popped into Ark’s head.
‘If I’m trying to find a job then I can’t just sit here doing nothing. Yes, I need something to catch their eyes!’
Ark quickly modified the contents of his job search ad.
-Looking for a position. Level 1, my name is Ark.
He added his name to the advertisement. Ark had no doubt that this would change the situation. It sounded like condescending words. No, this might be a little smug but there was nobody in virtual reality games who didn’t know Ark’s name.
‘I was worried that someone else would take the name Ark……’
Ark had typed in ‘Ark’ as his name as soon as he entered the game. Ark had connected 2 hours later than other users so he was worried that the name would be taken. Fortunately, no other user had taken the name Ark. It was lucky. The thought of losing his own name made him bitter. Anyway, the name Ark was now a famous brand in virtual reality games! Then he should take advantage of such a famous brand. Sure enough!
“Eh? Ark?”
An employer visiting the job market showed an interest. They swept past the swarming unemployed and sent a party invite to Ark.
“Hohoho, over there is Ark-nim so you can join the party.”
‘Huhuhu! Indeed! My name is not dead!’
He confirmed the effectiveness of his name. Ark had hives at the thought of joining a party but he had no choice! Anyway, it was better than the 100 users who couldn’t find a job. Now he could swing his weapon. Ark received the jealousy of everyone around her and ran up to the short haired user.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard.”
“I have seen the virtues of your name, Ark-nim.”
“Huhuhu. Yes, that is my name.’
“I also hunted together with another Ark a moment ago. So the name is appealing.”
Ark was bewildered by those words.
“Huh? Ark? Isn’t that my name?”
“Oh, you don’t know. Players can use the same name in Galaxian. It is restricted to 100 people with the same name because anything else would be too confusing. I’ve already seen 3 people with that name today.”
“Eh? What…..then how do we send mail or whispers?”
“There is a recognition number attached. Do you see the number next to your name in the information window? That is your recognition number. I also just started so I don’t know that well but the mail and whisper system seems to be through the recognition number instead of name.”
He felt like he had been hit. Ark was a unique person in New World. Yet 100 users in Galaxian could have the same name.
‘Is that why Bhurad reacted to my name?’
3 people with the name Ark had already been seen. If this continued then the name would be completely taken after one day. Of course, that was the price of Ark’s fame but the thought of 100 more users with the same name didn’t sit well with him.
“Oh, you picked someone with the same name.”
“Kikikiki. His appearance is also similar. A human clone, he is a human clone.”
“He looks better than the other Ark.”
“Jackpot! Jamie-nim, your sense in picking party members is no joke!”
When he joined the group, the other party members immediately clamoured. The reason wasn’t what Ark had expected. He had believed it was a rare name so the reactions would be something like ‘Wow.’ But now he was like mass produced goods!
‘Dammit, if I knew then I would’ve chosen another name……’
He registered the name Ark but now he felt like a comedian.
‘No, maybe it’s not a bad thing. I’m attached to this name but if I was the only user then the attention of other players would be focused on me. It won’t be like that if others have the same name. Yes, this name helped me get a job and it also won’t attract the attention of other users.’
If he attracted attention then there would inevitably be difficulties. It could be a help rather than a hindrance.
‘Even if there are others with the same name, in the end only one of them is real. He would prove his skills! He would show that he was different from the other clones! No, he would show it immediately.
‘Huhuhu, I’ll show them.’
Ark grinned as he looked at the laughing party members. The space bug crawled out in the area where Ark’s party occupied.
‘……This is a chance!’
He would demonstrate his skills! Ark shot towards the space bug like lightning. Then the short haired user Jamie who invited Ark shouted.
“Ark-nim, it is risky to go alone!”
‘I’m not a beginner like you.’
Jamie might think Ark was a copy but he was the real thing! He was the legendary gamer that ruled New World. He was already different from other level 1 users. He was acting like a high school student showing off but he wanted to show the NPCs and users.
‘I’ll show them the skills of the original Ark!’
Ark flew towards the space bug with his dagger. A critical hit and the space bug stumbled!…..That was what Ark expected. However……
-Your attack has failed!
He hadn’t seen that message at all during the past year. At the same time, the space bug attacked and he lost 20% health.
“T-this is impossible…..”
“Ah, really! What are you doing?”
“The space bugs are level 4~7 monsters!”
“Why else do you think we’re hunting in groups of 5 despite it being so tedious? 5 people are the minimum amount needed to hunt with the appropriate speed!”
“If we can hunt alone then we wouldn’t even bother with a party!”
……Ark was also aware of this. However, Ark was someone who could fight a group of monsters 20 levels higher than him alone. That was because a virtual reality game optimized Ark’s physical capabilities. Galaxian was also a virtual reality game so he thought it would be the same. Even if his character changed, he was still the legendary gamer Ark. However, Ark finally realized an important fact. The abilities of Ark’s body were definitely ahead of other users. If Ark’s character was 100%, his physical ability would increase it to 200%. But that made it possible for Ark to bring up the strongest character. In other words, his physical abilities combined with the stats strength, stamina, agility etc. would improve his character! On the other hand, Ark was now level 1. It was a body that any warrior would feel ashamed of. It was like a legendary martial artist would be reincarnated as a newborn baby. His body was that of a newborn baby but his mind was that of a martial artist. So his outstretched hand with the dagger…..ended up missing.
‘Yes, it was like that. I never even considered it. Even if the same system is applied, this is an entirely different game. I’m level 1. There are no stats to support my physical ability. Conversely, there is actually a penalty applied to my physical abilities. Even if a weightlifter came, he wouldn’t be able to life a space bug at level 1.’
Ark realized this fact.
‘Although my physical ability won’t help, my battle experience is different. I have 4 years experience of fighting in a virtual reality game. If I readjust my senses to my character’s ability then even a level 1 player can fight against the monster!’
Practice! Practice was the only way to regain that feeling!…..He never thought those words would emerge from his mouth again. The party took care of the space bug and scowled at Ark.
“Is this your first time hunting in a party?”
“If you try to force it then it will be difficult for other people.”
“This is your first time so we won’t blame you but don’t do it again.”
“I picked you because you had the same name…..”
Even Jamie was giving him uncomfortable looks. A sigh naturally flowed out after receiving such evaluations.
‘Sheesh, hunting in a party really isn’t my thing.’
But he couldn’t say anything or else he would lose his position.
‘It can’t be helped. I’ll stop rushing. I can adjust my senses once I start hunting alone. It is important to raise my level and leave the beginner area. First I should handle the angry mood of the party.’
He was only level 1. But the unemployed people were still sending him enviable glances.
“I’m sorry. This is my first time. I’ll do it properly from now on.”
Ark humbly said and obeyed the party. The hunting law of a party was simple. If a space bug appeared then stamped towards it. The space bug’s attacks were so strong that it took 20% health with one blow but 5 people were less likely to fall into a critical condition. This was why all the parties in the 2nd district consisted of 5 people. 5 people was a good number to catch the space bug. It was a boring hunting method with no display of skills or tactics. He had no choice but to repeat the simple tasks.
-Your level has risen.
His level rose when that type of hunting continued. He hunted a few more and the <Space Bug Processing> quest was complete.
“The….the quest has been completed?”
“Then please report to Bhurad and receive it again. I’ll leave a spot for you.”
“Huh? Is this a repeatable quest?”
“Didn’t you know? All the quests at the starting point are repeatable. This quest has the best experience and compensation. It is hard to occupy a spot in the starter areas so it we repeat this quest then we can quickly reach level 10.”
Ark didn’t know that. The unit only had basic documentation about how to use it so there was no information on the quests
Of course, the party also had no prior knowledge. But they arrived 2 hours before Ark. There were quite a few differences between their experiences after 2 hours. Still, it was lucky that he joined the party of someone who snatched a spot early.
“Yes, then I’ll be going now.”
Ark rushed to the central square where Bhurad smiled with satisfaction and said.
“Hmm, there are a lot of novices gathered these days so you completed it faster than I thought. Anyway, thanks for your trouble. What do you want to do? Do you want to receive the compensation right now? Or do you want to reserve it as mileage points?”
“Mileage?”
Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
-You have completed your first quest.
There are two ways to receive compensation regarding a repeatable quest in Galaxian. It is to receive the reward right away or to reserve it as mileage. If you get then you will be immediately given the reward
However, if you reserve mileage a few times then you will earn bonus experience and compensation. In addition, there is no need to report to the NPC as the quest will be automatically renewed and you can focus on hunting. If you are doing repeatable quests then I recommend the mileage method.
‘Hoh, there’s also something like this!’
It was possible to receive more compensation with the same quest. He also didn’t need to go back and forth between the hunting grounds and Bhurad as the quest would automatically be updated. He could level up quickly and leave the beginner area.
‘I’ll do this until I reach level 10!’
“I will earn mileage.”
“Understood. It will be recorded.”
Bhurad nodded and registered the quest. Thus Ark stayed in the 2nd area and dedicated himself to hunting so that he could escape from the beginner area. After the 5th mileage was registered, he gained 1 level to reach level 3. Although the hunting was repetitive, it was fun seeing his level rise so quickly. Once all his stats reached 20, he placed the bonus ones into agility. The only stats useful in the beginning when using a dagger were strength, agility and stamina. However, he was hunting in a party until level 10 so there was no reason to add to strength and stamina. Agility was more useful. His intention was to acquire the fighting style he had in New World. Meanwhile, two people left the party and another two joined. After 5 hours and reaching level 4, Ark was the only person left from the original party. And greed raised its head.
‘Level 4! Now my level isn’t that different from that of the space bugs. I might be able to catch them by myself. Why do I need 5 people to make a party?’
If the party members decreased then the amount of experience would increase. And the <Space Bug Processing> quest didn’t have a required number of people to take care of it. One by one, the party members left and the numbers decreased. The personnel decreased much faster when mileage was reserved. Plus……
‘I need to adjust my fighting sense to a new character quickly!’
Ark wasn’t impressed by just swinging a dagger when fighting. It was inevitable that he would start feeling impatience once he reached level 4. His desire to learn fighting in Galaxian made him greedy.
‘Even the risk of hunting alone would be enough……’
The fighting over the hunting ground was fierce! The 2nd district users wouldn’t allow someone to hunt by themselves
If he hunted alone then he would be targeted by other users for his spot. He had often seen people other parties have their spot taken away once the number decreased too much. He needed a minimum of 3 people! That was the minimum required to keep his spot.
‘I’ve found the three people for my party!’
Ark didn’t receive any more additional people from the meeting place.
“Is it really okay?”
“You don’t have to worry. Please believe in me.”
If he switched to a three person party then the experience and mileage rate would increase quickly.
-You have acquired the ‘Space Bug Leather.’
If the people were reduced then he could also collect more japtem. It was also possible to receive the <Space Bug Processing> quest by gathering leather and meat. The drop rate was low so despite the quest renewing 5 times, he had only received 20 leather and meat However, there was no reason to be impatient. All users were in the same circumstances and levelling up was more important than compensation right now. After he kept on hunting, a basic skill was generated.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Space Combat (User, Passive): Before you entered the universe, you received basic combat training on earth.
However, the environment of earth and space is different. Actual fighting experience in space is required to utilize this battle technique. Now that you’ve adapted to space, your movements will become a little freer. This adaptation will allow your combat to become more successful.
<A 0.5% bonus will be given for each point in strength, agility, stamina, intelligence and wisdom>
* A battle skill of the novice pioneer that was locked has now been learnt.
This is a skill that anyone can learn. After fighting in a group, he learnt that some people were lacking combat ability. The space bug was a bug like monster in the beginner area. Their only attacks were biting and head-butting. However, Ark was also the same. Their movements when using the dagger were a little slack. Therefore he tried several strategic movements many times but he couldn’t pull it off because of a lack of stats. However, that changed once is stats increased. His movements also improved after agility increased. His level increased to 5! This time he invested in stamina to reduce the risk.
‘That’s it! I’ve got the feeling! I can get to level 10 by the end of the day with this momentum!’
Ark was fully immersed in the combat.
……That was a mistake.
He was so immersed in battle that he forgot an important fact. Ark realized it after defeating a space bug.
Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
He had been killing the space bugs in a party of 3 without any breaks. Thus Ark had a confident smile on his face while fighting.
“Take this! I will slice….eh?”
Ark flinched and stopped swinging his dagger. His dagger was blinking red.
-Alloy dagger: Durability 1/20
There was only 1 durability left on the dagger! Ark’s face was filled with confusion after checking the status in the Nymphe.
‘Huck! That’s right, didn’t equipment have durability?’
Ark’s equipment in New World had infinite durability. He had made it like that with the master code because he felt annoyed with the constant repairing. Thus Ark hadn’t needed to repair any items during the past year. So he had even forgotten the common sense stuff like repairing equipment after entering Galaxian! Thus Ark made a huge mistake because of his previous character.
‘How stupid…..!’
He only had one dagger in his bag. If it broke then he would become unemployed.
‘No! I can’t lose the dagger!’
Ark hurriedly stopped the attack and withdrew. As soon as Ark stepped back, the space bug rushed towards the party member with the lowest health. The bug attacked and the member fell into a critical condition. The space bug devoured the party member and they died. The 3 people party was reduced to 2. In addition, Ark couldn’t attack anymore! The remaining member was also level 2.
‘Do we have to run away?’
There were many users in the vicinity. If Ark ran away then he would be giving up the hunting spot. Once he left the spot he would once again by unemployed. Ark looked at the jobless in the corner who were staring with shining eyes.
‘No! If I leave here then I don’t know if I can get a job again!’
“Damn! Aslan-nim, try attacking from behind!”
“Huh? “U-understood!”
Aslan hesitated before attacking the space bug. However, he wasn’t a match for the space bug. It was okay with 3 or 5 people but a level 2 user stabbing didn’t do any damage. Now this was a 3 people party and one person was dead. The result of this battle was obvious! Ark’s health quickly reduced to 10%. He couldn’t run away any longer.
“Dammit!”
In the end, he was forced to wield his shield. One, two, three…..and it broke on the fourth blow.
Jjang!
The sharp steel blade turned into sand. He stared with desperate eyes as he felt a pain in his chest. His body drained of its strength. Death! The legendary gamer became the prey of the space bug after playing the game for 5 hours.
‘Damn, now I’m really embarrassed.’
At this point, Ark was still unaware. It wasn’t simply embarrassing. Ark only realized after he was revived with Galaxian’s system.
-Your body has been restored through the revival system ‘Fairy.’
Character information window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 1
Species Human Occupation Beginner Pioneer
Fame –
Health 100 Mental Power 100
Strength 15 Agility 15
Stamina 15 Wisdom 15
Intelligence 15 Luck 15
Space 3
From the Beginning Again
R-14’s central plaza. Space ships occupied one entire side of the plaza. Hundreds of eyes looked around every time a ship made a noise. People playing with their Nymphes were scattered here and there. Hundreds of ships continuously flew down towards the docks and the amount of people around was reminiscent of Yeoido Plaza when it was the World Cup. They were the users who had just begun Galaxian. Of course they were keenly interested! If they grasped the new system and raised their level faster than other people then they had a chance of conquering the universe first. Deep in a corner of the central plaza. There was a young man wrapped in a gloomy aura. The young man locked in a gloomy atmosphere was Ark. Ark looked out the window with spiritless eyes.
“That is Earth……”
The earth where humanity lived used to shine with a blue light. But the Earth that he saw through the window had turned to a dark brown. The ignorant humans had been too greedy and turned it into a barren land 200 years ago. In the end they left Earth for space, making them seem like shameless children eating off their parents until coldly discarding them after the parents died. When Ark first came to R-14, he hadn’t been interested in Earth. He just thought it was a good setting as a background. Now he felt different. His circumstances weren’t much different from the earth dying because of human greed. The difference between Ark and the earth was that he was the cause of his suffering. Ark blankly stared at the earth while pulling at his hair.
“Stupid! Bastard!”
More knowledge would only cause confusion. That was Ark’s theory. But he was starting a new game. When Ark stated New World a long time ago, he had experienced some troubles because he didn’t know the basic information. Well, it was thanks to that incident that Ark managed to find a hidden class and became the strongest in New World. Therefore Ark made sure to learn the basic information about Galaxian. One thing he learnt was the revival system.
-<Galaxian Revival System ‘Fairy.’>
-This is the revival system in Galaxian.
-Through the cloning technique discovered in the 2000’s, users will automatically have the registered genetic information restored as flesh after they die. The body will be 100% identical to the registered information.
-If you use this system then considerable resources are needed to restore the body.
-The higher level a registered person it, the more resources it would consume. If you lack the necessary resources then the body might not be restored properly. The damage to the body and spirit is intense and you might end up disabled for your whole life. However, the federal government wants to encourage space pioneering so this service will be free for beginner pioneers.
-There is the revival system so I don’t have to worry even if I die!
-Please use this.
‘Don’t have to worry even if I die?’
……It was sugar-coating it. If he died then he would be 100% restored using the registered genetic information. This meant he wouldn’t lose experience or stats if he died. Of course it cost a lot of money but it was better than the normally severe death penalty in other virtual reality games. However, this system was a trap. Only the genetic information stored would be revived. If he raised his character from level 1 to level 100 and didn’t register the information, he would be reset to level 1 if he died. Furthermore, there also weren’t many revival systems. Only places of civilization like towns would have one. Once the user left the beginner area and started earnestly exploring the universe, it would be difficult to find a revival system in certain areas. In other words, if he died during fighting in the field then all that experience would disappear.
‘Dammit, don’t worry?’
It was like the system was saying not to level up.
“I was aware……”
R-14’s revival system was in the central plaza. The revival system was the first thing he saw when he first started the game. But Ark never registered. This was due to the mileage quest reward so he never dared to leave the hunting ground for fear of losing his spot. In addition, there were thousands of users hunting in the 2nd district so he could count the number of dead users during his 5 hours with his fingers. He never even considered that the legendary gamer Ark would die in such a place. This was the penalty he received for his arrogance.
‘All my experience from the 5 hours hunting has flown away!’
5 hours of experience wasn’t a long time in game hours. But now those 5 hours felt like a whole life time to Ark. It was a lifetime of experience. Ark also lost the ‘Space Combat’ skill that he learnt. However, that wasn’t Ark’s main problem now.
‘The problem is the dagger!’
To be exact, it was the broken dagger. Naturally the dagger wasn’t restored by the revival system. The experience could probably be recovered but the dagger was gone forever. It might just be a basic beginner dagger but it was Ark’s only weapon and fortune. Now his entire fortune had disappeared. But he still had hope when he revived. He had completed the quest 8 times so he could turn in the mileage points for bonus compensation. ‘This might be a beginner quest but I can’t survive without a dagger.’ So Ark had visited Bhurad after reviving. However, the visit to Bhurad just caused despair.
“Your mileage has been destroyed.”
“Huh? D-destroyed?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said? I can’t give rewards to someone who died from a space bug.”
He remembered hearing something like that when receiving the quest.
“But I built up some mileage before I died.”
“The accumulated mileage needs to be registered to get the reward. If you died during a mission then all that mileage will disappear. You came here without knowing something like that? If you didn’t understand then you should’ve just taken the reward every time.”
“You said that you recommended the mileage……”
“What? Do you intend to blame me?”
Bhurad’s face turned serious. Naturally Ark was furious since it felt like he had been scammed of his mileage. He really wanted to rip off the beard but there was still the matter of the dagger. What profit would a level 1 character have if he grasped the neck of a NPC? Ark sighed and tried to appeal to his sympathy.
“Actually, I broke my dagger while fighting the space bugs. If I don’t receive compensation then I can’t do anything. Can you please look over this matter one time?”
“It is the rule so I can’t help you.”
He grinded his teeth.
“The revival system is expensive A trivial pioneer like you won’t have that much money. Due to the federal policy, R-14 has no choice but to offer a free service after the proliferation of pioneers so the budget is suffering. Nevertheless, some pioneers are still trying to play tricks. The space station wouldn’t be able to keep operating if I did something like this. So just think of it as a fee.”
The explanation didn’t help. Curses rose in his throat but he pushed it down. He wanted to ask more questions but…..
“Ah, can you get out of the way if your request is finished?”
“Are you the only one receiving the quest? Don’t you know there are people waiting?”
The players behind him became impatient so he was forced to leave. It was regrettable. There were a lot of things he wanted to question. However, wasn’t a NPC just a system? Of course, if his intimacy with the NPC was higher than something might’ve been possible. But he only talked to Bhurad when accepting the space bug quest. And since Ark died, his spot in the 2nd district was gone. Even if he tried to get employed again, what party would invite him when Ark didn’t even have a dagger? It was a crisis where there was a possibility that he would become homeless!
‘And the cause of that…..’
At first he blamed Bhurad for not explaining properly. He then blamed himself for not reading the quest related information properly. However, Ark realized the fundamental problem after becoming depressed in a corner.
‘Yes, the problem was my mental state from the beginning.’
When he first started Galaxian, he was starting from level 1. He didn’t realize it but he had a sense of entitlement from his status as a legendary gamer and had a different attitude from the other gamers. He used the name ‘Ark’ in his job advertisements and unreasonably fighting with 3 people was also the result of that arrogance. It was the arrogance created by becoming a legendary gamer! Once he thought about it, all his problems started from there.
‘I thought that my lack of level and skills wouldn’t matter when fighting the space bugs. But it isn’t like this. Obviously New World’s Ark was strong. If I enter again I will be strong. But it is different. Ark is only strong in New World. I thought if I created Ark then I would have the power of the strongest character behind it…..’
There was no reason for him not to be strong. He didn’t need to worry before fighting. Ark never realized that his abilities as a warrior were rusty. Ark thought he wasn’t accustomed to battling in Galaxian but he had actually lost his battle sense a long time ago. Even the strongest warrior would become old once he sits down on a throne…..
Jjak-!
“Wake up Ark!”
Ark slapped his cheeks with both hands. Ark didn’t start this game to become idle. He came in here with a clear goal. Of course, Ark wanted to stop Lucifer but he didn’t have a ‘Saviour’ disease. He didn’t fall into the delusion that he was Superman. However, he wanted to achieve it once he accepted. He would make a strong resolution to accomplish it. It was with this confidence that he was able to make a deal with the government. His overconfidence ended him with him making a huge mistake.
‘If I continue to be depressed then I can’t fix this!’
Ark realized his mistake after reflecting. However, there was no time to dwell on the past. If he couldn’t abandon his regret then he wouldn’t be able to move forward. Ark discarded his regret and thought again.
“I’m not the hero of New World here. There is no legendary gamer. This is a starting point. Right now I am the beginner pioneer Ark who just entered the universe.”
Ark shook off everything that happened. At the same time, the legendary gamer Ark died. And the level 1 beginner pioneer Ark was born. Ark now knew what to do. Something appropriate for a level 1 user!
————————————————————————————
“Hehehe, hello?”
Ark greeted while fiddling with his hands nervously. Bhurad sent him a look and declared sharply.
“What? You still can abandon your regrets?”
Bhurad didn’t have a good opinion of Ark after the mileage problem. Ark shook his head and spoke quickly.
“No. I became extremely embarrassed after recovering my senses. After staying in that corner and thinking, I realized that it was my fault.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“So I wanted to visit you to apologize.”
“Apologize?”
“Yes, I was too short-sighted. How many people have come to R-14 now? I can’t fathom how you deal with so many stupid people alone. For someone like me to question you about mileage, it is natural that you would become angry.”
Ark said while continuing to wring his hands. This was what Ark came up with. If he raised his public image with NPCs in a virtual reality game then it would benefit him. Ark knew that the intimacy system also existed in Galaxian. However, he had wanted to leave the beginner area after starting the game so he didn’t feel the need to raise his intimacy with the NPCs. But now the situation had changed. Ark’s dagger was broken so he was literally a beggar! The conclusion Ark came up with was that he needed to talk. The other users also thought like Ark and wanted to escape from the beginner area
Therefore Ark was the only one trying to get close to a NPC. So he was going to raise his intimacy with Bhurad! That was the first thing Ark needed to do now. In fact, this was an area that Ark was an expert in. Ark was a user who could act subservient to a NPC. Once he decided, his tongue moved smoothly like oil.
“Actually, I’ve been watching while lingering in the corner of the plaza. And I realized that you never sat down despite how many hours passed.”
“That is the regulations for the crew…..”
“I also realized this. I became really impressed after watching you thoroughly stick to the rules.”
“The attitude of the crew is recorded on the CCTV…..”
“That’s not it. It would be the same even if there was no CCTV! How many civil servants could still act like that despite receiving complaints? Bhurad-nim is someone with firm beliefs. You are indeed the paragon of a civil servant.”
Bhurad had a bad impression of Ark but his smooth words gradually loosened him up. Not a lot of time was needed for the effects to show.
“Can’t you make it a little quicker? Don’t you know there are people waiting?”
“Hey! Can’t you see that I’m speaking now? Why are you making such a fuss?”
Bhurad scowled and retorted after hearing the users’ complaints. And his expression softened after looking at Ark.
“Well, in regards to my words earlier. Like you said, my nerves are slightly sensitive after being swarmed by so many new pioneers. Please understand.”
“How can I not understand? It is the rules.”
“Yes, in fact I also felt sorry regarding your situation. But how can I go against the rules? Although I have a pain in my heart, I can’t do anything despite my position. So I hope you don’t dwell too much on the past and firm up your heart.”
“Thank you. I might’ve lost my dagger after just entering the universe but I’m glad I can meet someone who gave me sincere advice.”
“Aha! This friend, are you trying to make me tear up?”
Bhurad sent him a worried look.
“By the way, what are you going to do now? You don’t have your dagger so won’t it be difficult for you to find a job?”
“That’s why I wanted to ask Bhurad-nim. I don’t have a dagger so I can’t catch the space bugs and I don’t know anyone here. So I wanted to ask Bhurad-nim if there is any work other than catching a space bug.”
This was one of the reasons why he tried to restore the relationship with Bhurad. This was the beginner area. The users were starting Galaxian for the first time so there would be some type of basic tutorial. This was a place where users would come and go like a tide so the <Space Bug Processing> quest couldn’t be the only one. After checking around the docks and plaza, the only quests he could receive had to do with fighting. Therefore Ark had felt hopeless until now. But when he thought about it, it was somewhat strange. There was a chance that users other than Ark would break the dagger at an early stage. If they were handling a weapon for the first time then there was a chance that it would break so they needed other ways to eat. Of course, the ones who held the key were NPCs. Bhurad was the manager of R-14’s training centre so he was influential. Their relationship was shaken after the mileage problem but a little appreciation changed that.
“I have no other work…..this place certainly isn’t lacking in manpower. Well, there are the maintenance jobs that most people shun in favour of catching the space bugs. That is…..”
Bhurad suddenly raised his head.
“Ah, that’s right. I recently talked to the manager of sector 7 who was complaining. He might have a job for you but…..”
“But?”
“Even if you work there all day, you’ll only receive a few copper coins. Is that still okay?”
If this continued then he would become homeless. This wasn’t a situation where he could choose between cold rice or hot rice.
“I’ll work hard.”
“Indeed, I’m sure you will. Then follow that passage and you will reach sector 7. Find someone called Cheksun and tell him that I sent you.”
“Thank you. I’ll work hard and will come back after preparing another dagger.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting……”
Bhurad muttered with a concerned look but Ark didn’t pay him any attention. Having work was better than leaving empty handed. Ark ran like the wind towards sector 7. R-14 was always lighted up and space was seen through the windows so it was hard to get a concept of time but it was actually evening now. So the users saturated R-14 increased even more and most of them were in the 1~5 sectors for the <Space Bug Processing> quest. Thus from sector 6 onwards, it became noticeably quieter as these were the management facilities.He finally entered sector 7.
“W-what’s all this?”
Ark looked around with wide eyes. The first thing he saw were pipes. The pipes were tangled like spider webs inside a huge forest like space. But the thing that stimulated Ark’s curiosity were the deep jellyfish like existences hanging around the pipes. No, they were NPCs who looked like deep black octopuses. One octopus was wandering around holding a bucket that contained various tools.
‘What are those octopuses? Are they livestock that are being raised here?’
“Who are you?”
Then he heard a rough voice from behind him. When he turned around, he saw a scowling man wearing overalls covered in oil. Although he had a bald head, he was still a human.
“Are you Cheksun?”
“So?”
“I am Ark. Bhurad told me that you had a job request.”
“A job request? Did you hear what you have to do?”
“I didn’t hear about it.”
“Sheesh!”
Cheksun clicked his tongue. He indicated towards the pipes and said.
“That right there is your work. Do you see the pipes? That is R-14’s air circulation device. All of the air in R-14 passes through that device. The job is to clean the pipes. You have to crawl inside the pipes, remove any impurities, tighten the gears and oil them. Can you do something like that?”
“I’ll work hard.”
“Everybody says that.”
Cheksun snorted.
“Many ignorant novices who had newly arrived at R-14 tried before you came. They all said they would work hard but then ended up leaving after 1 hour. Damn, there’s no one with guts these days.”
“I’m different.”
Ark replied in a firm voice. That’s right. Ark was different from those users. The users who first visited here probably thought there would be a hidden quest. So they accepted as soon as a quest was given but ended up giving up. However, Ark’s position was different from the users who only visited due to curiosity. He didn’t have a dagger like everyone else. After losing the dagger, he had been lost in despair and also ate his Space Food and drank his Purified Water. If he didn’t find a job then he might by the first user in Galaxian to die of starvation! He would do whatever it took. He had to gather enough money to buy a dagger.
“Just watch me. I won’t disappoint you.”
Ark replied in a disciplined voice. Cheksun just nodded with an expression that didn’t expect much.
“Then give it a try.”
-<Cleaning R-14’s Air Circulation Pipes (Repeatable)>
This is maintenance work to clean R-14’s air circulation pipes. The air circulation system is an important facility that maintains R-14. It is notorious for being the worse working environment in R-14.
Difficulty: –
He finally received a quest. The newly born Ark started cleaning the pipes
——————————————————
“Phew!”
Ark wiped the sweat and raised his head. The previous black area was now polished beautifully. Watching the pipe turn out like that was refreshing……
The pipe used to be filled with dirt and had a bad smell but now it had become beautiful thanks to Ark. Ark felt refreshed but didn’t feel like wiping it again.
“Has it been a few days already? I’ve really gone around the place.”
The quest had no rank. Ark knew there was a difference in compensation. After receiving the quest from Cheksun, he could get a reward for it every time he cleaned a 200 metre long pipe. The time it took to crawl inside a narrow pipe and scrub it took around 30 minutes. It wasn’t a quest that took a long time but the problem was the reward!
“I worked for hard for 30 minutes and I can only receive 40 copper…..”
Despite being set in the future, Galaxian used copper, silver and gold coins as currency. It was unexpected but there was a reason for it. The future of humanity built a space colony and there weren’t only humans in the galaxy. Alien species and even robots existed. The bills humans used were just pieces of paper to them. The common currency in the universe was minerals such as gold, silver and copper. In other words, they used gold, silver and copper. No, that didn’t matter right now. Who cared if the money was in dollar, euro or yens?
The important thing was that he was being paid in copper, the currency with the lowest value. 100 copper was 1 silver, 100 silver was 1 gold. In other words, 1 gold was 10,000 copper. In the previous virtual reality game, 1 gold was traded in for 10,000 won so 40 copper was only 40 won….. That was the value in reality but 40 copper wasn’t a lot of money in Galaxian. Yet Ark still didn’t lose hope.
‘I can receive 40 copper for crawling inside the pipe, cleaning it, tightening and oiling. It certainly isn’t a lot of money compared to how much I got in New World. It is natural. But I have to do it. Is 40 copper really 40 won?’
If he completed the quest 10 times then he got 40 silver! Ark expected that he could get a weapon and raced to the central square. However, any hope of acquiring a weapon crumbled as he saw the daggers on the shelves.
-Modified Alloy Dagger
Item type: Dagger Wearer Restriction: –
Attack: 4-5 Durability: 25/25
A used dagger commonly found in space. It is an easy dagger to use outdoors. The federal government wants to encourage beginner pioneers so it is sold at a discount.
Beginner pioneer special discount price: 1 gold and 50 silver
It was the least expensive dagger and it was 1 gold 50 silver!…..That was also the special discount price. Ark dealt with hundreds of thousands of gold in New World but now 1 gold and 50 silver was an astronomical amount to him. 1 gold and 50 silver! 15,000 copper! He had to complete the pipe cleaning quest 375 times. That was cleaning 75 kilometres.
“No way! This isn’t work but exploitation!”
No wonder why the users who visited with curiously broke straight away. Earning 40 copper for every 200 metres? But Ark had no other choice. If he couldn’t even earn 10 copper then he would starve to death. Despite the exploitation of his hard labour, he couldn’t report Cheksun to the human labour services.
‘Those octopuses…..!’
Ark glared at the octopuses. Sector 7 was the first place he saw the octopuses. They were like octopuses. No, their appearances were 100% octopuses but they were actually an alien species called Charenjok. He asked Cheksun about them.
“Originally this didn’t need a lot of maintenance. It was fine when I first started. But a few years ago, the situation once the Charenjok refugees started flooding in. The Charenjok are stupid and don’t know what to do. Despite that, the galactic federation accepted them as refugees so we gave them the pipe cleaning job. We understood the circumstances and gave them enough for meals but that has placed a burden on the budget. So we have no choice but to cut the compensation for the job.”
The influx of foreign workers had caused the wages to fall. A problem in the 21st century was recreated in the 24th century.
“I was still hoping for…..”
He had actually expected something when accepting the <Clean R-14’s Air Circulation Pipes> quest. It was a quest that the other users didn’t do properly so there still might be something hidden. He had such expectations since it was such a ridiculously low reward. But he had been cleaning for a long time so he threw away those expectations. It had been two days since he started this quest. During this time, he completed it 70 times and received 14 silver but the reward didn’t change. No, there was one small thing that changed.
“Kkuluk, kkuluk.”
Sometimes an octopus would approach while he was resting. There was an odd sound and strange letters appeared from the Nymphe.
-Hey, young friend. Are you done over there?
It was the universal translator on the Nymphe that allowed him to understand the Charenjok.
“Yes, I’m done.”
–We’ve also finished over here. Then shall we take a break before moving on?
The elderly (maybe) Charenjok sat down next to Ark. He pulled out a crumpled cigarette butt and muttered.
–Hu, I long for the old days. The place we used to live was a beautiful castle on wide tidal flats. The times when I jumped into the tidal flats were the happiest moments of my life. If it wasn’t for the invasion of the Kakajok then I’ll still be living happily now. But that is now in the past. The planet was ravaged by the Kakajok so it isn’t inhabitable anymore. I just have to be thankful that I can live in a place like this.
-You have listened to the Charenjok’s bitter past.
<Intimacy with the Charenjok has increased by 1>
The Charenjok would talk to him out of nowhere and their intimacy would increase. Of course, he wasn’t happy even if he became familiar with the octopuses. He didn’t care when he first started but Ark changed his mind after listening to the octopuses. Anyway, there were cleaning the pipes in the same place so it wasn’t bad to become more familiar with them. Most of the time they complained about their circumstances but they sometimes talked about interesting things.
-The currency used in the universe is gold, silver and copper…..
He already knew this.
–We once had a civilization that was ahead of Earth’s. We used to take spaceships to Earth for sightseeing. The Earthlings at the time though we were Martians?
The octopuses were the identity of the UFOs and aliens. He didn’t know why such aliens were cleaning pipes…..
–You’re in a place like this so you must also have some circumstances. But don’t be too disappointed. Life is long. You shouldn’t wallow in frustration for too long. If we try hard and don’t lose hope then someday we will surely meet a bright future.
The octopuses were mistaken.
‘No. Its not like that. The octopuses’ future is dark.’
Ark had completed Cheksun’s quest 70 times. The curious users only attempted a few times before quitting so Cheksun had derision for them. But he looked at Ark with different eyes since Ark completed it 70 times. According to Cheksun, the galactic federation were the ones who placed the Charenjok here. The octopuses’ fate was to crawl through the pipes generation after generation. The Charenjok were the main culprit for Ark’s low wage. He was poor. But there were other reasons.
–Haha, I listed some unnecessary complaints again.
The octopus put out the cigarette and twisted its body. Then Ark felt a scathing pain in his fingertip.
“Ouch! Again…..”
-Your skin has been torn by a sharp metal inside the polluted pipe.
<Your stamina has fallen by 10 thanks to tetanus. You will receive 2 damage every 10 seconds for 10 minutes>
Sometimes he received such injuries when crawling through the pipes. The pipe cleaning was a repeatable quest so it was also possible to save mileage. If he saved mileage then it was possible to receive bonus rewards. However, sometimes he would be careless and would receive injuries. Therefore Ark didn’t want to waste 5 hours again if he used mileage. However, that instantly changed after he became familiar with the octopuses.
-Oh, be careful…..
The Charenjok laid its hand on Ark’s injury. The scar instantly went away and the tetanus was treated. The octopuses had the ability to treat injuries. That wasn’t all. They had the boy of an octopus which was an animal that could fit into small holes. The Charenjok resembled an octopus and could easily crawl through the narrow pipes. They took care of his tetanus and the narrow pipes. So the Charenjok was a species optimized for pipe cleaning. The galactic federation hadn’t placed them here for no reason. Despite that…..they were still poor octopuses.
‘But I’m not worried about the octopuses.’
Ark sighed and stared at the endless pipes. He had completed 70 quests in two days. He still needed to complete it 300 more times to buy a dagger. That required at least a fortnight. When he first received the quest, Ark thought it was a consideration from the game publishers for users who broke their daggers. After seeing the endless pipes, it felt like the publisher was saying ‘Huhuhu, these stupid children.’
‘The government brought me in to stop Lucifer yet I’m stuck cleaning pipes for a fortnight instead of raising my level…..’
He really couldn’t laugh about it. If he thought about it, he made huge mistakes when first starting New World and ended up killing rats for a fortnight. But at least he learnt battle skills then. Now he was just wiping the pipes instead of fighting.
‘Should I stop here?’
He sometimes had that idea. It had only been opened for 2 days but Galaxian was already popular so gold was already being sold in the auction site. And Ark wasn’t poor after playing New World. No, to be honest he was rich! Even if the market price was expensive, he could afford to buy 1 gold and 50 silver. However Ark shook his head.
‘No, I can’t do that!’
Games were a place to earn money, not use it. And Ark was a gamer. His pride wouldn’t allow him to go against his values to buy gold. No, it wasn’t just his pride. Ark had received an invitation from the country so he couldn’t give up so early in the game. Ark used his pride to place a padlock on the idea. Ark rose to the strongest spot in New World because of his skills. It was desperation. He was able to catch mice for a fortnight because of desperation. Right now Ark wasn’t desperate. His stomach was full so Ark couldn’t fell desperate.
‘It isn’t difficult to buy gold to escape from this. But there is no way to regain all that time. This is all my money in Galaxian. If I can’t earn money in Galaxian then Ark won’t be reborn. Yes, this isn’t just a job to collect money. This is a process to regain my spirit and be reborn!’
In virtual reality games, the user’s attitude was the most important. That was the process Ark used to become the strongest person in New World. If he continued for a fortnight then his mental state would be solidified.
‘This is the best thing for a hungry spirit!’
The change in thought instantly showed in his behaviour. Until now, he had entrusted the worse areas to the Charenjok who were optimized to clean pipes. It was natural. Thus he had just been swinging around with a dust cloth.
‘Well, it is natural not to feel motivated when working for such a low wage……’
However, now Ark was different. Now the 40 copper reward didn’t matter. The pipe cleaning was ego training for Ark. Cleaning the pipes was the optimal environment to train his pride. Ark’s desire to go level up was suppressed. Ark became motivated to clean the wipes the octopuses had been working on. The hustle and bustle around him that made it hard to concentrate was appropriate to train his mental state. Therefore Ark cleaned every corner of the pipe and didn’t allow one stain. He didn’t even condone loose screws. He tightened and oiled it quickly and accurately! His breath felt clogged after crawling into the narrow pipes but Ark shook it off and continued cleaning. He was like a person born for that purpose! That tenacity continued for 4 days.
Boduk boduk, boduk boduk……flash!
The pipe sparkled after using the power of his whole body! An unexpected information window then appeared from the Nymphe.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Facilities Maintenance (User, Passive): You learnt this skill after putting all your concentration into maintaining the facilities. It isn’t useful for combat but it will be helpful for quests where labour is required. Now the amount of dirt wiped, the tightening of screws or nuts and oiling has increased by 30%.
<The facilities maintenance speed has increased by 30%. Now you are able to maintain more complex facilities. In addition, it would take more time for pollution to come back and will decrease the need for frequent maintenance>
“S-skill?”
Ark’s eyes widened as he looked at the information window.
“That’s it! If I concentrate on one thing in Galaxian then a related skill will be made!”
Facilities Maintenance was different from Space Combat. He obtained Space Combat when fighting. But Facilities Maintenance was a skill he obtained after working for a long time. Just like New World, Galaxian’s skill system depended on the users’ behaviour and maintenance. This wasn’t written in the instructions! He discovered it after spending 5 days cleaning the pipes. However, this wasn’t the only reward. Thanks to the skill, his quest completion time was also reduced. Therefore the limit of 30 times a day increase to 40.
“Hum, nice work. I thought you would give up but you endured for 5 days. I’ve been watching and the octopuses’ working speed has also doubled. Thus I will make you the leader of the cleaners.”
Cheksun gave Ark an impressed look after the 200th time he completed the quest. Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
-You have received the title <Cleaning Foreman> from Cheksun.
The manager of sector 7 has recognized your work. He had therefore appointed you the foreman of the Charenjok cleaning the R-14 air circulation pipes. In addition, the compensation for the quest has increased to 60 copper.
<Title Effect: Cleaning Foreman (Agility +3)>
‘A title!’
Ark’s eyes started flashing. He was level 1 and the title gave him 3 points in agility.
‘The reward has jumped from 40 copper to 60 copper!’
Ark inwardly cried with delight at the 50% pay rise. 60 copper…..60 won. Pride training for 5 days in the pipes. Ark was gradually changing his nature to be reborn.
Space 4
The Octopuses’ Dream
“It must be near here……”
Ark walked between the complicated connected pipes. One day had passed since he had been appointed as the Cleaning Foreman. He got a pay rise so Ark was even more motivated to clean the pipes. And there was something that offended him. Sometimes there would be an unidentified boom and the pipe would vibrate.
“Ah, you mean that? Don’t pay attention to it. The temperature difference between R-14 and the space outside is intense. Sometimes the temperature will twist a pipe between the inside wall and the barrier, causing those types of noises.”
Cheksun explained after he heard it the first time. So he just ignored it but after a while he realized that not all the noises were the same. Sometimes he heard iron twisting and other times it sounded like someone was hitting away at the pipes.
‘It doesn’t sound like the pipe twisting.’
He tried to ignore it but the sound got on his nerves. In the end, Ark couldn’t resist his curiosity and started to search for the truth. Figuring out the direction the pipe was coming from wasn’t an easy task. Furthermore, the pipes were entwined in complicated ways like blood vessels so he would sometimes go in the wrong direction. It was like trying to find something in Seoul by listening to a voice.
‘It seemed to be coming from someplace close so I thought it would just take a short time……’
He already came this far so he couldn’t give up. It certainly wasn’t an easy task but Ark had already been here for more than a week. He listening to the sound while cleaning the pipes and felt like he was gradually approaching it. The sound that seemed to come from a distance became much louder.
‘I’m almost there. It is clearly close to here!’
“Eh? This…..?”
Ark looked around doubtfully after crawling through the pipe. The lanterns illuminated something wriggling near the pipe
Only Ark’s head had emerged from the pipe but he could recognize the identity of the object. It was the familiar form of the Charenjok.
“Hey! You over there!”
The octopus flinched as Ark yelled. It craned its neck and stared at Ark with consternation.
-Hik! H-h-how is Foreman-nim here?
“Why are you so startled? Are you just playing around in a place like this?”
-Ah, no! Playing around? I…..
“Well it doesn’t matter. Did you hear the sound just then?”
-S-sound? No, I haven’t heard anything?
“You didn’t hear anything?”
Maybe it couldn’t be heard if the octopus was working far away. Ark often didn’t hear it while concentrating on cleaning. But he followed the sound to this location. He had heard the sound a short time ago although he didn’t hear it anymore. It was impossible for the octopus not to hear it. The octopus talking to Ark wasn’t deaf.
‘Come to think of it…..’
It had been very upset the first time it saw Ark. The octopuses’ skin changed colour depending on their emotions! Ark looked at the colour of the octopus suspiciously and asked.
“What are you hiding?”
-H-h-hiding? N-nothing!
The octopus’ skin became mottled and it shouted wildly. Its insistence just made Ark more doubtful. Ark slightly pitied it. However, Ark couldn’t withdraw from this situation.
“Really? Then get out of the way.”
-W-why?”
“I’m trying to find what is causing the ringing of the pipes. I clearly heard it in this area a short time ago. So I’m going to search around this area.”
-I said there wasn’t any sound!
“I heard it.”
Ark pushed aside the restless octopus. No, he tried to when his hands slipped and he slid down. The area behind the octopus inclined like a slide. Ark hurriedly stretched out his hand but his body had already slipped down. And…..cheolpeok!
“W-what is this? Mud? Why is it in a place like this…..?”
Ark lifted his head from where it was stuck in the mud. A landscape he couldn’t imagine was lit up by the lanterns.
“W-what’s all this?”
The scale of the place was so large that Ark couldn’t even measure it. It was amazing that such a place could be found in the R-14 space station but the more amazing thing was the amount of space bugs filling the area. Thick mud filled the place and a countless number of space bugs swarmed. And octopuses were gathered around and looking busy.
“T-this is?”
The octopuses flinched at his voice.
–Eek? F-Foreman? Why is Foreman-nim here……?
–This is serious! We were found! We were found!
-Ack! We’re screwed!
The octopuses started freaking out. Ark was about to open his mouth when he heard.
–Everyone calm down!
One octopus shouted. It was a familiar octopus. The octopus was the one who always checked on Ark
It would take out a cigarette butt and start complaining. He had encountered the octopus many times so Ark could recognize it at a glance. Its name was Burum. Ark couldn’t understand what was going on and just looked around blankly. Burum sighted and faced Ark before muttering.
–Ark, I’m sorry.
“Huh?”
–But this is your fault. If only you hadn’t interfered…..
Burum turned a complex colour and shouted towards the octopuses in the room.
-Completely surround the human!
Dozens of octopuses flocked at Burum’s behest. Ark asked with a bewildered look as he was surrounded.
“What are you doing?”
-It can’t be helped. This is our only remaining hope. We can’t let you escape now that you’ve seen this. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to die.
Ark’s face distorted at Burum’s words. It must be a huge secret to kill him in order to keep it. If he was jumped by these number of octopuses then Ark without a dagger could only die. However, he never thought that he was in a crisis. The reason why……
“You would kill to keep the secret?”
Ark declared sharply, causing Burum to wince and withdrew a little bit. But Burum nodded with determination.
– That’s right.
“Is your head just a decoration?”
–D-decoration? What do you mean?
“I’ll explain it simply. R-14 has the fairy revival system.”
–F-fairy!
Burum burst out with astonishment. This was why he called the octopuses stupid. Just like Ark said, R-14 had the Fairy revival system. If Ark was killed then he would just be resurrected through Fairy. It was impossible to keep their secret by killing him.
-U-unbelievable!
Burum finally realized the situation and flopped down on the ground.
–We’re finished! Our last hope is gone!
Burum fell into a state of panic and rocked back and forth.
–Foreman-nim, it is a request! Please pretend you didn’t see this! If the crew of R-14 is informed of this then we’re screwed. For the future of the Charenjok, can you pretend not to have seen this?
“I don’t even understand what is going on. But one thing is clear. You just tried to kill me. And now you want my help?”
-T-that….
“Right now I want to find out all your secrets. I believe that you had no other way. Thanks to our previous relationship, I’ve decided to given the Charenjok a chance. Explain to me the space bugs and what you are so desperate to hide that you tried to kill me. I’ll listen and then decide.”
–That is……
Burum hesitated before sighing and confessing. The octopuses received even lower wages than Ark from cleaning the pipes and their allowance from the galactic federation was barely enough to live off Space Food. Unless the policies suddenly changed, the octopuses circumstances wouldn’t change even if decades passed. The octopuses were seriously worried about their future. After a lot of thinking, they finally figured out a way.
–We changed all the land we bought.
“Land you bought?”
–Yes, right now the federation is increasing the frontiers. Therefore there is a lot of land they deserted. In some cases, the land would be available for a cheap price. So we tried to buy it. But no matter how cheap it is, it is still real estate
The octopuses only received a low wage from cleaning the pipes! Thus the octopuses’ balance was in the negatives
Therefore Burum risked the fate of the octopuses on a gamble. When there was a small gap, Burum sneaked into R-14’s laboratory and stole the egg of a space bug.
–The space bugs are used as cattle. The meat is used as an ingredient for Space Food and the leather used as materials for the space suits.
Ark was wearing clothes and eating food made from a space bug. They were incredibly cheap.
-The space bugs modified by the laboratory grow many times faster than normal space bugs. If we raise the space bugs in the area between the interior wall and R-14’s barrier and sell the leather and meat then we can prepare more funds. But…..
The octopuses had forgotten an important fact. The space bugs were originally monsters. They were raised as livestock so they weren’t aggressive but the space bugs attacked once someone tried to peel the leather and meat from them. It was hard enough for a user to fight by themselves. Meanwhile, the octopuses had almost no weapons or combat ability. Dozens of them were required to catch just one space bug. Thus the space bugs steadily multiplied and eventually filled this huge space.
‘All my questions are answered.’
The sound Ark heard resounding through the pipes was the octopuses fighting the space bugs. The octopuses had been motivated. They raised the space bugs with the expectation of huge profit but it was impossible to feel motivated once the situation turned out like this.
–If we get caught then the space bugs will be confiscated and we’ll be expelled from R-14. If we’re kicked out into the universe in this state then it won’t be possible for us to live. We had to keep it a secret, even if it meant killing you . Sob sob sob! It couldn’t be helped!
Burum murmured in a regretful voice.
-Daddy?
Then he heard a voice from behind him. He looked back and saw a small octopus crawling out of a jar.
–Daddy, why are you crying? Are you hurt somewhere?
–Did another space bug injure you?
–I don’t need to eat a lot of rice. It is hard so you don’t need to catch the bugs.
–Yes, living here is fine. It is hard but we’re learning eagerly.
–Ack! I-It is nothing. I’m fine.
Burum wrapped its legs around its children and looked at Ark.
–Foreman-nim, please! I was blinded by the thought of profit and tried to kill you. I don’t care what will happen to me. But these children……I can’t make these children spend a lifetime cleaning pipes. Can you pretend you didn’t see anything? I’m sorry for trying to kill you. I’ll devote my life to you so please.
It was indeed an emotional scene. If only they weren’t octopuses.
“I understand. I won’t tell the crew of R-14 about this.”
Ark watched Burum and the children for a bit before nodding. Burum’s eyes popped out after hearing Ark’s words.
–R-really?
Of course. This wasn’t a melodrama but he felt sympathy towards the octopuses. No, he was creeped out by the adult octopuses but he felt sorry for the child octopuses. Anyway, money wasn’t involved so there was no reason to pour cold water on the futures of the young octopuses. However, there was a decisive reason. Ark would also benefit from this.
‘There are a lot of space bugs in this farm!’
Ark drooled at the sight of all the bugs. It had been a week since Galaxian opened and since Ark started cleaning the pipes. In the meantime, the number of unemployed users in R-14’s hunting grounds gradually grew. At this rate, this state would be maintained for at least two months. This might just be cleaning the pipes but Ark had found a job to escape the unemployment after his dagger broke.
‘But here my prey is overflowing!’
The octopuses couldn’t control the multiplication of the space bugs. Ark would have no limits if he hunted here. In other words, his was a free hunting ground that only Ark knew about! He could hunt anytime he wanted. There was no reason to tell the crew members.
‘Now I just have to receive permission to hunt here from Burum…..’
Ark was about to speak when he flinched and suddenly closed his mouth. He thought for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.
‘No. That’s not it. Ark, you still have a long way to go!’
Ark was naive after staying in the pipes for a week! His stomach was full so he lost his original intention of gaining even more food. Ark thought that he had regained some of his original mindset. However, Ark soon realized he was mistaken
It wasn’t like that. The previous Ark wouldn’t have approached this situation like that. If it was the previous Ark…..
“I have a request.”
He would’ve said.
The economic principle was simple. Supply and demand. If he used supply and demand then he could get a profit. Ark’s brain concentrated on that concept.
–Invite in the pioneers?
“Yes. Burum-nim lives here so you won’t know that well but recently a lot of beginner pioneers have entered the universe. So many people flocked to the farm area that it isn’t possible to see the space bugs at all. The users entering this place will pay an admission fee to hunt the space bugs.”
–We get paid for letting them hunt space bus?
Burum scratched his head.
–Why would they pay money to hunt the space bugs here?
It was difficult to understand for an NPC. However, the users waiting at the farms were unemployed. They didn’t accept Bhurad’s <Space Bug Processing> quest because of money. Compensation was compensation but 90% of it was for the experience. This was all in order to reach level 10 and escape from the beginner areas. However, R-14’s only hunting ground was saturated with players! Even if they played Galaxian in their spare time, it wasn’t possible to find a hunting spot. Some people sat and waited but others just quit. A hunting ground full of monsters was the dream for such users!
They would be eager to enter even if they had to pay money. This is the principle of supply and demand!
‘Devising something like this…..’
It was something that the previous Ark would’ve come up with. Ark realized it again. He still hadn’t completely regained his hungry spirit. But once he realized this point, his head instantly started moving. Ark began devising a concrete business plan.
“First we must specific the customer base.”
–Customer base? We’re not just bringing anyone?
“Yes, we can’t just bring any pioneer here.”
Ark was thinking that the main customers should be users level 7~8. There were two reasons for this. Once again, R-14 was saturated so it was difficult to find a hunting spot. If users occupied a spot then they could reach level 10 if they stayed up all night. If the users were level 7~8 in that situation then the answer was obvious.
‘They are people who can’t always play the game because of work or other issues.’
Those people would be eager for experience. However, the level 7~8 users were employed less than level 1 users. Their level was high so they would eat more experience in a hunting party. That’s why existing parties only bothered with hiring level 1 users. So 90% of the level 7~8 users were unemployed. Despite the penalty, the workers had no choice but to connect in the evening when there were lots of people playing.
“But there is something more important than that. The users entering R-14 don’t have money. In the meantime, the level 7~8 users have hunted quite a lot. They must’ve completed Bhurad’s mission at least a dozen times.”
That was the second reason. The amount of hunting fee. Ark immediately started doing some market research. He had decided the main customers so he started doing research on how much money they would have.
‘Completing the <Space Bug Processing> quest once gives 10 silver. If they completed it through the leather and meat process then they will receive 20 silver. They should’ve completed the quest at least 10 times to reach level 7~8. Even if they spent some money on food and repairs, they should still have at least 1 gold.’
Thus he decided to charge 50 silver as the fee.
“How is it? Do you like the offer?”
“O-of course……”
“Huhuhu, I thought so. If you want to hunt then you only have to spend 50 silver.”
“But 50 silver is half of my entire fortune so it is slightly expensive……”
The users complained when first hearing the fee. 50 silver was a huge amount of money in R-14. Then Ark quickly said.
“It isn’t expensive. Don’t you know? 50 silver is only big because this is the beginner area. It isn’t a huge amount of money once you start earnestly hunting on the frontiers. Don’t you know users are already selling 10 gold on the auction site? Isn’t it better to spend 50 silver to hunt properly for a few hours and then earn your money on the frontier? Frankly, I think it is better to hunt here for several hours even if I have to spend 1 gold. But you also need money for food and repairs so the cost is just 50 silver.”
“Indeed.”
The user nodded.
“Yes, then I’ll hunt here.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll take 1 gold for the moment.”
“Huh? 1 gold? Didn’t you tell me it was 50 silver just now?”
“Yes, the hunting fee is 50 silver. The remaining 50 silver is a deposit. I will return the deposit once you reach level 10 and leave R-14.”
Ark said with a smile. In fact, the problem Ark was most worried about when commercializing the hunting ground was security. The reason the octopuses tried to kill Ark was because this was illegal. If the crew learnt that the octopuses were secretly raising space bugs then everything would be seized. So Ark made sure that the customers received the <Cleaning R-14’s Air Circulation Pipes> from Cheksun. That’s why level 7~8 users were the main customers. Level 7 or higher users could hunt for 5 hours before reaching level 10. There was little danger of the level 10 users informing other users and the crew as they would immediately leave R-14. However, he couldn’t be reassured with just that.
‘In some cases, the users might feel vindictive and file a complaint!’
Ark didn’t believe in users. People were animals who could change their minds at any moment. It was a game so nothing more needed to be said. No user would feel guilty for killing someone. The deposit from users was a safety precaution. Ark would return the 50 silver once the users reached level 10 and were on the verge of leaving R-14.
‘This is to ensure that the hunting ground isn’t discovered but…..’
Thus Ark intentionally took a different complicated path every time he took them to the hunting ground. Even if they knew about the existence of the hunting ground, the users or NPCs wouldn’t be able to find it. Soon the hunting ground would become an urban legend of R-14! He had placed a threefold security device!
‘Yes, this is sufficient.’
The business was successful. No, it was a business that had no choice but to succeed when considering R-14’s job shortage. Ark went around for a few hours and gathered 20 users from sectors 1~5. He managed to collect 10 gold at once.
-Wow! U-unbelievable!
Burum trembled while looking at the 10 gold. The octopuses only received 20 copper when cleaning 200 metres of pipe
10 gold for them was like cleaning 5,000 kilometres. Burum was giddy after seeing such a large amount of money.
-It is possible to gain money like this. T-then we should attract more pioneers…..
“That would be a problem.”
Ark declared firmly.
“It won’t work. The marketability of this hunting ground is the amount of monsters. The proliferation of the bugs is slower than the users’ hunting rate so 20 users is just right. If more users gather then the merit would fall. In addition, security will suffer if the number of users increases.”
If they ate to much then an accident was likely to occur. Although greed was necessary for business, sometimes patience was required.
“This is a long-term business. If we continue to bring 20 users then the earnings will steadily increase. If you want to increase revenue then the only way is to increase the users’ hunting speed.”
–Increase the users’ hunting speed? What do you mean?
“Helping them level up faster.”
-Faster?
“Yes.”
Ark pointed towards the hunting grounds.
“Pant pant, I don’t have much health left. I’ll take it easy for a while.”
The users had hunted like crazy for a while so they started gasping and panting. The level 7 users had teamed up in groups of 5 and fought a few space bugs at once. It was different from sectors 1~5 as the users could rest if they lost a lot of health. Ark didn’t like that. They needed to quickly get to level 10 so he could attract other customers. Ark quickly approached the resting users.
“You paid a high fee to enter so shouldn’t you increase your level a little faster?”
“But I don’t have much health left.”
“Then I’ll give you the recovery service.’
Ark winked and the octopuses suddenly swarmed. A few of them attached to 1 person and their health was quickly restored.
“Eh? Health recovery!”
“Huhuhu, this is a service for people using the paid hunting ground.”
Of course, this also wasn’t free. He got one space bug leather and meat every time they used the service! Some users rejected it but they saw other users quickly raising their level and eventually gave in to the service system. Even if they collected 20 japtem and reported the quest, they could only receive 20 silver. It was better to give up some silver to raise their experience.
“Hunt quickly. You paid 50 silver for this hunting ground. Isn’t it better to quickly reached level 10 so you can gather expensive loot on the frontier?”
Ark eagerly supported the users. If users were replaced quickly then it would further enrich Ark’s wallet. The problem was the distributing of income between Ark and the octopuses. However, Ark had clearly clarified this issue before starting the business.
“I didn’t tell the crew and I only thought of the business plan so I want all of the income.”
Dudong!
The octopuses’ eyes popped out at Ark’s words.
–Isn’t that just like having the space bugs confiscated?
–What about us? What about our future?
“It is only until I leave R-14.”
Ark soothed the octopuses with those words.
“I will also leave this place once I gain sufficient experience. Of course I will teach you everything you need to know to operate the hunting ground. The Charenjok can get a steady income for a few months.”
Even if Ark was earning income, he couldn’t stay in R-14 forever. Once he left for the frontiers then he couldn’t return
Therefore he had to be satisfied with monopolizing the income while he was at R-14. The octopuses obediently accepted Ark’s proposal. No, they lifted their 8 tentacles and made him welcome. Ark had caught their weak point so they had no choice but to accept. He made it clear he would only obtain the income until he left R-14. So he earned 10 gold in one day.
‘Now I can buy a few Modified Alloy Daggers…..’
Ark shook his head and pushed down his impatience.
‘I didn’t clean the pipes simply to make money. It is a process to recover my original mindset. I can’t give that up just because I earned some money. There is the paid hunting ground so I can level up any time I want. At first I just cleaned the pipes to earn money to buy a dagger. I saved 283 mileage points after switching to that method. I only need to complete it 100 more times to earn the dagger so that is 2 days remaining!’
Tighten and oil….scrub….tighten and oil……
Despite Ark’s purse becoming thick, Ark didn’t stop cleaning. Ark couldn’t imagine stopping his pride training.
-Ark, come see me for a bit.
It happened when he competed 300 mileage. He received Cheksun’s call from the Nymphe and went to find him.
“I’m sorry but I have to let you go today.”
“Huh? What do you mean……?”
Ark thought the hunting ground had been discovered and his heart dropped.
“Like I said before, the budget is small thanks to the Charenjok. You’ve saved quite a few mileage so any more would be wasteful expenses for the budget. That’s why I wanted to talk to you…..I have to let you go. I’m sorry.”
‘There is also a limit to repeatable quests.’
He had set his sights on wiping the pipes until he earned enough to buy a dagger. He was reluctant to leave his work one day earlier but it was still valuable. But Ark miscalculated.
“Here it is. You’ve earned 1 gold and 55 silver for you maintenance work.”
“Huh? 1 gold 55 silver?”
“Yes, your contract was 40 copper and you gained 80 silver from the 200 mileage. You also completed it 100 times after becoming Cleaning Foreman so that is 60 silver. The bonus mileage is 15 copper. That is 1 gold and 55 silver.”
‘That’s right! Isn’t this quest made so someone could recover their lost dagger? Then they should earn the value of a dagger by the end. I didn’t calculate the mileage bonus so I added extra time.’
In the end, Ark had achieved his goal. He settled the other problem and he didn’t need to worry about the quest anymore.
“Thank you. But I’ve become familiar with the Charenjok in the meantime. Can I often come here?”
“Of course. You’re always welcome.”
Ark received a definite answer and headed towards the store.
“Wait a moment.”
Cheksun called out to Ark.
“To be honest, this isn’t only due to the instructions from above. You didn’t seem like you were going to quit so I wanted to make you stop.”
“Huh? What does that mean…..?”
“You were in a tough situation after first entering the universe and ended up cleaning the facilities. I was also like that. When I first entered space, I had the thought of engraving my name in history. But the universe was tougher than I thought. Not anyone can succeed as a pioneer. In the end I gave up on my dream but you are still young. Yes, cleaning the pipes isn’t a place for someone like you.”
Cheksun looked at Ark.
“At first I ignored you. But I’ve been watching and you are different from other people. The universe is scary. Endless dangers exist in the universe. Any moment could break the will of a young pioneer. After seeing your hard work, I believe that you can get through any difficulties. I wish for your success so I’ve prepared a small gift.”
Cheksun handed him a toolbox.
-Cheksun’s Toolbox
Item type: Skill Supplement
The toolbox used by Cheksun, the manager of R-14’s internal facilities maintenance. It is possible to repair simple facilities using this tool. However, the materials to repair the equipment is needed.
<Success rate of Facilities Maintenance increased by 20%>
* Possible to repair general items (Need Resources)
“This is a toolbox that I’ve used. It is old but comfortable to use. And a wrote a letter to some friends on the frontier. My friend Tori operates a company on the frontier so you can receive several favours if you show him my letter.”
Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
-<Sector 7 Manager Cheksun’s Recommendation Letter>
You have worked patiently to clean the pipes at the space station. The sector 7 manager Cheksun appreciated your patient and handed a recommendation letter to his friend called Tori. Cheksun’s old friend Tori was assist you if you show him the recommendation letter. Go see him quickly.
Difficulty: –
-You have received the quest item ‘Cheksun’s Letter of Recommendation.’
Ark wouldn’t refuse it.
“Thank you.”
Ark’s face became animated. He never imagined this ending to the repeatable quest. But the value of the compensation received from Cheksun wasn’t a problem. He repeated the quest 300 times! He cleaned 30 kilometres of pipes by the time the quest ended. The biggest reward was the increase to his confidence after seeing what he achieved. There was only one thing left to do!
“The dagger!”
Chaking!
The dagger soared from Ark’s bag. He had completed the quest 300 times and managed to buy the Modified Alloy Dagger! Ark grabbed his dagger and plunged into the paid hunting ground.
“Let’s go! Level up!”
Ark was a free ticket user.
Space 5
R-14’s Master
-Your body has been restored through the revival system ‘Fairy.’
The message window flashed in front of Ark. But he no longer paid attention to such messages.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this.”
Ark murmured as he checked his equipment. The Fairy was a revival system where the user was exactly restored to the state that they registered. Of course, this was limited to R-14 that was the beginner area but there was little damage when dying if the users registered. It meant there was no need to fear death. Therefore he could try everything.
“If there is no death penalty……”
It was possible to train skills that appeared through death. Back in New World, Ark learnt the Indomitable Will skill because he died so much. There also might be a similar skill in Galaxian. And the only time to try it out was on R-14 where there was no death penalty!
–Since it is a free service, a lot of pioneers play tricks and die.
Bhurad said the first time Ark revived with the Fairy. They also seemed to be thinking like Ark. This was a death penalty free area so there was a chance of obtaining a hidden skill. Ark’s autobiography had stated that Ark learnt a hidden skill through this area.
‘Virtual reality games aren’t that easy for the users these days.’
He had to prepare himself. So Ark spent an entire day dying. Thanks to that, he figured out hidden information about the Fairy revival system……
-You have received the ‘aftereffect’ caused by frequent revivals.
The Fairy is a system that perfectly recycles the registered body. But frequent revivals placed a considerable burden on the spirit. In the worst case scenario, it will lead to mental damage. A proper rest is needed for recovery.
<For 6 hours, all stats -50% and the stats will be permanently lost if you die again under the ‘aftereffect’ status>
He couldn’t acquire any skills through dying. Ark confirmed the ‘aftereffect’ message and stop trying to obtain a death related skill. However, Ark wasn’t disappointed.
‘I found out about this penalty so it isn’t a waste of time.’
It was still the beginning stages of a game. Even information that seemed boring was valuable. It might’ve seemed like a reckless attempt but it also brought something good.
–Hey, are you okay?
Burum asked anxiously after the 20th time he died.
–It is impossible by yourself so shouldn’t you try to fight with the other pioneers?
The NPCs couldn’t understand that Ark was intentionally trying to die.
“No. I’m fine on my own. This place is safe but who knows what type of dangers there will be once I leave R-14. There is no doubt that I’ll encounter risky moments. I can’t possible ask for somebody’s help every time while I’m travelling.”
–You’re not wrong but…..
Burum scratched his head with hesitation. He worried a while before proposing.
-Then do you want to learn a technique of the Charenjok?
“Huh? A technique of the Charenjok?”
–I noticed that humans seem to have a little trouble moving on mud. Is that right?
In fact, that was the part that irritated Ark the most. Even if Ark wanted to die, it was no use if the space bugs just chewed on him. He wanted to practice various battle techniques before dying. He had no skills and had to rely on basic offense and defense. Attacking was no problem but he had trouble with defending. His ankle would often get stuck in the mud and would cause him to fall. The mud floor of the paid hunting ground was the area where the Charenjok lived. It was easy for them because they were octopuses but Ark wasn’t an alien. His movements were so dull on the mud that it was difficult for him to even move. He had no chance to use evasive movements. The other users were hunting in groups of 5 so the mud wasn’t a problem for them. Ignore defense! Ignore evasion!
Why would they have any problems when they just stood there and attacked? But Ark was hunting alone so he needed manoeuvrability. Burum thought that was the reason why Ark continued to die.
–A muddy ground is the best environment for the Charenjok. It is how the Charenjok were able to survive many brutal monsters. There are hardly any monsters able to catch up to us when travelling on mud. I can teach you this technique.
‘A skill from an NPC!’
Ark immediately nodded and accepted the offer.
“Yes, I’ll sincerely learn it!”
–Huhuhu, yes. Because you are just like the Charenjok’s benefactor.
Burum chose a location.
–Now, please follow me. First spread your legs like this and…..
His 8 legs started quivering and moving.
‘…..Is this a joke?’
How could Ark move like that when he didn’t have 8 legs? However, Ark swallowed the words which rose in his throat and followed Burum’s instructions. This was a technique that the NPC offered first
There definitely had to be a way to learn it. Once he set a goal, he recklessly dashed towards it! Ark rolled in the mud and desperately did the training. Burum also enthusiastically taught him.
–Not like that! Relax a bit more! Like suk suk!
There was a reason Burum was so desperate. The octopuses could only collect the income from the hunting ground once Ark left R-14. Therefore the octopuses wanted Ark to level up quickly so he could leave R-14. Ark managed to master the skill thanks to such passion.
‘The main point isn’t using 8 legs. The important thing is how evenly I can distribute my weight. It is the same principle as someone with super strength picking up an egg. Remove the unnecessary power and disperse the weight.’
It was the secret to balancing in mud!
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆) has been learnt.
Swamp Walking (User, Passive): Not all environments on the frontier of space are suitable for humans. Therefore it is important that pioneers can adapt to harsh environments. The faster method is to learn from the local aliens. You have learnt Swamp Walking from the Charenjok.
<The restrictions in the swamp has decreased and the evasion rate has increased by 10%>
He learnt the skill once he reached enlightenment.
‘A two star rated skill!’
He learnt that the stars attached to the skill would change according to the degree of difficulty or importance. Needless to say, a two star skill was more difficult to learn and important than a one star skill. His movements quickly changed after learning Swamp Walking. He hadn’t been able to do any evasive actions until now. It didn’t matter even if he grasped the timing of attacks. However, he now managed to sometimes succeed in an evasive action and the damage diminished. He finally started a full scale battle after days spent cleaning the pipes.
“Now, let’s see……”
The pipe cleaning quest also gave experience. But the experience was tiny and he only reached level 3 despite clearing it 300 times. His agility increased by 3 thanks to the Cleaning Foreman title bonus and his evasion also increased due to Swamp Walking. The Alloy Dagger had an attack of 3~4 while the Modified Alloy Dagger dealt 5~6 damage. The difference was only 1 damage but it couldn’t be ignored.
“This much should be sufficient to try it alone!”
The level of the space worms was 4~7. He was able to distinguish between the levels thanks to the size. The smallest were level 4 while the largest ones with black fur were level 7. It was different from the insufficient farm area and he could afford to choose his prey. And despite the monsters being everywhere, they weren’t aggressive so he could attack them first. This was a suitable advantage for the level 3 Ark.
‘Let’s start with the level 4 space bugs.’
Seokeok!
The space bug turned its round body after being pierced by the dagger. His stats were low. He also didn’t have any skills so he had no choice but to fight tediously. At first the monotony was extremely painful but he soon changed his mind.
‘I have to get used to this monotony.’
The users could exert more power in a virtual reality game than in reality. A person who was in a wheelchair in reality could run around and fly in the game. And even a child could fight against a large monster. This was the charm of a virtual reality game! But that power had to be supported by stats. If the user had low stats then that would actually be a penalty towards their actual physical abilities. It was the reason why Ark was lost in the earlier battles. Ark had misunderstood his power thanks to his previous character.
‘I have to reset myself.’
He wasn’t the strongest warrior but a level 3 character. That’s why he had recklessly ran forward when he first hunted in a party. Now he could accurately measure his power.
‘Hit, to the right, I have to carve every step into my body!’
Kuoooooh!
He finished killing the space bug and it collapsed. He had 15% health left so it was possible for him to hunt level 4 space bugs.
‘It has been 10 days since I’ve started Galaxian and I’ve finally caught a monster by myself.’
He felt a lot of emotions after catching the space bug. And there was something even more inspiring.
-Ohh! Ark finally defeated a space bug!
–There’s no time!
–Recovery! Recovery!
–We have to heal him quickly so that Ark can hunt faster!
The octopuses cheered and thronged towards him. Ark had 10 octopuses clinging to him, which was a lot more compared to the other users! Ark had finally killed something after dying so many times. Thanks to the desperate octopuses, his 100 health was restored in seconds.
–Fighting!
-We’re rooting for Ark-nim!
He even received sincere cheers.
“What is with that guy? He brought us to the paid hunting ground…..isn’t that VIP treatment?”
The users didn’t know the situation and just looked at Ark with confusion. But Ark didn’t care about the interest of the players. Ark’s only concern was fighting! Ark became immersed in battle with no breaks. Fighting, being restored by the octopuses, fighting, being restored……
-Your level has risen.
His level immediately increased after repeated battles. After 2~3 hours, Ark reached level 5 and added bonus stats to agility.
‘Now I can roughly sense it.’
Ark started moving more boldly.
Bam-!
He kicked the space bug right in the chest. Ark specialty of taekwondo kicks had finally started
In fact, kicking wasn’t a special skill in virtual reality games. Once Ark’s success was well known, the users started to imitate him. He had seen many users hunting with crude kicks in the 2nd sector. However, they couldn’t be compared to Ark’s kicks. They weren’t the original. Ark had training and his standards were different from other users. Well, he was still only level 5…..
‘Damn, my kick didn’t connect?’
It did 0 damage. That meant it wasn’t regarded as an attack. However, it wasn’t completely pointless. The space bug flinched and retreated a little bit at the kick. There might not be any damage but the laws of physics still applied.
‘I don’t know if my level is too low to learn the relevant skill or Galaxian might not acknowledge kicks. But there is a reaction so it wasn’t hopeless. Even if there is no damage, there are endless ways to utilize the secondary effects.’
It was a correct judgment. Fighting became much easier once he started mixing in kicks
The 10 octopuses recovered his health after each battle and his fighting speed accelerated. Therefore he reached level 6 in 2 hours! At the same time, the previous ‘Space Combat’ skill was regained and he learnt the basic combat skill ‘Dagger Mastery’ when he reached level 7.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Dagger Mastery (User, Passive): This is the skill that most pioneers learn first in Galaxian. The dagger is the most traditional and the most utilized from a wide range of weapons. Dagger Master will be the foundation of a large number of weapon techniques you will learn from now on.
<Additional 3% damage will be granted to the dagger>
As expected from the early stages of the game! Once he made up his mind then his level and skills rose quickly. The growth of the character depended on the user’s will! After learning Dagger Mastery and Space Combat, Ark started hunting the strongest monsters in the area which were the level 7 space bugs. Thanks to the various bonus stats and skills, fighting higher levelled monsters normally wasn’t a problem for him. But catching monsters in the early stages were more difficult. Ark was the same as well. Even if he learnt Space Combat and Dagger Mastery, they were still common skills that other users learnt. If the other users learnt such basic skills then there was no reason why they couldn’t face the space bugs. However, Ark had one skill that the other users couldn’t easily learn.
‘Swamp Walking!’
It increased evasion by 10%! It was a huge bonus for someone with 100 health.
“Take this you stupid slugs!”
It was an explosion of kicks followed by the dagger attack!
Kuoooooh!
At the end of a 10 minute struggle, even the strongest level 7 space bug collapsed. It was only difficult the first time. He grew used to hunting the space bugs so they didn’t feel that difficult afterwards. Moreover, Ark always started the battle with 100% health thanks to the octopuses. It was indeed the best hunting environment. However, Ark wasn’t in a position where he could just hunt. If a user reached level 10 then their deposit would be returned to them and they would move onto the next area. And Ark had to gather new users from the farm area. That consumed quite a bit of Ark’s time but he didn’t regret it. Making money was just as important as levelling up.
‘I should reduce the time needed for sleep!’
His previous mindset had been revived. So he spent 3 days hunting and acquiring customers.
-Your level has risen.
‘Finally……!’
Ark’s body was filled with excitement as he saw the message window. He finally reached level 10! He could leave R-14. The octopuses were even more excited than Ark.
-Oh! You finally have the qualifications to become a pioneer!
-Halo! It’s like a halo is shining around you!
The octopuses gathered and clamoured away. The paid hunting ground had opened for 4 days so they were thrilled they could get custody of it back. However, Ark immediately betrayed the expectations of the octopuses.
Seokeok! Seokeok!
He just closed the information window without talking and became immersed in hunting again. The octopuses were at a loss from Ark’s action and murmured.
–W-what is that friend doing?
–Does he not know that he can leave R-14 now?
-No, that is impossible. Every pioneer should know about it.
–Then why is he still hunting?
–Perhaps…..he intends to stay here and get all our income?
–W-what? T-then? What about us?
The octopuses started panicking. So the octopuses gathered around Ark and incited him to leave.
–Don’t you think you’ve become strong enough?
–Yes, you’ll be able to chew any monsters on the frontier.
–Of course you have to give up the income from the hunting ground to discover the unexplored regions.
–But the frontier is a land of gold and opportunity for pioneers. Someone smart, strong and filled with desire like you…..no, a pioneer with strong desire can earn money that can’t even be compared with the income from this hunting ground. We guarantee it.
The octopuses didn’t want to give the impression that they weren’t grateful. But Ark also had the same idea as the octopuses. The average daily income for the paid hunting ground was 7~8 gold. When considering that the average income of level 10 users who left R-14 was 2 gold, that was a huge amount. But this was because it was the beginner area. Once he entered the frontier and the game earnestly started then that amount would be nothing. Common sense indicated that reaching higher levels meant more income. 7~8 gold would be nothing once he raised his level. His previous character Ark had earned thousands of gold in one day. Furthermore, he didn’t gain that much experience once he reached level 10. He was only hunting level 7 monsters. There was a difference of 3 levels so a penalty was applied on how much experience he could earn. And the monsters weren’t a sufficient opponent to practice his fighting skills anymore. He would be wasting time if he stayed in this hunting ground.
‘I know that but……’
He had ignored the octopuses and continued killing the space bugs. Ark’s target was to regain his mindset. So another three days passed. He suddenly heard Bhurad’s voice from the Nymphe.
-Ark, come and see me.
‘That’s it!’
Ark quickly ran towards the central plaza.
“Did you call?”
“Ark, that is…..”
Bhurad looked at him with significantly different eyes before continuing.
“In fact, I really thought you were a hopeless person the first time I saw you. You broke your dagger and you also couldn’t report your work. Yet I can see that you have a bright future ahead. You continued receiving a small salary and eventually obtained a dagger again. Now I can’t help but feel admiration.”
“You’re overpraising me.”
“No, no. I’m not the type of person to say empty words.”
Bhurad examined his Nymphe and said.
“Your recovery is startling but the amount of mileage you ended up recording is even more astonishing. You reserved 56 mileage from hunting the space bugs. You also recorded 144 mileage from bringing in meat and leather from the space bugs. This is the best record among all the pioneers on R-14. No, it is the highest recorded among all the pioneers scattered on the space station around Earth. How on earth did you accumulate that much mileage?”
It was hard work. There was a chance that the user could die when recording mileage for the space bug hunting. The amount of quests the users normally completed by the time they reached level 10 was 25~30. However, Ark had reserved 56 mileage through the paid hunting ground. His leather and meat was also approximately three times that mileage. It was incredible when thinking about the low drop rate from the space bugs. However, Ark actually found getting the leather and meat to be easy. The guests of the hunting ground paid for the octopuses’ recover service through leather and meat. That also went into Ark’s pocket. If the customers also gave all the meat and leather they found then Ark would lower the fee to 30 silver. All of this was for one goal.
“No, it doesn’t matter how you gained that much mileage. The result says it all. Anyway, I admire your will. I honestly didn’t expect much from the novices entering the universe but you are different. So I prepared a present for you.”
Bhurad handed him something for his wrist.
-Bhurad’s Shield (Magic)
Item Type: Energy Shield Wearer Restriction: Level 10
Defense: 25 Durability: 30/30
Shield Quantity: 1,000/1,000
A special reward given by Bhurad, the manager of R-14’s training centre to the pioneer who raised the most mileage. The energy shield is a common defense item in the space pioneering age that helps protect the body from various dangers. The shield will be destroyed after several attacks from the enemy but the equipped battery will automatically repair the shield after a certain period of time.
<Option: Strength +3, Stamina +3>
“This is a shield that I took care of for a long time. It is quite old but it should be sufficient for a beginner pioneer to use. And I’ve also written you a letter of recommendation for the galactic federation. The galactic federation is always looking for talent like you. If you would like to work for the federation then show them this letter of recommendation. I’ll tell you beforehand but this isn’t given to everyone. I won’t explain it now but this is a considerable privilege that you will soon understand.”
Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
<R-14 training centre manager Bhurad’s letter of recommendation>
You’ve should incredible talent compared to most pioneers that pass through R-14. The training centre manager Bhurad appreciated your patience and qualities and wrote you a letter of recommendation to the federal government. If you make someone from the federal government a sponsor then it is possible to receive considerable benefits.
Difficulty: –
-You have received the quest item ‘Bhurad’s Letter of Recommendation.’
‘I did it!’
At first he thought that Bhurad’s quest would be infinitely repeated. However, the repeatable quest <Cleaning R-14’s Air Circulation Pipes> had a limit and ended. Then wouldn’t it be the same for the <Space Bug Processing> quest? That’s why Ark continued hunting despite reaching level 10.
‘I will get an achievement if I reach the end!’
Cheksun gave him items once he reached the end of the quest. If the same thing was applied then Bhurad might also give him an item. Ark’s guess was correct. Bhurad’s Shield! It was rare to receive a magic item in the beginner areas. Furthermore, he also received a recommendation related quest!
‘Well, I have to find out a bit more information about it…..’
But that wasn’t the end. Ark took the item and organized his bags. Now he could relax and leave R-14. Ark paid one last visit to the paid hunting ground to finish up the business.
–A-Ark!
The octopuses who had been gathered tightly together stared at him with surprise. They exchanged looks and Burum slowly approached him.
–Ark, we’ve been thinking and we realized that we were too short-sighted.
“Huh? Too short-sighted?”
–You really were a big help to us. You helped us establish an independent business after we tried to kill you. We’re embarrassed about how we treated you when you’re going to be leaving soon. So we made up out mind after a meeting. We decided that we should show out sincerity.
Burum extended something that looked like a small octopus.
-Charenjok’s Token (Special)
Item type: Recovery
A mascot loved by the Charenjok. If you attach this mascot then you will recover from poison and your health will recover for 10 minutes.
<Recovery from poison, your health will recover by 1 every 3 seconds for 10 minutes>
This was why the octopuses were consulting each other. It was to decide what they should give Ark as thanks.
‘Aha!’
An ‘!’ appeared in his head. He remembered something that he forgot thanks to the behaviour of the octopuses. Once something broken then everything would come out. Ark realized that while playing the previous game. He had polished the pipes with the octopuses and their sincerity towards Ark increased due to the business plan.
–This might be useless for humans. Isn’t it beautiful? It will be able to sooth you if you feel upset. But this is all we have right now. Please think of us and take it. And…..this isn’t a demand. You’ll be heading to the frontier so can you give us our dream now?
“I understand.”
–Ohh! Really? You’ll really give it to us?
The octopuses danced with joy as they received the answer they were waiting for. Ark taught the octopuses how to acquire customers and the knowledge to make the business successful.
–Phew, he should go now. That terrible guy.
The octopuses muttered after they were handed the business documents. Ark heard it through the pipes but he didn’t question it. The NPCs had given Ark an item so he couldn’t afford to be generous
Anyway, Ark meticulously checked that everything in R-14 was finished and headed towards the exit
It was a place filled with users who reached level 10. Ark was already familiar with the procedure and entered an elevator in the centre of R-14.
-Ark, the body scan has begun.
There was a mechanical sound and the information window appeared from the Nymphe.
Character information window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 15
Species Human Occupation Beginner Pioneer
Fame –
Health 300 (+15) Mental Power 150
Strength 55 (+3) Agility 75
Stamina 55 (+3) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 25 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ark had reached level 15 by the time he left R-14! It was an unprecedented record for R-14. Once the authentication procedure ended, the elevator closed and shot upwards. Another door opened and the universe expanded in front of him. It was a huge dome shaped area covered in a 3D map of the universe. One planet lit up when he entered. At the same time, the Nymphe vibrated and information appeared.
-You have accessed the Star Gate system.
Currently dozens of frontiers exist in the present galactic federation. However, space travel using the warp system is impossible to withstand for pioneers who haven’t received the body coating. These are the places where the pioneers can move to from the R-14 Star Gate. Istana is a planet located on the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy and is approximately 2.5 times Earth’s size. It is the centre of humanity’s current exploration.
Unlike other settlements that are close to being barren, Istana has conditions suitable for humans to live in. Therefore Istana is the place where most pioneers are active and it currently leading the space development. It also contains a number of companies, including the headquarters of the galactic federation.
In order to receive a body coating, the support of a company or the galactic federation is required. Therefore, you must first be recognized by Istana and find a sponsor before you can head to the frontiers. As a pioneer, you can ask a company with huge financial capital or a company with amazing technology to sponsor you. The future is bright.
The planet of Istana expanded and red dots appeared. They were the different regions of Istana that he could select as a starting point.
-Tatuine-
The area where the headquarters of the galactic federation is located. It is the largest city on Istana.
Population Density: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Civilization: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Advanced Sponsor: ■ ■ ■ ■ □
-Kurim-
Except for Tatuine, this is the commercial city with the most companies. Abundant space resources are scattered around the area and it is a commercially profitable city. Aside from the 4 main companies that are leading the space development, there are various small companies so it is easy to find a sponsor.
Population Density: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ Civilization: ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Advanced Sponsor: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Approximately 20 cities were displayed. Selecting the starting point was an important choice. Ark meticulously read through the information about the cities one by one. He searched for a while and found a city that met all his criteria.
“Activate Star Gate, destination is Nephalim!”
The whole area vibrated and light gathered. Ark turned into a ray of light and shot out of R-14. The light was launching towards Istana, the centre of pioneering
———————————————
“What? What’s going on?”
Shortly after Ark flew towards Istana. The users were noisily gathered in R-14’s central plaza. It was because of the message that appeared on all monitors.
-Achievement: The first mission related master of R-14 has been born. <Ark>
“R-14’s Master? What does that mean?”
“Isn’t this just a place to reach level 10 before leaving for the frontier?”
“Every quest is just a repeatable quest. How does someone become a mission related master?”
“Is there a hidden ques we don’t know about?”
The users endless speculated. But they were even more interested in the name of R-14’s Master. Ark!
“Ark…..”
“Surely it isn’t that ‘Ark’?”
“Of course not. Why would the hero of New World start a new game?”
“That name is popular in Galaxian so we don’t know if that is the real Ark……”
“Is the real Ark in Galaxian?”
The users looked at the monitor dubiously. Then they scanned the surroundings with bright eyes.
“It doesn’t matter if he is the real Ark. Clearly there is a quest we don’t’ know about in R-14!”
“Find it! We have to occupy the spot before others find it first!”
The players swarmed like flies all over the place.
Gumul gumul, gumul gumul.
An octopus wearing tattered gear moved though the users.
–Huhuhu, Ark is gone so we can finally get some funds!
It was Burum who was full of dreams and looking for new customers.
Space 6
Welcome to Nephalim (Part: 1)
“I don’t know if this will turn out well.”
Yoo Han-pil sighed and murmured. He was the chairman of a huge company and any Korean citizen would know his name. This was the first time he had been so frustrated in the 50 years he had been born. More than a year ago…..
He only had one son. He was the only son of a 3rd generation financial group so naturally he raised his son in a prison of gold. And his son grew into a great young man. His head was good so he entered a top university and his physical skills meant he could play any sport. His appearance was also at the level of a celebrity. He was indeed perfect so it was expected that he would inherit! Yoo Han-pil had no doubt about the future of his son. But that bright future turned to grey after the incident that occurred more than a year ago.
‘If it wasn’t for that…..’
Yoo Han-pil stared at his son with a gloomy expression. The young man was sitting in a wheel chair
His head tilted to the side and his hands and feet were twisted and didn’t lie properly. His perfect son now couldn’t even move his hand properly to eat some rice. Although he had improved a lot
After the unexpected accident, his son had been unconscious for several months. Even if his son was disabled overnight, he was thankful that he even woke up. Of course, the thing he desired most was for his son to return to normal. And he would do anything to help his son’s recovery. Even if it meant offering his entire fortune!
‘My mind hasn’t changed. But…..’
Yoo Han-pil looked at the machine behind his son. It was the unit for the virtual reality game Galaxian. He asked the family doctor. There were many cases where people in similar conditions to his son were immersed in a virtual reality game and improved a lot. Yoo Han-pil already knew that. However, he didn’t want to use a virtual reality game to treat his son. His son’s accident was related to a virtual reality game. Naturally his son didn’t play the virtual reality game after that. But a few days ago, his son suddenly said that he wanted to play the virtual reality game Galaxian. The old nightmare resurfaced and he flatly refused. However his son didn’t give up. He wouldn’t even eat unless he was allowed to play Galaxian. In the end, Yoo Han-pil had no choice but to give in.
“Is it really okay?”
“Yes……”
His son painfully moved his lips. Yoo Han-pil sighed and nodded.
“Okay, if that is your will then I won’t stop you anymore. I also won’t ask why you suddenly want to play Galaxian. I only have one wish. I don’t want you to return to your previous state. A virtual reality is perfect for disabled people so I hope you can live a normal life in there. Just promise me one thing. Don’t tear your father’s heart again like you did a year ago.”
“You don’t have to worry…… Already….that case…..something reckless like that…..I won’t do it. I just…..”
“That’s fine.”
Yoo Han-pil nodded his head.
“That is enough.”
He placed his son within the Galaxian unit. The unit was closed. And his son headed towards a universe set in the far future.
——————————————————————————–
The humans in the 22nd century didn’t have a lot of choices. The century changed and quickly accelerated the ruin that humans caused to the earth. Thus the world wide government launched a huge project for the sake of humanity. The universe was still unknown to humans but they decided to place humanity’s fate on exploring it. After numerous trials and 30 years, humanity finally completed a moon base. Once the moon base was completed, their space development technology accelerated. In the end, the 24th century because the space pioneering age. Humanity repeated their tremendous growth and opened one solar system planet after another. After many decades, humans finally managed to develop warp navigated and extended their explorations beyond the Milky Way galaxy. They changed their name to the galactic federation and humanity’s space fleet spread across the galaxies. That was when the problems occurred.
Humanity had entered the real space pioneering age and experienced some things on the frontier that they never imagined. Hundreds of thousands of light years away in the Kiltin constellation, they encountered an aggressive warrior alien species called the Rama! They were armed with strong physical abilities and advanced technology beyond humanity. The dreams of the first pioneers that advanced into the galaxies turned to dust. And their solar system ended up being threatened. A team operation! The genius scientist Lucian gathered a team of humanity’s top scientists. After decades of research, the humans finally developed a technology that could withstand the Rama.
That was body coating! It was a technology that changed humans into aliens. For the first time, mankind could counterattack against the Rama threatening the solar system. They allied with other aliens also threatened by the Rama and ended the first space war. However, that peace didn’t last. The 1st Space War was just the beginning of humanity’s trials. Numerous risks existed beyond human wisdom and many ancient alien civilizations disappeared as their stars went out. There was a chance that humanity could also be buried by darkness. This was humanity’s history written down in the history books.
–Humanity is just like a newborn baby leaving its cradle. From now on humanity will suffer numerous risks and setbacks. However, humanity is a species with infinite possibilities. Body coating is a technology that holds infinite possibilities. The important thing is human potential. If you can draw out all that potential then humans will be the rulers of the universe.
By Lucian Endoneid.
——————————————————————————–
“This is Nephalim?”
Ark looked around with surprised eyes. The dome he arrived at wasn’t that different from R-14’s Star Gate. However, it became a completely different world once he left the dome. It was a citadel city surrounded by a huge, dense forest! Of course, he had played other virtual reality games so he wasn’t that surprised. The city wasn’t the capital of the kingdom yet it was dozens of times larger than Yeoido plaza. Yet there was no reason to be surprised by the city. It was the machinery scattered in different places that caught Ark’s eye. Thick pipes were laid out all over the city and the machinery blew black smoke, while crude 3D billboards were attached to walls made of brick. It was like a crazy mix between medieval times and futuristic science. Well, the background was set in a future age.
“Here….is this really Nephalim?”
Ark searched the information about Nephalim on his Nymphe.
-Nephalim-
Apart from Tatuine, this was the city where most companies swarmed after Istana was discovered. Nephalim is surrounded by unique natural environments so many unique space resources have been found. However, it fell behind thanks to the disadvantageous terrain and the population decreased as many people moved to other areas. This city isn’t recommended if you want a company to sponsor you.
Population Density: ■ □ □ □ □ Civilization: ■ ■ □ □ □
Advanced Sponsor: ■ ■ □ □ □
‘The lowest population density!’
The Star Gate couldn’t be used again until he reached a certain level. The cities were hundreds of kilometres away from each other. Therefore several factors needed to be considered when choosing a city. The first thing Ark considered was the population density. Unlike R-14, Istana was a wide planet so hunting wouldn’t be a problem. But if a lot of users selected the city then the good quests and hunting ground might already be taken. There was a low chance of finding a dungeon first. When considering the population density, Nephalim was the city with the lowest. So Ark had thought it would be a quiet village but it was different from his expectations. It was a large city and the flashing electric bulletin boards reminded him of the nightlife in Gangnam’s gay area.
‘What on earth would Tatuine be like if Nephalim has the lowest population density?’
He turned pale just imagining it.
‘Anyway, it is good that I chose a city based on population density. There are more people than I expected so there might be some small problems…..’
Ark stepped forward while thinking.
–This is your first time in Nephalim.
A holograph of a beautiful woman appeared next to him.
–I am a guide that will tell the beginner pioneers pertinent city related information about Nephalim. You can use me to discover the city’s geography, the location of the stores and special facilities.
The future had facilities that couldn’t even be compared to the medieval times.
-The subscription fee is 50 copper.
But it wasn’t free. It was a paid service.
–This is your first time. For the cheap price of 50 copper, I can tell you about hunting grounds suitable for your level.
–Aha, a beginner. Are you looking for a suitable job? Only 50 copper.
Every step he took, another holographic image would appear and demand money.
‘Well, some of the information is useful and 50 copper isn’t that much…..’
He gained 40 copper just from cleaning the pipes. His financial status was different from the other level 10 users. But he didn’t want to put his hard earned money into a vending machine like this. He could discover such basic information without spending money. Ark ignored the holograms and headed towards the plaza.
‘This is the same in all games.’
The plaza located in the centre of the city was always bustling with noise.
“Recruiting people to go to the Northern Valley! 5 spots available.”
“Recruiting two hunters specialized in small guns to go to the forest!”
“Buying a bulk purchase of recovery pills for 2 gold!”
“Selling various level 10~20 items at a cheap price. Please look at it.”
“Selling special IC card for body coatings. Whisper to inquire about the price.”
Users were buying and selling various items or recruiting for parties. The marketplace was an area where players naturally gravitated in games. Ark looked around the central plaza with shining eyes.
‘Won’t this give me a windfall?’
Ark looked towards a corner at the entrance of the plaza. The plaza in online games was similar to a flea market. It had a floating population and users were always trying to find a spot to do business. But when Ark arrived at the plaza, there was a pretty spacious, empty spot near the entrance! Someone must’ve just closed their business.
‘Isn’t this terrific luck?’
Ark quickly ran to the empty spot.
“Now shall I get started?”
He pulled out various items form his bag and organized them. Dagger, sword, crossbow, and various firearms…..
The number of weapons that emerged from his bag was 17. The reason Ark had so many weapons after leaving R-14 was simple. He spent money to buy them. Ark had saved a considerable amount of money from R-14. There was a week between the time the paid hunting ground opened and he left R-14. In the meantime, he made an average of 7~8 gold per day. That was an income of 52 gold. The <Space Bug Processing> gave between 10~20 silver and he completed it 56 times. He received 20 silver from the leather and meat part 144 times. Including the mileage bonus, he had received 34 gold and 40 silver. When everything was put in order, he ended up with 86 gold and 40 silver. If ordinary users made this much money in the early stages then they would’ve been generous with food and drinks. However, Ark was different.
‘Money is used to make more money!’
Ark received a large sum of money and immediately made plans to increase that money. And he looked at the information list in R-14’s weapon store.
-Due to the galactic federation encouraging pioneering, all pioneers will receive a 40% discount on R-14.
‘40% discount!’
In order words, if he bought it from R-14 then he could gain a 40% profit. Most users only had a dagger when they left for the frontier. Ordinary users had 2 gold by the time they reached level 10. Even with the 40% discount, items with a wearer restriction of level 10 was at least 5 gold. Therefore a level 10 weapon for users became a pie in the sky…..
But Ark was rich!
‘A 40% discount means the weapon will be 40% more expensive after I go through the Star Gate.’ Of course, he would sell it cheaper than the store but he would still get at least a 20% profit. He could get 1 gold per weapon. 17 items was 17 gold. ‘It is a business where profit is guaranteed! There is no reason to hesitate!’
So Ark spent all his 86 gold on level 10 weapons. It might be expensive in R-14 but users who spent some time on the frontier would have at least 6 gold. Then users would be interested in investing in a new weapon! A weapon 20% cheaper than the stores was certainly enticing. In addition, he found a spot at the entrance where most people flowed in and out!
“Eh? These weapons, isn’t it much cheaper than the store?”
“Yeah. Moreover, there are guns and swords as well?
“I really wanted to change my weapon but I didn’t have enough money so it was painful.”
The users flocked like clouds as soon as the street stall opened. The weapons quickly turned back into gold and entered Ark’s pocket. It wasn’t just money that accumulated.
“Nowadays there are a lot of people in the northern area so it is difficult to hunt.”
“I heard that a new dungeon was found in the wilderness a while ago.”
“It is still impossible. The monsters there have an average level of 40.”
He could collect information from the people gathered. Even if he was just sitting down, information about Nephalim would naturally enter his ears. There was no reason to wast 50 copper for the fee-based information services. This degree was common sense for Ark. Of course, most of the information didn’t have much significance for Ark yet. But sometimes useful information would be heard.
“Doesn’t this have slightly better performance than the weapons sold at the store?”
The beginner items from R-14 had slightly better performance than those sold at the frontier! Ark inwardly exclaimed after hearing that information.
‘Such a thing! If it is like that then I can increase the price to 30% and it will still sell!’
Ark realized his mistake and immediately corrected it.
“How much is this?”
“Ah, that? 6 gold and 50 silver.”
Ark cheekily raised the price by 10% right in front of people.
“Huh? Wasn’t it 6 gold just now?”
Of course he received some customer complaints. But Ark was shameless
“6 gold? You must’ve not heard properly. This is a business but I also have personal expenses.”
Even if it was only 10% more, that was still a profit. When he raised the price, some of the customers were offended and left but Ark was at the entrance of a populous plaza so it didn’t matter. Therefore he told 10 items during the 1 hour after he raised the price.
“Hey, get out of the way!”
A bunch of guys roughly approached and pushed people out of the way. There were four people pushing people out of the way of a man swinging his arms. He was obviously the boss of the group
They were wearing shiny armour and what looked like pretty high level equipment.
‘What the? No matter how I look, they don’t look like users with needing level 10 weapons.’
The group stared at Ark sitting on the ground. Then the boss’ forehead wrinkled and he began to talk.
“What are you doing here?”
“Huh?”
“I said what are you doing here?”
The fellow ended up mixing curses and crude language when talking. In addition, the character appearance was a deep blue man…..
Although Ark naturally became angry, right now he was a merchant. Ark displayed the patience of a merchant and answered.
“Can’t you see I’m running a business?”
“Who gave you permission?”
“Who gave me permission? That…..”
“This is out spot. Get lost.”
“Eh?”
Ark asked with a befuddled look. Then a henchman snapped in a rough voice.
“Didn’t you hear what hyung-nim said? Are you ears blocked? Get lost because this is out spot!”
“Haven’t you grasped the atmosphere yet? This is the spot where we’ve been trading for a few days. You stole it while we briefly stepped away. So disappear.”
“That….where does it say this is your spot? This is a place for a street stall. If you leave this place then it doesn’t belong to you anymore.”
“This guy isn’t afraid.”
The boss grinned and licked his lips.
“Would you like to quit the game today?”
Ark’s face was amazed at the threat. If they left a hunting ground or market spot empty then they couldn’t complain. That was the rule of online games. It was the same with Galaxian. That happened in R-14’s hunting grounds and it was the same for the street stalls here. They couldn’t claim a previous spot that they traded in.
‘But…….’
Sometimes there were people with no common sense. Although he had only been playing Galaxian for a short time, Ark had an online gaming career of 4 years. Ark had often encountered people like this in the previous game. They had higher levels than others or their guild had a lot of power so those people believed they could ignore the rules!
‘I thought it was strange that a good spot at the entrance was empty…..’
A vast majority of the users in the plaza knew about those guys and avoided the spot. They didn’t want to quarrel with the thugs.
‘Encountering fellows like this at the beginning of a new game.’
If this was the previous game then those guys would already be tattered. The future of those thugs would’ve disappeared. However, things were different now. It was obvious that the boss was higher levelled than Ark. He also had 4 henchmen! There was no way he could win if he fought against the group. Those guys were the type of hold grudges so they would chase after him like leeches.
‘It can’t be helped. Anyway, I only have 3 items left from R-14. These guys are running wild…..it might hurt my pride but the only way is to retreat. Damn! Those bastards. I’ll remember your faces and will make you regret this later.’
“Okay. I’ll leave.”
Ark endured his anger and started to pack up his stall. No, he tried to pack up his stall.
“Wait, who said you could just go? Didn’t I say it? This is our spot. You selfishly engaged in business here so now you have to pay a fee. Isn’t that right?”
“What? A fee?”
“Yes, a fee. I’ll overlook it for 10 gold.”
‘This bastard, he wants a cut of my profit?’
Ark started at the man with an absurd expression.
“Hey, there’s no need to be upset. If you don’t have any cash then you can pay with items. Let’s see…..these are level 10 weapons? Well, taking a couple of these prices should be enough. If you give us those two items then we’ll send you off politely. That…..”
Then man suddenly frowned while surveying the street stall. He looked at an item in the corner and asked.
“Where did you get that item?”
Ark’s eyes reflexively shifted towards that corner. The item the man pointed towards was a toy in the shape of an airplane. When Ark was on the verge of leaving R-14, the octopuses had given him a token and the baby octopuses also wanted to give him something. The items that the baby octopuses gave him were 100% japtem. But he didn’t want to throw them away so he had displayed them.
‘Why the sudden interest in a toy?’
Ark was thinking that when something interrupted him.
“No, that doesn’t matter. Come to think of it, 2 items for engaging in business here is a bit severe. Okay, I’ll be nice. If you give me that toy then I will let you leave.”
“Aigoo, Hyung-nim. Isn’t that too generous?”
“It can’t be helped. I can’t take money from a child. He is just a novice user.”
“Hey you! You got lucky today. Hyung-nim is being nice so give it quickly and disappear.”
‘That bastard really……’
Wasn’t this like an adult bullying a child? And this was a toy. He displayed it but he honestly didn’t think it would sell. He thought there was a possibility of chance of giving the japtem along with a weapon purchased. But the value of the toy wasn’t the problem for Ark. The stubbornness of these guys meant he was reaching the limit of his patience. He wanted to tear them apart. If those fellows wanted this item then he wouldn’t easily give it to them. Because those guys kept on threatening him. Ark replied in a low voice.
“Okay. You can have this if you want.”
“Good thinking.”
“For 90 gold.”
“What?”
“Just like you said. The rent is 10 gold? This toy was 100 gold. So I will give you this toy for 90 gold.”
“100 gold? For a toy like that?”
“Are you crazy?”
The henchmen shouted with displeased expressions. Then the boss lifted his arm and said.
“You….are you trying to trick me?”
“Of course not.”
“Do you think we look easy?”
“No you don’t.”
The boss fell silent at Ark’s answer. He thought for a moment before saying with a smile.
“You have more guts then I thought. Okay. In fact, we were a bit harsh before so I’ll take responsibility. I apologize for offending you. I want to buy that toy for a fair value. And all the problems between us will be cleared up. So how much is it?”
“Didn’t I say? 100 gold. I can’t discount even 1 copper.”
The man glared at Ark and said.
“Then I have no choice but to take it.”
“Try it.”
Ark stepped in front of the toy. Meanwhile the henchmen took out their swords and guns and approached. Ark and the octopuses’ toys were surrounded by the thugs.
-Stop!
A mechanical sound rang out. Two androids were quickly approaching. The androids painted in red were in charge of policing Nephalim. The guard androids stood between Ark and the gang and said.
–Please stop. You are in a public place and any acts of violence are prohibited. If you don’t stop then you will be arrested under the federation’s 27th law. I’ll warn you once again. Immediately disarm and disband.
“Sheesh!”
The boss clicked his tongue with annoyance. He shot a glance towards Ark and muttered.
“Your life was saved.”
“Let’s see? I don’t know whether it was my life that was saved.”
“You won’t be able to get away with that sassy attitude in the future. You’re a user so you can’t just live in the city. If you hunt outside the city then you will regret your actions today.
“I’m so afraid. Am I going to cry?”
Ark retorted and the boss’ face became even colder. He stared at Ark and growled.
“My name is Mald. You better remember that.”
“I’ll remember it. My name is……”
Ark looked serious and took one step towards Mald. And smiled before cheekily saying.
“……It’s a secret. It would be better for you to forget it.”
“You bitch! Really!”
Mald angrily grabbed Ark’s collar. No, he was about to grab it.
“Ugh!”
Ark suddenly screamed and rolled on the ground. Mald stared in confusion as Ark started screaming towards the guards.
“S-save me! T-that guy! He hit me!”
“W-what nonsense is this? I didn’t…..
Mald tried to approach Ark. Then the two androids blocked his way.
–Please stop. You have ignore our warnings and caused an act of violence. You have been caught breaking the federation’s law. Please come with us. If you resist arrest then you will be charged with obstruction of justice.
“What are you talking about? When did I commit an act of violence? That bastard…..”
Mald tried to explain to the androids but they didn’t budge. Ark had cleverly provoked Mald and blocked the android’s view so they just saw Mald reaching towards Ark. Thus Mald was arrested for an act of violence.
–Are you resisting arrest?
“I didn’t touch that bastard…..”
–Under the federation’s 27th law, you are under arrest.
Pajijijik!
The androids stunned Mald without any notice. Mald convulsed and dropped to the ground and the androids pulled him across the plaza. The henchmen couldn’t do anything.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“T-this….why the hell…..”
“This is all because of that bastard! Hey, where is he?”
“That bitch! We won’t let you go! We’ll turn him into rice cakes!”
The henchmen turned and looked for Ark. However……
“Heok! N-no! T-that bastard…..he disappeared!”
—————————————————————————————————————–
“Bah, those thugs!”
Ark spat on the ground and murmured.
“Do they think I’m stupid? Did he think I would tell him my personal details?”
Mald was dragged off by the guard androids while the henchmen were searching the plaza that Ark was already far away from. There was no way he would stay there for the henchmen to find him. Giggles started emerging once he was far away from the plaza.
“Heh, that stupid Mald. He was dragged off.”
The sight released all of the stress that was piled up. However, he couldn’t be careless. In fact, Ark hadn’t wanted to concede when Mald’s gang first confronted him. Nephalim was a city so not even those mindless thugs would dare PK. There was just one problem. Those guys were vindictive so they would search for him outside the side to PK.
‘While my style isn’t to avoid a fight…..’
He could only afford to do such a thing when he had a lot of skills.
‘Right now I’ve only just finished the beginner tutorial. There is no way I can leave the area of Nephalim. In such a situation, having a high level gang searching for me will by annoying. If those guys decided to disrupt my actions then I won’t even be able to leave the city.’
So he endured it. But eventually he exploded.
‘Those gangsters, their personality rubbed me the wrong way…..’
The situation Ark was most worried about had occurred. The combination of ‘being uncomfortable + insecurity + annoyance’ had flowed out. But he didn’t really regret it. He was forced to concede his spot thanks to their threats. Yet they said he stole their spot? They even threatened to make him quit the game!
‘Yes, the damage has already been done so there is no point worrying about it. There is no guarantee that these guys will retaliate and they can’t play the game 24 hours a day. For the moment I just have to be careful when going outside. They will eventually forget about me……’
But Ark wouldn’t forget about his grudge.
‘They’re high levelled so they will eventually leave Nephalim. I’ll continue playing. They’ll see who I am in the future. Mald and his 4 henchmen…..I’ll be sure to remember their faces. Even if it takes 1 year or 2 years, I’ll make sure they regret it.’
Until then he had to avoid being noticed by those guys. Ark happily dreamed of his revenge.
“By the way…..”
After a while, Ark looked at the item in his hand. It was the toy airplane that Mald wanted. At first, he thought Mald was just crazy but he started thinking after leaving the plaza.
‘He was requesting 10 gold. It is weird that he suddenly switched to the toy. Desiring weapons is normal. So why did he want a toy that can’t be sold?’
It was a question that made Ark uncomfortable. He was able to find an answer after sneaking out of the plaza.
“It is impossible for a guy like that to want a worthless item. Then the answer is simple. He thinks the toy is worth more than 10 gold. There’s no doubt about it. He isn’t a novice. He also asked me where I got this toy. Then there must be something I don’t know hidden in this toy. Something worth at least 10 gold!’
Ark had the idea and sat near a fountain before examining the toy carefully. It was just a toy when glancing at it. Therefore he hadn’t looked over it after the baby octopuses gave it to him. Now that he had the idea ‘there must be something,’ he examined every inch of it. It was more sophisticated then it first appeared. It was unthinkable that something this sophisticated could be made by the baby octopuses.
‘Come to think of it…..’
Once he started questioning it, there was no limit to all his doubts. Ark didn’t know where the octopuses had got the toy from. From then on, Ark became perfectly immersed in the toy. He shook it back and forth and folded up the tail wing. Ark’s heart rate then soared as he discovered a vertical line.
‘It moves! There is definitely something there!’
Ark was convinced. The shape was that of a type of switch. Once the tail wing was folded up, the other attachments started moving.
‘The moving parts were the tail and the wings as well as the 5 antennas. But there is no change after they’ve all been operated. The parts must be manipulated in a certain order in order to discover what is hidden in the toy.’
Inspiration starting shining….
He examined the parts without any rest for 1 hour. Click. The bottom part of the toy suddenly opened and a USB like memory chip fell out. Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
-Undisclosed Memory Chip.
There are different memory chips with various types of information in Galaxian. These memory chips will connect to the Nymphe and hidden information can be confirmed.
“As expected, there is something!”
Ark cheered and connected the memory chip to the Nymphe with a sense of expectation.
-The memory chip is protected and you can’t access the data. A security code must be entered into the Nymphe before the lock will be released.
That was the sound of all his expectations deflating.
“I have to enter a security code? What is it saying all of a sudden?”
It was normal for the key to be hidden near the problem in a key.
‘But I checked the toy precisely for 1 hour and couldn’t find any hints. Then the only thing I can think of is that the NPC who gave me this toy has the clue.’
Ark was filled with regret at the thought.
‘There’s no doubt about it. The baby octopuses who gave me the toy must have a hint about the security code! But I can’t return to R-14. In the end, is there no way to get that hint? Dammit, why didn’t I carefully examine the toy when I received it?’
Ark sighed and shook his head. Ark had spent a fortnight in R-14 raising his level and earning money. It was a training process to recover his original mindset. He cleaned the pipes 300 times and hunted the space bugs 200 times for a total of 500 completed quests! He thought he had recovered his original mindset after reaching an end to those repeatable quests.
‘But I’m still not there yet. I should’ve checked the unusual item before other users paid attention to it. I still haven’t regained all of my spirit.’
However, there was no reason to give up on obtaining the data. It was hard to get the security code but there must be more than one way to obtain the data. Mald wanted the toy so he must have a way to obtain the data without knowing the security code.
‘Of course he won’t kindly tell me.’
He had no choice but to find the method himself. Ark didn’t think about it for long. He would be able to find something eventually. This was Galaxian, a world created for users.
“I will learn it eventually.”
Ark stretched and stood up. He purse became thick thanks to the weapons collected from R-14 and he also got some data. He felt bad about entangling with Mald’s gang but it still learnt something important. He was interested but he wouldn’t worry about it too much. Ark still had a lot of work to do.
“The first place I will stop by is……”
Space 7
Welcome to Nephalim (Part: 2)
“Hoh, Bhurad?”
Ponen looked at him with an interested expression. Ark was in a high rise building that was the galactic federation’s branch in Nephalim. Ark had visited this place to hand in the recommendation letter received from Bhurad, the manager of R-14’s training centre. The branch of the galactic federation wasn’t a place that general users could enter. But Ark received permission after showing the recommendation letter. He went through various processes and was able to meet the NPC Ponen who was in charge of supporting the pioneers.
“Bhurad isn’t easily please so it is rare for a friend like that to write a recommendation letter for a pioneer. Yes, I think I’ve heard about you. There was a pioneer who passed R-14’s training process with a fairly high score. So the other pioneers also became quite lively.”
Ark was unware of the commotion on R-14. Once he finished the training in R-14, it was impossible to return to the starting area. So Ark hadn’t bothered looking up information about it. Ark just thought that Ponen’s words were just flattery.
“I just tried my best.”
“Your attitude is very good.”
Ponen nodded with a satisfied expression and continued to the main point.
“Like I said, there are a lot of pioneers entering the universe. But I haven’t found many pioneers worth writing about. Most of them seem quite weak. However, you’ve received Bhurad’s recognition so you must be different. You are qualified to receive sponsorship from the galactic federation. Of course, you still need to pass a review process even if you have Bhurad’s recommendation letter.”
An information window appeared from the Nymphe as soon as Ponen finished talking.
-You have completed <R-14’s Training Centre Manager Bhurad’s Recommendation Letter> quest.
-It is possible to be sponsored by the galactic federation’s branch in Nephalim.
You need to go through an examination process to qualify. If you pass the examination process then it is possible to be sponsored by the galactic federation.
‘It is a sponsor related quest like I expected.’
He had guessed it after receiving the recommendation letter. All users in Galaxian needed a sponsor
Galaxian was a game where humans couldn’t move around in space, which was the game’s environment. While the centre of Istana had been terraformed (transforming the planet’s environment to be suitable for humans), only 10% of Istana had been completed. The other 90% were environments where humans couldn’t live. In order to explore the other areas and space, the human’s DNA needed to be able to adapt to the most extreme environments through body coating. That’s why there was no system to pick a basic aptitude like warrior when Galaxian was first started. Galaxian was unlike other games and the basic aptitudes could only be chosen once the body coating was received. That was followed by a secondary career choice. So the game couldn’t really start until the body coating was received. It was also difficult to receive quests without the coating. That’s why R-14 only had repeatable quests. So the pioneers’ top priority was to receive the body coating. The conditions to receive the body coating was to be level 30 and to have a sponsor.
+Sponsor+
Users in Galaxian can ask various organizations to be a sponsor. A user with a sponsor can live a life on the frontiers. A sponsor and user have a mutual collaborative relationship. The user will gather a lot of information and ingredients for the sponsor and the sponsor will give various products that they developed at a discount. It is a system where the user returns the benefits to the sponsor.
Meanwhile, the goal of the sponsor’s organization might change depending on the objectives of the user. Therefore it is important for the contract to benefit both the user and sponsor. Users will have a chance to buy products from the sponsor before it goes on sale and test it out for the sponsor.
A sponsor can be divided into 3 different groups. The first is the galactic federation. The second is the 4 big companies and the last group are the small and medium sized companies. Each place has different desires for the user they want to sponsor so the screening process is different. The game progress depends on the sponsor so please choose carefully so that you will have no regrets.
This was the information that Ark knew about the sponsors.
“You might not know it yet but having the galactic federation as a sponsor is a big deal. The basic policy of the federation is to encourage space pioneering so the support given to pioneers is incomparable to everywhere else.”
Ark also knew this as well. The galactic federation was literally the centre of power. If the federation was his sponsor then it was possible to enjoy special privileges and he could grow quickly. That’s why most users were eager to contract the galactic federation as a sponsor! That was why the area around the federal building was infested with users. But the competitive rate also increased so it was difficult to meet the screening criteria. Even being qualified to receive the formal test for sponsorship wasn’t an easy task. Ponen reiterated that point once again.
“This opportunity isn’t given to everyone. I can’t even count the amount of pioneers that gather to get the support of the federation. But only some of them get to go through the screening process. They are the top 1% elite. Among those, you are special. You’ve received the privilege of receiving the examination without going through a qualification procedure first.”
Privilege…..it was a superficial word. The federation certainly wouldn’t sponsor a simple thug like Mald. However, the reason Ark visited the galactic federation wasn’t to form a sponsor contract. The sponsorship program of Galaxian had a great influence on the user’s game progress. Of course he needed to pick the best place but he wouldn’t chose based on the standards of other users. He would meticulously question the sponsors and select the best one for him. Good clothes was no use if they didn’t fit properly. This was the difference between Ark and the other users! Of course he couldn’t say that he would ‘compare the quality and come back again.’
“I’m just a novice who only arrived in Nephalim from R-14 for a few hours. I am thankful for your words and the opportunity but I need some time to think. I’m still not convinced that I am eligible for such preferential treatment. Despite the recommendation from Bhurad-nim, I would like a bit more experience before participating in the examination process.”
“I can understand why Bhurad likes you.”
Ponen smiled and nodded.
“There are a lot of brave pioneers but a careful pioneer is unusual. Yes, you can come back after thinking about it. If it is you then you can walk through the door at any time.”
Ddiring, ddiring!
It was the sound of his favourable impression increasing. His specialty was raising his intimacy with the NPC despite rejecting their offer! If he used his silver tongue then the NPC’s reaction would change. Ark gained confidence and cut to the main subject.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Ask anything you want.”
“Do you know how to release data locked with a security code?”
“How to unlock data…..are you talking about hacking?”
‘Hacking? Ah, I see. Unlocking data would definitely be hacking.
“Yes. That’s right. Can such techniques be learnt?”
This was the reason why Ark came here. He had found the memory chip in the toy but it was locked with a security code. This meant a technology existed to unlock it. But he wouldn’t be able to discover such information just wandering through the city.
‘Asking someone will be the quickest way to find the information.’
The galactic federation situation in the centre of the city would definitely know such information
Of course, it was impossible to just walk in and ask the NPC. But Ark possessed Bhurad’s recommendation letter. Furthermore, it was possible to raise his public image thanks to his silver tongue. He thought it would be easy to elicit technical information but…..
Ponen’s expression suddenly became chilly.
“Who do you think I am?”
“Huh? Who? That…..”
“I am a government official. Yet you’re asking me about illegal technology?”
“I-Illegal?”
“Of course! Hacking is basically looking at someone else’s information without permission. It is a crime. Asking a government official like me about a criminal technique is outrageous. You just arrived at Nephalim so I’ll let it go once. But if you talk about a criminal technique like that again then the recommendation letter won’t matter. This conversation is over.”
Ark felt like he had been struck in the cheek. That feeling continued after he parted from Ponen and left the building. Ponen’s attitude had changed 180 degrees thanks to the mention of the illegal technique ‘hacking.’
‘Well, it is understandable when hearing his words……’
Hacking was an unauthorized intrusion into other people’s computers. ‘Unauthorized’ technology was classified as illegal by default.
‘Based on Ponen’s reaction, it is clear that hacking exists in Galaxian. I wasn’t sure there were such techniques until I saw that reaction. It might be illegal but the technique still exists. However, it is illegal so it will be difficult for to find a NPC to teach it.’
Most users would probably give up by this point. However, Ark wasn’t an ordinary user.
‘This is surprisingly useable information!’
Ark wasn’t the type to comply with rules. No, in a game he would rather do illegal things. The reason why? That was of course……
Money! It was a sad reality but illegal actions gave more money! Of course, illegal actions might be a blow to ethics conscious people but sometimes going against the law had more positive effects for people. Wasn’t it similar to Robin Hood fighting against injustice? Sometimes the hero had to do illegal things…..Ark mentally armed himself with that thought despite the reaction from the NPC.
‘That guy Mald gave up 10 gold for the memory chip. It is worth doing something illegal in order to get that data.’
He wasn’t distressed about learning hacking. The problem was finding an NPC to teach him the hacking skill. Ponen was sensitive to the illegal actions because he was a government official. General NPCs might have a different reaction. But common sense dictated that he couldn’t ask just anyone about an illegal technique.
‘If it is that location……’
Ark thought for a while before opening his map. He entered some instructions and a red dot was displayed on a corner of Nephalim. He navigated towards the area indicated on the map and the atmosphere instantly changed. The place where he emerged from the Nymphe was a plaza surrounded by tall buildings and the atmosphere felt like it was the centre of Seoul. Meanwhile, the area where the Nymphe directed him was the factory area. It was filled with small and large factories blowing smoke. Except for the large 4 companies and the galactic federation, this was the placed with will small companies. The major sponsors might have large buildings in the centre of the city but the small and medium sized companies couldn’t be ignored. The small companies didn’t give a stable economic base like the major sponsors. However, the small businesses often had entirely different and unique technology. Depending on the propensity of the user, the small companies could sometimes be more favourable than the large sponsors. They all had their own pros and cons. Although there were only approximately 100 small sponsors in the area, the overall atmosphere was bustling. If the major sponsors was a department store then this was like a traditional market?
-A new product has bene released!
-This gives special effects to various equipment. Take a look.
–Inviting pioneers. I’m registered to support pioneers and am looking to recruit new pioneers.
Various monitors displayed different advertisements.
“Have you seen those items?”
“It was so frightening it made me laugh. Glasses that make your eyes pop out!”
“This increases attack power. It will be a jackpot if used when hunting in a party.”
“Are there any stores that sell cheap armour?”
“Damn, the federation and the 4 big businesses refused me so I have to look for a sponsor here?”
The users were looking at products or checking sponsor information. It also wasn’t strange to see androids and aliens walking around town. It was hard to see everything. Ark wanted to snoop everywhere but he had to postpone that pleasure for the moment. He had come to the business district for a reason.
‘Well, there is plenty of time to visit.’
Ark made his way through the thick crowds. He rounded several corners and the streets became quieter.
“The map says it should be somewhere around here……”
Ark checked the map and looked around until he saw the sign he desired.
<Gear> Tori’s Ironworks.From ships to small screws! All orders custom made!
“Here! This is the company that Cheksun introduced me to!”
This was why Ark had visited the commercial district. Ark hadn’t just received a recommendation letter from Bhurad. He had completed the pipe cleaning quest 300 times. That was 60 kilometres so he received a recommendation letter from Cheksun.
‘This letter of recommendation will also be related to a sponsor like the one received from Bhurad.’
It was the reason he didn’t have to go through the qualification process with the galactic federation
Aside from the federation and 4 big companies, there were countless numbers of small and medium sized businesses. Of course, it was impossible to examine all the companies. But shouldn’t he find out about a place that he received a recommendation for?
“This is the ironworks company called Gear?”
Ark’s face distorted strangely as he read the sign. Ark only knew that Cheksun’s friend Tori owned an ironworks company called ‘Gear’ when he came here. Apart from the friend’s name, the company was called Gear! Furthermore, he had entered the federal building based on Bhurad’s recommendation so he had expected something from Cheksun’s recommendation. However, a simple ironworks building was in front of Ark. It was a small, shabby factory far away from the main commercial district. Well, Bhurad was the manager of the training district while Cheksun was in charge of cleaning the pipes. It was why Ark had visited the federal branch first but…..
“Even so, this is too terrible.”
The shocking visuals of Gear made him extremely disappointed.
‘That Cheksun bastard, he seemed to have misunderstood.’
Most users couldn’t even last 1~2 hours cleaning the pipes while he lasted a week. Of course, Ark had his own circumstances. However, Cheksun didn’t understand his inner circumstances and seemed to have misunderstood Ark. He thought it was Ark’s calling instead of a chore. Therefore he had introduced Ark to an ironworks company.
‘Well, this is a recommendation I received from cleaning.’
He almost didn’t want to hand over the letter of recommendation after seeing the ironworks. However, Ark’s purpose in coming to the commercial district wasn’t just Cheksun’s recommendation letter. It was in order to learn information about the hacking skill. If he considered that hacking was illegal then it would be difficult to find information from the city centre where the big businesses were. It was impossible to find an illegal Samsung dealer in a department store. But the commercial district contained small businesses.
‘Nephalim’s commercial district is like an online shopping mall……’
The answer would appear! Ark believed that he could somehow learn the hacking technique. They wouldn’t outright advertise an illegal technique but Ark would somehow be able to find it. And he was more likely to find illegal things in gloomier places.
‘I might be able to find it surprisingly quickly.’
Ark thought as he entered the ironworks. He had just about to enter when he bumped into someone at the entrance
“Hihihihi! Welcome!”
‘Eh? What, what the? This?’
Ark reflexively looked around. A voice came out so he naturally though it was a person. However, it was an animal around 1 metre in size. It was a beast covered in black fur. At first Ark thought it was a guard dog protecting the store. The beast moved its hand and clamoured away.
“What are you looking for Customer-nim? Just say the word. As stated on the sign, our ironworks company does anything from ships to screws. Customer-nim can order whatever you like. Ah, of course Customer-nim will have to pay for it. Hihihihi!”
‘Hamster? It is a hamster?’
The beast sporting a beard laughed and rocked back and forth. At first it looked like a dog but now he could see it was actually a hamster. A talking hamster was a little shocking but Ark had done business with octopuses. Furthermore, he had seen aliens as he was crossing the commercial district so there was no reason for surprise.
‘This alien…..’
“Are you Tori?”
“Yes, I am Tori the owner of Gear.”
The hamster stuck out his belly with a proud look. No way……hamster Tori…..the ironworks company….it really was him? Ark looked at Tori with a dumbfounded expression. Tori then proudly pointed towards the front of the building where they were several machinery were busily working.
“Now, now, please go around and look. You can see everything. There are a lot of goods you might need so just say the word.”
“I didn’t come here to buy something.”
“Eh? You didn’t come to buy something?”
Tori pulled his beard and clamoured.
“What? You’re just a spectator? Dammit, why are you peeking into someone’s factory if you don’t want to buy anything? Do you think this is a zoo? Don’t just assume that I’m a hamster! If you want to peek without buying anything then just go away. How annoying.”
“No, that’s not…..”
“What? I said that you’re annoying. Buy something or go away.”
The hamster’s attitude completely changed after discovering that Ark wasn’t a customer. Anyway, he had no intention of giving the recommendation letter to the hamster. However, he might be able to learn to hack from this guy. Ark moved closer and spoke in a low voice.
“I came here to obtain something.”
“Obtain something? Is that a joke? Didn’t you just say that you didn’t want to buy anything?”
“No, not an item but a technology.”
“Eh? Technology?”
“Yes, hacking techniques. Do you know someone who can teach a skill like that?”
“What, what the? Hacking?”
Tori looked at Ark with surprised eyes. His eyes became the size of baseballs before he suddenly grabbed Ark’s collar.
“How dare you ask me something like that? Don’t you know it is an illegal technology? Huh? What are you trying to do? Do you intend to close other people’s businesses? No, maybe that is your purpose? Where? What bastard sent you? No, it doesn’t matter if someone sent you. You stay here. I’m going to arrest you for interfering with my business!”
Tori started frantically manipulating his Nymphe. Ark was at a total loss as he starting calling the guards. He had been blinded by the fact that Tori was a hamster and never imagined he would cause an uproar like this.
‘Is hacking more of a crime then I thought?’
The situation was really difficult.
“P-please wait a minute!”
“Why should I wait? You’re screwed now!”
“No, that…..do you know someone called Cheksun?”
“Cheksun?”
Tori flinched and turned his head.
“Cheksun? Cheksun who works at R-14?”
“Yes, I came with an introduction from Cheksun-nim.”
“Really? You’re not lying? I’m not a naive hamster.”
Ah, he said he was a hamster with his own mouth. Didn’t he say not to assume that just now? No, now wasn’t the time to think about something like that. Ark took out Cheksun’s recommendation letter and handed it to the suspicious Tori. Tori blinked while reading the recommendation letter and hit Ark’s chest.
“Hey, young friend. If you had this then you should’ve shown it. I wouldn’t have doubted you.”
“Doubt?”
“I mean….just come in for the time being.”
Tori looked around and entered the ironworks. The interior was even more hopeless than the outside. Trash and old tools were scattered around and it honestly looked more like a junkyard than an ironworks.
‘Anyway, that has nothing to do with me. I have no intention of getting a job in a place like this.’
Tori sat down on a dusty chair and began to talk.
“I thought you belonged to the government.”
“Huh? Belong to the government?”
“Hihihihi, it makes sense. I make illegal equipment that the government forbids from being sold so sometimes they try to entrap me. White rice might be delicious but I don’t want to be locked behind bars for the rest of my life. I became upset because I thought your question about hacking was an entrapment.
“No, I……”
“That’s okay. I can trust you if Cheksun sent you.”
Tori stroked his beard and muttered.
“Hihihihi, it’s been a while since I heard the name Cheksun. I’ve been living buried in oil and iron but Cheksun won’t sent just anyone to me.”
Tori suddenly became lost in his memories. Tori then smiled and looked at Ark.
“Yes, did you ask Cheksun?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“What? Aren’t you looking for a hacking technician?”
“Yes, that’s right…..”
“What? Then you didn’t ask Cheksun about hacking?”
“No, I only found hacking necessary after I entered Nephalim and I had Cheksun’s recommendation so I decided to ask Tori-nim about it. But how is hacking related to Cheksun? Is Cheksun a hacking technician?”
“Cheksun? No. Me!”
Tori hit his chest and laughed.
“Hihihihi, I’m now the owner of the ironworks but I was once an excellent hacker.”
It was like an elite sounding voice. But that wasn’t important to Ark. The important thing was that the hamster was a hacker! Ark looked at him with an expectant look and asked.
“Can you teach me?”
“Of course.”
Tori nodded. He thought for a moment and made a big decision.
“Since you came with Cheksun’s recommendation, it will be 200 gold! Give me 200 gold! And I will thoroughly teach you the basics.”
“Huh? 200 gold?”
Of course Ark knew that he couldn’t learn the hacking technique for free. It was common sense that NPCs would require money to teach skills. Hacking was illegal so it was natural for it to be more expensive. However, he never imagined that it would need 200 gold. Of course, he knew that learning the skill would add tremendous value later on. A technique that cost 200 gold might give him 1,000 gold later on. But the problem was Ark’s wallet. He had 80 gold from selling the weapons from R-14. Mald stopped him from selling the remaining items but it would only add up to 100 gold. He was lacking 100 gold.
‘Damn, does that mean I can’t confirm the data on the memory chip until I collect another 100 gold?’
The thought of not being able to check the data made him more anxious. Now he didn’t even have the money to learn the hacking technique? Ark sighed at the thought.
“Hihihi, you seem panicked. You panicked. I guess so. Yes, didn’t you come from R-14? It is impossible for you to have 200 gold.”
‘What? That bastard, he said this knowing that I have no money?’
Ark angrily stared at Tori. But Tori just said with a smile.
“That was a joke just now. Normally it would be 200 gold but I can’t do that to someone who came with Cheksun’s recommendation letter. I’ll teach you the hacking technique for the moment.”
“R-really?”
“Of course it’s not for free.”
“Huh? But I don’t have 200 gold.”
“I know. So I’ll make you an offer.”
“An offer?”
“Clean-up. You need the hacking technology and I need resources to operate the ironworks. So I’ll teach you hacking if you gather resources for me. It was take around 20 attempts to successfully learn hacking so I’ll teach you every time you gather resources worth 10 gold. I don’t make this offer very often. I’m only offering you this support because you came with Cheksun’s recommendation letter. You can learn hacking and I can gather resources so isn’t it a good thing?”
‘Certainly…..’
Ark understood after hearing Tori’s explanation that hacking wasn’t an easy skill to successfully learn. It took a couple of attempts to master. Even if 200 gold was collected later, he needed to invest time in learning the skill. However, Tori’s system meant it was possible to save time. It also didn’t require money to leave his pocket. The proposition wasn’t bad from Ark’s viewpoint. No, it was a very good suggestion.
‘When thinking about it, I was able to get a lot of money from the paid hunting ground and the compensation for the repeatable quest led to Tori. So doesn’t the early mistake of breaking the dagger seem like a good thing now?’
The encounter with Mald had already been completely deleted from Ark’s head. Ark quickly nodded.
“Yes, I will accept.”
“I’ve been feeling lonely so having a pupil doesn’t feel bad. But learning hacking isn’t easy. I’ll give you the basic hacking tools now but not everyone can become a hacker. The hacking tools is just a tool. There will be no effect if the person doesn’t know how to use it properly. So you will need to write your own hacking tools directly. Doing this is hard work and will require a lot of time so are you prepared for it?”
“Yes!”
“Okay. Then let’s begin.”
Tori stood up and lifted his Nymphe.
“Bring me your Nymphe. I will immediately transfer you the hacking tools.”
Tori touched his Nymphe to Ark’s and manipulated something.
-Tori has wirelessly connected to your Nymphe.
Are you sure you want to allow the wireless connection? Y/N
“Yes! Yes! Yes!”
The data was uploaded onto his Nymphe and the information window appeared.
-The hacking tools have been downloaded onto your Nymphe.
-All data has been initialized by the hacking tools. If order to properly use the tools, you need to manually upgrade the user settings.
‘That’s it! I got the hacking tools!’
Hacking was a technique that was even hard to find information on. The hacking tool was the foundation of the techniques. It really was a scary feeling seeing everything work out. That was the problem. Things had worked out so well it was almost scary…..
Because Ark had forgotten an important fact. Ark realized it when he examined the information window that next appeared.
-You have completed the <Manager of Sector 7 Cheksun’s Recommendation Letter> quest.
-Congratulations!
Cheksun who is the manager of R-14’s facilities has sent a recommendation letter to Tori in Nephalim for a sponsorship offer. You have accepted Tori as a sponsor and entered into a contract with a small company.
This contract is a binding…..
Ark had received the <Manager of Sector 7 Cheksun’s Recommendation Letter> quest. And the recommendation quest was associated with a sponsor quest. After receiving Cheksun’s recommendation, Tori suddenly became friendly and offered to teach him hacking techniques
Ark was so caught up in learning the hacking skill that he forgot it was a quest. Tori talked about ‘support’ when making the proposition to Ark. This meant he had accepted a sponsor contract! The contract was concluded when the hacking tools were downloaded.
‘Oh my god! This is……’
Ark was discouraged by the shocking development.
“Then let’s start work.”
Tori laughed and continued.
“Ah, what good timing. In fact, I had needed someone to collect the metal parts. These days there are many pioneers but not a lot of them would want to make a contract like this. I’ve been worrying about the penalty if I don’t meet the due date but fortunately you’ve arrived. Thank you, thank you. Hihihihi!”
“Huh? Contract? Penalty? What……”
“Hey! Tori!”
Then he heard a voice from behind him. Ark felt breathless as his jaw dropped. A group of 10 people wearing primitive armour and holding strange looking rifles were heading towards them. The person who attracted Ark’s attention was the huge figure at the front of the group. His whole face was covered in hair so only the eyes and mouth was visible but he had a huge figure filled with muscles
The human-alien woolly person approached Tori with great joy.
“Oh! Clem, you came!”
“Hah, I don’t enjoy seeing a hamster greet me.”
“Hey, hey, don’t be like that. We’re in the same line of business after all.”
“A business partner…..but why did you call?”
“I told you the other day that I wanted to find a worker to help me. I’ve found him. Here!”
Tori laughed as he indicated towards Ark. The alien called Clem looked at Ark and said.
“Sheesh, what the? You want us to bring along a human who can’t even properly carry baggage?”
“You were the one who said humans weren’t that bad.”
“Well, I guess so. But did you make the contract properly? It would be troublesome if issues occur later.”
“Of course. He agreed to work hard until he collects metal parts worth 200 gold.”
“200 gold…..that condition will take quite a while so it is fine.”
Clem nodded and said towards one of his men.
“Hey, take this guy.”
And heavily armed warriors grabbed Ark’s left and right arms. Ark stared at Tori and Clem with a stunned expression and stuttered.
“Eh? Eh? W-wait a minute! What on earth is this? Where are you taking me?”
“Hey, Tori?”
When Clem frowned, Tori quickly approached Ark and said.
“What? What nonsense are you saying? Didn’t you make a contract to gather metal worth 200 gold in exchange for learning the skill? Why are you acting like this now?”
“No, I understand but these people……”
Ark stuttered with confusion before closing his mouth. An information window had floated from Tori’s Nymphe.
-Sponsor’s Technology Transfer Contract (Tori-Ark)
The sponsor Tori will teach Ark a technique if he gathers metal parts worth 200 gold. Tori will only pay for the metal parts and Ark will work with a contractor to gather the parts. If the contract is violated then the sponsorship between Ark and Tori will be destroyed and Ark will pay a penalty.
“This is the agreement.”
Tori said with a smile.
“Eh? But I’m gathering metal parts……”
“It is difficult for one person to gather metal parts. I even gave you a job with the suppliers who collect metal parts so why are you complaining?”
“Eh? Eh? Eh? W-wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
Ark screamed but the heavily armed warriors just dragged Ark away. Then Ark saw a shocking scene.
“Now I’ve given you a cheap worker like promised……”
“Okay. We will buy all the necessary supplies here while we’re in Nephalim. This time it should take 3 days so give me 10 repair tools and ammo.”
“Hihihihi, thank you! Thank you! I’ll load it up!”
Tori happily twisted his hands and jumped around. Ark realized it at that moment. There was a contract between Tori and Clem. Tori would introduce Clem to a worker in order to gain an exclusive supplies contract. That was why Tori accepted metal parts in exchange for the hacking skill! Now Ark…..
‘I……was sold?’
Nephalim was a minor city on Istana! There were thugs who monopolized trading spots and a hamster who scammed him.
“T-this is a scam! This contract is invalid!”
Ark cried out futilely.
Space 8
Scavenger
“Heh, something like that.”
Ark laughed and muttered. He felt like his brain was exploding when he first saw the sponsor agreement with Tori. What user would turn down the proposal of the galactic federation in order to make a contract with a junkyard? And his contractor was a wicked hamster who sold off his employees to other companies. It was outrageous. So he had yanked his hair and tried to get out of it. Ark had already put everything down. Anyway, there was no point regretting it since it had already happened. And Ark wasn’t the type to get lost in frustration or despair. When he looked at the past, he had countless numbers of hopeless situations. People who watched Ark called it luck but that was funny. Ark didn’t stand on a place higher than others because of luck. No, Ark was fortunate because of his hardships. Those tribulations were the driving force in making Ark strong.
‘It is the same this time.’
He had suffered when he was young. The game was the same. He had trouble in his early days as well.
‘Yes, I’ve made a mistake but this is still the beginning. Any mistakes would just be rudimentary mistakes. It was only novice level damage. The damage isn’t worry really worrying about. I didn’t meticulously check the contract so I ended up bleeding.’
Of course, this mistake wasn’t that small. Sponsors had a great influence over the user’s game progress in Galaxian. Each sponsor had their own pros and cons but……
‘This is a junkyard! A junkyard!’
He had never intended to form a contract with a hamster operating a junkyard. Forming a sudden contract with the junkyard was enough for him to roll around the ground pulling his hair. Thus he had searched for ways out of the contract.
-Currently Ark-nim’s has signed a ‘provisional contract’ with Gear.
A user’s first formal agreement with a sponsor will be a ‘provisional contract.’ There is a probationary period and the amount of support received in the period is fairly restrictive. The user can terminate the contract during this period if the sponsor doesn’t agree with them.
In that case, the user has to return the 200 gold support they received to the sponsor.
A ‘provisional contract’ system! Ark was comfortable due to that. The publishers had placed that consideration for users like Ark who made a contract by mistake……he thought that but he was stuck because of the penalty. He had to return the sponsor’s support but that was 200 gold! Ark was level 15 so there was no way he had that amount of money. However, it was important that he still had room for choice. He could still look for other sponsors. Having information was the best way to play the game.
‘I can’t waste 200 gold when I can learn a necessary skill and will gain experience.’
The experience was useful.
‘Fortunately, I’ve already gained close to 100 gold. If I prepare another 100 gold then I can escape from the junkyard. Well, 100 gold seems like a lot but didn’t I gain 100 gold just from cleaning and killing space bugs at R-14? Yes, there is no point in paying the penalty.’
And he could even make money. If he thought about it, there wasn’t a big problem.
‘I’m doing this to learn the hacking skill. If I look at the situation then I was abandoned and sold. No, not sold. I’m able to gain the metal parts thanks to the separate contract between Tori and Clem. I just have to work hard and collect 200 gold worth of metal parts.’
Ark decided after organizing everything. And he surprisingly had a lot of interest in this job.
‘The Silver Hand……’
It was the official name of the service provider that Ark was assigned to.
“There seems to be a strange atmosphere around the contract but don’t worry because we aren’t bad people. We have to spend a lot of time together until you gather metal parts worth 200 gold for Tori so we should get along. A workplace with a family like atmosphere. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
Clem showed his fangs as he laughed. A huge beast like alien with sharp fangs was talking. Normal people would tremble with fear from the atmosphere but……
Ark bravely gathered his courage and asked.
“What do I have to do?”
“What? That hamster, didn’t he tell you?”
Clem scratched his head with an irritated expression.
“Then do you know Nakuma?”
“Nakuma?”
“You also don’t know about Nakuma. So that hamster tricked you. Anyway, it isn’t bad even if you have no experience with fighting on the frontier.”
Clem said and explained.
“It is good that you met us before roaming the frontier. The Nakuma are unclear space creatures. No, they aren’t life forms…..anyway, they don’t have an original shape. But these guys like metal above anything else. They will instinctively look for metal and form their bodies around it. So they are almost like living androids. Anyway, Istana is full of Nakuma.”
A space life form that moved around and collected metal debris! If this was a fantasy setting then it would be similar to a type of zombie.
“Most of the Nakuma are handled by pioneers and the federation army. But there is an area they always avoid. Thus the Nakuma would multiply and in some cases they will threaten the safety of the city. We are a mercenary unit specialized in hunting Nakuma in those types of areas. The federation gives us a fee for handling the Kuma and we can also get income from the metal parts dropped by the Nakuma. We arrived in Nephalim a few days ago. I knew Tori from before so I asked him to recruit new workers in the city. Then Tori told me to buy supplies from him in exchange for introducing me to a worker.”
That was the reason Tori sold Ark.
“But you don’t have to worry about maintenance.”
Fortunately he was going to be paid.
‘Moreover, it is better to hunt with the Silver Hand since I don’t know anything about the Nakuma.’ If he hunted then he could organize all his work in Nephalim. This was the first time he was actually hunting in Galaxian after arriving at the frontier. If he was with experienced NPC’s then he didn’t have to worry about dying. It was also possible to receive metal parts to learn hacking. ‘Raising my level and collecting metal parts, isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?’
This was why Ark accepted it obediently. While Ark was lost in thought, Clem laughed and hit his back with a huge palm.
“Kuahahaha. What? Are you scared? A newborn chick has just arrived at the frontier. But for now you don’t have to worry. The Nakuma are easily taken care of with large weapons. And…..”
Ku ku ku ku, kong!
The bumpy truck stopped with a rattling noise and the door to the container opened. Clem snorted and raised his body.
“We’ve arrived. Everybody get down! Ready the supplies to start hunting immediately!”
“Hey, why are you just sitting there? Quickly help me carry the baggage!”
Ark exited the truck and helped the other soldiers carry the baggage. Supplies and large tents were built outside the truck. This was the outpost of the Silver Hand mercenary troops. But that wasn’t what caught Ark’s eye.
‘Swamp! This is the southern region of Nephalim!’
Ark had arrived at the swamp located to the south of Nephalim! Now Ark could understand Clem’s words. There was an area where pioneers and the federal army didn’t want to hunt the Nakuma. That was the swamp area where various penalties to agility were applied. A novice user would want to avoid hunting on terrain like that as much as possible. That’s why there were too many users in the northern hunting grounds! The users wanted to avoid the southern swamp area where a penalty to agility was applied.
‘This is another reason why I chose Nephalim!’
Ark had chosen Nephalim among the many cities. It was mainly for the swamp area located south of Nephalim. Most users wanted to avoid this area but Ark was different. Ark had just…..
Ark was thinking that when something interrupted him.
“Hey! The combatants are about to leave so clean and examine their equipment! We’ll be hunting the Nakuma immediately afterwards. Heksu, take the new worker and teach him. What do you say Ark? You will learn from Heksu from now on. All Attackers assemble!”
Ark stared at Clem with a bewildered expression after hearing his cry.
“W-wait a minute. I’m staying here?”
“Huh? So?”
“I’m not participating in the hunt against the Nakuma?”
“Nakuma hunting?”
Clem looked doubtful at Ark’s question. Then all of this body hair quivered as he cracked up laughing.
“Kuahahaha. That’s why you were so nervous in the truck. Didn’t I tell you not to worry? I told you. We aren’t bad guys. We’re mercenaries specializing in hunting Nakuma so we wouldn’t bring a newborn chick to the hunting ground. I don’t need Attackers but a Scavenger.
“Attacker? Scavenger?”
“Yes, the Silver Had is divided into Attacker and Scavenger. Attackers fight. We hunt Nakuma. And the Scavengers will clean everything up. Didn’t I tell you? Our main source of revenue is the metal parts dropped by the Nakuma. However, it is difficult to reclaim the metal parts dropped in the swamp. Therefore we need to increase the number of Scavengers. So you just need to collect the loot. There are a lot of chores at the base but at least you don’t have to worry about dying.”
“T-that is a problem!”
Ark shouted angrily. Once again, the reason Ark thought he was fortunate was because the Silver Hand was a mercenary troop. He thought he could gain experience and metal parts. But now all he had to do was collect the loot? In the end he had to obtain metal worth 200 gold without eating any experience? Furthermore, the attackers in the Silver Hand could also collect loot while battling. He was wasting a lot of time to gain experience while learning the hacking skill.
“I am a warrior!”
“Warrior?”
Clem continued watching Ark. And he burst out laughing.
“This child didn’t even know what the Nakuma was and now you want to hunt them?”
“T-that…..I might not know about the Nakuma but I’m still a warrior. I know that I’m lacking. However, I’m still a warrior. This is a warrior’s pride. I can’t just search through the muddy ground. I won’t blame Captain-nim even if I die so make me an Attacker!”
Ark stared into his eyes and strongly insisted. Clem’s face also became quite serious.
“You won’t bear a grudge even if you die…..that’s not the problem…..”
Clem scratched his beard with a perplexed expression. He nodded after a moment.
“I am also a warrior. I can’t ignore your pleading as that would kill your warrior’s pride. Okay, if you have this much confidence then I’ll test you. Hey, didn’t we catch some Nakuma as research material for the federation? Bring me a small one.”
“Huh? Why would you…..”
“It’s entertainment, entertainment. Don’t you want to see what a newborn chick does against a Nakuma for the first time?”
“Yes, I understand.”
An Attacker laughed and walked towards a container in the base camp. He manipulated the door lock and it slid to one side.
“This is a Nakuma. This one is the weakest in the vicinity.”
Clem introduced as a metal object in the form of a spider walked out. The metal was the Nakuma, a type of robot zombie. It really suited the mechanical zombie label as it waddled awkwardly.
“If you can handle it alone then I will allow you to be an Attacker. How about it? Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
Ark attached a machine to his left eye and smiled. At the same time, his view turned green and blurry and he could clearly see the Nakuma.
-Infrared Scope
Item Type: Vision support equipment
The infrared scope allows you to distinguish between things clearly even at night. In addition, life detection capabilities have been loaded so you can recognize the combat capabilities of the enemy. This is an essential equipment for pioneers on the frontier.
+ Night vision
+ Enemy level confirmation
It was an equipment he purchased in the commercial area of Nephalim. The price was 5 gold. It was a taxing price but the infrared scope was the only way for users who hadn’t received body coating to use ‘night vision.’ It also allowed him to confirm the enemy level and health. As stated in the information window, it was a necessity for beginner pioneers. He identified with the scope that the Nakuma was level 13. He wasn’t an opponent for Ark who reached level 15 on R-14.
‘The muddy ground? Ha! This might be my first time on the frontier but I’ll show them that they can’t ignore me. What is this? I am Ark. I’ll show them what kind of user I am!’
Ark grasped his dagger with a confident look. Then the red ray of the Nakuma that was sweeping the area touched Ark.
-Life detected! It is an enemy! Remove it!
There was a beeping sound and the upper part of the Nakuma rotated. But Ark wasn’t stressed. There was no need to be tense.
“Enemy? Heh, didn’t your robot sensors identify that I’m stronger than you?”
Ark suddenly rushed towards the Nakuma and swung his dagger. Ark’s body glided across the swamp. It was the Swamp Walking he learnt from the Charenjok! This was the reason he chose Nephalim. The swamp south of Nephalim seemed like the best hunting ground for Ark.
“Huh! That guy, such movements on a swamp……”
“He wasn’t just talking nonsense when he mentioned the warrior’s pride?”
Clem and the Attackers whistled with a surprised expression and started murmuring.
‘The surprising thing will be from now on. This is my first battle on the frontier! I’ll show a hot performance!’
Lightning fast! It was his first battle since leaving R-14 so he charged in quickly. Then both arms of the Nakuma broke off and a bunch of pipe like objects popped out.
“Eh? W-wait! W-what is that? Guns?”
Ark burst out with confusion. The pipe like object was a Gatling gun that was commonly seen in war movies. Ark alternated between looking at his 20 cm dagger and the Nakuma’s gun.
“H-hey, is this a joke? It must be a decoration……”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Gatling gun started revolving and fiercely firing bullets.
“…..This isn’t a joke!”
Ark hurriedly threw his body towards the ground and rolled. A bullet hit his thigh and he felt a sharp pain as well as losing 3% health.
“Ugh! Dammit, that gun! This is a trick!”
Ark stared at the Nakuma with an absurd expression. While selling items in Nephalim square, he had heard that fighting in Galaxian was trickier than other games. But who would’ve expected a level 13 monster shooting a machine gun? It would’ve been absurd in reality. However this was a game. One hit also reduced his health by 3%.
‘It is a machine gun. If I’m hit by a barrage of bullets then I will lost 20~30% health instantly.’
The opponent was 2 levels lower than him so he thought it would be easy. However……
“Phew, isn’t this exhilarating?”
A smile flashed on Ark’s face. He had been living in medieval times so he panicked after seeing a gun. But if he thought about, it was very different and exciting. Using a gun was different from bows and magic. He had only experience archery and magic so he felt refreshed seeing a gun. Of course, he was still confident that he could deal with it.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Then the Gatling gun revolved and the Nakuma started firing again. Ark lifted his left arm and shouted.
“Shield!”
A blue light appeared from his wrist. The identity of the blue light was a transparent, hexagonal shaped shield! It was the high density energy shield that he received from Bhurad on R-14. Unlike the medieval shield, this one could be worn as a bracelet and the glasslike surface even altered with the movement of the enemy.
Tting! Tting! Tting!
Once the shield expanded, sparks flew on the surface and the bullets bounced back. Of course, the energy of the shield was reduced but the value wasn’t that big. The energy was only decreased by 1% every time it was hit. The graphic effect of the shield was different when it blocked the bullets compared to the space bugs but it still blocked the damage Of course, it was a Gatling gun so he couldn’t just ignore it……
‘I’m not going to politely be hit by the bullets.’
Ark held up his shield and rushed towards the Nakuma. The Nakuma fired blindly but Ark moved in a zigzag pattern and it didn’t hit. Fortunately Ark could approach the Nakuma without receiving any damage. Ark appeared under the Nakuma’s nose and laughed.
“It’s my turn now. You machine zombie!”
Snap!
Blue sparks flew when he swung his dagger. It was the first time Ark saw it but he could understand the source of the blue sparks. When looking through the infrared scope, the Nakuma had two life force gauges. One red and one blue. The attack just then had decreased the blue gauge. He heard in Nephalim that this was the shield gauge that all androids had. He was surprised about the 2 gauges but the blue one quickly decreased by 15%. It was a surprisingly weak shield.
‘Well the opponent is a level 13 monster.’
Ark’s confidence rose as the shield gauge gradually reduced. Furthermore, the battle situation had instantly changed. The Gatling gun fired 10 bullets at once. However, there was a long gap between shots. So the Nakuma was almost defenseless after firing a round. Therefore Ark managed to start a close combat fight with his dagger that was disadvantageous to a gun battle. It became monotonous once he discovered the attack pattern of firing the Gatling gun.
“This is fighting with just a dagger and no skills?”
It had been a long time since Ark experienced a tedious fight like this.
Snap, snap, snap!
He thrust his dagger from side to side while dodging and the Nakuma’s shield was eventually crushed to pieces. Now the only thing left was the health!
“I’ll turn you into scrap iron and will sell you to the junkyard!”
Ark quickly moved from side to side and attacked. And…..confusion appeared on Ark’s face.
“W-what is this? It barely reduced any health?”
One attack had decrease 15% of the shield’s durability. Therefore Ark had expected to decrease the Nakuma’s health by a similar amount. However, those attacks had only reduced it by 10%. It meant each strike only did 3~4% damage.
‘Then the body has higher defense than the shield?’
Ark had learnt taekwondo for several years so close combat was his specialty. Ark had showed sufficient battle sense and used close combat fighting while avoiding the Nakuma’s attacks. Despite his evasion, he still received some damage. He didn’t have any skills yet so he had to expect a certain level of damage. He had lost 40% health. By the time he destroyed one of the gauges, his health was on 50%. He had calculated that he could defeat the Nakuma as the battle progressed. However, the defensive power of the main body was even higher than the shield. Then he received huge damage to his side. He was in a defenseless state and 10% health was cut!
‘I made a mistake. I have no chance in a frontal confrontation. I can’t win!’
The most basic ability for users was being able to determine victory or defeat in a user. If he only had 1 health left then it was likely the user would run away to increase changes of survival. However, this battle wasn’t simply a problem of whether he lived or died. This was to determine whether he could become an Attacker instead of a Scavenger so he could earn 200 gold and experience! It wasn’t a battle he could run away from.
‘I have to endure until the end even if I die!’
Bbok!
Ark attached an octopus to his head. It was the Charenjok’s Token that healed 1 health every 3 seconds for 10 minutes! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
-You have recovered 1 health
-You have recovered 1 health…..
His health was restored little by little.
‘That’s it. If this is attached then my odds will increase a little bit!’
Ark rotated his body and kicked the Nakuma’s back. He thought he could paralyze the Nakuma for a second but….it was a tremendous mistake.
-You have hit an android and injured your leg.
<Your leg is fractured and your movement speed will reduce by 30%>
Ark was the one damaged instead! The android was a machine so kicking metal would obviously injure the man. The collision ended up injuring his leg. Ark never thought the laws of physics would be applied and it ended up a disaster! Ark collapsed to the ground because of the shock from his injury and the Nakuma swung a blade towards Ark’s chest.
‘Dammit! I’m screwed!’
Ark looked at the Nakuma’s blade with hopeless eyes.
Tung-!
There was a roaring sound from behind him. The back of the Nakuma’s head exploded and it stumbled to one side. Ark reflexively turned his head and his mouth widened. Clem was kneeling approximately 10 metres behind Ark with a cigar in his mouth. The deafening sound came from the rifle he was holding and the rifle then fired again.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
Whenever the blast occurred, there was an explosion to the back of the Nakuma’s head. The Nakuma received several shots from the rifle and struggled weakly in the mud.
“Do you now grasp the situation, Scavenger?”
Clem put away his rifle and smiled at Ark.
“You seem to have some skill with sword fighting. But this isn’t the medieval age. Who would risk their lives with a dagger these days? Now, listen carefully. Direct strike weapons like swords are effective against shields. But you’re screwed if you attach the body of a mechanical creature like the Nakuma with a sword. Just like now.”
Cheolkong! Pushu!
Clem pulled out the bullet casing for his rifle and said.
“This is called resistance. The original shield is a form of energy so projectile weapons won’t deal damage to it. The trajectory of the projectile will just bounce off the shield. On the other hand, it is weak to melee weapons like swords or maces. On the opposite side, the metal body of an android is strong against projectiles and is weak to bullets. Therefore pioneers must carry two types of weapons by default. Do you understand why you are still too early to be a warrior?”
Ark now understood the situation. He thought the users carrying guns and swords in the city just wanted to look cool. Ark thought they were foolish at the time. In online games, weapon proficiency was just was important as levels. Therefore it was common to use on one weapon series. But users were already using two or three weapons from the beginning of the game so he though they didn’t know the basics of online gaming. However, Ark was the one who didn’t know the basics.
“Do you understand why you’re a Scavenger?”
Clem didn’t have anything more to say and turned his body.
“W-wait a minute!”
“What? You still have business left?”
“Rather than business…..yes, it was my fault for not knowing basic things like that. But if I know the problem then I can resolve it! One more! Give me one more chance! I also have a gun! I will use ammunition now…..”
Ark quickly took out a pistol from his bag. Ark had bought 17 weapons from R-14. He had sold 14 but of the 3 remaining, one of them was a gun. He held out a revolver!
-Revolver
Item Type: Gun Wearer Restriction: Level 10
Attack: 10~15 Durability: 30/30
Number of Ammunition: 6
A commonly used handgun in the universe. Firearms are more advanced than swords but shields can block the bullets so it isn’t universally used. However, it is possible to penetrate a shield with steady long distance attacks so guns have been used more often in recent years. The revolver is a pistol made for beginners so the performance isn’t that good but the bullets are readily available and it is reliable.
However, Clem still wasn’t impressed.
“Pistol……and a handgun that you’ve never used before……”
Clem scratched his head and sighed.
“Now, this is your last chance. If you hit 2 out of 3 shots then I will place you as an Attacker.”
It was an abrupt suggestion but Ark had already failed so he had no choice.
‘Well, I’ve seen a lot of shooting in movies and dramas.’
He held a pose like the character of a movie and pulled the trigger. However……
Tang-!
-Your attack has failed!
Tang-!
-Your attack has failed!
“Eh? Huh? What is this?
Ark asked with a befuddled look. The distance was a mere 10 metres. Ark had clearly made sure the aim was correct before pulling the trigger. Yet the bullet flew to the wrong spot and hit the dirt. Then the watching Attackers giggled.
“He is a Scavenger.”
“Ah, no this isn’t…..”
“Hey, squirt.”
Clem blew out smoke from his cigarette and frowned at Ark.
“Do you think a gun is so easily to handle that a child can use it? In fact, most people only have a 40% hit rate the first time they use a rifle. You are 10 years too early to use a pistol. And a guy who can’t even handle a gun can’t be an Attacker in Silver Hand. Do you understand? I already gave you two chances and you failed. Stop being a troublemaker, Scavenger.”
Clem said bluntly before turning around.
“The entertainment is over! All Scavengers pack the equipment for the Attackers. We are going Nakuma hunting!”
“Yay yay! Yes!”
The warriors raised their weapons and cheered. Ark was forced to become a Scavenger who searched through the mud for loot
———————————————————————————-
“Dammit!”
A man spat on the ground and cursed. Four guys in the vicinity ran up to him.
“Hyung-nim, are you alright?”
“Am I okay? Do you think I’ve broken something?”
“No, that’s not it…..”
“Damn, that bastard! I won’t let it go!”
The man who cursed was the leader of the gang, Mald. Thanks to Ark’s trick with the assault, Mald was jailed for 2 hours before a bail of 30 gold was paid and he was released. Of course it was impossible for him to feel good. No, the situation was enough for him to stamp around angrily.
“Look for him.”
Mald growled towards his henchmen.
“He is still a beginner. He can’t leave Nephalim. So look for him using whatever method possible! If you can find him then just give up on the game!”
“Huh? Yes! U-understood!”
The henchmen scattered at Mald’s cruel words.
———————————————————————————-
While Mald’s henchmen were searching through Nephalim.
Pilpeok, pilpeok, pilpeok.
Ark sighed as he searched through the mud.
“It is disgraceful to be searching through the mud after arriving at the frontier.”
Of course he wasn’t happy. No, the situation made him furious. Fortunately, Clem wasn’t a wicked employer like Tori. Clem’s primary source of income was the reward from the federation after disposing of the Nakuma. It was also possible to gain an income from the metal parts that the Nakuma dropped. So Clem distributed the income fairly equally based on the number of metal parts. But the problem was the number of Silver Hands. The Silver Hand consisted of 15 Attackers and 5 Scavengers. It was impossible to give a lot of metal parts when distributing it between 20 people
Furthermore, he wasn’t just given the fee. Loot distribution was essentially based on contribution. Those with more contribution will be given more rewards. The Attackers risked their lives in battle so they obviously received more than the Scavengers. The basic outline was that the Attackers received 5% of the total loot while the Scavengers received 2~3%. If 100 parts were picked up then that was only 2~3 pieces.
“But it isn’t a small number considering I get loot at the end of every battle.”
Ark looked at the truck parked near him. The Silver Hand’s hunting method was pursuit. The Scavenger Heksu explained about the Silver Hand while they were collecting……
“If the Nakuma is in a crisis then it will transmit radio waves to all colleagues in the area. If the Attackers are fighting the Nakuma then they will install a device to amplify the radio waves by a few hundred times. Then all Nakuma within a few kilometres will gather. Usually they hunt 200 in 1~2 hours? The Attackers will dispose of all Nakuma and then move on to the next hunting grounds.”
Then the Scavenger would search the hunting ground and gather all loot in the trucks before riding it to follow the Attackers. Sometimes they obtained more than 100 loot form a hunting ground! They hunted without breaks so 2~3% wasn’t a small amount!
‘Experience……’
Ark wouldn’t get any experience even if hundreds of Nakuma were killed. Furthermore, the loot he gathered by digging through the mud would enter the mouth of a hamster. Well, it was in order to learn a skill but he couldn’t help being mad. He also didn’t know when this would end if he only received 2~3% of the metal.
‘Dammit, a gun! If only I could use a gun properly!’
Ark was confident in close combat. But marksmanship was indispensable when fighting against android type monsters! Ark couldn’t abandon his regret of not becoming an Attacker and sometimes practiced his marksmanship. It was to the extent that he got blisters on his fingers!
However! However!
Tang-!
-Your attack has failed!
Tang-!
-Your attack has failed!
The shooting kept on failing!
‘As expected, I’m not talented in shooting.’
Ark understood that this was an unexpected weakness for him.
“Hey! Ark, until when are you going to keep on playing around? There is still a mountain of work to do. The Scavengers are a team. If you play around then everyone else will have more work. If I report it to Clem then he will decrease your share.”
Heksu snapped at him. In the end, Ark had no choice but to reconsider is idea.
‘Galaxian is set in the future so there will be quite a few androids. The city guards are also androids. So it is imperative that I learn marksmanship….but I have to put it on hold for the moment. The urgent problem is learning the hacking skill and breaking the relationship with that damn hamster. So it is important that I gather metal parts worth 200 gold. I’m not an Attacker but 2~3% is still a lot of metal components.’
When calculating the Silver Hand’s distribution system, 20% of the total income remains. This 20% was distributed according to performance. The Scavenger that worked hard and helped the Silver Hand then most would receive a special bonus.
‘If I can’t be an Attacker then I should aim for that bonus!’
Their aim was to increase efficiency. Ark was also the same. His attitude changed 180 degrees now that he had a concrete goal.
“I’ve received a notification from Clem that the battle is over. Now let’s go collect the loot!”
The 5 Scavengers moved at Heksu’s order towards the battle location. When he arrived at the battlefield, hundreds of wreckage from the Nakuma was on the ground. But most of the metal parts were buried in mud that reached the ankles. This was the reason for the Scavengers. The metal parts buried in the mud weren’t easy to find. But the Attackers tirelessly hunted without any breaks and needed to move to the next area. The circumstances changed once Ark started earnestly working.
“Swamp Walking!”
Sasasasa! Sasasasa!
He could easily walk through the swamp with Swamp Walking. Ark flew about the mud like an octopus and raked in the loot. Ark found 3~4 pieces in the time it took for the Scavengers to find 1. So the efficiency increased by a few times. That wasn’t all. The Scavenger’s job wasn’t just to find metal components. The Nakuma’s body were basically discarded machine parts. So it would turn black when buried in the mud for too long. So the Scavengers also had to wash the goods. This was an area where Ark’s skill shone.
“Facilities Maintenance!”
Buduk! Buduk! Buduk! Flash!
Facilities Maintenance increased cleaning and oiling by 30%! He learnt the skill from cleaning kilometres of pipes on R-14. Therefore Ark managed to clean the loot a few times faster than the other Scavengers.
‘I hate to admit it……’
It was sad but Ark’s skills were optimized for a Scavenger. Anyway, even Heksu was amazed by Ark’s incredible speed and he interjected.
“Ohh! A-amazing!”
Heksu was amazed by Ark’s hidden ability and grasped his hand before saying.
“The movement that flies freely around the swamp! The cleaning skill that makes dirty metal components gleam! This is it! You’re the person I’ve been waiting for! How about it? Do you want to use this chance to become a professional Scavenger? I’ll make you my successor. The Scavenger is quite a deep world when you look closely. In fact, I was also an excellent pioneer before I became a Scavenger. When I was young I attended a school to fly around space as a pioneer. I will teach you all of my knowledge. Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste such amazing talents?”
-Heksu, the leader of the Silver Hand Scavengers has offered to make you his successor.
If you accept then you will change occupations to a ‘Scavenger.’
Would you like to accept?
An offer to become Heksu’s successor! Most users couldn’t choose a profession until they became level 30 and received a body coating. There was only a process to determine the basic tendencies, like a warrior or long-range attacker. Galaxian also didn’t have special training facilities to select an occupation. The only way to obtain an occupation was through specific events or conditions there were normally hidden classes in other games. Therefore most of the early stages of Galaxian could be described as the process of finding an occupation. However, there was no guarantee that an occupation would be discovered. There was no guarantee even if the user was level 100.
‘But the first occupation I found in Galaxian is related to cleaning……’
Finding an occupation in Galaxian is as difficult as grabbing a star from the sky. But I don’t want an occupation following behind NPCs and picking up their loot!’
“I don’t think that Scavenger is an occupation that can be ignored. However, I am a warrior like I said before. I’m thankful for Heksu-nim’s offer but I can’t accept as thanks to my inability to let go of my warrior state. One day I’ll become a fine warrior but I won’t forget and will come back to visit.”
Ark left room to accept. He didn’t feel regret over refusing the Scavenger occupation. But Heksu was in charge of the Scavengers so it would be difficult if he started disliking Ark.
“It can’t be helped. Yes, it is different from being able to do the job with a light heart.”
Heksu clicked his tongue and nodded. However, he still didn’t give up. He continued to buzz around Ark and kept on creating chances for Ark to accept being his successor. Thanks to Heksu’s interest, Ark’s Swamp Walking and Facilities Maintenance reached intermediate level.
“It is a waste to throw away talent despite the lingering attachment to a warrior……”
Ark was inconvenienced by his interest. And he spent 3 days gathering loot and fending off Heksu’s courtship. Ark was mechanically searching the mud when he was faced with an unexpected incident. The incident started from a single cry of distress.
“Heok! T-this….ugh!”
‘What? Did someone fall into the swamp?’
Ark thought it wasn’t important. This was a swamp so some places reached his ankles while others were deeper. The appearance was difficult to tell so sometimes the Scavengers would fall in and struggle. That’s why the Scavengers never searched alone. Ark thought it was a commonplace occurrence and continued searching for metal parts. But the next moment!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
‘Shots fired!’
Ark turned his head with surprise. He saw 3 Nakuma covered in mud and firing their Gatling guns? The Nakuma had appeared at a place that the Attackers had already hunted.
“W-why is the Nakuma in a place like this…..?”
“D-dammit! Debris!”
Heksu screamed from far away. The Nakuma combined with machine parts to become a mechanical living being. If they weren’t completely destroyed then sometimes they would just behave like they were dead. Those guys would then act like magnets to attract nearby metal parts to restore themselves. They were called Debris
‘But Debris never occurred before?’
The Attackers always searched around for Debris before moving on to the next hunting ground. Therefore Ark had heard about Debris from Heksu but never seen it. However, this time 3 Debris appeared.
‘They’ve been marching too unreasonably since yesterday.’
The Silver Hand had been hunting the Nakuma in the swamp for three days. Therefore the container on the truck was filled with 95% metal. They wanted to reach the end so they moved faster. So unlike yesterday, Clem had started rushing the hunting. No matter how much they rushed, the Attackers still searched for Debris but they must’ve missed something…..
‘This isn’t the time for thinking!’
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The three Debris enthusiastically fired their Gatling guns. The Scavengers had almost no combat power. They screamed as they were hit by the bullets.
“Ugh! Send a request for the Attackers to return and hide behind the truck!”
Heksu and the Scavengers hurled the metal parts and ran behind the truck. Ark was the same. Ark was further away from the other Scavengers but he quickly headed towards the truck thanks to Swamp Walking.
“Ark, faster! Hurry up! Ugh!”
Heksu screamed and sat down. While he was gathering the Scavengers, Heksu had been hit by the bullets. Once Heksu collapsed, a Debris approached him with a blade.
‘…..Damn!’
Ark rushed forward. Over the past 3 days, Heksu had properly trained Ark despite his nagging to become his successor. How could he just let a NPC like that be killed right in front of him? Ark turned and fired the revolver.
Tang-!
-Your attack has failed!
The natural message stating that he failed had appeared. Ark couldn’t even hit a target 10 metres away let along the Debris that was dozens of metres away. However, that wasn’t the reason Ark fired the gun. It was to attract the Debris’ eyes. The Debris flinched when Ark fired. It subsequently fired at him.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“Shield!”
The bullets hit Ark’s shield. Ark narrowed the distance using Swamp Walking and wielded his dagger.
Snap!
Sparks appeared as he hit rough iron. The Debris had been destroyed and revived so it didn’t have a shield. It also had 30% health left. But unlike the Nakuma Ark fought the other day, this one was level 30! It was 15 levels higher than Ark. Moreover, a melee weapon couldn’t damage a metal creature and it only lost 1% health.
‘I can’t beat this guy with a dagger!’
Ark stepped on the Debris’ leg joint and jumped over.
“Heksu, catch!”
“A-Ark!”
Heksu who was grabbing his bloody legs stretched out his arm with surprise. Ark grabbed that arm as he landed and shot forward like an arrow. This was the reason Ark intervened. It was to attract the Debris’ attention and then rescue Heksu! Ark pulled Heksu and ran forward as the Debris fired its Gatling gun.
‘It’s difficult to avoid the guns but…..’
Ping-! Ping-! Ping-! Ping-!
His Swamp Walking reached intermediate after spending three days in the swamp! Therefore his speed increased and his evasion reached 20%. Ark used evasion movements and avoided most of the bullets. Of course, he couldn’t avoid everything but only a few hit him before he hid behind the truck. The Scavengers gathered around as he arrived.
“Heksu-nim! Ark!”
“Ark, you saved me!”
Heksu grasped Ark’s hand with a pale face.
“It was a natural thing to do as colleagues. What do we do now?”
“A request for help was sent to Captain Clem. We can only wait until the Attackers arrive.”
“How long will that take?”
“The answer hasn’t been confirmed yet. Wait a moment. Huk!”
Heksu trembled after manipulating the Nymphe.
“Right now the Attackers are hunting so it will take them 10 minutes to clean up and return.”
“10 minutes? I-isn’t that a serious problem?”
The Scavengers cried out and Ark tilted his head to one side before asking.
“Can’t we endure if we use the truck as a cover?”
“No, this truck is the problem. The Nakuma is an existence that collects metal parts in the swamp. That is why all the Nakuma are different sizes. The ones that collect more mechanical parts are larger and stronger. And this truck contains thousands of metal parts that we’ve collected from 3 days of hunting the Nakuma. If those guys capture the truck before the Attackers get here…..”
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang!
There was a roar and the truck shook. The 3 Debris were pouring attacks from the opposite side of the truck. Heksu moaned as the truck shook.
“Oh my god! Those guys know what is inside the truck!”
“If they combine with the metal parts in the container……”
“We’re screwed! They’ll become even bigger and stronger!”
The Scavengers grabbed their heads and exclaimed. However, Ark’s scream was different from theirs. The container was filled with metal parts. The Debris would obviously form huge monsters if they got those parts. The Scavengers and maybe even Clem and the Attackers might not be able to handle them. However, Ark had a different worry. The Nakuma combined with metal parts. They could also reclaim metal parts. Only some metal parts would drop. The rest would just disappear. In other words, if they absorbed all of the metal in the container then some would disappear for good.
‘I will lose all the metal parts I collected!’
The metal he spent three days gathering would fly away. That’s what Ark was afraid of.
Kwa kwang! Kwadududuk!
Once again a banging sound was heard against the outer wall of the container. Ark and the Scavengers jumped with surprise. The Debris were aiming towards the container to obtain the metal parts. There were only a few metres left before they would break through. Heksu and the Scavengers were still pulling at their hair. They didn’t even have weapons and they couldn’t fight. The only one who could do something was Ark!
‘……I have no choice!’
Ark grabbed his revolver and dagger. There were 3 Debris. Their health was only 30% but they were still level 30. In the meantime, Ark was still level 15. He also couldn’t use the gun properly to deal damage to the Debris.
‘The odds are against me. But I might be able to lure them away from the truck with Swamp Walking. Yes, that’s the only way. All my efforts of the past three days will be undone if the container is broken. It is better to die to ensure that the truck survives!’
Ark grinded his teeth and prepared to exit from behind the truck. Suddenly a hand sprang out from the mud underneath the truck and grabbed his ankles. Ark was dragged underneath the truck as was able to identify the arm.
“Debris!”
A Debris had slipped underneath the truck! The Debris pulled Ark using one arm and attacked using a blade.
‘Oh, no! In this state it is likely to be a critical hit!’
Ark was distressed and instinctively fired his revolver at the Debris. Smoke covered the Debris’ head and a message window appeared.
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the Debris will receive additional 150% damage>
A headshot occurred when the bullet hit the head! But the message wasn’t reflected in Ark’s eyes.
“I-it hit!”
Over the past three days, Ark had practiced shooting until he got blisters and he never hit a target. But now he hit something. And it was the difficult headshot! Ark stared at the smoking Debris with stunned eyes.
“Oh my god! What on earth……?”
“Ark, it’s dangerous!”
Heksu screamed as he looked under the truck. The Debris pulling him was wielding its blade again. There was no room to avoid with the position Ark was in. But fear didn’t appear on Ark’s face. Ark pulled the trigger of the revolver as the blade flew towards him.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The shots were fired and the Debris’ arm broken. The ensuring shots hit the Debris in the head and the shoulder. Smoke appeared again from the headshot!
‘I found it! A way to shoot and always hit the target!’
An exhilarating sensation swept through his body.
‘I’m so stupid! I wasn’t trying to learn marksmanship for long distance attacks. I couldn’t damage the Nakuma and Debris with the dagger. There is no reason to shoot the gun from a distance. The point is hitting them with the bullet. So it isn’t necessary to stay 10 metres away to hit the can. If you can’t hit from a distance of 10 metres……’
“I will shoot from a distance that will guarantee a hit!”
Ark touched the revolver to the head of the struggling Debris. He pulled the trigger and there were continuous headshots. If the muzzle was forced to the head then it was impossible to miss. This was the method of marksmanship that Ark discovered.
-Your level has risen!
With that enlightening, Ark reached level 16 after 3 days. Ark became more inspired to fight the Debris after levelling up.
‘I can do it!’
Ark slipped out from under the truck and approached a Debris.
Kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang!
Two Debris were still attacking the side of the truck. The outer wall of the container was already crumpled like tissue paper.
‘There’s no time left. I have to stop these guys!’
Ark headed towards the back of a Debris and pulled the trigger.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The Debris’ health went straight down from the continuous headshots. The Debris turned towards Ark and started fighting. This was different from the fight underneath the truck. The Debris’ movements were restricted under the truck so it couldn’t evade properly. It was easy to hit a target that stood still. However, this Debris was different.
It swung both its arms in an attack that was difficult to avoid at close range.
‘But…..I am Ark!’
He was a legend with a sword in one virtual reality game. Close combat was Ark’s battle territory!
Hwing! Hwing! Hwing! Hwing!
Ark avoided the blade with quick movements and pushed the muzzle of the gun to the Debris’ body.
“I’m sorry but I’ve seen everything.”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The Debris’ health was sucked out from the ensuing attacks. The Debris was resurrected with only 30% health. It was impossible with a dagger but it collapsed after just 3 minutes of being hit by bullets. But Ark wasn’t fine. Ark was an expert in close combat but he was still level 16. His Swamp Walking might’ve increased evasion but he still received a lot of damage.
Cheolkeok, susususuk.
Furthermore, the revolver only allowed 6 bullets at a time so he needed to reload a few times in battle. Therefore he had lost 70% health.
‘But now there is only one Debris remaining. If I focus a bit more during battle…..’
Ark turned towards the last Debris.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
While he had been attacking its colleague, the Debris had been continuously firing at the container. There was a roar and the outer wall was destroyed. The metal parts in the container started flying towards the Debris like they were being attracted by a magnet. Then the Debris grew from 2 metres to 5 metres?
-Level 30….level 32….level 34…..
The level of the Debris through the infrared scope started climbing. It became stronger by absorbing the metal parts!
‘Oh my god! It is already that strong from dozens of metal parts…..’
If it absorbed the thousands of metal pieces then it would literally be a monster. Even if they managed to kill it, most of the metal would disappear.
‘No! I have to stop it!’
Ark rushed towards the Debris without thinking. He narrowed the distance with Swamp Walking and pulled the trigger when the muzzle was placed to the back of its head. The revolver fired out a bullet. The Debris wobbled from the headshot but only for a moment.
-Roaaaaar!
The Debris turned its huge body and swung its blade. It was a huge body. Ark hurriedly stepped back but he was still hit. Ark grabbed his side and moaned as the blade descended again.
‘What a tremendous attack! If I’m hit directly then I’ll die!’
The distressed Ark formed an X with the gun and dagger and blocked the attack. That was a mistake. The opponent was a 5 metres machine. The impact from such a huge body felt like his shoulders had broken. Ark was forced into the swamp as the blade pressed down. The defense posture stopped the blade but…..
‘Ugh! D-dammit! M-move!”
Ark had trouble even breathing thanks to that attack. There was no way he could throw off the monster and escape. That wasn’t the only problem.
-Level 36….level 38….level 40…..
The metal parts were still continuously being absorbed by the Debris. Every time the Debris’ size increased, the weight on him became even heavier.
‘Wrong. Is it going to end here……?’
Hopelessness appeared on Ark’s face.
Pepepepeng!
There was a series of explosions from the back of the Debris’ head. The shocked Debris stumbled and the pressure on his body disappeared. Ark rolled his body away and looked at the direction the noise came from. A group of warriors was approaching from one direction.
“This is the second time.”
In the lead was Clem!
“Captain Clem! The Attackers had arrived!”
Heksu and the Scavengers popped out from behind the truck. Clem looked at them before turning to Ark.
“But this time I feel compelled to say thank you. Thank you, squirt. Now get some rest.”
Space 9
Invader
<Gear> Tori’s Ironworks.
From ships to small screws! All orders custom made!
“It’s only been 3 days?”
Ark looked at the sign with flashing eyes. It had been 3 times since he arrived at Nephalim and was tricked by the hamster into a sponsor contract and sold to a mercenary troop.
‘At that time I had wanted to shoot a bullet in the hamster’s head……’
Now he changed his mind. He thought it was like human trafficking at first but the Silver Hand was a surprisingly excellent experience. Clem might have an intimidating experience but he is a friendly and kind NPC. The only complaint was the small salary. That was probably the reason why Clem wanted to hire a worker. However, that dissatisfaction was resolved with the incident last time.
“Hmm, it might be a Debris but you managed to defeat 2 of them by yourself. You might not have the skill of an Attacker but…..we would’ve lost all the parts we gathered in 3 days if it wasn’t for you. You fixed our mistake so I should reward that. You will be an Attacker for the next hunt. Hey, Attackers! Do you have any dissatisfaction about this youngster being an Attacker?”
“No!”
“Okay. Then Ark will become an Attacker in the next hunt!”
“Yay yay! Yes!”
He had been promoted to an Attacker. While this was what Ark wished for, Heksu had become grumpy. The Attackers received double the salary of the Scavengers. It was 5% of the dividend. He was able to receive 5% of the huge number of metal components gathered from the pursuit hunting. He also additionally got tremendous experience! Ark obtained even more from the Debris’ appearance.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Close Marksmanship (User, Passive): An essential basic marksmanship technique in Galaxian.
Various guns can be used in Galaxian like rocket launchers, long range sniper rifle, shotguns, close range assault rifle, SMG (Sub machine gun) and portable hand guns. If you master the performance of a wide range of weapons at 100% then the probability of survival on the frontier will increase.
<Close range hit rate will decrease by 5% while damage will increase by 10%>
Marksmanship was registered as a skill after the battle with the Debris.
“Plus……”
Ark sent a warm look towards his heavy bag. The Silver Hand had collected about 2,500 metal parts in three days. Original Ark worked as a Scavenger so he only received a 2% share. That was 50 pieces. But now Ark’s bag contained 550 metal parts! Ark’s achievement in killing the Debris was recognized and he received the 20% bonus metal parts. It was worth looking through the swamp for 3 days! Therefore he didn’t feel like shooting Tori anymore. Of course, that didn’t mean Ark was grateful. He was able to receive 100% results from the mercenary troops thanks to Ark’s efforts. The hamster had just happily sold him. Furthermore, Ark was deceived with his sweet talk and entered a provisional contract of 200 gold……
‘I might not want to shoot him but I can still kick his fat stomach! But I can learn the hacking skill and then terminate the contract. Until then I just have to endure it. It won’t take a long time now that I’m an Attacker.’
Ark imagined kicking the hamster as he entered Gear.
-Critical Hit! You have received a surprise attack!
He felt an impact to his side and a red warning message appeared.
“Huk! W-what is this?”
Ark grabbed his bleeding side and turned his head with surprise. And some guys flocked out of the junkyard and pushed Ark. Ark fell down and raised his head with surprise.
“Y-you…..”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’ll make you regret it.”
“…… Mald!”
Ark glared at Mald. He was the gangster who confronted Ark at the plaza and was arrested by the androids. Mald shook his dagger as blood fell and growled.
“Bastard! Do you know how long we’ve been looking for you?”
“Ugh, you…..are you crazy? This is a city. This…..”
“City? Heh, do you think I care about my reputation anymore? It doesn’t matter if I become chaotic inside the city or outside. It won’t change. You miscalculated if you thought I would leave you alone. It doesn’t matter if I end up in prison as long as I can kill you.”
“A visitor? Are you a visitor?”
The Tori entered the junkyard. His eyes widened as he saw Ark bleeding heavily.
“Eh? Ark? And……blood? What, what the?”
“Don’t you know him?”
Mald angrily stared at Tori. Tori looked wildly between Ark and Mald and said.
“Oh, no! I-I don’t know! I don’t know him at all!”
“Then get lost!”
“Yes! Yes! I’ll do that! So please take care of that quickly!”
Tori turned around and quickly left.
‘That damn bastard…..!’
Ark glared at the back of the hamster’s head.
“This is the ideal chance. We’ve been waiting for you in front of Nephalim’s gate. Because you’ll have no choice but to pass through the gate. And I finally found you in the vicinity of the gate a short time ago. But do you know the reason we followed you to this place? You haven’t registered with the fairy yet.”
Ark cringed at the end of Mald’s words. Ark had returned to Nephalim but he hadn’t registered with the Fairy yet. He was in the city so he thought he didn’t need to hurry.
“You seem to have been hunting quite a bit while avoiding us. And you ate quite a bit of experience? Therefore if you die before registering with the Fairy then you’ll be completely turned into jelly.”
It had been three days since he had encountered Mald and his gang. No, Ark had completely forgotten about Mald until now. He had gained almost no experience while working as a Scavenger. He gained a level from defeating the Debris but it wasn’t that much experience. Dying then would’ve been okay…..
“So we waited for a good opportunity for a deserted place. If you’re here then you will die before the androids arrive.”
Mald shook his dagger and stepped closer to him. The 4 henchmen also surrounded Ark. 5 thugs were encircling him with knives! And Ark……
“Hah, you guys really are boring. It doesn’t matter if it’s inside the city or outside? You want to kill me? You seem to be using your head a little bit. If you kill me then all 5 of you will be chaotic? Isn’t that common sense? Won’t you rot in a prison cell if you become chaotic? Yet it is fine? It is huge damage no matter how you think about it.”
“Don’t be cocky. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten? I was locked up for 2 hours and wasted 30 gold already. No, I don’t care about money. You stirred the wrong opponent. Don’t think it will end with one time. I will continue to kill you in the hunting grounds and the city until you quit the game.”
“Try it.”
Then a voice filled with laughter was heard from behind him. Mald turned around with confusion and paled.
“What, what the? These guys…..”
“This punk doesn’t have any manners. You should spend some time with adults.”
The person smoking a cigarette and speaking was Clem, the leader of Silver Hand! And 15 people aiming their rifles at Mald’s gang were standing behind Clem. They were the reason why Ark was calm. Ark was still a part of the Silver Hand. The Silver Hand had only returned to Nephalim because the contained was filled with 3 days of hunting and in order to replenish their supplies. While Clem went to visit the federation to receive the reward for hunting Nakuma, Ark had gone to Tori to learn the first part of the hacking skill. Clem then went to the junkyard to repair the broken container and procure supplies. Mald had messed with him on the wrong day.
“He is a member of our unit. I particularly feel a strong attachment to him.”
Clem blew smoke towards the confused Mald. And he glanced at Ark.
“Hey squirt, did they attack first?”
“Yes.”
Ark laughed and shrugged. Galaxian had the same basic rules as other online games. In other words, if the opponent attacked first then he wouldn’t become chaotic if he killed them. The names of Mald and his gang had turned grey after attacking Ark. Clem laughed and nodded.
“It is self-defence.”
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
At the same time, the 15 Attackers loaded their guns. It was a total of 15 guns. Despair appeared on the faces of Mald’s gang. And just as the 15 guns were about to fire!
“Wait a minute.”
Ark had been thinking for a while and he stood up while raising his hand. He approached Mald who was pale and sweating.
“To be honest I don’t really care what happens to you. But I don’t want you to bother me the whole time I’m playing Galaxian. So how about we reconcile? Of course it’s not just a reconciliation. Weren’t you eager for the toy before? Do you still want the toy?”
“That….yes.”
Ark eyes lit up at Mald’s words. However, he nodded like he was oblivious and said.
“I don’t understand why you want such a toy but I’ll give it to you at a cheap price. Will you promise to forget our bad relationship?”
“A cheap price…..how much?”
“60 gold.”
“What? 6-60 Gold? Are you making fun of me?”
“Eh? Didn’t I tell you before? The original price is 100 gold. I already discounted 10 gold and I’ll take away 30 gold because of the bail fee. Isn’t that a cheap price?”
“B-but…..”
“Did you want a better price? There is no benefit for me.”
Ark interrupted Mald’s words and retorted with an angry expression.
“This is the frontier. You can’t revive for free. Each revival will cost at least 20 gold. Five times is 100 gold. And can’t you see? You guys talked about revenge but I’m a member of the mercenary troop. Do you really think you can get revenge? In the end you will just die an embarrassing death. Isn’t 60 gold a good price to clean up the bad feelings? You will also get the toy you desire.”
“T-that….”
Mald stuttered and glared at Ark.
But Ark knew. Mald had no choice but to accept. That guy obviously knew that there was something hidden in the toy. If there was a chance to obtain it then he would accept. Besides, if he rejected then the death penalty would be 100 gold. He had no other choice.
“O-okay. That should be sufficient.”
Mald finally nodded after struggling. He gave 60 gold for the toy and ran out of the junkyard. However, Mald was unaware of one thing. Ark had already removed the memory chip from the toy. In the future he might come after Ark again…..
“Those stupid bastards.”
Ark laughed as he held the 60 gold.
——————————————————————————-
‘Ark……!’
A blond young man looked at the electric bulletin board with a complicated expression. The same message was still floating on R-14’s electric bulletin board.
-Achievement: The first mission related master of R-14 has been born. <Ark>
It was the message that caused chaos among the users of R-14. The name Ark had already become a legend among gamers. So they speculated that the registered person was the same Ark. But they came to the conclusion that it was a different user. Ark was the stronger person who reigned over New World and he was also the advisor so there was no way he would play a competitor’s game.
However, the blonde youth knew. He didn’t understand the reason but the legendary gamer Ark had come to Galaxian. And……
‘That is clearly Ark.’
The blond youth was sure about it. Ark had just started and his name was being announced in Galaxian. It might be a famous name but the user wouldn’t possess that ability.
‘He…..Ark…..I must meet.’
That was the reason why the young man started Galaxian. And his heart started beating fast when he found Ark’s name on the bulletin board.
‘But…….’
He stared at his body with a gloomy look. In reality his body was lying down disabled in the unit. However, a character in a virtual reality game moved according to brain waves. A disability in reality wouldn’t be a problem. That was what he thought. However, he spent a year disabled so even his mind was affected. He had lived for more than 20 years but it felt like he was moving his arms and legs for the first time. It had only been 1 year. In the 1 year, he lost his natural movements. It took him a few hours just to raise his body. It took him a couple of tries to walk properly. He was a tycoon’s son, had a handsome appearance and an excellent education so he was used to receiving eyes of envy and longing. Yet the users frowned after seeing him barely able to talk on step. And he was engulfed in despair.
“What? You can’t even use a knife?”
“Why are you standing like that?”
“Ah, really! What is that? At least speak when someone is talking to you.”
“Ah, it can’t be helped. Hey, get rid of this guy.”
There were still a lot of users on R-14 so the farm areas were full. He had to wait several hours just to join a party. But his body couldn’t move properly and he still had trouble talking. Thus he was always kicked out of the party
He was still level 1 despite several days passing
‘As expected…..’
The blond youth sighed and shook his head
‘No! I can’t give up yet!’
He tried to raise his body again. All of a sudden, a small alien approached him. The octopus ran a sucker down his should and said with a deliberately calm expression.
–Young man, do you want to raise your level?
He was the main character of the rumour secretly spread among the users of R-14! The president of the paid hunting ground, Burum
——————————————————————————-
“Captain-nim, there is another one at your 3 o’clock.”
“The numbers?”
“Around 10 of them.”
“That is only enough for a snack.”
Clem put out his cigar and shouted while lifting his rifle.
“Okay. Now it is time to finish it. Everybody! Let’s take care of these guys!”
The Attackers turned their body towards the direction that Clem indicated. After a few minutes, several red lights appeared on the other side of the swamp. Around 10 mechanical life forms were approaching. Various machine parts to form a new creature! The SOS signal that the Nakuma broadcasted had been amplified many times by the Silver Hand. Thus the Nakuma approached from dozens of metres away!
“Murdock, now!”
Tung! Tung! Tung! Pajijiji!
A sphere buried in the mud emitted intense electromagnetic waves. Ark might have a handgun but the Silver Hand were experienced warriors with rifles. It was natural that they could deal damage to the Nakuma while hunting. However, they had difficulty with the Nakuma’s shield. So the Silver Hand used an electromagnetic mine!
-Electromagnetic Mine
Item Type: Mine (For Shield Removal)
A type of mine that works after being buried in the ground. The mine will emit a powerful electromagnetic energy in a 10 metre space and will remove the shield for 5 minutes. An explosives expert with the necessary skill is required in order to operate the electromagnetic mine.
<Electromagnetic energy will by emitted in a 10 metre space and the shield will be neutralized for 5 minutes>
An electromagnetic field that neutralized shields for 5 minutes! When the electromagnetic mine was activated, holes appeared in the Nakuma’s shield and melted.
“Now, let’s finish this!”
Tung-! Tung-! Tatatata! Tatatata!
The rifles and machine guns fired. The Nakuma responded but they had already by caught by the Attackers initiative. The bullets fired everywhere and 2 Nakuma started collapsing. The shootout continued for a few minutes.
“Captain-nim, 2 Nakuma are approaching from behind.”
“Sheesh, how annoying.”
When the Silver Hand amplified the SOS signal, the Nakuma didn’t always come from a certain direction. The Nakuma normally communicated with 10~20 others through the radio waves but sometimes the Nakuma would approach from a different direction.
“Hey, squirt.”
Clem changed the magazine of his gun and turned.
“It is your turn. 2 of them….can you handle it?”
“Of course.”
The man with black hair who smiled was Ark! This was Ark’s job after becoming an Attacker
Ark couldn’t do long-distance shooting. He couldn’t even hit an empty can 10 metres in front of him. That’s why Ark took over the special duty. The Nakuma approached from a different area so they weren’t hit by the electromagnetic mine. So Ark was in charge of taking care of them with close combat.
“I’ll leave the back to you.”
“I’ll take care of it quickly.”
At the same time, Ark used Swamp Walking to cross the area. He moved dozens of metres with Swamp Walking and 2 Nakuma entered his eyesight. He identified with the Infrared Scope that the Nakuma was level 25 and level 30. It was an opponent he wouldn’t have been able to fight when he first entered Silver Hand. But it was a fortnight later and things had changed.
“Shield!”
Ark stopped the bullets with his shield and approached the Nakuma. And attacked with his dagger! Sparks flew every time the dagger hit and the Nakuma’s shield was broken. Then the Nakuma’s Gatling gun folded back and the blade appeared. Ark used his dagger to do an uppercut to the jaw and pressed his revolver there.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the Nakuma will receive additional 150% damage>
The continuous shooting! Constant headshots! He had learnt Close Marksmanship after the incident with the Debris. Ark had been steadily practicing his marksmanship since entering the Attackers. And he had wasted hundreds of bullets.
‘I don’t have any talent in shooting!’
It was a waste of time to train in something he had no talent in. Of course, if he didn’t have talent then he needed to find another way or else he was bound to die. Marksmanship was an indispensable skill in Galaxian. And Ark had discovered another method. Close Marksmanship!
‘This is the only way for me to compete with mechanical life forms!’
At first that was his only use for marksmanship. But he changed his mind. Unlike regular marksmanship, close marksmanship could be used in close combat. And close combat was Ark’s style of fighting. Once he got the knack for it, he started to show power beyond his expectations.
‘This realization alone is worth joining the Silver Hand!’
In the last fortnight, Ark had practiced and was now an expert at this fighting style. And he hadn’t just polished his fighting skills. During the last fortnight, Ark had flown around more eagerly than anyone else and used his dagger and revolver. Thanks to that……
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 27
Species Human Occupation Beginner Pioneer
Fame 500
Health 500 (+15) Mental Power 250
Strength 75 (+3) Agility 115
Stamina 95 (+3) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 45 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
* Sponsor: Tori Ironworks ‘Gear’ (Contract)
-Equipment Information- Weapons: <Modified Alloy Dagger>, Revolver>
Equipment: <Bhurad’s Energy Shield> <Beginner’s Leather Jacket>, <Beginner’s Leather Pants>
Secondary Equipment: <Infrared Scope>, <Charenjok’s Token>, <Cheksun’s Tool Box>
The smell of blood during the last fortnight…..no, it was the result of a battle with an oil smell. Thanks to the amplifier, the Silver Hand could hunt Nakuma for 1~2 hours without any breaks. Moreover, the Nakuma had a minimum level of 25. The level 16 Ark gained experience every time the Attackers fought so he quickly reached level 27. That was 12 levels in a fortnight. In addition, he was able to obtain some general leather equipment. Therefore Ark could easily fight against 2 level 30 Nakuma.
Tong-! Tang-! Tang-! Bam! Chwajijijiji!
“I have good eyes. I knew you would be a useful fellow.”
Clem looked at Ark fighting the Nakuma with warm eyes. The Attackers around him also nodded and said.
“That’s right. At first he didn’t understand Captain-nim and was just a newborn chick. Who would’ve expected that the newborn chick would gain such power over a fortnight?”
“It is because he was diligent.”
“Doesn’t he also clean our equipment when the battle ends and help the Scavengers as well? We’ve been hiring soldiers for many years but it is the first time I’ve seen someone so diligent.”
Just like the Attackers’ words, Ark didn’t rest at all after the battles. When the battle ended, he would use Facilities Maintenance to clean the Attackers’ equipment and he also went back to the rear to collect loot with the Scavengers. There was no one who would dislike a sincere person like that
Therefore Ark had huge popularity in the Silver Hand. It was the inevitable result of not resting and doing the chores. However, Ark wasn’t popular just because he was sincere. The reason Ark was working for the Silver Hand was to learn the hacking skill! So it was essential that he earned 200 gold worth of metal parts. Of course, he obtained 5% of the metal parts but it was still difficult to gain 200 gold. That’s why Ark behaved diligently.
‘There is a 20% bonus!’
Once again, there was a part of the budget set aside for bonuses. Ark didn’t rest and continuously gained 1% of the bonus. As a result, Ark managed to gain an average of 15% bonus. Including his basic salary, that was 20% of the total metal parts! So his bag became full with metal parts.
‘If it wasn’t for Heksu then my target would still be distant. Damn that hamster bastard, daring to scam me into a sponsor contract and selling me off.’
Thinking about it made him angry again. 12 days ago, Ark had gone to find Tori to settle the first amount of metal parts he gathered. At that time Ark’s bag was full of the metal parts from the bonus of defeated the Debris. Moreover, Ark had been promoted to an Attacker so he was cheerful.
‘If this continues then I will get 200 gold quickly!’ was what he thought…..
“This is 60 kg? It is 2 silver per kilogram so that is 7 gold in total.”
Tori muttered as he measured the metal parts on a scale.
“Eh? 7 gold?”
Was this the sound of bricks breaking his back? The metal parts he scavenged from the Nakuma for 3 days were only worth 7 gold? That meant he made 2 gold and 30 silver every day. Then wasn’t the bonus just 23 silver?
“N-no way! The parts I went through all that trouble to gather……”
“What? Do you think I’m cheating you?”
Tori said as he turned his head.
“Then look for yourself! This is the present price for scrap metal calculated by the federal government. Look! Look at it! Do you see? It is recorded that the price is 2 silver per kilogram! Ah really! What are you thinking? Do you think I’m trying to cheat you of the price?”
Tori held out a document stamped with the federation’s official mark that had different quotes on it. Like Tori said, the market price was 2 silver per kilogram.
‘If that is the market price then I can’t say anything…..’
Ark wasn’t gathering scrap metal in order to earn pocket money. Tori would only teach Ark the hacking skill if he gathered scrap metal worth 10 gold at least 20 times. It meant he needed to gather 200 gold worth of scrap metal to learn hacking. If he only gathered 7 gold in 3 days then it would take more than a month to earn 200 gold. It wouldn’t be possible if he earnt the bonus every time. If he only received the base salary of the Attackers then it would take 4 months.
‘This is ridiculous!’
Ark was filled with adrenaline when he calculated the result. But he couldn’t do anything since it was the formal market price. The moment Ark was going to give up!
“Wait a minute!”
The man appeared like the wind…..
“Hey Tori, I’ve been watching and you really are terrible!”
The guy who ran forward was the Scavenger Heksu. Tori flinched and shouted angrily as he saw Heksu.
“What, what the? What do you mean? Why are you interrupting my business deal?”
“Business? You’re playing around. Isn’t this a scam? I can’t allow you to do that to Ark. Ark saved my life. I can’t just let my saviour be cheated in front of me!”
“S-scam?”
“Yes, Ark. You’re still inexperienced so you don’t know but not all the metal obtained from the Nakuma is the same. Some are plain metal and some are special. The price will vary depending on the type of metal. It is natural. Is gold and copper the same price? The Silver Hand settles the spoils depending on the price. Your bag is limited so you were given some of the expensive metal. Yet the hamster indicated that it was just plain scrap metal.”
Heksu raised his arm and classified the metal parts Ark took out.
“Now, look here. This is a silver alloy worth 20 silver per kilogram. And this one is 50 silver per kilogram. This is a rare metal alloy and is 1 gold per kilogram.”
Heksu calculated again and the price ended up as 25 gold!
‘That cheating hamster bastard!’
Ark glared at Tori. Then Tori pouted as he looked into the distance and said.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I deceived you on purpose? I didn’t know either. How could it be? I’m getting old and forgetful that I even forget to eat some days.”
Tori pretended ignorance. Ark realized why Tori asked him to pay in metal parts instead of money. When he first signed the contract, he thought 200 gold wouldn’t be that much because it was paid in instalments. Yet the hamster was trying to cheat him to get more money. He forgot for a while but this was the hamster he wanted to drive a bullet into. But that was for after he learnt the hacking skill.
‘Anyway, I have to be careful not to be exploited by this hamster.’
So Ark always brought Heksu when disposing of metal parts. It wasn’t easy since Heksu was an NPC but Ark had saved his life. Furthermore, Heksu was still actively trying to get Ark to become his successor.
“How is it? You can acquire abundant knowledge if you become a Scavenger.”
He tried to incite Ark with that but…..
Ark showed concentration equivalent for students preparing for the law bar exam if it came to money!
‘I can receive Heksu’s help while I’m a part of the Silver Hand but that has its limitations. Metal is a basic component of Galaxian. Other merchant NPCs might try to trick me like Tori so I should learn metal classification.’
Therefore Ark carefully watched the way Heksu classified the metals. If he did that then he would learn the knowledge. First it was possible to roughly classify the metal through colour and texture. Aside from colour and texture, there was also sound. Some metals made a ringing sound when tapped by a hammer. Ark absorbed that information into his head. The last time he was in the store, he tried to classify the metal by himself. He got roughly 70% correct. He then repeated it until the accuracy reached 100%!
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆) has been learnt.
Metallurgy (User, Passive): You can deeply observe the appearance of metal and determine what type it is. If you find a new lode containing metal then this skill will be very important. In addition, the probability of getting a better metal when defeating mechanical life forms will increase. If your knowledge deepens then it is possible to investigate the composition of metals and produce new alloys.
<You can perfect classify the metal composition of general metals. The probability of getting good quality metals from mechanical creatures will rise by 20%>
An unexpected skill was learnt.
‘That…..it isn’t a bad skill to avoid scams.’
He would’ve never been able to learn the skill if it wasn’t for Tori. Of course, the idea of thanking the hamster never entered his mind. Anyway, the Metallurgy skill allowed him to classify metal composition. He was soon able to classify the metal parts dropped by the Nakuma.
“Scary talent! Genius, a genius. A Scavenger……”
Heksu once again regretted Ark’s talent. However, Heksu was forced to give up on making Ark his successor. The reason was……
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The revolver shots rang across the swamp! The final resisting Nakuma collapsed. Clem clicked his tongue and turned towards Ark.
“…… Now it is the end. The chick who had difficulty is now gone.”
“Yes, you had some hard times.”
The other Attackers said with a glum expression. Ark put away his dagger and revolver and bowed.
“Yes, thank you for everything. I was able to grow up thanks to Captain-nim, Heksu-nim and the Silver Hand.”
“This child, you’re making me cry.”
Clem nudged Ark’s shoulder and said. The Silver Hand was a hired mercenary troop to hunt the Nakuma multiplying on Istana. They had been hunting the Nakuma round Nephalim for a fortnight now. They couldn’t hunt the Nakuma using the amplifier much longer. It was time to leave for another city.
“I had wanted to continue with you but……”
Ark also found it valuable. He was able to obtain a lot of experience from hunting with the Silver Hand. And he received quite a bit of income. However, how was different from other users. No matter how much experience and loot, he couldn’t just hunt the Nakuma. No, even if it wanted to Ark had a contract with Tori not the Silver Hand. He was presently a ‘hired staff.’
“It can’t be helped. You will do well wherever you go. But come find us at any time if you want work. You are already part of our family. If you have some difficulties then we will help you.”
Clem manipulated the Nymphe and an information window appeared.
-The GPS has been given the tracking information of the mercenary troop Silver Hand.
If you enter this GPS data then you will be able to determine the location of the Silver Hand’s truck.
“Thank you. I’ll definitely visit you sometime.”
Ark finally parted from the Silver Hand after hunting together for a fortnight. He confirmed that the Silver Hand truck moved to another city before returning to the junkyard. Ark still had work to do despite parting from the Silver Hand. He could finally learn the hacking skill after two weeks.
‘So far I’ve done it 19 times so this is the last one!’
Tori couldn’t believe it but he kept his promise. He showed Ark hacking techniques every time he bought specific amounts of gold. There were two important processes in learning hacking. One was to extract the OS of the machine parts that the Nakuma dropped to create a hacking program. Ark would then combine the sources to produce a hacking program. During the past fortnight, Ark had extracted 19 different OS sources. He had finally obtained 200 gold worth of metal parts and was going to complete the 20th time. However, it wasn’t that easy.
“Phew! Looking at this for a while will give me nausea. But now it is almost finished!”
Ark glared at the monitor after returning to the junkyard.
-akqlkd# dlakdi# doqmalkdc-33458# do-342kdkcnq#…….
Wild characters were listed on the monitor. This was the OS source derived from the mechanical parts that the Nakuma dropped. In fact, Ark had felt his spirit fly away the first time he saw this screen. Making an OS program in the game didn’t require professional knowledge. The complicated technology would proceed automatically. Ark thought like that. However, he was 50% correct and 50% wrong. This game certainly didn’t require specialized knowledge. Instead Galaxian asked for a patient heart! The monitor had complex characters but they had no meaning. Some paragraphs just consisted of the letters A, B, C, D. The problem was that it wasn’t it order. So it would be D, A, C, B. In order to produce a hacking program, he had to change the jumbled order to the right one.
‘It didn’t seem like a big deal at first……’
When Tori first taught him, he only had to fix 3 paragraphs. He only had to change the order a few times and the right answer would appear. However, every time it repeated then the number wold increase until the last attempt had 30 paragraphs. He had to change the order of 30 paragraphs and test it! It was the first time he had gone through such work. But Ark was patient!
-Error!
-Error…..
It took him 10 hours! The message seemed to continue forever.
-The program operation was a success!
20 different OS have been successfully combined with the source program and uploaded to the system.
-The hacking program ‘Invader Ver 1.0’ has been uploaded to the Nymph.
-Special data has been uploaded to the Nymph and a new skill (Common Occupation ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆) has been learnt.
Hacking (User, Active): You have received the guidance of the hacker Tori and created your own hacking program. It will be able to connect to various electronic devices in Galaxian and unlock them. However, if you excessively use the hacking program then you might be caught by the federation and arrested for illegal hacking.
<Able to release level 1~3 electronic locks>
Mental power consumption: 50>
‘A 4 star rated skill!’
Ark’s mouth gaped open. The stars indicted the degree of difficulty in learning the skill. Things like Dagger Mastery and Close Marksmanship only had 1 star while skills like Metallurgy had 2 stars
3 stars indicated a special technique learned from an NPC so more stars meant it was a more difficult skill to learn. 4 stars was almost the best rating! He had collected scrap iron for half a month and this was the result. His suffering was rewarded with the hacking skill…..
‘I can examine it immediately!’
Ark took out the memory chip. It was the memory chip he found in the toy received from the baby octopuses. He had gone through all this trouble to unlock the data. Ark looked half anxious and half expectant as he connected the toy to the Nymphe. The automatic lock message appeared like before.
-This memory chip is protected with a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
“Okay, start!”
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 02
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Ruins Exploration
“This is…..”
Ark muttered with a lost expression. Ark had arrived at Nephalim, sold to the Silver Hand and hunted the mechanical Nakuma for a fortnight because of one goal. That was the hack the memory chip of the toy airplane to determine the data. It was the reason he rolled around in the mud and was covered in oil. He finally completed the hacking program ‘Invader’ and was ready to access the data on the toy.
-You have attempted a hack.
The hacking process will change depending on the lock. The lock and degree of difficulty will depend on the rating of the hacking skill. If you penetrate all the security measures around the lock then it will be released.
“Eh?”
Ark had though the rest would proceed automatically after making the hacking program. Yet the information window said that some technique was necessary to release the lock. Of course, Ark panicked because he didn’t know any techniques…..
-The current lock accessed is ‘High Runner: Level 2.’
The character is located on the left end of your hacking program ‘Invader.’
You need to break through numerous obstacles and the guardian protecting the data to reach the destination. If you touch any obstacles or the guardian then the hacking will fail.
Now, display your newly learned hacking capabilities and try to invade the data!
The Nymphe’s screen ended up changing. A person holding a big key appeared on the lower left and started running. And numerous rocks, traps and robots appeared on the right side. Then Ark’s character hit a rock.
-GAME OVER!
The hacking has failed. If you fail 3 times in a row then you can’t connect to 24 hours.
“Game over? What? So this…..”
Ark was able to 100% understand how to hack after trying it once. Once he understood then it wasn’t a problem completing it. While killing time riding the train or us, he would often play games like ‘Wind Runner’ and ‘Dragon Flight’ on his smartphone.In the end, his hacking would succeed if he moved his character holding the key through the obstacles to the final destination. Well, it was easy enough to understand…..
“…… This is hacking?”
Ark felt relieved at the thought. It was inevitable that Galaxian followed the rules of the game but to have Wind Runner……Anyway, this style of hacking wasn’t bad for Ark. In this generation of smartphones, Ark was familiar with these types of casual games. Thanks to his exception concentration and reflexes, he had placed 1st in quite a few games. He was already an expert in this field!
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Jump with perfect timing! Jump! Jump! After the first failure, Ark used amazing concentration to jump over numerous obstacles. Ark’s alter ego finally reached the gates and plugged in the key. The gates parted and a message appeared.
-You have broken through all the firewalls protecting the data and released the lock!
The data from the memory chip has been downloaded to the Nymphe.
“It’s a success!”
Ark cheered with joy. Although he had panicked at the disconcerting sight of the 80’s game, he had succeeded in surpassing all obstacles and obtained the data. It took a fortnight to get here! The result of all his troubles could now be confirmed.
‘What will be on here? A hidden dungeon? Or a skill?’
Was there a time where I’ve ever been so thrilled playing the game? The thought of the hidden heart made his heart pound. He impatiently waited for the data to download. 10%, 20%, 30%…..it finally reached 100%.
“Ohhh! Now!”
Ark clenched his fist and shouted.
-A system error has occurred!
The unverified damage has dealt fatal damage to your Nymphe’s OS……
!!#$&#@##$!caeQdDf1!qolq!#$%!#$#$%! alq290481-4901#@#$%!!!!
“Huk! W-what is this?”
His cheer turned into a scream. The screen of his Nymphe turned blue once the download was complete. The screen filled with unknown characters and symbols!
“T-this is……?”
Cold sweat appeared down Ark’s back.Ark had seen such a blue screen before. But it was in reality not Galaxian. That’s right. Anybody would understand what it was. It was the typical screen that appeared when something was wrong with the computer’s OS. It was the blue screen that sent any user into panic!
“This is ridiculous! Why is this window appearing on the Nymphe? A blue screen?”
Ark screamed like crazy as he touched the Nymphe. However, the Nymphe……
The screen sometimes changed but the characters and symbols were still there. All his functions on the Nymphe like the character information window, item window and system explanations were jammed! Ark’s head also become stuck.
“W-why all of a sudden…..?”
Ark shouted before suddenly closing his mouth. Ark was reminded of something. The blue screen had appeared just after he downloaded the data from the airplane toy. That was the only answer that appeared in his mind.
“No way……the data downloaded from the toy place…..was a computer virus……”
There were also computer viruses in a game? Who would’ve imagined such a thing? But there was no other possible reason.
“Oh my god! What do I…..?”
Ark grabbed his head as he collapsed to the ground. He suffered for a fortnight just for his Nymphe to obtain a virus? Ark felt despair as he saw the blue screen of the Nymphe. The Nymphe contained all the systems in Galaxian. Aside from the character screen, what point was there in playing the game when he couldn’t even confirm items or quests?
‘.….. That’s right!’
Some light returned to Ark’s hopeless eyes.
‘Yes, if the Nymphe is gone then I can’t even confirm items, skills and my character. It won’t be a game at all. This is a serious bug so Galaxian must have a way to recover from it. They wouldn’t want to make the users quit the game so there must be a way!’
It was natural when he thought about it logically. Ark then ran around the commercial district looking for information about how to restore the Nymphe. But he couldn’t find any information even after running around for a few hours. Hacking was a 4 star rated skill. The game service for Galaxian had just started so not that many users had learnt hacking. And how many people would be unlucky in their attempts of hacking like Ark? But there had to be a way. There was no doubt about it. However, there was no guarantee that he could find it. Ark grabbed his broken Nymphe and whined.
‘Dammit, why do I keep having such bad luck?’
Ark let out a heavy sigh.
“Rululu! Rululu!”
A humming sound was heard from near him. The hamster carrying a large bag was entering the junkyard. It was Ark’s employer Tori. Then an ‘!’ popped into Ark’s head.
‘Stupid! Did my head disappear as well as my Nymphe? Why have I been searching in the wrong place? There is an expert right next to me. That’s right. The hamster told me that the hacking skill he taught me was child’s play. That guy must’ve seen other people suffering from the same situation.’
The only thing he was worried about was that it was the hamster Tori. Ark knew that he was a guy who would extort money no matter what. Ark was extremely worried about that point but he had no choice. No, he would pay whatever it took if Tori solved his problem.
“That…….”
Ark deliberately looked hopeless as he approached Tori. The humming Tori stared at him with wide eyes and asked.
“Eh? What are you doing here? You still haven’t made the hacking program?”
“No, I created the hacking program……”
“That is good.”
Tori put down his baggage and pulled out a bunch of papers.
“You’ve created the hacking program so you have nothing to do right? Then scatter some of these.”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Flyers, an advertising poster.”
Tori waved the flyer in front of Ark’s face as he replied.
-Limited time sale for Tori’s store ‘Gear!’
「Ignition Bullet」, 「Superconducting Electromagnet」and a large number of useful item will be sold at 20% of the normal price. This is a great chance to purchase useful items for a cheap price!
Look for Tori’s Gear shop in D-23 of the commercial district.
Those contents were written on the flyer. Ark looked at the flyer and asked absentmindedly.
“Eh? Ignition Bullet? Superconducting electromagnet? You sold such items in your store?”
“They’re all here.”
Tori hit his bag and smiled.
“I’ve managed to obtain these for 50% of the fixed price a short time ago.”
“Eh? 50% of the fixed price? Where?”
“Hihihihi. Actually I lent some money to a store suffering from financial difficulties. But I knew. Their store would perish soon.”
“You lent them money knowing their store would perish?”
“Of course. Then it will turn into money for me.”
Tori the hamster smiled evilly.
“This store has quite a bit of technology. The store also has a patent on the Ignition Bullet and Superconducting electromagnets. Well, they expanded their business by force and suffered financial difficulties…..Anyway, I knew their store was already in an unrecoverable state and lent them money. After I heard that the store had applied for bankruptcy, I quickly collected these items as collateral.”
“So you accepted these items instead of a debt?”
“It’s not just these items.”
Tori proudly took out some papers. It was the patents and blueprints for the Ignition Bullets, the Superconducting electromagnets and others.
“This is the real money.”
This was the reason why Tori lent money to the store that was dying. The dying store had no money to repay Tori and would end up in debt. Therefore Tori received the store’s products instead. And it was obviously a good value for Tori. Tori said 50% but he actually gained it for less than that. No, he said 50% but he had clearly drained them of their blood.
“So you were thinking of money from the beginning…..”
“Of course. Why else would I lend money to a company about to go broke? Bah! Any other company would’ve just deprived them of all their money. But who am I? I already investigated everything. I employed many mercenaries and they eventually gave me the rights to the patents. Hihihihi!”
‘I know this but…..’
He really was a scamming hamster. However, he had no intention of attacking. This was the principle of a capitalistic economy. Ark had also earned quite a bit of money through this principle. Then Tori sent him a coy look.
“Hihihihi. Right now Nephalim is overflowing with beginner pioneers like you. If I sell it to the pioneers there is no doubt that I can earn money. Hihihihi! How about it? Huh? Do you want to buy some now? I’ll give you a staff discount of 23%.”
“That’s okay.”
“Sheesh, what a cheapskate!”
“Cheapskate? You’re the one who arranged for me to collect metal from the Nakuma to learn hacking. Isn’t it impossible for me to have any money? And isn’t Tori-nim my sponsor? Shouldn’t you give me these type of support items for free?”
“One…..it is possible to give.”
Tori surprisingly nodded and agreed. But as expected from the hamster, it actually wasn’t for free. Tori pulled out a few bundles of flyers and said.
“If you scatter all of these then I will give you one Ignition Bullet.”
“How many are there?”
“5,000. Of course, you shouldn’t just scatter them anywhere. You said hand them out properly one by one to each person individually. 1 flyer will earn you 1 mileage point.”
Tori said while waving the flyer. Like it was explained a while ago, originally sponsors would give support to the user. However, the sponsor wouldn’t give it without anything in return. The users could do chores or quests for the sponsor in order to get mileage points. Of course, the mileage would be a lot higher the more difficult the task was. For example, if he distinguished himself in a war area for the galactic federation then he would build up huge mileage and could even receive a unique item. That’s why users preferred the federation of the 4 big businesses as sponsors since they gave quests with huge mileage.
‘Then…..’
Ark stared at the flyers. The contract was just handing out flyers to pioneers…..well, it was impossible to obtain anything other than part time jobs when a junkyard was the sponsor. However, he had a reason to be motivated about the work. He earned 1 mileage point for each flyer so that would be 5000 points. If he thought about it like that then he would be motivated. Tori deliberately aimed for these items and lent money so they might be unexpectedly useful. However……
–!#$! FDWADR!! @#$!#$ED!
Q!@ER!! #$!%EQR! R#! R#!#R!$#R!#$R$R…….
This was the item information when he tried to search for it on the Nymphe. He couldn’t even confirm the items directly because of the problem with his Nymphe.
‘In this state, I won’t even be able to recognize a legendary item if it rolled on the ground in front of me!’
Ark’s top priority had to be restoring his Nymphe.
‘I need to figure out a way to restore my Nymphe!’
He couldn’t think about money right now. Ark thought for a while before suggesting carefully.
“I understand. I will hand out 5,000 flyers. You also don’t need to give me the Ignition Bullet.”
“What? You’ll hand out the flyer for free?”
Tori’s eyes widened. Ark nodded and Tori stared making noise.
“Hihihihi. You’re finally starting to learn something. That’s right. If you’re a true pioneer then you should give priority to growth over profit. Both the company and the employee will benefit. Pioneers these days don’t realize this. As expected, the one that Cheksun introduced is different. No, isn’t it due to my education methods? Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as you have that mindset. Then please work hard. If you maintain that attitude then becoming a formal employee won’t be a dream anymore.”
“Yes. I’ll work hard. But……”
“But……?”
“I actually have a small problem.”
“A problem? What is it?”
“That…..”
Ark studied Tori’s face before getting to the main subject.
“Actually, I wanted to learn hacking from Tori-nim because I accidentally picked up a memory chip. I needed hacking to obtain the data. Just before, I finally released the lock and downloaded the data to the Nymphe.”
“Oh! Really?”
“Then suddenly this happened.”
Ark sighed and showed Tori the screen of his Nymphe. Tori’s black eyes rounded and he looked at the Nymphe for a while. He pulled out a cigarette and smoked it for a while before sighing and saying to Ark.
“You….are screwed.”
‘This damn hamster! I already know that which is why I asked you!’
Ark thought angrily but he showed patience and asked.
“Do you know why it happened?”
“There could be a couple of reasons. Sometimes a computer will be infected with a virus and similar symptoms will occur. But that isn’t the main reason. The important thing is that the Nymphe won’t work unless the data is legitimate.
“Legitimate data?”
“You know the basics of the Nymphe but it isn’t just a simple terminal. Some ignorant pioneers might mistake it as a smartphone but it is entirely different from a primitive device like that. It possesses some of the same functions as a smartphone but the most important function is its ability to assimilate the users’ genetic information. It can connect to all devices in Galaxian and the Nymphe can even display special powers if you obtain a powerful weapon. The Nymphe is the basic, required equipment in the space pioneering age.”
He had heard such things when first starting Galaxian.
“Therefore the federation directly manages the OS of the Nymphe. The federation monopolized the patient and stopped other companies from manipulating the systems.”
“So…..I’ll have to go to the federation to restore my Nymphe?”
“That’s the problem.”
Tori stared at his cigarette with an uncomfortable expression before continuing.
“You can go to the federation to restore your Nymphe’s OS. If it was a normal error. That is…..If the error was because of data download from a federation’s program then the OS will be restored for free but……”
Tori put a ‘……’ and Ark waited impatiently.
“Your case is different. If the investigate the system while restoring the OS then the illegal hacking program will be discovered. And you used the hacking program to release a lock and received the data. That alone is a serious crime in Galaxian. Didn’t I say it before? All rights to the Nymphe’s OS belonged to the federation. If it is revealed that the data you downloaded changed the OS then your crimes will just pile up. If you show it to the federation then you will be 100% arrested immediately.”
Tori clicked his tongue and muttered.
“In other words, you’re screwed.”
Ark’s head was blank after hearing Tori’s explanation. He had barely started the game a month ago and he hadn’t even reached level 30 before being arrested. If he was a criminal then he would receive enormous penalties.
‘But…….’
He wasn’t able to play the game directly. He had to report it to the federation even if it meant receiving a penalty. When he was halfway to giving up, Tori secretly whispered to him.
“But there is a way.”
“Huh? A way?”
“Yes, your Nymphe is broken because of something to do with the OS. The OS is a program. So you just need to treat the virus and it will work again.
“But only the federation can……”
“It was originally like that.”
Tori smiled and replied.
“However, if I make up my mind then this Tori can reconfigure the OS.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, when I was younger I would hack recklessly and my Nymphe would also be broken like this. Hihihihi! So I learnt how to catch the virus using Cheksun’s Nymphe. If I use a similar method then your Nymphe can be restored.”
Tori also experienced similar things while hacking. Ark’s guess was correct.
“T-then……”
“Of course it won’t be easy.”
Tori gave a meaningful smile before getting to the point.
“The Nymphe’s OS is incredibly complicated. An enormous amount of time and effort is needed to restore it properly. And like I said before, accessing the Nymphe’s OS is illegal. If you want to restore your OS then I will have to commit a felony. It is dangerous. A dangerous action.”
Ark’s was tense after Tori’s words. Tori…..it was unnecessary to say but he was a scamming hamster. He had requested metal parts worth 200 gold in order to learn the hacking skin. Ark was almost cheated a few times after that so he was prepared. And repairing the Nymphe’s OS was a felony. Wouldn’t he obviously request a lot? Ark was restless from those types of thoughts. Tori’s eyes sparkled and he whispered.
“I’ll do it for free.”
“F-for free? Really?”
“I won’t ask for anything. I will restore your Nymphe for free if everything goes well.”
“Everything goes well?”
“Yes, if the work goes well.”
Tori grinned and nodded.
“It is hard to explain in detail but there is a reason I placed my store in this corner. I once explored Galaxian with Cheksun. During that time, I obtained some information by chance. Nephalim has a significant amount of artefacts buried somewhere. That is why I settled in Nephalim. To excavate the artefacts. I’ve been working on it for a long time and it has advanced.”
Tori looked around before speaking in a lower voice.
“That’s why I’m making you an offer. I’ve been working alone but now there is a problem.”
“A problem……?”
Ark’s voice also became lower as he asked. Tori replied.
“I can dig to the place where the relics are buried on my own. But according to my information, there is a type of security guard where the relics are buried. Even a genius like me can’t deal with that. However, I can’t hire mercenaries to dig up the relics. But you’re different. You are my contracted employee and you also managed to deal with hundreds of Nakuma.”
Tori narrowed his eyes and approached.
“The condition is 30% of the relics discovered. And the restoration of your Nymphe’s OS. How about it? The conditions aren’t bad right?”
An information window appeared as soon as Tori finished talking.
-!#$FDQ! EF!$#!#$!#@#$%^%!$#%!
! Q#$! RSDR@$%R!FR#@!$RR!#$^%! T$! T!@…….
He couldn’t read the information window. However, it was possible to guess the contents.
‘Certainly…..’
Tori’s conditions weren’t bad. No, it was actually a ridiculously good condition. The Nymphe being restored for free and 30% of the relics was a windfall he never thought he would receive. However, the problem was that the NPC suggesting this was the hamster Tori. He was the one who taught the hacking skill for 200 gold and even lent money to failing businesses to obtain their patents! Then wouldn’t his suggestion definitely have some ulterior motive?
‘He is definitely up to some mischief……’
Ark stared at Tori as he contemplated. Tori seemed to suspect Ark’s thoughts and added.
“Okay. I’ll honestly tell you. In fact, I will also be in trouble if you go to the federation. If the federation starts investigating then they might discover that I taught you hacking. Well, I might be able to appease them somehow but there is no guarantee. In the end, both of us are in the same boat. And I also need a soldier to fight the guardian and find the relics. So I used my big heart and made a proposal…..if you don’t like it then I guess it’s not possible.”
“Wait a minute.”
Ark grabbed Tori’s shoulder who was turning around. Tori’s words couldn’t be 100% trusted. Obviously he was up to some mischief. However, Ark would be trapped in chains if he refused so he had no choice. It was better to believe in Tori. Tori’s suggestion was also registered as a quest. The quest was an absolute law to NPCs. The hamster had registered his offer as a quest so he couldn’t go against it.
“I accept. The offer, I’ll accept it.”
-!#$@! EFD!#$!#$!#$!#$! D!@$##.
The message appeared once he accepted the quest
—————————————————————————————-
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant.”
Beads of sweat rolled down Ark’s face and back. His shoulders, waist and thighs throbbed as he felt pain in his muscles.
“Ouch, there is no place on my body that doesn’t hurt. Damn, what on earth…..”
Ark sighed as he looked at the long tunnel. The tunnel was hundreds of metres in length and was 100% made with Ark’s hard work and sweat as it lead towards the place the artefacts were buried
Tori said that the place wasn’t far. When he accepted the quest, Tori brought Ark to a corner of the junkyard. He extracted a bit from the bottom of a pile of junk and a hidden trapdoor to the basement appeared. There was the beginning of a tunnel in the basement. Tori had been working on it for a long time so the tunnel already went for hundreds of metres.
‘He made this tunnel by himself?’
His thoughts about Tori slightly changed after seeing the tunnel. So far Ark thought that Tori was a hamster who engaged in fraudulent schemes. Of course, he still though of Tori as a scamming hamster. But he managed to dig this tunnel and obtained patents from failings stores so he wasn’t a lazy hamster.
‘That guy surprisingly has some good points…..’
He thought like this but it only lasted for a minute. Tori threw him a shovel as soon as he entered the tunnel.
“Now, take this. This will be your workplace from now on. I’ll give you three meals a day so don’t even think about dying before you reach the destination.”
“Eh? By myself?”
“What, are you dissatisfied?”
“No, no dissatisfied but……”
“Well, we’ve traded together so I’ve arranged this for you. I was also the one who located the relics and dug the tunnel up to here. I’m also giving you 30% of the profit. Besides, I’m also repairing your Nymphe for free. Then shouldn’t you do something to prove your worth? Do you want me to dig the rest of the tunnel and give you the relics?”
He didn’t have anything to say to that. If he thought about it like that then Tori certainly did most of the work.
“And my work has built up because I’ve been busy because of the debt. But now I have to fix the Nymphe for you. If you find the relics quickly then your Nymphe will be restored faster. So start digging with the shovel and stop complaining.”
He wasn’t wrong. Thus Ark ended up digging the remaining tunnel alone.
‘Then a machine! This is the future! In the age of space ships, I have to dig a tunnel with a shovel? At least an excavator or something! He wanted to express that thought but……
“I’ll tell you in advance but don’t expect any machines. The devices are possible but the distinctive noise and electronic signals means there is more risk of being caught. Didn’t I tell you? This has to be done in absolute secrecy.”
……He couldn’t say anything else.
“I don’t know what I’m doing in this game.”
A sigh flowed out as he grabbed the shovel. Galaxian was a next generation virtual reality game that captured the attention of gamers around the world! Galaxian was a grand scale SF game with many ancient alien civilizations. And Ark dreamed about being a hero in space when he connected to Galaxian. However, in R-14 he ended up cleaning the pipes. He also rolled around in the mud after arriving Nephalim and now he was digging. This was more like a labour game instead of a SF game.
“I’m shovelling in the age of space ships…..”
A sigh naturally emerged. However, Ark shook his head firmly.
“There’s only one thing to do. I don’t have a choice so it is better to think positively. Yes, it is good because I can restore my Nymphe without becoming a criminal. I can also get some artefacts.”
Tori was a money obsessed hamster. The relics Tori was targeting definitely had value. If an NPC like Tori was aiming towards the relics then Ark was convinced. And he could obtain 30% of the relics once he found them.
“Yes, this is an opportunity!”
Ark was filled with motivation and grabbed the shovel. He connected to the game, shovelled, ate lunch, shovelled, had dinner and shovelled until he fell asleep! His lower back was broken as he shovelled every day. Shovelling was hard work. It didn’t matter if this was a game. Digging for 1 hour would cause muscle pain to his shoulders, waist and legs. If he dug for a few days then there was no place that wouldn’t hurt. If he was this tired in the game then he would be suffering in reality.
“But there is no jackpot without pain!”
Ark clenched his teeth. Thus he didn’t rest and shovelled around the clock. It was a truly indomitable spirit! He started to get the hang of it after digging so much. It was possible to move his waist more efficiently and he could handle large rocks more easily…… Once he got the hang of it, his muscle pain also started to dwindle. When Ark’s muscles became used to it……
-#@#$## ‘@$$%@$’ @#$$%$%&##%!
!#$!$!@#$:#$&!#&&$!&#&$@!&&#$!#$……….
An unidentified information window emerged from the Nymphe. He was still unable to recognize the symbols and characters.
“Anyway, I can already guess the information.”
Ark could guess the contents of the information window. As soon as the information window appeared, his digging speed started to increase. The information window was related to digging! He had dug the tunnel for a few days using a shovel so he had learnt a skill. Wiping the pipes for a week on R-14 and gaining the Facilities Maintenance skill, collecting metal parts to learn Hacking and now digging…..Ark started to get bad vibes as he looked at all his skills. Anyway, there was no need to say that the digging skill was immediately useful!
“Yes, this is it! Ohhhh!”
Papapapa! Papapapa! Papapapa!
Ark seemed to turn into a mole as he dug the tunnel with tremendous speed. After another few days, a sound was heard.
Kang-!
The end of the shovel seemed to encounter something. It didn’t encounter rocks. The shovel had hit iron! Ark judged that something was there and removed the dirt around it. And a wall made of metal appeared. No, he thought it was a wall but a door actually appeared once the soil was removed. It was a firmly closed rusted, iron door.
“Perhaps this is where the relics are hidden……”
Ark immediately went back to the junkyard to call Tori. Tori’s eyes shone as he saw the iron door and he laughed.
“That’s right! This is great! This door leads to where the relics are hidden!”
“But it is locked?”
“Hihihihi, of course it is locked.”
Tori pulled out a connector and linked his Nymphe to the locking mechanism on the door. After a few moments of manipulating, there was a beep and the locking device was turned off.
“That……?”
“Who do you think taught hacking to you?”
Tori smiled and pushed open the iron door. Ark’s heart pounded as he entered with Tori. The relics were hidden here. Therefore Ark had imagined the ruins of an ancient city underground. However, the iron door connected with a long, cylindrical passage. This was more like a sewage treatment plant than a ruin?
“The relics are hidden here?”
“No, this passage will take us to the location.”
“Then the passage will connect to some ruins?”
“Ruins?”
Tori looked sceptically at Ark. Then his eyes rolled and he burst out laughing.
Wiiiing-!
Suddenly he had the sound of a motor. Tori jumped back with a nervous look and muttered.
“Ark! Those guys!”
“Those guys?”
“You fool, what did I hire you for? I told you. There is a guardian protecting the relics. Do you understand? From now on it is up to you.”
Didn’t he dig the tunnel leading here? He wanted to question it but there was no time. The motor sound approached and a red light appeared. An android type monster was surveying the area with a red ray of light. The lower part of the android had four wheels like a wagon. The red ray touched Ark and Tori and the android started making warning sounds.
–Intruders discovered! Warning! If you don’t surrender now……
Pepeng! Jijijiji!
There was a ringing sound and the android was covered with a type of powder. The android wasn’t able to make noise anymore.
“Hihihihi, how is it? The taste of the Ignition Bullet?”
Tori laughed as he shook a ball like object.
“The Ignition Bullets are useless most of the time. But there is one good use. The powder sprayed contains a special coating that interferes with radio waves. The radio waves are blocked so it can’t request help from other guardians. So rest assured and destroy it.”
‘What? There is such an item?’
Ark eyed the scattered metallic powder. Once again, the Silver Hand had taken advantage of the Nakuma’s radio waves to hunt a lot of them. The Nakuma’s special quality was to send a SOS signal to its colleagues and they amplified that signal several hundred times. So there should be an item to block the SOS signal. In other words, there was an item to allowed users to fight an android 1 on 1.
‘That’s why Tori said it is an important item for beginners……’
He thought it would be good to buy some. Well, that was for after he found the relics.
‘The guardian is an android……’
A confident smile appeared on Ark’s face. During the last fortnight Ark had destroyed a lot of machines. He even came up with a way to overcome his limitations in marksmanship. That was close combat fighting and Close Marksmanship!
“Go, henchman no. 1!”
Tori shouted from behind Ark. The noise was enough to make his motivation fall. However, Ark just pulled out his dagger and revolver and laughed.
“……I will succeed.”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Guardian fired its Gatling gun. Sparks appeared everywhere in the underground passage. And the smell of gunpowder stimulated his nose.
“Shield!”
Ark used his shield to block the projectiles and narrowed the distance. And continued with his dagger! The dagger collided with the Guardian’s shield and it shook. All electronic devices in Galaxian were connected with the Nymphe. Therefore his Infrared Scope also wasn’t working so he couldn’t check the level or health of the Guardian and the shield. However, Ark had fought hundreds of Nakuma.
‘It isn’t an opponent I can’t win against!’
Ark was able to determine this after a few attacks. The only difference from the Nakuma was the Guardian’s lower body. It allowed the Guardian to quickly move backwards and forwards.
‘This will be disadvantageous if the battle continues for a long time. I need to quickly finish this!’
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Guardian moved sideways and rampaged with the Gatling gun. Ark turned and ran to the other side. He stepped on a pipe built into the walls, jumped and landed on the upper body of the Guardian. Sparks continuously flew from the Guardian’s shield as Ark kept attacking.
-Danger! Support! Requesting support! Requesting support!
The Guardian started calling for assistance once the shield was destroyed. However, the radio waves were blocked by the metallic powder spread by the Ignition Bullet!
“Go to hell!”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Ark relentlessly pulled the trigger and attacked the Guardian with his revolver. Every strong point has a weakness. The Guardian’s legs gave it high manoeuvrability but it had low defense compared to the Nakuma. If he focused the bullets on the wheels then its movements would also be sealed. Victory or defeat was already decided at this point. The Guardian was immobile and just helplessly fired the Gatling gun as Ark ran around it and attacked. Ark stopped the Guardian’s blade with his dagger and fired with the revolver. After many gunshots……
-!#$!%!@!#R! F@$R@F!@R! ER!@##$!
An unidentified message appeared as the Guardian died.
“Ohhh! My no. 1 henchman! I knew you defeated a lot of Nakuma but this was unexpected. Awesome! Hihihi, if you’re that skilled then we can easily obtain the artefacts!”
Tori shouted as the Guardian collapsed. The praise from the hamster didn’t feel that bad.
“Well, it is just this degree.”
Ark’s ego became inflated as he approached the corpse of the Guardian. The Guardian was an android so it also dropped some metal parts. Several metal pieces of good quality could be seen.
‘Surely he won’t try to take this away from me?’
Ark quickly collected the metal parts before Tori could. No, he was about to collect it.
“Eh? W-wait? W-what is this?” This is surely……”
Ark’s face became panicked as he saw a mark inscribed on a metal piece. The mark was a space ship and a blue planet. He had seen that mark on R-14……
“……The galactic federation?”
Space 2
Secret of the Relics
“W-why is the mark of the galactic federation……?”
Ark felt like he had been shot in the head. They came through a tunnel that Ark dug until he felt like dying so why was the mark of the federation on an android he defeated? But there was one thing that was clear. Tori definitely knew something! Ark turned his head. Tori noticed his gaze and flinched.
“What? Why? What have I done?”
“……Where are we?”
“I told you. The relics are hidden here.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Ark held out the metal with the mark of the federation stamped on it.
“Why is an android from the federation in this place?”
“T-that is……”
Tori anxiously scratched his head. And awkwardly laughed before replying.
“This is the underground facilities of Nephalim’s galactic federation branch.”
“The underground facilities of the galactic federation?”
“That’s right.”
Tori smiled and nodded. Ark started at him with a blank expression before shouting.
“That’s not right! The federation’s underground facility? Weren’t we digging a tunnel to find the relics hidden in Nephalim? So why did we appear in the federation’s underground facility out of nowhere?”
“Because the relics are hidden in the federation’s building.”
“Eh?”
“Our destination is the galactic federation building.”
Tori replied in a casual voice. Ark couldn’t understand what he was saying at first. He dug the tunnel for Tori to look for relics. Yet the galactic federation was the destination? Digging the tunnel to the federation’s underground facility to look for relics…..
Then this guy’s intention……
“Are you planning to rob the galactic federation?”
“To be precise, it is their museum.”
“M-museum?”
“Yes, the History Museum in the galactic federation building. The museum contains an exhibition about the battle between the federation and the Rama in the past. It occurred hundreds of years ago so the exhibition contains old fashioned equipment that mainly don’t work properly. But these items are popular among collectors. It is possible to sell them through the black market for a high price.”
Ark felt his spirit fly to Andromeda at Tori’s words. He knew Tori was a scamming hamster but he never expected this. Who would’ve expected that a NPC would steal from the federation? No, it didn’t matter if the hamster was caught by the federation and punished. The problem was that Ark was an accomplice! He had only played the game for a month and now he was robbing a government facility? It was no different from quitting the game.
‘My last week……’
He spent his last week digging? Anger welled in Ark’s chest as he shouted at Tori.
“I’ll kill this crazy hamster bastard!”
“Hik! W-why are you doing this?”
“Why? Why am I doing this? Do you even need to ask?”
“W-what did I do? I told you from the beginning. I’m looking for relics. Did I lie? The items displayed in the museum are clearly relics. Damn, you should think a little bit. The relics wouldn’t just be buried underneath the city. Isn’t it obvious?”
“T-talking like that…..”
Ark glared and pushed Tori away before turning around.
“That’s it! Dammit, I quit! I’m going to tell the federation right now!”
“Is that wise?”
Tori muttered with an mean smile.
“You haven’t grasped the atmosphere yet. You’re the one who dug the tunnel to this location. And you also smashed the android protecting the facility. Yet you want to turn me in? Ha, do it. But do you expect me to close my mouth and not betray you? I’m going to speak. I’ll speak even if I end up dying. I’ll tell them about you. So go ahead and accuse me.”
“You bastard…..!”
“There’s also the issue of your Nymphe. There is no evidence that I made you do it. Furthermore, your Nymphe has an illegal hacking program which is a felony comparable to theft. Anyway, you’re a criminal. Do you think the federation will believe your words?”
Ark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head after hearing Tori’s words. It had been questionable from the beginning. Ark had been wandering why the hamster offered a sudden proposal. It was because Ark was a ‘reliable’ partner. He was already a criminal because of the illegal hacking!
“This bastard, from the beginning……”
“Of course. I also need a safety device.”
Tori snorted and said.
“Cool off and think again. You’re already a criminal and if you help me rob the museum then you will also benefit. And I didn’t blindly think of this plan. I’ve been investigating the federation’s security system for a long time. 100%! I have confidence that I will 100% succeed. I can enter the galactic federation building unnoticed. If you help me.”
Ark looked shocked. Once again, the same rules in reality were applied to the virtual reality game. One of those rules regarded crime. If a user committed a crime then their criminal value would increase but that was only if they were discovered by a user or NPC. For example, Ark had illegally operated the paid hunting ground on R-14 but he wasn’t noticed by Cheksun so he didn’t become a criminal. That’s why skills like Stealth and Pickpocket existed in games. These skills wouldn’t exist if it was that easy to become a criminal. The only exception was in PK, but in that case the user being killed was the witness. Anyway, if the crime wasn’t discovered then he wouldn’t receive a penalty!
‘If it isn’t discovered…….’
There wouldn’t be any problems. Tori quickly whispered to the shaken Ark.
“Didn’t I tell you? I started this because I have 100% confidence. The only thing to be concerned about is the guards but that won’t be a problem with the Ignition Bullet. And we’ll lock the door and collapse the tunnel after robbing the museum. There is no reason to be discovered. And we can earn relics worth thousands of gold. I assure you.”
‘Thousands of gold!’
In fact, Ark already had no choice. Ark had dug he tunnel from the junkyard. And he just turned the federation’s android in scrap iron.
‘Perhaps the message that appeared after I defeated the Guardian…..’
The message probably stated that his criminal value had increased. In other words, Ark had already become a criminal. Besides, he had already illegally hacked some data and his Nymphe was broken!
He had reluctantly became a criminal. If he went to the galactic federation then he would definitely be clapped in chains. If he helped Tori’s plan then he won’t be trapped in chains. If he joined then he would receive thousands of gold. One side would give profit so there was no need to think about it.
‘But…….’
Ark thought for a moment before nodding.
“Okay. Instead we should change the terms and conditions.”
“Change the terms and conditions?”
“Of course. I accepted because I thought I was digging to find some relics hidden in the ground. So shouldn’t I receive a hazard pay now that there is the risk of becoming a criminal? No, we both have identical risks so isn’t it natural to split it 50-50?”
“W-what? No way! This was originally my plan!”
“If you don’t like it then fine. I’m just going to surrender to the federation.”
“Bah, what are you saying? I told you. The federation won’t believe your words!’
“Probably. But if I surrender then won’t they consider my extenuating circumstances? Unlike you I’m a pioneer. I don’t know what will happen in the future but if I willingly submit then my punishment will be lighter.”
Tori became worried by Ark’s decisive attitude. He rolled his eyes for a moment before replying.
“O-okay. Then 40%.”
“50%.”
“D-dammit! Then 45%! And there is still the recovery of your Nymphe!”
“50%.”
“Don’t you have any common sense involving deals? If I concede then you should also concede something!”
“50%.”
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Really? Then I’ll see you in jail. Bye. Hey, are there any android guards in the area? Hey!”
“W-wait a minute! W-wait! This bastard! O-okay! Okay! 50%! 50%! Is that enough? That’s enough?”
“Then it is a deal.”
Ark laughed as Tori glared at him. He felt like he had become slightly stupid after entering Galaxian but he was still a legendary gamer. Ark’s speciality was grabbing hold of weaknesses and shaking it
Tori was the same. Ark might’ve already crossed the line but he wouldn’t surrender easily. Ark had no choice but there was something he hadn’t considered. Even if Ark became a prisoner, he was just a beginner pioneer so he didn’t have that much to lose. If he was stuck in prison then he would lose a lot of hours but that was it. However, Tori was different. Although it was a junkyard, Tori still had a company in Nephalim. If a crime was discovered then his property would be seized. In other words, the blow he would receive from being arrested was many times larger than Ark
‘I have to take advantage of this.’
That’s why Tori was forced to give 50% of the share!
‘Tori might think that we’ve grasped each other’s weak points……’
In fact, it might be the same weak point but Tori has a lot more to lose. The larger Tori’s weak point was, the more benefit Ark could get.
‘That damn hamster, he thinks he can keep on tricking me? Now you’re caught. I’ll show him how stupid he is to drag me into this.’
Ark smiled and placed his arm over Tori’s shoulder.
“We’re now riding the same boat so let’s make it good.”
“Sheesh, this guy. What happened to your politeness?”
“What’s wrong with it? Now we’re business partners. Isn’t that right?”
Ark was a business partner…..
It meant he could squeeze as much as possible.
***
Bump!
The floor shook. An object like a periscope was tossed upwards and hit the ground. The periscope looked around restlessly.
“Okay. There are no guards here.”
There was a low voice and two shadows appeared. The two shadows quickly moved like squirrels
They were the daring criminals trying to rob the federation building, Ark and Tori.
‘We really arrived here.’
Ark glanced at Tori. He was a cheating hamster. This was what Ark had thought about Tori so far. After discovering his robbery plan, ‘bold hamster’ was also added. But another idea was added as they came here and that was ‘capable hamster.’ The galactic federation’s underground building had several layers of security devices. That was the reason Tori had made the tunnel in a straight line
He obtained information beforehand and dug the tunnel in a blind spot. Ark hadn’t seen that much of his capabilities while digging the tunnel. However, Tori started to demonstrate his true ability after entering the galactic federation building. Ark and Tori entered the underground drain. They headed towards the museum destination from there but there were a lot of androids and security. There were also various traps and CCTV installed that would sound an alarm. Tori was the one who handled all of that. Tori was able to discover the structure of the underground and used his advanced hacking skills to turn off the security devices.
‘He didn’t lie when he said he had been preparing for this for a long time.’
Tori had a good reason for requesting 70% of the share. Anyway, Tori earnestly started working so the federation’s security system wasn’t a problem for Ark. With Ark taking care of the Guardians and Tori the security system, they managed to arrive at their destination after 30 minutes. That was the room where Ark and Tori climbed up into.
“Don’t move for a minute.”
Tori started fiddling with some tools from his pocket. And a cable lowered to the ground and started moving like a snake. The cable moved smoothly until it touched a red light on the opposite wall.
“That is a 3rd class firewall. The one in this room won’t activate.”
Tori laughed as he fiddled with his Nymphe.
Buuuuong……
Then the entire room started vibrating. It was the scene he had seen many times where the security was turned off. Tori spread both his arms wide as the security system was jammed
“Hihihihi, now the world is ours for 1 hour.”
The ceiling lights then turned on simultaneously. Ark looked around nervously at the sudden brightness and became astonished. Tori tapped his shoulder and giggled.
“Hihihihi, you don’t need to be tense. I was the one who turned on the lights. This place has been completely isolated form the other facilities so we don’t need to worry about being discovered if I turn on the lights. We won’t be found unless a bomb goes off. So relax and look around comfortably. Because all of this is ours.”
“This is all…..”
Ark turned around with a gaping mouth. He could see that the room was the size of a soccer stadium after all the lights were turned on. Lined up along the spacious walls were guns, swords, armour and even a rocket launcher. Hundreds of different types of weapons were displayed.
‘It is possible to gather all of this?’
It was amazing! The sight sent his endorphins surging. Ark was watching the exhibit with a blank expression when Tori said.
“Didn’t I say it before? I’ve turned off the security system but this place is different and the system will automatically change every hour. So hurry up. We have 1 hour to scrape everything into the bags and get out.”
“Okay!”
Ark’s eyes flashed and he raised his body. He had to gather all the items. What could make him happier than this? Ark swallowed his saliva and ran around the museum scraping up the items. Guns, swords, armour…..all the items were grabbed by his hand. It felt like he was devouring an entire department store! Honestly, before entering the museum Ark hadn’t been able to shake off an uncomfortable feeling. It was impossible not to be worried about committing a crime. But he didn’t worry about that once he started picking up the items.
‘These are the equipment that the heroes of Istana used in the war hundreds of years ago!’
Like Tori said, most of the equipment in the museum didn’t work properly anymore. However, there should still be a few items that worked. Moreover, the equipment that the heroes used were a mixture of magic and rare items. Even if he only found one such equipment then it would be a jackpot! But there was even more. Even if they didn’t work, there were many buyers that would want equipment the war heroes used. Some were worth dozens or even hundreds of gold. There were hundreds of these items!
‘How much for all of this?’
Ark couldn’t even calculate it in his head.
“Hahaha, now I’m rich!”
“Hihihihi, I’ll become a CEO with this!”
Ark and Tori dreamed of their gold future as they gathered the items. After 20 minutes……
“Pant pant pant!”
“Pant pant pant pant pant pant!”
Ark and Tori faced each other and panted. They were breathing heavily from running around the museum for 20 minutes and gathering items. But there was a thought that hadn’t entered their minds at all. They swept up hundreds of items, causing their bags to bulge so it was impossible for them to hate it. However, a new problem floated into Ark’s head.
“Wait? How are we going to move this?”
Once again, the bags had swelled to an enormous size. That meant it became very heavy. Ark had packed so many items into the bag that he couldn’t fit even 1 more in. It became so heavy that 2 people lifting it would have trouble.
“Doesn’t the security system automatically change every hour? Don’t we have to gather the rest of the items in 40 minutes and get out of here? But moving all of that…..”
“Do you think I hadn’t considered that before coming here?”
Tori just laughed like Ark’s question was ludicrous. He got up with a moan and approached a sculpture in the centre of the room.
“We’re not going to take everything. There is something really expensive in this room. This is it.”
Tori tapped the sculpture as he spoke. It was a sculpture of two warriors defeating a Rama and dealing the final blow. Tori tinkered with the equipment the two warriors were wearing. It was a heavy armour that made it seem like a giant robot was protecting the humans. No, to be exact it wasn’t armour.
“Have you seen this before? Sometimes the senior guards would wear this. You might not know yet but this is different from armour. This is a battle suit, a type of hand operated robot…..the body will become several times stronger when supported by this battle suit. I don’t have to explain it. You’ll know when you use it directly.”
“Use it directly?”
“Yes, this is the method of grabbing the bags.”
Tori said with a smile.
“This might be a sculpture but the battle suit the heroes are wearing are real. These are the actual battle suits that the two heroes of Nephalim used to defeat the Rama. It was created 100 years ago so the functions are limited but they are extremely coveted by collectors. It is possible to get at least 1000 gold from this. If I change the batteries then we can use it to move the bags.”
“W-we can move the bags with this?”
“Of course.”
“Then quickly……”
Ark approached the battle suit when Tori interrupted.
“You idiot! Wait. I told you. This battle suit is the most expensive item in the museum. If you just peel it off the sculpture then you might get injured. I need to change the battery and dismantle it. So leave this to me.”
Tori pushed Ark back and started working on the battle suit. He took out a tool and started to carefully take it apart.
‘That guy, he had a surprisingly delicate side.”
Ark made an awkward expression as he looked at Tori working. At first he thought it was unlucky that he encountered such a hamster but the hamster had many unexpected sides. His ability to neutralize the federation’s security system was remarkable. Tori mentioned it the first time they met but he was once a hamster that explored the galaxy. The problem was his greed…..
‘Now I’ve caught that guy’s weakness.’
So far he had been one-sidedly exploited.
‘I’ll rather be exploited by this guy then by the federation.’
Ark hadn’t neglected to gather information about sponsors while in Nephalim. He had planned to break the contract with Tori so it was natural to check on other sponsors. Among those, the sponsor Ark was most interested in was the galactic federation since he had a letter of recommendation.
‘But I don’t fit the galactic federation.’
Ark came to that conclusion. A lot of users wanted to sponsor with the federation so there was a lot of information on different forums. It had benefits and disadvantages. The federation was a sponsorship with an air tight binding so it was most like becoming a government servant rather than being supported. The other thing was they gave so many quests it was difficult to do other work.
‘Well, having a lot of quests isn’t exactly a drawback……’
The problem was that most of them required parties or raids. So associates would gather together to do the quest. It meant he couldn’t monopolize items. The quests could be refused but the federation would impose a penalty. The support would become restricted and if the penalties built up then the contract would be cancelled. In the end, it wasn’t possible to receive substantial support from the federation without doing the quests. They would just be a nominal sponsor.
‘A sponsor like that is the same as Tori……’
At least Tori didn’t force quests on him as a sponsor. Ark didn’t have to join parties and could go around by himself. By the main point was that Tori was brave enough to rob the federation
Ark had been terrified when he first heard about it but he didn’t have a law abiding character
If it gave him benefits then his mind thought it was okay! In that sense, Ark fit rather well with Tori.
‘Yes, this type of sponsor might be better for me. I have to spend 200 gold to break the contract and find another sponsor so maybe I should just sign a formal contract with this guy?’
Ark thought that as he stared at Tori.
‘Eh? What’s that?’
Suddenly a strange object caught Ark’s eye. Tori had just taken off the foot piece of the battle suit that was pressed against the Rama’s chest. And a 20 cm octagonal object was lodged in the chest
Unlike the warriors, the Rama was entirely a sculpture except for the octagonal object.
‘This seems to be real…..is it an item the Rama uses?’
Ark quickly looked at Tori after finding an unexpected object. In fact, Ark had placed the museum items in an external bag for a reason. There was a formal 50-50 split agreement so Tori had monitored the bag. That’s because the items in the bag would be distributed after returning to the junkyard. But now Tori was busy replacing the battery of the battle suit.
‘This is an opportunity to pack some items!’
Ark studied Tori’s face and approached the Rama. And he quickly grabbed the octagonal object. At the same time an information window appeared.
-#!$#!@#$@##$!#@@@r@@#E!
‘What? An item information window?’
Ark ignored the information window and pulled the item out. Suddenly the octagonal object vibrating violently and a light exploded from the centre of it. Ark glanced at Tori and quickly covered the object with both hands. Then the octagonal object disappeared with the light?
‘Eek? What, what the? Where did it suddenly go?’
-!#$!#$!%$#!@@E%! Q!! #$!!
$%@$#%%$#% : #$!#$!#%!#$!#$!#$!#@$!#$!$…….
A message window appeared in front of Ark. It was unnecessary to say that the information window contained relevant information about the octagonal object. However, he couldn’t read it so he couldn’t understand what had happened.
‘W-what just happened?”
Ark’s eyes blinked stupidly.
“What, what the? What’s going on? Did you see something shiny just now?”
Tori said as he turned his head.
“Huh? Shiny? I don’t know. I didn’t see anything.”
Ark quickly replied and shook his head. Tori looked at him doubtfully before turning back around.
“There’s no time so just stay still!”
And he started working again for a while.
“That’s it. It’s released!”
Tori exclaimed as the battle suit made a mechanical sound. And the arms, legs and chest area were released from the sculpture. The battle suit kneeled down with its parts open like it was waiting for a new owner to board!
“This is the battle suits that the senior guards wear…..”
The battle suit was basically like a large body armour. But like its name Battle Suit, it was a state of the art battle suit that increased strength, stamina and defense once worn. Of course, the battle suit on display was old so they performance would fall but it would still improve some stats!
‘One of these will be mine?’
Ark completely forgot about what just happened and stared at the 2 battle suits. Sometimes he saw people wearing battle suits around Nephalim. When he checked the price, the cheapest one cost 1,000 gold. Even if it was an antique, he never imagined that he would get a battle suit for free. This was also possible with the help of his sponsor contract with Tori!
‘As expected, it’s better not to break the contract!’
Just as Ark was thinking this. Tori confirmed the time and spoke in an impatient voice.
“There’s 30 minutes left but that isn’t long if we factor in the time it takes to return. I’ll test the operation so you should ready yourself as well.”
Tori entered the battle suit and it covered him with a mechanical hum. The battle suit felt completely different from when it was placed on the sculpture. It gave an overwhelming sense of a huge metal body! It made even a hamster look like a powerful warrior.
“Hihihihi. That’s it. That’s it!”
Tori cheered as he moved the battle suit. He placed a huge arm on Ark’s shoulder.
“Ark, that’s it. You should quickly put on the battle suit. Hurry!”
“Okay!”
Ark nodded and quickly applied the battle suit to his body. And he tried to move it.
-#!$#$!^%$!! #$!@!@#$!$!#$!! %$%!! #$!
A warning message suddenly flashed before his eyes. The ensuing scene was like a nightmare.
Pepepepeng, pepepepeng!
Smoke started to rise from different areas of the battle suit. Tori burst out screaming.
“Heok! T-the thousands of gold battle suit…..A-Ark, you! W-what did you do?”
“W-what did I do? I didn’t touch anything!”
“If you didn’t do anything then why did the battle suit explode?”
“Damn, how should I know?”
Wiiiii!
A sharp siren sound rang out.
“What, what the? Didn’t you say there was 30 minutes left before the system changes?”
“T-this isn’t the system siren. It is the fire alarm!”
Tori screamed with a sickly pale expression. The smoke emitted from Ark’s battle suit had triggered the fire alarm. Water started pouring down from sprinklers in the ceiling. However, the fire alarm was like a security system to Ark and Tori.
“We’re finished! The guards will soon arrive!”
“B-but the battle suit…..”
“You idiot! Do you expect the exploded battle suit to move? Take it off right now!”
“No, that’s not it…..”
Ark stuttered with a desperate look.
“It won’t open. The battle suit won’t move or open!”
Once again, the battle suit was an equipment that broke into separate parts before being applied
In order to take it off and on, the panels of the arms, legs and chest had to be opened. However, the panel wouldn’t budge no matter how much he manipulate the device to open it.
“D-did the Nymphe break the battle suit……?”
Ark raised his head and asked. Tori rushed back and forth and shouted.
“I don’t know! I do not know! I’m sorry but I’m going to run away before the guards get here!”
“W-wait a minute! Y-you have to help me……”
“No! There’s no more time!”
“This bastard, if I’m caught do you think you will be safe?”
“Damn, who cares if you report me? I can’t die here like this!”
Tori grabbed the bag and jumped through the hole in the floor. And after he quickly jumped in the hold….teok!
The bulging bag got stuck in the hole. In the end, Tori couldn’t even grab the items. While Tori was running away through the hole, Ark was trapped in the battle suit. It was a large metal battle suit that didn’t move. It wouldn’t move no matter what Ark did. And……
“The museum!”
“Confirm the situation!”
10 guards finally arrived.
“Huk! Intruder! Catch him!”
They had discovered Ark inside the smoking battle suit. The 10 guards aimed their guns towards Ark’s head. In the end, a person was arrested for trying to rob the museum.
“Captain-nim, items from the exhibit are missing!”
“A thief has entered the museum! These are all historical items. Check it carefully to confirm if anything is missing. Hey, check that bag over there!”
The guards lifted the bag stuck in the hold that Tori left behind. And a strange expression appeared on the guards’ faces. A ridiculous hamster wearing a battle suit was lifted up as well. The battle suit clad hamster was Tori.
“This guy?”
“Why is he clenching the bag?”
The guards murmured with an amazed expression.
“Sob sob sob.”
Tori hung from the bag he was holding and tears dripped down his face as he looked at Ark.
“It can’t be helped. Absolutely…..I couldn’t give it up……”
Space 3
Planet Beltana
‘Already…..I’ve come here.’
The man looked around with a complicated expression. He was the blond disable youth who started Galaxian. He had become a disabled person through an unexpected accident but in reality he wasn’t miserable. His father was the owner of a conglomerate and his father’s financial support meant he wasn’t lacking in anything. It was after he entered Galaxian that he became miserable. His real body had nothing to do with a virtual reality game but he wasn’t used to moving his body after being disabled for a while. In reality, people were considerate of people with disabilities. Even if he was just a decoration……
However, that wasn’t possible in a virtual reality game. The users looked at him who couldn’t move his body properly and promptly dropped him from the party. Yet he didn’t give up despite the insults
There was a reason he had started Galaxian. He…..in order to meet Ark.
‘Why? Why do I want to meet Ark?’
He had asked the question countless times since starting Galaxian. But he still hadn’t found an answer. No, he knew the way to find the answer. It might be a contradiction but he believed the key lay with Ark. The belief drove him and didn’t allow him to give up. And a chance arrived.
-Young man, do you want to raise your level?
While he was being out casted by the users, an octopus had approached him. It was Burum, the president of R-14’s secret hunting ground. His encounter with Burum became a turning point
He heard about Ark’s time in R-14 through Burum. This acted like a guideline for him and he started to imitate Ark’s behaviour. No, he personally requested to go through such hardships. His body didn’t work properly so he had spent one month cleaning the pipes and hunting the space bugs…..
-Achievement: A new mission related master of R-14 has been born.
He was finally able to accomplish the same feat like Ark. However, the discovery of Ark’s destination was more significant than the achievement.
‘I received 2 recommendation letters from Bhurad and Cheksun when I completed all the quests. I also learnt the Swamp Walking skill from the Charenjok. Additionally, I gained the same R-14 mission related title like Ark. And the frontier Ark chose……’
A primitive fort city with ultra-modern machines blowing smoke expanded in front of him. The city Nephalim was nestled in a forest on Istana, the capital planet of the galactic federation.
‘Here. I’ve finally arrived.’
A tear formed on the corner of his eye. He felt complex emotions at the thought of being in the same city as Ark. But there was no time to be caught up in the emotions. Ark had arrived at Nephalim for nearly a month. He didn’t know if Ark was still around Nephalim or if he had arrived in another area
Searching for him would be difficult.
‘I have no choice but to keep moving.’
He braced himself and took one step.
–This is your first time in Nephalim.
A holograph of a beautiful woman appeared next to him.
-I am a guide that will tell the beginner pioneers pertinent city related information about Nephalim. You can use me to discover the city’s geography, the location of the stores and special facilities.
He wasn’t interested so he kept on moving. Various holographic images appeared and made offers to him.
–You can search the news for all incidents related to Nephalim in the last 50 years.
He stopped walking. The information service allowed him to find any events that happened in Nephalim. If he was looking for an ordinary user then that wouldn’t help. However, he was looking for ‘Ark.’ He was the best player in another virtual reality game. Ark had even got the title from R-14 just by completing the tutorial. Ark had already spent a month in Nephalim. If it was the Ark he knew……
That was enough time to leave an amazing reputation.
‘It might be surprisingly simple to track Ark.’
He inserted 50 copper and the 3D image of a middle aged man with a thick stomach spoke pleasantly.
–Welcome. Thank you for using this service. You can read all recent events or use a keyword to search for a specific event.
“Ark….search for someone with that name……”
-‘Ark’ is the name of a person? I understand.
The middle age man searched through a thick book.
-Oh, I found it. An incident recently occurred with someone of the same name.
‘Indeed!’
He was already on the local news about the area. He expected it but the emotions he felt was difficult to describe. He spoke with an impatient voice.
“The incident…..the detailed information…..the place he is now…..can you tell me?”
–All the relevant information regarding the event and the regional area will be shown.
The middle age man nodded and changed into a 3D newspaper. The contents of the event scrolled upwards like a video and the related images were shown. The blond youth’s face warped strangely as he read the contents.
“…..W-what is this?”
The attempted robbery of the galactic federation’s museum.
A week ago, there was an unprecedented event as thieves tied to steal from the Victory Memorial at the galactic federation’s museum. According to the announcement from the galactic federation, the human called [Ark] and the owner of an ironworks called Tori dug a tunnel to enter the museum.
The galactic federation believes that they planned this for a long time and judged that stealing from the exhibit of war heroes is a severe crime. Tori will be stripped of his property to pay the federation for any damages and will be imprisoned for 2 years on the orbit prison Stael.
And his accomplice, the pioneer [Ark] will be forcibly conscripted into military service. As a part of the forced military service, he will be dispatched to a war area and join the prisoner unit until he earns enough achievements. [Ark] is sentenced to the disputed area Beltana until he earns 3,500 achievements.
-Disputed Planet Beltana-
Beltana is a planet 12 light years away from Istana in the Bellin constellation. Beltana was a colony ruled by the ancient race ‘Murat’ but it was thrown away when the Murat left.
Since then, there is an average temperature of -50 degrees and the planet is battered by blizzards. However, a large source of Iridium was discovered on Beltana and the federation has been engaged in a war with the Rama over the planet. However, the federation has experienced difficulties despite the steady dispatch of troops and prisoners.
* Current Occupation: Rama 62% – Galactic Federation 38%
“Please! I was tricked by the hamster!”
“That’s a lie! I’m just an unsuspecting hamster! That guy planned everything!”
In the video playing, a hamster and a guy with black hair was exclaiming while handcuffed. The dark-haired man…..was the ‘Ark’ from his memory.
——————————————————————————-
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The temperature of the world was so low that the air seemed to freeze. Armoured vehicles were crossing the wilderness covered by ice and snow. The enormous armoured car was 100 metres in length and was the anti-tank transportation the federation nicknamed Memeod. 100 people were sitting inside the swaying armoured car. They were soldiers armed with weapons and basic military equipment. But their faces didn’t look like soldiers. The sunken eyes had no motivation, their faces were so thin they looked like skeletons and the skin was darkened and dead……
‘They look like they’re going to die in a few minutes.’
Ark sighed and shook his head.
‘It is natural.’
Ark was different from the other soldiers. The zombie like soldiers with no spirit and sunken skin were criminals forcibly conscripted from various cities on Istana and dispatched to Beltana. Ark and Tori were arrested two days ago for attempting to rob the museum and he was forced to join the prisoner unit.
‘At that time…..’
Ark wasn’t significantly depressed. Of course, the situation was very bleak. If the robbery succeeded then Ark would’ve been buried in gold and would spend each day happy. However, the fire alarm had unexpectedly activated because of the breakdown of the battle suit and he was arrested with the stolen goods confiscated. The federation also seized all his equipment and items as compensation for the damage, including his 100 gold. His dream of thousands of gold flew away as he became a beggar. Just thinking about it caused his stomach acid to rise. But Ark’s misfortune didn’t stop there. He was transferred to Beltana until he collected 3,500 achievements. Despite falling to the bottom……
‘I can use this chance to restart my awareness of the game!’
That was Ark’s thought when he received the judgement. Ark also received some positive things
Naturally there was a reason for it. The first thing was the automatic cancellation of his contract with Tori. Once again, Tori was also arrested and his business and assets seized. Therefore he lost he Gear junkyard and Ark’s contract was voided.
‘I don’t have to pay the 200 gold.’
Ark had been thinking about maintaining his contract with Tori. But he learned through this incident
The path of a criminal was dangerous. The lure of crime was tempting because of the benefits but Tori ended up with his assets seized. Didn’t Ark also become like this because of Tori? So he came to the conclusion that it was better to break his relationship with the hamster Tori. Tori was sentenced to two years of prison so the problem was neatly solved. But the things he was expected ended here.
‘The thing I couldn’t expect……’
It was related to his Nymphe. His Nymphe had been broken by an unknown computer virus. This was the thing Ark had been most worried about before the stealing incident. However, his problem with the Nymphe was settled so easily that he felt almost empty.
“You will be deprived of all your freedom until you gain 3,500 achievements on Beltana. In accordance with the laws of the federation, the defendant will receive the Prisoner body coating.”
The judge in the courtroom read the contents of his sentence. Body coating was a process where the body’s genes were rearranged, allowing them to adapt to the space environment. The users stats would be readjusted upwards depending on the direction such as a warrior, scout etc. He now gained a ticket. Of course, the Prisoner body coating was different from the other ones. Beltana was a disputed planet that hadn’t been terraformed. The oxygen was thin and the temperature was -50 degrees so body coating was needed to survive on Beltana. Therefore he received a temporary body coating that would be cancelled when the penalty ended.
-The body coating has been completed! Ark-nim’s current body coating is ‘Prisoner.’
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 28
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Crime 3,500
Health 500 (+15) Mental Power 250
Strength 85 (+3) Agility 115
Stamina 95 (+3) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 45 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
* Body Coating: Prisoner
+ The Prisoner coating is limited to the region of Beltana
+ Your body information will belong to the galactic federation after receiving the Prisoner coating
+ You are unable to receive any other body coating until the Prisoner coating is removed
‘This is a big deal. My Nymphe will be taken away when I receive the body coating. The hacking program on my Nymphe will be detected. And my crime will go up.’
Ark trembled with anxiety as he was entered the body coating machine. However, his body coating process was completed with no problems and the information window surfaced. He hadn’t even realized that he had gone up 1 level.
“Eh? The information displayed is normal?”
A normal information window was shown on his Nymphe. Ark became aware of the reason after he was dispatched to Beltana. The body coating rearranged his genetic information and amplified his body’s resistance against harm. The adjustment to the body was coordinated through several functions on the Nymphe. Therefore his Nymphe would also be upgraded when he received a body coating. It was the same for the Prisoner coating. The penalties associated with the Prisoner coating was registered on the Nymphe.
“So….the Nymphe is upgraded when receiving the Prisoner coating…..”
This meant his Nymphe received a new OS. That was the reason Ark’s Nymphe became normal. The new OS wrote over the old one and all his problems were resolved!
“Wait? If my Nymphe became normal through the Prisoner coating then couldn’t I have raised my level a bit more to 30 and receive the body coating?”
The method to restore the Nymphe was surprisingly simple. Tori was a cunning fellow who definitely knew that.
“There’s no doubt. That hamster! He scared me on purpose so I would become his accomplice!”
Anger towards Tori welled up inside him again. However, Tori had his property confiscated and was in jail so his anger was slightly alleviated. There was no way for that hamster to make money now. Anyway, his problem with the Nymphe was unexpectedly settled.
“What’s this?”
Ark checked the restored Nymphe and found something strange. Next to the character information icon, equipment icon etc. were 3 icons he never saw before. There were 2 folders called Backup-1, Backup-2 and an icon that looked like armour.
“Backup? What is this?”
Ark clicked on the Backup-1 folder and the information window appeared.
-The skill data from your previous Nymphe has been registered.
* Passive *
Space Combat (User): Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, Wisdom +0.5%
Close Marksmanship (User): Hit rate -5%, Attack +10%
Facilities Maintenance (User): Maintenance Speed +30%
Dig (User): Digging Speed +30%, Chance of finding items and minerals +30%
* Active *
Hacking (User): Able to release level 1~3 electronic locks
* Software *
Invaders Ver 1.0
“Ohu!”
Now Ark was able to understand the situation. Backup-1 contained the skill information from Ark’s previous Nymphe. While the old OS had been overwritten, an automatic backup of the data on the system had been created.
“This really…..”
Ark made a strange expression. When he received the Prisoner coating, the process searched the Nymphe for information and automatically deleted any illegal data. Therefore Ark thought he would have to create the program again. The program he spend a fortnight creating being deleted was really frustrating! But the coating machine couldn’t search Ark’s Nymphe for data because it was broken. So it just proceeded to overwrite it and the hacking program was processed as backup!
“Luck hasn’t completely abandoned me.”
He was lucky in the midst of some unhappiness.
“Then what is Backup-2?”
Ark’s eyes naturally turned to the second folder.
“The name of the folder indicates it is a backup of an old Nymphe……”
But Backup-1 already contained all of Ark’s data. He couldn’t remember anything else
Ark tilted his head with confusion and clicked the Backup-2 folder. The information window contained a file he never saw before.
-Logbook~04
……It was an exceptionally long voyage
The brilliant shine of the stars gradually disappeared until all I could find was darkness
That was the first time I encountered the creature called the Ikirium.
The Ikirium are ghost stories passed between the space ship’s crew. They exist like ghosts drifting in outer space and will take form by touching metal like the Nakuma. Our voyage became much more dangerous with the appearance of the Ikirium. However, my brave crew decided to confront the Ikirium to defend the ship.
Unlike me, the crew had experienced many space voyages and I was able to learn a lot while fighting the Ikirium with them. The gun techniques and Sword Mastery learnt from the experienced crew were especially useful on the expedition.
The gun and sword techniques places focus on mental power…..
“Logbook? Why is this on my Nymphe?”
Ark muttered and frowned as he read it. He remembered picking up unknown data. The data from the toy airplane!
“Don’t tell me this is…..?”
This was the data contained on the toy airplane? Ark felt strange at the thought. He had expected something great from the data which was why he invested a fortnight into learning the hacking skill. Besides, he became a criminal thanks to the problem the data caused his Nymphe.
“But it is just the logbook of someone I don’t know!”
No, that wasn’t the point. It was common to experience such things when playing a game. Why did his Nymphe become broken when he downloaded the logbook data? Ark became a criminal so he couldn’t just laugh it off.
“Dammit! This thing! This thing! Give me something!”
Ark flipped through the pages for a while. Finally he reached the last few pages of the logbook. Then an information window appeared in front of him.
-You have gained spiritual enlightenment from the materials the prophet left behind.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Set Bullets Shooting (User, Active): Just like its name, a set of bullets will be fired like a whirlwind
If you gather the ammunition and pull the trigger than up to 3 bullets will be shot at once. When the trigger is pulled, the 3 bullets will be released with 2.5 times the destructive power. However, a lot of burden is placed on small guns so the durability will quickly decrease.
< 3 bullets will be fired with 2.5 times the attack power and the probability of missing will double>
Applicable Weapons: All weapons except for machine guns and rocket launchers.
Mental Power consumption: 20
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Sonic sword (User, Active): If you concentrate your Mental Power then it is possible to increase the body’s potential for a short time and attack explosively. The sword will move at the sound of speed and contain strong destructive power. In addition, the blade will create a shock wave when it breaks through to the speed of sound.
<Sword damage increased by 50%, all enemies within 5 metres will be affected by the shock wave>
Applicable Weapons: All types of swords
Mental Power consumption: 30
“Eh?”
Ark’s eyes looked shocked.
“S-skill? And 3 star rated skills……”
Ark murmured and raised his head. A 3 star rated skill in Galaxian meant it wasn’t that easy to obtain. The method to learn it changed depending on the number of stars and 3 stars meant a skill directly learnt by studying with the NPC or skill books. However, Ark had never learnt a combat skill from a NPC. Then there is only one answer!
“The pages that I just turned must detail how the protagonist of the logbook learnt the combat skills from his colleagues. This logbook must be…..skill book!”
This was why Mald bought the toy airplane for 60 gold. He could figure out what happened
Mald had clearly known from the first time he saw the toy airplane that it contained a skill book
The cunning fellow tried to use an excuse to snatch the toy. However, Ark was tricked…..he ended up catching a rat. He had suffered a lot in the meantime so he just released his stress using Mald. Now the dismal feeling of being banished to a disputed planet also disappeared.
“I learnt 2 battle skills. That alone makes it worthwhile to learn hacking. Well, I’m stuck in the prisoner unit of Beltana but it isn’t that bad.”
He had already learnt the hacking skill. Beltana wasn’t overflowing with users like Nephalim so it was better for hunting. This was a place where he could fight so he didn’t dislike it. The prisoner status was uncomfortable but he just learnt new skills so wasn’t this the best environment to hunt? He was drafted which meant there wouldn’t be that many chances to obtain items so experience was a priority.
“What? When I think about it, it isn’t that bad?”
Instead of being bad, he actually thought it was rather fortunate. Therefore Ark was motivated as he passed through the Star Gate connected to Beltana.
“Prisoner number 1056, Ark. Move to Beltana!”
“Yes! I’m going!”
His eyes brightened as he plunged into the Star Gate! He was brimming with motivation as he arrived at Beltana.
“Listen carefully, you trash!”
A rough voice was heard as he arrived at Beltana. A middle age man with a huge figure and a thick scar on his face addressed the prisoners. He was the commander in charge of managing the drafted prisoners, Peratul. Peratul surveyed the 30 new prisoners and began to talk.
“The soldiers in the main building don’t expect much from you. I only expect you to avoid the bullets. Do you understand? You guys are lucky since your bodies can be recycled with the Fairy. It is the reason why you guys are here. You can revive when you die. Scapegoats like you are needed in the war to help the elite soldiers survive.”
The Fairy body regeneration system couldn’t revive everyone. It was only possible for users and some NPCs. That’s why the name pioneer was created to distinguish the users and NPCs that could resurrect using the Fairy. Pioneers were an important element in the war. Like Peratul said, they could just revive so they were like infinite resources. That’s why normal NPCs like Tori were locked in jail while pioneers like Ark were dispatched to disputed areas when they committed a crime.
“Even lowlifes like you gain enough merit then you will be pardoned. But don’t think it will be that easy to gain merit. This place is a lot more dreadful than you think. Throw away any expectations you have right now. I assure you. Your body will just be torn asunder like trash after a few years. If you want to live then move. Crawl on the ground and ask for help. That is the only way for guys like you to come back alive!”
He didn’t know what to do with the military regulations that threatened them. However, Ark gained some skills so he didn’t pay attention to those words. The other prisoners who just arrived at Beltana were the same as well. For pioneers, fighting was a part of their daily lives. There was no reason to be tense about coming to a dangerous place. So several pioneers started smirking and chatting after hearing Peratul’s words.
“Battalion Commander Peratul-nim.”
Then a female military officer ran into the barracks. The prisoners whistled and made noise.
“Oh! Pretty good?”
“Is that her real face? Shall we see it outside?”
“These bastards really……!”
Peratul glared at the prisoners with a fierce expression. But the military officer just spoke without paying attention to the prisoners.
“Battalion Commander-nim, the scouting unit has reported signs that the Rama have moved to area D-23. The Commander has demanded that the prisoners be sent to determine the power of the enemy. The regular troops will be dispatched afterwards.”
A smile spread on Peratul’s face as the female officer’s words.
“Yes, that’s great. These guys should realize the reality of this place.”
Peratul looked at the prisoners before saying.
“Did everybody hear? Are any of you confused about the commands? You guys have no rights here. Experience if better than hundreds of words. Yes, this is an opportunity for you to learn from the battlefield. Everybody stand up! We’re moving to the battlefield!”
“Yes!”
“I’ve been getting bored!”
The prisoners burst out with joy and stood up at Peratul’s order. Ark was one such prisoner. Ark exited the barracks with a confident expression.
“Huk! W-what the hell?”
Ark exclaimed as he saw the soldiers gathered in front of the barracks. There were 100 hollow skinned soldiers……
“You guys have been placed in Beltana’s prisoner unit. You’re going to be with them for a long time so you should become familiar with them. Hey you guys, your break has ended. We are going to the battlefield.”
The prisoners turned pale at Peratul’s words. The zombie like prisoners seemed to become even more zombie like.
‘Why did their faces become like that?’
Ark and the new prisoners thought at the sight of the senior prisoners panicking. The atmosphere of the normal soldiers in the area was different as they giggled.
“Kikikiki, newcomers have arrived.”
“A Rama unit has been discovered a short time ago. You guys are heading there?”
“I wonder how many will come back intact.”
“Not a lot of them.”
“Hey! Do you guys want some advice? If you give gold to the authorities then we might take care of you on the battlefield. It is better than being crushed to pieces every day.”
“Hey, stop it. They’re new so do you think they will understand?”
“Indeed, they’ll only understand after being crushed.”
The regular soldiers said as they suddenly swarmed. Some of the new prisoners sweated from the words the regular troops spat at them but Ark didn’t pay attention to it. He just needed to prove his skills on the battlefield. The soldiers would stop once he gained some merits. And Ark had confidence in his abilities.
‘Avoid the bullets? Heh, that’s funny. I am Ark. The battlefield is my stage! It shouldn’t take me a long time to earn 3,500 achievements. I will be the faster prisoner to be pardoned in Galaxian’s history.’
So Ark moved to the strategy area with the rest of the prisoners. They arrived at D-23 and a considerable number of enemy troops could be seen on the horizon.
“Now shall I get started?”
Ark checked his equipment and started concentrating. Suddenly a cloud of smoke emerged from the enemy camp that was several kilometres away. The senior prisoners yanked their hair and started screaming.
“Dammit! I knew it! I knew it!”
“What? What’s with these guys all of a sudden?”
“Eh? W-what is going on?”
Then one of the new prisoners pointed towards the sky. The new prisoners turned their heads towards the indicated direction and became amazed.
“Oh my god! T-that…..”
“Missiles! Projectiles! It is a heavy artillery attack!”
Tu tu tu tu! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!
There was a violent roaring sound that seemed to break the eardrums. The smoke from the enemy camp was the signal for a long distance assault. Various heavy weapons poured devastating attacks on the heads of the prisoners. Flames rose all over the place! The ground shook and rocks and dirt flew upwards. The problem was avoiding the attacks. The whole area where the prisoners were disappeared from the firepower! Ark who was holding the dagger was wrapped in a wave of heat. The same thing happened to the other prisoners. They couldn’t even properly swing their weapons before they were smashed and scattered all over the place.
“T-this is…..”
Ark’s bloody body was on the ground as he looked around. It had only been 1 minute since the battle started. In just 1 minute, 50 prisoners had been torn to pieces and frozen by Beltana’s harsh atmosphere. And that was just the beginning.
“Num! Kara! Marakana! Okara! Akarana!”
The voice of the enemy was heard as they rushed towards the prisoners. They were hundreds of monsters in the form of a mantis that had been biologically engineered by the Rama. The bio-weapons called Carack were weaker than the Rama soldiers but they were sufficient to take care of the prisoners devastated by the heavy artillery.
……It was impossible for them to fight. Hundreds of Carack flocked like mosquitoes and the prisoners instantly became corpses. Ark desperately fought but ended up dying from dozens of Carack. Peratul’s voice was heard from behind as all the prisoners collapsed.
“The enemy’s main forces have moved! Send in the regular troop!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The regulars started moving from the rear. Hundreds of androids designed for battle, heavy artillery, soldiers wearing battle suits and the thousands of regular soldiers had started moving! Ark started to understand Peratul’s words.
‘Avoid the bullets…..’
It was an accurate representation. The Beltana prisoners weren’t soldiers. The prisoners were meat shields sent in first to take the bulk of the firepower. They were shields used to stop the heavy artillery from hitting the main troops. From then on, Ark and the prisoners were mobilized for battle a few times but the number of soldiers who survived could be counted with his fingers.
‘Earning 3,500 achievements in a place like this…..’
Ark participated in battle three times and he died three times. Of course, Ark hadn’t believed there wouldn’t be huge penalties from dying. Unlike the regular soldiers, the prisoners couldn’t use the Fairy for free. Instead of paying money, the prisoners had to pay their achievement points in order to resurrect. It was different according to the level so Ark needed to pay 100 achievements. On the other hand, he was given 50 achievement points just for entering the battlefield. Therefore he received -50 achievements every time he died. And the prisoners weren’t able to obtain any achievements. If they went on the battlefield then there was a 100% chance of dying! So Ark’s achievements after a week had passed…..
-Current Achievements: -127
Rather than earning achievements, his had fallen by 127 points. It would’ve been -150 but he earned some points from killing the Carack. However, there was another really distressing part.
Gu gu gu gu…..
There was a ponderous noise as the Memeod moved through the mud. When the back door opened, Peratul looked at the zombie like prisoners and said.
“We’ve arrived. Everybody get off. If you don’t want to then you don’t have to get off.”
Peratul said with a smile. However, there was a small scuffle as all the prisoners tried to jump off. Beltana was a disputed planet because it was possible to obtain Iridium. Iridium was a general resource used throughout space so whoever obtained Beltana would have access to a vast quantity of Iridium. And the reason the prisoners were trying to pick up the Iridium…..
“Urgh! Iridium! Look for Iridium!”
“I’ve already ate all my space rations!”
“If this continues then I’ll starve! I have to use every possible method to find the Iridium!”
……This was the reason. They were soldiers but also prisoners. And the galactic federation couldn’t allow the prisoners to eat for free. Bullets and repaired equipment was needed to fight but essential supplies for survival like food and water weren’t for free. If the prisoners wanted to obtain supplied then they had to pay for it through loot obtained on the battlefield or Iridium. However, the prisoners instantly died so it was difficult for them to loot anything. So they were forced to gather Iridium. Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.
“Iridium!”
“Ohhhh! Mine! It’s mine!”
Iridium could be gathered but it wasn’t scattered everywhere. As more time passed, it was difficult to find huge amounts. Thus, only Iridium the size of fingernails could be seen and the prisoners would all flock towards it. Iridium paid for food so actual fighting broke out among the prisoners over it. Ark was no different. He needed to raise his achievements to be pardoned. But there was a 50% penalty to his abilities if his satiety fell. And he would die of starvation if it reached 0. Of course, their satiety would reach 50% if they resurrected after starving to death. But they had to suffer from hunger as soon as they revived. That’s why the prisoners turned into a zombie unit. It was a miserable life where they starved and then had to become meat shields on the battlefield.
‘If I’m hungry on the battlefield then I can’t avoid the bullets!’
But there was even more. If they couldn’t gain Iridium then they couldn’t repair the broken equipment and couldn’t fight. They couldn’t even dream of escaping Beltana. So no matter how miserable it was, they were forced to step on each other to gain a piece of Iridium.
“This place…..is hell!”
Ark moaned as his skin became thinner after several days.
Space 4
The 3rd Group (Part: 1)
“Dammit!”
A curse naturally emerged. He saw the same information window every time he died on the battlefield. But this time he hadn’t been killed on the battlefield. He had wandered away from the unit while searching for Iridium and had been discovered by a Carack scouting unit. Killed on the battlefield, dying while picking Iridium……
“This is a complete thrashing.”
That wasn’t the whole problem. Ark had taken a few steps. Then there was a sound effect and a red warning message floated in front of him.
-Your satiety had fallen to 20% and you are in a ‘hungry’ state.
<Your stats have fallen by 50% and you will die if satiety reaches 0%>
‘In the end I’m hungry……’
A sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth as he grabbed his stomach. Ark had gone to extract Iridium twice in two days. Iridium harvesting was similar to finding gold dust. They had to find a small piece of Iridium in the dirt. However, the competition was fierce among prisoners and he had failed to collect the amount required for food. And his satiety had fallen until he reached the ‘hunger’ state. The countdown to starvation had started.
“Not only do I have to worry about dying in battle, I also have to worry about starving to death……”
This was the first time he had been so miserable since playing online games.
But Ark braced himself.
‘Yes, I am Ark. I can’t collapse from this much. There is always an escape hole even if the sky is falling. If I endure then I will find a way. I’ll endure. Hang in there. I just have to hold on and avoid starving to death!’
Ark had realized something during his time here. The minimum condition for survival on Beltana was the procurement of food. The satiety system also existed in Galaxian. If satiety fell below 50% then penalties would be applied to the stats. That was the reason Ark died so easily when he was found by 10 Carack. With his stats decreased by 50% thanks to the 20% satiety, Ark couldn’t even deal with scouting Caracks. No, he couldn’t even run away before being skewered and dying.
‘The problem is this situation is difficult to escape from once it happens.’
If he died of starvation then satiety would be restored when he resurrected. However, satiety would only recover to 50%. A penalty was received as soon as he revived. Of course, the chances of surviving on the battlefield would decrease with the penalty. He also received a -50 achievement if he fought but if he died of starvation then he would lose another 100 achievement points. It was like a vicious cycle of borrowing money from loan sharks and then borrowing even more to pay off the previous debt. Now Ark’s biggest target was a meal.
‘I’m lucky despite that.’
Ark sighed with relief as he looked at his backpack. He had realized the importance of food supply and started gathering Iridium. Although he became too greedy and died from wandering off, at least he wouldn’t die of starvation. He was satisfied when he saw the amount he gathered……
Korururu.
“Ah! Damn, my stomach seems to be twisting with pain. Let’s hurry.”
Ark grabbed his starving stomach and ran across the base. He finally arrived at the supplies distribution tent near the prisoners’ barracks. Ark heard some shocking words.
“It’s not enough.”
A woman in an officer’s uniform said in a serious voice. Her name was Irina. She was the female officer who talked to Peratul the first time Ark arrived at Beltana. She was an eye-catching beauty who caught the interest of the prisoners when they saw her for the first time. But no prisoners dared throw a joke at her after a few days. There were two reasons. One was that she was in charge of distributing the supplies that was like a lifeline to the prisoners and the other……
“It’s not? What are you saying?”
“Can’t you see it?”
Irina indicated the scales in front of the supplies. The Iridium Ark had gathered was placed on the scale and had stopped between 99 and 100.
“100 grams is required for Space Food. Unfortunately you are lacking the required amount.”
“T-that…..you won’t give me food because I am lacking 0.5 grams?”
“You are still lacking even if it is only by 0.5 grams.”
“T-that is ridiculous!”
“It is the rules.”
“W-wait a minute! My satiety had already fallen to 20%! If I can’t purchase food this time then I will die of starvation before the next harvesting operation!”
“Then it will be like that. I’ll see you next time.”
Irina dropped the death penalty on him with an emotionless face.
……This was the second reason the prisoners stopped showing their interest. Ark and the prisoners shabby forms were thin and sunken in from starvation. Anyone looking would feel sympathy! However, Irina was so lacking in compassion that she would let him die even if he was lacking 0.5 grams. The prisoners had a bad impression of the woman who let them starve.
“Damn, what type of business is this? How anal retentive.”
“There’s no doubt that she’s an ill-tempered old woman in her 40’s in reality.”
“As expected, it isn’t possible to believe the faces in the game.”
It was now accepted as fact among the prisoners that Irina was a lady in her forties. However, Ark didn’t care if Irina was old or not. If he couldn’t get any food this time then he would die of starvation.
“It’s really terrible!”
Ark shouted angrily.
“Of course I’m a prisoner. But I’m also a soldier fighting for the federation. Right now a soldier is starving to death. And I’m only lacking 0.5 grams at most. Yet you just want me to starve?”
Ark’s sympathy plan didn’t work so he tried to use logic.
“Didn’t I tell you? It is the rules.”
As expected, it didn’t work.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re missing 0.5 grams or 0.1 grams. If you’re finished then get out of the way.”
‘This…..this……damn female!’
Deep anger at the federation boiled in his chest. Ark wanted to stab her even more than the Carack!
However, Ark pushed down his anger. She was the quartermaster for the prisoners. Prisoners could do nothing against her.
‘But if I can’t get food this time then I’ll starve and die. Only……’
Ark worried a while before using his last resort. Ark hadn’t understood when he saw the prisoners the first time he came to Beltana. Beltana was a planet with a temperature of -50 degrees Celsius. Even if he had the body coating which adapted his body to the harsh environment, he still felt the cold. Yet there were quite a few shirtless prisoners. But Ark could now understand the reason.
“I will use this!”
Ark took off his jacket and handed it to Irina. This was the reason why the prisoners were shirtless
Iridium wasn’t the only way to get supplies. Various loot obtained from the Rama and the equipment the prisoners were wearing could also be exchanged for supplies. But when they were arrested, all the items were confiscated. He was only left his equipment and weapons. It was all in order not to die of starvation.
“Hmm, this amount is worth 3 Space Foods.
And his coat was exchanged for 3 Space Foods. He felt chilled to the bone after taking off the coat. Ark became a ‘prisoner who was starving’ to a ‘bare and starving prisoner.’
‘I’ve sold my armour……what now?’
Ark asked as he withdrew from the supplies tent.
“Hey, you over there.”
Suddenly a group of soldiers approached from the side. They wore the mark of the galactic federation. A sigh naturally flowed out when he saw the shiny equipment. Ark had also received the scouting offer from the galactic federation and never replied. However, he judged that they didn’t fit together. That was what Ark regretted most about going to Beltana. The regular troops on Beltana were all pioneers contracted with the galactic federation. They were dispatched by the federation and could use the Fairy and get supplies for free. They also received achievements and could get various equipment according to how much points they earned. A lot of soldiers also received battle suits if they earned enough achievements.
‘If I had accepted Ponen’s offer then……’
Ark had put them off. However, he had then been caught in a contract with the hamster. In the end, he became a criminal and was forever deprived of the opportunity to contract with the federation. He was a stripped prisoner so he looked at the federation soldiers with jealous eyes. He grasped the status different with just one glance.
“Are you a user?”
There was a status difference so he had no choice but to stomach the rude tone. Ark nodded and the man with a square chin laughed.
“You, do you want to get out of here?”
Ark was confused by the sudden question. The guy placed his arm over Ark’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice.
“In fact, I have an offer for you.”
“Offer?”
“Yes, you’ve been here for a while so you should know the atmosphere right? Frankly, it is impossible for a prisoner to gain enough achievements to be pardoned. It is difficult to gain enough food not to die of starvation let alone any achievement points. It seems you’ve also realized that as you took off your upper armour. But if won’t be difficult to get food and achievements if we help you. Of course, you’ll have to show some sincerity in return.”
“Show some sincerity…..how?”
“Kikikik, you know. You’re a user. I’m also a user.”
“That…..”
“Users have their own way of communicating. It is simple. You just need to show your sincerity through my account. Then we’ll pay attention to you. We will protect you from the long range bombing. We’ll also allow you to build up achievements. It will only cost 2 million won. How about it? Wouldn’t that be better than quitting the game?”
‘T-this bastard……’
Ark frowned as he heard those words.
‘Who does this fellow think I am?’
He was amazed by those words. Who was Ark? He was a legendary gamer. The reason he started Galaxian was because he was commissioned by the government. He might be a prisoner, shirtless and starving but still! Still! A legendary gamer couldn’t give money to people to protect him! It was a blow to his pride! Ark had almost reached his limit…..
“That…..I can’t afford it right now.”
“Really?”
The man with a square jaw laughed.
“Then if you find the money then look for me. I am Valencia of the 1st armoured platoon.”
The man called Valencia laughed and left. He was so angry he wanted to drive a bullet into someone. But like the supplies tent, he had no choice but to stomach it. Even if he survived the long distance bombing, he still had to fight the Rama in close combat
At this point, the survival of the prisoners depended on the actions of the regular troops
If the regular troops helped then their survival rate would increase by leaps and bounds. Especially if they were the users from Valencia’s 1st armoured platoon. Wearing battle suits, they were the elite federation troops. Of course, Ark never thought of paying money for help. If he was someone other than Ark then he probably would’ve paid for help. However, his pride wouldn’t allow him to no matter the circumstances. He rejected it because he couldn’t bear to pay money. It could also be more harmful than helpful. They might increase the chances of survival but not by that much.
“First that woman at the supplies tent and now that man. It is enough to make me miserable.”
Ark murmured with a bitter expression.
“Those guys are dangerous.”
A voice was heard from close by. He turned his head and saw a prisoner. A few days had passed since Ark came to Beltana so he already knew some of the prisoners. The old man was the most senior person in the prisoner unit and was an NPC called Mellin.
“Our difficulties are because of those guys.”
“Huh? What are you saying?”
“Ah, of course you wouldn’t know about it.”
Mellin scratched his head and complained.
“In fact, the circumstances weren’t that bad when I arrived at Beltana. The circumstances were similar to now but the prisoners could gather a lot of Iridium so they didn’t need to worry about food. But a few months ago, the Rama managed to break the stalemate and secured a wide area. There are so many scouting units that we can’t go far from the base to extract Iridium.”
Ark also knew all of that. The 1st armoured platoon said they could help Ark but they were also defeated on the battlefields. Of course, they gained quite a bit of equipment and achievements before dying but the federation was losing the war. The Rama and the federation were technically at a stalemate. The decisive act to win was destroying the opponent’s Fairy and Star Gate. Therefore satellite and radar weapons were mobilized to find the enemy’s stronghold where the Fairy and Star Gate were contained. However, it was difficult for them to detect each other. Therefore the Rama continuously used the Carack and the federation used the androids to search for the enemy’s stronghold. But in battles, the troops that were defeated had their ground taken away. They would continuously do this until the soldiers ended up retreating back to their home base. Currently, the war situation on Beltana was 73 in the favour of the Rama.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter to me if the federation wins or not…..’
However, the prisoners were in a serious situation because the areas containing Iridium were being taken away. Not only was Iridium difficult to get, the chances of being attacked by a Rama scouting unit also increased.
“Why doesn’t the federation send more reinforcements?”
“They don’t have any.”
Mellin responded in a deep voice.
“Beltana isn’t the only place where the Rama and federation are fighting. Although it isn’t a complete war, the federation and Rama are fighting in several places around the Galaxy. In fact, compared to other regions the Beltana battlefield is quite small. So the federation can only dispatch the prisoner unit. Listening to the regular soldiers talking…..”
Mellin whispered in a low voice.
“I heard that an amazing person has recently appeared among the Rama. There had been fierce battles between the Rama and the federation all over the universe. The federation was dominant but that changed 180 degrees when that guy appeared.”
“I’ve heard that story.”
Another prisoner nodded as he interrupted their conversation.
“The federation outnumbered them 100 to 20 and a Rama warrior wearing a red battle suit wiped them all out. So he got the nickname Red Slaughterer.”
“Red Slaughterer……”
Ark frowned at those words. He wasn’t sure why but that name gave him a disturbing feeling
But Ark had other things to worry about than a Rama warrior running wild on other planets. The important thing was that the federation wouldn’t send any reinforcements to Beltana. In the end, the regular troops were broken by the Rama and he couldn’t extract any more Iridium. Ark had died because the Beltana regular troops were worthless.
‘Yet they even wanted some bribes…..’
He became angry once again. In the end, those guys were just strutting around trying to act elite. But right now Ark couldn’t curse them. Once he realized the circumstances again, it really was deplorable.
“They might seem disgusting but they’re not exactly wrong. So day, only prisoners who paid a protection fee to them managed to escape from this place. If you can afford to give something to them then you will be better off. I would’ve also done that if I could. It is better than staying in a place like this for 1 year.”
“Eh? 1-1 year?”
“That’s right.”
Mellin sighed and nodded. A horrible scene appeared in his imagination at Mellin’s words.
‘I can’t stay here for 1 year.’
It would’ve been alright if he could fight on the battlefield to some degree. Yet the result was always death. 100 achievement points were taken every time he died so he was at a standstill if he gradually earned achievements.
‘If my experience increased a little bit then……’
Galaxian’s revival system was through registering at the Fairy. Even if he earned experience on the battlefield, it would return to zero when he died. His achievements were decreased and he was the same level as before so it was a vicious circle. It was even difficult to purchase food to eat right now
Yes, there was no way he could escape from this place.
‘Even if I don’t have to worry about food…..’
The military situation was worsening so extracting Iridium was more difficult. There was also an intense competition among the prisoners so it was hard to even obtain 1 gram of Iridium!
Anyway, it was impossible to build achievements if he was starving on the battlefield.
‘Dammit, what’s the point of my new skills? I don’t even have any chances to use it.’
Ark sighed as he looked at the skill information window. Then something popped into Ark’s head.
‘Wait? Iridium is a space resource. Then perhaps…..maybe……’
Thoughts began to revolve quickly in his head. The conclusion that he came to…..
‘It is worth a try!’
Just as Ark was thinking this.
“Hmm hmm, didn’t you get some space food before? I’m sorry but just one…..”
Mellin studied Ark’s face and spoke carefully. This was the reason Mellin kindly gave him the information. He approached in order to receive one Space Food. He was a senior prisoner on Beltana for 1 year so he couldn’t get that much food. Food for prisoners were urgently required. Ark was the same as well. He had exchanged his armour in -50 degrees weather for food. Normally he wouldn’t give away one food generously.
“Here it is!”
Ark threw food to Mellin before running to the supply tent. Once again, the goods spread through the supplies tent weren’t just food. Various equipment and general supplies as well as food were sold there. Of course, the prisoners couldn’t even afford food so there was no way they could get the other equipment. But there was something necessary for Ark.
‘As expected, it is here!’
Ark’s eyes brightened as he examined the supply tent and he shouted.
“That one! How much is it?”
“That…..1 kg of Iridium.”
Irina looked towards the place Ark indicated and replied.
“What about this?”
Ark took off his shoes and asked. Irina frowned as he placed the shoes on the counter.
“That is only worth 300 grams of Iridium.”
‘Damn, do I have to use my last resort?’
Ark worried for a while before taking off his pants. Ark took off his top, shoes and pants so his character was almost naked. Being naked in -50 degrees weather……
His jaw instantly trembled after he became naked in the game. However, he didn’t freeze and die thanks to the body coating!
“This is….tremble….everything….tremble…..walking!”
Ark caught his first glimmer of hope
——————————————————
–Your body has been restored through the revival system ‘Fairy.’
The Fairy in this disputed area is only offered free of charge to the regular troops of the galactic federation. The hired soldiers will need to pay a fee to revive. However, prisoners forcibly drafted will pay with 100 achievements. In addition, the time it takes to revive will depend on the level like the other Fairies.
* 30 minutes of playing time and 100 achievements have been consumed in order to revive.
“Heh.”
Ark laughed. A Rama scouting troop wandering the area had been discovered and the prisoner unit dispatched. Ark had died from the long distance bombing before even seeing the Rama troops
It was natural. His pants, shoes and armour had been exchanged so Ark was naked. There was no way he could survive the bombing in such a state. The Rama’s long distance bombing exploded onto Ark’s -50 degrees frozen body. Therefore his achievements were shaved by -50 again but…..
‘I’ve already thrown away my body so -50 achievements is nothing.’
Ark wasn’t interested in achievements now. He was walking around naked and gambling everything on one bet! Ark had been on the verge of getting the results he wanted when he had been summoned to the battlefield. That’s right…..
“Please weigh this.”
Ark walked into the supplies tent and said. Then he started pulling black ores out of his bag
The black ore with a faint purple aura around it was Iridium. However, the Iridium Ark took out was different from the other prisoners. His Iridium wasn’t a small particle like gold dust! They were 10 lumped of Iridium the size of a fist.
“8 kilograms.”
“8-8 kilograms?”
The prisoners in the area gaped as they heard Irina’s answer. It was difficult to even obtain 50~60 grams of Iridium from hours of searching through the ground. It was natural to react like that when seeing 8 kg.
“N-no way! How on earth? Where did such Iridium come from……”
The corners of Ark’s mouth lifted as he heard the prisoners talking.
‘I also thought it was impossible at first.’
It was impossible to collect several kilograms of Iridium when they were mixed with the earth like sand particles. Ark rapidly changed his mind after seeing a skill on his Nymphe.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Dig (User, Active): A useful technique to dig at the ground with a shovel. Something as simple as shovelling also have their own tips. You’ve dug for a long time so you have discovered the knack of digging more efficiently
Your speed at digging will increase and you can also discriminate between different sensations using the tip of the shovel.
<Digging speed increased by 30% and the chances of finding items and minerals also increased by 30%>
It was the digging skill! In fact, Ark had forgotten he had this skill. It was because Ark couldn’t see the Nymphe’s information window when he mastered this skill. But Ark was able to confirm the skill when he arrived at Beltana because of the galactic federation. That was the idea that popped into his head.
‘The Rama and galactic federation are fighting over Beltana because it has a significant amount of Iridium. In order words, the Iridium might be buried. The prisoners had to obtain small particles of Iridium which was difficult thanks to the Rama. There might be even more pieces buried under the ground. Then it is better to dig for Iridium then wander around blindly looking for it!’
And the odds of discovering minerals increased with the Dig skill. Ark’s expectation was correct and he was able to get more Iridium. The problem was that a shovel was essential to use the Dig skill. Tori have given him a shovel to dig the tunnel but that was seized when he arrived at Beltana. So he had to take it off. He took off his shoes and pants in order to exchange them for a shovel. He was cold and gave up on his defense.
“I predicted it correctly……”
Despite trembling and being so cold he felt like dying, he was forced to go out in the -50 degrees weather. It was a gamble where he gave up all his defense items and risked his life to buy a shovel! He put his life on the line and started shovelling.
Tang-!
-You have discovered Iridium!
A jackpot like message rose in front of him.
“It came! Iridium! And it is a lump of ore!”
There was a lot of ore in the ground. That’s because there wasn’t anyone among the prisoners with the digging skill. It was natural. This was the future with space ships flying. In this age with machines like excavators, what type of person would use a primitive item like a shovel? Moreover, it hadn’t been that long since the game started so most users were focused on raising their level. But he had spent a week digging in the ground. Obviously he would learn the digging skill! Now that he could mine Iridium, his circumstances changed by 180 degrees. The other prisoners had to search through the soil to find a sliver of Iridium……
Papapapa! Papapapa!
-You have discovered Iridium!
Papapapa! Papapapa!
-You have discovered Iridium!
Ark crazily dug up the earth and found chunks of Iridium. He had managed to collect 8 kg of Iridium in just one day! When considering that the other prisoners gathered 50~60 grams, it was 160 times the efficiency.
‘Digging is really useful!’
Indeed there are no useless skills in the game. Ark realized that truth after seeing the Iridium piled up in his bag.
‘How about it? Am I different from the other prisoners now?’
Ark puffed up with a conceited expression as he looked at Irina. Well, he might seem like a pervert but he still gathered 8 kg in one day. Even the emotionless face of the robotic Irina had to change. However, unlike his expectations Irina didn’t have any reaction.
“What do you want to exchange it for?”
‘What? What’s with this reaction? Aren’t you surprised? Huh? Don’t you have no choice but to be surprised? This is startling!’
Ark tried to convey that through his expression but there was no response. In the end, Ark just gave up and looked at the goods.
–Supplies Catalogue-
Space Food (Iridium 100 g) – Your satiety will increase by 20% when eating this.
Purified water (Iridium 100g)- When drinking with Space Food, the satiety will increase by 30%.
Equipment Repair Kit (Iridium 500g) – General equipment can be repaired.
Smoke Bomb (Iridium 1.5 kg) – A smoke screen will spread out in a 30 metre radius.
Low-level Recovery Ampoules (Iridium 5 kg) – This will restore 250 health immediately…..
He could buy 8 kg worth of items.
‘I’ve obtained kilograms of food so I don’t have to worry about food anymore.’
He could buy food at any time. Naturally the various equipment and weapons caught his eye. The prisoners had exchanged their equipment for food. Ark had also taken off his equipment. His armour was equivalent to 1.3 kg of Iridium. However, interest piled up and now he had to pay 2.5 kg to buy it back.
‘Even if I take back my equipment, there is 5.5 kg left.’
He eyed the other things he could afford.
‘Smoke bombs and recovery ampoules……’
If he bought a few of them then it would raise his survival rate. But Ark soon shook his head.
‘No. These supplies won’t be a big help on the battlefield. If I think about the amount of achievements I have to earn in the future, they won’t be enough. I have to invest in something like this now. This is what I really need to survive!’
Ark surveyed the goods for a while and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Please return the equipment I left behind and change the rest for food and water.”
“The remaining Iridium…..is that right?”
Irina stated with a frown. It was the first time he had seen that look on her face. Of course she would be doubtful. He wanted to exchange 5.5 kg of Iridium for food and water. That was too many to eat by himself.
“You can also reserve mileage. Don’t you want to buy them steadily and get something useful for battle instead?”
“No, change it all to food.”
Ark replied in a firm voice. Irina looked doubtful but did as he asked without questioning Ark any further. He gained 55 Space Food and Purified Water!
‘Now for the troublesome part!’
Ark headed towards the barracks holding the packed food.
Several prisoners visited him as soon as he sat down.
“That…..I’m sorry for asking.”
He didn’t even have to listen to their requests. Most of the prisoners were starving from a lack of Iridium. This scene would obviously occur after buying 55 food. In this place food was the same as gold…..
“I can guess what your request is. Please take it.”
Ark gave one Space Food and Purified Water to each prisoner. Eating those together would fill satiety to 50%. That amount was enough to recover so that they wouldn’t receive a penalty. The prisoners looked at Ark with wide eyes.
“Y-you’re just giving it?”
“You don’t like it?”
“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that……”
“You and I have fellow soldiers suffering the same things. We are sharing our lives. It is natural to share food with fellow soldiers. If you’re hungry then visit at any time.”
“B-but…..”
“It’s okay. Aren’t we fellow soldiers?”
Ark smiled and shook their hands. The prisoners were immersed in a crucible of emotions. It was natural. They were lacking food so there was a desperate struggle for even one small piece of Iridium. Giving this much food away for free was unthinkable. Ark looked like a saviour in the eyes of the prisoners.
“W-what did you say? You said you were going to help fellow soldiers right?”
Mellin who had already received food asked. Ark gave him a condescending look and laughed.
“Bring anyone who is hungry. I can’t promise to help everyone but I’ll do everything in my power.”
“Ohh, for someone like you to be here!”
Mellin brought some more prisoners. Their bodies were so shabby it seemed like they had been starving for ages.
“It must be hard. Please take it.”
Ark distributed the food to them without asking for anything in return. That helped Ark on the battlefield.
“It’s dangerous! Ugh!”
If the other prisoners spotted damage then they wouldn’t hesitate to block the attacks. It didn’t matter if they were killed because of it! As the days passed, Ark’s name started to spread among the prisoners.
“Hey, have you heard about a guy called Ark?”
“Ark? Of course. Yesterday I received food from Ark.”
“So he’s really giving the food for free?”
“Yes, but only to people who are about to die of starvation. Anyway, quite a few people stopped dying of starvation because of Ark. And that’s not all. Ark didn’t care about self-protection and even helped me on the battlefield. Well, I still eventually died……”
“Ha! He really is a crazy guy. Why is he doing that?”
“What? Crazy? This bastard!”
The prisoner’s warm look changed to anger.
“Don’t talk too much! Shut up, we’re prisoners so how can we distinguish between good or bad? I was really impressed. If you’re going to talk like that then don’t come to this place. Anyway, Ark said we are fellow soldiers. Fellow soldiers! Do you know what that means? I will never let you speak badly about Ark!”
It only took Ark three days to hear talk like this.
‘Huhuhu, it is going as planned.’
Ark laughed as he noticed the atmosphere among the prisoners. Ark became like an angel thanks to his venture into philanthropy. No, it was because there was nowhere overflowing with Iridium. There was a reason for it. Ark had gained 8 kg of Iridium the first time he used the digging skill.
‘I don’t need to worry about starving to death!’
Ark was glad about that and ran wild. But after some time passed, he felt rather lonely. He was definitely pleased about not having to worry about dying anymore. \When he was on Nephalim, hunting one monster was enough for several days worth of food. He was glad he didn’t have to die of starvation anymore but……
Rejoicing in something like that by himself felt lonely.
‘Be steady Ark! Your goal is to live!’
Ark had to become the best player in Galaxian. He had to get off Beltana in order to do this.
“Yes, that’s right. The important thing right now is to get off Beltana. The problem of living is settled for now so I have to focus all my power on that objective. Fortunately it is possible to gain recovery ampoules and equipment from here. I’ve found a way to obtain Iridium so buying them won’t be a problem. But……’
It wasn’t a 1 on 1 battle. Ark was fighting on a battlefield filled with hundreds and thousands of soldiers. A few ampoules and equipment won’t have much effect. Especially if his level was low
Therefore the thing Ark needed right now was colleagues! Reliable colleagues.
‘The prisoner unit is different from the other troops. The atmosphere was bloody as the prisoners fought over pieces of Iridium. In such an atmosphere, asking to be colleagues right now won’t work. Then I should make them come to me first.’
That was the reason Ark changed all the Iridium to food. Not surprisingly, the prisoners started to visit when Ark gave out the food for free.
“If you give us the steady food supply then you can join our group.”
A prisoner called Guren said this to him. In fact, the prisoner unit were actually split into 3 groups
The first group were the prisoners who paid money to Valencia to protect them. The second group were made of high level prisoners. And the last one were the prisoners who didn’t belong in the other two groups. Guren was the leader of the first group. Although the first group had a high survival rate thanks to the protection of the regular troops, the regular troops monopolized all the loot so it was difficult to get a steady food supply.
“That’s okay.”
But Ark declined their offer
‘My survival rate will definitely increase if I join the first group. But unlike the other users, I have a conditional exemption. My position will be lower than the other users. Of course I will get a chance for achievements. If I survive the battle then I can get 50 achievements. I would rather make a new group.’
It was better to be the head of a snake then the tail of a dragon. Even a snake would be able to eat a frog. Despite having a small head, it could still get benefits.
‘And I’m going to absorb the 3rd group!’
Ark gave out the free food to the prisoners belonging to the 3rd group. Some users bribed Valencia with gold to protect them. And the 2nd group had to be a certain level. The 3rd group was where the remaining users and all the NPCs were gathered, which was why Ark picked the 3rd group.
‘They are the prisoners who don’t have a place to lean on. So I will buy their hearts!’
He could raise his intimacy with NPCs unlike users. It was no different when saving them from a harsh situation. His investment paid off after three days. He raised his public image with the NPCs. And little by little the effects showed.
“Ark, it is dangerous! You have to live!”
The prisoners who had helped started protecting Ark on the battlefield. The change in the NPCs spread quickly. It hadn’t even been 5 days before all the NPCs were surrounding Ark on the battlefield.
“Hyung-nim, give us a chance to return the favour! We will stop the bombing!”
His title changed to Hyung-nim in no time. So Ark formed the 3rd group in the prisoner unit. Thanks to the Space Food, the prisoners became loyal bodyguards!
“Now the game is starting!”
Space 5
The 3rd Group (Part: 2)
“Hrmm……”
Hyun-woo looked at his appearance through the reflection in the glass. He was wearing an expensive suit and looked quite amazing. Hyun-woo’s clothes matched the flashy venue. An orchestra was playing underneath a huge chandelier and people wearing formal suits and dresses were gathered around tables laid with food.
‘The game is a hell while reality is heaven…..’
His life had changed 180 degrees in 4 years. At that time, it was heaven in the game and reality was hell. Of course, the world hadn’t changed. Hyun-woo’s position had just changed. But Hyun-woo didn’t come to this party to play around. Hyun-woo found this place unnerving. He also had no time for it considering the situation in Galaxian.
‘Damn, that Ha Myung-woo…..’
Hyun-woo sighed and scratched his head. Hyun-woo was at this party because of his job.
-New Year’s Eve donation party to help refugees overseas.
“Director Kim has to come to this party. Director Kim is in your twenties so it will be good for the company image if you show up.”
That was the reason Ha Myung-woo sent Hyun-woo here.
‘Well I am young but……’
The party didn’t match with Hyun-woo’s personality. It was an event to gather donations to help refugees abroad but they had spent a tremendous amount of money to hire a famous hotel as the venue. It was like sitting in a high place and throwing bread to someone pitiful while thinking ‘Hahaha, you should thank me!’ He would rather spend his money buying flour and sending it himself. Hyun-woo had a reason for such values. It was his mother Park So-mi and his stepfather Gwon Hwa-rang. After his mother’s body recovered from the long ago accident, she had gone overseas with Gwon Hwa-rang to help the refugees and had spent 7~8 months in places like South Africa.
‘Leaving her son alone…..’
Hyun-woo’s thoughts were then interrupted. He suddenly saw a woman with a familiar face. She was a woman in her twenties wearing a red dress. Hyun-woo looked doubtfully at her face.
‘Eh? She somehow looks familiar?’
When he first saw the woman, her face looked really familiar. Hyun-woo was curious so he turned around and gradually approached her. He held up a cocktail and stealthily looked at her face.
‘Wait? That face…..eh? I-is that Irina?’
She was the cyborg like Irina in charge of the supplies on Beltana! The woman in the red dress had a 90% synchro rate with Irina’s face.
‘Eek? I-it can’t be? This woman is really Irina?’
He already knew that Irina was a user. But he heard the rumours that she was an aunty in her forties and never thought her appearance would be like this. She didn’t even blink as she let prisoners die of starvation yet to find her helping at an event for overseas refugees…..an exclamation mark appeared in Hyun-woo’s head as he stared at her.
‘Wait? This might actually be a chance!’
Some people might be difficult to approach in the online game but were different in reality.
‘If she really is Irina then she is an officer for the galactic federation. If we became familiar then there are several ways she could help. Well, it might be too obvious if I approach her talking about the game…..’
He needed to pretend he didn’t know her. Hyun-woo thought like that and started to walk towards her. But before he could, a group consisting of 1 man and 2 women approached her. Hyun-woo missed the timing thanks to them.
“Hey unlucky woman, why are you showing your face here?”
“…….”
“Ha, look at that expression.”
“Yes, that attitude makes me even angrier.”
“You unlucky woman, we had to see something inferior because of you.”
“Honestly, it is worthless if you come to a place like this.”
The man and two females cornered her.
‘What is this? What is their relationship?’
Hyun-woo just stared blankly. After a brief moment, he started to get angry at the group. She was just standing there silently as the group said more and more abusive words to her. He didn’t know what their relationship was like so he didn’t feel like he should interfere. However, she wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Then the group said with cold eyes.
“Anyway, it will be gold if you go into a corner to eat rice so we won’t notice you anymore. Or just leave.”
“…….”
She still didn’t say anything.
‘Irina…..there’s no doubt she is the same person. Their characters are the same.’
Despite this situation where Hyun-woo thought she should be angry, her face was still expressionless.
‘Anyway, this isn’t the time to talk to her.’
Hyun-woo sensed the uncomfortable atmosphere and was about to turn his body
Suddenly the two women giggled and exchanged glances. And one of them approached her with a cocktail. She intentionally pretended to stumbled and poured the contents of the cocktail onto Irina’s back. No, she tried to pour it!
“Ik! It was about to fall down.”
Hyun-woo quickly approached and helped her with a smile.
“Be careful. Won’t various people be troubled if it falls?”
“Who cares!”
The woman flared up and quickly turned around. However, there was a vague smile of satisfaction on Ark’s face. Hyun-woo aimed for this chance to speak to Irina. But stopping it was too obvious. He had been able to walk away when he saw the opportunity and grasped it. Now he had a chance to naturally talk to her.
‘It might be a little uncomfortable but……’
Hyun-woo hadn’t intentionally produced this situation. There was no reason to be stopped by his conscience.
‘Huhuhu, won’t a conversation naturally follow now?’
“Are you alright?”
Hyun-woo laughed and turned around. However……
“Eh?”
……There was no one there. Hyun-woo looked around with confusion and saw her slipping away. Although he saved her from having a cocktail poured on her, Irina just rejected any chances of conversation and walked away.
‘She must be embarrassed……’
Ark decided to think like that.
——————————————————————————–
“Hyung-nim!”
A prisoner grabbed Ark’s hand.
“This gift! I will never forget it for my entire life!”
“This gift, it is nothing……”
“Don’t say that!”
The prisoner forcefully shook his head and said.
“I gave up on everything before meeting Hyung-nim. Going onto the battlefield when starving and then dying, I thought it was a miserable daily life that wold be repeated forever. But then I met Hyung-nim. I’m not starving thanks to Hyung-nim so I’m able to avoid the bullets better. I’m going to leave this hell place thanks to Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim is my saviour!”
‘That’s right.’
Ark inwardly smirked. However, he would get more benefits from acting modest. Ark acted like he was refusing the thanks and said.
“Today’s result is because of your effort. I just gave you a small opportunity. Are we fellow buddied who have shared hardships? It is natural to help fellow soldiers and to receive their help later. You don’t need to be too thankful. No, I am the one who should be thankful. You’ve believed in me and followed me so I’m very thankful. You might not be a prisoner anymore but I hope you remember your fellow soldiers forever.”
“H-Hyung-nim…..”
Tears gathered in the eyes of the young prisoner. He wasn’t the only one. 10 other prisoners were gathered around him with red faces. The prisoners all looked at Ark with tearful expressions.
‘It took some time to come here……’
While watching them, memories of the past few days passed through his head like a panorama
10 days ago, Ark had been able to use the Dig skill to find kilograms of Iridium and was able to solve his food problem. However, Ark wasn’t satisfied with just that.
‘The most necessary things in this place are colleagues!’
Ark knew. Colleagues were the most important thing on a battlefield. Prisoners paying money in return for Valencia’s protection was similar to gaining a colleague. Ark gave away free food in order to gain colleagues that would die for him on the battlefield. Even a little bit of help in a harsh environment would be impressive. Ark’s sacrifice (?) was enough to impress the prisoners and they naturally flocked around him. The 1st group among the prisoners were users who offered money to the regular troops for protection. The 2nd group were relatively high level prisoners while Ark gathered all the leftovers into the 3rd group.
‘But my organization is still lacking unity. Even if the 3rd group of prisoners are gathered around me, it isn’t possible to call them an organization yet. The prisoners received free help so they are obliged to return the help. However, that would make it impossible to show off effective group cooperation on the battlefield. They need a shared target in order to show off any teamwork.’
Ark immediately launched a two stage plan. Stage 2 is to create ‘graduates’ from among the 3rd group! Thanks to Ark’s support, the survival rate of the prisoners increased. They were able to build up achievements and some managed to escape from Beltana. The prisoners gathered around him were those who gained enough achievements to be pardoned.
“The prisoners who followed Hyung-nim have been pardoned!”
“We believe that Hyung-nim will help us escape from here!”
That idea formed within the prisoner’s consciousness. Ark had aimed for this. He planted a shared target within the prisoners! The prisoners had gathered in order to return the favour. But that was just mere courtesy. However, it was different if they had a shared goal. They had already become an organization and Ark could command them now. Of course, the leader of the organization was Ark!
“Although it is regretful that the number of prisoners who followed me decreased……”
The result was a great success. Now the prisoners gathered around Ark weren’t just thinking about paying him back. They were following Ark in the hope of escaping from Beltana. The change in consciousness made them into Royal Guards with a deep loyalty for Ark. However, Ark’s progressing plan also brought an additional effect.
“Hyung-nim, I have something to discuss before leaving.”
These were the first graduates that Ark discharged from the Royal Guards. A prisoner called Asuran visited Ark before leaving Beltana.
“In fact, I was the boss of a bandit group in the city of Sidellin. Although I might’ve spent my life stealing from others, I know how to return a favour. You handed out food to trash like me and saved me from a life of hell! Oh, I will never forget it. So Hyung-nim should visit me once you leave this place. I want to pay Hyung-nim back a little bit. Please!”
Asuran grabbed Ark’s hand.
<Asuran will Return the Favour>
Asuran was dispatched to the disputed planet Beltana after being arrested and you’ve saved him and allowed him to be pardoned. Asuran is impressed by your favour and wants to pay you back
If you visit Asuran in the city Sidellin on Istana then you will get a special reward.
Difficulty: –
‘Quest?’
Ark’s eyes popped out with surprise. He never imagined that he could get a quest from a prisoner on Beltana! But it wasn’t that unusual when he thought about it. It was natural for users to get quests from NPCs. Even if they were prisoners, it was possible for them to give quests to Ark. But he thought of the prisoners as beggars and hadn’t expected anything. However, there was one thing Ark hadn’t considered. They were NPCs. They might be prisoners but they were different from users. They might be prisoners thrilled about food but once the prisoner identity was taken off, they were thieves, engineers, merchants etc. Since then, Ark’s gaze towards the prisoners changed
Not only could the prisoners help him on the battlefield but he could also receive rewards from the NPCs. Anyway, Ark managed to transform the prisoners into a Royal Guards organization. Therefore he needed to quickly build achievements for prisoners who would give compensation. He had to give priority to those prisoners.
‘I need to understand the prisoners in order to do this.’
So Ark started to have regular conversations with the prisoners.
“I was born as the son of a poor peasant in the slums and started stealing because I was hungry……”
‘I will put him on reserve for the moment.’
“I was a follower arrested after covering for the crime of the boss of my organization……”
‘He will be on reserve too.’
“I was the owner of a large store. I had at least 30 employees. But money was my enemy. I became too greedy and started tax evasion. Hah, if I managed to escape from this place then I could return the favour……”
‘This guy!’
He became a top priority to be pardoned. Ark rallied all his power to raise the achievements of the prisoner. It was highly likely that a compensation quest would be given. Of course, not all the compensations gave compensation as they left. However, the prisoners who didn’t give quests repaid him through other methods.
“I think Hyung-nim needs this more than me.”
-Fading Steel II (Magic)
Item Type: Gun Wearer Restriction: Level 20
Attack: 15~20 Durability: 18/30
Number of Ammunition: 12
Fading Steel is an automatic pistol with excellent performance. Although the damage might be less than other pistols of the same grade, it is a reliable long range pistol beloved by pioneers. However, the light weight of the gun means there is a strong recoil and is a weakness of the gun. However, this gun is equipped with a laser scope which increases the hit ratio.
<Firing Rate +10%, Hit Rate +20%>
Some prisoners would give the weapon they were using!
“It’s not much but this technique might be useful to Hyung-nim.”
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆) has been learnt.
Withdrawal (User, Active): The universe is a place where you might face any risk. Therefore the most important thing to all pioneers is survival! This survival skill manifested due to that desire.
This technique concentrates all your mental power to reduce the probability of being detected by machines. However, your body has to be concealed if you want to use this. In addition, the mental consumption is big so a break is needed after 30 minutes to reapply it.
<Probability of being detected by an enemy -50% when concealed>
Mental power consumption: 30
Some prisoners also taught skills before leaving. It was the same for a prisoner called Milan.
“Even though it was only for a short time, I’m proud to serve under Hyung-nim. We might be separate but I will come running if Hyung-nim calls, even if I’m on the opposite side of the galaxy. And you didn’t forget the promise from yesterday? It’s a promise. Be sure to visit me once you leave Beltana.”
Milan spoke in a tearful tone and the information window appeared.
<Milan’s Proposal>
Milan is a treasure hunter in Tatuine. In exchange for your help on Beltana, he promised to find a treasure to repay you once he returns to Tatuine. If you visit Milan in Tatuine then it might be possible to receive a special reward.
Difficulty: –
A quest was registered. During the last 10 days, Ark managed to give 5 prisoners amnesty. As a result he received 3 quests, the Fading Steel II and a skill. It was amazing! The NPCs gave him quite a lot. Ark realized a natural truth of Galaxian. This was why Ark liked NPCs. They always repaid any good intentions. Of course, there were exceptions such as Tori but most NPCs stuck to this principle. This was the reason he didn’t hesitate to act nice with NPCs instead of users.
“But it is up to here.”
Ark waved goodbye to Milan who was leaving Beltana and murmured as he turned around
Every time he helped a prisoner get pardoned, he would receive a compensation quest or item or skill. it will still jackpot even if it was over 10 days. But when reconsidering the number of prisoners, there was obviously a limit.
“At first there were 15 prisoners following me. 5 of them are pardoned…..”
Ark’s purpose in making the Royal Guards wasn’t to receive compensation. The prisoners had transformed into an organization. And Ark’s ultimate goal was to leave Beltana. However, the prisoners were the ones being pardoned. Ironically, Ark had made it harder for himself to escape Beltana.
“Now there are 10 people left! If the number decreases any more than I’ll be in trouble.”
A minimum of 10 people was needed for Ark’s plan. But these 10 people were different from other users. They received a lot of help from Ark and also watched other prisoners being pardoned so they trusted him 100%. They were prisoners who wouldn’t hesitate to die if Ark was in danger. In fact, the biggest benefit he got from the 5 of them leaving was their trust. Those 10 people absolutely believed in Ark! And that effect showed on the battlefield. Thanks to the prisoners, Ark’s survival rate increased to 80%. Therefore Ark’s achievements that had gone down to -200 increased to +700. His experience was also preserved and he gained 3 levels.
“If I maintain this state then I can leave in a month! I can escape in 1 month! But I shouldn’t rashly use the remaining prisoners. I have to maintain their trust. If I lose them then I won’t be able to gain anything. So it is important to raise my achievements and the prisoners’ achievements equally.”
In fact, that wasn’t his only worry. Balancing Ark’s achievements with the organization’s was difficult. But there were other problems. The problem giving heavy stress to Ark over the past few days was……
Ark flinched and stopped moving while returning to the barracks. Displeasure appeared on his face at the same time.
‘Sheesh!’
Ark stared with dissatisfaction at the supplies tent that caught his eye. No, to be exact it was Irina’s emotionless face sitting in the supplies tent. Ark was convinced that the female in the red dress that he met at the charity party was Irina. Therefore he went to find her when he first connected to Galaxian…..
“Hello.”
“Did you want to exchange Iridium?”
“No, that’s not…..don’t you remember me?”
“I remember. You are the only prisoner to bring kilograms of Iridium.”
“No. I saw you outside. Yesterday during the charity party.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t remember? I stopped a girl from pouring a cocktail on you…..”
“If you have no requests then please leave. I am working.”
Irina replied with an emotionless face. She even rejected his help when he saved her in reality. She was devoted to her work. Anyway, anger welled up inside him at those words.
‘Perhaps my judgement was wrong? No, that is impossible. He couldn’t stumble upon a face that similar. She is clearly that woman. Is she just pretending that she didn’t meet a beggar like me? Then I will make her recognize me!’
Since then Ark glared and applied unspoken pressure every time he came to exchange Iridium but there was zero response. He glared at Irina for 10 days but there was no response. Right now was still the same.
‘I know I met you at the charity party!’ his expression said to Irina.
And she neatly ignored him.
‘She really is terrible. Even if she is an officer of the federation, isn’t that too pretentious? Just ignoring people. The sight of that expressionless face really makes me furious……’
Ark bit his lip while thinking.
“Hey, what is this?”
Then he heard someone’s voice from behind him. Ark automatically turned his face
A group of soldiers were approaching behind him. The person who spoke to Ark was Valencia of the 1st armoured platoon. Ark’s face distorted at the sight. His expression said ‘I hate you. Go away!’ but Valencia just ignored it.
“If it isn’t Ark who is working hard these days? Why is Ark-nim standing around absentmindedly in a place like this? Aha, were you watching Irina? That woman is your taste? Your heart is burning yet you’re watching from a distance…..you are unexpectedly a romantic.”
“It’s not like that.”
“No. I’m also a man. I can recognize that look when I see it. Irina, she definitely has a pretty face. Although I don’t know what her real face is like. Anyway, isn’t it beautiful? Love on the battlefield. How wonderful. Then Valencia-nim will help. Hey, Irina!”
Valencia smiled and waved towards the supplies tent. Ark was surprised by the sudden situation and caught Valencia’s arm.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Jeez. This is Valencia-nim helping you.”
Ark’s reaction seemed to urge Valencia on even more and he smirked as he shouted towards Irina.
“Irina, doesn’t it seem like Ark-nim is interested in you these days? It is painful to see. How about it? How about one date on the outside? Aigoo, she isn’t looking. What do I do? You, doesn’t it seem like you’ve been dumped? Aren’t you feeling hurt?”
“You really…..”
Ark blushed as he glared at Valencia. Valencia’s expression seemed to completely reverse.
“Really? Really what? What did you say?”
Valencia pushed his face close to Ark and muttered in a low voice.
“You are really annoying. You understand? You cheeky brat, you think you can just scrape up the remains of the prisoners and run wild? Who gave you permission?”
“I’m only doing my work.”
“Your work?”
Valencia sneered and laughed incredulously.
“Don’t play around. You seem to be misunderstanding something. It is because of us that you prisoners can live. Without us you will just drop dead. So you should be grateful. Yet you conceitedly formed your organization?”
“I don’t remember doing any harm to you?”
“The fact that you’re doing this is damaging me.”
Valencia repeated in a low voice.
“Listen carefully. Until now I’ve left you alone. But it will be different from now on. You’ve bothered me. You got that? You’ll realize what it means soon. No, you don’t know yet. Bear this in mind. This is my battlefield.”
Valencia looked at him with sharp eyes and turned around.
‘Hah, this guy really…..’
Ark sighed as Valencia walked away. Ark’s biggest annoyance was Valencia. Once again, Valencia used his position as the leader of the 1st armoured platoon to offer protection to prisoners. Valencia had also made him an offer when Ark first arrived at Beltana. But Ark had refused! And he collected prisoners until he formed the Royal Guards. Until this point, Valencia hadn’t worried about Ark. He probably thought Ark wasn’t worth worrying about. However, Ark’s and the Royal Guards’ survival rates soared. He was even able to help 5 prisoners escape from Beltana in 10 days. Valencia’s attitude changed since then.
‘Well it is natural but…..’
To be precise, Valencia’s attitude was because of the prisoners paying a protection fee to him
Although Valencia and his group received the money, the monopolized most of the achievements. Still, the 1st prisoner group couldn’t complain. Because they could still receive 50 achievements just from participating in the battle and surviving. But that changed thanks to Ark and the Royal Guards.
“What? Didn’t we pay money so why are they getting more achievements?”
“Then what is the reason for paying money to the 1st armoured platoon?”
“Yes, what is the point of the 1st armoured platoon? They’re just sweeping up all the achievements. We should’ve just joined Ark who is gathering guys.”
Complaints naturally poured in. Valencia started to be angry at Ark from then on. The dispute continued on the battlefield. Valencia and the 1st armoured platoon tried to snatch the achievements from Ark and the Royal Guards and lured the Rama to them. So the elite troops interfered with them the achievements for several days.
‘Those bastards……’
Ark was the type of character to hold a grudge forever.
‘I show them what it means to go against me.’
But the 1st armoured platoon were the elite troops of the federation. The Royal Guards were just organized so the elite troops are too strong for them. In addition, Ark couldn’t gain any achievements with the armoured platoon stuck to them. He would definitely return the grudge. But he had to leave them alone for self-protection.
“Well, I’m not going to avoid them like I’m scared of them.”
It was good for his mental health to think like this. Ark muttered an excuse as he headed towards the barracks.
Wiiiii!
Suddenly the camp’s sharp sirens rang out. At the same time, loudspeakers started broadcasting all over the camp.
-Emergency! The Rama’s scouting unit has advanced within 100 km of this camp!
Space 6
Straggler
“It’s coming!”
A cry could be heard. The sky turned black like they were covered in rain clouds. Around 100 cylindrical metal missiles were flying with emitting smoke! It was the long distance bombing from the Rama that featured in the prisoners’ nightmares. But this was different from the first time. They managed to find a way to solve it after experiencing it many times. Ark turned and shouted.
“Hegel!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
A prisoner vigorously replied. Once again, over the last 10 days Ark had gathered Iridium and mobilized prisoners to help him on the battlefield. He had investigated the prisoners’ histories and chose the ones that would be pardoned first. Ark had realized something during the personal interviews. The prisoners weren’t identical NPCs. Just like users could pick different species and had different skills, the prisoners had different skills as well. Most of them were serious but they all had one specialized skill.
‘There is a limit to how much combat skills can have an effect on a battlefield compared to fighting alone. So combat skills aren’t that different. But my organization is different. Even skills without a visible use will have a synergy effect in my organization.’
Ark had this point in the back of his mind during the personal interviews. Thanks to that, he was able to find Hegel. Hegel was a 1 metre tall alien with a grey body and black eyes from a species called ‘Grey.’ Hegel’s species was the cause of kidnapping humans from earth and experimenting on them
Anyway, the Grey’s small frame meant they weren’t that good in combat. However, they were an advanced scientific civilization with high HQ. Therefore the Grey’s skills were aimed towards taking advantage of their high IQ.
“Orbit Prediction Calculation!”
Hegel manipulated his Nymphe with a long finger. He raised his head and saw signs placed on several missiles.
“Hyung-nim, those ones! Those are the missiles that will harm our unit!”
This was Hegel’s skill! It was calculating the missile’s trajectory in order to predict the impact point
But the Rama’s bombing covered the whole area where the prisoner troops were. Even if Hegel calculated the impact spot, there was no way to avoid the bombing……
‘But my organization is different!’
“The target is three points! Mellin, Berad, Cupa, point A! Beleol, Hedro, Reben, point B! Ralph, Konsed, Kalliben, point C. Aim for those missiles and stand by!””
“Did you hear? Everybody loaded!”
The Royal Guards kneeled down and loaded their shotguns. There were continuous ringing sounds as the missiles approached the 100 metre mark. A shout emerged from Ark’s mouth.
“Fire!”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
9 guns fired simultaneously. 3 prisoners aimed for 1 missile! This was the method Ark came up with to take care of the bombing. Hegel would read the orbit of the missile while the Royal Guards would intercept them!
Ching-! Ching-! Ching-! Ching-! Pepepepeng!
Sparks appeared over the warhead and they exploded in mid-air. Beleol at point B had the best sniper skills followed by Kalliben at point C. While the B and C missiles were taken care of, the A missile only exploded when it was 30 metres away. They only intercepted a few missiles but some risk had disappeared. However the prisoners still received damage from the Rama’s bombing. Not many soldiers on the battlefield actually died from the missiles falling on them. Most of them died because they were caught in the explosion. The same thing applied to Beltana’s battlefield
100 missiles were concentrated on one area. This meant the damage of 100 explosions built up
Those caught in the centre of the explosion couldn’t breathe and melted. It was the reason Ark didn’t participate in the missile interception! Anyway, Ark had no shooting talent even at short range so he would’ve been no help. But Ark was still affected because he was on the battlefield. It was -50 degree weather yet he was still sweating……
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Dig! Over the last 10 days of gaining 7~8 kg per day, Ark’s Dig skill had already reached intermediate. When Ark dug at frozen ground, the shovel easily parted through it like it was soft tofu. He dug at the ground like a motor was attached to the shovel and a big hole was instantly created. The Royal Guards are intercepted all 3 missiles.
“All the warheads are destroyed!”
“That’s it. Enter the trench and lower your body!”
Ark shouting while jumping into the pit. The 10 prisoners also fell into the hole and lay flat on the ground!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwa!
They waited as a violent roar shook the atmosphere. 100 missiles exploded and fire and fragments covered the area. Even heavy armour clad soldiers died instantly from the blasts! However, the blast was the strongest higher up and lost strength as it got lower. The fire and impact only affected the higher places. That was the reason Ark had created the pit. It was only 50 cm into the ground but it still negated most of the effects of the explosion. In other words, if he countered the missiles that would fall directly on the trench then he didn’t have to worry about anything. This was the secret to Ark and the Royal Guard’s survival rate.
“Cough! Cough!”
The explosion swept past them. Ark crawled out from the dust that covered the trench and looked around. Bodies strewn around in the mud caught his eye. Ark could use Dig to make find Iridium and even make trenches to protect the prisoners following him from the bombs. But Beltana was a planet with -50 degrees weather! It was impossible for users who didn’t have the Dig skill or a shovel. The shovel might break down but he could waste several Iridium repairing it. It was possible to counter the missiles and stop most of the damage.
‘Well I still lost 15% health……’
But he couldn’t be compared to the torn rags on the ground. However, he couldn’t afford to sigh with relief.
‘Now the real battle will begin!’
“Is everybody okay?”
“Yes, some are a little injured but we’re all safe and sound.”
Mellin crept out of the trenches with several members and replied.
“Okay, everybody in their battle formations!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
At the same time the ground started shaking. The area was filled with dust from the explosions so he couldn’t see beyond in front of him but Ark could understand the identity of the noise. It was the Rama’s second attack after the long distance bombing. The dust split apart and they appeared.
“Carack!”
The Carack were the Rama’s biological weapon with the form of a mantis! The Carack rushed forward in a herd. Hundreds of Carack approached the prisoners who were in disarray from the explosions. The injured prisoners were hit by the Carack’s weapons and torn to pieces.
“Waaahhh!”
“S-save me! Waaah!”
Screams and blood swirled through the dust. In fact, most of the prisoners were killed by the Carack rather than the bombing.
“Pay attention! Don’t worry about other units!”
Ark yelled towards the members of the Royal Guards.
“The biggest enemy on the battlefield is fear. No matter how strong the person is and the weapons they have, they won’t win if they’re fearful. So calm your heart. And trust in me. And believe in your colleagues. We are one. If that trust is unbreakable then we’ll be able to leave here.”
“Ohhhhhh! Hyung-nim!”
“Attack!”
Ark shouted. At the same time, a roaring sound emitted from the muzzles of the Royal Guards. It exploded across a short distance and 3 Carack collapsed.
‘It was worth all that digging.’
Ark laughed as the Carack were wrapped in flames. Whether it was the future or medieval times, the most important thing on the battlefield was teamwork The background of Galaxian might be different from his previous games but Ark knew better than anyone about conducting thousands of soldiers. The reason he created the Royal Guards and pardoned 5 prisoners was to build up achievements for himself. Thanks to Ark’s efforts, the Royal Guards’ teamwork was incomparable to other troops. Ark turned his eyes elsewhere.
‘Teamwork is important but that isn’t everything. Other things are also necessary. In particular, the level of the Royal Guards is lower than other units. But level isn’t something I can change in a short period of time. In the end, I have to focus on long range attacks to increase the survival rate of the members. Then the best way to raise the combat power is to upgrade their guns……’
If he used the supplies tent then he was able to obtain better guns. However, the cheapest guns considering the levels of the Royal Guards required at least a ton of Iridium. It was impossible for Ark to obtain that much Iridium. So Ark turned his eyes towards bullets. The damage of medieval weapons changed depending on the bow and arrows. It was the same for Galaxian despite it being set in the future. The damage of the gun varied depending on the bullet. There were dozens of different types of ammunition…..
-Fire Bullet I
Attack: Firearm damage +5 (Additional Fire Attribute)
A bullet developed by Laius, one of the 4 big companies. A flammable substance developed by Laius is loaded within the warhead and will emit a strong flame with impact. The flames won’t affect androids and shields but will have an significant effect on biomedical tissue. There is also a chance the flames will deal continuous fire damage.
<3% chance of continuous fire damage. 50 additional damage will be given every 1 minute>
The bullet Ark selected was Fire Bullet! He chose this based on the Carack’s biological body. Apart from the Iridium exchanged for food, he turned the rest into Fire Bullets. He could confirm the results of his blood and sweat in front of him……
Peng! Peng! Hwarururu!
The fired bullets shaved away the health of the Carack. Furthermore, the soaring flames turned them into ripe meat.
-Achievement + 5.
-Achievement + 5…..
The wonderful messages appeared in front of Ark. He received some experience and achievements from any opponents that the Royal Guards knocked down. It was only 1 point but a bonus was applied since Ark was the leader and added up to 5 points! That was how Ark managed to gain +700 achievements during 10 days.
‘But I can’t be satisfied with just eating little by little.’
And there was a limit to how many Caracks could be stopped with shooting. There were hundreds of Carack. Not all of them were attacking the Royal Guards but there were still dozens of Carack
They couldn’t use the Fire Bullets anymore because the other prisoners would now be hit. It was the same for the Royal Guards now as well.
Karararara! Kararararak!
The Carack pressed forward with the human wave tactics and attacked the Royal Guards. It was time for Ark who had no talent in shooting to go forward!
“Shut up you bastards! I won’t let you make noises anymore! Sonic Sword!”
Ark threw his body towards the Carack and swung his weapon. He used Sonic Sword! A light flashed from the blade and blue fluid fell from the body of the Carack. A vacuum was created by the blade surpassing the speed limit. However, that wasn’t the real value of the Sonic Sword.
Kiiiiii-! Pepeng-!
There was a shock wave the moment the blade broke through the speed of sound. The shock wave passed back dozens of Carack. The effect of Sonic Sword pushed them back 5 metres. This effect was more attractive than damage when dealing with a large number of enemies.
“Now! Berad! Ralph!”
Two Royal Guards ran towards the Carack. Berad was wielding an hammer with a strange engine attached. On the other hand, Ralph was holding a dagger. They were the two in the Royal Guards with the best head-to-head skills.
“Yes Hyung-nim! Ohhhhh! Smash!”
Berad twisted his hammer and exhaust fumes emerged from the engine attached to the hammer. The hammer received an explosive acceleration and attacked the enemy! When Berad brought down the accelerated hammer, the head of a Carack immediately became like a dented can. Meanwhile Ralph’s dagger shook as it hit the Carack.
“Screw Blade!”
The dagger rotated in a spiral and pierced the neck of the Carack. The head and neck of the Carack was crushed. Meanwhile Ark was approaching the Carack he hit with Sonic Sword.
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok!
Ark placed the muzzle to the Carack and pulled it three times.
“Now the fatal blow. Set Bullets Shooting!”
Pepeng-!
There was a sound like a cannon firing. The effect was also like a cannon. A huge hole appeared in the Carack’s head! This was Ark’s 2nd battle skill, where bullets were gathered and fired. However, the damage was 2.5 times. It was shot from close range. However, the weak point was the recoil so the hit rate lowered. But Ark’s marksmanship was for close combat! The hit rate didn’t matter to him. Even if he couldn’t do any damage with the bullets, he could just use evasive movements while shooting. But the good point was that the attack did 2.5 times the damage!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the Carack will receive additional 150% damage>
It was a jackpot when there was a headshot! There was an additional 2.5 times damage added to the 150%. Of course, the hit rate had decreased so there weren’t that many chances of a headshot.
Chiiiik……
The combination of the Sonic Sword and Set Bullets Shooting made the Carack melt like water.
-Achievement + 15.
His achievements rose from killing it directly.
‘These guys were so annoying when I first came to the battlefield……’
The Carack were a biological weapon. Although there were an incredible high number of them, they were only level 15. They were difficult to deal with in a group but easy to gain achievements against when the Carack were alone.
Karararara! Kararararak!
“Sonic Sword!”
Ark used Sonic Sword and pushed back the Carack.
“Smash!”
“Screw Blade!”
Berad and Ralph also used their hammer and dagger!
Suksak suksak!
Together they defeated the Carack one by one. Of course, the remaining Royal Guard members weren’t just watching.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
While Ark, Berad and Ralph were taking care of the Carack, the other 8 members were using the Fire Bullets. The Caracks’ health fell with every attack while the Royal Guard members created a defensive wall! This was the secret to Ark’s survival rate.
-Achievement + 15.
-Achievement + 5.
-Achievement + 5…..
His achievements were able to steadily build up! There were trial and errors in the beginning but now these tactics had been completely perfected. The bodies of the Carack piled up around Ark and the Royal Guards after 5 minutes.
‘If the battle progresses like this then I should be able to gather up a considerable number of achievements……’
Just as Ark was thinking this.
Syu syu syu syu syu. Pepeng-!
A signal bullet shot up over the battlefield and emitted a blue light. There was a sandstorm on the hill to the rear and 100 soldiers appeared. Unlike the prisoners, they were the federation’s regular troops armed with advance technology.
“T-they finally came!”
“The regular troops are moving! Now I’m saved!”
The prisoners let out a burst of joy. But Ark just sighed and bit his lip.
‘Dammit, only up to here today……’
In fact, Ark didn’t consider the help of the regular troops to be bad. Ark was the leader of the Royal Guards but he was also a part of the prisoner unit. There were only 11 people, including Ark, so they wouldn’t be able to hold up against the hundreds of Carack without the help of the prisoners. However, more than half of them had already been killed by the bombs and the Carack
Naturally the burden on the remaining prisoners would grow. It was the same for Ark and the Royal Guards. There was a surplus of prisoners at the beginning for the Carack to attack but it became more difficult for the Royals Guards to form a defensive wall as time went on. Therefore the line of defense was pushed back little by little. Ark and the Royal Guards wouldn’t last long in that situation
However, that changed if the regular soldiers got involved. The regular troops would lighten his burden.
‘But that only applies to other prisoners.’
The reason was simple.
‘That sneaky bastard, he’s a soldier…..’
Ark bit his lip as he glared at Valencia. Valencia received bribes from other prisoners but he had a significant amount of influence among the regular soldiers. It was because he was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon that he could receive the bribes from the prisoners. Valencia utilized that influence to step on Ark.
“Pedro!”
Valencia surveyed the battlefield and called to a soldier. Then the soldier called Pedro led 10 soldiers and advanced towards Ark’s troops. It wasn’t to help them.
“Sonic Sword!”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Ark and the Royal Guards were attacking the Carack.
“9 o’clock! Attack the Carack that the prisoners are fighting!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The soldiers immediately started firing after receiving Pedro’s command. The regular troops received the full support of the galactic federation. The weapons couldn’t be compared to those of the prisoners. They had machine guns as well as RPG’s (rocket launchers). Their firepower with the addition of the special bullets were a lot more powerful than the Royal Guards! The Caracks were instantly turned into chunks of blood once the regular soldiers attacked. Ark and the Royal Guards had worked hard to shave away their health.
‘Dammit, again!”
Ark glared at Pedro and his cronies. Their purpose wasn’t to fight. Valencia’s goal was to interfere with Ark and the Royal Guards. That was the duty given to Pedro. And Pedro had executed this mission for the last few days. If Ark’s unit moved forward then they would follow! They followed Ark like a leech and stole the lives of the Carack that Ark worked hard to decrease. But they didn’t strike right away. Pedro waited until Ark and the Royal Guards had wasted the expensive Fire Bullets before attacking and stealing the achievements.
‘If it was that much then I can endure it……’
They even provoked dozens of Carack and drove them towards Ark’s unit. They couldn’t kill Ark directly so they tried to use the Caracks to kill them! Quite a few Royal Guards died because of that
But there was no way to deal with it.
“Hyung-nim, what now?”
“It can’t be helped. They won’t act once we withdraw to the rear.”
Gaining achievements was difficult with Pedro’s unit interfering. If they tried to endure against the Carack then it would just become more difficult. Moreover, the Rama would soon send in their regular troops. So it was better to retreat early and secure their safety.
“Retreat to the rear while guarding against the Carack!”
Ark led the Royal Guards and retreated. Meanwhile, the battle between the federation and the Rama was becoming more violent.
“Num! Kara! Marakana! Okara! Akarana!”
The Rama’s regular soldiers moved forward and assaulted the federation soldiers. The Rama was a species users were able to choose that weren’t significantly different from humans. The Rama had dark skin and pointy ears similar to a Dark Elf in medieval times.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Pepeng! Pepepepeng!
A confused fight between the Rama and the federation started. Soldiers wearing heavy armour and superalloy swords crashed into each other. There was a colourful exchange of light as the futuristic firearms and psychic energies attacked each other. It was like a scene from a fantasy SF game!
“……As expected.”
Ark muttered while watching the battlefield. It had been 10 minutes since the battle earnestly started and things were increasingly tilting towards the side of the Rama.
‘It is natural. If the core of the 1st armoured platoon is helping the prisoners who paid them or interfering with others then of course they couldn’t fight properly.’
And that wasn’t the only reason. Just like Mellin said a few days ago, the galactic federation wouldn’t throw a huge amount of funds and troops to this planet because they were losing to the Rama. Therefore they placed Beltana as a low priority planet and focused on others. On the other hand, the Rama received a lot of support from their main planet! So there was a difference in firepower, biological weapons and androids. In the end, there were dozens of casualties and the regular troops crumbled.
-Retreat! Return to the defense base in area B-3. All troops return to the Memeod!
The Commander’s voice could be heard from the Nymphe. Anyway, Ark and his troops had retreated from the battlefield a long time ago.
“That’s it. There have been orders for retreat. Leave the field and return to the Memeod!”
Ark turned his body without hesitation and headed toward the Memeod. Peratul’s voice could be heard as he approached the Memeod.
-Prisoner units hurry! The Memeod will be leaving in 30 seconds!
-Time before the Memeod leaves: 29, 28, 27 seconds……
The Nymphe displayed the remaining time. If he couldn’t board the Memeod within the time limit then he would be left on the battlefield. The battlefield was infested with Carack and Rama warriors
However, there was no reason to hurry. Ark’s unit was a distance away but they could easily board the Memeod within 30 seconds.
‘This is as far as we could get today.’
Ark thought as he led the Royal Guards towards the Memeod.
Pepepepeng, pepepepeng, pepepeng!
Suddenly, dozens of smoke bombs exploded in front of them.
“What, what the? This? Why are there smoke bombs here……?”
Ark burst out with confusion and looked around. Then there was a mechanical sound and something hit his side. Ark was thrown several metres away from the impact. It wasn’t just Ark. Something collided with all of the Royal Guards and they were thrown to the ground.
“This is…..”
“Aigoo. I didn’t see you there. I’m sorry?”
Valencia’s sarcastic voice was heard among the smoke. Ark immediately saw Valencia and the 1st armoured platoon when he flinched and turned around.
“Shouldn’t you get up?”
“You bastard!”
“It serves you right for going against me.”
Valencia smirked and jumped onto the Memeod.
-Time before the Memeod leaves: 1, 0 second…..
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The door closed and the wheels of the Memeod started rotating. At the same time, it quickly crossed the ice.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
Ralph stared at Ark with a pale white face. The Memeod transporting the troops were gone. Ark and the Royal Guards were stranded.
‘That bastard Valencia, doing such a thing…..’
Flames seemed to appear around his whole body as he imagined Valencia’s laughing face. But it quickly blew out thanks to the -50 degrees temperature.
‘The distance to the B-3 retreat spot is 50 km away…….’
Ark looked at the ice covered wilderness. It was a virtual reality game so the players could use all their senses to feel. It was the same for the cold. The body coating helped them adapt to the harsh environment but they still felt the chill. They had to march 50 km in that cold. However, Ark had more to worry about than a 50 km march.
–There are some guys remaining! Kill them!”
Ka ka ka ka, ka ka ka ka, ka ka ka ka!
The smoke slowly cleared and the Carack and Rama saw them. A Rama warrior led dozens of Carack and rushed towards Ark’s unit. He cursed at Valencia.
“Dammit! Go!”
—————————————————————————————
Hwiiiii-!
A snow storm raged in the sky. The -50 degrees weather seemed to scrape against his skin. However, Ark already couldn’t feel the chill.
‘Dammit……’
Ark bit his lip and sighed. It had been 1 hour since they had fallen into Valencia’s trap and missed the Memeod. Thus Ark had been engaged in a desperate struggle for 1 hour. Dozens of Carack and a Rama warrior were pursuing Ark’s unit. But it wasn’t easy to shake off the pursuit if the Rama warrior. The Rama had already defeated the federation!
Karararara! Kararararak!
There were Carack and Rama everywhere he escaped to. It was a desperate situation but Ark wasn’t giving up. If he died then all the experience he earned would be lost. Moreover, his achievements would decrease by 100. However, there was a reason Ark didn’t give up.
‘Valencia!’
Valencia was a scoundrel bullying the users! If he died like this then Valencia would win. Ark couldn’t endure it.
‘I have to live and return! I will definitely live and make him regret it!’
Ark held up so far thanks to that one resolution. Naturally the process wasn’t easy.
“Hyung-nim, there are a bunch of them! They’ve blocked all routes of escape!”
Every time he was caught by a Rama warrior, a group of Carack would block them from retreating. The Royal Guards bought time while he escaped! Escape! Escape! But every time some Royal Guards died and now there was only Ark and Berad left. Only two people were remaining.
‘We can’t last much longer……’
Ark looked around desperately. This place was dozens of kilometres away from the federation base. Of course, Ark didn’t know the geography. The GPS on the Nymphe indicated that the B-3 area was in a straight line…….
‘For there is be a crevasse in this place of all things!’
A 10 metres crevasse was blocking the path in front of him. And the Rama and Carack were pursing them. They were literally chased to the edge of a cliff. Valencia’s face appeared in his mind as he saw the gaping crevasse. At the same time, a deep anger swelled in his heart.
‘No! I can’t give up yet!’
Ark gripped his weapon and raised his head.
‘This is the worst situation. But I still can’t give up. 10 Carack and 1 Rama warrior had chased me up to here. The problem isn’t the Carack but the Rama warrior!’
The Rama warrior was a regular soldier. He met the federation’s regular soldiers so he knew their average level was over 40. On the other hand, Ark had just reached level 30. Furthermore, his equipment was incomparable to that of the Rama warrior.
‘But if I can knock the Rama warrior down……’
He could take care of the remaining level 15 Caracks. If he combined forces with Berad then he could somehow handle them. Of course, that was only talk unless he knocked down the Rama warrior. If the Rama and the Carack attacked at the same time then it was game over. No, there was no guarantee that he could even reach area B-3 if he escaped from here. The Rama had already seized the area.
‘But I have to try!’
Ark shook his head and gripped the dagger. He whispered as the Rama warrior gradually narrowed the distance.
“Berad, can you distract the Carack?”
“Hyung-nim, are you perhaps…..?”
“If you take care of the Carack then I will deal with the Rama warrior.”
“Rama warrior……Hyung-nim can deal with it alone?”
“There’s no choice.”
That’s right. Berad nodded and clenched the hammer with both hands. Berad actually had a higher level than Ark. However, Berad admitted that Ark had better combat skills.
“I understand. I’ll stop the Carack even if I’m torn apart!”
The Rama warrior laughed and shouted.
-Kukukuku, it is up to here. Carack, kill them!
The 10 Carack yelled and rushed forward at the Rama warrior’s order. At the same time, Berad brought his hammer down against the ground.
“Oscillation!”
Kwaaaaaaah-! Pepeng-!
The propulsion device on the hammer shook and cracks appeared in the ice. The Carack stumbled from the shock and Berad raised his hammer before shouting.
“Hyung-nim, now!”
Then Ark shot forward like an arrow towards the Rama warrior. A black light separated the darkness and flew towards the Rama warrior’s neck.
“Sonic Sword!”
Jjang!
-Heh, a prisoner of the federation dares attack me?
The Rama warrior laughed and blocked Ark’s dagger with his shield. A deep blue sword also appeared from the Rama warrior’s right side. It was a beam sword Ark hadn’t seen yet! Ark hurriedly opened his shield at the sight of the beam sword. However, there was the sound of breaking glass as the shield opened. The shield has shattered with one blow!
‘No matter how weak the shield is……’
To have his shield shatter in one blow from the beam sword meant that the Rama warrior was tougher than expected! The Rama warrior laughed after the shield broke and approached.
–Is that the extent of your skills?
The Rama warrior wielded his beam sword and began to pressure Ark. The tremendous power of the beam sword broke the shield in one blow! Even a slight blow of the shield would deal a critical hit! Ark rolled across the floor and avoided the sword. However, he soon realized that he had been pushed in front of the crevasse. Ark’s face darkened as he saw the crevasse.
“D-damn!”
–Your tricks end here. Energy blast!
The Rama warrior’s beam sword expanded explosively. The beam sword reached the size of 2 metres!
‘…….Now!’
Ark’s eyes brightened and he rushed towards the Rama warrior. He placed the Fading Steel against the Rama’s shoulder and pulled the trigger.
Tang-!
The Rama warrior’s shoulder exploded and he was pushed back.
-Ugh! This bastard!
The Rama warrior clutched his shoulder stepped back. But anger lit up his eyes and he swung the sword. Ark smiled pleasantly and rotated his body around the Rama warrior. And Ark kicked his back!
-Heok!
A cry of confusion emerged from the Rama warrior’s mouth. Ark had been pushed back against the crevasse by the Rama warrior. Now they had changed positions and the Rama warrior was against the crevasse. The kick in the back caused him to slip into the crevasse. Falling into the crevasse meant death!
‘Success!’
This was what Ark had aimed for. When he checked through the Infrared Scope, the Rama warrior was level 50. Ark’s probability of winning was only 10%. Even if he somehow defeated the Rama warrior, there was no guarantee that Berad could stop the 10 Carack. Therefore Ark’s plan from the beginning had been to push the Rama warrior into the crevasse. All his preparations was for this move! He waited until the Rama warrior was distracted and pushed him into the crevasse.
‘That’s it. This is an icy ground. Once pushed then it will be difficult to recover. Now that he has fallen into the crevasse……’
Ark was sure of his victory.
-Impertinent brat! Armour armament!
A flash of light appeared around the Rama warrior’s body. At the same time, the space distorted and armour like objects appeared. The armour moved like the skin of an insect and formed around the Rama warrior’s body. The insect like armour around the Rama warrior was similar to the Protoss in StarCraft. It was the alternate form of the Rama warrior that Ark had never seen before.
‘T-that is the battle suit of the Rama!’
Armour armament meant the Rama could use the battle suits immediately! The federation and Rama’s battle suits had different mechanical forms and initiation.
–I won’t be tricked by your plan!
Kwajijijiji! Uddeok!
The Rama warrior’s armoured fist struck down on the ice and he stopped moving. It seemed like Ark’s plan had ended in failure……
“Not yet! Armour armament!”
The same thing happened to Ark’s body. Armour appeared from the distorted space and wrapped around his body.
-W-what? A federation prisoner with armour armament…..something like that…..!
The Rama warrior cried out with surprise. Ark shot forward like an arrow while encased in armour and crashed into the Rama warrior. The force caused the Rama warrior to fall into the crevasse
Ark confirmed that the Rama warrior disappeared into the crevasse and turned around.
“Pant pant, it is a success. Now…..”
Snap!
Then Ark’s ankle was grabbed by the Rama warrior’s hand. Ark’s foot slipped on the ice as it was pulled. And endless darkness spread out underneath his body! Ark had fallen into the crevasse. A moment of carelessness had caused Ark to fall into the crevasse. He heard a popping sound as his ankle kept being pulled.
–You!
The Rama warrior had grabbed his ankle. The Rama warrior glared and reached out his left hand holding the beam sword.
-I will kill you with my own hands!
“Don’t make me laugh! If I die then you’ll die!”
Ark pointed the Fading Steel downwards and pulled the trigger. The Rama warrior was surprised and quickly activated his shield. However……
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok!
Bullets shot out from the Fading Steel. They bounced off the Rama warrior’s shield.
-Kukuku, you stupid fellow. You wasted all the ammunition in your gun. You’re pathetic. Let’s see if my sword or you reloading your gun will be faster!
The Rama warrior swung his beam sword again. No, he tried to swing it!
“You said I have no more bullets left?”
Ark smiled and pulled the trigger another time.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
At that moment, 3 bullets emerged from the muzzle! It perfectly hit the face of the off guard Rama warrior. But Ark couldn’t see the Rama warrior’s confused face. The three bullets had exploded in the Rama warrior’s face.
Pepepeng-!
-Kuaaaaak!
The Rama warrior’s head bent like a bow. The hand that was grabbing Ark’s ankle let go from the impact. The Rama warrior grabbed his face with both hands and spun like a pinwheel as he fell down. The Rama warrior had separated from Ark! However it was too late. Ark was already falling down the crevasse.
‘I’ve already fallen down hundreds of metres. If I hit the ground at this height and speed……’
100% death! Unconditional death.
‘But I can reduce the fall speed!’
Ark murmured and raised his head. Ark manipulated his Nymphe and a shovel sprung out of the bag.
‘I can slow down the speed using this!’
Bakak-!
Ark used all his strength and plugged his shovel into the ice wall. And a sharp pain split his shoulder. It was natural. The shovel was stuck inside the ice wall so he all the weight was concentrated on his shoulder. An average person would’ve dislocated their shoulder. The reason it was possible was because Ark hadn’t neglected to exercise…..but the reason was different.
Jijik! Jijijijik! Jijijiji!
The armour covering his shoulder rose like a muscle. Everything was due to the battle suit covering Ark. The battle suit was a technology of the future that increased the endurance of the body! Ark was also using the battle suit designed by the Rama……
‘My speed has decreased a little bit! It is possible for me shoulder to hold out!’
…….Just as he was thinking that.
Papapapa! Papapapa! Papapapa!
Ark confirmed the effect and wielded his shovel like crazy. His fall speed would decrease a little bit every time it hit the ice wall. Once his speed decreased to a certain point, he got drive the shovel into the ice wall even more powerfully. Ark grabbed the shovel with both hands.
“That’s it!”
Snap! Kakakakaka!
The shovel tore down the ice. A long scar dozens of metres was created in the ice wall….uddeok! His body finally stopped.
“Pant pant pant, I-I’ve stopped.”
Ark dangled from the shovel and gasped with a pale white face. He had been frantically shovelling after falling off the cliff. It felt like he had done a strenuous workout as sweat dripped down his body.
“If I was a little late…..”
His eyes dropped to the bottom and he felt a chill again. There was only 10 metres until the ground
If he had delayed even a few more seconds then he would be smashed like the Rama warrior. He looked at the smashed body of the Rama warrior on the ground. If Ark was even a little slower then he would be in the same position.
“It is fortunate that I’m alive.”
But he couldn’t feel pleased when looking at the distance he fell. It had taken him 3~4 minutes to stop falling down the crevasse. When considering his rate of descent, he had fallen at least a few kilometres. In other words, he needed to climb up a few kilometres in order to escape the crevasse
However, his worries didn’t continued for long.
“Eh?”
Ark looked around the area restlessly. He saw a shining object next to the body of the Rama warrior
The identity of the object was a piece of armour! The Rama warrior had dropped an item. He stopped worrying about escaping the crevasse the moment he saw the items. A level 50 warrior had dropped an item!
“Isn’t this a windfall?”
Ark cheered and jumped to the ground.
Jang-! Jajajajak-!
There was a sharp sound and cracks spread on the ground. Ark took a deep breath and looked around at the unexpected situation.
‘What, what the? This floor….is it ice?’
Ark had jumped down to a ground made of ice. Luckily the ice seemed fairly thick. However, the ice had weakened thanks to the Rama warrior’s fall and cracks started to spread once Ark stood on it. Once the cracks happened, the ground started to shake.
‘If this continues……’
The cracks would slowly spread across the ice floor. He couldn’t fathom what was underneath the ice. Ark had to live no matter what. If he didn’t live then everything would be wasted. However…..however……
‘I can’t! I can’t give it up!’
Ark swallowed his saliva and stared at the shiny armour in front of him. It was an item a level 50 Rama warrior had dropped. How could he give it up when it was right in front of him?
‘Yes, there is no guarantee the ice will break even if I grab the item. The chances of getting out of the crevasse is 20%. Right now dying is a common part of my history. It isn’t an abrupt thing. But that item will be mine!’
So far Ark had died 7 times on Beltana! He had died so frequently that Ark was desensitized to the sensation. Therefore he became a slave to his greed and carefully advanced towards the item. He spent 10 minutes narrowing the distance little by little. Ark looked at a big crack with anxiety and fear before grabbing the item.
“I got it!”
Harkenion Armour (Magic)
Item type: Light Armour (Coat)
Wearer Restriction: Level 40 (Body Coating Required)
Defense: 45 Durability: 5/50
A armour made from a metal called Harkenion mined from the planet Atempor. Harkenion is a peculiar material with a unique hardness like rubber and is a widely used metal in armour. However, excellent space resources invites trouble. A few years ago, the Rama raided Atempor for its Harkenion as formed it into a colony. Since then the Rama has monopolized Harkenion and produced many special armour with it.
<Agility +10, Damage by a melee weapon is reduced by 10%>
“A level 40 magic armour!”
Ark cheered with joy.
Jjang!
A sound was heard from under his feet. The cracks spread through the icy ground like spider webs and it was barely hanging on. Ark’s weight had increased after picking up the armour. He had to carefully maintain his balance on the broken ice.
“Hik! N-no! Before it is too late……”
Ark hurriedly turned around. Then it happened.
Jajang! Jajajajang! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The icy ground split apart and sunk.
“Heok! Eh? Eh eh eh? Eh eh eh eh? Waaahhhhhhhh!”
He fell and his feet touched the ground. The place underneath the ice wasn’t as deep as he thought
Ark was sighing with relief when his foot slipped and he started sliding down at a huge speed. There was a steep slope underneath the ice! He was slipping down with no end in sight. Ark hurriedly packed the armour and took out his shovel. He used the same method like when he fell into the crevasse and slowed down. Then something quickly appeared in front of him. It was a pillar of ice as sharp as a blade! If he collided with the ice pillar then he would be cut in half.
“Dammit!”
The shovel wouldn’t work. Ark hurriedly put away the shovel and took out the Fading Steel.
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
He blindly fired the Fire Bullets and shot the ice pillars, scattering it. However, there wasn’t just one ice pillar. When one was broken, it was followed by another and another! Ark hurriedly reloaded the Fading Steel and kept on firing as he slid down. How long was he sliding? He had reloaded 13 times. After he had shot the Fire Bullets many times, an underground square unfolded in front of him.
Daekururu, teolsseok!
Ark rolled 100 metres in the square before he could finally stop. Ark’s face slammed into the ice and he flinched after he raised his head.
“Pant pant, I survived once again…..what is this place?”
Ark swept away the ice fragments and looked around. It was a huge underground cave with giant icicles hanging from the ceiling. First he had fallen into the crevasses and then he had slid down a steep slope. He didn’t know how deeply he had fallen. Now he had to determine the distance from the federation base
“GPS!”
-The GPS doesn’t work normally in this area.
He have fallen several kilometres into a deep crevasse. He was too deep underground so the GPS didn’t work.
“Damn, does that mean I just have to wander around?”
Ark sighed and mumbled. Suddenly a new message appeared from the Nymphe.
-You have received a feeble signal from a nearby structure.
A compass appeared on the Nymphe and the direction was indicated.
“An unknown signal? Then something is here? Why in a place like this……”
Ark worried about it for a while. It might be a signal for help from someone unidentified but there was no indication if it would be friendly or not. However this was a game. He never expected that a signal would be discovered in a place like this but it was a game so he couldn’t ignore it. Something popping up like this could be a jackpot.
‘I need to confirm what the signal is!’
Ark looked at the compass and ran across the underground cave. The underground cave was more spacious and complicated than he thought. The Nymphe also only indicated the direction so he would often be blocked by the terrain. But he wandered around for a few hours and the terrain gradually became familiar. Therefore he slowly got closer to the signal. The path suddenly lengthened and opened up.
“W-what is going on?”
++ Ruins of an Ancient Alien Civilization ++
You’ve stumbled upon an identified signal underneath Beltana. You’ve followed the signal and found the remains of an ancient civilization. The purpose of the ruins is unknown
Whenever a pioneer discovers an unknown civilization or area, they can gain adventure points. Adventure points can be used for various purposes.
* Adventure Points +100
An information window appeared from the Nymphe.
Space 7
Pyramid
“Hrmm.”
Ark tilted his head to one side. He had fallen several kilometres down a crevasse and was in a huge underground square. Ark had followed the signal from the Nymphe for several hours before finally arriving at the destination. Then information about the ruins of an ancient civilization surfaced on the Nymphe.
“But no matter how I look at it……”
Ark was standing in front of a huge stone building. It was a building dozens of metres high with bricks stacked up. Ark had seen this building before. No, anybody on earth would know that building. An Egyptian pyramid! Ark had found a pyramid in the underground square. One of Earth’s pyramids had been discovered on Beltana that was hundreds of light years away. The question ‘why?’ came to his mind.
‘This is something impossible.’
He was a man so this was a mystery that Ark was crazy about. He had often watched documentaries talking about the mystery tied to the pyramids. The pyramids were built thousands of years ago where the technology made it impossible to build the pyramids. So many people thought the pyramids were a creation of an alien civilization. He had just thought of it as a funny story.
“Galaxian is a game set in the future where aliens exist. If aliens like the Charenjok and the Grey could visit Earth then building a pyramid wouldn’t be a problem.”
Ark organized his thoughts. The game had contingencies set for everything. There was a reason the architecture of the building was in the form of a pyramid.
“The pyramid is the tomb of an Egyptian King. I don’t know why a signal is coming from this place but if it is built for the same purpose as Earth’s pyramids then it should contain a high ranking alien king. And if the alien pyramids have the same customs……”
The customs of the ancient Egyptians! The King’s burial goods was left with him. That was the reason most modern archaeologists wanted to investigate the pyramids. 90% of the academic or history research were excuses. The real purpose was to steal the burial goods left in the pyramids.
‘There might also be burial goods hidden here!’
Ark was sensitive to the presence of gold. This place was still unknown. In other words, no one had robbed this pyramid yet. He could hopefully monopolize the goods!
‘Life is really ironic.’
A thrill of excitement surged inside him. He had fallen into Valencia’s trap and was chased by the Rama before falling into the crevasse. But who would’ve expected to find something like this thousands of metres underground? A huge treasure might be hidden in the pyramid! If Valencia knew this fact then he would probably regret it. Endorphins flowed in Ark as he imagined it.
“Kekeke! I’ll sweep them all!”
Ark started to investigate the pyramid. But despite examining every corner of the pyramid for a few hours, he couldn’t find a way to enter.
“What? Is this just a model that resembles the shape of a pyramid?”
He started to feel uneasy. But Ark soon shook his head.
‘No. This is clearly not just a model. My Nymphe had received a signal from this structure. There is no doubt that something is hidden inside the pyramid. But I can’t find the door…..’
Then an ‘!’ appeared in his head.
“Wait? Why do I need to go through the door?”
Ark was interested in the pyramid because of the signal. In other words, he wanted to rob it. There was no need to politely go through the door! And Ark possessed a way to enter without a door.
“It is this!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Ark lifted his shovel. It was the shovel that saved Ark from despair on Beltana! Once again, Ark had learnt the Dig skill while trying to rib the museum. He originally used it to earn food but now it was a tremendous skill!
“Okay, shall I get started?”
Ark spat in his hand and grabbed the shovel. He started to show off the intermediate Dig skill.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Every time the shovel moved, a huge part of the ground was dug up. The -50 frozen solid ground and rocks wasn’t a problem for Ark. No, what problem would stand in the way of Ark’s dream of a jackpot? Ark was determined to enter even if blisters appeared on his hand and didn’t stop shovelling.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
It also wasn’t difficult to determine the direction to dig. He receive the signal from inside the pyramid. This meant there was a signal generator inside. So he could just follow the direction of the signal indicated on the Nymphe! Ironically, the signal had become like a compass to a tomb raider.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
He spent 2 days frantically digging at the ground!
“Here! The signal is coming from above here!”
Ark stopped shovelling and looked at his Nymphe.
-The direction of the signal is coming from 2 metres (↑) .
The compass that had been firmly fixed until now was finally pointing upwards.
“It is only 2 metres away! Right above me!”
Ark cheered with delight and dug at the ceiling with his shovel. He didn’t care even if a heap of earth fell on his face. The only thing that revolved in Ark’s head was the treasure sleeping inside the pyramid! What did a little dirt matter as long as he could get the treasure?
Tang-!
Then he heard the sound of a shovel hitting stone. Rocks had interrupted him a few times before
These were flat rocks! There was no doubt that they were the paving stones from the floor of the pyramid. Ark immediately dug up the soil around the stone. Once he got rid of the surrounding dirt and pushed at the stone, it immediately went up. He lifted the paving stones and climbed up…….
“G-gold!”
Ark’s mouth gaped open. Ark had climbed into a room where the walls, floors and ceiling were sparkling with gold. But disappointment appeared on Ark’s face after a moment. It was shining with gold but it was just the room. It was gold paint applied instead of real gold.
“Damn. Making me so excited. Why is gold paint applied to the walls? Huh? This is?”
Ark frowned and turned around. A chair that looked like a throne was placed on the opposite side of the room. It was gold just like the interior of the room and a mummy was sitting on the throne. However Ark wasn’t interested in the dead body. There were two items placed on a table in front of the dead body. One was a type of long sword with complicated patterns carved on it and the other was a small pyramid.
“This is it! It is impossible for there to be nothing!”
Ark’s face brightened. The items were entombed in a pyramid! Perhaps they were items the mummy had used. It was an item that an alien king or aristocrat had probably used. In fact, the sword had a silver blade with a pistol grip stuck in the sword hilt. He didn’t know the purpose of the small pyramid but just the sword was worth it.
“Even if that is a magic item……!”
Ark started salivating and took one step forward. Then he stepped on a pattern on the ground and a humming voice was heard.
-Trespassers!
“Eh? What, what the?”
-You have disturbed this refuge! You will be cursed by Anubis, the guardian of the dead!
A bright light appeared around the dead body. Ark reflexively closed his eyes.
“Huk! What is this? Where is this? Mummy? Item?”
He had only closed his eyes for 1 second. Yet this place didn’t have the room of gold, the mummy or the items? The room he was in was around 10 metres. Instead of walls of gold, bizarre murals full of people in the afterlife were drawn and 4 statues of Anubis were placed in each corner of the room.
“What is this…..”
Ark was flustered as he looked around. Then the room was dyed in a red colour.
Ujik! Ujik! Ujik! Ujik!
There was also the sound of stone moving. Ark winced and turned his head.
“N-no way…..that stone……”
Powder fell down as the stone statues of Anubis in the corner started moving. The statues moved like they were waking from a sleep and turned towards Ark. And they brandished a long iron bar. He had been teleported into a large room where the stones started moving. He didn’t know what was going on but one thing was obvious.
‘If I continue staring blankly then I will die!’
Ark ducked and rolled his body.
Kung-!
The iron rod caused a pit as it slammed against the wall. Ark rolled across to the wall on the other side and stared at the Anubis.
‘Yes, I roughly know what is happening. The mummy in the room I entered is clearly the owner of the pyramid. And as expected, there are burial goods hidden there. But there was something I hadn’t considered. Traps were installed in the pyramid!’
Earth’s pyramids also had a history of various burial goods being robbed by a number of tomb raiders. And kings had predicted those things for thousands of years. Therefore they created numerous traps when building the pyramid. Wouldn’t that also be the same for a pyramid created by an alien civilization?
‘It would be strange if there were no traps. But were they playing a trick by sending a distress signal in order to lure people into the traps? What is this? No, why is the mummy emitting a distress signal?’
The context didn’t fit! His attempt to stealthily sneak in and steal the burial goods had failed…..
‘Anyway, I’ve confirmed that items are hidden in the pyramid. They appeared to be ownerless so couldn’t I just take them? There is still a chance. I just need to destroy the traps and I’ll be returned to the gold room!’
“Let’s take care of these dogs!”
Ark pulled out his Fading Steel and dagger. He avoided the iron bar that continuously hit the ground and pulled the trigger. He neared the Anubis, placed the muzzle on the knee and pulled the trigger.
“Take this! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Pepepeng-!
The Anubis stumbled and kneeled. Ark stepped on the knee, jumped up 5 metres and swung his dagger downwards.
“Sonic Sword!”
The shockwave hit the Anubis’ throat. The Anubis seemed perplexed by Ark’s quick shooting and swung its iron bar recklessly. However, Ark wasn’t blindly attacking. Ark stepped on the Anubis’ shoulder, jumped behind it and shot the back of the head.
-Headshot!
150% additional damage will be given!
The Anubis fell down as it was shot in the back of the head.
‘Heh, this is the god of the afterlife? The name is worth nothing.’
Ark stared at Anubis with a confident expression. However, there wasn’t just 1 Anubis. There were 4! It was possible to deal with 1 statue like that but it was more difficult when the 3 other Anubis ran up to him swinging their iron bar. That wasn’t the only difficult part.
‘Damn, is there no place to escape?’
The room he teleported into was only 10 metres large. The 4 huge stone statues swung their iron bars and not even Ark’s body trained by taekwondo allowed him to avoid all the iron bars.
Snap!
In the end, an iron bar struck his side.
-You have received a blow by a blunt instrument.
<The light armour is vulnerable to blunt attacks and you have received the ‘Push’ effect>
One side of his ribs crumbled from the pain and his health was sucked out. But the most troublesome thing was the Push effect. He was hit by a heavy iron bar and flew back 3~4 metres. He was thrown into a corner and 3 iron bars headed towards him. Ark quickly used evasive action but one bar still hit his shoulder. He lost 20% health in an instant. It was 10% every hit. If he was hit 10 times then he would die.
‘Dammit, one Anubis. No, it wouldn’t be difficult if there were two of them…..but it is difficult to avoid 4 iron bars swung at the same time in this space. It can’t be helped. I wanted to save this a little more but I will regret it if I die. I can’t allow my health to be decreased even more. I have to use my maximum firepower to reduce their number!’
Ark contemplated for a moment before raising his head and shouting.
“Armour armament!”
A flash of light appeared from Ark’s body. At the same time, the space distorted and armour like objects appeared. The armour looked like the skin of an insect and moved around Ark’s body like it was alive. The insect like armour changed forms like the Protoss in StarCraft. It was the battle suit that the Rama warrior used!
‘It was worth all that trouble sneaking into the museum!’
Ark’s body became two times larger tanks to the thick armour and helmet. This was the identity of the armour icon next to the Backup-1 and Backup-2 folders on his Nymphe.
-Battle Suit
It isn’t an exaggeration to say there have been countless risks since the universe opened up. As the pioneers explore a large number of planets in the galaxy, there are unforeseen dangers difficult to predict. In order to combat these dangers, some species have developed a body coating to raise the power of their bodies to the limit. Another answer is the developing of the robots that envelop the body like a battle suit. By combining machine and humans, they are able to overcome the limits of both and exercise the best combat skills.
The battle suit of the Rama has evolved differently from those of the Space Alliance (alliance of the galactic federation and 3rd alien union). While the federation’s suit focused on scientific engineering, the Rama focused on biological engineering and developed a battle suit that could transform like the ancient life form called Drone. The Rama’s battle suit is a system which uses the ancient properties of these creatures to summon the battle suit. It is convenient for storage and movement and several special features are also available. However, the mechanical properties are inferior to the battle suits of the Alliance and the transformation also has its disadvantages.
While the Space Alliance and the Rama both activate their battle suits through the Nymphe, the OS of the Nymphes are different so they can’t use their opponents battle suits.
-Hyper Drone Lv1
Item Type: Battle Suit (Rama Type)
The initial version of the Rama’s battle suit that was used by a famous warrior a long time ago. The function is less efficient compared to the latest models of the battle suit. But it was made in the early days so there is a lot of focus on growth
The Rama’s battle suit runs on an energy called mana so once it is stored in an alternative dimension, it will automatically recover 10% mana every hour. Once stored, the battle suit can’t be summoned again until the mana is 100%.
<All stats +30%>
* Maximum Usage Time: 30 minutes
Ark was confused by the unexpected information window. He was confused about the ‘Rama’s Battle Suit’ part.
‘Then the hexagonal object attacked to the Rama statue…..’
It was the battle suit that the Rama warrior had been wearing when fighting against the federation!
That was why the hexagonal object had disappeared after Ark touched it. The Rama’s battle suit was kept in another dimension and the user had to call for it. Once Ark touched it, the battle suit was registered as his and it moved to the other dimension. However, there was still an unanswered question.
‘What the? Didn’t it say the OS was different so the Rama battle suit can’t be used? Then how did I manage to register the Rama’s battle suit?’
Moreover, his Nymphe had been broken at that time. Yet the battle suit still registered as soon as he touched it. That wasn’t the only strange thing. Ark learned after coming to Beltana that the federation’s OS was completely different from the Rama’s so it didn’t translate the Rama’s language.
“Num! Kara! Marakana! Okara! Akarana!”
……That was what he heard. However, Ark’s Nymphe even translate the language of the Rama.
‘There’s only one way to unravel this phenomenon. Perhaps my Nymphe is operating abnormally after it received the computer virus and was restored.’
However, it was clear that it wasn’t behaving normally. But Ark didn’t protest to the galactic federation. A feature had been added rather than something being taken away. Besides, he received a battle suit for free so there was no reason to question it closely. That was the reason Ark couldn’t use the battle suit on the battlefield. It was a Rama battle suit so he couldn’t use it. Wouldn’t the chances of being hit by friendly fire increase? He was also worried about the battle suit being seized but…..anyway!
“There is nobody here!”
Ark laughed. The Anubis then ran up with their iron bars. Ark lowered his upper body, avoided the attacks and rushed to an Anubis. The battle suit increase his stats by 30%. It was the same for his battle suit. Thick armour hung around his body and Ark passed through the iron bars like they were water. He reached the front Anubis in an instant and kicked out. It was a razor like front kick!
Tong-!
The Anubis wobbled and retreated. Other users wouldn’t understand but this was the most satisfactory part about the battle suit for Ark. Galaxian was a place filled with androids and monsters with superior physical endurance compared to humans. Therefore if he connected with their bodies using martial arts then the effect was 0. It was often the human receiving the damage. However, it changed once the battle suit became like an armour around him. His armour body gave him enormous physical endurance. The Anubis made of stone crumbled with his kick. Rather than increasing his stats, the battle suit gave Ark the ability to fight in close combat! It was an armour that made it possible to show Ark’s combat style. Therefore the battle suit increased his stats by 30% but the actual combat power was a lot more! When the weapons of the future are added……
“I can show who I am!”
Ark approached the off balance Anubis. He avoided the continuously plunging iron bars and shot the Anubis in the knee. Then he jumped up and kicked it in the face before shooting again. Afterwards he jumped off its shoulder and used Sonic Sword! It was the combination of Sword-Hand Combat and Close Marksmanship!
Peng! Peng! Peng! Pepepepeng!
The attacks connected without any opening for the Anubis to counterattack and it collapsed. Ark took care of one stone statue in an instant and turned around with a confident expression.
“Now, who is next?”
The atmosphere was excellent so Ark was smug.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Then he heard the sound of rocks moving from behind him. Ark looked back and stiffened
The Anubis that he had turned into a pile of stone was starting to combine again? The Anubis was reassembled and it once again had 100% health!
“W-what is this?” R-revival? Then it is immortal?”
Even if he killed it then it would revive. Did that mean there was no possibility of winning in the first place? Ark’s motivated cooled in an instant. However, Ark shook his head and rushed to the Anubis.
“No, there is no such thing! A monster that can’t be killed? It is impossible!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
He continued his rapid fire offensive! The combination of bullets, Sonic Sword and kicks made the Anubis collapse again. However, it was soon restored again. That wasn’t all. Ark’s attacks were too excessive and he didn’t avoid all the damage, causing his health to decrease to 50%. But the Anubis revived immediately and didn’t give him any time to recover!
‘There is no way. No monsters are impossible to kill. There is clearly something there.’
Ark gave up on attacking and just concentrated on evasion. He was only starting Galaxian but Ark possessed enormous experience from his 4 years of New World. He had seen hundreds of thousands of different types of monsters. There were quite a few enemies that made him think it wasn’t possible to win.
‘Yes, that’s right. Invincible…..a monster like that doesn’t exist in the game. If it feels invincible that means I haven’t found the way to defeat it yet. It is obvious. There must be a way to defeat it. What is it? Something with the ability to resurrect the dead……’
In the fantasy world, there was an undead magician called the Lich with the ability to resurrect things. Unless he destroyed the thing resurrecting the Anubis, it would keep on reviving.
‘But there isn’t anything here…..’
Ark looked around the place.
Snap!
Once again an iron rod hit his side. Ark screamed from the shock and flew towards the opposite wall
It was the wall right next to another Anubis!
‘T-this!’
Ark expected a follow up attack and hurriedly raised his shield. Then something strange happened. No, it was the fact that nothing happened. Despite Ark being thrown next to another Anubis, it didn’t react and just stood there absent-mindedly.
‘What? This bastard, what is he doing? It is like I’m invisible…..wait?’
Then Ark had a brilliant idea.
‘Am I really unseen?’
Ark frowned and looked at the Anubis. It was a monster with the body of a human and the head of a dog. Ark hadn’t considered it but the Anubis was a statue. There was a carved eye but there was no guarantee it was a real eye. But it had seen and attacked Ark properly just then. No, he felt like it had seen him.
‘It was able to detect me. Yet it couldn’t see me once I arrived at this wall. Yes, this means they weren’t watching me through their eyes but something else…..there is only one place in the room that can’t see my position right now!’
It could see the whole room except for the place where Ark currently was. Ark’s wall was in a blind spot. Ark came to that conclusion and began to search the other walls. After a while……
‘Oh my god!’
Ark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head
It was the mural that covered the room that he was standing next to. The mural had thousands of people lined up in an ‘┓’ and ‘┗’ shape with the eyes continuously moving. The mural was moving as well as the eyeballs. There was no doubt about it. The solution came to him once he discovered the cause!
‘That figure. If that figure is adjusting the Anubis’ position then the answer is easy. They will stop once I smash the mural. But I only have half of my health left. I will be attacked by the Anubis the moment I start hitting the mural. I need to destroy it in a short period of time!’
And a skill naturally appeared in his head. It was the skill with the strongest damage that Ark currently had! That skill was…..
“18 Barrage!”
Ark turned towards the mural on the wall and shouted. Then steam appeared from the shoulders portion of his battle suit and his fists started moving at an incredible pace. It was the 18 Barrage skill attached to his battle suit!
-Hyper Drone Exclusive Skill-
18 Barrage (User, Active): A basic skill of the early stage Rama battle suits. 18 Barrage focuses the mana of the battle suit on the shoulders and arms for a special move. The destructive power is unimaginable but you must be in close range with the enemy and you can’t stop once you start attacking
In addition, the skill uses all the remaining mana so the battle suit will automatically be turned off.
<Damage is proportional to the remaining mana>
It was the skill attached to his battle suit Hyper Drone. In fact, Ark had never used the 18 Barrage skill before. It wasn’t possible to use the battle suit and try it out before falling into the crevasse. However, it did have disadvantages. Once the attack started it couldn’t be stopped. Furthermore, he had to give up the 30% stats since the remaining mana was poured into the skill
Naturally the damage would appear. No, he couldn’t turn back even if the damage didn’t appear
His battle suit would disappear the moment the attack stopped.
‘If this doesn’t connect then I’ll die!’
He firmed up his determination and used 18 Barrage!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, both arms moved like a motor was attached to it. Pits appeared in the mural wall and stone flew with every hit. One hit! Two hits! Three hits! Four…..once he had attacked at least 10 times, the area seemed to be covered in a fog of powdered stone. Finally his fist hit the wall 18 times.
Cheolkong! Syu syu syu syu!
The battle suit disappeared with the last hit to the wall. At the same time, Ark’s body returned to its smaller, original state.
“Dammit!”
A moan emerged from Ark’s mouth. He had beat the wall so much that it was difficult to check if the eyeball had been crushed. Yet the Anubis were still standing up. It meant that the Anubis wasn’t controlled by the mural. His unbeatable attack had failed! Ark was sentenced to death.
“Is it going to end here……?”
Ark sat back with a blank expression.
Jajang! Jajang! Jajang! Jajang!
All of a sudden cracks started to appear on the bodies of the Anubis. The cracks spread and the Anubis turned into sand.
-Your level has risen!
The message window flashed in front of Ark.
“I-I did it! The Anubis died!”
Ark exclaimed with a thrilled look. He had risked his life and earned experience!
Dudududu! Dudududu!
Once the Anubis turned into stone, exits were created on all 4 walls. Ark realized he had passed the final stage as he saw the exit. Furthermore, he had gained 1 level. He had remained for a long time on level 31 and he had finally reached level 32. That wasn’t the only thing. An ore had appeared in the pile of sand.
-You have discovered information about the ore through Metallurgy.
Zaliman Ore
A very rare ore that contains mana. The Zaliman ore is found on a very special planet where mana is found in the environment. The Rama processes the ore and created products using mana.
* Able to be sold in stores or processed with artisans.
“Zaliman ore!”
Ark had seen the Zaliman ore displayed in stores in Nephalim. Just a fist sized amount of ore would go for 2~3 gold! Yet he was able to find two pieces of Zaliman ore in the pile of sand.
“This isn’t a trap but a jackpot hunting ground.”
Ark’s mouth gaped open like a frog. He raised his level and gained 2 expensive ore. It was the first time since he started Galaxian that he had gained so much in a short period of time.
“The gold room will always be here so I can take my time and explore. There is no reason to rush. No, I don’t need to hurry. If I find a room with more Anubis then I can gain experience and rewards. Anyway, I already know the way to defeat the Anubis so I can search every corner of the pyramid!”
Ark’s purpose changed at that moment. He could sweep up all the traps containing the Anubis before returning to the gold room. He couldn’t leave a good hunting ground containing experience and loot like this!
“Point me to more dog heads!”
Ark jumped into the passage with eyes shining with gold. Ark had forgotten everything except for experience and loot.
—————————————————————————-
Hwiiiii-!
A snow storm raged on Beltana for several days. Although snow was considered a romantic atmosphere in most people’s eyes but Beltana was different. The freezing cold turn the rain and snow into ice. Therefore it was like small kernels of ice formed around their eyes. The ice grains and storm cause a sharp pain. However the galactic federation camp was thankful for it. The storm on Beltana meant none of the communication equipment could work. Therefore neither the federation or the Rama could move their troops. There was a tentative cease fire due to the weather. The federation were on a losing streak so they were thankful for the reprieve. The federation troops could relax for a bit.
“He didn’t come today as well?”
An old man sighed and shook his head. The other prisoners gathered around sighed with a melancholy look. The old man was Mellin and the other prisoners were the members of the Royal Guards. They had been left before because of Valencia and gathered around the Fairy after dying and resurrecting. They were waiting for the captain Ark to join them. However, Ark didn’t revive. The next day and the next day……
“10 days have passed.”
Mellin murmured with a stiff expression. Galaxian had planets where daytime could last for several months. Therefore the concept of time was unified and 24 hours in reality was the same as 24 hours for the NPCs. Ark had actually not resurrected for 10 days.
“People often revive late but 10 days is strange. Berad, did Ark really die in battle?”
“Yes, it is certain.”
Berad who was with Ark until the end nodded.
“There was a persistent Rama warrior chasing us and he fell into the crevasse along with it. It was in order to save me. But I soon died because of the Carack…..”
Berad looked troubled and bit his lip. It was all Berad’s misunderstanding. Berad thought Ark chose to commit suicide with the Rama warrior in order to save Berad’s life. It was the distortion of history by the witness and now the prisoners believed it as well.
“Ugh! Hyung-nim!”
“Hyung-nim sacrificed his body for us…..”
“There is no one else like Hyung-nim in the whole universe.”
The loyalty of the Royal Guards increased even more. Mellin who was in charge at the moment soothed the other members.
“Calm down. Now isn’t the time to be mired in your feelings. If Berad’s testimony is true then there is no doubt that Ark was killed. Yet Ark didn’t revive for 10 days so there might be a problem with that we don’t know about. We need to figure out what is going on. This time we must help Ark instead.”
“But……”
Ralph sighed and opened his mouth.
“You’re still here?”
He heard someone’s voice from behind him. The Royal Guards turned around and saw the 1st armoured platoon approaching.
“Those guys again!”
Ralph hissed and took a step forward. Then Mellin blocked him and shook his head
Ark and the Royal Guards had been left behind due to the interference of Valencia and the 1st armoured platoon. Of course, the Royal Guards were prisoners while the 1st armoured platoon were elite guards. It was regretful but they had to endure it.
“Do you want me to tell you why Ark hasn’t resurrected?”
Valencia laughed and said.
“It is because of me.”
“What?”
“He had realized it. What it means to defy me on Beltana. Do you understand? Ark won’t revive. It’s not possible. He realized it will take a few years to escape from here. So now you guys can stop dreaming. Ark isn’t coming back. You were deserted.”
“Shut up!”
Hegel shouted angrily. Hegel had tears in his big black eyes as he continued.
“Hyung-nim isn’t afraid of you! Hyung-nim is more wonderful than you! Hyung-nim won’t abandon us no matter what situation it is! There is no way! Hyung-nim won’t leave us alone! It’s not possible!”
“It’s not possible?”
Valencia raised his eyebrow and took one step closer.
“How dare someone from the Grey species talk to me like that?”
“You…..I-I……”
Hegel immediately moved backwards with fear as Valencia got closer. Mellin and the other Royal Guards lined up behind Hegel and glared at Valencia.
“We also have the same idea. Hyung-nim isn’t the type to be scared of you. We won’t tolerate any bad words about him!”
“You won’t tolerate it? Hoh, how frightening. Do you want to try it?”
Valencia narrowed his eyes at the Royal Guards. He lifted his hand and the 1st armoured platoon approached. There were 10 Royal Guards. Meanwhile the 1st armoured platoon had 30 people
The numbers were against them. When considering the level and equipment, it was like a fight between a dog and a tiger. However, the Royal Guards didn’t back down from the pressure of the 1st armoured platoon. Just as the atmosphere between the two groups was reaching its peak.
“It is against the rules for allies to fight against each other.”
A voice was heard from a distance. The voice came from Irina who was watching from the supplies tent. Valencia looked at Irina before shrugging.
“I guess it ends here today.”
Valencia stared at Mellin and laughed.
“You guys are prisoners……yes, I think it will be fun to annoy people like you. The snow storm is clearing. Ark isn’t returning. Things will become much more difficult for you. Now, let’s go.”
“Dammit!”
The Royal Guards glared at Valencia’s back. However, Valencia’s words were true. Valencia and the 1st armoured platoon are the federation’s elite troops. If they made up their mind to disturb the Royal Guards then they would have no future. They had hope after they met Ark but if he didn’t return then they would return to their dismal situation from before. But there was a problem more urgent then that at the moment.
Kkurururu.
The stomachs of the Royal Guards growled. Ark hadn’t returned for 10 days so they were starving again.
“Hyung-nim, please come back soon!”
“Come back home!”
The Royal Guards stared at the Fairy with desperation.
Space 8
Pharaoh’s Legacy
While the Royal Guards were starving.
“18 Barrage!”
Ark approached the eyeball mural and shouted. At the same time, steam emerged from the shoulders of his battle suit. Both arms moved at 300 kilometres an hour like engines were attached to it.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The rapid fire fists hit the wall! Stone powder flew up every time his fist struck the wall. The surrounding area became hazy from the powder.
Roaaaaar!
The approaching Anubis crumbled and turned into sand.
-The Hyper Drone has been exhausted
<Hyper Drone will be recalled to its dimension and it can’t be summoned for another 10 hours>
The battle suit wrapped around Ark’s body was taken apart and disappeared into the other dimension.
“Phew, this time it was taken care of with the battle suit.”
Ark attached a small octopus to his forehead and muttered.
Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
-You have recovered 1 health.
-You have recovered 1 health…..
While the Charenjok token was healing the damage sustained in battle, he walked towards the 4 piles of sand. It was the sand piles made of Anubis. 3 lights were shining within the piles of sand. It was the Zaliman ore worth 2~3 gold. Out of the 4 Anubis, 3 of them had dropped Zaliman ores. But Ark didn’t enjoy the sight at all. No, anger surged at the sight instead.
“This isn’t the first time……”
Ark sighed at the sight of the Zaliman ore. Of course, there was a reason for it. It had been ten days since Ark first entered the gold room and was transported by the trap. Ark had been puzzled the first time but his feelings soon changed. The experience and loot was beyond expectations! The idea of returning to the base was completely wiped from his mind. No, this was the place where Ark could gain the most experience and loot compared to R-14, Nephalim and Beltana. Besides, the pyramid was a hunting ground that Ark could monopolize!
‘Lord! Please let this room continue……!’
He said a prayer like that when looking at the 4 exits to the room. It felt like God was listening to Ark’s prayer. He could choose any of the 4 exits and after walking along a short passage, he would arrive at exactly the same room. At first he thought he had returned to the original spot but the door closed and the Anubis statues started moving. And 4 Anubis threatened him with the iron bars!
“Yes!”
Ark cheered with joy.
‘Looking at the structure, there should be a lot more rooms like this!’
If there were many rooms then the experience and loot would be better. Of course, the Anubis weren’t that easy to deal with. The wall mural containing the eye controlling the Anubis wasn’t always at the same place. Every time he entered a room, he had to avoid the Anubis and look for the mural. He had to fight against the Anubis while looking for a small eye. It was like looking for a hidden picture while sprinting.
‘It would be better if every wall was clean…..’
The murals were hundreds of years old. Some of them had so much dirt stuck to them that they were invisible. However, there was an easy way to solve that problem.
“Facilities Maintenance!”
Suk suk! Ssak ssak! Suk suk! Ssak ssak!
It was the Facilities Maintenance skill that he learnt after cleaning dozens of kilometres of pipes on R-14! Ark took out a dust cloth from Cheksun’s Toolbox and searched for the picture while cleaning
It was a scene where the fearsome Anubis were swinging their iron rods while Ark wiped the wall with a rag…..anyway, he managed to find the murals. However it didn’t solve all his problems. If he used the special move of the battle suit, 18 Barrage then he could shatter it instantly. But 18 Barrage was a technique that used all the mana of the battle suit. Once the mana was used up then the battle suit was recalled and it couldn’t be used for 10 hours while charging. Yet he couldn’t wait 10 hours every day to start a new battle.
“Set Bullets Shooting! Sonic Sword!”
In the end, he had no choice but to settle it the old fashioned way. He had to break the mural with his gun and dagger but it was more difficult. It shattered with one blow from the battle suit but the gun and dagger didn’t do proper damage to it. The Anubis also didn’t just watch him.
Thump, thump, thump, thump! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Naturally they attacked him with the iron bars. He had to clean the mural, find the target and damage the mural while avoiding the Anubis’ attacks. However……Ark wasn’t that annoyed.
-Your level has risen!
-You have acquired the <Zaliman Ore>!
There was no reason to be annoyed. He received experience and loot at the end of each battle!
“Hahahaha! Amazing! Amazing! The heavens must be helping me!”
Ark ran around the room and fired his gun and swung his sword like crazy. The experience came rushing in and the Zaliman ores piled up. So Ark was happy while the Royal Guards were starving. It was a very happy time……
“10 days!”
He had been in the pyramid 10 days. And Ark had received sufficient compensation during those 10 days.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 43
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Crime 3,500 Adventure 100
Health 800 (+15) Mental Power 450
Strength 105 (+3) Agility 155
Stamina 155 (+3) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 85 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
* Body Coating: Prisoner
+ The Prisoner coating is limited to the region of Beltana
+ Your body information will belong to the galactic federation after receiving the Prisoner coating
+ You are unable to receive any other body coating until the Prisoner coating is removed
Level 43! He was level 31 when he entered the pyramid and he had gained 12 levels in 10 days
It was similar to when he hunted on R-14 without any breaks. That wasn’t all. One ore cost 2~3 gold and he gained 2~3 Zaliman ores every time he cleared a room to the extent that his bag was full.
“That’s the problem!”
The memories caused anger to surge in him again. The problem was that he reached level 43 and his bag was full of Zaliman ores. Once again, experience was relative to the level. A level 10 user could gain a lot of experience from hunting level 15 monsters. But once it went beyond 5 levels, a penalty was applied instead. Ark was able to get a lot of experience in the beginning. The Anubis were level 35. On the other hand, Ark was level 31 at the time so he had received bonus experience. Currently Ark was level 43. He was 8 levels higher than the Anubis so he received almost no experience anymore. The pyramid wasn’t an attractive hunting ground anymore after 10 days. However, another problem was the cause of Ark’s despair.
“Ugh! I just have to look at it!”
Ark felt like crying as he stared at the shiny ore. The Zaliman ore was worth 2~3 gold. He was the type to collect the ores even if a missile was flying towards him. But now he couldn’t pick it up anymore. This was due to the message window that surfaced two days ago.
-There is no more space in your bag!
It was the message that caused shock and fear inside Ark! There was no more space in his bag so he couldn’t eat the 2 gold ore anymore. Thus Ark felt like his heart was being cut out every time he had to leave an ore behind. It was to the extent that the Zaliman ore appeared in his dreams! It was the reason Ark felt anger at the sight of the 3 ores.
“Ugh! I would prefer it if they didn’t drop at all. Or if it wasn’t visible. Why does it have to be shiny? Dammit, if this continues then I won’t be able to leave until I die!”
It wasn’t a joke. He really couldn’t leave unless he died. Ark thought about it.
“I don’t need to hunt here anymore! I need to escape the pyramid as soon as possible!”
He reached that conclusion two days ago. But Ark was dramatically mistaken. Ark hadn’t wanted to enter the original room. And he didn’t want to leave immediately. Ark had forgotten because of the experience and loot but he had fallen into a trap.
‘Now I know why it is a trap.’
Ark began to realize the truly fearful part about this trap.
‘The experience and loot is the real trap. If he died then it was possible to leave the pyramid. But he hadn’t registered at the Fairy so all the experience he gained would be lost. The thought of all the experience he earned over the last ten days flying away was enough to make him crazy. Thus he was forced to abandon the ore. Yes, the trap wasn’t to kill the user. Users! The trap was designed to either cheat or kill the user! How frightening! The pyramid’s trap is really frightening! This is the Pharaoh’s curse!’
Ark couldn’t just give up everything he earned in the last 10 days. Really…..the pyramid’s curse is too scary.
“Anyway!”
Ark didn’t want to die because of the pyramid’s curse. So two days ago he started to devise ways to exit the pyramid.
“This is still a game. There must be a way to leave after falling into the trap. There must be a way to escape from the trap hidden somewhere. The easiest way is to move along one route. If I move along one wall then I should come upon the exit.”
Therefore Ark continued moving in one direction. The pyramid was around 200 metres in diameter when he looked at it from outside. When looking at the size of the room and length of the passages, he should go through 15 rooms before reaching the exit. Despite passing through dozens of rooms, he didn’t find anything.
“It doesn’t make sense. Why…..?”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
There was a roar and the space seemed to shake. It wasn’t the first time that happened. Occasionally the place would shake. It was okay when he was trying to get experience and loot but he felt like it was unusual now that he was trying to find an exit.
‘Does this shaking have something to do with the structure of the pyramid?’
Ark contemplated for a moment before a thought rose in his head. It was a movie called Cube. In that movie people were incarcerated in a square rooms. Of course, the people used various methods to move and find the exit but they couldn’t solve the mystery.
‘They were square rooms with 4 exits. Yes, the structure of the pyramid is almost the same as the movie. The arrangements of the rooms will continuously change. That explains why I didn’t find the exit just by moving in one direction. If this trap is the same as that movie then I won’t be able to find the exit by just wandering around. Then the exit must be hidden somewhere.’
The problem was finding it. And the place the answer was hidden……
‘Identical rooms! It is this room!’
There was nothing in this room except for the Anubis statues. Therefore the clue must be something depicted on the mural! Ark came to that conclusion and meticulously cleaned the walls with the dust cloth while examining the murals carefully. Then Ark found something suspicious for the first time. He had gone through hundreds of room without noticing but huge letters were carved on the bottom of the mural. They were characters like those in ancient Egypt! Naturally Ark couldn’t read it……
The Murat were an ancient civilization from the Bellin constellation. The Murat were a species shrouded in a veil of mystery. Only some of the characters could be decoded at the moment.
“The ruins of the Murat…..”
He had heard about the alien species called the Murat before. It had appeared in the information window about Beltana when he had been assigned there. Originally Beltana was one of the colonies of the ancient species. Therefore Ark guessed that the ruins underneath Beltana were related to the Murat.
‘Then is the Murat the cause of Egyptian civilization?’
A great historical secret was revealed. But Ark didn’t care about that.
I am Anubis…..the gatekeeper of the underworld. Well…..the providence of the universe…..the reason….. The person who doesn’t follow the natural rules…..forever…..you won’t escape.
Those were the Murat letter that the Nymphe was able to decode. Some parts were missing so he couldn’t check the entire contents
‘But I managed to decipher some words. Anubis was the gatekeeper to the underworld. The natural laws….if I don’t follow the natural laws then I can’t escape from this place…..in the end, I have to move in a certain order to escape this place? In order…..but all the rooms are similar so how can I tell what the order is?’
Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
Ark came up with an idea in time with the noise of the octopus on his head. And yesterday Ark was finally able to find the answer. One day had passed since he determined the answer.
‘Now I have to look properly……’
“Facilities Maintenance!”
Ark lifted the dust cloth and shouted. Facilities Maintenance increased his cleaning by 30%! Ark fiercely used his dust cloth and the room became free of dust.
“There’s no doubt. Here! I’ve come to the right place!”
Ark’s eyes caught the mural near the upper corner of one exit. So far, all the murals in the rooms that Ark passed were similar. No, he thought they were similar. However, if he carefully looked at the murals then there were different parts. Doors opened in all 4 directions after he took care of the Anubis. There was a person sitting on a throne painted on the upper corner. If he just glanced at it then there wasn’t anything different but the age of the painted man was different. Some murals was a young child, others a young man, etc……
‘Anubis is the gatekeeper of the underworld!’
Ark combined all the clues in his head.
‘The gatekeeper of the underworld has to follow the natural laws. There is a process from the moment of birth to death. That’s what the murals on the wall is about. People go through a natural process from the moment they were born to the moment they die. It is a natural order. Then that is the order to reach the exit!’
Ark considered and looked for the room where the mural was in its youngest state. He chose the exit where the baby changed to a child and moved to the next room before selecting the exit with the next stage. And he had finally reached the mural where an old man was on his deathbed!
“…….This is the last one!”
Ark’s face was filled with expectation.
“Indeed!”
Ark clenched his fists. He went through the door with the mural of the dying man. The passage was different from the hundreds he had passed through previously. The left and right side of the passage were lined with a huge number of glass tubes. The glass tubes were filled with a clear liquid and contained various newborn animals, plant specimens or even strange creatures floating around. However, nothing was alive. All the creatures in the glass tubes were completely rotted.
“This atmosphere……”
The glass tubes contained tens of thousands of decayed bodies! He felt a chill as he walked along the narrow passage.
“Are the Murat an alien species who conducted biological experiments?”
It was an uncomfortable thought. But the Murat were already extinct. Ark clamped down his uncomfortable feeling and moved forward. After 20 minutes and tens of thousands of glass tubes, he finally appeared in front of doors painted with ancient Egyptian gods. He was about to open it but he didn’t need to worry.
Dudududu! Dudududu!
The door automatically opened once he approached. And it appeared……
“The gold room!”
It was the gold room he had discovered after digging. It had been 10 days since Ark arrived here. The paving stone that Ark had pushed up was still in the middle while the mummy was sitting on the throne on the opposite side. And the sword and pyramid lying on the table were also the same.
“That’s it! I made it!”
Any thoughts about escaping the pyramid was forgotten. There was a reason Ark had entered in the first place. The typical owners of pyramids were pharaohs so the burial goods might be left with them. He had wandered around for 10 days but he had finally returned to the gold room. Ark looked at the items on the table and was about to approach when he flinched and stopped.
‘Wait? Didn’t I previously fall into the trap because I walked carelessly? I opened the door and formally entered but there is no guarantee the trap won’t trigger again.’
There was a chance he might return to the room filled with Anubis statues. Well, he knew the escape route but it would still be troublesome.
‘But the trap won’t excessively activate. There must be a way to avoid it……’
A smile formed on Ark’s mouth. The gold room had paving stones approximately 1 metres laid out
And images of a pharaoh sitting on the throne were also drawn on the paving stones. The images of a baby to an old man were all jumbled up. Then wasn’t the answer simple?
“First, this guy…..”
Ark laughed and stepped on the image of a baby. Then a young child, a young man, a man…..Ark carefully stepped on the paving stones and managed to arrive in front of the mummy. And he could finally obtain the Pharaoh’s artefacts!
-Impact Blade (Unique)
Item Type: Matter Blade (Two-handed) Wearer Restriction: Level 40
Attack: 45~55 Durability: 80/80
Number of Ammunition: 4(Attack: 20~25)
A Gun blade found in the ruins belonging to an ancient alien species called the Murat.
The Murat was a powerful species that controlled the Bellin constellation in the centre of the galaxy. They use ancient magic through the mysterious energy called mana. Once science started to develop, the Murat combined the ancient magic and science to form a new civilization. The current technology of the federation and Rama are based on artefacts recovered from Murat ruins. The Impact Blade is one such technology that combines science and ancient magic. It is a combination of a matter blade and pistol. Portability is valued so there are few ammunition but it is possible to use a gun and sword together.
<Strength +20, Stamina +15>
Special Feature (Impact Shot): When Impact Shot is used after a sword attack, there is a 30% chance of triggering addition 50% damage.
“U-unique sword!”
Ark’s mouth dropped open. He had finally obtained the Pharaoh’s artefacts after 10 days so he had high expectations. And he was level 43 so finding a magic item would be a jackpot he had thought. Yet it was an unique item! Of course, a unique item wasn’t always good. Magic or rare items depended on the stats but unique items were based on its distinctiveness. In other words, items that weren’t common had that rating. Because the unique item had strange functions, sometimes the practical usage was less than a magic or rare item. However, the scarcity of the item meant it could be traded for a more expensive price than rare items.
“But this unique item is different!”
The performance of a unique item couldn’t be guaranteed unless tried out. However, the level was the same but it had 10 more damage than his magic item. Besides, it was a sword and gun so it had close range and long range functions! And that was the best thing!
“Woo! I didn’t suffer in vain for 10 days!”
All the accumulated stress of the last 10 days was released. But that wasn’t the only item. There was a small pyramid next to the sword.
“It doesn’t seem to be an equipment based on the shape……”
Ark had already received a jackpot so he leisurely picked up the pyramid. The pyramid vibrated and dozens of rays of light shot up from it. A 3D image was then drawn like a panorama in the sky.
‘Fire…..!’
The first scene that developed was filled with flames. Countless numbers of buildings and a castle in a city that looked like ancient Egypt was engulfed in flames. Apart from the people running away from the flames in the city, some people were also running in a hallway filled with glass tubes. And the ones using a gun and sword to slay them were…..
‘The Rama Clan?’
They had dark skin, pointed ears and blue eyes! The ones wielding the weapons and killing people were the Rama.
‘Wait? Didn’t the information window say the reason why the Murat became extinct were unknown? The people on the screen were probably the Murat clan. Does that mean the Murat were destroyed by the Rama? Why is such a fact unknown?’
But the images didn’t offer any explanations. The Rama’s brutal killing proceeded for a while. Then the screen changed and a place that looked like a palace appeared. The Pharaoh looked at the flaming city were hopeless eyes. And he finally gave an order to the Murat in the palace. The Murat received the order and entered the hallway filled with glass tubes. All the Murat entered glass tubes and the Pharaoh operated something in the palace. A giant pyramid formed around the palace, the Pharaoh and the glass tubes and was swept deep underground. A large explosion occurred shortly after that. The explosion was enough to burn the surface of the planet! All the Murat and Rama running around were turned into dust. The planet lost its light and cooled really quickly.
‘This is why Beltana is a frozen planet……’
The Pharaoh used an ancient weapon after being cornered. But the video hadn’t ended yet. The Pharaoh wrapped him and his people in an pyramid and sent them underground to protect them. Then he left a distress signal for any kin scattered around the Bellin constellation. And he waited. 1 year, 2 years, 3 years…..he waited for his fellow kin for a long time. However nobody came. After dozens of years, the people in the glass tubes started to rot. The Pharaoh despaired. And he foresaw the end of the Murat. The Pharaoh took out the pyramid that Ark was holding. He opened the bottom and placed his hand inside. A glowing liquid flowed from his fingertips and filled the empty space. The Pharaoh placed his sword and the pyramid on the table. He sat on his throne and his life ended.
Ark now understood the situation.
‘Yes, the life forms in the glass tubes were the Murat who sought refuge before Beltana perished. The Pharaoh annihilated the Rama and thought his kin from other planets would come to rescue them. However, their kin didn’t come and the life forms started rotting. The Pharaoh died in this state. The distress signal I received was the one the Pharaoh sent to his kin.’
However, the Pharaoh died and hundreds of years passed while the signal weakened. Ark was able to receive the signal because he found the underground square. Then the video footage ended.
-You have acquired undisclosed information about the ancient alien species called the Murat.
The universe has a long history and many alien civilizations have grown and declined. Finding undisclosed information can help illuminate the history of the universe. Hidden alien artefacts or technology can play a decisive role.
+ Information about the ancient alien species Murat (1/15).
+ You have obtained 300 Adventure points for acquiring information about the Murat.
+ You have gained 5 Intelligence for acquiring information about the Murat.
-The Nymphe has acquired a map of the Bellin constellation.
<The Bellin constellation map has been added to the map information window>
“Hoh, I also received a bonus like this?”
Ark laughed after reading the information window. It was an ancient alien civilization. This was an important part of Galaxian. It was unexpected but Ark was in the centre of an adventure! Istana might be the centre of the federation but there are numerous planets and new directions that could open up in Galaxian. And the heart of these adventures was finding ancient alien civilizations. Excavating ruins of an ancient alien civilization could be directly connected to the growth of a user. Pioneers with sponsors would also get the largest compensation for such information. It was similar to the Adventure points. Of course, Ark was still a prisoner so that was in the far future……
“The things I’ve obtained aren’t bad.”
And he also received a bonus 5 intelligence. It is a useful bonus that can be used immediately.
“By the way…..”
Ark’s eyes looked at the bottom of the pyramid. He remembered the glowing liquid that the Pharaoh emitted before he died. He tinkered with the bottom a few times before it opened. Hundreds of years had passed but the liquid was still shining.
“What is this?”
Ark touched the liquid without thinking. The liquid suddenly bubbled and enveloped Ark’s hand.
“Huk! What, what the? I-Is this another trap?”
Ark screamed and quickly removed his hand. However, the glowing liquid was just absorbed even more and the information window appeared.
-You have absorbed the photon life form ‘Shire!’
The Shire are mysterious photon life forms and are some of the most mysterious creatures in the universe. According to old documents, they will condense over millions of years to form mana. The Murat have the ability to use the power of the Shire through ‘Rune’ characters.
+ You have absorbed the Shire and acquired a Rune.
+ You have acquired a Rune (Ikram) from the Murat memory contained.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Rune Carving (User, Active): When the photon Shire is summoned and a rune carved then a skill will be manifested. Although the Murat civilization is now gone, the Runes once had a profound contribute on their ability to take control of the Bellin constellation.
<It is possible to carve runes in the Shire>
Mana consumption: 10(+Mana cost of the Rune)
“Eh? A 5 star rated skill?”
He was stunned by the information window. He never imagined he would get a skill like this. Moreover, wasn’t a 5 star skill the best skill rating? A 5 star rated skill was a jackpot.
“5 stars! It must be a tremendous skill!”
Ark tried out the skill with anticipation.
‘I just have to draw a rune in the Shire? Wait? Is this odd pattern the Ikram Rune? I should try it out.’
Ark read the information window and shouted.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving!”
A light appeared from Ark’s hand. It was the photon life form Shire! And Ark carved a rune in that light. Ark carved the complicated pattern in the air……
Pisisisi.
And the light scattered again?
“Eh? What is this? Did I make a mistake?”
But it was also the same afterwards. The rune drawn looked exactly the same as the one on the Nymphe. He even tried to change the order he drew the rune in but the light still scattered.
“Pant pant pant, damn! What is this? Is this skill really right?”
Ark muttered with a lost expression. He had obtained a wonderful skill but it wouldn’t trigger. It was enough to make him want to run and curse. However, he had already wandered the pyramid for 10 days so he couldn’t waste more time here struggling with the skill.
“Ah, I don’t know. I can explore the skill once I return to the federation base.”
One thing that was on his mind was the Royal Guards.
“Don’t tell me those guys are starving without me?”
That was the thing Ark was anxious about. It also wasn’t necessary to search the pyramid for a way out. When he entered the Pharaoh’s room from the door then a magic circle was drawn underneath the throne. He had been playing the game for a few years. Wasn’t the answer obvious? It was clearly a warp point that appeared after clearing dungeons! He entered the magic circle and the gold room spun around him. The light disappeared and he appeared in the middle of a snowstorm. He had been teleported several kilometres upwards.
“Huhuhu, now I can return to the base.
Ark smirked and manipulated the Nymphe. Then he screamed.
“T-this is ridiculous!”
Space 9
To the Base……!
“Ah…..!”
Countless soft powders poured from the sky. The sky was black like a cosy bedroom while the wind sounded like a lullaby. If he closed his eyes then it seemed possible to be submerged in a happy dream. Such thoughts creeped into his head after closing his eyes. But Ark didn’t worry about that.
‘My food……’
He opened his bag and saw piles of cupcakes and cookies. Ark took out a cupcake with whipped cream and raised it to his mouth. And as he took a bite…..pakak!
“Ugh!”
Ark screamed and jumped up. He grabbed his tingling mouth and looked around with a confused expression. His happy illusion broke at that moment. And he was returned to the gloomy reality. His hand was holding a Zaliman ore instead of a cupcake. The soft powder and cosy bedroom…..
Hwiiiii-!
The snow storm swirling on Beltana! He started trembling as soon as he noticed the chill.
“D-dammit! My destiny, why is my destiny also twisted like this?”
Ark painfully raised his body from the ice. Endorphins flowed through his head as he recalled his memories. He had wandered the pyramid for 10 days and had obtained a unique sword, information about an ancient alien civilizations and a 5 star skill. It was amazing! He had only suffered since starting Galaxian so it was good to receive some compensation. That feeling disappeared the moment he appeared outside and operated his Nymphe’s GPS.
-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 532 km
His mood plummeted at the message that appeared on the GPS. Ark was released at a location 532 km from the base.
“I-I have to walk 532 km?”
Ark looked at the swirling snow storm with blank eyes. Beltana was a planet with a temperature of -50 degrees Celsius. Of course, Ark was able to survive the current temperature due to the Prisoner body coating. That’s how he managed to dig Iridium for hours as well as fighting on the battlefields.
‘532 km means that it will take more than 10 days if I walk 50 km in one day.’
He had to walk for 10 days in the freezing cold. Even if he received the body coating, his body wouldn’t be fine in such low temperatures for 10 days. His body temperature would start falling. His body became as stiff as stone and he experienced dizziness many times. Finally the cold was more than his body coating could handle.
-Your body temperature has fallen below the limit and all abilities will decrease by 20%.
That message appeared after one day passed. But there was an even bigger problem. The body coating allowed him to adapt to the harsh environment so he could restore his body temperature……and that was exactly the problem.
‘I only have 5 foods left.’
Ark sighed as he searched through his bag. He was responsible for the food supply of the Royal Guards so Ark always had food packed in his bag. The amount was enough for one or two months. If he had that much food then he didn’t have to worry about walking 1,000 km. But Ark only had 5 Space Foods remaining in his bag. The rest of the food……
-<Zaliman Ore>, <Zaliman Ore>, <Zaliman Ore>……
It had all changed to the Zaliman ore. So many Zaliman ores had dropped that he threw away food to pack it in his bag.
‘The crevasse that I fell in was only 50 km away from the B-3 base. So I thought 5 Space Foods would be enough but I appeared 532 km from the base……’
It was impossible to reach the base with 5 Space Foods. Especially once the storm started and the temperatures fell even more.
-You will be punished if you don’t think food is important.
His mother had said that. As expected, the words of an adult wasn’t wrong. He was being punished for dumping the food for ores. However, Ark didn’t give up. No, he couldn’t give up. He had gained 12 levels after spending 10 days in the pyramid. He couldn’t just give up the 12 levels he earned!
“There’s only one way! I have to return to the base before my food runs out!”
Ark marched through the storm. Fortunately he managed to march 70 km after 12 hours……
“I fell asleep in the unit!”
Ark was so tired he fell asleep while walking. His connection also wasn’t ended. While Ark was lost in dreams, his character was left in the -50 degrees weather as his body temperature and satiety fell. While he was wandering in the dream, he took out an ore and bit it.
“Dammit, my satiety has fallen to 20%.”
Ark took out a piece of food and recovered his satiety. Now he only had 4 Space Foods left. The situation was becoming even more hopeless.
“There’s no time to be doing this! I have to move in order to live! Armour armament!”
Ark immediately pulled out the battle suit. The thick battle suit meant his body temperature didn’t fall. The armour bolstered his physical ability including his movement speed. That’s how Ark was able to move 70 km in 12 hours!
“Run! Hyper Drone!”
The battle suit clad Ark ran through the snow storm. After 30 minutes, the mana was consumed and the battle suit disappeared. But that didn’t stop Ark. If he stopped then his probability of survival would decrease. He moved painfully through the snow storm while starving. Ark flinched and stopped moving.
‘…..What?’
At first he thought it was a trick. But when he narrowed his eyes and concentrated, he realized it wasn’t a trick.
‘Light? There’s no doubt about it. That’s a light!’
Why was there a visible light on the other hill? It wasn’t a natural light. Artificial light! In other words, it meant someone was there.
‘Yes, my Nymphe only registers some defense bases around the federation’s main base. I don’t believe that is a base. Maybe that light belongs to a federation scouting unit! Then I can get some supplies!’
Ark concentrated all his willpower and ran up the hill. And he looked at the bottom with expectant eyes.
“Heok! T-this is…..?”
Ark’s face stiffened
————————————————
“What are you doing Ark?’
The blonde youth bit his lips until it became bloody. He was the young man who followed Ark to Nephalim. However, when he searched through the guidance system he discovered that Ark had been compulsorily sent to Beltana as punishment for a crime. But he didn’t worry about it.
‘He is Ark.’
The youth knew that Ark was more persevering than a cockroach. Ark wasn’t the type of user to break down because of a problem. He always returned with a presumptuous look.
‘I don’t really understand. I’m a novice who just left R-14. But Ark arrived at the frontier before me. Obviously there is a significant level difference between us. I don’t want to meet Ark like this. However, Ark had received a penalty so it will be difficult to raise his level. This is an opportunity for me to catch up with Ark!’
So he eagerly hunted. He had learnt Swamp Walking from the Charenjok so he went to the southern swamps and hunted the mechanical creatures called Nakuma. His level quickly grew and he received a body coating. The time taken was a fortnight. However…..
‘Not yet!’
It had been 20 days since Ark went to Beltana but he hadn’t returned yet.
‘There is something strange. Ark wouldn’t be lost for 20 days……’
The blonde youth couldn’t wait anymore. So he made a resolution.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
-A gunfight has occurred in Nephalim! -Two guards and three battle androids have been injured! The suspect has been arrested at the scene of the crime!
The android association of the Space Union demanded strong punishment! The government investigated and determined it had something to do with the group against machines called ‘Tree of Life.’
It was a murder case that raised a fuss in Nephalim. A blonde man was arrested at the scene by the guards. However, the young man who was handcuffed was wearing a smile.
‘Just wait Ark. Here I come!’
———————————————————————————
Sasasasak! Sasasasak!
Something moved in the darkness. It was a shadow that stuck close to the ground and moved like a cockroach! The shadow moved forward between sparsely separated rocks. Finally the shadow approached a place where thick beams of light lit up a fence. The shadow raised its head and quickly peeked over the fence.
‘Phew, it really is creepy.’
There were an absurd number of monsters swarming on the other side of the fence. With bent arms and long hair, they were the Carack. Thousands of the Rama’s biological weapons were swarming around the fence. And the person peeking at them was Ark.
‘I can’t believe I found a Rama base in a place like this!’
Ark recalled his memories.
“Heok! T-this is…..?”
He discovered a light and ran up a hill. Ark had witnessed a massive military base from the hill. However, it wasn’t the base of the federation like Ark expected. The soldiers wandering the barracks had dark skin and pointed ears, the alien species Rama! He had wandered around the ice field and unexpectedly found a Rama base.
‘Oh my god! This is a Rama camp? Judging by the size, it isn’t just a simple defense base. Perhaps it is the main base. The main base of the Rama clan!’
Ark’s heart started pounding.
‘This might be a huge opportunity.’
Once again, the most important thing about the war on Beltana was finding the rival’s main base
Reinforcements and supplies were sent through the Star Gate then destroying the Fairy and the Star Gate could end the war. However, advanced equipment like satellites or radar were useless because the Rama and the federation had similar scientific knowledge. The magnetic field around Beltana was also several times higher so airships couldn’t be used. Therefore they had to use scouting troops to look for the enemy bases. Yet Ark had discovered the headquarters of the Rama.
‘What if I told the federation the location of this base?’
Discovering the headquarters of the enemy was crucial to winning the war. It would clearly give huge achievement points.
‘But…….’
That would only apply if he returned alive. The user’s route was automatically recorded on the Nymphe’s GPS. But it wasn’t complete. It had to be registered with the Fairy for the record to be permanent. In other words, all the information about the surrounding area would disappear if it wasn’t registered with the Fairy.
‘If I die before returning to the base then this location won’t be saved on the GPS!’
He had one more reason to return alive. At the same time, the probability of returning alive had decreased.
‘Dammit, there is only a 10% probability that I can return to the base…..I have to get past this base to reach the federation base. If I move then I will be spotted by the Rama. At least there are no scouts. But beyond that base is the battlefield between the Rama and the federation. There is a high chance there will be a lot of scouts.’
Of course, there was a chance Ark could avoid the scouting troops. However, Ark had to move in a straight line to guarantee his survival. There was no time for him to avoid them.
‘It can’t be helped. Thankfully the view is limited due to the snow storm.’
Ark came to that conclusion and tried to sneak past the Rama base. Suddenly an unexpected object caught Ark’s eye.
‘Wait? That…..!’
The object was reflected in Ark’s eye! At that moment, Ark’s head started spinning fiercely.
‘There’s no doubt about it. If I get my hands on that then my probability of survival will increase!’
But there was a problem. The object Ark wanted was deep inside the Rama’s camp. It was impossible to reach ‘that’ without the guards noticing.
‘I have to somehow get my hands on it. Is there a way to attract the attention of the Rama for a short moment.
Then the kennels of the Carack caught Ark’s eyes.
‘Let’s give it a shot!’
Ark made various plans as his eyes shone. Of course, approaching the Carack’s kennels wasn’t easy. The Carack were the enemy. Naturally approaching the tent of an enemy was dangerous! But Ark had an invaluable skill……
-Withdrawal has been used.
<Probability of being detected by an enemy: 15%>
It was the Withdrawal skill that he learnt from a pardoned prisoner. It was a skill where hiding among the topography decreased the chances of being detected by an enemy.
‘The probability never exceeded 10% when I was hiding among the rocks. But a 15% chance is nothing to worry about.’
Ark checked the kennels while flat on the ground. Thousands of Carack were inside the barracks
He only found out now but the Carack was a herbivore. Hay was strewn on the ground in order to feed the Carack. Some of the Carack were eating the hay now. It was unexpected but fortunate for Ark.
‘Now, let’s get started!’
Ark crawled like a cockroach along the ground and followed the fence. And he finally managed to approach the kennels. Ark built up a bunch of hay and finally pulled the trigger of Fading Steel. There was no sound because the hay acted like a silencer.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
There was a dull ringing sound. Flames started among the hay. The bullet loaded in the Fading Steel was the Fire Bullet! The hay instantly caught fire. Once the dry hay caught fire, it instantly spread to the rest of the food.
‘That’s it! It was successful!’
This was what Ark had aimed for. Using the Fire Bullets to light the Carack’s food on fire! The trapped Carack instantly panicked as the hay caught on fire. The Carack were important troops to the Rama so it was natural for the chaos to spread! It wasn’t surprising for turmoil to spread through the base.
Kararara? Kararara!
-What is going on? Fire! The Carack’s kennel has caught on fire!
-Dammit, why? Ring the alarm before the flames spread even more!
‘But there is still something lacking.’
Ark laughed after escaping from the flames.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Subsequent shots were heard around other kennels.
–S-shots! The enemy! The enemy troops are attacking the Carack’s kennels!
–Ack! I-is it the federation? Everybody gather! Shoot all of them!
–Captain-nim, the infrared scopes hasn’t detected them!
-It doesn’t matter! Those guys are hiding near the kennels! Just shoot!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Rama warriors ran to the kennels and started firing their machine guns blindly.……It was useless.
‘Heh! I didn’t think I would fool them so well.’
Ark laughed as he saw the flashes of light in the darkness. This was the reason Ark set fire to the hay. Ark had ran around the kennels and placed a handful of Fire Bullets. Once the fire spread through the hay and reached the Fire Bullets…..Tang! Tang! Tang! The bullets exploded in every direction. The Rama thought it was a surprise attack by enemy troops…..
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tang! Tang! Tang! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
There was an intense gunfight between the flying bullets and the Rama warriors. A gunfight occurred. His mind wanted to watch the ending to the fascinating battle but…….
‘There’s no time! I must escape before they notice!’
Ark ran like a cockroach through the base. It wasn’t necessary to explain but he hadn’t done this for fun. He had discovered if from above the hill! The attention of the Rama guards were now focused on the side of the kennel.
‘It’s a success! There’s no one here!’
Ark looked at the object……
‘Bike! It is a federation bike!’
Ark had discovered it when looking from the hilltop. Like he said before, there were many collisions between the scouting units on Beltana. However, the overall length of the battlefields in Galaxian wasn’t only several kilometres. Sometimes there were dozens of hundreds of kilometres between the base and the strategy area. When moving to a strategy area, the federation used the Memeod tank for transportation. However, that wasn’t the only way to move troops. There were also motorbikes for personal transport of individuals in scouting units. It was different from movement in the medieval ages. Ark had discovered the federation’s bike that the Rama warriors had probably taken as loot after killing the scouting unit. The reason he hid in the base and lit the hay on fire was to obtain the bike.
‘The OS is different so a user affiliated with the federation can’t use a Rama bike.’
However, this was a bike from the federation. Of course, the federation didn’t allow just anyone to ride the bike. A key was needed to start the bikes in Galaxian. However, a key wasn’t the only way to start the bike. The Nymphe was a multipurpose device where all the user’s information was registered! A registered owner could just connect their Nymphes to move the bike……
-This memory chip is protected with a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
‘Indeed!’
The message flashed as soon as his Nymphe connected to the bike. Ark had learnt the hacking skill from Tori.
‘The remaining problem is if I can finish hacking before the Rama notice……’
-The current lock accessed is ‘Galloway: Level 3.’
The airship located on the bottom is your hacking program ‘Invader.’ You have to move Invader and wipe out numerous hostile programs to protect the lock. If Invader is destroyed then the hacking attempt will fail and you will have to start again.
Now, display your newly learned hacking capabilities and try to destroy the protection program!
‘How lucky.’
A smile formed around Ark’s mouth. It was the small airship game Galloway! This was one of the classic games that Ark was the best at.
‘I don’t have a lot of time. I don’t know what will happen if I don’t release the lock on time!’
Ark focused all his concentration on hacking.
Byong! Byong! Byong! Byong!
He was playing Galloway in the middle of a hostile area! Anyway…..he felt tension but this was Ark’s life. No, he was more concerned with the game. If he managed to seize the bike then he could return to the base alive! If discovered by the Rama then he would be a beggar! It was a risk that would either be a jackpot or turn him into a beggar!
Byong! Byong! Byong! Byong!
So Ark was busy while the shooting was continuing.
-Hey, you!
The voice of a Rama was heard from behind him.
–What are you doing by yourself? Haven’t you noticed the uproar on the base?
When he flinched and turned, he saw 2 Rama warriors approaching him. Ark was surprised but he sharpened his mind.
‘I can’t let them know I’m from the federation!’
Ark had worn the battle suit before entering the base. Ark’s battle suit belonged to the Rama so it would decrease the likelihood of being caught. Even if Ark was spotted, the Rama wouldn’t know he was an enemy straight away. But if they used the infrared scope then his identity would be discovered. If he also replied in a different language then he would be discovered.
‘I have to release his lock before that!’
Byong! Byong! Byong! Byong!
Ark focused on the Galloway game on his Nymphe again.
-What? This bastard, why aren’t you saying anything? Do you want to be shot?
–Besides, why are you wearing a battle suit in a place like this?
-Eh? What? This jerk, why are you playing a game by yourself?
–Ha, it really is outrageous. Hey, you! Who are you?
The Rama warrior grabbed Ark’s shoulder.
-You have finally surpassed all the firewalls and the lock on the bike has been released!
‘That’s it! The bike’s lock is released!’
The enormous ship that was the boss exploded and the message appeared. Ark took out his Fading Steel and smiled pleasantly.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Set Bullets Shooting shot out three bullets in one blow! The Rama warrior was hit by the bullets and stumbled back. Meanwhile, Ark quickly got on the bike and turned the handles. There was the sound of an engine and the bike flew forward at a tremendous speed. Yes, he flew away! The bikes in Galaxian weren’t normal and were actually a hover bike! It was a futuristic flying bike with a comfortable riding position and a maximum speed of 300 km/hr.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The bike instantly left the Rama base.
–Kuak! That guy!
–That bastard, he isn’t a Rama! Sound the alarm…..!
–There’s no time! Besides, the base is already being attacked so the perimeter alert is useless. There is no time to let the other soldiers know so we have to chase him ourselves!
The two Rama warriors grabbed their bikes and pursued him. Three bikes rushed through the raging snow storm. Ark departed first but the Rama warriors still caught up. Ark was new to the bike while the Rama warriors were experienced.
“Damn! I have to lose them somehow…..heok!”
Ark cried out as he saw the Rama warriors that caught up with him. One of them was carrying a RPG on his shoulder and aiming at Ark.
“H-heavy weapon!”
–Lock on! Now take this!
Tutung! Syuuuuuuu!
Smoke blew out as a small warhead was fired.
‘If that hits me directly then I’m dead!’
Ark screamed and turned the handle sharply. There was a strange sound as the bike turned perpendicularly. The Rama’s artillery had a tracking function so the trajectory stayed with the bike. And the moment it was about to hit! Ark quickly turned the handle in the opposite direction. The homing feature couldn’t follow such sharp movements.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The shell that missed its target hit something else and exploded. However, he didn’t have time to sigh with relief as the other Rama warrior fired.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
There was an explosion to the rear of the bike as it turned and a red warning message appeared.
-The engine has been hit and the output is rapidly decreasing
If the engine is hit again, there is a risk that it will explode.
This was why it was difficult to use a bike on the battlefield. The benefits was that it was quick and easy to handle but the fatal weakness is its weak defense!
‘Dammit, it is impossible to lose them like this! If so…..’
He grabbed the bike’s handle firmly and looked at them with the infrared scope. The chasing Rama warriors were level 41 and 42. And Ark was now level 43 thanks to the pyramid!
‘It is worth a try!’
There was no gap to hesitate. Ark rotated the bike 180 degrees and pulled the accelerator. The bike made a roaring sound like a scream and rushed towards the bikes of the chasing Rama warriors.
–That guy! Is he trying to die with us?
–Smash the bike!
The two Rama warriors lifted their guns to stop the bike.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tung! Tung! Tung! Tung!
The warriors relentlessly attacked with their machine guns. Sparks flew from Ark’s bike and smoke started to spread. And when it was a few metres away from the warriors’ bikes!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
It exploded and smoke and fire spread in the sky.
-It’s over.
–Sheesh, I wanted to capture him if possible…..
-We still don’t know. That guy might be breathing still.
–We should check it…..
The two Rama warriors got off their bike and took out their hammers. And they approached the vortex of smoke and fire.
“Come out, Shire!”
They suddenly heard shouting in the midst of the smoke.
Hwakak!
At the same time, the swirling smoke was split in half. A hand surrounded by blue light moved through the air and drew a complicated pattern. It was the Rune Carving skill that he learn from the ancient Murat alien civilization
“Rune Carving! Ikram rune invoked!”
The pattern of light was completed.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 03
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Ikram
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The chasing Rama warriors continuously fired at Ark. Ice fragments flew up with every shot along with pillars of flames. Ark tried some evasion but his driving skills weren’t mastered yet so it was limited.
Pepepepeng!
-The engine has been hit and the output is rapidly decreasing.
If the engine is hit again, there is a risk that it will explode.
Fumes soared from the bike as the message appeared.
‘This situation is bad.’
Ark judged as he turned his handle 180 degrees. The engine of the bike was damaged so the output had fallen. It would be hard to escape from the pursuing Rama warriors. Now Ark only had one choice left.
‘Whether I live or die depends on this.’
Ark’s head switched from ‘escape mode’ to ‘battle mode.’
‘I checked through the infrared scope and they are level 41 and 42. On the other hand, I am level 43. My level is slightly higher but there are two of them. Moreover, I’m a prisoner and they are elite troops. They will have better equipment and combat skills. If they have battle suits then the odds aren’t in my favour. I need to do something that will slightly even the odds in my favour, even if it is just confusing them for a moment.’
That was the conclusion Ark reached. And a skill naturally floated in his head.
‘But…….’
Ark was forced to hesitate. Ark still hadn’t grasped the skill properly. He couldn’t guarantee the outcome. It was indeed a skill that he was gambling his life on. He hesitated but Ark had no more time to worry.
Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
The subsequent shooting exploded the left engine! Ark lost his balance, jumped off the bike and rolled along the ground.
‘I have no choice but to gamble now. I need to trust me senses!’
He lifted his body and raised his arms. Blue light started to gather around his hands. The light produced……
———————————————————————————
Hwiiiii-!
A storm endlessly blew in the darkness. The -50 degree weather was so cold that the air seemed to be frozen. One man was walking in the extreme cold.
“Huck huck, dammit! What is with my unfortunate destiny?”
The person speaking with frozen lips was Ark.
“For it to turn out this way.”
It started 10 days ago. Ark had unintentionally fallen into the crevasse and found an abandoned pyramid. He had ended up with some unexpected gains. He had gained 12 levels, scooped up the rare Zaliman ore and received the Pharaoh’s artifact. He was then able to escape from the pyramid. And the information displayed on the GPS…..
-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 532 km
Ark felt like he had been hit on the head with a piece of ice.
‘532 km means that it will take more than 10 days if I walk 50 km in one day.’
It was difficult to walk for 10 days in -50 degrees weather in a snow storm. That alone was enough to decrease the chances of survival. However, the more serious problem was his food supply. Ark had gained a considerable amount of Zaliman ore in the pyramid so he discarded his food and only had 5 remaining. To recap, Ark had to march 500 kilometres on 5 pieces of food in a storm. It was a situation that would cause despair.
‘It’s impossible. There is no chance no matter what ideas I have.’
But if he gave him then he would lose 12 levels. He couldn’t give up even if he ended up dying.
‘I have to live and return!’
Ark clenched his teeth. From then on Ark’s desperate struggle for survival started….. No, it was a desperate struggle but it was actually extremely tedious. Walking, walking, walking and more walking. The only thing he did was walking. The repetition of such unexpected mechanical tasks caused an unexpected problem. Ark had been worried about walking more than 500 km in such a harsh environment. However, Ark’s body was surprisingly strong thanks to the body coating. It was possible to maintain a suitable body temperature while walking in a -50 degree storm. Rather, it was his mentality that was the problem.
‘!#$!#$@$$%$!&%$%$$#…….’
He was just endlessly walking towards the horizon. His thoughts flew away to Andromeda after one full day of walking. His absentminded state meant he walked in the wrong direction and once he even fell asleep in the freezing cold.
‘This can’t continue. I’m going to end up like a frozen mackerel. I need to think of something to maintain my consciousness. It is necessary to think of something.’
Ark started to think of various different ideas. His mother who lay in the ICU for a long time and then her miraculous recovery. Now his mother and stepfather Gwon Hwa-rang were helping children overseas. He also thought about that time when he was caught between Roco and Lariette. Although remembering those thoughts helped, there was a limit to it and his thoughts still flew to Andromeda
It was because those thoughts were just memories. His eyelids became increasingly heavier.
‘That’s right! There was that!’
Something rose in his head. Ark had forgotten his homework from the shock of leaving the pyramid and checking the GPS. It was how to use the Rune Carving that he obtained from the gold room.
‘Why isn’t the skill activating?’
There was no doubt that he learnt a skill that required the photon life form called Shire. Despite that, the skill was cancelled every time he tried to use it.
‘Perhaps a special item is needed aside from the Shire? No, if any items were necessary then it would be written in the skill information window. Didn’t I draw the rune incorrectly or in the wrong order?’
Ark experimented with drawing the rune dozens of times. But it had no effect. He learnt a skill but couldn’t use it. It was enough to drive him crazy. Well, his thoughts didn’t fly away to Andromeda thanks to it but……Ark was immersed in figuring out the secret of the rune and had already forgotten about staying conscious. He decided to carefully read the Rune Carving information window while marching.
‘Wait? Come to think of it…..’
He finally realized something strange after one whole day had passed. It became clear once he compared the skill information window and his character information window.
-Rune Carving (User, Active)
When the photon Shire is summoned and a rune carved then a skill will be manifested. Although the Murat civilization is now gone, the Runes once had a profound contribute on their ability to take control of the Bellin constellation.
<It is possible to carve runes in the Shire>
Mana consumption: 10 (+ Mana cost of the Rune)
“Unbelievable……”
A sigh flowed from his mouth. Ark stared with flustered eyes at the last part of the skill information window.
‘All the skills in the games I’ve played consume mana. So I didn’t think anything about it when mana appeared in the skill information window……’
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 43
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Crime 3,500 Adventure 100
Health 800 (+15) Mental Power 450
Strength 105 (+3) Agility 155
Stamina 155 (+3) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 85 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
* Body Coating: Prisoner
+ The Prisoner coating is limited to the region of Beltana
+ Your body information will belong to the galactic federation after receiving the Prisoner coating
+ You are unable to receive any other body coating until the Prisoner coating is removed
‘As expected!’
But Ark had no ‘Mana’ himself. Ark’s character had ‘Mental Power’ as a substitute for mana. Not realizing this basic part was a trap! There was no energy to use the skill which was why it didn’t activate. He had unlocked the secret of Rune Carving……
“What is this?”
Ark asked with chagrin. No, didn’t that mean he couldn’t use the skill unless he obtained mana? Of course Galaxian also had a presence called mana. Mana had to exist to use the skill but……
As far as Ark understood, humans didn’t have mana. That’s why humans showed mental power in their information window instead of mana. Mana was a default stat for the hostile Rama and humans who received a magic type body coating. In the end, Ark couldn’t use Rune Carving unless he was a Rama or he obtained the right body coating.
“Not being able to use a 5 star rated skill……”
Ark was frustrated. Ark couldn’t be reborn as a Rama and he might not chose the magic type body coating later.
“Do I really have to give up?”
Ark suddenly had an idea.
“Wait? Mana?”
The Rama’s battle suit Hyper Drone surfaced in his mind! Once again, the Rama’s battle suit was different from the federation’s and it wasn’t a simple machine. The Rama had a bio-type battle suit that could transform thanks to an ancient magical creature called the Drone. Therefore the Hyper Drone used a separate energy source referred to as mana.
“If I’m wearing Hyper Drone……”
Ark called out the battle suit and used the skill.
“Armour armament! Come out, Shire! Rune Carving! Ikram Rune invoked!”
So far, all the runes he had drawn dissolved or disappeared. However, the situation changed due to Hyper Drone. Mana was sucked out of the mana suit and a rune was carved in the air. The ensuing effect…..
-The target for the skill doesn’t exist.
The effect of Rune Carving was still unknown. However, Ark wasn’t disappointed.
“Now I know how to use the skill. And the target not being around means that it is a combat skill. It could only be used with the battle suit but it was a 5 star rated skill. It will definitely be an amazing special technique!”
That was what Ark believed. Now he was fighting two level 40 Rama warriors so Ark placed his trust in that identified skill. The five stars gave him confidence!
“Come out, Shire!”
A shout was heard in the midst of the smoke. At the same time, the swirling smoke was split in half. A shining hand moved and carved a character in the sky.
‘A five star rated skill! My strongest skill!’
“Rune Carving! Ikram rune invoked!”
An explosive energy emerged from Ark’s body and a huge character was carved above his head. It was the finally completed Ikram rune from the Murat ancient civilization. The highest rated skill also had a visible special effect.
–Ack! That guy has used a skill.
–It is the first time I’ve seen that skill. The effects are unknown so be cautious!
The Rama warriors stopped shooting as they became confused. An enemy had used an unidentified skill seen for the first time. In online games, the skill effect could mean the difference between victory or defeat. Ark believed that and had no doubts.
“Now, come out!”
Ark stretched out his arms and grinned. However…..
-…..What?
The Rama warriors who had opened their shields and struck a defense pose tilted their heads to one side. Ark was also baffled. The rune sparkling above his head…..it just shone like a christmas tree light Nothing happened once it was activated. Ark looked at the message that appeared on his Nymphe.
-The target for the skill doesn’t exist.
“T-there is no target?”
What was it saying when the target was right in front of him? Ark looked at the Nymphe with amazement before belatedly realizing something.
‘Wait? That reminds mind….the message never stated the subject of the skill. The only thing written was that there was no target. Then there is no guarantee that the target is the enemy.’
Ark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. It was natural to think that the skill would be used on the enemy. But there was one thing Ark overlooked. There was no enemy in the vicinity when experimenting with the skill. There also weren’t any supporters.
‘But now there are enemies. If the target can’t be found then this rune……’
It was a skill used to buff any allies.
‘Buff! A buff? I wasted the mana of my battle suit in this situation for a buff? And it’s also a buff for allies?’
Ark started to panic as he reached that conclusion. However, now wasn’t the time for it.
–What is he doing?
–What is that shining thing? No way…..is it just for looks?
–No. We still don’t know. We can’t be careless.
-…….
–Isn’t it just a shape?
The Rama warriors then noticed Ark’s reaction.
–Dammit, tricking us like that.
–I don’t understand what it is but let’s just break it!
And they changed the magazine of their gun. The Rama couldn’t understand Ark’s words but Ark could understand the Rama. By listening to their conversation, Ark knew the two warriors wanted to turn Ark into a honeycomb. Well, he would be able to guess it from the atmosphere even without hearing their words. It was obvious Ark was their target.
‘Now the only thing left is a frontal confrontation!’
Ark had been tempered by battle for many years. He grasped the situation and moved his body first.
‘It is two against one so it is imperative that I reduce the numbers!’
Ark’s eyes looked at the troopers armed with a RPG and a grenade launcher. In Galaxian, warriors used a sword and a gun by default. In other words, they had a melee weapon and a long range weapon. But that wasn’t the only thing commonly used. Pistols, rifles, machine guns or something relatively light were easily available. But heavy weapons such as RPGs and grenade launchers required the relevant skills. Since a large number of professional skills are needed, the trooper was the class with the strongest firepower to counteract it.
Galaxian also had Espers who used ancient magic or psychic powers but most users were level 30~40 so they couldn’t use really powerful magic yet. At the moment, the troopers were the ones boasting the strongest firepower. Their firepower was so strong that the military situation could change with the use of the heavy weapons. The troopers use of the heavy weapons would devastate the prisoner unit every time there was a battle. However, every strong point had a disadvantage. The long range bombing attack meant they were weaker in close combat. Furthermore, the heavy armour and artillery meant their movements were slow.
‘I need to handle one guy first!’
Ark judged that in an instant and shot towards the troopers.
-Eh? That guy…..
A trooper hurriedly lifted the grenade launcher. But Ark’s movements were faster.
“Sonic Sword!”
It was Sonic Sword that surpassed sonic speed. The sword made a shock wave that hit the bikes of the troopers. It also hit the grenade launcher and turned it, making the ammunition fly away in a different direction. If the firing was disrupted and the hit rate fell that the troopers weakness was clearly revealed.
-T-this!
The troopers burst out and pointed the gun towards him again. But Ark had already approached one of them. And he planned to stab the warrior’s neck.
Buaaaah!
An intimidating engine sound was heard from nearby. Ark turned around and saw a trooper’s bike rushing towards him. The Rama warriors had been 50 metres away when Ark activated Rune Carving. If the troops only used machines gun then there was no way to stop Ark in close combat. The machine gun’s hit rate wasn’t high enough to hit a moving target so he only needed to block it for a few metres. Then there was only one way left!
‘They can hit my using the movement of the bike.’
Now Ark wasn’t a beginner in Galaxian any longer. He knew about the weapons and equipment of the future so he was able to predict the enemy’s movements.Their opponent…..was Ark.
Kakang! Chwiiiii!
Ark’s sword collided with the trooper’s grenade launcher. Ark turned at the same time and the sword moved the grenade launcher’s barrel to one side. It turned towards the direction where the trooper’s motorcycle was rushing from!
Tutung!
Something fired from the grenade launcher.
–Heok! What are you doing?
The rushing trooper screamed and turned the steering wheel but it was useless. The bike was only 2 metres away so there was no way it could avoid the fired grenade. Flames shot up from the trooper’s bike. That was the moment Ark aimed for.
“Now! Sonic sword!”
Ark rolled on the ground and hit the bike with his sword. The bike lost its centre of balance and turned 90 degrees, rushing towards the other trooper.
–Heok! N-no! I-it’s going to hit me! Avoid it!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The two bikes collided and an explosion shook the space. The explosion pushed Ark back several metres and he gasped as he raised his body.
“Pant pant pant, it is a success.”
This was what Ark had aimed for. In fact, Ark was more worried about the presence of the bikes than a 2 vs. 1 battle. The bikes had no combat capability but it had fast movement speed. However, their speed meant they couldn’t be ignored in battle. If they rode their bikes then Ark wouldn’t be able to catch up to fight in close combat. They could just avoid him and shoot from a distance. There was also no room to fight. Sealing the bikes. That was the first checkpoint of the battle he had to pass.
“……..That is around 30%?”
Ark sighed and lifted his head. He threw his body before the bike collided but he couldn’t completely escape the explosion. Despite wearing the battle suit, Ark still lost 30% health. However he had no complaints. It was fortunate that he could seal up the motorcycle……
-Kuuuuoh, t-this guy!
Two shadows staggered from the smoke. The Rama warriors were covered in dust. Their appearances looked dismal because they were caught in the explosion. Their agility and defense had fallen by 45% while their health had decreased by 60%. They glared at Ark through darkened faces
–Kill him! That bastard……
Pepeng-!
The trooper stumbled and stepped backwards as there was a ringing sound. Ark scratched his head after firing a shot.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry. What were you saying?”
-This bastard……Armour armament!
A trooper glared and muttered. The space warped and a battle suit appeared around the trooper. It was the Rama’s battle suit that looked like an insect skin. The overall shape was similar to the Hyper Drone but the battle suit seemed heavier.
‘I thought they would have battle suits but……’
-Tails, cover me!
The trooper changed weapons to a long sword and struck downwards. Ark raised his sword and felt a tremendous pressure as he blocked it.
Totong! Kakakakak!
It felt like 100 kg of steel was brought down upon him. Ark felt his kneels buckle as he maintained his grip on the sword.
‘Ugh! This strength, it’s not normal. As expected……’
Ark breathed roughly as he looked at the trooper’s battle suit. The shoulder of the trooper was swollen like a balloon and the thick tendons continuously twitched.
‘There’s no doubt about it. That is a warrior type battle suit.’
It was like comparing a dog to a private school student. There was no need to say which one was Ark. In was unnecessary to say it again but Ark was forcibly drafted into Beltana’s prisoner unit
On the other hand, it was useful because Ark could learn many things about the systems of Galaxian. Something he learnt was information about advanced battle suits. Ark’s Hyper Drone battle suit increased his stats by 30%. However, all battle suits increased stats. No, battle suits that raised all stats equally were rare. Most battle suits had specialized functions depending on the character tendencies and their occupation.
Some amplified mana or mental power for magician type users while battle suits for rangers had their eyesight optimized. It was possible to determine what type of battle suit it was from the outward appearance. But unlike the federation’s mechanical battle suits, the Rama’s battle suits could change their form. The trooper had a warrior type battle suit that increased his muscle.
‘This is just a guess but I imagine it increases strength. How much did his strength increase by?’
The trooper’s shoulder muscles bulged as he brought his sword down. Ark felt like he was being pushed down by a giant compressor. It was hard to even breath. Thankfully Ark was also wearing the battle suit. But the problem wasn’t the sword.
-Tails, now!
–Okay. This bastard, I’ll make you regret this!
The other trooper laughed and aimed a grenade launcher at Ark. In this situation, Ark wouldn’t be able to move at all to avoid it! If he was hit by the Rama warrior’s sword and the artillery then the battle would be over.
‘But…….’
Ark smiled and raised his head. Ark’s finger that was gripping the sword moved quickly.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Three bullets spouted from his sword and burst into flames. Ark wasn’t using the Modified Alloy Dagger right now. It was the unique two-handed Impact Blade that he obtained from the pyramid! The biggest feature that made it unique was that it wasn’t just a blade. It was the combination of a blade and pistol. He could still fire a projectile even while holding Impact Blade with both hands! The trooper had never seen the weapon before so he had no idea of its effect. The shot was fired right under the trooper’s nose and the trooper’s head snapped back.
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
–Kuak! T-this is?
Smoke appeared from around the trooper’s head and he stepped backwards.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
The trooper launched the grenade immediately after that. The bullet hit the ground but Ark already wasn’t there. Ark aimed his sword at the trooper and shouted.
“Impact Shot!”
Kakakaka! Pepepepeng!
When the blade touched the trooper’s chest and he pulled the trigger, flames appeared from the sword and bullets lodged in the chest. Impact Shot dealt additional 50% damage! The health of the trooper was instantly sucked out.
–Eh? Eh? What, what the? H-how come?
The trooper burst out with confusion and rushed towards him again. The situation would be disturbing for anyone who didn’t know about the gun in the blade. However, he had no intention of explaining. Anyway, the situation was changed thanks to his blade but Ark couldn’t afford to relax.
-Hyper Drone’s Remaining Mana: 20%.
‘Only a little more left.’
Ark looked at the Nymphe’s irritated eyes with irritation. Ark had worn the battle suit from the time he sneaked into the Rama base. And while stealing the bike up to here. Quite a bit of time had been consumed.
‘But only 15 minutes had passed. The duration of the battle suit is 30 minutes. Therefore I should still have 50% mana left. However, now there’s only 20%. Then perhaps……’
Ark looked at the flashing character above his head with irritation. The rune he triggered before the battle was still flashing above Ark’s head. Mana was leaking out somewhere. It meant the rune was still sucking out mana despite having no effect. He also couldn’t cancel it. If he converted the remaining 20% mana then it would be 6 minutes left.
‘Damn, I still don’t know what that skill is for!’
If he hadn’t done something so unnecessary then it would be possible to fight for longer. But it was too late for regret. At first he was worried about fighting against two level 40 Rama warriors but they weren’t that tough an opponent for him.
‘It’s not that they’re weak.’
Ark was completely different from his existence 10 days ago. His level was different. He gained 12 levels thanks to the pyramid. His defense also increased thanks to the Harkenion Armour dropped by the dead Rama warrior in the crevasse! His attack also increased thanks to the Impact Blade! He could also use the battle suit without any federation members around so his combat sense had changed 180 degrees.
‘6 minutes! The odds are in my favour!’
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Chwarururu.
Ark loaded the ammunition into the Impact Blade and approached a trooper.
–Kuak! T-this bastard!
The trooper growled and blocked with his sword. At first he struggled because he hadn’t experienced the warrior type battle suit but now he grasped the situation. Ark lowered his upper body and blocked the sword.
‘As expected!’
The focus of the battle suit was on strength and defense, not agility. It was a common build used in Galaxian. He didn’t know how much the strength and defense had decreased by but it was certain the agility would fall. Ark also thought that the trooper’s skill with a sword wasn’t that great. They were like rice compared to Ark. Ark had grown rapidly from his previous experience with a game. Of course, his previous game was different from Galaxian. However, the style of battle wasn’t that different in the future. Plus……
–This rat……heok!
The trooper who was frantically swinging his sword fell to one knee with confusion. Ark had stepped back to avoid the sword and kicked. His kicks had an effect against enemies thanks to the battle suit. His kicks were aimed at the warrior’s knees and joints.
“You’re noisy. This isn’t a war with words.”
Ark looked down at the trooper’s face and smiled. Then he continued with the knee. An attack with the battle suit covered knee would be tremendous. There was a crack as the trooper’s head was forced upwards with the impact. He followed with the Impact Blade to the neck.
Snap! Pepepepeng!
He then followed with the Impact Shot!
“Now now, it’s only starting. If this stretched on too long then it’ll be difficult.”
Ark walked towards the trooper. The trooper wasn’t a match for Ark in close combat. He continued kicking the joints to make the trooper lose his centre of balance and attacked with his sword and bullets. The defense style of the battle suit wasn’t made to combat Ark’s fighting style. Virtual reality games placed precedence on combat skills more than equipment. Neutralizing the troopers in a situation like this wasn’t a problem for him.
–Ugh! Ugh! Tails, what are you doing? Help me!
–I-I’m trying! That jerk!
The other trooper listened to the request and raised the grenade launcher. The moment the trigger was pulled, Ark quickly moved behind the trooper.
–Damn! You asked for help so why are you blocking me?
–Are your eyes working? Do you think I’m willingly blocking him? That bastard keeps moving!
–Then you should catch him properly so I can shoot him!
-Dammit, I can’t catch him like this…..ugh!
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The troopers kept on missing him.
-Yes, you try to catch him instead. I……
The trooper tried to get out of the way as he kept getting hit by stray bullets.
‘Heh, long range and close combat…..I’ve have experience with such a combination before.’
It wasn’t that different from the combination of an archer and warrior.
And Ark had fought that combination thousands of times in the other game. The trooper cursed as he kept on moving. When one final grenade hit the trooper……
–T-this isn’t possible!
The trooper muttered as he was turned into a bloody rice cake and collapsed.
“Now I don’t have to be concerned about the fight.”
Since he started Galaxian, he felt like something had been blocked and now that feeling was gone
It still couldn’t be compared to the previous game but he had adapted to fighting inside Galaxian
Anyway, Ark was satisfied with the battle and his damage. No matter how proficient his skills in close combat, it was useless if it didn’t do any damage. He also only had 30% health left by the time he killed one trooper. His battle suit only had 7% mana left.
‘But this is enough to take care of the other trooper!’
The trooper wasn’t a worthy opponent for him in a 1 on 1 fight. They boasted the strongest firepower in a long range fight but were weak in melee combat.
‘I need to take care of him quickly!’
-Hiik!
Ark turned around with a pleasant smile towards the surprised trooper holding the grenade launcher. And he pulled the trigger with a flustered look.
Tutung!
“Let’s continue playing. Shield!”
Ark ran towards the trooper and opened his shield. He ignored the grenade and ran forward to neutralize the trooper. There was a blue flash as the grenade collided with his shield and a transparent crystal surrounded Ark’s body. A message window flashed in front of Ark.
-You have been hit by the special grenade ‘Prison Crystal!’
Prison crystal is a special equipment that traps all life forms within a 2 metre area. The trapped life forms can’t escape the confinement unless the crystal is destroyed. At the same time, it can also receive damage from the outside. However, if the crystal is destroyed from the outside then the life forms inside will receive damage depending on the durability of the crystal.
<Prison Crystal (Beginner) Durability: 500>
“P-prison crystal?”
Ark felt his heart drop as he read the information window. This was the first time Ark had seen a special grenade. He only experienced the special bullets on the battlefield. However, prisoners couldn’t know the information about weapons the regular troops used.
“I’m trapped in here unless the crystal is destroyed!”
Ark currently had 150 health left. If the crystal was destroyed then he would die. Ark had to escape the crystal before that happened. However, Ark had no skill that would give 500 damage at once. No, he did.
’18 Barrage from the battle suit!’
But 18 Barrage would use up the remaining mana from the battle suit. He also only had 7% mana left so it would be difficult to get the desired effect. No, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the trooper even if he broke the crystal with 18 Barrage.
–Ha, I finally caught you.
It wasn’t surprising that the trooper laughed as he looked at Ark. And pulled out a mini missile launcher. He leisurely took out an ammunition and loaded it.
–Do you think I’m easy? Wait a moment. I’ll give you a show.
‘…..Oh my god!’
Ark’s head was blank. Ark knew better than anyone the power of the small missile launcher. It was the small missiles that the prisoners always experienced first when fighting the Rama. A lot of time was needed to aim but it literally launched a missile. If a level 30~40 warrior received a direct hit from it then it was game over! It was the trooper’s strongest attack.
‘I’m screwed! There is no guarantee that I can destroy the crystal with 7% mana left. No, it’s the same even if I use 18 Barrage. 18 Barrage is a skill where I can’t move until it ends. Even if the crystal is destroyed, the missile will still hit me.’
The missile would hit him by the time 18 Barrage finished. However, he had no choice.
‘Dammit, 18 Barrage……”
Ark clenched his fist and shouted. All of a sudden, the rune floating above his head started cracking. A translucent form like a ghost appeared before him. It was a person with the head of a dog! Surprisingly, it was someone that looked like the Anubis he saw in the pyramid. It was the manifestation of Anubis, the god of the underworld in ancient Egypt.
‘W-what it this?’
Ark couldn’t understand the situation. The Anubis was drawn into the body of the dead trooper after it appeared. Then the body of the dead trooper shook and stood upwards. Amazingly it shook off the blood and changed forms!
‘Eh? T-the dead Rama warrior? No, but the body is……’
Anubis was a god with a dog’s head. But a dog with the face of a human emerged from the trooper’s stomach. A dog with the face of a trooper had appeared from the corpse. Ark was in a state of panic from this strange situation.
-The target for the Ikram rune has been found.
-The Ikram rune has been completed and information about it received.
Ikram (Hell hound)- Ikram is an ancient Murat rune that symbolizes Anubis who is the gatekeeper of the underworld. The Murat long believed that the photon life form Shire contained a special divine power and finally succeeded in a realization.
By drawing the rune that symbolizes Anubis in the Shire, the user can offer a sacrifice to summon the hell hound that guards the underworld. The ability of the summoned hell hound depends on the original ability of the sacrifice. When summoned, the hell hound will consume 1 mana ever second and will move according to the user’s command.
<A hell hound will be summoned when a sacrifice is offered. 1 mana will be consumed every second>
‘This is the way to use Rune Carving?’
Ark stuttered at the information window with an absurd expression. When he used the skill the first time, he thought it wouldn’t activate because the target wasn’t in the area. And he thought it was because there were no allies in the area. However, his allies weren’t the target. It was because there were no corpses to be sacrificed!
……This was a surprising skill! Ark felt uncomfortable but there was no time to worry about it
At least the skill was confirmed. But now his life was about to fly away! If he died here then the levels and skill he gained from the pyramid would also be deleted. He would lose the skill the moment he confirmed the information.
‘The skill was triggered but only freaky dog with the face of a human showed up!’
Even if he used 18 Barrage, there was a 30% chance the crystal wouldn’t smash.
And now a dog who ate his mana appeared.
‘Dammit, if my mana hadn’t been absorbed by that abnormal dog then 18 Barrage……’
Ark clenched his fist and was about to move when he stopped.
‘No. That’s not it!’
–Kikiki, you’ve waited a long time. I’ll send it now. You’re dead.
The trooper smiled and lifted the missile launcher. Ark contemplated for a moment before raising his head and shouting.
“Dammit! No! 18 Barrage!”
The shoulder part of his battle suit opened and steam emerged. At the same time, his arms moved at a rapid fire speed like engines were attached to it.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Cracks appeared in the crystal and splinters flew with every hit. Confusion spread on the trooper’s face as the crystal vibrated.
–W-what is that? He was still hiding a skill? But it is too late!
And the trigger of the missile launcher was pulled!
Kung kung kung kung!
–What, what the? –Heok! N-no!
The trooper’s confusion continued……
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a flash and a huge mushroom cloud appeared. And Ark who was confined to the crystal…..
-Your level has risen!
His level rose.
-Achievement + 120.
He also earned bonus achievements.
“…..I-I lived!”
Ark muttered as he looked at the smoke from inside the crystal. Ark was able to survive with the help of the hell hound. Right before Ark used 18 Barrage, he ordered the hell hound to attack the trooper
The trooper was so busy loading and charging the missile that he hadn’t noticed the presence of the hell hound. When he was about to launch the missile, the hell hound had unexpectedly appeared in front of the trooper. The hell hound was hit directly by the launched missile and died. And the trooper only had 40% health left so he had also died from the blast. He had taken care of two things with the sacrifice of the dog.
“Impact Shot!”
Ku ku ku ku ku!
After a while, the crystal broke and Ark emerged. His body wasn’t damaged thanks to the sacrifice of the Ikram rune. The corpse of the trooper was more damaged from the explosion and the items dropped…….
-C-6 (×3)
Item type: Explosives
Attack: 500 (To facilities x5)
An improved version of the tradition C-4 bomb widely used throughout the galaxy. Although C-4 has a proper mix of TNT and RDX, C-6 has more REX which amplifies the explosive power. If is especially devastating when destroying metal or stone buildings.
<The target will explode after the timer is set>
* Caution! It can be very dangerous if you don’t have the relevant explosives skill.
“This is something all troopers carry around. Damn, I’d rather they drop food.”
Ark packed the C-6 and looked around. He couldn’t be relieved after taking care of the pursuing troopers. Although the Rama base was in a state of confusion from fire, there was no telling how long it would take for them to notice the missing bike. And a missile had also just exploded. This was kilometres away from the Rama base but it was possible they might’ve noticed.
“I have to escape before they come here.”
Ark looked at the distant horizon.
-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 444km
“444 km……”
It was the unluckiest number.
Space 2
Beyond the Crisis
Pushu-!
The carapace tightened seamlessly. Steam appeared in the gaps and the carapace gradually separated. The shell that separated from the body rotated and folded like a puzzle into a hexagonal object the size of a small shield. The hexagonal object was drawn into a warped space. Then a man could be seen from within the steam.
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant!”
The man sat on the ground and gasped for breath.
“Pant pant pant! Dammit…..pant pant pant! This is the limit……”
The battered man who looked at the wild snow storm with blank eyes was Ark.
“Pant pant pant, then……my decision was a bit……”
Ark murmured with a regretful expression. Now long ago, Ark had defeated 2 Rama warriors. He had experienced numerous trials and errors after starting Galaxian approximately 2 months ago. He was too accustomed to the previous game and hadn’t adapted to the new game, with his pride as a legendary gamer causing he to suffer and make many mistakes. This was the reason he was on Beltana. Therefore Ark became bleak. It was similar to someone born in a first world country encountering a wall for the first time. Of course, he managed to resolve the issue in his own way. But he had been asked by the government to start Galaxian so he had lost confidence. He was lost in despair when forcibly drafted and sent to Beltana.
‘Now it is different!’
He would starve and die without Iridium. Even if he someone managed to obtain food, the prisoners death rate was 80%! Most prisoners conscripted like Ark found the environment of Beltana so hopeless that some users even gave up the game. But Ark had persisted. He found the solution to his hunger through Dig and organized the Royal Guards and mobilized them on the battle field to increase his survival rate. However, the decisive thing was what he found in the pyramid. Ark had struggled for 10 days in the pyramid and obtained a jackpot. It was how Ark was able to beat the 2 level 40 Rama warriors. And all of Ark’s misgivings were gone. He wouldn’t give up just because of some hardships. No, it was an opportunity to become stronger! Hardship was a process towards growth. However, the triumphant feeling was very brief.
“Dammit!”
Curses emerged from Ark’s mouth after the battle ended. It was because of a message that appeared on his Nymphe.
-The Nymphe has connected to the bike’s system.
The check has confirmed that there is serious damage to the engine and battery. The central function of the bike has been 80% destroyed and it won’t work anymore.
At first Ark had been anxious when the Rama warrior first caught up. Before entering the pyramid, Ark wouldn’t have been strong enough to defeat level 40 Rama warriors. And there were two of them! So Ark gave up on the battle and wanted a way to escape them.
“Then…..if I hadn’t destroyed the bikes when fighting the Rama warrior……”
Severe regret surged like a tidal wave. In the end there was nothing he could do about losing the bikes. Ark didn’t have the mechanic skill so he couldn’t repair it. However, he couldn’t return to the Rama base again. The Rama base was currently like a stirred bee hive thanks to Ark’s previous actions. Returning there would be like suicide. There was only one choice remaining.
“I have to continue onwards.”
At this point, he only had 4 food remaining. The distance to the federation’s base was 444 km. If he combined the characters 4 times then it was 4444! It was like the number was saying ‘Huhuhu. Give up. There is no future.’ It was a number that made his motivation fall.
‘As expected, it is impossible. I have to walk more than 400 km with only 4 foods left.’
The result was as obvious as ‘1+1=2.’ But he had no choice. Unless a miracle happened, Ark’s chances of survival was 0.0001%. However, if he gave up then he would 100% die. At the same time, experience equivalent to 13 levels would fly away. He could either wait and commit suicide and continued and die! A miracle could happen to those who didn’t give up.
“Bah! Don’t make me laugh! I’ll just change the number!”
Ark swallowed a piece of food and stood up. Ark’s satiety increased by 30% to 50% and he quickly changed the 4444 to 3444 km. And he marched, marched, marched through the snow storm!
-Your satiety has fallen to 50% and you are in a ‘hungry’ state.
<If the satiety decreases below 49% then you still start to receive a penalty to your stats. Please eat some food>
Umul umul. If he chewed the food while walking then his satiety would increase to 50%.
-The battle suit Hyper Drone’s mana has been 100% charged.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
If the battle suit was charged then he would immediately take it out and ran quickly. Ark spent two days marching like this without any breaks. Therefore he managed to move 150 km after the second day.
“Pant pant pant! U-unbelievable!”
Ark felt despair as he was confronted with the reality. The direction and destination was shown on the Nymphe’s GPS. Ark headed towards the federation’s base after leaving the pyramid but it wasn’t marked on the map. The other day, Ark had only been caught by the Rama warrior because a crevasse had blocked his way. And the same situation occurred over and over. This time it wasn’t a crevasse but a snow covered mountain. A snow covered mountain was blocking his path. It was that high but the mountain was covered in snow and ice. It was like a wall for Ark who was already depleted of strength. He could turn around and go a different path but……
-Your satiety had fallen to 20% and you are in a ‘starving’ state.
<Your stats have fallen by 50% and you will die if satiety reaches 0%>
“Up to here……”
In fact, the problem wasn’t the snow covered mountain. All his food had disappeared while moving the 150 km. He had no choice but to watch his satiety fall. The run with his battle suit was his last struggle. Now the battle suit was also gone while charging. Once the shell wrapping his body disappeared, the chill he couldn’t fell surged. It was difficult to maintain his body temperature while starving. Besides, his stats had fallen by a lot so his movements felt heavier.
“There is still 290 km until the federation’s base……”
There was also a huge mountain interrupting him. Now the answer had appeared. The miracle didn’t happen. There was no hope. Ark back up and muttered in an empty voice.
“There is no use in struggling anymore. I don’t have anything left. Here…..it is the end.”
The -50 degrees storm enveloped Ark’s body in an instant. His eyelids became white and frozen. Darkness loomed
————————————————
“Hah!”
He opened his eyes. He hurriedly jumped up and looked around. It was so dark it was difficult to discern the area in front of him. The large, black eyes blinked a few times and adjusted to the dim environment. The first thing he saw was a rugged wall. The rough walls reflected the interior. And there were iron bars across the window. The iron bars were red from the rust. A sigh flowed from his mouth as he looked at the iron window.
“Phew, it was just a dream.”
The person wiping the sweat off his brow was a hamster! Once again, the reason Ark was sent to Beltana was because of the ‘federation museum theft incident’ that shook up Nephalim. But this incident wasn’t committed by Ark alone. His accomplice, not the mastermind was…..the mastermind was the hamster Tori! Ark fell for Tori’s incitement and became involved in the stealing event. Anyway……
“Why did I have that dream all of a sudden? And I clearly just emerged from a dream……”
Tori scratched his head and revisited his memory. A land covered with ice and a raging snow storm appeared in his dreams. The place was so cold his body trembled just remembering it. One man had collapsed in the midst of the snow storm. The corpse was being buried by snow! Surprisingly the identity of the body was……
“Ark! It was undoubtedly Ark.”
He had forgotten about Ark for the last two months.
“That Ark bastard, wasn’t he sent to Beltana as punishment? Beltana was a place where the weather was -50 degrees and a storm had been raging for a fortnight. He could only imagine the cold. At any rate, that guy was unlucky. Who would like being drafted to a place like that? So why did Ark appear in his dream all of a sudden? Dreaming of that Ark guy of all people…..wait? Perhaps…..this dream……”
Tori trailed off as he suddenly raised his head. Once again, Ark wasn’t the only one affected by the museum theft. Ark was conscripted because he was a pioneer so he could revive through the Fairy. Meanwhile, Tori wasn’t a pioneer so he had his business and all his assets confiscated. He was also imprisoned for two years in the Stael prison.
‘Well it is still better than Ark but…..’
Prison life wasn’t comfortable. The prisoners were given free meals from the federation but it wasn’t that easy to receive. They only had 6 hours to sleep while the rest of the day was spent working. They only received one free food when the quota was fulfilled. The Space Food was made through processed space bugs. It was the most painful thing for a vegetarian who only ate acorns and sunflower seeds. He still ate but his weight had decreased by 10 kg in two months. His formerly thick stomach that he had been proud of was no slender and shabby.
‘I’d rather die than spend 2 years here!’
Tori made up his mind.
‘I have to escape!’
He decided to escape from Stael! Of course, Stael wasn’t that easy to escape even if the hamster made up his mind. Stael was the name of a space prison that orbited Istana. The security was so perfect that no one had managed to escape over the past decades. However, Tori had a plan to break through the weak point. During the last two months, Tori had participated in the forced labour and ate meat while proceeding with his plan. And now there was only a few days left before it could proceed! Then he had a dream where Ark died.
‘Perhaps…..this dream……’
“It is a lucky dream!”
Tori’s fingers tapped as he laughed. Tori believed the cause of his circumstances was Ark. It wasn’t a baseless idea. If Ark hadn’t caused the unexpected explosion then Tori would be swimming in gold. It was 100% because of Ark that Tori was in jail.
“Hihihihi, that’s right. Seeing Ark freezing to death is definitely a lucky dream. Having this dream several days before carrying out my escape plan is indeed lucky! Hihihihi, I’ve had a premonition. The revelation of heaven made it clear that my plan will succeed.”
Tori chuckled and made a lot of noise.
“Hey!”
A rough voice shook the room. Tori flinched and turned his head. 10 pairs of eyes stared at Tori in the darkness. The federation wasn’t merciful enough to give prisoners a solitary cell. One room had 10 prisoners living together. This was the biggest reason Tori was determined to escape. Similar species were placed together in order to avoid incidents. Tori was a hamster and the official name for his species was the Tiny Clan. But normally the Tiny Clan were well behaved so there were no other hamsters in Stael. Therefore Tori was classified as part of several common animal aliens……
“Why is this rodent being so noisy?”
The prisoner with yellow eyes and exposed fangs was the Katz clan. They were a cat type alien. A rodent and a cat…..
It was impossible for there to be a friendly relationship. Ever since Tori entered Stael, part of his daily routine was to be beaten up by the Katz.
‘It is impossible! Staying with these guys for two years? I’d rather die!’
Tori was also engaged in a fierce struggle for survival. Tori sweated and started stuttering as 10 set of eyes stared at him.
“I-I had a dream……”
“Nobody cares about your dream.”
The biggest cat scratched his head. Then he yawned and said to his colleagues.
“That rodent woke us up from our pleasurable sleep. Hey, that guy still doesn’t seem to understand. He seems to need more education.”
“W-wait a minute! I-I was wrong! S-save me!”
“Is anyone being killed?”
The cat laughed.
“We’re just playing. Ya, he’s noisy so cover his mouth!”
A cat ran up and wound a blanket around Tori. Once the blanket was fully wrapped, the 10 cats started beating him up. It was a situation of bullying going on in the universe! The 21st century social problem was still occurring in the 24th century.
‘Ack! D-dammit! This is because of that Ark bastard! He should go to hell!’
Tori hurled curses at Ark as he was turned into a bloody rice cake
————————————————
Hwiiiii-!
The snow storm was still swirling on the frigid planet of Beltana. On the outskirts of the federation base, there was a man turned to stone from the snow storm. With grey skin and black eyes, he was the Grey known as Hegel.
“Hyung-nim……”
Hegel murmured in a low voice.
“He’s not here yet?”
An old man approached with a bittersweet expression. He was the highest ranked prisoner in the Royal Guards after Ark called Mellin. Mellin looked at Hegel and said.
“Of course I’m hoping that Ark returned. I didn’t properly realize it when he was with us at the barracks but Ark is the centre of our group. But I realized it after Ark was gone. His presence wasn’t that simple. He gave us both comfort and hope. All the members are sincerely wishing that he returns.”
Mellin sighed and shook his head.
“But Ark has already been gone for 12 days. Even if it was different from Berad’s testimony and he somehow managed to survive, it has been 12 days. I’ve been here for 1 year. I’ve seen a lot of situations. I’ve seen many people who gave up resurrecting and chose death. Maybe Ark……”
“That is impossible!”
Someone interrupted Mellin’s words. Mellin and Hegel flinched and looked at the group around him. They were Berad, Ralph, Kalliben and the other members of the Royal Guards. The Royal Guards looked different from their appearances 12 days ago. They didn’t have to worry about food when Ark was there. However, the circumstances changed after Ark disappeared. Their food supply relied on Ark so there were serious problems after he was gone. Valencia also began to disturb the Royal Guards when they were finding the Iridium. The food situation of the Royal Guards worsened and they died many times of starvation during the last 12 days. Therefore the Royal Guards returned to their previous zombie like appearances…..
“Hyung-nim wouldn’t desert us!”
Berad nodded at Ralph’s head and said.
“Yes, I still remember the last time I saw Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim held the body of the enemy and threw himself into the crevasse! He has the fortitude of a warrior! Hyung-nim wouldn’t abandon us when we’re like blood brothers to him!”
“He might have some difficulties but Hyung-nim will definitely return!”
“Hyung-nim even laughed and took a bullet for me on the battlefield! I believe in Hyung-nim!”
“Me too! One month. No, I will even wait 1 year for Hyung-nim!”
“Y-you guys…..”
Mellin looked at them with shocked eyes. Then he shed tears from his wrinkled eyes and said.
“Ugh! Y-yes. Yes. My heart feels the same as well. It is like you said. It is impossible for Ark to desert us.He will return no matter what. I believe it. Now I need to gather my courage. I’ll wait for him without losing hope. We are Ark’s Royal Guards.”
“Oh, Grandfather Mellin!”
The Royal Guards clamoured as they ran up to Mellin. They embraced each other and shed a fountain of tears.
Buuuuong!
Suddenly the Fairy in the central square vibrated and emitted a light.
“F-Fairy!”
“There hasn’t been any battles for the last few days so why is the Fairy activating? Perhaps?”
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim has returned!”
The Royal Guards looked at the Fairy with expectant eyes after hearing Hegel’s words. Meanwhile the light from the Fairy produced the shape of a person like a 3D printer. The biological tissue overlapped over molecules and formed a person!
“……Cupa?”
Cupa was a member of the Royal Guards. The expectant looks on the members’ faces turned disappointed.
“You……did you starve and die again?”
“I was hungry so I sat down and ended up dying.”
Cupa said while looking at his thin stomach with a melancholy expression. In fact, there were two other aliens in the Royal Guards apart from Hegel. Kalliben was from the Unkara clan and resembled a human but with 3 eyes. The 3 eyes of the Unkara clan meant they had excellent eyesight and were a species specialized in sniping. And Cupa was from the Tobil clan and his size was twice the size of humans. Their large frame meant the Tobil clan’s energy consumption was twice as much! While the other members had died three or four times, Cupa had died 8 times from starvation. As soon as Cupa was resurrected, he grabbed his growling stomach and was in tears.
“I-I’m hungry. Am I going to die again?”
The members looked at Cupa and sighed painfully.
“If only we could definitely know whether Hyung-nim died or not……”
———————————————————————————
“No!”
Ark raised his upper body.
“I won’t! I can’t die like this!”
He had no other methods and no hope. Ark had tried to give up and humbly accepted death but……
“How did I get this far? I can’t just die like this!”
His regret at the thought of dying exploded into anger. If he was going to die then he should’ve just died when he exited the pyramid. But he had grabbed his stomach and walked for several days through the storm. If he died then it would’ve been a waste of all that time! Ark shook his head wildly and forcibly woke up his body.
“Live! I’m going to live! Even if I have to hit dirt!”
Ark took out his shovel with a spellbound expression. And he started shovelling like crazy.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
The dirt flew around as he continued digging.
Tang-!
-You have discovered Iridium!
It was a huge chunk of Iridium. It was approximately 3~4 kg so such a huge chunk of Iridium was a jackpot.
“Dammit, I don’t need a chunk of stone!”
But Ark couldn’t throw it away. 100 grams of Iridium was worth 10 copper worth of Space Food so 1 kg of Iridium was worth 1 silver of food. The actual value of 3~4 kg wasn’t just 3~4 silver. The only way for prisoners to get food was to find Iridium. It was worth as much of their lives on Beltana. But Ark couldn’t eat it so it had no meaning to him now. Ark’s bag was also full of the Zaliman ore worth 2~3 gold. There was no point putting the Iridium worth 3~4 silver in his bag, It was also the same afterwards.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
-You have discovered Iridium!
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
-You have discovered Iridium!
A curse naturally emerged. Normally he would’ve been happy to find Iridium. However, it was pointless when there was no room in his bag. It was to the extent that he felt like screaming. Ark ignored the overflowing Iridium and continued digging. After digging for 20 minutes, something started moving in the earth. Ark’s eyes shone brilliantly at the sight. He threw the shovel and running like a savage beast to grab it.
“Pant pant pant! I-I got it!”
Ark shouted as he lifted his hands.
Pal pal pal pal. Pal pal pal pal.
It was a small and black bug with 8 legs. Beltana was a frigid planet with -50 degrees weather. But some life forms had adapted to this environment. Right now Ark was holding a bug similar to a cockroach. He didn’t care about the name of the bug. No, he didn’t know the name but he had often seen the bug when digging for Iridium. This bug was what appeared in Ark’s mind when he was about to give up.
‘It is also a creature. And if it is a creature then it is possible to eat it!’
That was why Ark shovelled like crazy.
Pal pal pal pal. Pal pal pal pal.
The reason he caught it……He hesitated as he looked at the black insect in his hand……But Ark clenched his teeth tightly and shook his head.
‘No, I need to do this. If I die then I’ll lose 10 days’ worth of experience and a 5 star rated skill. Eating this guy is the only way to raise my satiety! After all, Space Food is also created from space bugs. This isn’t the time to hesitate.’
However, eating pork was different from eating an actual live pig. It was difficult to raise his hands and bring the bug to his mouth. But 13 levels! The special 5 star rated skill!
“Waaahhhhhhhh!”
Ark yelled and placed the bug in his mouth. And….munch, munch, munch, gulp!
“Eh? This doesn’t taste as bad as I thought?”
Close your eyes and chewed the string be swallowed down that blue arc eye and muttered. Ark muttered after closing his eyes and chewing.
-Satiety has increased by 5%.
“My satiety increased!”
The message was like a ray of light! It was only 5% but his satiety still increased. He had shuddered at the sight but the taste actually wasn’t that bad. And couldn’t he keep on finding bugs in the land? The motivated Ark started actively hunting for bugs.
“That’s it! I found a way to live! If I collect the bugs…..ouch!”
He suddenly experienced stomach pain! Ark grabbed his stomach and a message he never expected showed up.
-You have eaten unrefined food and received ‘Food Poisoning.’
<Health -50, Mental Power -100 and you will have a serious stomach ache for 10 minutes>
* If you’re hungry then don’t just pick anything up and eat it!
“F-food poisoning?”
Sweat dripped down Ark’s face as he muttered. The stomach ache was so realistic it was hard to believe he got food poisoning in a game. It was a pain that twisted his stomach. It was so painful Ark couldn’t move for a while and just stood there dripping sweat! But Ark was more worried about the food poisoning than the stomach ache.
‘Ugh! In the end the bug wasn’t edible after all…..’
He couldn’t eat the bugs. It was like a death penalty for Ark. However, Ark realized there was no reason for despair.
‘Wait? I received food poisoning but my satiety was still increased by 5%. My health and mental power decreased after that but not my satiety. As long as my mental power and health doesn’t reach 0 then I won’t die. In other words, I can eat the bugs until my health reaches 0. And health can recover faster compared to the speed that satiety falls. My health also automatically recovers so isn’t it worth losing some health to recover my satiety?’
The decrease in health meant he couldn’t eat excessively. Because he could die from the food poisoning. However, he could raise his satiety as long as his health didn’t fall to 0. And health recovered faster so he could still eat bugs to restore his satiety and not worry about starving to death.
‘The problem is the stomach ache……’
He had found a way to live when he was on the verge of dying. But it hurt! It was enough to clog his breath! Was being afraid of the stomach ache worth dying?
‘Yes, that’s it! There is only this! I can’t be scared off by the stomach ache!’
Ark wiped off the sweat and started digging. His tearful struggle for survival then began.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
It was the intermediate Dig skill that he polished in Beltana! Every time the shovel moved through the frozen earth, a large pit was formed. If he saw any bugs squirming in the dirt then he would quickly snatch it and eat it!
-Satiety has increased by 5%!
-Food poisoning! Health -50, Mental Power -100, you have a stomach ache!
-Satiety increased by 5%……you have a stomach ache!
-Satiety……you have a stomach ache!
-Stomach……stomach ache……!
“Ohhh, not yet! Not yet! I won’t die from a stomach ache!”
He shovelled for 3 hours while suffering pain in his stomach! Ark managed to increase his satiety from 10% to 60%. He had to sit down for a while from the pain in his stomach.
“Phew, now I don’t have to worry about my satiety for a while.”
Ark slightly recovered from the stomach ache and got up. He had gotten over his starvation crisis. But it was too early to sigh with relief. There was still 290 km until he could reach the federation’s base. There was also a huge mountain blocking him.
“First I have to cross over the mountain and it will also take time to return to the base……”
Ark looked at the mountain with a troubled expression. The mountain stretched to the left and right like a folding screen. He had no information about the terrain so he was unsure about how far it extended. However, it was better to return by the shortest course even if there were some risks.
‘It is a snow covered mountain so my movement speed might fall……’
Ark used the Swamp Walking skill. It was designed to walk on swampland but it still had some effect on snow. In fact, Ark had completely forgotten about Swamp Walking until not long ago. This was because Beltana was made of snow and ice so there were no chances to use the skill. However, he realized something after walking through the snow for a few days.
Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!
The snow storm was raging at the time. His foot fell into the snow every time he walked. It was very inconvenient when trying to return to the base. He was thinking about how to increase his movement speed when Swamp Walking surfaced in his mind.
‘Snow and swampland are different but the same principle should apply. Although the Swamp Walking skill couldn’t be applied to the snow field…..the core of Swamp Walking is to remove any unnecessary power and to distribute his weight evenly. Even if I can’t use the skill, I can still apply the same principle.’
It was the right answer. He started to walk like he was just training in Swamp Walking from the Charenjok on R-14. It was the secret to how Ark managed to walk 150 km in two days despite the penalty to his stats when satiety fell below 50%. Everything was useful. He once again realized that truth. He was able to cross the snow by applying that point. Ark became resolute and started to climb up the snow covered mountain.
“Phew, it is like I expected.”
Ark took a rest and looked up at the steep incline. He had been climbing the mountain for 10 hours and it was considerable like he expected. Ice and snow covered the ground so if he was careless he would slip a few times. Plus, his stamina and satiety were consumed more quickly than if he was walking on flat land.
“But this is nothing compared to when I was starving and dying.”
Ark had already reached the threshold of hell. Any experience would be trivial compared to that.
“Plus……”
Ark smirked as he opened an information window.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆) has been learnt.
Steel Stomach (User, Passive): Sometimes you will unexpectedly encounter crises when travelling the galaxy.
The most common crisis situation is a shortage of food. There are places in the galaxy that don’t have abundant food supplies. In that case, it is best to obtain the food from the local area. However, not all animals and plants in the galaxy are edible. Sometimes plants and animals that grow naturally in the environment are poison to the body of humans. Some will cause light food poisoning while some animal and plants contain deadly poisons that will cause instant death. But you don’t need to worry about that. Pioneers who have received body coatings to adapt to the harsh space environment can gradually build up their tolerance by eating the food.
<You have built up an immunity to toxic food and can withstand mild food poisoning. A penalty won’t be applied even if you receive light food poisoning. Digesting of nutrients has also improved and satiety will also increase by 3% when eating food>
He had been steadily eating the bugs despite the stomach ache. He ate hundreds of worms and received an unexpected skill.
‘Now I can put anything I find in my mouth and not have to worry about starvation.’
It was a 2 star rated skill but the value was terrific. It was a basic skill that would have great use in online games. However, he was just grateful he didn’t have to worry about stomach aches anymore when eating the bugs. Unfortunately, the snow covered mountain contained less bugs. He could only find 4~5 bugs when digging for an hour. And his satiety only recovered by 20%. However, it was possible to maintain his satiety at 50% so he didn’t need to worry.
“I can return! I just need to cross this mountain!”
Ark stood up and started to climb the snow covered mountain again. The snow storm wasn’t enough to stop Ark’s marching. And he finally reached the top of the mountain.
“Oh my god!”
Ark witnessed a sight that made him despair.
……Cliff! There was a steep cliff on the opposite side of the mountain. First a mountain and now a cliff was blocking his return to the federation base. It was the same when he looked to the left and right. The cliff continued for dozens of metres in all directions without any gaps.
“Dammit, if I can’t continue this way……”
He had been climbing the mountain for 12 hours. He had also been digging until he felt like he was about to die. But what was the point now? Ark stared blankly at the cliff for a while before sighing and was about to return.
-You have received a feeble electromagnetic signal.
The Nymphe shone with a message.
“Electromagnetic signal? My Nymphe received a signal…..?”
His Nymphe was from the galactic federation. It couldn’t receive a signal from the Rama. In other words, the signal was from the federation! He had stumbled the other day on a signal from the Murat so that experience meant Ark couldn’t ignore it. And there was a chance the signal was from the federation.
‘It is 290 km from the federation base but there is a chance there might be a scouting unit nearby. If I join the scouting unit then I can return to the base.’
He checked and the distance also wasn’t that far. Ark checked the Nymphe and followed the signal
He was able to reach the signal place after moving for 30 minutes along the edge of the cliff. He found that the result came from the galactic federation. No, to be exact it came from the wreckage of one of the federation’s bikes. While scouting this area, they had been destroyed by the Rama and the wrecked bikes were buried by the snow. The signal was a feeble request the bike had sent before it was destroyed. The radio wave wasn’t transmitted properly due to the snow storm which was why Ark only received it once he reached the top of the mountain.
“Damn, do I have to dig again?”
Disappointed appeared on Ark’s face.
“This is still the remnants of the federation. I might be able to find some supplies.”
He removed the snow with the shovel and looked around. And he removed the remnants of the bike
Once the bike that was broken in half was taken out, something fell near it. It was a circular object the size of a volleyball. It was a machine he had seen a few times on the base.
“Eh? Wait? Perhaps this is……?”
Ark quickly took it out.
-Carrier MR-II (Galactic Federation Army’s Common Specifications)
Item Type: General Communication Messenger
A common equipment used for communication by the galactic federation. There are two major types of communication used by the federation. Messages can be sent through radio waves or received directly. The Carrier MR-II is a messenger device that belongs to the latter category
When it is difficult to transmit radio waves thanks to terrain or hostile forces, an encrypted message can be entered into the Carrier MR-II and sent directly to the destination. The Carrier MR-II is designed to work in almost all types of environments.
<Input a message and GPS information in order to send the message to the destination>
Carrier MR-II! It was a basic equipment of the scouting unit. An ‘!’ appeared in Ark’s head as he confirmed the information.
“This is great! I can send a request for help to the federation base!”
The federation base was 290 km away. He didn’t know how long it would take to detour around the cliff. Despite being able to eat the bugs, there was no guarantee he could return alive. But what if he could ask for help from the federation base? If they used the bikes then travelling 290 km would just take 1~2 hours. If the Carrier MR-II arrived safely at the base and a scouting unit sent then he could be back at the base within 3~4 hours. And he could register with the Fairy! He didn’t need to worry about his experience and skills disappearing.
“Then I don’t need to take the difficult path.”
However, the Carrier MR-II wasn’t just a normal item. It was a military equipment. The Carrier MR-II had a security code so no one other than soldiers could use it. However…..
-This equipment is protected by a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
Ark had the Invaders hacking program. The mini game this time was Brick breaker. It was a game that required delicate manipulation in order to break bricks with a small ball. He was trembling from the cold so thankfully the degree of difficulty wasn’t that high. Therefore he managed to clear the bricks after 5 minutes! The security device was turned off and Ark immediately entered a message into the Carrier MR-II.
+ Urgent Rescue Request (Requester: Ark) +
I was stranded after the last battle and was wandering around in the snow storm when I came across the Rama base. I managed to escape from the Rama pursuers but I’m stranded on top of the snowy mountain 290 km from the federation base. I will enter the GPS information of the Rama main base and my present location.
* Rama’s Main Base: X-@$!#! Y-!#$!#!
* Current Stranded Location: X-#@### Y-#!#$
-The professional encryption has been completed.
There was a reason he entered the location of the Rama’s main base. Discovering the location of hostiles forces was a tremendous achievement. If he informed the base about the information registered on his GPS then he would still receive that achievement even if he died.
“Now go!”
He inputted the GPS location of the federation’s base and started the Carrier MR-II. The sides of the Carrier MR-II opened up, emitted flames and flew off. But thanks to the snow storm, it flew at an incredibly slow pace. Of course, it was still faster than the speed that Ark could walk. In addition, it could fly over the cliff and crevasses without being blocked like Ark would’ve been.
“……At that speed it should take half a day to reach the base.”
Now the problem was waiting until then. His present location was registered so he just had to wait for the rescue party. There weren’t that many bugs on the snowy mountain but it wasn’t a problem.
“I haven’t been able to rest for 2 days. Because the game really catches people.”
Ark sighed and operated his Nymphe. He clicked the ‘exit’ button among the many icons on the screen and a message popped up.
-You have chosen to end the connection.
There were two ways to end the connection to Galaxian. One termination method caused the character to completely disappear from the game. However, this method was only possible in non-combat areas. If the connection was ended in the conflict zone then the character would remain in the game. If so the character could choose the ‘Hibernation’ state’ where the satiety, health and mental power wouldn’t be consumed. The character also wouldn’t be affected by certain environmental conditions as well as being immune to poison. If subjected to attacks from the enemy, the damage would be decreased but the character would still receive damage. In ‘Hibernation state,’ the unit would sound an alarm to let the user know their character was being attacked.
The system could be shut down using Hibernation State! In fact, this was one of the difficult things about combat inside Galaxian. Other online games didn’t have such a system and the character would disappear when exiting the game. Therefore some clever users would terminate the connection when surrounded by the enemy and not connect again for a few days. It was also possible to do guerrilla warfare using this method. It was pointed out that this was the main cause behind a breakdown of the balance in a ‘prolonged battle.’ However, Galaxian had a system where the character wouldn’t disappear in a disputed area. It was a penalty but Ark was currently rather thankful for that system. If he entered the Hibernation state then he wouldn’t need to worry about satiety decreasing. On the other hand, his character would remain in the game so he would be there when the rescue squad arrived. Ark moved to a proper position and pressed the end button.
“Hibernation state!”
Ark’s eyes closed as he entered hibernation state.
“That’s it. When I connect again then I’ll be at the federation base.”
And he was finally able to rest comfortably after 2 days.
Space 3
His and Her Circumstances
-What am I……I really……
A tearful voice was heard through the telephone. Hyun-woo frowned and looked at the clock on the wall. He had stolen a bike from the Rama’s base and then defeated his pursuers! The bike was broken in the process and he marched through the storm for two whole days. Not only did he receive physical damage, he was also mentally damaged from eating bugs and was very fatigued. Therefore Ark entered a Hibernation state after sending the Carrier MR-II and slept soundly. And ZZZZZ! ZZZZZ! He had fallen asleep around 11 p.m. And now the wall clock was pointing towards 3 a.m.
‘What on earth is going on……?’
Hyun-woo had only slept for 4 hours so he couldn’t understand what was happening. The person calling was his mother. His mother had miraculously recovered after a long struggle. It opened her eyes to a love for humanity and decided to go overseas to assist refugees. He couldn’t understand why his mother was calling at 3 a.m. from South Africa. And she said something while crying the whole time.
‘It is clear that something happened.’
That was the only thing he understood despite his sleepiness. Hyun-woo suddenly raised his head as he recalled an old, painful memory and asked.
“Perhaps something happened to Father?”
-No, your Father is okay. But…..
“Then what is it? Please tell me slowly.”
-That….I’m sorry. It became like this……
His mother sobbed as she stuttered. Hyun-woo became frustrated and sighed.
–Hyun-woo, it’s me.
Then he heard the voice of his stepfather, Gwon Hwa-rang.
“Yes. What’s going on? Why is Mother acting like that?”
–That, something difficult has happened.
“Something difficult?”
–It is about that land in the mountains that we previously bought.
“The land in the mountains? The piece of land that the An-gook hyung introduced to me?”
–Yes, I received a notification that the price of the land has suddenly fallen.
Hyun-woo’s face tensed after hearing Gwon Hwa-rang’s words.
“The land value has dropped? Is that why Mother has been crying on the phone? I, tell Mother……it is normal for the land value to rise and fall. It is a lump sum so a small fall won’t cause much difference. An-gook hyung also said that at the time. The price suddenly ascended so there is the possibility that it would fall slightly. You don’t need to worry because it will rise gradually.”
Hyun-woo laughed and answered.
In order to explain, Hyun-woo had to go back 4 years. Hyun-woo’s father died in a traffic accident and he had to borrow a lot of money to pay for his mother’s hospital bills. He couldn’t rest and had to run away trying to pay off the interest on the loan as well as the hospital bills. It became a habit to tremble over spending even 1,000 won. The situation changed 1 year after he started New World. Hyun-woo clung to money more fiercely than any other user and managed to settle his debt 2 years after starting New World. He spent 1 year as a consultant and 1 year as Global Exo’s director. During those 2 years, he was able to steadily gather quite a bit of money.
“Now if you only get married then I don’t need to worry any more……”
At that time his mother started nagging.
“A man only becomes an adult once he makes his own home.”
“Mother, I’m now 26 years old. It isn’t that urgent at this age.”
“Not urgent? It’s not like you haven’t met any women. There is both Kang Mi-su and Hye-sun……shouldn’t you definitely clear up your heart? While your heart is important, a woman will also decide to leave if you take too long.”
His mother said to him. At the time Hyun-woo had two females close to him. There was Kang Mi-su who was known as Lariette in New World and Park Hye-sun also known as Roco. Like his mother said, both of them were interested in Hyun-woo and he had a good impression of them. But a good impression didn’t mean a love affair. He had also never thought about marriage. At the time, marriage was just a distant thought in Hyun-woo’s future. And there was another part that weighed on his mind.
‘Alan…..’
Alan had been Ark’s biggest rival in New World! After the event triggered by Lucifer was put in order, Hyun-woo heard that Alan was in a coma. He would plunge a sword into him without hesitation in the game but this was reality. Hyun-woo and Alan didn’t have a good relationship but Hyun-woo felt somewhat responsible.
‘Alan has liked Kang Mi-su for a long time.’
That thought popped into his head every time he saw Kang Mi-su. His heart felt heavy and he became increasingly gloomy so he decreased their meetings. And she left to study abroad several months after he joined Global Exos so they lost contact. His budding relationship with Kang Mi-su had been stopped because she kept on reminding him of Alan. He belatedly though he made some mistakes but he still didn’t contact her. His relationship with Park Hye-sun lasted a little longer than that. But Hyun-woo couldn’t stop thinking of Park Hye-sun as his little sister. So there wasn’t any real progress between them. She also became known as a minstrel in New World and was contacted by a scout for an entertainment agency. Her schedule became busy after that and they barely had any contact now.
‘……Well love is like that.’
Hyun-woo had to clean it up. Anyway, Hyun-woo’s marriage was still far in the future. Therefore Hyun-woo entrusted most of his income to his mother after she left the hospital. At that time, his stepfather Gwon Hwa-rang and the members of his rehabilitation program Yoo An-gook made a proposal to him. That was the land in the mountains that Gwon Hwa-rang spoke about. Yoo An-gook was a real estate specialist nicknamed Bu Dong-san. Yoo An-gook heard that the price of the land in the Taek Mountains was going to climb soon so they purchased it. The government then announced that it was going to relocated their main government office there so there was a huge speculative frenzy over the land. But that speculative frenzy would eventually calm and it would fall to a more reasonable price. He couldn’t think of a reason why is mother would be anxious. Of course, almost all of his fortune had been invested into the property so it was natural to worry.
“It was very high for a while so even a little fall wouldn’t give that much damage. Father shouldn’t worry so much. We’re not selling it immediately anyway. It will go up again soon.”
–It’s not like that.
“Huh?”
-The real estate price of the land in the Taek Mountains has fallen to 1/10 of the price over the last few days.
Hyun-woo was bemused by Gwon Hwa-rang’s words. He was still tired and thought he was hearing nonsense.
“1/10th of the price? Is that a joke?”
–I want to believe that. But that isn’t the case.
“T-then why?” How did it fall so much?”
–I don’t know. At first I thought the relocation that the government announced was cancelled. An-gook was also baffled. The price didn’t fall gradually but it was a sudden drop over two days. An-gook is trying to check with his contact but we don’t know what happened at the moment.
“T-that……”
Hyun-woo quickly got over his sleep. Like he said, Hyun-woo had left his money to his mother and she invested it into real estate. Hyun-woo had sworn to make sure his mother could live properly without crying. Therefore he sent 30~40% of his income to pay for his mother’s expenses while she was overseas helping the refugees. Other than the money used to help the refugees, his mother invested the rest of Hyun-woo’s earnings into real estate. Now that real estate had fallen to 1/10th of the price. That was 1/10th of the money had earned during the 4 years.
“Such a thing…..!”
Hyun-woo was about to exclaim angrily when he closed his mouth. He took a deep breath before talking in a calmer voice.
“I understand what you’re saying. But you don’t need to worry too much. I’ll talk to An-gook hyung and we’ll deal with the problem. I’m also a director in a large corporation. It doesn’t matter if the money falls a little bit. Do you understand? Mother’s health is the most important thing of all. I’ll contact you if I learn more so please tell Mother not to worry. I believe in Father.”
–I know. And……I’m sorry.
“We don’t know yet. Father doesn’t need to be sorry.”
He said and hung up. His mother’s health was more important than a few pieces of money. This was true. However, even Hyun-woo couldn’t be fine after hearing such words. He disconnected the phone at 3.30 a.m. and by the time he finished his shower it was 4 a.m. It was still early but Hyun-woo got dressed and left his house. He took a taxi and arrived at Yoo An-gook’s real estate office at 5. There were lights on in the office despite the early hour.
“Hyun-woo!”
There was a man smoking the cigarette inside the office. He was Yoo An-gook, also known as ‘Bu Dong-San.’
There were also 9 other people inside the office. The men clearly didn’t look ordinary. If those men went out together as a group then their looks would cause the police to be called. The nine men were the ex-rehabilitation members. Hyun-woo had a good relationship with them but he didn’t feel like smiling in this atmosphere. They had also bought land in the Taek Mountains like Hyun-woo.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Hwa-rang hyung-nim contacted you.”
“Yes.”
“Then sit down.”
Yoo An-gook asked as he looked at him with a haggard face.
“What have you heard?”
“The real estate has dropped to 1/10th of the price. It was fine a few days ago so why has it dropped so suddenly?”
“I also don’t understand it either.”
Yoo An-gook muttered and sighed while sucking a cigarette.
“After hearing the news, I checked it and thousands of the land near the real estate we bought we sold at almost the same time. It was sold at 70% of the market price. A lot of land was sold within a short period. The people who bought the surrounding real estate belatedly found out and hurriedly sold their land. They could only think that there is a problem with the land. That’s why the value of the land suddenly dropped so much.”
“That’s why the price dropped to 1/10th?”
“The market price is 1/10th but……”
“There will be no deal at that price.”
The ex-con artist named Kang Yoo-jin with the nickname Jjak-tung interrupted.
“There are rumours about the LTE class. They seemed to already know everything about the real estate. Those experts bought several pieces of land after the price fell to 1/10th. Therefore the actual sale was less than that number. In some cases it might become a dead land deal.”
“Then……”
“It is tied up. Your money and my money.”
“Our money.”
Ma Chorung who was nicknamed Hae Gyeol-sa said towards Yoo An-gook. Then Kang Yoo-jin frowned and muttered.
“We listened to An-gook. An-gook said the value of the land is high so can we blame him for this situation?”
“He’s not to blame.”
Ma Chorung pouted with a dissatisfied look. Yoo An-gook could only sigh. Yoo An-gook stared at Hyun-woo for a while before saying.
“The situation has already happened. The fundamental cause is the sale of the surrounding real estate…..what is the reason? Why did the first person sell the land for 70% of the price?”
“I honestly don’t know why.”
Yoo An-gook scratched his head and took out a new cigarette.
“I ran around everywhere after getting the news. But the owners of the land are just there in name. Do you understand? The actual owners are separate.”
“Who?”
“You know, the price of the Taek Mountain land rose after the announcement from the government. Isn’t it obvious if they bought the property before the announcement?”
“They’re politicians.”
Kang Yoo-jin spat out in a rough voice. Yoo An-gook nodded and continued.
“That’s right. I also knew that the price of the land in the Taek Mountain would rise due to a contact. So I checked there when I knew there was a problem but I was blown off. I also think it is strange that the government office transfer was cancelled. Even if it was cancelled, there should be an announcement from the government. If they had broadcasted it for a few days then the price wouldn’t have dropped all at once.”
“A war isn’t going on right now……”
“I don’t think it is a war that caused the value of the land to fall.”
Ma Chorung said. Then he shrugged when Hyun-woo and the other rehabilitation members looked at him.
“That’s right. When we went to see the land the other day, wasn’t there a nuclear power plant in the vicinity? Isn’t that the first place North Korea would aim missiles if there is a war? Look at what happened with the Fukushima nuclear plant accident. If the land becomes soaked with radioactivity then it would become worthless.”
“This bastard, are you joking?”
The rehabilitation members glared at Ma Chorung. But Hyun-woo felt like he had been hit in the back of the head by a hammer.
‘A nuclear power plant…..there was a nuclear power plant in the vicinity of the Taek Mountain region? Then perhaps……’
A name floated into Hyun-woo’s head.
……Lucifer! He was the strongest artificial intelligence created by the genius Park Woo-seong
Once again, the reason Hyun-woo was struggling inside New World was because of Lucifer. Lucifer took advantage of his intelligence to take control of the nuclear power plant, causing the government to ask Hyun-woo to play Galaxian. Moon Ji-hun who was part of the emergency task force told Hyun-woo that Lucifer was threatening to blow up the nuclear power plant. If Hyun-woo played Galaxian then Lucifer would transfer control of the nuclear power plant back to the government.
‘Is that the reason?’
This was the government. He was too naive when thinking like a gamer.
‘Lucifer isn’t stupid. If he transferred control of the nuclear power plant over to the government then his weapon to threaten them would disappear. And Lucifer also knew about the existence of Park Woo-seong. If the government used Park Woo-seong to build a firewall then it would become difficult for Lucifer. So he wouldn’t hand over the control without a safety device. No, the nuclear power plant might not be the only one Lucifer seized. He might’ve ceded control of one nuclear power plant as a condition to me joining Galaxian but it would be simple for him to take control of other nuclear power plants……’
And what if the nuclear power plant chosen was the one in the Taek Mountains?
‘……All my questions are answered!’
The people who bought the real estate were the politicians who received the information in advance. If they were politicians then they could easily obtain information about Lucifer and the nuclear power plants. Moon Ji-hun said it was a secret but that only applied to the ordinary residents of Korea. It didn’t apply to South Korea’s politicians. They could use that information to obtain more money. They joined hands to buy real estate and then sold it off in one stroke. This was a lucky secret unknown to ‘ordinary people.’
‘Those damn politicians!’
Anger welled up in him at the thought. These were the politicians supposed to be devoted to their country and its people! He really wanted to curse them and his mouth hurt from holding them back
Now wasn’t the time for it. The price had gone up considerably before that so selling it at 70% of the price wouldn’t give them any damage. But Hyun-Woo and the rehabilitation members were different. Thanks to the politicians selling the real estate, the price had fallen to 1/10th of its value. And even if he was willing to sell it at this price, there was no one who would buy it. Hyun-woo realized this and looked at Yoo An-gook.
“Anyway, now we can’t even sell it at 1/10th of the price?”
“That’s right. We need to watch a little bit more.”
“Then I can only wait and watch. Please contact me if you find any other information.”
Hyun-woo said in a blank voice and got up. Yoo An-gook’s eyes widened as he smoked his cigarette.
“Eh? Where are you going?”
“It’s not too late. I can’t just sit here.”
“Yes, but…..”
“I have some work to do today. Hyung-nims, I’m going to go. Ask me again after a few days.”
“That brat, he still hasn’t changed. Yes, I’ll contact you if I find anything.”
Kang Yoo-jin laughed and nodded. Hyun-woo murmured with an unpleasant expression after leaving the office.
“In fact, I hadn’t really felt the threat of the nuclear power plant……”
It wasn’t like he thought it was okay. However, Hyun-woo was an ordinary citizen so he couldn’t really fathom the threat of a national emergency. However, the threat started to become real after hearing about the real estate. He couldn’t say it wouldn’t affect him anymore. If there was an explosion then Hyun-woo and the rehabilitation member’s land would become radioactive. And all the money he collected for 4 years would fly away. Money was money but he also couldn’t imagine the impact his mother would receive.
‘Now I have to use every possible method to stop Lucifer.’
It wasn’t for the nation. It was for his family and Hyung-nims. His determination was now very different.
‘Dammit, wake up! I can’t stay on Beltana forever!’
An irritated Hyun-woo took the taxi and returned home. An idea suddenly occurred in his mind.
‘Is there a way to figure out if Lucifer took control of the nuclear power plant in the Taek Mountains?”
—————————————————————————————————————
“What is going on?”
Inside a spacious and luxurious office. The man didn’t even turn his eyes at the question.
“The real estate that my mother and I own was sold when we weren’t paying attention.”
The man frowned as the voice continued. He sighed and pushed aside some documents before raising his head. A woman in her twenties was in front of him. She was wearing baggy jeans and a t-shirt. Her attire didn’t fit in with the luxurious atmosphere of the office but she wasn’t interested in minor problems like that. Her expressionless face that looked like a stone statue lessened her appeal. The man stared at her before asking.
“How did you know?”
“That estate is in my name and my mother’s. Isn’t it strange for me to not know?”
“You don’t need to worry.”
“It doesn’t seem like that. Almost all the land near it was sold at the same time. And the remaining land is worth 1/10th of its price so the people who own it must be shedding blood. I don’t know why such a thing happened but it is huge. Fortunately my mother and I seem to be quite lucky.”
“If that is all you wanted to say then leave.”
“I intend to do just that.”
The woman turned around with a blank expression. The woman grabbed the door handle and paused for a bit before asking in a low voice.
“Why are you my father?”
The man frowned again. However, he soon returned to his original expression and replied.
“I need to work.”
“You do that.
The woman left the room with the same expressionless look. However, many emotions came flowing onto her face as soon as the door was closed. Resentment, anger and helplessness……she panicked. She didn’t want to feel like that. So she ran away. She hid her real appearance and lived in a different place. In another world she named herself Irina.
Space 4
Waking Up! (Part: 1)
“Eh?”
He strained his eyes. It had been 16 hours since he entered hibernation state.
‘I sent the Carrier MR-II so now I just need to wait to be rescued.’
He had sent a help request before entering the hibernation state. But he encountered a ridiculous situation in reality. The real estate where his entire fortune was invested had fallen to 1/10th of the price. If he couldn’t solve the crisis then the entire fortune he gathered for 4 years would fly away. He showed a calm appearance in front of his parents and Hyung-nims but inwardly he was feeling the complete opposite. However, there was still a solution.
‘The reason the land value fell is because Lucifer occupied the nuclear power plant……’
Park Woo-seong said that Lucifer would definitely keep his promise. Ark also thought this
Lucifer would keep his promise whether he won or lost. He wouldn’t randomly commit an act of terrorism. Ark was convinced of it like Park Woo-seong.
‘In the end, everything will be settled if I step on Lucifer in Galaxian.’
The situation hadn’t changed but Ark’s mental attitude had. It wasn’t somebody else’s problem anymore. He couldn’t leisurely explore and relax. Lucifer was somewhere within Galaxian. Right now he couldn’t do anything about that. Yet he still connected to his unit as soon as he entered his house. He connected…..
“Why am I in a place like this?”
Ark looked around with confused eyes. It was a rusty square room. An iron grille was attacked to a small window on the rear wall and was also stuck on a small window in the iron door. His hands were also cuffed behind his back.
“I…..I’m imprisoned? Why?”
Ark couldn’t understand the situation at all. He had requested help yet he was in a jail when he woke up from the hibernation state?
‘Someone must’ve changed my location while I was sleeping…..did the rescue squad arrive? So why was he stuck in jail? Wait? Hasn’t it been a fortnight since I was stranded? Perhaps they’re treating me like a deserter after having no contact for a fortnight? Is that why I’m in jail? But that shouldn’t happen. I discovered the location of the Rama’s main base so why am I thrown in jail? This is ridiculous…..’
Ark woke up and raised his body. He started tapping on the door and crying out in a loud voice.
“Hey! Is there anyone out there? Hey! Where is this place? Why am I shut in here?”
–He appears to have woken up.
Then he heard someone’s voice from behind him. The face that appeared in the small window…….
‘What, what the? This guy……a Rama?’
Ark winced and retreated. The person who appeared in the grate was a Rama with dark skin and pointy ears.
‘The Rama clan?’ Oh my god! T-then I was caught by the Rama while in hibernation mode?’
Ark grasped the situation too late and fell into a state of panic. After he heard the voice, 2 Rama entered the jail. One Rama was a heavily armoured warrior while the other one was dressed lighter and had a backpack with a cross on the side. The Rama warrior sat down in front of Ark and began to talk.
–You fell asleep and woke up in the jail. You must be puzzled. However, you won’t understand even if I explain it. I’ll explain the main subject simply. We brought you here instead of killing you because we wanted to ask you some questions.
“…….”
–It’s no use pretending not to understand.
Ark’s heart dropped at the Rama warrior’s words.
‘What the? This bastard, how does he know I understand the Rama’s language?’
The galactic federation and even the Royal Guards didn’t know that Ark understood the Rama’s language. So how could the Rama warrior know his secret? Did they do something while I was in hibernation mode? Ark thought suddenly. The Rama warrior laughed and tapped a machine like a hearing device in his hear.
–This is a translator that specializes in the language of the galactic federation. I know that you are hearing the federation language. Of course, your words will also be translated into the Rama language. So there is no reason to waste time pretending you don’t understand.
‘……Luckily it wasn’t what I first thought.’
It was fortunate but he still couldn’t be relieved. He was a prisoner of the enemy. It was impossible to think of that as a good thing.
–We recently had a small incident that occurred on the base. There’s also a few bikes and soldiers missing. It was difficult to trace it through the storm but we saw evidence of digging when we looked around. We missed the signs for a while…..but we eventually found you. We also saw the light signal from the enemy communication so don’t try to pretend it ’ s not you.
Ark frowned after hearing those words. Leaving a trail of holes from digging was clearly Ark’s mistake. He could’ve died from starvation so he hadn’t been worried about leaving a trail. He soon realized his mistake and covered up the hole after that. He also applied the method of Swamp Walking to move on the snow without leaving footprints. However, he ruined that by sending a signal which emitted light. The Rama warrior laughed as he saw Ark’s confused face.
–It is like I expected. You don’t have to pretend you don’t know. Let’s cut to the chase. Are you the one behind the missing soldiers?
‘Is he stupid?’
Ark looked at the Rama warrior with amazed eyes. What crazy person would answer ‘yes’ in this situation? Ark held his tongue but the Rama warrior acted like it didn’t matter and continued.
–If it was you then how did you manage to get past our defences and sneak into the base? Were you by yourself or did you attack with other colleagues? What about the main army? Do they already know the location of our base? Oh, and another thing. Does your GPS contain the coordinates of the federation’s main base? If you give me the answer then I’ll let you live. Because the chance to catch an enemy is rare.
This guy was stupid as expected. Handing over the GPS information of the military strong hold was like helping the enemy. Naturally he would receive enormous penalties. The penalty would be to the extent that he couldn’t continue playing within the galactic federation. Of course, Ark hadn’t registered with the Fairy yet so he would lost 13 levels and a 5 star rated skill. If he was killed then everything would be lost. But that would be nothing compared to the penalty received if he helped the enemy. If he didn’t want to quit the game then obviously he couldn’t answer. So Ark said something to them. It was an answer that often appeared in movies.
“Kill me.”
It was regrettable that he would lose everything from the last fortnight but he had to survive. There was no choice now that he had become a prisoner. He would lose a lot of things but luckily he had sent the Carrier MR-II with the position of the Rama base. If the federation won the war with that information then he would still receive huge achievements.
“I have to be satisfied with that much.’
-I told you. This is a rare opportunity. Killing you is too easy.
The Rama warrior smiled and got up.
–You now understand what I need to know. If you want to tell me then you should say it.
“Let’s see? I will tell you when the army comes.”
-You’ll see soon. Hey, Relief.
The Rama warrior shrugged and turned around. The Relief that the Rama warrior called pulled out a syringe from the backpack with a cross on it. Ark sensed something sinister as the syringe was plunged into him.
-You have received a highly concentrated nutrients injection.
<Your health and satiety has recovered by 50% due to the concentrated nutrients injection>
‘Eh? Nutrients injection? This guy, he is a medic?’
There was also a job similar to a healer in Galaxian. Some possible different jobs were a cleric or a medic. The cleric used a type of recovery magic while the medic prepared supplies and dispensed drugs. There weren’t that many clerics in Galaxian at the moment but there were quite a few medics. The Rama warrior smiled and said.
–I can’t let you die of starvation.
“Isn’t that a waste? That injection, isn’t it expensive?”
–It is worth it as long as I can figure out the base of the enemy.
“It is futile if you want me to tell you.”
–I said that you would see soon.
The medic then pulled out another syringe. The Rama warrior shook his head when the medic tried to give the injection to Ark.
–No, that’ll never work. He is a user. You won’t know but a user won ’ t be threatened by an injection like that. Instead…..yes, SMT-518 is good.
-Huh? But SMT-518 is……
–My experience with users shows me that this is better than torture.
–If you say so…..then I understand.
The medic nodded and pulled out another syringe before sticking it in Ark.
-The special bacteria SMT-518 has been injected.
<In the case of a bacterial injection, a special effect will be triggered for 30 minutes>
“A bacteria injection? What are you…..heok!”
Ark was looking around doubtfully when he suddenly screamed. The moment it was injected, a frightful feeling spread from the tips of his hair to his toes……
“I-it tickles! Ohit! Uk! Hak hak hak! Ack! I-I’m going crazy! W-what did you do? Ohit!”
A ticklish sensation started to spread around his entire body. Now Ark could understand what the Rama warrior meant. At first he thought the medic was trying to give him a pain causing bacteria. However, a user were different from NPCs and the game unit was able to adjust the degree of pain
He would only feel a slight sting like static electricity when being horrifically tortured. But other than pain, his other senses were 100%. The Rama warrior suspected Ark was a user after finding him in hibernation mode and ordered the SMT-518 injection. The itching sensation was even more horrible than pain. This was a type of pain that the unit’s control device couldn’t prevent. Besides, he was handcuffed so he couldn’t scratch no matter how much he itched. It was a situation where he wanted to run and jump around. Ark never imagined something like this even when he was New World’s advisor.
“Ohit! T-this bastard! Hihihi, stop it!”
–If you’re happy then I’m happy as well. Are you going to speak now?
“Hak hak hak! H-how funny! Hik hik hik! Y-you bastard! Hihihi! I’ll never leave you alone!”
–He hasn’t had enough fun yet. It’s okay. There is still a lot of time to change your mind.
The Rama warrior and medic left the room. He was about to say something to the medic when he looked at the jail and turned off the translation system. It was a behaviour to guard against Ark but Ark was proficient in the foreign language.
–He was in hibernation mode so there might still be others in the area. Troops are exploring the area . The troops moving from the other direction will join us tomorrow. We will wait until the troops accompany us before returning to the base. Don’t forget to inject the SMT-518 every 30 minutes.
–I understand Captain-nim.
He heard all of their words through the grate. Ark’s eyes shone while he rolled across the floor suffering.
‘Ohit! Return to the base? Hihihi! That means this isn’t the Rama’s central base!’
Ark had been in hibernation mode so he thought he had been brought back to the Rama base. And escaping from the central base himself was impossible. With the medic there, he couldn’t refuse to eat and starve to death.
‘Even if the Beltana war is finished, I would still be a prisoner. Ohhhh! The Carrier MR-II contained information about the Rama central base but how the federation will handle it is still unknown. Hak hak hak! It might take a few days depending on the federation’s response! I’m going crazy! I might even rot a few months in jail.’
Ark was anxious about that fact. SMT-518 was really difficult to withstand. He was in a state where he was being tickled and he couldn’t scratch it. This wasn’t something he could withstand with patience. In other words, the SMT-518 was more painful for users than torture. However, this was a game so the user had a way to escape any type of pain. It was to end the connection. He could enter hibernation mode and then exit the unit. The more fearful part was that he was stuck in jail
He couldn’t do anything. Level up, items…..he would just have to wait around even if connected to the game. Ark started Galaxian with a clear goal so this was the most dreadful penalty.
‘Stupid…..’
Ark bit his lip. He should’ve thought that someone would’ve chased him after setting fire to the Carack’s food and fleeing with the bike. But he couldn’t consider it. He was so busy trying not to die of starvation every day that he couldn’t think about anything else. He dug holes to catch the bugs and the Rama scouting troops eventually found him. The light signal that the Rama warrior saw was the second problem. His prisoner status was a result of Ark’s carelessness. But it was too late to regret it.
‘However, it is still too early to give up if this isn’t the central base.’
Ark bit his lip against the maddening itch and organized his thoughts. If this was the central base then it was impossible for him to escape by himself. Base on the dialogue he heard, Ark was certain that he wasn’t far from the mountain where he entered hibernation. They weren’t convinced yet that Ark was the criminal behind the event at the base. They thought his colleagues might be around and wouldn’t return to the base until the searched the area.
‘But they will return to the base after the search ends. Pant pant pant! According to the Rama warrior, that will be tomorrow. Kikiki! Once the unit scouting the circumference returns then we will head to the base. In the end I only have one day. If I fail to escape before that happens then I’ll rot in the Rama’s jail. I have to escape before then. Hek hek hek! That’s not…..I have to look for a way to die!’
He was impatient thinking about it. But both his arms were handcuffed behind his back. He couldn’t even pull out an item let alone escape.
‘First I need to deal with these handcuffs……’
Ark looked around desperately but there was nothing inside the jail. He was surrounded by thick steel walls. Yet he still had to find something. If he didn’t then it was over. Ark twisted his body despite the itch and checked every corner of the jail. He finally saw a bent iron plate in a corner of the room. The iron plate’s edges bent outwards.
‘Hopefully this…..’
Ark approached it quickly. He place the handcuffs on the edge of the iron plate and started scraping away. He was going to use the sharp edge as a hacksaw to cut off the handcuffs. However…..
Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Jik! Jik! Jik!
He had only been enduring the itching and scraping at the handcuffs for 3 minutes. At first it seemed like the iron edge was working. Then despair appeared on Ark’s face as he turned his edge.
‘Damn! Why are the prison walls so weak?’
Iron powder was piling up on the ground underneath where he was scraping away at the handcuffs. However, the iron powder wasn’t coming from the handcuffs. The iron powder was coming from the iron wall. The iron piece was being scratched away by the handcuffs. On the other hand, not one mark could be seen on the cuffs. This meant the material of the handcuffs was several times firmer than the iron wall.
‘I made a mistake! I can’t escape the handcuffs like this!’
Ark leaned against the wall with a blank expression and sighed.
‘It would’ve been better to starve to death……’
Ark thought as he absent-mindedly stared at the ground. Then an ‘!’ popped in his head.
‘Wait? The handcuffs are stronger than the iron wall?’
Ark looked at the small window where he could see thick snow and strong blasts of wind
Of course, the window had an iron grille across it. It was red and rusty but there was no way to cut it without any equipment. But now Ark had an incredibly strong metal. The metal was strong enough to even grind down the iron wall.
‘I can do it! It is possible with these handcuffs!’
Ark approached the window and placed his back to it. Then he started moving the handcuffs across the grille with as much strength as possible. Ark was using the handcuffs to scratch away at the window.
Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Kkaduk!
He continued scratching against the grille for a while. At this point, Ark had been doing this for 10 minutes and managed to destroy one of the crosspieces. However that wasn’t enough.
‘I need to destroy at least 3 bars in order to escape through the window.’
He continued scratching at the grille with the handcuffs behind his back. His handcuffed wrists weren’t perfect. The handcuffs tore the skin and caused blood to flow. However, Ark couldn’t feel the pain thanks to the control device of the unit. The itch caused by SMT-518 transcended imagination. So it was difficult for him to sit still. However, the pain from scratching the skin actually reduced the itching. Now he could withstand it to some degree.
‘I will escape!”
Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Kkaduk! Kkaduk!
Ark bit his lips and continued moving without any breaks. And he had finally separated the 2nd iron bar from the 3rd……
-Eh? It is already this time. His spirit should’ve dropped by now.
‘Dammit! Has it already been 30 minutes?’
Ark thought frantically as he heard a voice outside the door. The itching from SMT-518 was really intolerable. The duration of SMT-518 is 30 minutes. It was time to be re-inoculated.
‘If the medic comes in then he will see the cut crosspieces! Dammit! Just one! Just one more……’
Ark rocked his arm like crazy and scraped his flesh on the window. However, the crosspiece just wriggled side by side and didn’t break easily. And……
–I have to enter the injection even if he is in hibernation mode.
Cheolkeok.
The door was opened
——————————————————————————————-
“The reply has come from the central government.”
Inside the headquarters of the federation’s base. A middle aged man with silver hair spoke in a low voice.
“Are they sending reinforcements?”
“No, the central government can’t afford to send any more regular troops.
Beltana’s garrison commander called Haman shook his head and explained.
“There are internal conflicts with the Aschulat while the federation is struggling against the Rama. Beltana is one of the most important and strategic planets left in the Bellin constellation. The federation is also being damaged by the Rama warrior nicknamed the Red Slaughterer. It is difficult for the federation to send more troops.”
“But this is an opportunity.”
“Of course. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
“Then……”
“Yes, I visited Marquis Martin who is a councillor of the central government through the Star Gate and explained the circumstances. It is hard for Sir Martin to send regular troops but offered to send some mercenaries to act on behalf of Istana. They will send 200 mercenaries by tomorrow.”
A bold smile appeared on Haman’s face.
“We will get 200 reinforcements tomorrow. The storm hasn’t completely cleared but we know the exact location of the Rama base so it won’t be a problem. We will march as soon as reinforcements arrive tomorrow. And before the storm clears up, all the Rama on Beltana will be exterminated.”
Haman looked at a young man with a satisfied look.
“This is all thanks to you. How did you get this information when there is a snow storm?”
“That……”
“No, that’s okay. The results matter not the process. You brought the information to the strategy team so how you got it doesn’t matter. The most important part of fighting on a disputed planet is to find the main base. Over the past year, numerous scouting units had been sacrificed and they couldn’t figure out this information. This achievement will award you a silver medal of valour.”
-You have earned 5,000 achievements for figuring out the location of the Rama base.
In addition, the Beltana garrison commander Haman has recommended you be awarded a silver medal of valour.
<When participating in battle on a disputed planet, acquiring special information that will lead to the destruction of the enemy such as the location of the enemy base will give special achievements. The medal of valour has significant meaning in the galactic federation and different classifications such as gold, silver and bronze will be awarded based on separate acts>
‘Silver medal of valour!’
The young man’s heart beat wildly. The silver medal of valour was the second highest medal!
If he received that then he could get ahead of other people! It would guarantee him success. The young man couldn’t hide his thrilled expression. Haman smiled and raised his hand to his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t be satisfied with this much. Like I said, we’ll be able to drive those dirt aliens from Beltana once reinforcements arrive tomorrow. I will leave the 200 elite troops to you. You will have a large role in the battle and I have no doubt that you will win. Then you will be awarded a gold medal. Do you understand?”
“Please leave it to me!”
“You are reliable. Then please go. You also need to make some preparations.”
“Yes, Commander-nim. Thank you!”
The young man saluted and went outside.
“The silver medal of valour, I never thought he would help me this way.”
The young man muttering was Valencia, the leader of the 1st armoured platoon. It was an accident that Valencia discovered it. Ever since Ark went missing a fortnight ago, the soldiers couldn’t move due to the snow storm so Valencia’s greatest pleasure was watching the Royal Guards waiting for Ark. On that day, he had been happily watching the Royal Guards sobbing near the Fairy. He discovered a flying object heading towards headquarters. Valencia realized it was the Carrier MR-II and intercepted it along the way. If something like that was sent to the defense base then it was highly likely to be sensitive information. Valencia just thought he would see a scouting report when intercepting the Carrier MR-II. It wasn’t much but he could raise his achievements like this. However, the Carrier MR-II had more information than he expected. It contained the GPS information of the Rama main base! And the person who sent the GPS information……
‘Ark! That bastard, he’s still alive?’
Thoughts started turning over in Valencia’s head. If he took the Carrier MR-II to headquarters then Ark would receive the huge achievements even if he wasn’t here. And Valencia would be left with nothing. But now the Carrier MR-II was in Valencia’s hands. Ark was also missing for a fortnight so he was treated as a deserter.
‘Can I download the data from this Carrier MR-II to my Nymphe?’
He could intercept the achievement! But there was a problem. If Ark returned then all that would be gone. If Ark returned alive then an investigation would be launched and the information was registered on Ark’s Nymphe so Valencia wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that he intercepted it.
‘But that is only if Ark comes back alive.’
If he died then all the information registered on the Nymphe would be erased. If that happened then there was no way to prove it even if Ark protested.
‘According to the message, Ark is currently stranded 290 km away from the base. He entered hibernation state to await rescue after sending the Carrier MR-II. If a rescue party isn’t sent then it will be difficult for him to return. But that isn’t enough. That guy definitely has to die. There is a Rama outpost near that mountain area. If that guy is hiding there then the solution is simple.’
Valencia inputted a new coordinate into the Carrier MR-II that Ark sent.
* Current Stranded Location: X-#@### Y-#!#$
The message was encrypted and the Carrier MR-II was sent to Ark’s location. Of course he didn’t just send it. He added one additional gift.
Flash, flash, flash, flash!
It started emitting light once it reached the destination. That was why the sleeping Ark was caught by the Rama. It was the light signal the Rama warrior was talking about.
‘If he is in hibernation mode then the Rama will 100% take him. If he hasn’t resurrected yet then he must’ve been captured alive. No, I won’t let him return alive.’
Valencia smiled meanly as he continued walking.
——————————————————————————————-
-The galactic federation has sent an emergency message.
Hired mercenary troops shall be dispatched to the disputed planet Beltana
All mercenaries who want to enter this war shall register with the federation branch in each city by 18:00.
The message appeared on the Nymphe’s of all the mercenaries on Istana. The central government was hiring mercenaries after the request by Beltana’s garrison commander. The mercenaries…..
“Beltana?”
“Yes, that is where Ark is located.”
……They received it as well.
Space 5
Waking Up! (Part: 2)
Bang!
Just as the door was about to open. A roaring sound suddenly came from within the prison.
–Hik! What is that? That…..eh? Eh eh?
The Rama medic surveyed the jail with confusion. One person was collapsed in a dusty corner of the jail. At first he thought the prisoner couldn’t withstand the itch and committed suicide. But he soon realized something was wrong. The man collapsed in the jail was surprisingly……
–Is he the same species? He is from the Rama clan.
The person from the federation had escaped from the prison and the Rama collapsed. The medic hurriedly rushed towards his colleague and asked.
-Hey! What the? Why are you here? Where is the one in jail? Where is he? Hey!
“Ohh! Who….you….Relief? The Relief?”
The Rama warrior moaned as he lifted his head.
–Yes, that’s me. What is going on?
“……I-I was struck.”
–Struck? By who? How?
The Rama warrior looked at the opposite wall after hearing the Relief’s question. The Relief looked in that direction and stuttered.
–Heok! I-iron window? Don’t tell me?
“Ugh…..I was searching around for the federation soldiers and found traces of some of them. And I tried to chase them but met the squad commander. It would take some time to track them so I was told to return and watch the prisoner. While I was returning, I noticed the iron grille on the window and found the guy escaping. So a battle begun. Dammit, that guy used some strange technology and locked me in here before escaping……”
–Oh my god! That guy ran away?
“Yes, we have to hurry. He couldn’t have ran very far yet.”
-Dammit!
The Relief jumped up. Then the Rama warrior shouted.
“You idiot! You’re a medic so how are you going to chase after him alone?”
–Then follow quickly! We have to catch up before he runs far away.
“Shouldn’t you release me then?”
The Rama warrior exclaimed angrily and turned his body. The arms handcuffed behind the back caught his eye. The Relief saw the handcuffs and asked.
-Eh? Why are you handcuffed?
“I don’t know! I woke up after being hit and was handcuffed.”
–Damn! This brat, now I have to release your handcuffs?
The Relief started swearing as he took out a key. He looked at the Rama warrior and murmured.
-Wait? You, what squad are you in? I’ve never seen a squad with a battle suit like yours.
“…..Sheesh!”
The lips of the Rama warrior twisted. He ran up and crashed into the Relief’s chest with his shoulder.
Tong-!
The Relief was pushed back several metres into the wall. The Relief couldn’t grasp the sudden situation. The feet of the Rama warrior struck the Relief’s wrist. It was a kick from the battle suit clad Rama warrior! There was a sharp pain in the wrist and the key flew away.
–Heok! T-the key!
The Relief exclaimed and stretched out his hand. However, the movement of the Rama warrior was many times faster. The pleasantly smiling warrior kicked the Relief in the stomach. The Relief couldn’t even scream as it felt like he had been hit by a truck and fell against the wall. Meanwhile the Rama warrior rotated his body and grabbed the key.
–Ugh! T-that…..you…..who are you…..?
“Me?”
The Rama warrior started laughing. The handcuffs fell from behind the Rama warrior at the same time.
“I’m Ark.”
—————————————————————————————————————————-‘Dammit, it’s the end!’
Just before the Relief entered the prison. Ark became gloomy while scratching away at the iron grille. He had already separated two iron bars. There was no way it wouldn’t go unnoticed.
‘Damn, I was too short-sighted. I should’ve put on the battle suit when I started…..’
Ark had thought about using the battle suit. He used the battle suit when climbing the snowy mountain but it had been 18 hours since then. Therefore the battle suit was 100% charged. The battle suit increased his body’s ability by 30% so he could easily get rid of 3~4 iron bars. However, not everything would be settled by just escaping the prison. The federation base was still hundreds of kilometres away and there were Rama scouting units in the area. Ark didn’t want to abuse the battle suit excessively.
‘But that means nothing if I can’t escape from the jail.’
It was a mistake in judgement. He was in a desperate state when he heard the Relief opening the door.
‘Wait? Come to think of it…..’
Then something popped into Ark’s head.
‘After listening to their words, the squad commander isn’t convinced that I’m the only one who hit the main base. And they don’t know that I can use a Rama battle suit.’
It was impossible for the federation to use the Rama’s battle suit. If they knew that then they would’ve questioned him closely. In Galaxian, NPCs could also resurrect via the Fairy like users. So Ark had the idea of passing himself off as a Rama. But Ark was overlooking one thing. The snow storm hadn’t stopped yet.
‘The snow storm hasn’t stopped so the Rama can’t communicated with each other. It’s been two days since I killed them so the scouting warriors that I killed should’ve already revived. They are the only ones who know my identity. They can’t know that I was the one who stole the bike from the base or that I can use a battle suit!’
Then couldn’t Ark take advantage of the Rama battle suit in this situation? The Relief would have no choice but to fall in chaos.
‘But that’s not enough.’
Ark mixed in a few tricks. The conversation the squad commander and Relief had before leaving!
‘They don’t know that I can understand the Rama language……’
Ark still didn’t understand why he was skilled with a foreign language. Thanks to the dialogue, Ark knew that Relief wore a communication device. He heard them talking about the scouting troops enough to be able to fool the Relief. The iron bars were off the window. Of course, if the Relief thought calmly about it then there was no way for a person to squeeze through the two bars. But the Relief believed the battle suit and the scouting talk and became confused. Well, the Relief sensed something strange in the last moment…..
He was lucky. In the end the handcuffs were released
——————————————————————————————-
“The effect of SMT-518 is no joke.”
Ark said as he took out the Impact Blade.
“I was rolling around the ground for 30 minutes. Now I’m going to repay the favour.”
–How….the federation…..the Rama’s battle suit…..
The Relief stuttered with an expression that indicated he didn’t understand. However, the Relief wasn’t stupid enough to not understand what was happening next. The Relief turned and tried to run out of the jail. And he tried to close the door and lock it! A blade squeezed through the gap in the door. It felt like a beast was shaking the door with its fangs.
–Ugh, no! I need to stop him somehow!
The Relief turned pale and pushed against the door with his body.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The door where the blade was stuck caught on fire. It was a shot fired from the Impact Blade. 3 bullets went through the door and entered the chest of the Relief. 3 bullets went flying! The Relief’s chest exploded and he flew back several metres. He raised eyes sick with fear as the iron door opened. Ark pulled out the long sword and went through the open door.
“Now, how shall I repay you? Huh?”
–Ack! Aaack!
The Relief screamed and pulled out a pistol. It looked like a trivial pistol so normally he would’ve just ignored it. However Ark had ignored the special grenade a few days ago and almost died because of the crystal prison. Therefore Ark learnt that he couldn’t ignore seemingly normal ammunition. This was the 24th century. How could he know all of the weapons that the aliens used? This was also a learning experience.
Peng! Syu syu syu syu syu!
Ark lowered his body and the ammunition hit the wall. A green gas appeared and the iron wall turned black. He didn’t understand it that well but the medic’s bullet seemed to have a chemical action. Even his shield would be ineffective against a gas projectile.
‘But it is still a bullet.’
Ark leaned forward and ran forward like a sprinter. His sword shot off a black light.
“Sonic Sword!”
The sword broke the sound barrier and hit the neck!
“Impact Shot!”
First the neck was bleeding and then bullets hit him.
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
The message appeared as the Relief was shot. At this point the battle was as good as finished. As a medic, the Relief was someone specialized in healing. He was no match in a 1 on 1 fight against the warrior Ark. The bullet pumped an unidentified gas but it was a special type of gun that only fired one shot. They had to reload the ammunition every time it was fired. Ark was a close combat specialist and wouldn’t give the enemy that chance. The Relief changed to a bloody rice cake once he closed the distance and used gun, sword and kicks. In the end the medic gave up on the gun and pulled out a syringe like weapon but the result was still the same.
-Achievement + 80.
The Relief was converted into achievements. When he defeated the Rama warriors he had obtained 120 achievements for 2. The Relief was a special occupation so it gave more achievements despite being lower levelled than the warriors. But now wasn’t the time to be happy.
“The rest of the Rama scouting units will arrive back tomorrow. But I don’t know when the squad commander will return.”
He could see that the squad commander was a considerably high levelled Rama warrior based on his armour. He couldn’t check using the Infrared Scope but he could guess based on the equipment. He was at least level 50 or more!
“I can’t guarantee my victory if I face him……”
Either way, this place was enemy territory. It was wise to avoid fighting with the squad commander if victory couldn’t be guaranteed. However, even if he was in a hurry! Even if there was danger! He couldn’t just leave like this.
“This is a Rama outpost. There might be something worth money.”
Ark looked around with greedy eyes. The first thing that caught his eye was the monitor on a desk. A small memory stick was plugged in and a map appeared on the monitor. The map showed a mountain with red dots and lines drawn on it.
“This mountain is…..this is the mountain I entered hibernation mode on. And if I use this map……clearly this shows the position of the scouting units!”
This information was as valuable as gold because Ark could use it to avoid the scouting unit!
“Damn, the OS of my Nymphe……”
The data of the Rama was compatible with the federation’s system. Therefore Ark had no choice but to memorize the map.
“Is there any other information I can use?”
He manipulated the keyboard and other information appeared.
-!#$&#@##$!caeQdDf1! qolq!#$%!#$#$%!
However, it was just letters that he couldn’t decipher. He could understand the Rama’s language but he couldn’t read it. There were also some photos of a giant robot shaped like a strange ostrich.
“I don’t know what it is but I might be able to get some achievements if I bring it back to the base.”
Ark took out the memory stick and placed it in his bag. And again, again and again. Ark rummaged through the room anxiously before he was finally able to find it. It was a box of supplies appropriate for the outpost.
“What is this? A-amazing!”
Ark’s eyes turned to gold as he stared at the box. Inside the box were basic supplies like Space Food, various ammunition and a large number of recovery ampoules. Fortunately Ark……
“W-wait? Heok! This is a big deal!”
He screamed and grabbed his head. He belatedly realized that there was no room in his bag. It was full of the Zaliman ore he picked up in the pyramid. Apart from that, Ark also had 5 Space Foods and two boxes filled with 50 Fire Bullets when he left the pyramid. He had ran out of food and used all the Fire Bullets so he only had a limited amount of space. It wasn’t enough to pack all of the items in the supplies box.
“Ohhh, I can’t grab all these items when they’re so close to me!”
But his bag wouldn’t become wider no matter how he thought about it.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll just pack the items that are expensive like the Zaliman ore.”
Ark had to compromise with the supplies box.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
He then heard the familiar sound of an engine outside the window. Ark automatically turned and looked out the window.
‘Dammit! That bastard, he’s already returned?’
The storm was blowing wildly but he could confirm that one bike was returning. Ark confirmed that it was the previous Rama warrior. It was a sudden return but Ark didn’t panic. At first he had thought it was better to avoid fighting him if possible. However, he changed his mind after seeing the map on the monitor.
‘Looking at the map, there are only several areas where it is possible to cross the mountain. But those areas where the ones filled with a lot of red dots that indicated the scouting unit. The only road not blocked by the scouting unit was the one back to the base. If I’m not here when the Rama warrior returns then he will definitely look for me. It will take more than a day to cross the snowy mountain so I’m bound to get caught. It will be even more difficult if they use bikes. It is better if I dispose of him here.’
Anyway, having the element of surprise might be better. But Ark had another reason for being determined to fight. He had confidence that he could win against the level 50 enemy. The reason for his confidence was something that he found in the supplies box. He became certain of victory once he obtained ‘that.’
‘Yes, I can’t just run away like this.’
Ark smiled and muttered. After a while……
–Relief, that federation guy…..
The Rama warrior entered when he suddenly flinched and closed his mouth. The door of the jail was hanging half open. His expression was rigid as his eyes looked over the scattered furniture and bullet marks. And in the middle was the bloody Rama medic! He could understand the situation immediately. The prisoner had escaped while he was away!
–What is this? What? What on earth happened?
The Rama warrior shouted with a puzzled voice.
Dulsseok! Dulsseok!
The bloodied body of the Relief started shaking. The Rama warrior ran up and touched the Relief.
-Relief, hey Relief, what happened here? That guy? Where is that guy? Relief!
The Rama warrior realized that the shaking of the Relief’s body was strange. But he thought the Relief was just taking a breath. However, there was no energy in the body of the Relief. His temperature remained as cold as ice. The body was unmistakeably a corpse. Even if the Infrared Scope wasn’t used, it was possible to see that it was a corpse with one glance. However, the body was shaking! Shaking! The Relief’s body continued shaking.
–What, what the? H-how come? What’s going on…..?
The Rama warrior stuttered at the bizarre phenomenon. Meanwhile, the Relief’s shaking had become even more intense. At first it was just squirming but then started bouncing like a freshly caught fish. Then the Relief seemed to have reached his limit and the chest split open. Then something red tackled the Rama warrior. It was a red shape that broke through the Relief’s chest and ran at him.
Tong-!
There was a heavy impact sound. The Rama reflexively took out his sword and retreated a few steps with concentrated eyes. And…..his face was dyed with surprise. The red form was a dog covered with blood. A dog had appeared out of a corpse. However, the more amazing thing was the dog’s face. The body was unmistakably a dog but the face……
–R-Relief!
The dog’s head had the face of the Relief! A dog with his face had rushed from the Relief’s corpse.
-U-unbelievable! What? What on earth is this? H-how……?
The Rama warrior was in a state of shock after seeing a scene similar to a horror movie. Suddenly he felt a pain in his back. The Rama warrior fell to the ground with surprise. He opened a gap of 3~4 metres and saw an incomprehensible scene. A Rama warrior was standing next to the open door? A monster that appeared from the corpse and an unidentified Rama warrior!
–You…….
“You are indeed worthy of being a squad leader. Your reaction rate is quite good?”
–This voice is……how did you get a Rama battle suit…..?
“Your senses are also quick. That is praiseworthy. Although you probably can’t understand what I’m saying.”
The unidentified Rama warrior. No, the man inside the Rama battle suit just laughed. Needless to say, this was Ark clad in the battle suit. And he was the reason for the hell hound with the Relief’s face! Just before the Rama warrior arrived, Ark had used Rune Carving and sacrificed the corpse of the Relief to summon the hell hound. The Rama warrior naturally didn’t know any of these details. Of course, the Rama warrior wouldn’t be able to understand without the interpreter even if Ark explained it. But the reaction was immediate.
–Armour armament!
The insect like armour appeared and wrapped around the body of a warrior. The battle suit smoothly fused with the shoulder and wrist.
‘That movement isn’t normal…..it is clearly a close combat battle suit. Plus……’
He discovered the Rama warrior was level 52 through the Infrared Scope. This was the highest levelled Rama warrior that Ark had ever faced. He also wore a close combat battle suit. He probably won’t be easy to fight. However, that was only if the warrior could fight properly.
–I don’t know what you’re thinking but I’ll make you regret it.
The Rama warrior walked closer. And he tried to swing his sword!
–Heok!
The Rama warrior suddenly stopped. His body started twisting and he tried to look at Ark.
–You, heok! Y-you bastard…..ohhhhh, what did you…..hak hak hak!
“It’s finally kicking in.”
Ark laughed and raised ‘it.’
-SMT-518 (×5)
Item Type: Injection Drug
A refined drug made from a fungi that causes an intense itching sensation
In Galaxian, there are some planets infested with fungi that can cause various skin diseases. SMT-518 is a drug developed to treat one of these skin diseases. Patients with a bacterial skin disease show excellent improvement when injected with SMT-518. But if given to someone without a skin disease then it will cause uncontrollable itching as a side effect. This is a pharmacist medicine. It is difficult to abuse the drug.
<Used to treat skin diseases>
* Those without a fungal skin disease will experience excruciating itching for 30 minutes.
This was something he found in the supplies box. It was the SMT-518 that the Rama warrior used to torture Ark! While the Rama warrior was withdrawing from the hell hound, Ark who was hidden behind the door quickly injected the SMT-518. This was the identity of the sting the Rama warrior felt.
–Heok heok heok. Y-you bastard….Kik, ack! D-dare……
“Do you want to die? Is it painful?”
Ark knew better than anyone the effect of SMT-518. It was so ticklish that he wanted to tear his flesh off. Anyone who experienced it personally would sweat at the thought. It also lasted for 30 minutes. He felt like dying while scraping away at the iron grille with his handcuffs.
“You can’t understand but I’ll give you some friendly advice.”
Ark leisurely took out the Impact Blade and muttered.
“I am Ark. I’m that good a guy to not return everything done to me. Now that I’ve returned the favour……”
–Hak hak hak! Y-you bitch! I’m going to kill you!
The Rama warrior panted as he tried to run up to him.
“Hell hound, go!”
Kong kong kong! Kong kong kong!
Saliva dripped as the dog ran up to the Rama warrior. The Rama warrior who was concentrating on Ark was bitten on the ankle. However, there was no time for him to scream. He had neared Ark before the hell hound bit him.
“……Now I will return it with interest! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
The message appeared after the Rama warrior was shot. Then it fell completely into Ark’s pace
The Rama warrior was level 52. He was 8 levels higher than Ark. He was also a Rama squad leader so he had great skills. However, the most important thing in close combat was concentration. Since close combat had a distance of 1~2 metres, one single moment of carelessness could lead to defeat.
“Sonic Sword! Impact Shot!”
Ark was concentrating.
–Hak hak hak! S-sword way….ack! Hik hik hik!
But the Rama warrior couldn’t concentrate. It was impossible for him. Ark also knew this. He knew what SMT-518 felt like. It was like hundreds of hands were tickling every corner of his body! No matter how much he tried to endure, it was impossible for his body to not spasm. No human would be able to concentrate in such a situation. And it wasn’t just the SMT-518.
“Dog, go! Go! Go!”
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The hell hound was 1/3rd the level of the sacrifice. The Relief was level 30 so the hell hound was only level 10. The hell hound couldn’t do any real damage. However, biting the Rama warrior’s ankle was enough to stop his movements for a bit. The itching and biting wouldn’t stop!
‘I would be having a hard time if fighting directly……’
Now the Rama warrior was a mass of bleeding flesh. The Rama warrior was in a critical condition while Ark had only lost 30% of his health. The result of the battle was already confirmed. In the end, the Rama warrior was in a desperate state and screamed.
–Kuack! Dammit! This bastard, I’d rather just die! Ack! Hik hik hik!
The Rama warrior was covered with blood, tears and a runny nose. He really looked pitiful. So Ark said fondly.
“You don’t like it?”
Ark had suffered for 30 minutes in the jail. Ark was the type to always pay back a grudge with interest.
“You are a warrior. Exert your power a bit more. Do you understand? You suddenly want to die? Don’t lose courage so easily. A miracle might happen if you don’t lose courage. Hang in there.”
Ark’s encouragement caused the Rama warrior to try and attack again. After 15 minutes. The Rama warrior was almost dead and Ark’s battle suit only had 5% mana left.
‘Should I finish this now?’
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The fists of the Hyper Drone poured out indiscriminately!
-Achievement + 100.
The Rama warrior finally died and received the achievements. The Rama warrior was thankful to Ark for granting his wish and went to heaven. Anyway, the battle suit disappeared after 18 Barrage and the hell hound was also unsummoned. The hell hound melted down and the smears of flesh disappeared.
“The sight of a dog emerging from someone’s flesh with their face is disturbing but the 5 star rated skill is quite good.”
The results were satisfactory.
“Now, shall I start working earnestly?”
Ark whistled and approached the supplies box. He poured his bag full of Zaliman ore into the box. Some messages had appeared after he took the SMT-518 out of the supplies box.
-Achievement + 7.
<If you capture supply items from the enemy then you will receive additional achievements>
He was given achievements for obtaining the enemy’s supplies. Therefore Ark emptied his bag into the box and packed all the supply items.
-You have seized the enemy’s supplies box and gained 322 achievements.
Killing the two warriors chasing him gave 120 points, the medic and Rama warrior respectively gave him 80 and 100 points. And obtaining the supplies box gave him 322 more achievements. That was a total of 622 achievements! If he combined it with his previous achievements then that was a total of 1,870 points.
‘Besides, the items can also be used!’
But sadly he couldn’t take all the items. Ark once again dumped out all the Rama supplies in his bag. He gathered the minimum food and bullets needed for survival. He then combed through for the expensive items and packed it in his bag along with the Zaliman ore. Ark discovered an unexpected item while he was doing that.
Mana Battery Pack (×2)
Item Type: For Mana Charging
A battery pack used to increase the mana charging rate of the Rama’s battle suit. If the battery pack is operated then the mana charging speed of the battle suit will increase. This effect only applies to the Rama’s battle suit.
<It will restore 1,000 mana within 30 minutes>
‘There is an item to quickly charge the battle suit?’
When thinking about it, the federation battle suits also had a battery to restore their energy. It was impossible for the Rama to not have an item like that.
‘The batteries for the federation’s battle suits are expensive so this should be equivalent to that price.’
Of course, this battery was exclusively for a Rama so he couldn’t sell it in a federation area. But he had no ideas about selling it. The Rama battle suit was an essential item for Ark. He went back to sorting the items. The health recovery ampoules were also expensive so he filled 25% of his bag with them. The remaining 75% spots left were filled with Zaliman ore. He looked at the heaped up items but there was no more time.
‘I have to cross the snowy mountain before the scouting unit returns!’
He had to live and return. That was Ark’s main priority. He exited the building and it was a bunker disguised as a snowman. It was 300 km from the federation’s base. It was slightly further away from where he entered hibernation state but there was a relatively gentle slope in front of the bunker. This was one route to cross the snowy mountain.
“Although I experienced some difficulties, I got some achievements and items as a result. I also inputted the location of the Rama main base into the Carrier MR-II! At first I thought it was unlucky but now I seem quite fortunate.”
Ark laughed at the thought. Ark didn’t know that Valencia had snatched the Carrier MR-II. He had received the 5,000 achievements and silver medal of valour meant for Ark. But it was better for him not to know. If he knew then he would probably die from the shock. The snow storm that had lasted for a fortnight also weakened. The long storm was coming to an end
——————————————————————————————-
“Did you check?”
An old man asked with a nervous expression. Another man with a huge body and dark face shook his head.
“They all told me the same thing.”
“Did he really desert the army?”
“I don’t know whether he really deserted but it has been a fortnight since he returned.”
The huge man sighed with an unpleasant expression.
“He went through quite a bit of trouble in the meantime. This is a disputed planet and I’ve overheard enough to know what type of treatment the prisoners received…..that guy’s situation is the same. The prisoners seemed to be bullied by the regular troops. Some prisoners were so desperate that they gave up.”
“Oh my god! Those difficulties……”
The old man sighed with a tearful expression. The large man looked at the old man for a while before asking.
“What do you think?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“That guy. He was a prisoner so his situation was serious. If he couldn’t endure then he would give up. Actually, that is true for quite a few prisoners. But this is that guy. Would that guy give up so easily?”
The old man wiped his tears with a handkerchief. And he shook his head with disapproval.
“No! He is not that type of person!”
“I thought like that as well. We know better than anyone that he won’t give up so easily. Both the regular troops and prisoners spoke badly about him. They suggested that he had been bullied. I can’t believe their words. And there are also some people that talked differently.”
“People who talked differently?”
“Do you know the female office in charge of the prisoner’s supplies, Irina? I don’t know why but she is the pretty female with a cold expression. Anyway, she said that he was bullied for a bit but he had been doing quite well recently. I also got the same results from the prisoners who followed him.”
“The prisoners who followed him?”
“That guy had prisoners following him and calling him Hyung-nim. I heard those prisoners are now in a difficult situation after he disappeared. Because that guy was the one who obtained food, the prisoners are starving to death.”
“Starving to death? He gave his food to them?”
“Yes, that’s right. Anyway, this isn’t a problem that we can interfere in. I went to look for those prisoners and they talked a lot about their Hyung-nim. They believe it is impossible that he gave up.”
“Then they think…..?”
“He’s still alive somewhere.”
The huge man touched his beard and answered.
“He was missing as soon as the storm started. He might be isolated somewhere because of this storm. The communication won’t work and he couldn’t request any help. That is the most persuasive answer right now.”
“If that is true…..then how can we help?”
“If communication is interrupted then the best way will be to search but…..”
The man looked at the weather before continuing.
“We came here because we have a contract. We can’t possibly act independently.”
“That’s right.”
The old man replied with a sigh.
Wiiiii!
–Everybody gather! All prisoners, mercenaries and troops gather at the square in front of the base. All troops need to gather in the square by 14:00 so that equipment can be checked and supplies distributed. I repeat. All troops……
Sirens started ringing and a voice was heard through the loudspeaker.
“It has started. We should go.”
Both men headed towards the square in front of the base. The soldiers soon gathered at the square after hearing the broadcast. There were 400 regular soldiers with the mark of a spacecraft around a blue planet, 100 people wearing the garb of the prisoners and 200 mercenaries sent from Istana.
“Everybody listen up!”
A loud voice was suddenly heard.
“200 years ago, our forefathers left for the frontier to ensure the survival of the human race. They were able to conquer numerous hardships and finally built a new home in the Milky Way galaxy. But the history was never calm. Our enemy is obvious! It is dirty Rama aliens who made a mess of our galaxy! Our ancestors have a long history of blood shed with the Rama. And we are still encountering them on a large number of planets.”
The garrison commander of Beltana stared at the soldiers with blazing eyes.
“We can’t forget about the blood shed by our ancestors! We have to shed blood to protect our children and grandchildren. Now we’ve finally got a great opportunity.”
But Haman’s eyes looked at the young man next to him. The young man was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon Valencia! Haman looked at Valencia with a trusting expression and said.
“I don’t doubt Valencia’s loyalty. Despite the snow storm, he somehow managed to discover the location of the Rama’s main base. We can finally end the long battle!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
“Hooray for Platoon Chief Valencia!”
The regular troops cheered after Haman’s eloquent words. Haman raised his fist and shouted.
“Now proud soldiers of the galactic federation, let’s head to our victory. Our victory on Beltana will be the starting point to drive the Rama out of the Bellin constellation!”
“Waaaaahhhhh! Let’s go!”
“Let’s get revenge on the vile Rama!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
There was a ponderous engine sound and 5 large Memeod advanced forward. Dozens of bikes surrounding the transport and the mercenary squadrons followed behind.
All of the vehicles had the same navigation coordinates.
X-@$!#! Y-!#$!#!
It was the coordinates of the Rama base that Ark had sent. The final decisive battle for Beltana was going to begin.
Space 6
Touching Reunion
-Roaaaaar!
On a frigid snow covered mountain. 10 bikes were descending down a relatively gentle slope. It was the Rama clan riding die to side in a steady formation. The Rama warriors were wearing white armour and camouflaged with the snow! The snowy mountain was ‘The Border’ between the Rama and the galactic federation and they were the Rama scouting unit positioned there. Their main duty was to intercept any scouting units from the federation. But right now their purpose was different.
-Stop!
The bikes were descending the slope. The lead Rama warrior raised his arm and shouted. All of the bikes stopped moving and gathered around him. The Rama warrior looked around at the other members and said.
–Did you find any traces of him?
–I found some marks along the way. But all of them are considerably in the past. The last mark I found ends 1 km away from here……
–He seemed to have crossed the border a long time ago.
The Rama warrior bit his lip at the words. The situation didn’t seem that good. A few days ago, they heard the Carrier MR-II that belong to the federation and increased the patrols around the border
When they found a signal light and searched the perimeter, someone from the federation was found in hibernation mode.
‘He might have something to do with the incident at the base.’
That was easily guessed. Therefore the squad commander of the scouting unit captured the enemy and brought him to a bunker for questioning. And other scouting units started searching the area for anyone else. After completing the reconnaissance mission, they had returned to the bunker one day ago.
‘Meanwhile the squad commander and medic…..’
Looking at the context, it must’ve been caused by the one locked in jail. The base was attacked by the federation but there was no traces of a trail. And how did that guy who was handcuffed escape from jail? Moreover, the prisoner even managed to kill the Rama warrior and the medic. But that wasn’t the main problem at the moment.
‘The important thing is that he managed to escape!’
And it was highly likely that guy knew the location of the Rama base. If he managed to return to the federation base then they would now its position. He had to stop him no matter what it took. He had to kill the guy to delete the GPS information recorded on the Nymphe.
–Catch him! It’s been 18 hours since we left the bunker. He escaped on foot so it is possible to catch up!
The Rama warriors immediate got on their bike and chased after the prisoner. However, they reached the other side of the border and still couldn’t find him. And on the other side of the border……
–It has become more difficult.
The Rama warrior looked around with irritation. There were a lot of cliffs so the places to move were limited. The other scouting units were also searching near the bunker and the border. It was an area that 10 units could search effectively. However, that changed if the prisoner had crossed the border. Extensive plains unfolded beyond the border. Finding one person in a place like that was like finding a needle in the desert. The escapee was heading towards the federation base but it would’ve already been over if they knew the location of the base.
-Vice squad commander-nim, what do we do now?
–As long as there is the possibility that he knows the location of the base, we can’t give him up. The situation on Beltana will become dangerous if they get their hands on that information. We have to stop it somehow!
–Then…..?
–He’s moving on foot so he couldn’t have gotten very far even if he crossed the border. It should be a maximum of 20 kilometres. So the search area will be set at 40 km. We will split into three and move in the 9, 12 and 3 o’clock direction. If we can’t find him then we will change the direction of the search to 10, 1 and 4 o’clock. There is a snow storm so we should eventually find a trail.
-Understood.
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The engines of the 10 bikes roared and shot forward. The snow gradually subsided as the bikes moved into the distance.
Shake, shake, shake…..byong!
A pile of snow nearby started shaking and the head of a person emerged.
“Heh, those fools. They still don’t understand the situation?”
The person was Ark who the Rama scouting unit were looking for.
“Don’t you know those movements are completely obvious?”
Ark crawled out of the pile of snow and laughed. However, Ark still wasn’t safe. He might’ve escape from the bunker by killing the medic and Rama warrior but there are still scouting units roaming around this area. Many of the scouting units had to return to the bunker within 24 hours. The time they left the bunker was unknown so they could return after 10 hours or 20 hours.
‘But if they have to return by tomorrow then they wouldn’t be back in the next few hours. If I find a proper route then I can cross the snowy mountain in 10 hours. They have to return to the bunker within 10 hours so if I cross the snowy mountain then I don’t need to worry about being caught.’
There was just one problem. The area beyond the mountain were endless plains of snow. It wasn’t easy to find a person in that place. However, that only applied when there was a distance.
‘There is 10 hours between us but they will be riding bikes. They can catch up in 30 minutes by riding the bike. And I will be easily spotted if they get within a few kilometres and there will be no way to escape. In that case……’
Ark took out an item. It was something now indispensable to Ark, the shovel!
‘……Hide!’
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Ark dug a hole in the snowy mountain. He entered the hole, covered it up and used the Withdrawal skill to hide himself. The scouting unit couldn’t spot the hiding Ark and moved far away. Of course, they weren’t chasing him blindly. They divided into 3 groups and searched in a systematic method. No matter what direction Ark escaped in, he would’ve been caught by the net. However…..
“I already heard everything you stupid bastards.”
It was the reason he was hiding in this location. The path through the snowy mountain wasn’t straight. But that changed once the mountain ended and the snow fields began. He couldn’t escape blindly so he had to work out some strategies. This spot was what he came up with when thinking of a strategy! It wasn’t accidental that he overheard the scouting unit.
“Huhuhu, the biggest mistake is that you didn’t know your opponent is Ark.”
In fact, Ark was also astonished by the change in himself. Ever since starting Galaxian, Ark had been making successive mistakes. First he broke his dagger on R-14 and then he was entangled with a criminal hamster and got arrested.
‘Am I really Ark?’
He understandably had this thought. However, that situation changed little by little after coming to Beltana. At first his hopeless situation continued on Beltana but he slowly managed to escape and began to regain his previous self. His rusty head was slowly being cleaned. His head was slowly going back to its previous state. He was Ark of New World!
‘Yes, this feeling. I had forgotten for a while…..this is who I am. This Ark.’
Beltana was the worst environment that Ark encountered. This worst environment wasn’t only in the game. His real estate property had suddenly fallen to 1/10th of the price. If an accident with the nuclear power plant really occurred then his real estate would fly around. The real estate price wouldn’t go up unless Lucifer’s threat disappeared. If he thought about it like that then Lucifer’s threat extended to reality.
‘I have to do something!’
Ark’s sleeping survival instinct woke up thanks to the situation in reality.
“Anyway, I can’t stay in a place like this forever. There is a limit to this battlefield. If I can’t escape from my status as a prisoner then I can’t go any further. And it isn’t necessary to speak about Lucifer.
So I can’t waste time being captured.”
Ark looked around with gleaming eyes. He had already perfectly grasped the movements of the scouting unit. He could sneak out of their search network.
“First I need to fill my stomach……”
Snap! Munch, munch, munch.
Ark inserted a bug into his mouth and chewed it. Ark had collected 20 Space Foods from the supplies box but he was still eating the bugs. The reason was simple. It was in order to raise the skill proficiency of Steel Stomach through experience. If he ate the bugs then he could increase the proficiency of Steel Stomach. But it wasn’t that easy to raise. No matter how many bugs he ate, the degree of proficiency only went up by 1. Furthermore, he couldn’t catch the bugs everywhere. And Steel Stomach only helped with insects that gave lethal doses of poison. He needed the maximum amount to raise the skill. It didn’t feel good eating the bugs but it helped his mental growth so Ark endured it.
-Achievement + 100.
-Satiety has reached 100%.
His satiety was full just by eating 6 bugs. Steel Stomach also gave an extra 3% satiety with every food eaten.
-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 243 km.
“Now the remaining distance is 243 kilometres……”
He hadn’t even travelled half the distance from when he first left the pyramid. If he travelled 70~80 km a day then it would take 3 more days to reach the base.
“But the snow storm is dying down. Communication will soon resume.”
If communication was resumed then he could use wireless contact if he was within 100 km. He would be able to request help from the base. In other words, the base was only 140 km away and he could get there in two days.
‘Yes, the next two days! That’s no problem! I can return alive!’
Ark energetically stepped forward. Of course, he was still being pursued so he couldn’t be careless. The snow storm was dying down. Therefore he would leave footprints in the snow. However, he had already found a way to solve that.
Sasasasa! Sasasasa!
He distributed his weight like he was walking on a swamp! At first he applied this skill to prevent from slipping on the snow. Once it was used steadily, an unexpected information window appeared.
-A new ability has been added to the ‘Swamp Walking’ skill.
Some skills have special ‘secrets’ that can be acquired. This secret can be obtained when the skill reaches intermediate level or the user realizes there is another application for it
You have applied Swamp Walking and mastered walking on snow.
+ Snow Walking: Your movement speed when walking on snow can increase if you apply the same principles as Swamp Walking.
<The restrictions on the snow has decreased and the evasion rate has increased by 10%>
* You won’t leave any footprints when walking on snow.
He gained the additional ability Snow Walking! That was how Ark was able to leave no traces when walking over the snowy mountain. The problem was it consumed his stamina……
Snap! Munch, munch, munch.
There were plenty of bugs so it wasn’t a problem. He chewed on the bugs like it was popcorn and walked through the snowfield. He calculated that he had been walking for over 30 hours since escaping from the bunker. Sometimes he would become dizzy with sleepiness but Ark bit his lip and persisted. In the meantime he had travelled 90 km. He had probably already escaped the Rama’s search net but he couldn’t be careless. Ark had been captured when he entered hibernation state. He couldn’t guarantee his safety if he rested in a place like this.
“Pant pant pant, there is 150 km left. Damn, it is still far away. Pant pant pant, but if I travel 50 more kilometres then I can send a request for help. Pant pant pant! 10 more hours. I have to somehow hang on until then!”
Ark fought with his sleepiness and looked at the Nymphe to confirm the distance. Suddenly a blinking icon on his Nymphe caught his eye.
“Eh? This? Why is it reacting in a place like this?”
Ark clicked the icon with a bewildered look.
-New GPS information has been entered.
A message he couldn’t understand rose in front of him
—————————————————
“How wonderful.”
Valencia smiled as he looked around. Enormous armoured vehicles were advancing behind him. 5 Memeods were advancing forward while surrounded by dozens of bikes! It was the federation army marching towards the Rama base.
“If this surprise attack succeeds then the Beltana war will end!”
Valencia wasn’t just glad that the war was ending. After being sponsored by the galactic federation, he had been appointed as the leader of the 1st armoured platoon on Beltana for around two months. In the meantime, Valencia had raised his income quite a bit from users sent to Beltana as prisoners. He couldn’t be happy about the war ending since he would lose his extra income.
“But that will change if I become a distinguished person.”
The best person who led the army to victory on a disputed planet! Needless to say, the rewards would be colossal. Furthermore, this would be the first victory over a disputed planet since Galaxian was commercialized. In other words, he could become the first war hero. A hero! It was a word that indicated a user who grasped money and honour in both hands. And it was 90% confirmed that Valencia was the main character with all the glory.
‘The remaining 10% is anxiety that Ark will revive……’
Valencia looked at the bikes moving around busily and smiled. The 1st armoured platoon on the bikes had a secret order to directly execute the deserter Ark. Then he would be 100% confirmed as a hero!
“It was worth being sent to a planet like this.”
Valencia murmured while smiling with satisfaction. Then a bike approached him.
“Platoon Chief Valencia.”
Valencia’s face shone as he turned his head.
“Hoh, it is unexpected for you to initiate a conversation with someone. Do you like me?”
“I just had nothing to say to others.”
The woman who answered with an emotionless face was Irina. She was the military officer in charge of distributing supplies to prisoners.
“Then you must have a reason to talk to me.”
“Will they be left in that situation?”
“They…..”
A cold laugh emerged from Valencia’s mouth and he winked at Irina. Behind the advancing Memeod were 10 people painfully walking. They were breathing harshly and staggering while walking. They were Ark’s Royal Guards.
“What’s the problem?”
“Why are they the only ones walking instead of riding on the Memeod?”
“There is no more room on the Memeod. You know that we mobilized all of our troops. The mercenaries also joined us. Some of them have their own transportation but others have to take the Memeod.”
“I’m aware of that. I’m asking why they of all people have to walk.”
“What are you implying? The core power of this mission is the regular troops and mercenaries. Marching would consume their stamina. Isn’t it natural for the prisoners to walk?”
“But they haven’t even eaten properly. Some of them are starving and have probably reached their limit. If they have to march hundreds of kilometres in that state then they will collapse before arriving at the battlefield.”
“Then so be it.”
Valencia replied with a grin.
“We can’t have weak soldiers on the battlefield.”
“Are you deliberately trying to kill them by making them march?”
“Is there such a thing? Like I said, there is no room in the Memeod. It is my duty to only bring soldiers in the best condition onto the battlefield.”
“But there are still some spaces on the vehicles of the mercenaries. If you ask them…..”
“Let’s see. I’m not a storyteller. They weren’t willing to do it.”
The Royal Guards didn’t find it that funny as they examined the vehicles. In fact, there were no vacancies in the Memeod but room could be made for 10 people. But Valencia made the Royal Guards walk. The Royal Guards were Ark’s subordinates. If left alone then they could adversely affect the prisoners paying Valencia money for protection. Valencia felt he needed to make an example of them.
“If you’re so worried about it then you should give them some food.”
“That….it is against the regulations.”
“Indeed.”
Valencia burst out laughing. Irina frowned at Valencia’s attitude. Pedro who was a member of the 1st armoured platoon then approached on his bike.
“Leader-nim, an accident has occurred in the rear.”
“Accident?”
“Yes, one of the mercenaries’ vehicle has fallen into a hollow and can’t move. It looks like the vehicle will need to be repaired. The mercenary members aren’t enough to pull it out of the hollow so they request the support of 10 extra soldiers.”
“10 soldiers……”
Valencia looked at the gasping members of the Royal Guards following the vehicles.
“This should be suitable labour for them.”
————————————————————————————
“This really is terrible.”
Mellin sighed with a gloomy face. They had been dying of starvation ever since Ark and his food supply disappeared. And they only had 40% satiety when mobilized for the mission. However, they were pulled onto the battlefield without being given any food or allowed on the Memeod. While the other soldiers were resting in the Memeod, the Royal Guards had to waste their energy walking to the battlefield. Therefore their satiety had fallen to 25%. Cupa who was part of the Tobil Clan was gasping with every breath.
“Now we have to do the difficult task of pulling this truck out of a hollow…..”
Valencia had given the task of pulling out the truck to the Royal Guards. They sighed at the sight of the huge truck stuck in a hollow in the middle of the snow field.
“That bastard, does Valencia want us to drop dead?”
“It can’t be helped.”
Mellin muttered with no willpower.
“Valencia has become the leader of the regular troops thanks to his achievements while we are just prisoners. If we disobey him then won’t we be penalized even more? This won’t change even if we go onto the battlefield. Valencia is in command so we will just be shields for the bullets. We’ll either die from starvation or being hit by bullets.”
“Dammit!”
Berad bit his lips and spat out curses.
“This is all because of Hyung-nim……”
Hegel murmured as he lowered his head. Someone in the crew flinched and turned at the voice.
“What did you just say?”
“Hyung-nim…..Hyung-nim did it! Why? Did I say something incorrect? Isn’t it right? Valencia is annoying us because he disliked Hyung-nim!”
“You’re saying that now? Did you forget what Hyung-nim did for us? Did you forget that Hyung-nim just handed out food to us while we were fighting with the other prisoners for even one piece? Huh? Now you’re blaming Hyung-nim for Valencia’s harassment? What type of person are you?”
Berad shouted as he grabbed Hegel’s collar.
“But…..he is gone……”
Tears flowed from Hegel’s black eyes.
“We had a great time with Hyung-nim. I was forcibly drafted here but it was fun. I hoped that we could someday return to Istana with Hyung-nim. I was going to ask Hyung-nim if I could still be his subordinate when we leave this place. I’m willing to die if it is for Hyung-nim. But…..but…..Hyung-nim deserted us……”
“You idiot! You’re becoming upset because of Valencia’s words. Hyung-nim wouldn’t abandon us!”
“Then why hasn’t he returned? It has been a fortnight since Hyung-nim disappeared. But why?”
“T-that….”
Berad stuttered with a puzzled expression. After a while he sighed and retreated. The other members also held their tongues and sighed with heavy expressions.
“Hey, you guys! Why are you chatting for so long?”
Then a rough voice was heard from the rear of the truck. A huge figure covered in fur and smoking a cigar approached. His eyes surveyed the spiritless Royal Guards and he clicked his tongue.
“Sheesh, you look exactly like a zombie.”
“Are you the leader of the mercenaries?”
“Yes, I am the leader. Are you Mellin?”
“Yes but…..how do you know my name? Did Valencia tell you?”
“I will give you a detailed explanation later. Let me do a staff check first. Hegel, Kalliben, Beleol, Berad, Ralph, Cupa, Hedro, Reben, Konsed and Mellin. 10 people right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It is like that guy said.”
“Huh? That guy? Platoon Chief Valencia?”
“Sheesh, we wouldn’t follow a despicable child like that platoon leader. Anyway, the main force is quite a distance away so we can get started.”
The leader of the mercenaries approached the truck.
Buaaaang! Kukong! Totong!
Suddenly the truck released some fumes and quickly got out of the hollow. The eyes of the Royal Guards popped out at the unexpected situation.
“T-the truck that fell into the hollow……”
“Bah, this truck carried dozens of tons of metal parts through swampland for several years with no problems. It is impossible for the truck to get stuck in a hollow like this.”
“T-then why?”
“Get in. We’re going somewhere.”
The leader opened the container of the truck. Then 20 mercenaries poured out and thrust the Royal Guards into the container. The truck then raced over the snow at a breakneck speed. The Royal Guards were uneasy but they sat down opposite the mercenaries. The truck clattered on for 1 hour.
Kiiiiiiii-!
There was a sharp noise and the truck stopped. Then the door of the container opened and the leader’s voice was heard.
“We’re here. Everybody get down.”
“Where are we? Where did you bring us?”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll understand once you get off.”
The mercenary leader laughed and replied. With a bandage covering one eye, the man gave off a bloody impression. It was a face that couldn’t be trusted but they couldn’t just stay inside the container. Mellin and the Royal Guards got off the container with a worried expression. They looked around restlessly until they saw someone standing 10 meters away. It was getting dark so the sunset was obscuring the face of the person. The members looked at him with confusion.
“U-unbelievable!”
Kalliben suddenly let out a scream.
“What’s wrong? Do we know him?”
“Hyung-nim? That guy…..is Hyung-nim! Ark hyung-nim!”
“Ark? Ark hyung-nim? Such a thing? It is impossible. How could it be Ark hyung-nim?”
“I didn’t tell you?”
The mercenary leader smirked and spoke with a sly expression.
“I know that guy from before. He was a prospective member of the Silver Hand.”
The large man blowing out cigar smoke was Clem. He was the head of the government recognized Silver Hand
—————————————————
Let’s return to several hours ago.
“H-how did my GPS catch this here? And the distance is 50 km?”
Ark looked at the Nymphe with a confused expression.
-You have received the GPS signal of the mercenary group Silver Hand.
<Present location of the Silver Hand’s truck: 53 km in the north east direction>
Surprisingly the Nymphe had caught the GPS signal of the Silver Hand. Before Ark was sent to Beltana, he had been tricked by a wicked hamster and hired out to the Silver Hand mercenary group. But unlike his worries, the Silver Hand was a surprisingly decent mercenary group. Ark worked hard and was able learn various basic combat methods from Clem. He also cultivated a strong relationship with the Scavenger Heksu and could learn miscellaneous information. He had spent a fortnight with them. Meanwhile, his intimacy with the mercenary group became high and Clem inputted the GPS data of the truck into Ark’s Nymphe when their contract ended. But this was Beltana. The Silver Hand was supposed to be on Istana. Yet the GPS said they were 50 kilometres away?
“Is the Nymphe broken again?”
It was an uncomfortable thought. However, he decided to try communicating with them.
–This connection ID code…..Ark! Oh my god! Is it really Ark?
“This voice is? Leader Clem-nim?”
–That’s right! Ark! What on earth happened to you?
“That doesn’t matter. Why is the Silver Hand on Beltana?”
–We accepted the galactic federation’s request and were dispatched to Beltana. We don’t really are about things like this but we heard that you were sent to Beltana when we dropped by the city. Heksu and the other members were in an uproar once they heard and couldn’t understand what happened. Well, well.
“That is…..”
–That’s okay. You don’t need to say it. Obviously it is because of that hamster. That damn hamster, I knew this day would come eventually.
“But why did the federation dispatch the mercenaries?”
–Ah, of course you wouldn’t know.
Ark was then told what happened on the federation base. The garrison commander Haman found out the location of the Rama base and asked for reinforcements from the central government of Istana. However, they don’t have enough regular troops and decided to dispatch mercenaries to Beltana.
“Then the Carrier MR-II that I sent arrived.”
-What? What does that mean?
“I found the location of the Rama base. And sent the information.”
Ark explained how he managed to find the Rama’s base before sending the information with the Carrier MR-II he found on the snowy mountain. Then Clem continued in a puzzled voice.
–I never heard anything like that. I asked the Beltana soldiers about you and didn’t hear anything about that. I heard that you’ve been missing for a fortnight and was labelled as a deserter. The garrison commander announced that a soldier called Valencia was the one who found the location of the Rama base.
“V-Valencia?”
Ark felt like a bomb had exploded in his head. What happened…..it wasn’t necessary to think hard about it. It was impossible for Valencia to find the Rama base while there was a snow storm. Then the answer was simple. The Carrier MR-II that Ark sent. Valencia must’ve obtained it before it reached the headquarters of the federation base. And he downloaded the information from the Carrier MR-II before disposing of it. It wasn’t surprising when considering that the soldier was Valencia.
‘Valencia of all people…….’
–Something smells dirty.
Clem murmured in a suspicious voice.
–If it is true then he can’t get away with it.
Of course Ark wasn’t going to let him get away with it. He was going to do everything possible to smear Valencia.
–If you die then there is no way but if you return alive then you can reveal the truth. The contents will be stored on your Nymphe so an investigation will clearly show the truth. But that is only if you return alive. Fortunately you’re only 50 km away so you can join us quickly. That is the most imperative thing.
‘I have to return alive. That is definitely the most imperative thing right now but…..’
Over the past fortnight, that was Ark’s foremost goal when wandering through the storm. However, his objective wasn’t to simply ‘survive.’ Ark was eating bugs to stay alive so he wouldn’t lose the experience and Rune Carving skill he obtained from the pyramid. In other words, he needed to survive to register with the Fairy. However, the federation had mobilized all their troops and were advancing towards the Rama base. It was likely that the Fairy at the federation base wasn’t working anymore.
‘Although I have to join up with them……’
Valencia was currently holding all the power among the main body. Valencia had intercepted the Carrier MR-II that Ark sent then his return would be the most dangerous threat to him. He would use any excuse to kill Ark. On the battlefield, there were no soldiers who wouldn’t kill while obeying the commander’s order. And he was just a mere prisoner.
‘If I join then I will die!’
The Carrier MR-II could lead to his death. However, that only applied if Ark joined up with the main force. His Steel Stomach meant he could survive on Beltana alone. But he couldn’t let Valencia be seen as a hero.
‘If the federation wins the war then Valencia will be hailed as a hero. The investigation might not proceed if I protest afterwards. I need to find some way to reveal Valencia’s injustice. I need to find some way before Valencia becomes a hero.’
Then something popped into Ark’s head. Ark was lost in thought for a while.
‘I have no choice but to try it!’
“Captain Clem-nim, I have a request.”
–Say it.
“There are 10 prisoners who follow me like I’m their Hyung-nim.”
–Yes I heard that as well. Valencia and his platoon members have been bothering 10 prisoners.
That bastard. That guy called Valencia. His actions were expected. He felt sorry because he had forgotten about the Royal Guards for a while.
“Can you somehow separate my younger brothers from the group and lead them here?”
–Separate? But an appropriate excuse……
“I have an idea.”
That was to have the Silver Hand’s truck fall into the pitfall. It would be impossible for the Silver Hand to advance with the main army. Then Clem requested additional help while the other soldiers continued marching. And the prisoner unit were the useless soldiers. Valencia had been bothering the Royal Guards for a while. The situation proceeded like Ark planned. And finally……
————————————————————————————
“Hyung-nim!”
The 10 Royal Guards stampeded towards him.
“Hyung-nim, you’re alive!”
“We thought Hyung-nim was dead.”
“So we waited day and night in front of the Fairy!”
“What happened? Where have you been in the meantime?”
The Royal Guard members surrounded Ark and fired questions at him.
“Stop, stop, I can’t answer all your questions at once. You see……”
Ark who was surveying the depressed face of the members flinched and closed his mouth. Hegel was standing behind the other members while dripped tears.
“Huk, I…..I really thought Hyung-nim had deserted us and wasn’t returning……”
“You brat, is such a thing possible?”
Ark patted Hegel’s head and looked at the other members of the Royal Guards. It was obviously with one glance that they had no energy and looked like zombies. Ark didn’t bother to ask how much they suffered while he was away.
Korururu. Korururu. Korururu.
The stomach of 10 people started growling.
“It’s no joke. We’ll talk later so fill your stomach for now.”
Ark handed out the Space Food he obtained from the Rama’s bunker. The famished members shoved the food inside their mouths. Seeing the members looking so happy also eased Ark’s mind. And he placed a bug in his mouth without thinking. Hegel gawked at Ark with surprise and asked.
“Hyung-nim, what are you eating?”
“Huh? Oh, this? It’s a bug. Why, you should know. It is a bug often found when extracting Iridium.”
“Hik! W-why are you doing something like that……?”
“In fact, I ran out of food while coming here.”
Ark laughed and tried to explain the process he went through to obtain Steel Stomach.
Muff-!
Hegel’s mouth dropped open while chewing the Space Food. It wasn’t just Hegel. The other members were also looking at Ark with shock.
‘What? Is seeing me eat a bug so shocking?’
Ark became embarrassed and scratched his head.
“Ohhh! Ohhh! Ohhhh…..!”
Hegel moaned and started crying even more.
“Eh? What happened? Is eating a worm so terrible?”
“Horrible….that’s not it. Ohhh! Hyung-nim ate bugs despite having food…..it is because of us. You knew we would be starving if you met us again and ate the bugs while leaving the food for us…..ohhh!”
‘Eh? What are they saying?’
“Ohhh! We didn’t even know…..Valencia kept on saying that Hyung-nim deserted us and I blamed you….I, I……”
They had completely misunderstood Ark. Of course, it was true that he worried about the Royal Guards. His heart actually hurt when he saw the shabby forms of the members. But…..Ark wasn’t the type to sacrifice himself and starve for other people. However, there was no need to talk so bluntly. It was wiser to leave their innocent dreams intact.
“These children, I’m fine. I told you. We are comrades.”
“Hyung-nim….waaaaah! Hyung-nim!”
Hegel embraced Ark and shed heavy tears. The other members also shed tears like a fountain and flocked around Ark.
“I won’t doubt Hyung-nim at all now!”
“If Hyung-nim commands me to jump into water or fire then I will do it without hesitation!”
“I would give up the rest of my life for you!”
-Mellin’s loyalty has increased by 200.
-Hegel’s loyalty has increased by 200.
-Berad’s loyalty has increased by 200……
The loyalty of all the Royal Guards increased at the same time! It wasn’t just the Royal Guards
“That Ark, he really is a good person.”
Clem smoked his cigar with moist eyes. Heksu also looked at Ark with admiration and murmured.
“That big fellow. What would it be like if he was my successor…..?”
“He also willingly did all the dirty tasks.”
“It is good that we came here to help.”
-Intimacy with Clem has increased by 100.
-Intimacy with Heksu has increased by 100.
His intimacy with Clem and the Silver Hand also rose. The atmosphere increased thanks to the excited feelings from the Royal Guards and the Silver Hand.
“What will you do now Ark? We managed to sneak away but if we don’t return soon then we’ll be punished. Did you have an idea when you told us to leave the main force?”
Clem asked once the atmosphere was calm.
“Of course.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“From now on, we’ll become a detached force.”
————————————————————————————
“Leader-nim, I have an urgent report!”
At the headquarters of the Rama’s main base. A warrior shouted with an urgent expression.
“The scouting unit that we sent out to investigate the incident at the base has returned. While trying to capture the federation soldier that escaped, they found the federation army moving along the border. They number approximately 600~700. There are 5 Memeods and dozens of bikes and vehicles. It is a lot more troops then we previously judged was on Beltana. It is clearly an all-out attack by the federation army.”
“What, what the?”
The Rama commander jumped out and exclaimed.
“Dammit, was that fire really caused by a federation scouting unit?”
The federation had rallied all their troops and advanced. The region around the mountain was 100 km. If they rallied all the troops to bypass the border then they clearly knew the location of the main base. If they’ve already started to bypass the border then there wasn’t a lot of time to prepare.
“To happen at this time……if it was a few more days then Beltana would be ours…..”
“Perhaps our plan was leaked to them?”
“It is still unknown……”
The Rama commander raised his head and shouted.
“It is clear that our base will be attacked. We have to stop those guys before their heavy weapons close in on the base. Adjutants, quickly gather all the troops in front of headquarters. Wake up anyone in hibernation mode! All necessary troops except for the engineers will gather to prevent the advance of the federation army. The limit is 10 km away in area T-23. No matter what kind of sacrifices we make, we have to stop them for 3 days until our plan is complete!”
“I understand!”
Wiiiiiiing!
Sirens rang across the Rama main base.
Space 7
Unauthorized Attack
Tu tu tu tung-!
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Hundreds of metres were covered in smoke.
“Multiple smoke bombs!”
“The smoke screen contains a component to stop photoelectric light. The infrared scopes are jammed!”
“The influence of the magnetic waves won’t even allow biometric scanning!”
Shouting came from everywhere. Valencia bit his lip and exclaimed.
“Put away any vision correction devices! The enemy are the Rama, not space monsters. It will be difficult to survive while depending on mechanical devices on the battlefield. Remove all vision correction equipment except for the optical filter and wait for the command to attack. Their offensive will start soon.”
Then the smoke screen flickered simultaneously and hundreds of shadows appeared within it. Monsters while sharp arms like knives approached through the snow field. They were the biological weapon of the Rama, the Carack.
“Shoot!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Hundreds of guns fired at once. Hundreds of bullets, grenades and warheads fired, causing swirls of smoke and flames. The Carack became full of holes like a honeycomb and collapsed. However there were no signs of the Carack decreasing. And they moved on battle instinct so they didn’t feel fear.
Karararara! Kararararak!
The Carack just climbed over the stacked corpses. Once the Carack started their assault, the federation army became wrapped in confusion. Several soldiers were hacked and mangled by the Carack’s sharp arms. But Valencia’s face was still confident.
“Those guys intend to push forward. They want to overwhelm us with their numbers. But impatience will being misfortune on a battlefield. Pedro!”
“Yes, Leader-nim. Start!”
At the same time, dozens of smoke trails were fired.The smoke reached dozens of metres into the sky! They simultaneously exploded and hundreds of splinters flew from the sky like rain.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwa!
An area several hundred metres wide shook and dust flew up. It was the aerial attack weapon Claymore that fired hundreds of metal splinters! Unlike ordinary bombs, this once exploded in the sky so it was difficult to avoid. Thus it was known as the Devil’s rain! The Claymore showed overwhelming destructive power.
Kara…..kararara…..
Once the swirling smoke and dust settle down, hundreds of Carack were smears on the ground. The blood of the Carack were also mixed with the bodies of the Rama warriors.
“Now I’m slowly starting to see the end.”
Valencia smiled slyly and murmured. It had been two days since the federation had rallied their entire army and set forth towards the Rama base. They crossed the snowy mountain border and reached 15 km of their destination. The Rama had installed barricades there and had already arranged their defensive lines.
‘Sheesh, I deliberately bypassed the border for security…..’
The advancing troops must’ve been detected by a Rama scouting unit. Initially the federation’s plan had been to advance to a distance where they could bombard the Rama base with their heavy weapons. If their tanks switched to Siege mode then the damage and range of their bombardment would rise explosively. If they switched to this mode within range of the base then they would have a chance to win.
‘But they became aware faster than I expected.’
He guessed that the Rama had large numbers of defense facilities in this area so they would be detected eventually. The problem was that it was faster than expected so the Rama’s defences were solid. So far the military situation on Beltana was 6:4, with the federation being inferior. The federation was losing so they didn’t get enough reinforcements and supplies from the galactic federation. The Rama also used the Carack while the federation had a limited number of androids. Thus the federation started to dispatch prisoners towards the Bellin constellation. However, things were different now. 200 mercenaries were dispatched once the location of the Rama base was discovered. They were also supplied with advanced weapons. Therefore their combat power had jumped! The effect was clearly proven in battle. Since the battle started 2 days ago, the federation had managed to march within 5 km of the Rama base.
‘Now it is almost finished!’
“Armoured squadrons 1,2 and 3, go! We will reach their base after this battle!”
100 soldiers shouted after hearing Valencia’s words.
“Armour armament!”
Their bags opened and a large capsule like object flew out. The capsules floated in the air and revolved like a puzzle before changing into armour. They fell like lightning and enveloped the bodies of the soldiers.
Tong-! Tong-! Tong-! Tong-!
The metal encircled the arms and legs and closed up. The parts around the head and upper body tightened and gave out steam. Once the combination of all parts were complete, the soldiers turned into robots 2 metres large. This was the federation’s battle suit. It was the original form of the armoured platoon.
“Rush!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The 100 people of the armoured platoon rushed towards the Rama army. The battle suits also fired various rounds of ammunition. Valencia looked at the heat wave it caused and took out his Beam Sword.
‘No one can stop me! This is my battlefield!’
————————————————————————————
“I arrived just in time.”
Ark smiled and muttered. Flames and smoke soared on the horizon. And the sound of gunshots was audible. It was several kilometre away but he didn’t need to see it with his own eyes. There was a battle going on between the federation and the Rama.
“That Valencia, he seems to be making quite an effort.”
The battle was taking place 5 km away from the Rama base. The Rama weren’t blind so they would know that the federation was approaching. Clearly they would form a defense line further away from the base. Yet the federation managed to push it back to 5 km from the base. And one of the leaders of the allied forces was Valencia! Valencia was fighting extremely hard.
‘It is natural. He knows the location of the Rama base and even received command of the federation army. If he shattered the Rama base with this strategy then he will monopolize all the achievements. He will become a hero and receive colossal bonuses. But……’
Ark lowered his eyes and winced. Ark was currently hiding on a hill near a military garrison. There was a large dome in the middle of the garrison and were surrounded by many buildings and tents. The scale made it clear that it was the Rama central base.
“I’m sorry but this is mine.”
This was the Rama base Valencia was trying to get to. But Ark was on a hill several hundred metres from it. Ark arrived here before the federation’s army……
‘The federation rallied their forces for a surprise attack. The Rama will soon find out about the attack. Obviously they will build a defense line to prevent the advance of the federation army. In this situation they had to rally all their troops. Then the Rama’s base will be empty!’
It was the first thing that popped into Ark’s head when hearing about the federation’s strategy. Then a path naturally emerged.
Crevasse → Pyramid → Warp from the Pharaoh’s room → the ground → Rama’s main base.
This was the path Ark had taken while experiencing various hardships. His only idea had been to return to the federation base. When he thought about it, there was a shortcut to safely return to the Rama base. Ark arrived here before the federation’s army thanks to the shortcut. No, he arrived when there was a lot of time left.
‘They had a lot of people so there is a limit to how fast the main army can move. In addition, they had to fight the Rama so they would take at least four days to arrive. If I utilize the pyramid then I can arrive the Rama base within a day. There is plenty of time while the Rama and federation fight so there is no need to hurry.’
So Ark had plenty of time to kill. He could gain some experience from the Anubis. He intentionally fell into a trap and wandered around the infinite rooms. This was because he already knew a way to defeat the traps. Moreover, this time he wasn’t alone. There were the 20 Silver Hand and 10 Royal Guards so that was 30 people.
“Concentrate and shoot!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tang! Tang!
Ark gave a command and dozens of bullets crossed through the air into the eye. The Anubis turned into a pile of stone. At this time, the average level of the Royal Guards was level 25. They swept through the level 35 Anubis with the 30 troops and the Royal Guards gained 3 levels! The Silver Hand and Ark who were level 40 also gained 1 level.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 45
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Crime 3,500 Adventure 100
Health 900 (+90) Mental Power 450
Strength 105 (+23) Agility 155
Stamina 175 (+18) Wisdom 15
Intelligence 85 Luck 15
* Title: Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
* Body Coating: Prisoner
+ The Prisoner coating is limited to the region of Beltana
+ Your body information will belong to the galactic federation after receiving the Prisoner coating
+ You are unable to receive any other body coating until the Prisoner coating is removed
Fortunately he was able to reach level 45 despite his prisoner status. The Anubis also dropped 300 Zaliman ores. In the past he would’ve have been able to obtain this loot but the bag spaces had increased with the number of members. Of course, he had to share the loot among the people but it was better than nothing. But the happy hunting didn’t last long. There was also an end to the rooms that he thought went on for infinity. Once they destroyed hundreds of years, the remaining rooms only contained piles of broken stone.
‘It is impossible to gain experience and loot like this forever.’
Ark sighed with disappointment when a message appeared.
-You have destroyed 100% of the Murat’s traps and obtained the <Ignorant Destroyer> title.
The Murat is a race that values wisdom above all. Because they are wise, they even respect the thieves who robbed their graves. That is the reason the Murat designed the traps where having wisdom would allow the thieves to escape.
However, there is another way to release the traps. If you can’t solve the secret then destroying 1,000 rooms will release the trap. You must be a very ignorant person. However, you didn’t give up so your patience is just as admirable as wisdom.
<Title Effect: Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)>
It was a new title.
‘But Ignorant Destroyer…..’
He wanted to ask about the secret of the trap. However, he wouldn’t have received the title if he hadn’t destroyed all the rooms. Then didn’t Ignorant Destroyer fit? But what was the secret of the trap?
‘Ah, I don’t know. Anyway, I got a title so it doesn’t matter. And I don’t have any more time.’
Of course Ark wasn’t going to stay there forever. He had returned to the pyramid for a reason. Ark’s goal was something else!
‘It is this!’
The Rama’s base located at the bottom of the hill!
“Valencia has already received a lot of achievements by intercepting my information. But information is only information. It has no meaning unless the war is won. And the prerequisite for winning is to destroy the Fairy and Star Gate. Figuring out the location of the base is nothing compared to that.”
This was the reason Valencia was fighting so hard. However, Ark had already arrived at the Rama’s base with 30 people. The base was also empty because all the Rama were trying to stop the federation army.
‘I can take care of the Fairy and Star Gate before the federation gets here!’
This was Ark’s final goal.
“Are you ready?”
Ark examined the base for a while before turning around and asking. Clem bit his cigar and lifted a huge rifle.
“Who are you speaking to? We are mercenaries. We’re always ready.”
“We are also prepared.”
The Royal Guards took out their weapons and answered.
“You should know this already but this operation relies on secrecy and speed. The federation had advanced to a point several kilometres from here so most of the troops have been rallied to defend. But there will still be some troops at the base. We have to quickly take care of the Fairy and Star Gate before they notice.”
“Then we should process that first.”
Clem pointed to a watchtower in the centre of the base. Ark had already been here. The shapes were different but the arrangement of the buildings were similar to the federation’s base. The headquarters was a building in the centre with barracks around it.
‘The structure is similar so the location of the Fairy and the Star Gate should be the same.’
The Rama’s Star Gate was probably underneath the headquarters. Therefore the headquarters in the centre was one of Ark’s goals. The watchtower Clem was pointing to was in front of the headquarters. If they wanted to reach headquarters then they would have to go through the watchtower. There was another reason why they had to dispose of the watchtower.
‘The Rama’s Fairy!’
A crystal pillar was next to the watchtower. It was the Rama’s Fairy that he had seen a few times on the internet. The Rama’s Fairy was also built in the square in front of the headquarters.
‘There are two Rama warriors guarding the Fairy. One near the Fairy and one on the watchtower……’
Ark considered a while before asking Clem.
“It is possible to snipe them?”
“It is possible to secretly take care of one but two is impossible.”
“Then that’s fine. I’ll take care of the other one.”
“You alone?”
“If several people move together then the probability of being detected is higher.”
Clem scratched his beard and looked at Ark for a while. Then he laughed and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”
Ark descended the hill after hearing Clem’s reply. He had previously stolen a bike so Ark had experience with sneaking into the base. There were fewer troops so the risk had actually decreased
If he used Withdrawal and hid using the terrain then he easily managed to reach the vicinity of the Fairy.
-Withdrawal has been used.
<Probability of being detected by an enemy: 55%>
But the risk level significantly increased once he reached the vicinity of the watchtower. Ark hid behind a box near the Rama warrior guarding the Fairy. The distance was about 100 meters. After that there were no obstacles to hide behind.
‘But I just need the right timing!’
Ark quietly pulled out the Impact Blade and held his breath. And he waited for a Rama warrior patrolling the Fairy to turn the opposite way.
‘Now!’
He jumped over the box and ran towards the Rama warrior. However, he had only ran 50 metres before the Rama warrior at the watchtower reacted.
-Eh? W-who?
The Rama warrior barely finished talking when his head bounced back. The Rama warrior staggered and grabbed the railing. The head continuously shook and he fell over the railing. The Rama warrior patrolling the Fairy flinched as a colleague suddenly fell from above. He then discovered the rapidly approaching Ark.
–I-intruder…..ack!
But his voice couldn’t continue. Ark’s hand had narrowed the distance and covered the warrior’s mouth. He then kicked the back of the knee and shoved the blade into the neck. The Rama warrior received a critical hit and his health quickly fell. If he continued fighting like this then he would definitely win but there was no time.
“Armour armament!”
Ark immediately pulled out his battle suit. He left the sword lodged in the Rama’s neck and shouted.
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
18 Barrage was the special skill attached to Hyper Drone that drained all the mana! Most of the troops had been rallied to fight against the federation’s army so the sentry was only level 30
It wasn’t necessary to use this skill against an opponent like this but it was necessary to get the best effect. No other skill could top the speed and accuracy of the skill. The Rama warrior jumped like a freshly caught fish every time he was hit by the fist but the sword lodged in his neck meant he couldn’t scream. And when Ark’s fist hit the chest 15 times…..
-Achievement +40.
The Rama warrior turned into a bloody rice cake.
‘Phew, the first checkpoint has been passed.’
The battle suit was peeled off and Ark removed his sword. He turned around and looked at the Rama warrior splattered on the ground. It was the Rama warrior that had fallen from the watchtower next to the Fairy.
‘……It’s not a joke?’
Ark looked at the three holes in the Rama’s head and laughed. It wasn’t necessary to say but the Rama warrior hadn’t just fallen to his death. It was the skill of Clem who was the leader of the Silver Hand. Clem had sniped the Rama warrior from his spot on the hill. The Rama warrior couldn’t even scream with distress thanks to Clem’s skill. If this was a FPS game then the enemy would’ve died with the first shot but Galaxian was a RPG game. Unless there was a large level difference, it was hard for a sniper to kill with a headshot on the first hit. Furthermore, the sniper rifle was one of the slowest guns. It was possible to do 3 consecutive headshots because there were two more snipers apart from Clem. They were Kalliben and Beleol from the Royal Guards.
‘Not long ago they only had a 50% success rate……’
The Royal Guards hadn’t just obtained experience from the pyramid hunting. The Silver Hand were mercenaries with a lot more experience and combat skills than the Royal Guards. In addition, they also had specialized expertise so they were incomparable to the Royal Guards. Ark realized that fighting in the pyramid was a chance to narrow the gap between the two groups.
‘It is possible to learn a new skill in one or two days. Having a more experienced warrior teaching them the skill will make them learn faster!’
So Ark divided up the group. The effect definitely showed. The Silver Hand already had a good impression of the Royal Guards. When members with similar skills were paired together, the Silver Hand was taught sword skills while the Royal Guards were taught in firearms. Therefore the Royal Guards gained a lot of skill and experience. The ones who showed the most progress was Kalliben and Beleol who were taught by Clem. Now Kalliben and Beleol could shot a hole in the enemy’s head from hundreds of metres away.
“You are talented. If I teach you well then you will become a sniper who won’t lost to anyone.”
Clem was especially impressed with Kalliben’s growth. The Royal Guards’ loyalty was at the maximum after the ‘Ark eating bugs’ incident! Their growth was the same as Ark’s growth.
‘Anyway…..’
Ark took out a square object from his bag. He attached it to the lower part of the Fairy and a message appeared.
-C-6 has been installed.
The pre-set timer has been activated.
<60 minutes…..59 minutes 59 seconds……59 minutes 58 seconds……>
It was the C-6 bombs he obtained from the troopers not long ago! He didn’t have an explosives related skill so he couldn’t use the C-6 directly. It was difficult for him to set the timer without it exploding at the same time. However, that problem was easily solved once he joined the Silver Hand. Electromagnetic mines were used with Nakuma hunting so the Silver Hand also had an explosives expert. The member had pre-set the timer of the C-6 beforehand.
‘It will explode in 1 hour!’
He had handled the Rama warrior in the watchtower. The C-6 is installed on the Fairy so the only thing to take care of is the Star Gate in headquarters! Ark’s plan was to take care of everything in 1 hour and then escape from the base.
‘There is plenty of time but I don’t know what variables there are so I need to hurry!’
He went straight towards headquarters after installing the C-6. The detachment members were already gathered in front of headquarters.
“Now I can’t call you squirt anymore.”
Clem laughed and said warmly after Ark joined them.
“I’ve started the C-6. In order to escape the base within 1 hour, we need to go through the barracks and reach the Star Gate within at least 30 minutes. Is that possible?”
“You should ask that guy. Hey, how about it?”
“I’m almost done.”
Heksu replied with manipulating his Nymphe. Heksu was a Scavenger in the Silver Hand who went around gathering the wreckage of the Nakuma. Heksu had kept on trying to persuade Ark to become his successor but he kept on refusing. Ark didn’t realize it until they met again on Beltana but a Scavenger’s job wasn’t just to pick up japtem. Heksu’s actual work in the Silver Hand was……
“Captain, the scan has finished.”
Heksu laughed and raised his head. At the same time, a map of a complicated structure appeared on Heksu’s Nymphe. Surprisingly, it was the map of the Rama’s headquarters! This was Heksu’s Scavenger ability. Heksu’s occupation was assistance since as collecting items, identifying items, repair or upgrading items, as well as determining the terrain of a dungeon or building through special technology. He still didn’t want to become Heksu’s successor but…..
‘This profession will clearly be a big help on adventures!’
So Ark listened to some of Heksu’s wishes.
“How about it, do you understand it better now?”
“Yes, a little.”
“Huhuhu, you are wise.”
Heksu gloated as he patted Hegel’s sleek head. Ark gave Hegel to Heksu who was desiring a successor. Hegel might not have any combat capability but he was clever enough to calculate the trajectory of missiles. Fortunately Heksu quite liked Hegel.
‘Once again, it truly is an excellent choice.’
He handed someone loyal over to the persistently clingy Heksu! This was how Ark managed to grow his summons in the previous game.
“Good work. Please transmit the information to the members’ Nymphes.”
“I understand.”
Heksu operated his Nymphe and the map was sent to all the members’ Nymphes.
“Now, let’s get started. Our time limit is 30 minutes. Don’t bother saving your Fire bullets or other special ammunition. If we destroy the Star Gate then we will have played the main role in the victory. The galactic federations can pay back the cost of the bullets!”
“Yes!”
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
The detachment cheered and loaded their firearms. They couldn’t make a lot of noise once they entered the headquarters. The only thing left was speed!
“Charge!”
The crew ran into the headquarters. There were dozens of complex passages within the headquarters. However, there was no reason to get lost thanks to Heksu’s map. A 3D map rose from the Nymphe and indicated the position of the Star Gate. Ark and the detachment shot like the wind towards that location. They ran into some Rama warriors along the way but it wasn’t a problem.
-Heok! Y-you guys……?
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
It was a scary assault by 30 guns! The Rama warrior was riddled with holes and collapsed. It was truly overwhelming! One or two Rama warriors couldn’t slow down their rush.
“Pippin, Jupiter, install C-6 in 100 metre intervals. Do it quickly!”
“I understand.”
Two members obeyed Clem’s orders and installed C-6 at every corner.
-C-6 has been installed.
The pre-set timer has been activated.
<50 minutes……49 minutes 59 seconds……49 minutes and 58 seconds……>
-C-6 has been installed.
The pre-set timer has been activated.
<40 minutes……39 minutes 59 seconds……39 minutes and 58 seconds……>
The timer of Ark’s C-6 also floated in front of him. The C-6 Ark attached to the Fairy had a time limit of 1 hour. However, the C-6 the crew attached had a limit of 50 minutes, 40 minutes……it became increasingly less. Ark had shortened the time so that they would all blow up simultaneously. And……
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
–Heok! T-the federation! How did the federation get here?
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
–Kuack! N-no! We must defend this place!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
–Damn, there are too many of them!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
They rushed forward and fired their guns for 30 minutes. Ark and the detachment defeated 20 Rama and finally arrived at a huge underground hangar. In the centre of a hanger was a spiral shaped object with swirling blue light. And a 3D image of the galaxy was shown on the ceiling.
“W-we arrived! The Rama’s Star Gate!”
They had finally arrived at the Rama’s Star Gate.
‘By the way, did the Star Gate originally emit such an intense light?’
Ark frowned as he looked at the swirling blue lights. Ark had seen the Star Gate twice, once when he left R-14 and once when he arrived at Beltana. Back then the Star Gate emitted light but only enough for dozens of fireflies to wrap around his body. It also only flashed when Ark moved. However, the Rama’s Star Gate seemed like a huge pillar of light.
‘Well, the Rama’s Star Gate might just be a little different.’
Ark didn’t think about it too deeply. He couldn’t afford to think deeply about it.
“There is no time. 30 minutes has already passed. We have to escape the base before the C-6 explodes! Pippin, Jupiter, meticulously install the C-6 in every corner. The timer is 30 minutes. Ark, the rest of the crew will wait at the entrance in case of a surprise attack.”
And they waited a short time.
“Captain-nim, the installation is over!”
“Okay. Shall we leave now? Ark, let’s go!”
Clem said as he looked at Ark.
Wiiiiiiing!
–Karam! Tu! Raminata! Irikuna bam! BK-III, BK-IV, kuram…..
Sirens started ringing and mechanical sounds emerged from the loudspeaker. Clem and the members faces inside the hanger warped.
“Dammit, is there an emergency situation in the base?”
“That’s not it.”
Ark turned around with surprise and said. Clem couldn’t understand but Ark had heard the broadcast just now.
-All workers immediately leave the hangar. In 30 seconds the experiments BK-III and BK-IV will be transferred over from the home planet. The is risk involved with the transmission so all workers should immediately leave the hanger.
“Something is being transferred here!”
Ark exclaimed.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The blue light swirled and exploded violently. Ark, Clem and the members gathered at the hangar entrance were pushed back several metres. Ark rolled on the ground and raised his head. The violently swirling light gradually subsided…..and ‘it’ appeared
—————————————————
‘We’ve arrived! We’re almost there!’
Valencia looked at the battlefield with a flushed face. His heart beat wildly with every step. For the last two days, the federation army had been pushing back the Rama’s defense lines with ammunition and attack. The Rama had retreated little by little from the furious attack until they were only 5 km away from the base. The last line of defense persistently resisted but……
‘No one can stop us now!’
The surprise attack of the armoured squadron was decisive. While they were resisting the firepower, Valencia led the armoured platoon down for a surprise attack. The defense line had already suffered terrible damage and the armoured platoon managed to destroy 20 tanks with only 3 casualties. The tanks were the core of the core of the heavy weapons! The Rama suffered heavy losses to their core power and were forced to withdraw. The federation army pursued the Rama. No, they weren’t chasing the retreating Rama army. The federation’s goal from the beginning was the Fairy and Star Gate at the Rama’s base.
“Heh, it ends here. Now there are no more places for you to withdraw to.”
Finally the federation army had marched right in front of the Rama base. They had first encountered the Rama 15 km from the base. For two days the federation had suffered significant damage. Out of 700 soldiers, 400 had died while they lost 5 tanks and 2 battle suits. They lost approximately 60% of their power. However, the Rama suffered even more serious damage. The 1,000 strong army with both Rama and Carack were reduced to 100 people. Their tanks were also destroyed so they had lost 80~90% of their power. In the end, the Rama were pushed back to their base. The Rama army had nowhere left to run. They were also tattered so one more attack would wipe them out.
“Give up. The war is over.”
Valencia already felt like he was the winner. Then he heard the voice of the Rama commander who was 200 metres away.
“Baram, kum madaraka daranium, akani karamanada!”
He couldn’t understand what they were saying. Valencia turned around and a communication soldier quickly translated.
–Not yet you cheeky federation trash. No, it is just starting now!
“That foolish bastard.”
Valencia laughed at his ludicrous words. And he raised his hand to signal an attack.
Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!
There was suddenly a ringing sound from the headquarters of the Rama base. The Rama commander laughed as the headquarters started vibrating.
–Hahahaha! It came! It has arrived! Stupid federal trash! It is good that you guys came here! I’ll compliment you for managing to find this place. I’ll pay my respects to a fellow warrior . But it was a stupid thing to do. This place will be your grave. I’ll show you the fearful existence that the Rama created! Now, come out!
“A fearful existence? What does that……”
He was uncomfortable after hearing the noise. Valencia and the federation army turned and looked at the Rama’s headquarters. All the eyes of the federation and Rama army were concentrated on that building.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Chiiiii!
There was a roar and one wall of the headquarters split from side to side. The amazing thing that appeared……
“Huk! W-what the hell?”
–Huk, w-what the hell?
Valencia and the Rama commander said at the same time. A soldier had emerged from the split wall. Surprisingly 20 more federation soldiers appeared while covered in blood and dust. Valencia knew these soldiers!
“T-these guys?”
He muttered with a confused expression.
“What? It is the federation army. The main body already got here?”
“The Rama army is on the opposite side. Did we get the timing wrong?”
The soldiers from the headquarters said nosily as the surveyed the area.
“Now isn’t the time for that! Jump!”
“Ah! T-that’s right! Jump!”
The soldiers started running forward. They jumped forward and covered their head as they landed on the ground.
“…….”
There was 200 metres between the Rama and federation army. 400 soldiers from both sides looked at the soldiers with stupid eyes. Both the Rama and federation were confused about how federation soldiers managed to emerge from the headquarters. And why on earth were they sliding between both sides? But the most confused person was Valencia.
“Why are they here? That person was clearly……”
Valencia murmured with confusion.
Pepeng-!
Suddenly a roar was heard from the Rama’s base. Valencia and the Rama commander both screamed at the same time.
-F-Fairy!
The Rama’s Fairy was wrapped in flames! And that was just the beginning.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Dozens of explosions simultaneously occurred. At the same time an information window appeared in front of Valencia and the 300 federation members.
-The Rama’s Fairy on Beltana has been destroyed!
-The Rama’s Star Gate on Beltana has been destroyed!
-All of the federation soldiers on Beltana will be given bonus points for winning!
<The Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate have been destroyed and victory points given to all federation soldiers. The points will be paid according to contribution and all points will be converted to achievements when the war is over>
“The Fairy and the Star Gate……”
Valencia murmured with a dumb expression. This was one way to end a war on a disputed planet
It was the destruction of the Fairy and Star Gate. If the Star Gate was destroyed then no reinforcements can be sent while the soldiers couldn’t resurrect there if the Fairy was destroyed
Naturally many achievement points would be given for the destruction of the Fairy and Star Gate! This was the reason Valencia fought so hard for the last few days. Valencia received achievements for reporting the location of the Rama’s base. If he also destroyed the Fairy and Star Gate then it would be colossal achievements. He would become a hero who ended the Beltana war. So he fought while shedding blood for the last two days. And he finally advanced right in front of the Rama’s base. Yet…..yet…..
It had immediately exploded. The guy, of all people……
“Ark!”
Valencia could recognize him with one glance. The guy who ran away from the enemy’s headquarters was Ark! And following Ark were the prisoners. He didn’t know who the other soldiers were. He had no interest in why Ark who he thought was dead suddenly appeared from the headquarters. The most important thing to Valencia was that they managed to destroy the Fairy and Star Gate. Now that fellow Ark was lying on the ground in front of him.
“This is ridiculous! They can’t do this!”
An unbearable amount of anger built up inside him. Valencia and the Rama commander were both furious for different reasons. The Fairy and Star Gate were destroyed so the Rama’s defeat was already confirmed! And…..
-Kill! Those bastards! Kill those bastards!
“Kill! Those bastards! Kill those bastards!”
Valencia shouted at the same time as the Rama commander. The Rama immediately lifted their weapons but the federation soldiers looked puzzled.
“Huh? Kill them? Attack the Rama?”
“Dammit! Shut up!”
Valencia shouted angrily and lifted his Gatling gun. So 100 Rama and Valencia attacked Ark’s group!
Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Suddenly dozens of missiles flew and a sea of fire was created. The Rama and federation ran about in confusion from the absurd bombing. They looked at the direction the missiles flew from and screamed.
“Huk! W-what the hell?”
“An enormous shadow has appeared at the exploded base……”
“That absurd size! P-perhaps that……?”
Black smoke was blowing from the shattered Rama headquarters. Two massive shadows lumbered from the rubble of the headquarters and scattered the smoke with every step. A huge foot appeared from the smoke. The foot was attached to a glossy, red metal. The sharp claws on the feet split the smoke and a huge form showed up. It was a large, red, glossy metal form with a variety of weapons! It looked like one of the Rama’s biological soldiers but the size was huge. The body was similar to an ostrich but the size was 50 metres!
“Oh my god! T-that…..”
Pedro who was near Valencia stuttered with a pale face.
“Gigantic! It is the Rama’s Gigantic! A beast type Gigantic that hasn’t been seen yet!”
Space 8
Doom Machine (Part: 1)
A huge weapon has appeared in front of you after advancing to the enemy line. Gigantic is a versatile combat weapon present in Galaxian. Gigantic is a large planet destroying weapon made with the purpose of annihilating the enemy as well as adapting the planet’s environment to suit the pioneers. They also have a strong attack and defense. At the end of the first Galaxian war, spaceships that could transport the Gigantic were blocked. The Star Gates at the time also weren’t advanced enough to transmit such a high mass and the Gigantic became a relic of the past. Now a Gigantic has showed up on Beltana’s battlefield. An intimidating Gigantic was sent to the disputed planet.
However, the federation is the one that received the biggest threat from the appearance of the Gigantic. Using an excellent strategy, the federation army was able to destroy the Fairy and Star Gate. But if you can’t stop the Gigantic here and the federation army becomes destroyed then the federation base will be left defenseless. In addition, it was be impossible to re-enter and the rights to Beltana would have to be transferred to the Rama.
* If the Gigantic can’t be stopped then all victory points won in the last decisive battle will be invalidated. On the other hand, defeating the Gigantic will give +500 victory points to all federation members and x10 points given to the group that directly defeats it. And a special compensation will be given to the soldier who plays a decisive role in its death. All victory points will be converted to achievements when the Beltana war is over.
<Difficulty: C ++>
“Gigantic……”
The complexion of the federation army paled. The huge weapon Gigantic with extravagant destructive power made for major planet invasions. Their overwhelming attack meant they were called ‘Devil of the Battlefield’ during the 1st war and were the ultimate strategic weapon. Like the information window stated, the space ships that could transport the large mass of the Gigantic were sealed after the 1st galactic war. In addition, the current technology of the Star Gate meant that transmission of such a large mass was impossible. This was the first time seeing it for even the highest ranking commander Haman. In the past it was the strongest land weapon but the soldiers didn’t know how much attack power it actually had. Despite that, the federation army still fell into a state of shock at the Gigantic’s appearance. It was a massive weapon 50 metres in length! The tremendous size alone was enough to overwhelm the soldiers. But Valencia was focused on something else.
‘Ark! That bastard!’
Valencia grinded his teeth together. The soldiers who ran away from the Rama base were Ark and the Royal Guards. Shortly after they emerged, a message popped up stating that the Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate had been destroyed. It was definitely done by Ark’s group.
‘How on earth? Apart from the missing Ark, how did those prisoners managed to reach the Rama base before the main army? What the hell happened that I don’t know about?’
No, what happened wasn’t important. The important thing was that Ark and the Royal Guards had destroyed the enemy Fairy and Star Gate and received the achievements meant for Valencia. He had fought for many days to reach this place. Valencia had his status stolen by some chickens.
‘But above all……’
The problem was that Ark was alive. Valencia managed to receive 5,000 achievements from the data contained in the Carrier MR-II. However, the original owner of the Carrier MR-II was Ark.
‘If Ark returns alive……’
It would become clear that Valencia had intercepted Ark’s achievements. The 5,000 achievements that he had already collected and his silver medal of valour would fly away. So he had sent it back again. The Carrier MR-II! He also let the Rama know the place that Ark was hiding. However, Ark was still alive. The Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate was also destroyed.
‘Those stupid Rama! They couldn’t eat the dining table that I prepared for them? What is it doing? They couldn’t even control 1 prisoner in that condition!’ He blamed the Rama.
‘Anyway, I can’t let him leave. I have to handle him somehow!’
That was the only thought in Valencia’s head. But those thoughts only lasted for a few moments.
“Leader-nim, it is dangerous!”
Pedro’s voice was heard from behind him. Valencia’s face became stiff.
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
The earth shook as the two legs of the 50 metres Gigantic approached! The ostrich like body rotated towards the federation army. Dozens of gun turrets attached to the body aimed at the federation army.
‘Bah, I don’t know how powerful the Gigantic’s weapons are but……’
“Everybody be steady! It might be a large but it is slow! The Rama have already lost their fighting spirit. If we handle that chunk of iron then this war will end in the federation’s victory! Concentrate all our firepower and attack the Gigantic!”
“Did you hear the command? The target is the Gigantic in front! Concentrate all your firepower!”
The federation army regained their spirit after hearing Pedro’s command. Just like other online games, Galaxian also had skills like ‘Leadership’ that influenced the troops. If a commander had a related skill then soldiers would move in a more orderly fashion. And Valencia was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon so he had that skill! The reaction was immediate.
Pepeng! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu!
The tanks and troopers launched the heavy weapons. Hundreds of shells flew towards the Gigantic.
‘The Gigantic was called the strongest land weapon but that was 100 years ago. Even if it was called the Devil of the Battlefield, it is still just a large lump of iron. In a war, the pre-emptive strike was the best weapon. No matter how strong the firepower, if it is blocked then it would just be a chunk of scrap metal. I’ll prove that the Gigantic is just a relic of the past!’
It was impossible to withstand hundreds of ammunition without any damage. Valencia was sure that this attack would deal some damage. Hundreds of shells flew towards the body of the Gigantic. The moment the shells plunged downwards!
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The gun turrets on the Gigantic’s body simultaneously fired. At the same time, the shells flying through the hair were hit and disappeared. Valencia became confused as the number of ammunition was decreased.
“Oh my god! T-that is the GEM…..the automatic interception system?”
GEM was a defense system that calculated and countered the orbit of the enemy’s attack through a high precision computer. The GEM is equipped on some tanks but the number of calculations were limited and it could only intercept 2~3 at the most. The GEM attached to the base’s headquarters was able to intercept more than 100 shells. That’s why a long range bombardment on the base was difficult and the federation had to push right up to the enemy’s camp. Yet the Gigantic managed to intercept 100 shells at once!
‘It is equipped with a base class GEM?’
A moveable weapon was equipped with a base class defense system.
‘No, even a base class GEM has a limit! Even if it is a base class GEM, it can’t intercept several hundred ammunition! If dozens of tanks and heavy weapons aim at the GEM then we can inflict some damage!’
Valencia’s judgment was correct.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang! kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Dozens of projectiles broke through the defense system! There was a huge roar and the Gigantic’s body was covered in smoke.
“That’s it! That fellow will receive enormous damage! Those are heavy weapons……”
“Leader-nim!”
Then Pedro screamed with surprise. Amazement appeared on Valencia’s face.
“U-unbelievable……!”
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
The earth started shaking as the smoke cleared. A huge figure appeared as the dust settled
Gigantic…..there was not one scratch on the body of the Gigantic. Every time the Gigantic took one step, the clear form of a honey shaped transparent object covered the body like scales.
“S-shield! A shield! A shield is entirely surrounding it!”
“T-this is ridiculous! How did the Gigantic……”
“It was directly hit by dozens of shells but the shield didn’t break!”
“Oh my god! It has a base class GEM and a shield?”
Hundreds of shells didn’t even give one scratch. The federation soldiers stuttered at the shocking sight. Then 100 red lights attached to the Gigantic aimed at the federation army.
“Heok! M-Memeod! Deploy the anti-missile shield!”
A blue light emerged from the Memeod and covered Valencia and the federation army. The Memeod was the core of the federation army’s power. It was used to transport troops but it also had attacking abilities. However, the major feature of the Memeod was its shield! The main duty of the Memeod was to deploy the shield to stop long range attacks. However…..
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Dozens of shells fell like lightning bolts in a 50 metre area. The Memeod’s shield only lasted again the first few dozen. Cracks spread on the shield after that and shells started to fall on the federation camp. Their tympanic membranes broke as flashes occurred.The ensuing scene was devastating!
A huge crater was formed where the Gigantic’s bombardment was concentrated. The bodies of the soldiers in that area couldn’t even be seen. They were torn into so many pieces that not even a trace remained. Their shock changed to fear.
“A monster! That isn’t a machine but a monster!”
“No wonder why the Gigantic is called the Devil of the Battlefield!”
Valencia felt the same as well. The huge machine relentlessly approached the federation army. In Valencia’s eyes the Gigantic was no longer just a chuck of iron. It was truly a Devil of the Battlefield! It felt like a grim reaper was coming.
‘It is dangerous! This situation is dangerous!’
Valencia flinched and stepped backwards before suddenly stopping. And he clenched his teeth and shook his head forcefully.
‘No, I can’t give up yet!’
This battle was Valencia’s only chance. This was his opportunity to be a hero of the galactic federation! This was the opportunity of a lifetime for a regular user. But that was only when he won the war. Valencia was the main leader so he would be responsible for the loss.
‘This is no time to worry about Ark! Anyway, Ark is also a part of the federation army. I’m a commander of the federation so I have many chances to handle Ark. But it is no good if I die. It is the same if the federation army is wiped out. It is imperative to deal with the Gigantic!’
Valencia raised his head and looked at the Gigantic.
‘It might have the strength of a monster but strictly speaking, the Gigantic is a weapon. There must be a way to defeat it. I just don’t understand why…..’
Two Gigantic had emerged from the base. If both of them attacked at the same time then Valencia would be dead. However, only one Gigantic had attacked the federation army. He didn’t know why but the other one had moved in the direction of the Rama army.
‘……This is our chance!’
Thoughts started turning over in Valencia’s head.
‘The Gigantic clearly had strong defense and attack power but its movement is slow. The GEM and shield is a way to offset those weaknesses. Perhaps that giant body is in order to attach the GEM and shield. But the GEM can’t intercept all shells. In order words, we can deal damage to the Gigantic if the shield isn’t there.’
However, the defense of the shield is tremendous. The dozens of ammunition only carved away 10% of the shield’s durability. That 10% damage also recovered in half a minute. Unlike the soldiers’ or Memeod’s shield, the Gigantic’s shield could regain its own energy. It was impossible to destroy the Gigantic’s shield with just a bombardment!
‘But there is a weakness in the shield!’
The shield had absolute defense against long range attacks like bullets or artillery shells. However, even this shield would become extremely weak against melee attacks.
‘Yes, it’s hard to imagine with that huge body…..the one to destroy the Gigantic is……hand to hand combat!’
Valencia suddenly raised his head and exclaimed.
“Armoured platoons 1, 2 and 3! Use Armoured Armament!”
Capsule like objects emerged from the bags of 100 soldiers. The capsules changed into steel armour and wound around the bodies of the soldiers. The federation’s elite platoons changed into battle suit clad warriors.
“Rush!”
Kuaaaaaaah-!
100 armoured warriors rushed towards the Gigantic. Armoured warriors flocked from all sides like a bee swarm while Gigantic’s red lights chased them. The red light was lodged into dozens of armoured warriors.
“Rally all out firepower and don’t stop the bombardment!”
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Projectiles flew from the federation army at Valencia’s command. The red light veered away from the armoured warriors and started chasing the shells. The Gigantic’s gun turrets fired and most of the shells disintegrated in mid-air. A satisfied smile spread on Valencia’s face.
‘As expected. The Gigantic’s system can’t attack and defend at the same time. And the GEM’s main priority is defense. If we bombard it non-stop then the attacks can be sealed. If the other Gigantic wasn’t attacking the Rama and the two joined forces together then…..’
It was already hard enough dealing with 1 Gigantic.
‘I have to finish this before the other one heads here!’
Snap!
Valencia drove his beam sword into the Gigantic’s leg. The blue honeycomb shaped shield appeared on the Gigantic’s leg.
-The Gigantic’s shield has received a blow!
<The Gigantic’s shield energy -0.1%>
It was vulnerable to melee attacks but that attack only reduced the energy by 0.1%. However, Valencia wasn’t the only armoured warrior attacking the Gigantic. The federation army had 100 people!
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
100 warriors swung their swords and hammers every chance they got. The bombardment of the shield caused the energy gauge to quickly fall. Nevertheless, the Gigantic wasn’t an easy opponent to handle.
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
The Gigantic roared and plunged into the federation’s camp. The huge body was 50 metres. Its weight itself was a strong weapon. The Gigantic stepping indiscriminately on the soldiers started to stop the relentless bombardment. Once the Gigantic strode into the federation’s camp, dozens of slow moving troopers were stepped on. But the Gigantic’s target wasn’t the troopers.The Gigantic’s target was the immobile tanks!
Snap, snap, pepeng!
The shield was no use against the Gigantic’s heavy weight. The tanks were instantly crushed.
“Ugh! Block it! Stop its movement using the shells!”
However, it wasn’t just the Gigantic attacking the federation.
–Fools! This place will be your grave.
The Rama started to attack the federation army after the Gigantic’s offense. The fighting became confused once the Rama mixed in with the Gigantic. The Rama were close to defeat after their Fairy and Star Gate were destroyed. The only way for the Rama to win now was to wipe out the federation army and advance to their base. The Gigantic could reverse the situation!
Snap, snap, pepeng!
Thus the federation were cornered by the Gigantic and Rama. In the end, the federation couldn’t protect the heavy tanks and they were crushed by the Gigantic. However, the federation also wasn’t playing around.
Chwajijijijijik!
The Gigantic’s shield finally sparked and disappeared. Valencia and the armoured warriors he led avoided the other attacks and finally managed to crush the shield. The armoured platoons were the core of the federation’s army and there was no doubt about their competency.
“That’s it! Now switch to the warheads and attack!”
The armoured warriors changed to their guns and started firing. However, the Gigantic still had the GEM even if the shield was removed. And a large number of soldiers had been killed by the combined offensive of the Rama and Gigantic. The GEM intercepted the shells so not that many of them hit the body directly.
“Leader-nim, this is our last tank!”
“Dammit! Stop them! We have to stop them! If that tank is destroyed then our firepower will halve. We will still suffer enormous damage even if the Gigantic’s shield is removed!”
“B-but we can’t stop it thanks to the interference from the Rama.
Pedro shouted desperately as he looked at the Gigantic. Finally the Gigantic was able to step on the last tank.
‘Wait? That reminds me, the medium sized tank……’
Then something popped into Valencia’s head. Valencia used his Nymphe to connect to the operator of the remaining tank
———————————————————
While the melee battle was occurring between the Rama, Gigantic and the federation army.
“Dammit!”
Ark cursed as he turned his body. A slope was behind him and he rolled down.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Dirt and ice went flying from the place where Ark was previously standing. A wave of dirt was pushed downwards and covered Ark. His skin was torn by stones and ice but he had no time to worry about that.
‘If I stop then I’ll die!’
Ark raised his body and jumped to the other side.
Kuong-!
A huge piece of iron then fell towards a pile of dirt. The 10 metre diameter piece of land caved in.
“Pant pant pant, at this rate…….”
Ark breathed harshly as he ran.
Let’s return to when the Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate exploded.
‘It is a success! The Fairy and Star Gate are destroyed!’
While the Rama and federation were fighting each other, Ark had led the Silver Hand and Royal Guards to the empty base to blow up the Fairy and Star Gate. Of course, his strategy was able to succeed because the federation had drawn the Rama army to a place several kilometres away. As a result, Ark managed to blow up the Fairy and Star Gate!
-You have acquired 5,000 victory points!
<These victory points will be converted for achievements when the war ends>
Ark, the Royal Guards and the Silver Hand. He still received 5,000 victory points despite it being divided among 30 people. If it was changed to achievements then Ark and the Royal Guards will be able to be pardoned! If the federation swept up the remnants of the Rama army then he would be free. He also had the pleasant sensation of beating Valencia!
‘Damn, their timing ruined everything!’
However, three things happened that Ark couldn’t expect. The first thing was that 2 Gigantic were sent through the Rama’s Star Gate. The Gigantic’s combat power was too strong for 30 people to take care of by themselves. Moreover, Ark had encountered the Gigantic when there were 30 minutes left until the C-6 exploded.
“R-run! We’re dead if we are caught!”
Ark’s group ran away from the hangar without looking back. It was fortunate that Ark’s group knew the structure of headquarters thanks to Heksu. The Gigantic couldn’t chase after them in the narrow passages so they managed to escape from headquarters before the explosion. Then Ark’s second unexpected mistake occurred.
‘The federation has already reached here!’
Ark’s plan had been to blow up headquarters before the federation arrived at the base. Yet it was already surrounded by both the Rama and federation. Of course, if Ark was an ordinary federation soldier then he would’ve welcomed it with open arms. However, Ark wasn’t a conventional federation soldier. He was part of the prisoner unit bullied by Valencia. Valencia had also intercepted the Carrier MR-II that Ark sent and received the achievements. He had to hide this fact before Ark registered on the Fairy. It was clear what would happen to Ark if he encountered Valencia. It was highly likely that he would pursue and fire at Ark. His expectations were met.
“Kill! Those bastards! Kill those bastards!”
He heard the command clearly even while lying face down in the dirt. Valencia sounded like a little child running amok. It was the reason he wanted to blow up the headquarters and leave before the federation army showed up. However, the federation army had advanced faster than expected and now Valencia was aiming at him.
‘Those damn spiritless Rama! Valencia already broke them and pushed all the way to here?’
He blamed the Rama. Just as Ark was about to be attacked by the Rama……
Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Dozens of missiles flew from the headquarters and detonated. The federation was upset by the bombing but Ark knew the identity behind the missiles. They belonged to the two Gigantic that followed Ark’s group!
‘This might work out!’
An ‘!’ popped into Ark’s head. The federation army had reached the Rama’s base. In the Rama’s view, it was imperative to block the federation army. Therefore the Gigantic’s first priority would be to attack the federation army. The army would be forced to counterattack. Valencia was a commander in the army so even he couldn’t pursue Ark in such a situation.
‘Yes, I can aim the Gigantic at the federation army and run away!’
That was Ark’s plan. And he sneaked away from his location while the Rama and federation were confused by the explosions. This was Ark’s third mistake.
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
One Gigantic was heading towards Ark! Two of them had been transferred through the Star Gate
As Ark expected, one of them started to attack the federation army. Yet the remaining Gigantic ignored them and headed straight towards Ark.
“How come? Why? What have I done?”
Ark questioned it but there was a reason for it. In fact, the two Gigantic had already suffered damage before the federation army attacked. The damage came from when the C-6 blew up headquarters. Ark’s group had installed C-6 throughout the headquarters and in the hangar. And the current leader of the group was registered to Ark. In other words, it was like the Gigantic’s aggro had been transferred to Ark. In online games, monsters would become more aggressive as they receive damage. The monster preferred to attack users with a high aggro value
One Gigantic had been attacked by the frightened federation and the aggro had changed from Ark to the army. However, the federation didn’t attack the other Gigantic so it was still concerned with Ark
Valencia was playing in the wrong place.
“Dammit! Is it a monster not a weapon? How can this be called a strategic weapon? What is the point of mounting 386 computers in the 24th century? Isn’t it obviously important just by looking at it? I might have high aggro but it is natural to attack the federation army first!”
But there was no use complaining. Anyway, the federation army didn’t have to deal with two Gigantic because they were already being crushed by one. Ark had unintentionally helped the federation……
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
“Hik! Hik! Hik!”
It felt like he was going to die. At one point, dozens of shells had appeared above him when his movements were stopped. His shield and defense was no match for that. On the other hand, Ark’s attacks……
“Sonic sword! Set Bullets Shooting! Impact Shot!”
Ting-! Ting-! Ting-!
He only did 0.1% damage to the shield. And that 0.1% damage would recover after some time. Ark was fighting by himself. So Ark gave up on attacking quite early. This was one reason why he managed to survive so far.
‘The Gigantic’s firepower reaches the mid-sized tanks. I’ll be hit within a few seconds if I try to run away. But there is a place where the Gigantic’s dozens of gun turrets will find difficult to reach! That blind spot is……’
“Here!”
Ark slid across the snow and went through the Gigantic’s legs. It was impossible for the Gigantic’s bombardment to reach between its legs. The Gigantic was run by 386 computers so it wasn’t stupid enough to attack itself between the legs. Of course, being between the legs wasn’t a completely safe place.
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
The Gigantic immediately raised its legs when Ark hid there and tried to step on him. If it hit then Ark would be crushed by hundreds of tons of rock. If the Gigantic stepped on him then it would be instant death!
“Snow Walking!”
Sasasasa! Sasasasa!
It was the walking method he acquired after wandering across snow for so many days. Ark used his cockroach like tenacity to avoid being damaged by the feet. He was cut by the flying stones and ice every time the foot fell but that was trivial damage……
Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
-You have recovered 1 health.
-You have recovered 1 health……
The Charenjok’s token was placed on his head to heal him. Therefore Ark managed to last 10 minutes against the Gigantic.
‘But now that has reached a limit!’
He had been rolling underneath the Gigantic’s feet for 10 minutes. He was at his physical and mental limit. Furthermore, the damage was piling up and he couldn’t ignore the debris anymore. His health was recovered to some degree by the octopus but it only lasted for 10 minutes. Once the token stopped working then his health started to earnestly decrease.
‘I found some recovery ampoules at the bunker the other day but it is no use extending my life for a few minutes if I can’t defeat the Gigantic. I’m also being attacked by shells and stamping. Either of these attacks would mean instant death. However, it isn’t possible to run away. If I sneak away from the Gigantic’s legs then I’ll be turned into ashes before I even get 100 metres.’
This wasn’t a situation where he could gamble. But Ark didn’t have any countermeasures and time was running out.
‘Is it still not ready yet?’
Ark rolled around the ground without any spirit.
–Ark! It’s here! The preparations are finished!
Clem’s voice was suddenly heard through the Nymphe. Ark who was sliding around on the snow suddenly turned around. While Ark, the Rama, Gigantic and the federation army were engaged in a fierce battle, the other detachment members had hid in the wreckage of the Rama headquarters. A small light of hope appeared on Ark’s face.
“That’s it! Hopefully now……”
While the Gigantic was catching up with him, Ark had planned different ways to escape with the detachment. The Gigantic was only following one person around. It had selected Ark who was the leader of the detachment.
‘Well, I did install some C-6 inside headquarters……’
Ark regretted it but it was the way things turned out. Ark was able to plan out some strategies with the detachment while running around. Clem had contacted Ark to report that the preparations for his plan were finished.
‘This is the best I can do. If it doesn’t work then I’ll die!’
“Everybody get ready! There is only one chance for this!”
–We know.
Clem answered as Ark grabbed his sword.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a red flash and the Rama base started shaking. When he flinched and turned around, Ark saw that the Gigantic fighting against the federation had collapsed with the lower part completely destroyed. The tank shattered underneath it was spouting a black smoke. It was the federation’s final tank that the Gigantic was about to crush.
‘What’s that? Why did that happen when the Gigantic stepped on the tank……?’
Ark made a puzzled expression. Then Clem’s voice was audible from the Nymphe.
–It self-destructed.
“Self-destruct?”
–Yes, that red flash if the nuclear fusion engine of the tank exploding. But the nuclear fusion engine is designed to prevent any attack from an outside attack. That means the nuclear engine was purposely exploded. They exploded the engine as soon as it was stepped on. The shield was already stripped so the Gigantic couldn’t withstand the damage. The commander carrying out such a bold strategy……
Clem murmured with surprise. It definitely wasn’t a tactic that Ark would’ve thought of. That’s because Ark didn’t know about nuclear fusion engines until now.
‘The tanks contain nuclear fusion engines? Wait? Then perhaps……’
Ark thought for a moment before asking Clem. It was a technical question so Heksu replied.
-It is possible.
“Then can you take care of it right away? It won’t be possible with the Royal Guards but the federation army won’t be watching the Silver Hand. Hegel should stay there as only the Silver Hand members should enter the federation camp.”
–What are you going to do?
“I’m going to prepare the situation.”
–Understood. We’ll believe in you and obey your command.
The group that was hiding in the wreckage of headquarters moved onto the battlefield.
‘I said that but……
Ark threw his body again to avoid the falling foot and looked up at the Gigantic. It would be meaningless if he couldn’t take care of the Gigantic. He moved it near the headquarters where the detachment had prepared his plan.
‘The preparations have ended! Now it’s time for a counterattack!’
Ark’s eyes flashed. And……
“Snow Walking!”
Sasasasak! Sasasasak!
He slid like a cockroach between the Gigantic’s legs. Well, it wasn’t that different from his previous actions…..but there was one thing different. Until now, the hill near the Rama base had interfered with the Gigantic’s movements. But after communicating with Clem, he gradually sneaked out of the hill and moved towards headquarters.
Kuong-! Kuong-! Kuong-!
The Gigantic definitely became faster when they moved away from the hill. Besides, it was easy to read the movements and avoid it since they were moving in one direction. Fortunately he had become used to the movements in the last 10 minutes.
‘Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention!’
Ark concentrated and moved desperately. Just when he had moved 200 metres……
–Kuak! These damn federation soldiers!
Two Rama warriors rushed towards Ark. They were Rama warriors who ran back after killing the federation soldiers near the front. They saw Ark as insignificant prey. They wanted to try and obtain a bit more achievements before dying. But their timing was bad.
–Hyung-nim, there! Where the X is marked on the ground!
He then heard Hegel’s voice from his Nymphe. An X drawn on the snow caught his eye. Ark used Snow Walking to run towards where the X was marked before turning with a pleasant smile.
“Now! You stupid chunk of iron! Step on me!”
He shouted with a loud voice.
Roaaaaar!
A huge foot started to fall from 10 metres above. Ark threw his body back and shouted.
“Hegel, now!”
-Yes, Hyung-nim!
And the moment the foot stepped on the X marked spot!
Tung! Tung! Tung! Pajijiji!
A sphere buried in the ground started to emit intense electromagnetic waves.
-The electromagnetic mine has been triggered!
<Electromagnetic energy will by emitted in a 10 metre space and the shield will be neutralized for 5 minutes>
It was the electromagnetic mine used when the Silver Hand was fighting the Nakuma. Of course, it was a small mine so it couldn’t completely neutralize the Gigantic’s huge shield. The shield was peeled off the foot that stepped on the X spot.
“But that is good enough! Hegel!”
Ark yelled again!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The area marked with an X exploded. The Rama near the area became bloody rice cakes and flew away. The Gigantic that was aiming its gun turrets at Ark also wobbled. The Gigantic tried to move its foot to regain its posture but the leg was shocked by the explosion. The Gigantic lost its centre of balance and fell down.
Ku ku ku ku, ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a deafening roar as the 50 metres Gigantic fell onto the battlefield. A smile of satisfaction spread on Ark’s face.
“It’s a success!”
Space 9
Doom Machine (Part: 2)
“It’s almost finished.”
The blood stained Valencia looked around. The Gigantic had been destroyed once it stepped on the tank that self-destructed. It was an excellent choice. The Gigantic had already been stripped of its shield. The ordinary metal couldn’t withstand the explosive force of the nuclear fusion engine. In the end, the whole leg had been blown up and the Gigantic collapsed.Then Valencia moved quickly.
“Pedro, charge at the Gigantic!”
Valencia led 10 soldiers and attacked the lower part of the Gigantic. A group of Rama could be seen in the interior. They were a crew on board the Gigantic to block outside jamming. A gunfight started when Valencia and the armoured warriors burst in but they were engineers. Their opponents were elite warriors of the federation.
“Rush in and knock out the power reactor of the Gigantic!”
The armoured warriors took out the engineers and rushed towards the power reactor. If they took out the power reactor then the Gigantic would be destroyed.
-The Gigantic has been destroyed and 3,000 victory points acquired!
The message appeared in front of Valencia and his 10 subordinates. Valencia’s morale soared and he left the Gigantic while taking care of the remnants of the Rama. His victory points quickly reached 4,000.
‘If I combine the achievements I received previously and the points I got for reporting the Rama base then that is 8,000 points. If the 4,000 victory points are converted then it is 12,000 achievements!’
12,000 achievements was an overwhelming amount! He would definitely be given a gold medal of valour.
‘But that only applies if I defeat the remaining Gigantic.’
There were 2 Gigantic that emerged from the Rama base. Only one was remaining now. It was running around somewhere on the Rama’s side but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t attack the federation. However, the biggest problem was the remaining power of the federation army.
‘There are only 150 troops remaining. And there are only 50 members of the armoured platoon left.’
The armoured platoon had received the most damage from the Gigantic. Furthermore, 3 Memeods were destroyed by the pincer attack of the Gigantic and Rama so only 2 were remaining.
‘But I have no choice. If I can’t defeat the Gigantic then the war won’t end. No, we will lose. Then there is no meaning in receiving the victory points. I will obtain nothing!’
“Pedro, reform the battle arrangements. Clean up the Rama and advance towards the other Gigantic!”
Valencia led the troops towards the Gigantic. Then he noticed dozens of soldiers moving in the opposite direction.
‘What’s the? Why are those guys…..wait? Perhaps…..?’
Valencia watched them carefully. He remembered those soldiers. They were the mercenary troops that had their truck fall into a pit and were given Ark’s henchmen to help.
‘And just now they emerged from the Rama’s headquarters with Ark. Then…..’
He had some lingering questions through the battle. He had wondered how Ark and his henchmen managed to get behind enemy lines first. He still didn’t understand but one thing was clear. Ark was associated with that mercenary group! They had devised the truck falling into the pit to trick Valencia and join Ark.
‘This was all planned from the beginning? They wanted to join with Ark to stab me in the back and then run away in the confusion? And they are right in front of me!’
Valencia glared at them before speaking to Pedro.
“Pedro, have the armoured platoon……”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A loud roar rocked the battlefield. When he flinched and turned around, the sight of the Gigantic collapsing caught his eye. It was a scene that Valencia never even considered.
“T-that guy is……?”
“Ark! He is Ark!”
The person standing in front of the Gigantic was surprisingly Ark.
‘He hadn’t run away yet?’
All thoughts of the mercenary group disappeared from Valencia’s head.
‘This is an opportunity! I don’t need to worry about some mercenaries. I can dispose of them once the battle ends. I have bigger fish to fry right now. It won’t be a problem if I accidentally kill a soldier during a fight against the Gigantic. If I become the hero who won the Beltana war then I can make it go away, even if I become chaotic. My first priority is making sure he dies to prevent him from reporting about the Carrier MR-II!’
“Pedro, follow me!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Valencia operated his battle suit and rushed towards Ark. 10 armoured warriors followed him. Valencia ran across the snow towards Ark. At the same time, Ark was rushing towards the collapsed Gigantic. Needless to say, the Gigantic being knocked down was all Ark’s strategy.
‘There is no method to escape the Gigantic. However, it is suicide to fight among the federation soldiers. I should sneak out of the battlefield and wait until the battle ends before joining back up with the federation. I have to seal the Gigantic’s movement in order to do this.’
Ark came to that conclusion. That’s why he used the detachment to devise a way to sneak out from the Gigantic’s view! Ark used himself as bait to gain some time while the detachment buried dozens of C-6 in a specific area. The moment the Gigantic stepped on the X, it was hit by an electromagnetic mine and the foot blown up by C-6! With the foot damaged, the Gigantic would collapse to the ground and it was possible to beat it.
‘But I can’t seal the movements with just that!’
There were 2 legs. Besides, it was a lump of machine with 386 computers attached! Despite falling down, the Gigantic was called the Devil of the Battlefield for a reason. Not surprisingly, the Gigantic tried to turn its remaining leg 180 degrees and raise the huge body.
‘I have to make it fully collapsed!’
That was the reason why Ark was running towards the Gigantic. The shield around the Gigantic’s leg still wasn’t recovered from the electromagnetic mine. And dozens of C-6 had exploded so the foot and ankle became ragged. Ark ran quickly and wielded his sword.
Kang-! Kang-! Kang-!
Even if it was weakened, the sword wasn’t enough to get through the metal. However, Ark wasn’t thinking about attacking the ankle with the sword. The reason he hit the ankle with his sword was……
“There!”
Ark’s eyes lit up. The moment the Gigantic was hit with the sword, some blurry colours appeared on the armour It was entirely blue while the part hit directly by the C-6 explosion was red or orange. The colours represented the durability of the armour! The blue parts were the areas that didn’t receive any damage while the red was where the durability was at the lowest point. It wasn’t visible but it meant there was a crack in the armour.
‘I wouldn’t have known this without Metallurgy.’
It was the skill he learnt in order to avoid being scammed by Tori, Metallurgy! Ark was able to grasp the Gigantic’s durability thanks to Metallurgy. One of the applications of Metallurgy was finding the status of the metal with a single tap. Therefore Ark could identify the status of the Gigantic’s armour.
‘This is the weakest place in the Gigantic’s armour!’
Ark took out a C-6 from his bag and attached it to the armour part glowing red. He then threw his body facedown to the ground on the other side!
Pepepepeng!
A hole was blown in the armour of the ankle.
“That’s it!”
Ark cheered as the Gigantic wobbled and collapsed again. The ankle could no longer support the 50 metres body thanks to the hole. This was Ark’s final goal. He had completely sealed the Gigantic’s movements. Now he just had to hide and leave the rest to the federation army. If he joined up after the battle ended then Valencia couldn’t attack Ark anymore.
‘That Valencia bastard, I’m curious about what expression he will have on his face.’
Ark imagined Valencia’s bitter expression with a satisfied smile. All of a sudden Hegel’s voice was screaming through the Nymphe.
–Hyung-nim! D-danger!
“What?”
Ark turned with a bewildered expression.
Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu!
10 shells were flying towards him? However, Ark wasn’t looking at the shells. 10 armoured warriors were rushing across the snow. No, it was the person leading the group!
“……Valencia!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, the place where Ark was standing exploded. Smoke and flames soared from the spot the 10 shells hit. However, Valencia wasn’t satisfied with just that.
“Shoot! Make sure he doesn’t leave alive!”
“Don’t stop shooting even if you see that bastard’s body!”
“We have to kill him before any other soldiers arrive!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Valencia and the 10 armoured warriors continued firing. Bullets relentlessly fell and pieces of ice and dirt flew up. Valencia took out his beam sword as he narrowed the distance and shouted.
“Check that guy’s corpse! Look for it!”
“I can’t find it!”
“I don’t see it over here either!”
“It can’t be! He couldn’t have survived all of that! No, it doesn’t matter even if he is alive. If he is alive then he is clearly hiding somewhere. Don’t miss him! Look for him everywhere!”
Valencia ordered with a cruel expression. Then Pedro’s voice was heard from behind him.
“Leader-nim, look over here!”
He turned and saw Pedro pointing towards the Gigantic’s ankle.
“There are traces that someone entered here. He went inside through the hole!”
“That rat bastard. He must’ve run away. But……”
Valencia stared at the hole before smiling.
“He dug his own grave by running into an inconspicuous place like this. Pedro, enter the Gigantic and chase after him. Take care of it inside the Gigantic! Do you know what I mean? Wipe out everything that catches your eye. I will take responsibility. If we take care of everybody inside the Gigantic then it will be the federation’s victory. No, it will be your victory!”
“I understand!”
The armoured warriors moved inside the Gigantic. Their target was the engineers and power reaction inside the Gigantic and…..Ark. Now that the armoured platoon had entered the Gigantic, the destruction of the Rama engineers and power reactor was guaranteed. Therefore, the armoured platoon’s top priority was Ark! Valencia and the armoured warriors entered the Gigantic and followed Ark’s traces.
“Leader-nim, there is an object moving in front of us!”
“That guy!”
Valencia’s eyes flashed and he shouted.
“This is a small passage. There is nowhere for him to run away. Fire!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The 10 warriors started firing their Gatling guns inside the narrow passage. Hundreds of bullets flew through the passage that was only 3 metres! Valencia and the armoured warriors filled the aisle with bullets. They moved forward 10 metres until they reached the place with the power reactor. The running shadow screamed and collapsed.
Kaekang!
A dog had died
———————————————————
“H-Hyung-nim!”
Hegel looked around with a pale face. It had happened in an instant. After the Gigantic stepped on the electromagnetic mine and C-6, Ark had finally managed to destroy its other leg. While the Silver Hand and Royal Guards were burying the electromagnetic mine and C-6, Ark had distracted the Gigantic for 10 minutes. In other words, a single person had knocked down the Devil of the Battlefield. It was unbelievable even when he saw it with his own eyes!
‘That is Hyung-nim! The Hyung-nim I will follow for the rest of my life!’
Ark’s existence was beyond that of a hero to Hegel. Yet Hegel witnessed a shocking sight in the next moment. 10 shells were flying towards Ark! They were sent by Valencia and the 10 armoured platoon. They were also rushing towards Ark’s location while shooting indiscriminately.
‘Fortunately Hyung-nim managed to enter the Gigantic through the hole and protected himself……’
Valencia and the armoured warriors had immediately entered behind him. It was obvious what would happen!
“I can’t just let this happen! I have to stop those bastards!”
Hegel glared and ran over to the hole while pulling out his dagger. And just as he was about to jump in the hole!
“Hey! Stop!”
Someone exclaimed as they grabbed Hegel’s ankle. Hegel turned with amazement as he heard an unexpected voice. A pile of snow behind the Gigantic’s leg started shaking and a head emerged.
“Are you trying to commit suicide? You can’t take care of those bastards.”
“Eh? H-Hyung-nim! Ark hyung-nim!”
“You’re going to burst my eardrums. Did you really think guys like them could kill me?”
“Hyung-nim, how did you survive?”
“Ha, do you think it is that easy to go to hell?”
……But he really was close to hell this time. Ark crawled out of the pile of snow and looked at a flickering gauge on the upper right corner.
-Health: 32/990
He only had 32 health left!
‘If I hadn’t loaded a recovery ampoule in advance……’
Ark eyes an empty glass capsule.
Recovery Ampoules (Medium)
Item Type: Health Recovery Drug
A special nutrients supplement refined at a high concentration using biotechnology
In Galaxian, there are typically two types of recovery systems. One way is to load it on the Nymphe beforehand or to drink it directly. The recommended method is to load it on the Nymphe to use it. The absorption rate is slower than drinking it directly and the health recovered is lower. However, if it is loaded on the Nymphe then the supplement can be directly injected into the DNA and can raise the recovery rate of the body for a short period of time. Only one ampoule can be loaded on the Nymphe at a time.
* If the ampoule is drunk: 300~400 health will be recovered in 3 minutes.
* If loaded on the Nymphe and injected: 500 health can be recovered immediately.
It was the recovery ampoule he picked up when escaping from the Rama’s bunker. It was loaded on the Nymphe beforehand and could be used like a bullet. In fact, at first he thought a method like that was too complicated. But there were some convenient parts when used directly. Unlike the other games that required swallowing a potion, if the ampoule is loaded on the Nymphe then it could be injected with a simple command. Of course, only one recovery ampoule could be used with that method in a battle. Mounting another ampoule on the Nymphe would take more time than drinking. However, this meant it could be used in battle while swinging his sword. Ark was able to survive thanks to that. He had come under fire from Valencia’s group. Ark’s health fell in an instant
If he had to take out a potion and drink it then he would’ve died long beforehand. But the loaded ampoule on the Nymphe meant he didn’t have to go through such processes!
“Recovery!”
His health that had gone down to 10 points recovered by 500. Ark conquered the crisis and immediately hid behind the Gigantic’s leg to prevent further damage. And he used the shovel to conceal his body.
‘But even so……’
He felt furious just remembering it. If he was discovered by Valencia during battle then he would be killed secretly. He was expecting that. However, actually experiencing it was different from his expectations.
‘He really tried to kill me?’
Ark couldn’t stand it. He had no intention of letting them get away with it. Then Hegel tilted his head to one side and asked.
“How did they find traces of Hyung-nim inside the Gigantic?”
“Ah, that? That is……”
“Ark!”
Just as Ark laughed and was about to reply. A bike navigated between the federal army and approached the Gigantic. It was the rest of the detachment that had been spotted by Valencia. They found bikes abandoned on the battlefield and returned to Ark’s location. Clem jumped down from the bike and said.
“What is going on? I saw Valencia and his thugs rushing here.”
“He tried to kill Hyung-nim! I saw it!”
Hegel quickly answered. Anger spread over the faces of the Silver Hand and Royal Guards.
“I heard your words but…..I really can’t forgive a commander who tries to kill his own allies on the battlefield. They can’t get away with this!”
“I have no intention of letting them get away with it.”
Ark shook his head and his eyes looked away from Clem. Ark’s gaze was fixed on a circular object tied to the back of Clem’s bike. Ark looked at the metal sphere and laughed.
“I’ll have to teach them a lesson.”
“Perhaps…..?”
“If that guy wants it so much then I’ll have to see it through.”
Ark grabbed the handle of the bike that the metal sphere was attached to. He got on the bike before explaining to Clem and the other members. The bike roared like a beast and entered the hole opened in the Gigantic.
Kuaaaaaaah-!
The engine sound echoed through the narrow passage. It moved down the passage before some corpses caught his eye. The corpses of the Rama……
It was clear that Valencia and the armoured platoon had moved down this passage. Valencia had thought they were chasing after Ark but he was actually hiding in a pile of snow. If they searched the area then they would’ve noticed the pile of snow. Then Rune Carving surfaced in his head! So he used it on the body of a dead Rama warrior and summoned the hell hound. And it left trails as it went inside the Gigantic! Valencia never thought about searching the area and chased after a dog. And Valencia realized he made a mistake after the dog died……
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Ark passed the corpse of the hell hound and heard shots. He had only travelled 50 metres from the ankle of the Gigantic. The Rama engineers wouldn’t just watch as the armoured federation warriors entered the Gigantic. The shots heard were due to a shoot-out between Valencia’s group and the Rama clan. However, it was engineers fighting against elite troops.
‘The result of the battle is obvious.’
Not surprisingly, the shots stopped at almost the same time. The Rama engineers had probably been killed by Valencia. And they were in the midst of trying to seize the nuclear power reactor.
Hak-!
Ark continued until the narrow passage ended and a wide space unfolded. There was a complex instrument panel with a large black sphere rotating in the middle. It was the power source inside the Gigantic! Several Rama engineers were collapsed around the power source. Valencia and his henchmen were surrounding the power source.
“Valencia!”
“Huk, how did this guy?”
Confusion spread over Valencia’s face as he saw Ark. However, he smiled and lifted his Gatling gun after a few moments.
“You came here just to die!”
“Shut up and eat this!”
Ark jumped off the bike and shouted. But the accelerating bike didn’t stop. And……
Teong!
The bike crashed into Valencia. Normally Valencia would be crushed by the bike…..but he only flew back a few metres thanks to the battle suit. Valencia glared as he got a nosebleed from the bike and growled.
“Kuak! This bastard!”
“Leader-nim! The b-bike……”
A stuttered scream emerged from Pedro’s mouth. Valencia who was about to run after Ark frowned and turned.
“Now’s not the time to worry about the bike!”
“T-that’s not it! The bike…..it has a nuclear fusion engine! And the self-defence mechanism……”
“What?”
Valencia’s face darkened as he paid attention to Pedro’s words. There was a metal sphere attached to the bike! Like Pedro said, the bike had a nuclear fusion engine attached to it. This was the reason Ark waited for the detachment before entering after Valencia. Ark might’ve created the electromagnetic mine and C-6 to trap and seal the Gigantic’s movements but there was no guarantee that it would work.
‘If only there was some way to give more damage……’
Then Valencia used the self-destructing nuclear fusion engine to defeat the Gigantic. Therefore Ark discovered that the nuclear fusion engine could be used like bomb! He ordered the detachment to obtain a nuclear fusion engine and bring it back to him. That was only possible thanks to the Scavenger Heksu. Heksu’s profession meant he was well versed in mechanical engineering! Therefore a Scavenger was able to take out the nuclear engine without it exploding. However, unlike Ark’s concerns he didn’t have any difficulties sealing off the Gigantic’s movements. Therefore the nuclear fusion engine had become pointless. So……
“I’ll give it to you guys.”
Ark muttered and laughed.
-The self-destruct mechanism of the nuclear fusion engine has been started.
<Amount of time remaining until the destruction: 3 seconds…..2 seconds…..1 second>
“Ah, no!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a red flash and the body of the Gigantic exploded
———————————————————
‘Now!’
A smile flashed on the face of a blond youth. The reason he played Galaxian was to meet Ark
He had chased after Ark and arrived at Nephalim only to discover that Ark was arrested and sent away to the disputed planet Beltana. So he waited on Nephalim but lost his patience after a fortnight passed. He made a resolution. He killed some guards. Thus he became the protagonist of another incident in Nephalim. Therefore he was locked in chains.
‘I read in the news that the federation is lacking troops so they’ve been forcibly conscripting any pioneers who become criminals. And in the last few months, most of the prisoners have been sent to Beltana! Ark was sent to that place!’
Naturally he would be sent to Beltana as well. That was what he thought. His head was only full with meeting Ark. And now I knew that they would meet soon. Yet…..yet…..
“Yes, you really did an absurd thing.”
A federal investigator questioned him after he was arrested.
“This is the first time an incident like this has occurred in Nephalim. Ha, don’t make me laugh. You destroyed 3 androids and even injured a guard soldier? I investigated and discovered that you received the title of R-14’s mission related master. Why would a guy like that just snap and commit a crime? That’s funny. Do you think I would believe something like that? Do you think that all investigators belonging to the galactic federation are stupid?”
He never thought they were stupid. He told the investigator that.
“That isn’t true…… There is no denying that I committed a crime…… Just give me a punishment.”
“Don’t worry. The penalty will be beyond what you imagined. But now right now.”
“Right now……what do you mean?”
“Tell me the mastermind.”
“Mastermind……what mastermind?”
“Didn’t I tell you? A federal investigator isn’t stupid. I’m not naive enough to believe a R-14 master suddenly went crazy and committed a crime. You clearly have some other purpose. Who is it? Who gave you instructions to do something like this? Is it the Tree of Life, the organization that opposes mechanical life forms and androids?”
“The Tree of Light……I don’t know anything about that.”
“Heh, you’re still not going to tell me? Think about it. The Tree of Life is just like a cult. Yes, I don’t know how you ended up with them but if you tell me then you won’t be conscripted into the military.”
“That…..would be a problem…..being forcibly conscripted…..I did it in order to receive that……”
“What? You want to be forcibly conscripted? Ha, you really are playing around. You committed a crime so that you would be drafted into the military? That is impossible. Do you know that the galactic federation has a special anti-terrorism act?”
“Anti-terrorism…..special act?”
“Suspected terrorist lose all human rights.”
Since then, the blond youth’s human rights were ignored. He spent days being injected with the SMT-518 that caused itching. The torture had begun. Normal users would only be able to resist for a while.However, he was a user who had lived 1 year as a vegetable. This was nothing compared to the frustration he felt then. And no matter the torture, this was still a game. If he left the unit then it wouldn’t affect him. But he didn’t run away.
“I…..I really…..don’t have any other plan……I just want to be conscripted……”
He kept on claiming his innocence. He put up with the torture and claimed innocence for a fortnight. His patience made even the investigator sick of it.
“This damn guy. Okay. If you really want to be conscripted. Bah, this stupid child. If you want to then go on the battlefield and see what it means to be prisoner!”
‘I-I did it! Finally! I finally get to meet Ark!’
The blond youth had endured a fortnight’s torture in order to meet Ark! His face glowed with his accomplishment.
“You will face hell on the disputed planet Hanan!”
“H-Hanan? W-what about Beltana?”
“Beltana? That has ended already.”
“I-it has ended……w-what do you mean?”
“I have to explain something like that to you? Shut up and walk!”
“W-wait a minute……I……”
He was dragged out of the prison by the investigator. A video started displaying some urgent news as he entered a hallway.
-The galactic federation has defeated the Rama on the disputed planet Beltana!
-The war for Beltana in the Bellin constellation has been ongoing for 1 year and finally the Rama has been defeated.
–According to the military announcement, the Rama central base was discovered and reinforcements dispatched to Beltana. The army then stormed the Rama’s central base in a surprise attack. A bold hero blew up the Fairy and Star Gate and the federal army valiantly fought to defeat the Gigantic that had appeared. As soon as the federal forces return to Istana, an award ceremony will be held to hand out the awards for their achievements.
–The amazing hero representing the Beltana garrison……
‘This is ridiculous!’
The blond youth’s face darkened
———————————————————
“This is ridiculous!”
Valencia slammed his fist down on the table and shouted.
“I was the commander in this battle! I also destroyed a Gigantic! The 1st armoured platoon and I should receive the most achievements in this war! So why is the guy representing the Beltana garrison……”
“Now isn’t the time to be saying things like that.”
Haman sighed and shook his head. Valencia frowned at his words.
“What does that mean?”
“I received information from the prisoner unit commander Peratul after the battle ended and he returned to the base. The information about the central base that you brought. It seems another soldier sent the Carrier MR-II from a hostile area. The soldier’s Nymphe was checked and it was discovered to be true.”
“T-that….”
“That’s not all. I also received some testimonies that you deliberately attacked some allies on the battlefield.”
“I was framed!”
Valencia exclaimed anxiously as his eyes wildly rolled around the room.
“Isn’t it common to injure teammates with splash damage from a bomb during a battle? And I wasn’t the one that deliberately attacked an ally! That guy deliberately blew up the nuclear fusion engine and killed me as well as the 10 people in my group!”
“Is there any way to prove that?”
Valencia closed his mouth at Haman’s question. In Galaxian, a person who committed PK would automatically become chaotic even if there were no witnesses. But there were exceptions. If the person killed first attacked the person then it would be justified as self-defence and they would receive immunity to the chaotic status. That applied to Valencia. Valencia and the 10 armoured warriors had been deliberately blown up by the nuclear fusion reaction inside the Gigantic
But Valencia had damaged that person first so it wasn’t recognized as PK. Valencia and his group had died in the explosion. All the experience flew away and no evidence remained on the Nymphe. He could submit his Nymphe as evidence but there would be no data on it.
“But there is a bigger problem.”
Haman sent Valencia an uncomfortable expression and said.
“You’ve been accused of using your position as the leader of the 1st armoured platoon to take bribes from the prisoners to protect them. Do you know what a serious problem that is? If the investigation results reveal that it is true then it will deprive you of your status.”
“W-what! Who dared say such slander? That guy! Is it that guy?”
Valencia shouted angrily.
“It’s me.”
He heard an answer from behind him. Confusion spread on Valencia’s face as he turned around.
“You….why are you…..?”
“She is the inspector dispatched by the galactic federation to grasp the situation in Beltana. She worked at the supplies tent for the prisoners and collected the relevant information.”
“That’s what this is.”
A woman wearing a uniform lifted a thick stack of papers.
“It was easy for me to gather more data thanks to ‘that’ user.”
The woman speaking in an emotionless face was Irina
———————————————————
On Hanan, a planet in the Bellin constellation.
In contrast to Beltana, a large number of corpses on the battlefield belonged to the federation. A Rama warrior who was silently watching the battlefield asked.
“The front line on Beltana collapsed?”
“Yes, I heard they were attacked by the federation and were destroyed.”
“Weren’t two experimental Gigantic transmitted to Beltana? Was the Star Gate destroyed before the Gigantic was sent through?”
“The BK-III and BK-IV were sent through as scheduled.”
“Yet they were still destroyed?”
The Rama warrior turned around. However, his red eyes were curious rather than angry.
“Who? Who commanded the Beltana army?”
“His name is Valencia.”
“Valencia? I never heard of that name.”
“According to the information from our home planet, he is the leader of the 1st armoured platoon on Beltana. But the soldier announced as having the highest achievements is someone else.”
“The commander wasn’t the person who gained the most achievements?”
“Yes, the person’s name is Ark.”
“Ark!”
The Rama warrior twitched. Then a meaningful smile appeared on his face after thinking for a while.
“Ark……it isn’t impossible if it is that guy.”
“You know that name?”
“Of course. I know it. No, I can’t forget it.”
“But aren’t there many people with the same name?”
“Yes, there are many people with the same name. If you just mentioned the name Ark then I wouldn’t care. Because I’ve seen the name Ark many times when fighting against the federation. But if it is someone who gained the most achievements on the battlefield and defeated a Gigantic then it must be him. He has to be the real one.”
“Real? There are real and fake?”
“Let’s see?”
The Rama warrior murmured before turning around.
“Anyway, I don’t have time to worry about his movements.”
The Red Slaughter. It was the name he was called on Hanan
———————————————————
At the same time, in an underground plaza of the galactic federation building in Nephalim. There was a blue light as a user was transmitted through the Star Gate. The light disappeared and people flocked like vultures around the user.
“Please give us a short interview!”
“How does it feel becoming a person with the highest merit after being a prisoner? Can you fully explain the situation on the battlefield?”
“Did the Gigantic really appear on Beltana?”
“You defeated a Gigantic directly?”
“I heard you don’t have a sponsor yet. Scouting offers should be sent by the galactic federation and the 4 big businesses. Have you decided on one?”
The people swarming around the Star Gate were reporters. And the name of the returned soldier……
“Ark-nim, please tell me how you feel leaving as a prisoner and returning a hero!”
Ark, it was the name of the new hero.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 04
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Hero Making
Flash! Flash! Flash!
Flashes continued going off without any breaks from the crowd. Two centuries ago, mankind had no choice but to enter space for their survival and faced a mighty enemy that they never imagined
They encountered an aggressive alien species called the Rama whose advanced science civilization and tough body were far beyond that of humans. A war started between the two species and humans inevitably suffered a crushing defeat. However, the genius scientist Lucian developed the body coating technology that allowed them to be a match for the Rama and joined hands with the alien species alliance called the Aschulat to counterattack. And after decades……
After the numerous heroes’ sacrifices, they were finally able to end the long war. But just because the war ended didn’t mean it was peaceful. They soon realized that the federation and Rama could never coexist and the two species were destined to be enemies. The trouble occurred in the Bellin constellation. For a long time it was barren but the next generation of technology meant that rare space resources were identified in the Bellin constellation. The federation and Rama wanted to monopolize those space resources so they gathered their military power and naturally broke the truce. This was the prelude to the 2nd Space War. However, the circumstances were different from the 1st Space War. Now the galactic federation were the ignorant species that had just arrived in the universe. But just before the conflict in Bellin started, the 3rd alien alliance Aschulat departed from the battlefield due to internal affairs. The federation who were planning to take over the Bellin constellation suffered a huge setback. And they continued losing on the battlefield! However, it wasn’t just the disadvantageous military situation that troubled the federation leaders.
–Is the galactic federation going to be okay?
–The Aschulat has left the field and the limitations of diplomacy are revealed!
–There is no alternative to war! This is a tragedy! What hope is there in this war?
–The war in the Bellin constellation clearly shows the incompetence of the federation army!
Every day the media poured criticisms on the galactic federation! Public opinion seemed to get worse every day! Everybody knew that the federation were being thrashed by the Rama. It was at that time that the federation received news about the victory on Beltana. The officials of the galactic federation who had been worrying about the press had a sudden thought.
‘This is a chance to turn the public opinion!’……they said
———————————————————————————————
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a roaring sound and a red flash. The huge machine that dissolved in the red flash was the Gigantic. It was a machine with advanced weapons designed for slaughter and destruction on the battlefield. But the Devil of the Battlefield also had a weakness. It was the power reactor that was like the Gigantic’s heart. And the power reactor was involved in the huge explosion just now. The Gigantic’s powerful shield and armour couldn’t protect the power reactor. The nuclear fusion engine had exploded inside the Gigantic near the power reactor. In other words, a nuclear explosion had occurred inside the Gigantic. The explosion instantly vaporized the power reactor and the Gigantic collapsed from the inside. And a red flash soared up from the Gigantic’s body!
-The Gigantic has been destroyed and 15,000 victory points acquired!
“I-It’s a success!”
Ark ignored his seared face and shouted with glee. Needless to say, Ark was the one who contributed the most to blowing up the nuclear fusion engine. Of course, the Silver Hand and Royal Guards also gained some victory points but Ark was the one who actually dealt the critical hit!
He had dealt 50% of the damage to the Gigantic so he was given 15,000 victory points. That wasn’t all.
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
It was the level up message! Valencia and the armoured platoon might’ve defeated their Gigantic but it had previously received the concentrated attack of the federation army. However, Ark was the one who penetrated the hole in the Gigantic’s leg and blew up the power reaction almost by himself. Of course Ark would receive more experience and victory points from it! He quickly gained 7 levels.
“Unbelievable! Really…….”
“He did it! Hyung-nim really defeated the Gigantic!”
“Oh my god! It’s a miracle! Hyung-nim caused a miracle!”
“Waaahhhhh! Hooray Hyung-nim!”
The Royal Guards cheered and flocked around Ark. A cross mark was also spinning above the head of the Royal Guards. The detachment had also contributed to Ark destroyed the Gigantic so their levels rose. If he was an ordinary user then he would be going on a wild rampage! Ark wasn’t an ordinary user.
“Wake up! This is not the time!”
Ark raised his head and exclaimed. The Royal Guards also lifted their heads.
“Hyung-nim is right! This war isn’t over yet!”
“There are still Rama remaining. We can’t feel relieved.”
“Let’s join forces with the federation army and clean them up!”
“That’s not it!”
“Huh? It’s not?”
The members looked doubtfully at Ark.
“You fools, don’t you know? The Fairy and Star Gate were destroyed earlier but this is the Rama base! Look around! Corpses of the Rama soldiers are interspersed among the wreckage. Do you know how many things will be among the rubble? The Rama are destroyed so they don’t have any owners. If we pick it up then it will belong to us!”
Ark looked around with gleaming eyes.
“This is an opportunity! Search! Put it in your bag as soon as you pick it up!”
The detachment was organized as they struggled to destroy the Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate. They were then chased by Gigantic and almost died many times. Yet the first thing that emerged from Ark’s mouth wasn’t a sigh of relief but it was about loot.
“What…..are you saying?”
Heksu was stricken. But it was the correct comment. The federation army under Haman’s command were cleaning up the Rama. As soon as that ended then hundreds of federation soldiers would be picking up loot. This was the only chance for the detachment to gather the items!
“Ark’s words are correct!”
As expected, it was Heksu who reacted first.
“Nobody can compete with the Scavengers of the Silver Hand in gathering loot! The Scavengers will split into 2 groups. The 1st group will focus on the items around the central base while the 2nd one will search around the Gigantic. Don’t forget. We are mercenaries so we don’t care about honour. We also fought so we should gain some spoils. Our fight hasn’t ended yet!”
“Waaahhhhhhhh!”
The detachment cried out at Heksu’s command and scattered all over the place. And while there were sporadic gunfire between the federation and the Rama……
“I’ve found a supplies warehouse in the central base!”
“Move the rubble and salvage the loot!”
“Ohh, there are a considerable amount of supplies left in the wreckage. Quite a lot of it can be used!”
“Just sweep up everything visible!”
“I found large amounts of recyclable materials and semiconductors in the wreckage of the Gigantic!”
“Pack! Pack! Pack! Pack it!”
The detachment gathered random loot. The battlefield was completely cleaned up after 1 hour. The federation army also started to gather loot after taking care of the Rama but the detachment had swept up most of it already. The detachment was the only ones who left the battlefield with full bags.
“That is sufficient payment for them. The federation has also struggled until now.”
Ark muttered with a virtuous heart. And he returned to the federation base with the army.
-Your current physical information has been registered to the Fairy.
<If you die then the character’s levels, skills and the Nymphe’s information will be maintained>
He was finally able to register at the federation’s Fairy after a long journey. All the results Ark obtained in the last fortnight now truly belonged to him.
“The outcome is better than I hoped for.”
The memory of the past two months passed through his head like a panorama. He had been forcibly sent to Beltana and had spent two months on it! He was starving to death on a -50 degrees planet until he started digging and organized the prisoners. However, these efforts made Valencia bully him. And a fortnight ago he had been left in a hostile area thanks to Valencia.
‘But I came back alive!’
He had felt real despair as he fell into a kilometres deep crevasse. Then he raided the Rama’s main base, blew up the Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate and destroyed the Gigantic. He gained 20,000 victory points! Combined with his previous achievements, he got a total of 22,320 points. There was no doubt that he gained the most achievements among the federation soldiers. In other words, he had monopolized the most achievements on the battlefield. Ark couldn’t hope for better results! However, the biggest thing he received from this war was something else.
‘Why is everything so complicated?’
In the meantime, Ark had been despondent about something. He had some good results from R-14 and Beltana but they weren’t all because of his hard work. He became a criminal after being tricked by the evil hamster and then bullied by Valencia. It wasn’t simply because of bad luck. Such problems occurred because of mistakes that Ark made.
‘Why did it turn out like this? I never would’ve made these mistakes before. Repeatedly making so many mistakes isn’t like me. I seem to have become completely stupid! I’m only in my 20’s so I can’t blame it on age……’
This had started after Ark began playing Galaxian. He had some misgivings that he wasn’t the same as before. However, this victory wiped away all his misgivings. He was able to gain achievements and results but the most important thing was regaining his mindset. He had overcome many desperate situations and managed to obtain the highest achievement points! It was possible to regain the Ark that he had long forgotten.
‘Yes, I am Ark. The legendary gamer Ark. That’s me!’
It was confidence.
‘So far has just been the rehearsal. The game is starting now. That Lucifer bastard, I’ll make him realize what a big mistake he made dragging me into this game. I’m Ark!’
Ark had recovered his confidence!
“Everybody freeze!”
A threatening voice shook the square. Ark and the detachment were then surrounded by dozens of soldiers.
“Eh? What, what the? Are you crazy? Why are you doing this?”
The members looked around with shocked expressions. The soldiers separated and a middle aged person with silver hair walked up. He was Haman, the leader of the Beltana garrison. Haman gazed at Ark before saying.
“Ark, you are arrested for deserting the army without authorization. And the 10 members of the prisoner unit. You will be arrested for disobeying orders and going missing during the operation. Disarm them!”
The detachment looked stunned at Haman’s words.
“What funny words are you saying?”
Clem leaped forward and shouted in a rough voice.
“Deserting the army without notice? Disobeyed commands? Commander Haman, are you going crazy? Ark…..”
“Shut up!”
Haman glared at Clem.
“Are you in the position to defend the prisoners right now? I know that the Silver Hand was the one who took the prisoner unit away from the operational area without permission. You might be a mercenary unit but on the battlefield you still need to take orders from the commander. The commander’s order is given priority above anything else. Martial law applied to all military soldiers. The federation isn’t an easy place where you can break these rules. Do you understand? The only reason I’m not arresting you right now is due to a request from the government. Well, the Silver Hand will still be punished.”
Haman snorted and turned around.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Until then, Ark had just been standing still like he was involved in this. He only raised his head at Haman’s question. There was a pause as Ark looked at Haman before smiling and saying.
“Aren’t you going to regret this?”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Haman declared sharply.
“Arrest him.”
“You really will regret this……”
——————————————————————————————————————————
“Commander-nim!”
The door opened and a female officer stormed in. The person who breathed harshly after running in was Irina. Haman frowned at her sudden visit and raised his head.
“What is going on? I’m busy.”
“I just heard some soldiers say that Commander-nim arrested Ark.”
“I did. So?”
“I came to tell you that you made a mistake.”
“I don’t know what you’re saying. You should know the outline since you heard the soldiers talking. He failed to return to the barracks after the battle in area B-1. And he also didn’t return for over a fortnight. It is similar to a jailbreak so naturally he would be punished. That alone is enough to arrest him. He also made the mercenaries take away the prisoners without authorization. Yet you’re saying it is wrong to arrest him?”
“Did you read the report submitted by Peratul-nim?”
Irina narrowed her eyes and declared sharply.
“Ark hadn’t willingly deserted after the B-1 battle. He couldn’t join the main army and was left behind. While escaping the pursuing Rama and getting lost, he managed to discover the location of the Rama base and sent the information with a Carrier MR-II.”
“That information isn’t confirmed yet.”
“But if it is true then he isn’t guilty of desertion. Someone also intercepted the information on the Carrier MR-II. If that is true then Ark had no choice but to draw out the other prisoners. Because the suspected person who stole the information from the Carrier MR-II is the influential Valencia. If Valencia wanted to hide that he committed a crime…..”
“That information isn’t confirmed yet!”
Haman slammed his fist against his desk and shouted. But Irina just lifted an eyebrow and continued speaking.
“After the battle at the enemy base was finished, Ark explained the situation to Peratul and handed over the data on his Nymphe. He looked at the data and declared that the reason to arrest Ark is invalid. Please release Ark immediately.”
“Hah, really……”
Haman scratched his head with a tired expression. He turned around slowly before gazing outside the window and muttered with a deep voice.
“The data submitted by Ark……dispose of it.”
“Huh? What are you saying? Why?”
“You still don’t understand?”
Haman clasped his hand together and said.
“Let’s assume that Ark is telling the truth. 400 regular troops have been fighting the Rama on Beltana for months. The military gains hadn’t been that good. The army experienced so much defeat that the federation considered withdrawing from Beltana. Yet a prisoner who was just sent to Beltana managed to discover the Rama’s central base and played a key role in the victory……what would people think?”
Haman’s face warped.
“An incompetent federal army. That is what people will think.”
“Commander-nim, surely……”
“Listen to my words carefully Irina.”
Haman turned and started straight at Irina.
“The person who led us to victory must belong to the galactic federation. Not a criminal.”
“Then that is Valencia?”
“Who else is there?”
“Commander-nim seems to have forgotten my duty.”
“No, I know. You are a secret inspector from the central government’s 2nd branch.”
“Then I’ll talk quickly. I was sent to Beltana to investigate claims that prisoners will paying bribes to someone. That person is Valencia who was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon. And I’ve secured evidence through my investigation. Do you really want such a person to play the main role in the victory?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Huh?”
“This is a decision from higher up.”
Irina stiffened at Haman’s words. Haman stared at Irina and continued in a dull voice.
“You’re clever enough to understand my words. Public opinion has been against the federation since the day we started fighting against the Rama in the Bellin constellation. What will be the response if an elite warrior like Valencia was accused of stealing an ally’s achievements as well as taking bribes? Even if he is fired, the federation will still be criticized. It is necessary to change the atmosphere.”
“Isn’t that just an excuse?”
“No, it is a strategy.”
Haman answered curtly.
“Right now the galactic federation needs a hero. The hero can’t be a mere prisoner. We need someone who can give hope to soldiers on the battlefield. We need to look at the wider picture. Sometimes the small things need to be ignored.”
“I only hear excuses.”
Irina replied in a cold tone.
‘Dirty……’
Her eyes trembled. But the person who appeared in her mind wasn’t Haman but ‘him.’ Once she had loved ‘him.’ In her childhood she had seen many people bow to him and was proud. But she gradually started to learn the truth. ‘He’ had power and money and would do anything to keep that power and money. She felt betrayed the moment she realized it. However, she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t go against the money and power that ‘he’ had. The thing that made her even more powerless was that ‘he’ was her father. So she ran away. She couldn’t escape in reality so she entered the virtual world of Galaxian. And became an inspector. It was work she couldn’t do in real life. Yet…..yet…..
–In this line of work, sometimes small things need to be ignored for the larger picture.
‘His’ voice seemed to flow from Haman’s mouth. He said that while casually trampling on other people. She had run away from words like that. She escaped to the game world but now she was hearing those words again. And……
“Didn’t I tell you? This is a decision from higher up. There is nothing you can do.”
‘Even in this place……’
She felt helpless
———————————————————————————————
“Those damn federation guys.”
Clem said angrily. While Ark had been trapped in prison for several hours, Clem had been going around to the officers and protested violently. But the answers were always the same. It was hard to prove that Valencia intercepted the Carrier MR-II with the record that Ark submitted from his Nymphe. Therefore he couldn’t argue against the legitimacy of the desertion claim.
“It is clear what they mean by those answers. They used such lame excuses for a reason. They intend to make him a scapegoat.”
“Scapegoat? Why?”
Mellin asked.
“They want to save face.”
Clem spat out angrily.
“The federation isn’t going to announce that a war going on for several months was won by some prisoners. The reason the federation is doing so badly in the Bellin constellation is because the Aschulat broke the alliance and withdrew. If the federation announces that the war was won by prisoners then it is like announcing they are incompetent. So they are trying to make Ark a criminal.”
“Then who do they intend to announce received the best achievements in this war?”
“Valencia.”
The person who answer was Ark who had been keeping silent until now. Clem glanced at Ark before sighing and nodding.
“That seems to be the case when looking at the atmosphere.”
The Royal Guards then cried out.
“Valencia? That is ridiculous!”
“Yes, how could someone who stole information and embezzled become a hero?”
“We have to stop something like this!”
“Of course. I have no intention of leaving this alone.”
Clem snorted and rolled up his sleeve. But Ark scratched his head and muttered in a calm voice.
“Let’s see. The federation won’t easily change their minds if you’re the only one protesting.”
“It’s not just me. Someone else is helping.”
“Someone else is helping?”
“Irina, the leader of the prisoner unit.”
“Irina?”
“Yes, she overheard soldiers talking about you being arrested and went to talk to the Commander. She is different from the other officers and insists that you’re innocent. She is willing to testify about your innocence.”
‘Irina went to the Commander to protest?’
Ark was confused by the unexpected words. The prisoners called Irina a ruthless woman. Even if the prisoners were about to die from starvation, she wouldn’t distribute food if they were missing even 0.1 grams of food. There were even rumours that she was an ugly lady in her 40’s. Of course, Ark knew that rumour wasn’t true. He had met a woman who looked like Irina at a charity party. The synchronization rate was 99%. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Yet she pretended she didn’t know Ark when they met in the game again. It was hard to believe that she was proclaiming his innocence.
‘Perhaps…..she was unconsciously aware of me?’
He thought about it. No other plausible reason floated into his head.
‘Yes, that might be it. I also saved her from being humiliated at the party. She must’ve pretended she didn’t know me because she was shy. I thought she was just someone without good manners but doesn’t she have a surprisingly cute side?’
He thought like that. But this situation was different. Even if she went on a hunger strike to protest Ark’s guilt, there was no apparent way to solve the situation. After a while, Ark shrugged it off and said.
“It is impossible.”
“Impossible? What do you mean?”
“Clem-nim said it a while ago. Commander Haman arrested us to protect the reputation of the galactic federation. If it is true then this wouldn’t just be Commander Haman’s decision. The galactic federation probably made a decision to ignore that information from my Nymphe that I submitted about the Carrier MR-II. The Captain Clem and Irina’s protests won’t be heard.”
“I also know this!”
Clem snapped angrily.
“But are you telling us to do nothing?”
“Of course not.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“Didn’t you hear what I said when the Commander arrested me?”
“What did you say?”
“I said he was going to regret it.”
Ark leaned back with a relaxed look and continued.
“Maybe he is already regretting it.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
“It will be closed like this?”
Irina asked with a cold voice. She couldn’t accept the federation’s decision. No, she couldn’t accept that she was powerless in the game. She came here to escape the unavoidable reality. So she left headquarters and headed towards the Star Gate. If she returned to the galactic federation then she could find someone to help.
‘Someone has to listen to me.’
That was her only hope for now. However, she wasn’t even able to approach the Star Gate.
“Commander Haman said that no one can use the Star Gate at the moment. Especially Irina-nim.”
The soldier who smirked and replied was from the 1st armoured platoon.
“I have a special permit to use the Star Gate any time I want. You are violating federal law if you stop me. Even if the Commander said so……”
“We are only following orders. You should object to the Commander.”
“You guys really……”
Irina frowned and took one step forward.
Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong.
Suddenly light started being emitted by the Star Gate. A bunch of light gathered in the centre like fireflies and a group of people appeared. They were soldiers with the mark of the galactic federation on them. But Irina and the armoured platoon was looking at a middle aged man in the centre with various medals on his uniformed chest. Irina looked at the middle aged man with bemused eyes and muttered.
“Why is Marquis Martin……”
“M-Marquis Martin? Marquis Martine from the central government?”
The galactic federation was a republic where medieval ranks existed. Even ordinary citizens were divided into 1st class and 2nd class citizens, with noble ranks existing above them. Of course, unlike medieval times there was no discrimination by status but the benefits they could enjoy were different
There was no need to talk about nobility. The central government positions were similar to present day congressmen. Moreover, Marquis Martin was the aristocrat who held the post of special advisor to the central government about military affairs. He had a lot of power over the federal army. In fact, the person Commander Haman talked to and who sent mercenaries from Istana was Marquis Martin
The armoured platoon saluted after hearing Irina’s words. Then Irina moved between the armoured platoon members and exclaimed.
“Marquis Martin, I need to talk to you!”
But Marquis Martin didn’t even look at her. Marquis Martin just approached the armoured platoon and raised his voice.
“Guards, guide me to Commander Haman right now!”
——————————————————————————————————————————
“Uhh…..”
Thick drops of sweat rolled down Haman’s forehead.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain somewhere?”
The voice expressed concern but he wasn’t thankful about it at all. The voice who smirked belonged to the protagonist, Ark.
“Is the indoor heating too high? Outside it is still -50 degrees but in here it is quite hot. Perhaps Commander-nim should go outside and gather Iridium? You can exercise and get some food.”
“Shut up!”
“Aigoo, I’m hurt that Commander-nim told me to shut up. Should you be treating the prisoner unit like this?”
“You dare……”
“Commander Haman, back off.”
Haman’s face contorted with discomfort. The middle aged man staring out the window turned around. With various medals hanging from his uniform, it was Marquis Martin. Marquis Martin started at Haman who twitched and withdrew. Marquis Martine then sat down and asked Ark.
“Are you Ark?”
“Do you know me?”
“You’re a celebrity.”
Marquis Martin placed a small metal plate on the table. Light soared up and a 3D holographic image was displayed. The video shown a group of people rushing inside a domed building. They killed the Rama they encountered and installed bombs where the Star Gate was located then blew up the base. That wasn’t all. The main character of the video also defeated 1 Gigantic by himself and earned some amazing achievements. The protagonist of that video was Ark! This video was taken by Ark.
‘I didn’t think it would be used like this……’
Ark had started filming when he was rushing towards the Rama’s headquarters.
‘If I destroy the Rama’s Fairy and Star Gate then I will receive the most achievements!’
That was the purpose of Ark and the detachment. However, he started to become uneasy once he actually arrived at the Rama’s main base. Ark’s purpose was to gather achievements so he could leave Beltana. If they destroyed the Fairy and Star Gate then Ark and the Royal Guards would receive the achievements. The problem was the overflowing achievements.
‘If I was a normal soldier then I would receive the compensation. But I’m a prisoner. Prisoners just need to gather enough achievements to decrease their crime value. Once the crime value was paid off, special compensation will be given for the remaining achievements. In other words, there is no guarantee that I will be rewarded for so much achievements.’
Of course, he hadn’t thought about the compensation at first. But the thoughts started coming once he received so much achievements. Ark thought about it. He needed a safety device.
‘If suffered so much to obtain the achievements so it will be troubling if the federation doesn’t give it to me. But it is different if I film the scenes directly. If the federation becomes reluctant then I can show them the video. If this video is seen then I will definitely receive the most achievements. The federation won’t be able to put it off.’
He started the recording function on his Nymphe with those ulterior motives. Ark could afford to be calm when arrested because of this video. Once they returned to the base, the federation’s attitude towards Ark had immediately changed. The problem was that Ark raised an excessive amount of achievements. Destroying the Fairy, Star Gate and Gigantic meant he gained 22,320 points. Needless to say, it was the best among all the Beltana soldiers. They were prisoners so none of the regular troops wanted to see them sweep up the achievements. Ark hadn’t considered the problem of public sentiment. Anyway, the conclusion was the same. The only thing the federation could do was invalidate Ark’s achievements.
‘If the galactic federation acts like this then I can’t stay still.’
The video stored in his Nymphe floated in his head. If he showed the video then the federation couldn’t deny that Ark was the one who displayed the most merit in the war. Of course, Istana was light years away from Beltana and Ark was imprisoned but users had different ways to get information to other users. It was the Internet. Ark had distributed the video through the internet as soon as he grasped the situation. The Beltana war was the first one to be concluded since Galaxian was commercialized. The battle even involved the Gigantic that few users would’ve heard about before. As soon as it was uploaded on the internet, the users’ interest explosively concentrated on it. It received 10 million hits in one day! It spread through the players so naturally the NPCs would also know about it. Some of the 10 million users who saw the video downloaded it to their Nymphe and distributed it in the game. That was the video Marquis Martin showed him.
“This isn’t ordinary. A mere prisoner managed to calculate up to here and made a safety device for such a situation.”
Actually, he had made it for a different reason. But there was no reason to tell him that.
“I spent many days in -50 degrees weather holding my starving stomach so of course I’m prepared.”
“Let’s cut a long story short.”
Marquis Martin laughed and continued.
“I admit that our side made a mistake. Commander Haman didn’t handle the post-war circumstances so I apologize on behalf of the federation. Now that I know the circumstances, we will admit your achievements as well as grant amnesty to the rest of the prisoners.”
“And?”
Marquis Martin was confused by Ark’s question. His expression was saying ‘what do you want other than amnesty?’ But it was no use in this atmosphere. Once again, Ark had gained 22,320 achievements. Being pardoned was an inevitable result. Ark had taken the video in the first place to extort even more compensation. He had to spend a couple of hours in prison so Ark wasn’t going to let it go that easily.
‘Martin is placing all the blame on Haman but clearly the galactic federation was involved. If I return to Istana and make noise then it can embarrass the federation. Now I’m the one holding the sword hilt. If they persist in attacking me then I will bite them.’
Ark’s intuition was pinging. Marquis Martine narrowed his eyes as Ark persisted and asked.
“What do you want?”
In this situation, the government was forced to accept any request no matter how absurd it was. However, Galaxian was a game and Marquis Martin a NPC. Just like in real life, NPCs had different personalities. For example, some NPCs would give rewards if their lives were saved regardless of the quest restrictions or difficulty. If he wasn’t too greedy then sometimes he could receive even more. Therefore it was more difficult when users had a lot of options for compensation…..Ark had to guess the upper limit of how much compensation Marquis Martin would give.
“I don’t want a lot. I just want to be treated like a regular soldier.”
In other words, he wanted to receive the same reward that a regular soldier would get if they earned 22,320 achievements.
“Of course, that also applies to the prisoners who follow me and the Silver Hand. Oh, I also want Valencia to receive punishment for stealing the information I sent.”
“To receive the same treatment as a regular soldier and punish Valencia……”
Haman jumped up after hearing Marquis Martin’s words.
“Don’t make me laugh! You’re a prisoner. A prisoner wants to be treated like a regular soldier?”
“Commander please don’t interrupt.”
Marquis Martin sent a sharp look at Haman. He then relaxed his body and looked at Ark.
“That deal is possible. Okay, that conditions aren’t bad so I’ll accept. You will be acknowledged as the one who earned the most merit in the war. But I also have a condition.”
Marquis Martin smiled and continued.
“I need a hero.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
And several hours later. A user exited the underground plaza in the Nephalim branch of the galactic federation. The light disappeared and people flocked like vultures around the user.
“Please give us a short interview!”
“How does it feel becoming a person with the highest merit after being a prisoner? Can you fully explain the situation on the battlefield?”
“Did the Gigantic really appear on Beltana?”
“You defeated a Gigantic directly?”
“I heard you don’t have a sponsor yet. Scouting offers should be sent by the galactic federation and the 4 big businesses. Have you decided on one?”
The people swarming around the Star Gate were reporters.
“Ark-nim, please tell me how you feel leaving as a prisoner and returning a hero!”
The recipients of the quick-fire questions was Ark! He was the protagonist of the video that swept through Istana, the hero who won the war on Beltana for the galactic federation. But Ark shook his head and said slowly.
“I’m not a hero.”
“Huh? But the video of Ark-nim……”
“Yes, I’m the one in the video. But as you can see, I didn’t destroy the Rama base or defeat the Gigantic by myself. I had the help of my colleagues and fellow prisoners who committed some diversionary tactics as well as Marquis Martin who sent the mercenary troops to help.”
“Marquis Martin-nim? Then Marquis Martin is involved in this victory?”
“That’s right.”
Ark looked up and nodded.
“Don’t be modest!”
A cry was heard from a group of light behind him. It was from the uniformed Marquis Martin. He was also baptised with relentless flashes from the surprised reporters. Marquis Martin approached Ark and grabbed his shoulder before saying.
“I’m the one who approved the operation and dispatched the mercenary troops to Beltana. But that would mean nothing if we didn’t win. The soldiers on the battlefield are the ones who risked their lives to defeat the enemy. As you can see from the video, Ark is the hero who contributed the most to the victory. Although he has the status of a prisoner, he is still a member of the galactic federation. I acknowledge him as a worthy hero. That’s why I want to make an announcement. For his contributions in this war, Ark will be given the rights of a 1st class citizen.”
Marquis Martin lifted his hand as he spoke. At the same time, an information window appeared in front of Ark.
-You have earned considerable achievements on the battlefield and your status increased!
-Ark-nim is now registered as a 1st class citizen of the galactic federation.
Two types of classes exist in the galactic federation. When pioneers first step into the universe, they are automatically 2nd class citizens. Pioneers can increase their status through contributions to the federation, completing quests, bounty hunting, investment in businesses etc
The benefits that a 1st class and 2nd class citizen receives are different
A 1st class citizen and choose more variety of quests and their credit rating when trading will also increase. In addition, they can also own land and housing in the areas owned by the galactic federation. When going through the proper procedures, they can also operate a business.
+Your rise in social status means that you can enter 3~4 class areas.
+ Your status rise means a 5% discount is applied to all dealings.
+ Your status rise gives you the right to own real estate in the city.
+ Your status rise gives you the right to manage private businesses.
+ Your status rise means you can use the Star Gate at a general rate.
“Please welcome the new hero of the galactic federation, the 1st class citizen Ark!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
The crown cheered at Marquis Martin’s words and flashes went off. The front page of the newspapers were plastered with the rise of a federation hero.
Space 2
New Goal
“Nice to meet you.”
A man wearing a robe bowed to him.
“My name is Idun. I am the leader of the bioengineering team in the Nephalim branch of the galactic federation.”
“Ah, yes. I……”
“I already know. You are Ark-nim?”
Idun responded to his introduction with a smile.
“It is impossible for me to not know. You are the hero Ark who led the Beltana war to victory! I’m been shut inside the research centre yet I still managed to hear your name.”
“That just happened by chance.”
“You are too modest.”
“No, that…..it’s not being modest but…..”
Ark scratched his head with an awkward expression. Once again, the federation had poured large amounts of money into the war in the Bellin constellation so every day the media was focused on it. Therefore it was necessary for the federation to reverse the situation. That was the existence of a war hero.
‘The federation wanted to make Valencia the hero.’
That’s why Ark was arrested as soon as he returned to the base on Beltana. It was a secret plot to get rid of his achievements and make Valencia a war hero. This was another instance of things becoming complicated after starting Galaxian. But Ark wasn’t a beginner pioneer anymore. While he hadn’t exactly expected this problem, Ark had filmed a video as a security measure to ensure that he received the proper compensation. Fortunately Ark made a deal with Marquis Martin and managed to get the same rewards as a regular soldier would. However, that privilege wasn’t for free.
–I need a hero.
That was the condition Marquis Martin required. Of course, Ark didn’t exactly like the conditions. No matter what happened, the existence of a war hero was necessary for the galactic federation. It was difficult to make Valencia one so they decided to chance to Ark.
‘I expected something like this but…..’
It had been 4 hours since the federation formally announced Ark as a war hero. During those 4 hours, the name Ark poured from virtually every monitor playing Galaxian. The contents of Ark’s fight was being played by reporters in Nephalim as well as broadcasted on the internet. The galactic federation’s manipulation of public opinion had started. And the federation’s plan was a great success when looking at the results. However, the result wasn’t 100% due to the federation’s efforts. This was the first hero since Galaxian was commercialized! That was enough to draw the attention of the public. But there was a separate reason for the explosive interest. It was the name of the hero the federation was promoting!
–Ark?
–It must be that Ark.
–The legendary gamer from New World who appeared on the TV!
–It that user really Ark? There are many users with the same name.
–Still, to become a hero in a game that is only several months old…..
–But the systems between New World and Galaxian are completely different. There is no guarantee that he will do well in Galaxian. But the user has the same name and a similar face.
–If the person called Ark has such great skills…..
–If that person really is Ark then it is amazing!
Tens of thousands of posts were written on the Galaxian community sites during those 4 hours! The explosive interest from users also influenced the NPCs. The video was repeatedly played on the monitors in the federal cities. This was how an NPC staying in the research centre knew his name. But Ark wasn’t thankful for the situation.
‘This is why I didn’t want my name involved with the video…..’
Don’t draw attention. That was one of the absolute principles in Ark’s head. The world was full of strange people and some of them just dislike a person because they were famous. They were the people who would create anti-cafe’s for celebrities and spread malicious rumours. It would be tiring for the famous person involved. Therefore he had been slightly offended and relieved when he heard that hundreds of people could use his name. This meant he wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention in the game. Yet he became a hero out of the blue. At the same time, the situation he wanted to avoid had already begun.
–If that really is Ark then isn’t it annoying? Damn, he already became a director at Global Exos through New World and now he wants to play Galaxian as well?
–That unlucky guy, is he that excellent?
–If I ever meet him at a hunting ground then I’ll prove that guy’s fame is nothing.
Not only that……
–I had to quit New World because of that Ark bastard. If that user really is Ark then I’ll use this chance to get revenge. I’m recruiting any other users who also feel like me. Please leave a memo on the bulletin board in Tatuine. It was no joke.
There were even organizations to track Ark’s movements and kill him.
‘Damn, how can I do anything in such an uproar?’
Part of it was due to his actions. Back in New World, Ark wasn’t exactly a ‘nice’ character. He annoyed other people for no reason and if someone took action against him then he would repay it several times. Of course, even now Ark didn’t doubt that everything was ‘unavoidable.’ It was common sense that those people wouldn’t consider it ‘unavoidable.’
‘I wanted to live a bit more gently this time……’
Therefore Ark wasn’t exactly pleased about being a hero. Ark’s face fell at the thought and Idun stared at him. Ark scratched his head and said.
“It was just by chance. Like I said in the interview, I’m not the only one who played a role in the victory so it is a slight burden on me. The mass media keeps on talking about it so I can’t go anywhere without being crowded.”
He never knew when someone would stab a knife in his back. No, it was the future so it would actually be a bullet shot in the head. It was dangerous but a NPC couldn’t understand those circumstances.
“This is surprising. You took care of a Gigantic by yourself so I thought Ark-nim was full of confidence.”
“I’m full of confidence but that doesn’t mean I can protect my stomach every moment.”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Ark sighed and shrugged. Then Idun pushed up his glasses and laughed.
“This is the first time I’ve seen someone who received the title of hero sighing. But please don’t feel too depressed. It might be a burden but Ark-nim’s existence is comfort to people like me in the galactic federation. I don’t know why you feel burdened but you’ve become a hero so just enjoy yourself.”
“Of course I will.”
Ark smiled and nodded. He wasn’t going to reject the fame because of some worries. He also wasn’t in the position to complain. If he didn’t make the deal with Marquis Martin then he would lose his achievements accumulated and sent to another disputed planet. This situation right now was better
However, that wasn’t his only compensation for being a hero. Ark also had some conditions in exchange for becoming Marquis Martin’s hero. In other words, it was the promised compensation for the 22,230 achievements. He received three different types of rewards. The first was the title of hero that Marquis Martin announced at his public appearance. Ark received the 1st class citizenship at the same time but this wasn’t the major compensation. All pioneers started off as a 2nd class citizen and they could be promoted to 1st class when contributing to the federation through quests or other methods. In other words, reaching a 1st class citizen was like a rite of passage. But the title of hero was different.
-You have received the <Beltana’s Hero> title from Marquis Martin.
This title is given to the user who participated in the war on the disputed planet and gains the most achievements. Therefore it is a unique title due to the different names of the disputed planets. Only one person can receive this title so it is different from the general titles.
The user who receives a title with the name of a disputed planet would be given huge compensation from the galactic federation. You will be given priority in investing on Beltana when development stats. You will also receive preferential treatment compared to the average citizen.
<Title Effects: Beltana’s Hero (All Stats +3)>
+ 1,000 additional fame.
+ 3,000 galactic federation contribution.
+ Acquired 200 Adventure points
He wasn’t just a hero. He had literally received the title of a hero. The ‘Cleaning Foreman’ title he received from R-14 gave him +3 agility, while the ‘Ignorant Destroyer’ gave him +7 Stamina and Strength but decreased his Wisdom by 10. However, the ‘Beltana’s Hero’ title gave him +3 points to every stat! That was a total of 18 bonus stats. He also received 1,000 fame and 200 Adventure points. The purpose of the Adventure points was still unknown but it had to be used somewhere. Anyway, the bonus was a different standard from his previous titles. But that wasn’t the true value of the ‘Beltana’s Hero’ title. The important thing was the privileges attached to the title. It gave him priority if he wanted to invest in Beltana. The core of Galaxian was space pioneering. The pioneers would adventure in wastelands or unexplored planets. Users who participate in the disputed planet war or pioneer new areas can gain the right to invest based on their contribution.
This was why the corporations needed a pioneer to sponsor. Investment rights could be given to the sponsor of the pioneer. If they supported a promising pioneer then they could secure many investment rights. This was the required prerequisite for a space company to grow. That’s why small, medium, the 4 large businesses and even junkyards poured huge amounts of funds into sponsoring pioneers. However he only acted as Tori’s servant. Like stated in the information window, users with the Hero title were allowed the maximum investments within the scope of the galactic federation’s laws. In other words, he could invest in the maximum amount on Beltana. He soon knew what a big privilege it was.
Ttiring! Ttiring! Ttiring! Ttiring!
His Nymphe started flowing with incoming mail.
–I am Heris the director of the human resources department of Laius.
I know that your previous sponsor contract was destroyed. If Ark-nim is willing to sign a sponsor agreement with Laius then you will receive the best treatment. Among the 4 large companies, we hold the largest number of patents so Ark-nim will become a leading pioneer if you join with us. Please get in touch.
-I am Kirian, the director of the Nephalim branch of Hell Lion. Hell Lion is a company formed by the former governor of Kurim. It is a company that values tradition and trust and has developed various special equipment, with a long and constant focus on quality improvement. We were moved by Ark’s heroic actions on Beltana and feel that your abilities will be useful……
It was scouting offers proposed by various companies. Dozens of mail came in after the interview ended. Normally the 4 large companies and the galactic federation had an entrance examination to join. A user with the Hero title had their pick of companies.
‘But……’
Making a contract with the junkyard was 120% a mistake. Ark had also previously received an offer from the federation but he told them he wanted more time to think. That’s because he knew that sponsors had a large impact on the game and he wanted more experience knowledge before deciding. His decision now was still the same. It had already been 4 months since he started Galaxian but he spent most of his time on R-14 and Beltana so he was still lacking knowledge
And there was another part that weighed on his mind.
‘I don’t need to be too hasty about it. My Hero title won’t disappear so I can find a sponsor at any time. It won’t be too late when I make a decision.’
Ark decided to postpone the sponsor problem for a while. Right now he had a more urgent issue to deal with. This was why he came to visit Idun.
“That…..by the way……”
Ark studied Idun’s face and said. Idun stared with blankness before remembering and blushing with embarrassment.
“Ah, I just remembered. This isn’t the time……”
“Did you receive the notification from Marquis Martin?”
“Yes, then please follow me.”
Idun smiled pleasantly and turned around. This was the future so science and technology was one of the core resources. The research centre was where the science and technology were developed so the security was very tight. Ark followed Idun for 200 metres. Meanwhile he had passed a few security equipment like fingerprint, voiceprint and retinal scanners.The place he arrived was filled with various equipment.
“This machine is what truly opened up the space frontiers.”
Idun looked around the room with sparkling eyes. He then looked back at Ark and boasted.
“The machine that Ark-nim sees now is something that the genius scientist Lucian developed to rearrange the DNA. This is the body coating machine that modifies flesh.”
Body coating! This was the second compensation he received from Marquis Martin. Generally two things were required for users to receive the body coating. One condition was to obtain an ‘IC card for body coating’ with the data of the type they wanted. This IC card wasn’t difficult to obtain
They could obtain it from the 4 big companies, the galactic federation or buy it in stores. Prices ranged from 50~100 gold but level 30 was the minimum required to obtain the body coating so it was a high price. The other condition was the sponsor’s guarantee. As mentioned earlier, most users who started the game were 2nd class citizens. Their status was similar to foreign workers entering the universe. Therefore a sponsor was needed to guarantee their identities. That’s why a sponsor was necessary to receive the body coating. It was impossible for a level 30 user to receive a body coating with a guarantor. However, Ark was promoted to a 1st class citizen and also received the Hero title
This was the reason Ark could postpone the sponsor problem. Users normally hurried to sign a sponsor contract at level 30 to receive the body coating. However, Ark could receive the body coating without a sponsor so there was no reason to rush. Besides, he didn’t need to purchase an IC card.
“Have you brought the IC card?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Ark pulled out something that looked like a USB. Idun examined it with an interested look and nodded.
“As expected, this is a 3rd generation IC card.”
“3rd generation……”
“Not all the IC cards for body coating are the same. When body coating was first developed, the technology was still lacking so the functionality wasn’t perfect. The IC cards were improved and distributed as the 2nd generation IC cards. The one Ark-nim received from Marquis Marin has improved even further and is known as the 3rd generation IC card. But the 3rd generation card is difficult to produce so it can’t be mass-produced. It is a type of limited edition card.”
Ark also knew this information. He had heard the condescending lecture when Marquis Martin gave it to him.
‘The 3rd generation card is far superior to the 2nd generation. This means I’ll get more bonus stats and resistances. Such differences can’t be ignored in a game……’
There was something more important than that. It was the characteristics of the body coating he would receive. It was already mentioned but body coating wasn’t the same as a profession. However, the choice would have a huge impact on his profession choices. For example, if he received a body coating focused on strength and stamina then he would be more suited to raising a warrior than a magician. If he received the warrior type body coating then selecting a warrior profession meant he utilize his body attributes by 100%. It wasn’t that different from a career choice. Of course he couldn’t choose it lightly. So he had been worrying about it since he received the IC card……
“I would like to receive the right for body coating.”
“Have you decided what type of body coating to get? Once it stops then it can’t be stopped in the middle.”
“Yes, I decided.”
“I understand. Then let’s begin. Please wait a minute.”
Idun went out of the room holding the IC card. He went over to a glass wall and connected the IC card to the computer. The unidentified machines started working and different lights filled the room. The light tangled together and formed a 3D image of a double helix. DNA!
-The body coating has started.
Your DNA information is being scanned prior to the body coating
Body coating is a special type of technology that extracts DNA from alien species with special abilities and synthesis them in your DNA.
However, there is a limit to how many new DNA can be combined and not all the abilities can be obtained. Typically if you strengthen strength or stamina then mental aspects will weaken and vice versa. If you cancel an old body coating and receive a new one then the amount of DNA manipulation will become limited. It is possible to receive 100% of the bonus with the 1st body coating. Meanwhile there is a 20~50% loss after the 2nd body coating due to the physical burden.
Make your decision carefully so you don’t regret it.
Lists containing information about the body coatings available appeared with the message. There are four types of body coating. Body reinforcement, concentration reinforcement, mental reinforcement and willpower reinforcement.
Body reinforcement strengthens the flesh, allowed users to wear heavy armour as well as using heavy weapons like greatswords or heavy artillery. It is suitable for warriors. Concentration reinforcement allows the user to easily capture the enemy’s weaknesses or focus for long range sniping. Mental reinforcement strengthens the DNA involving the brain, allowing users to develop psychic powers or use ancient magic. And willpower reinforcement meant they could develop recovery powers similar to a priest. The four types of body reinforcement could also be concentrated on attack, defense or both. The four body coatings were then subdivided into three types so there was a total of 12 choices!
‘But I won’t even look at 9 of them.’
The first ones Ark deleted was mental reinforcement and willpower reinforcement. When he first read the information about mental reinforcement, he thought it was similar to X-men like powers. However, this was the same power as a magician. Ark enjoyed close combat so these body coatings didn’t fit him. This also applied to willpower reinforcement.
‘In order to display 100% of the ability, I need to understand my own pros and cons. My fighting style is quick and irregular attacks. Maintaining that combat style is impossible if I choose a body coating focused on stamina and strength. Then the only possible option is concentration reinforcement. The problem is that I have to choose one of the three types of concentration reinforcement……’
But Ark’s worries didn’t last long. The different types floated in front of him and one of them caught his eye.
‘The thing I desired most when wandering around Beltana! The reason I grabbed my starving stomach in the -50 degrees weather!’
He wanted to survive.
‘The biggest trap in Galaxian is the death penalty. No matter how much I raise my level or gain powerful skills, it is useless if it isn’t registered on the Fairy. If I spend several days at a hunting ground then it could be a deadly death penalty. So the most important thing in Galaxian is to survive! I need to survive no matter the circumstances!’
The body coating that caught Ark’s eyes matched with that idea. The name was Survivor! Survivor! What more needed to be said?
“Body coating start!”
Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong.
A fluctuating noise filled the room. The double helix DNA image repeatedly disassembled and reassembled. Finally another blue line was added to the double helix, changing it into a triple helix. The triple helix then plunged into Ark!
-Body Coating: Survivor
Survivor maximizes your survival ability through the combination of DNA extracted from alien species living in harsh environments. The biggest feature of the Survivor is the awakening of potential to overcome a crisis. The crisis would turn into an opportunity.
* The abilities of this body coating will fluctuate.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 52
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Fame 1,000 Adventure 300
Health 1000 (+90)+250 Mental Power 500+250
Strength 125(+23)+5 Agility 175+20
Stamina 195(+18)+20 Wisdom 15+5
Intelligence 95+15 Luck 15+20
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
* Galactic Federation Contribution: 3,000
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
-A new skill (Survivor ☆) has been learnt.
Binding Sword (User, Active): Danger! Escape! The moment the sword hits an enemy, a mental wave will be fired and the enemy briefly paralyzed. Using Binding Sword will reduce your attack by 50%. But if the attack succeeds then there is a 30% chance to stop the enemy moving for 2~3 seconds. This technique can be an advantage when trying to escape but the situation could get even worse if it fails. So please use it carefully.
<Attack decreased by 50%. 30% chance to paralyze the enemy for 2~3 seconds>
Mental power consumption: 50>
-A new skill (Survivor ☆☆) has been learnt.
Mind Shield (User, Active): Your health has reached the bottom! At this rate you will die! If you focus your mental power in moments of crisis then you can create a shield. This shield is created with mental power so the melee penalty of general shields doesn’t apply.
The durability of the shield depends on the concentration and can vary between 50 to 500
If captured by Rama then concentrate your spirit. You need to stay focused if you want to live.
<Mental power is consumed and a shield with 50~500 durability is produced>
Mental power consumption: 100
Cool down time: 30 minutes
-A new skill (Survivor ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Stealth (User, Active): Do you want to check it quietly if it looks dangerous? This will often occur when going on adventures. Stealth is the best choice in situations like that. When using Stealth, the light will bend around the body and you will become invisible to the enemy. However, a large amount of concentration is needed to maintain the stealth state. If you see a cockroach and lose concentration then you could die if an enemy detects you.
<The visible light will refract and you can move around while invisible>
Mental power consumption: 200>
“This is…..”
Ark sighed as he walked out. He had selected the Survivor coating after much deliberation
Gaining 1 million experience or 1 million special skills meant nothing if he couldn’t register with the Fairy before dying. So the most important thing in Galaxian was living. Thus he chose the Survivor coating.
“The bonus stats aren’t bad.”
Ark muttered as he looked at the character information window. When he browsed the internet, he found that the bonus stats normally given was between 65~75. However, Ark had received a total of 85 bonus stats. Marquis Martin gave him a 3rd generation IC card that gave 10~20 extra stats…..
“Of all things, why did my luck stat increase by 20?”
Of course, luck wasn’t a useless stat. No, it was a terrifying one.
-Luck: Luck can influence the behaviour of the character.
Luck has an influence on critical hit probability, evasion probability and increases the chance of receiving better rewards from NPCs as quest compensation. In addition, the probability of getting good loot also increases.
This was the role of luck in online gaming. At first glance it was a good stat. However, luck was all related to probability. In other words, it didn’t always turn out well. And even if something worked, there was no way to connect it to his luck value. Yet his luck stat had increased by 20. It was like those points had been thrown away. However, Ark’s uncomfortable expression wasn’t due to his stats.
“What the hell? These skills?”
He had learnt 3 skills along with the Survivor coating. Binding Sword, Mind Shield, Stealth……the effects seemed quite useful. The enemy being bound for 2~3 seconds meant he could escape, the shield could stop several attacks and the stealth technology meant he could hide while moving
They were all techniques that could be used to escape from a crisis. The problem was that the effect wasn’t fixed. The effect changed depending on the users’ concentration. If he couldn’t concentrate properly then the attack damage of Binding Sword would decrease without any other effect while the durability of the shield would also decrease. And if he lost concentration in a hostile area then he would be in danger.
“Can these techniques be used safely? Damn, how can I be assured using these skills in a crisis? Is it luck of the draw?”
He thought it was appalling when he first saw the skill information window. Therefore he had angrily thought about cancelling the body coating. Even if the user was level 100, it was possible to cancel the body coating and receive another one. But cancelling the body coating cost a lot of money. And they also needed to buy an IC card to receive the body coating again. However, that wasn’t the penalty that weighed on his mind. Separating the DNA of an alien species and adding new one placed considerable burden on the body and decreased the stats. It wasn’t possible even if he had enough money. So Ark reconsidered.
“Yes, the skill description is uncomfortable but I won’t know until I try it out. There are many variables but the effect isn’t bad if used properly. No, like its name it is a skill to escape from suitable situations. It was too early to discard it. He had to try it out. The effect wouldn’t truly be known until he learnt it with his own body. Yes, I’ll try it once. There is no meaning in complaining now.”
He thought about trying it out. He wanted to leave the city right now to fight. But Ark wasn’t in a situation to do such things right now. At least in the future……
Ttak!
Ark was walking down a hallway while thinking. He felt a sudden pain and stars spread in front of him. He stepped back holding his forehead and saw someone else doing the same thing. He was too busy meddling with the skill information window that he bumped into someone after turning the corner.
“Wah! I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking…..eh?”
Ark lowered his head after grasping the situation when he suddenly flinched. Surprisingly Ark knew the person. It was Irina. Ark stared at Irina blankly because he never imagined bumping into her. He noticed Irina frowning and laughed awkwardly.
“I mean…..this is a shocking reunion. I’m seeing stars.”
“Are you joking? Or do you want me to be angry?”
“No, that…..”
“It’s okay.”
Irina spoke coldly with a deadpan voice. Ark hesitated after seeing her attitude and scratched his head. Irina was about to turn around when Ark suddenly remembered and quickly started talking.
“W-wait a minute. I wanted to see you once. So I can say thank you.”
“Thank you, why are you thanking me?”
“I heard about it from Leader Clem. Irina ran around trying to help me when I was imprisoned on Beltana. There was no time after I was released so I couldn’t greet you directly. Thank you for you regard.”
Irina was startled by Ark’s words. She thought for a while before shaking her head and saying.
“I didn’t do it for your sake.”
‘Heh, she must be shy……’
Ark inwardly thought after hearing Irina’s reply. A young woman wouldn’t run back and forth helping a man she had no relation with. Then it was clear. When he heard Clem’s words, Ark was 100% sure that Irina had a crush on him. When he thought about it, there was no other option. Ark had saved Irina from humiliation at the charity party. He was also dressed up in nice clothes so he was looking handsomer than usual.
‘I barely spoke with Irina on Beltana. If Irina tried to help me so much then the answer is obvious. Although she pretended not to know, it is clear that she remembers the incident.
‘Huhuhu, this is slightly okay. But why is she acting cold? Ah, is that possible? Isn’t the cold character the trend these days? Hmm, this is also surprisingly charming?’
Ark arrogantly misunderstood. He mistook Irina’s cold attitude as a strange charm.
“Anyway, it is a fact that I received your help. I am thankful.”
“Then I guess I have to say thanks to you as well.”
“Huh?”
“I was actually on Beltana because of Valencia. I was dispatched to Beltana to investigate rumours that someone was taking bribes from the prisoners. It was hard to gather evidence at first but it became easy after you provoked Valencia and I could file a complaint.”
It was the first time he heard this. Ark became embarrassed by the unexpected words.
“But you should be careful. Valencia lost his achievements, was released from his position and reprimanded. It is a weak punishment compared to his violations. But Valencia might still be harbouring a grudge.”
“I already know that but…..”
Ark laughed and shrugged. Ark had noisily returned to Istana as a war hero with a lot of enemies. What did one more person matter? The more important thing was that Ark thought she had a crush on him. He couldn’t show his weak side! Ark deliberately put on an easy going expression and said.
“I’ve believed that justice would win since I was young.”
“And does it?”
“Sometimes. Especially when money……”
Ark made a circle with his finger and showed it to her. Irina stared at it blankly before laughing. Ark was caught off guard by Irina’s reaction to his joke. Ark had seen her many times on Beltana. She was in charge of the prisoners’ supplies so he couldn’t help seeing her. But this was the first time he saw Irina smiling. That wasn’t the only reason why Ark was caught off guard.
‘What? This woman…..is pretty.’
He had thought she was quite good earlier. However, he has always seen her with an expressionless face. But after seeing her laugh, she was an unexpectedly pretty girl?
And it wasn’t just a pretty looking woman. Ark misunderstood that a pretty woman was interested in him! His chest felt strange after being conscious of it.
‘Just once……’
Ark hesitated as he looked at Irina before opening his mouth.
“Hyung-nim!”
A bunch of guys flocked from behind him. They were the Silver Hand and Royal Guards. In fact, the Royal Guards were from different areas of Istana before being sent to Istana. When the war ended, they asked Marquis Martin to be allowed to return to Nephalim. There was a reason he brought them together.
‘But I wanted to talk to Irina…..’
Ark turned back around.
“Eh?”
She wasn’t there anymore. She had disappeared just like at the charity party.
“W-was she embarrassed? Yes, that must be it. She must be embarrassed.”
Ark thought like that.
“Hey, are you okay? Why are you muttering to yourself in a place like this?”
Mellin approached and asked with strange eyes. Ark blushed as he scratched his head and turned.
“It’s not a big deal. Did things turn out well?”
“Of course. Even if we’re not heroes, we also took part in the victory. Look at this. Isn’t it good? The other members and I received interesting weapons.”
Mellin tapped the machine gun on his shoulder and laughed. It wasn’t just Mellin. While the Royal Guards didn’t receive the Hero title, they received rewards according to their achievements. Of course, they were prisoners so they wouldn’t receive rewards for the achievements left over after they were pardoned. However, Ark made a deal with Marquis Martin for the detachment to be treated like regular troops. Therefore the Royal Guards and Silver Hand were able to receive awards corresponding with their achievements. Now the Royal Guards were carrying new equipment. The equipment were all visibly magic items!
“This is all thanks to you.”
“Yes, we were pardoned and even received new equipment thanks to you!”
The crew burst out around him. If this was the usual Ark…..
“Is that right? It is thanks to me? I’m thankful for those words……”
He would try to get something for it. But now wasn’t the time. Ark had grander goals than some petty cash.
“The items? Is it all under control?”
“Well, Leader Clem knew the owner of the store so we got a decent price for it. It added up to 17,400 gold once everything was sold. I’ve never seen or touched so much gold before. My hands trembled while holding it. It isn’t good for my heart so you should receive it quickly.”
Mellin passed him a heavy purse. This was the money from disposing of all the items they picked up from the pyramid and the Rama base. The total was 17,400 gold! Of course, that money didn’t belong to Ark alone. The proceeds were evenly split up among the 30 members of the Royal Guards and Silver Hand. Of course, Ark had already filled up his bag before the detachment joined him. This was Ark’s personal income. After calculating his personal income, Ark ended up receiving 1,160 gold. 16,800 gold remaining after subtracting Ark’s personal income. This was then split among Ark, the Silver Hand and the Royal Guards. 16,800 ÷ 30 = 560! That was 560 gold per person.
‘17,400 gold seemed like a huge amount but now it is split between 30 people.’
But they also received compensation from the federation and new weapons so it was a type of bonus. Each member received a bonus of 560 gold. Ark also took 1,160 gold so he couldn’t complain.
‘The combined amount is still insufficient!’
17,400 gold was insufficient if Ark wanted his plan to proceed. This was the reason the members hadn’t divided the proceeds and handed it all to Ark. He would now explain his plan……
In fact, Ark had half forgotten about Lucifer while on Beltana. He had to stop it of course but there were other users taking part in the government’s ‘Lucifer obstruction plan.’ But he had changed his mind while wandering around Beltana. The real estate slump in the Taek Mountain area! Ark thought it was highly likely that Lucifer was behind it. Ark was still a common person despite being a legendary gamer. He hadn’t really felt anything about the country’s crisis but now he was impatient
Ark had realized what an important issue it was.
‘But how can I stop Lucifer?’
Ark hadn’t thought about it deeply until then. Of course, there was the condition that Lucifer proposed.
–The first person to achieve the ultimate goal in Galaxian will win.
……He didn’t know what that meant. Galaxian was an online game. Each game had different endings. So there was no way to know what the ultimate goal was. The game publisher of Galaxian, Successful Future hadn’t released the ultimate goal to the public.
‘The ultimate goal in Galaxian…..is it to become the strongest warrior? Or to reach the highest position in the galaxy? Perhaps pioneering the most planets? Or maybe finding an amazing item?’
He thought of various things but the answer wasn’t clear. But there was one obvious thing.
‘I don’t know what Lucifer considers the ultimate goal but there is one way to reach the target first. I have to become stronger than Lucifer!’
However, Galaxian was an online game. Numerous users were competing to reach the goal. In such a game, a user couldn’t just rely on individual strength. The ability of an organization was inevitably required. He needed an organization filled with users and NPCs to help him. That was the conclusion Ark reached. But Ark decided to narrow it down to two goals. The first thing was the growth and support of his organization.
‘And the starting point of my organization……’
Needless to say, it was the Royal Guards. The idea of his organization was based on the Royal Guards. It was thanks to this idea that Ark gathered the Royal Guards together. An opportunity to meet NPCs in the game that would sacrifice their lives for him was uncommon. And unlike other online games, some NPCs in Galaxian could resurrect. The Royal Guards were those NPCs. He could treat his subordinates like users. In fact, Ark had planned to execute it in the far future when he first thought about it. However, now he was the hero of Beltana.
+ Your status rise gives you the right to manage private businesses.
A 1st class citizen had the right to operate a business!
‘A private business! In other words, I can own my own business like Tori. If I have a registered business then I can be a sponsor!’
This was why Ark snubbed the scouting offers of the 4 large businesses. If he created a business then his organization would have a direct goal. However, this plan had a crucial issue.
“Money! Money! Gold!”
This was part of setting up any business. It required a colossal amount of funds. However, most of the money Ark earned in reality was tied up in real estate. He couldn’t invest in a business in the game. So Ark lowered his goal for a little bit.
‘Yes, I shouldn’t become too greedy. Even if my funds aren’t tied up in real estate, it is too risky to build a company. I’ll start with becoming a mercenary organization like the Silver Hand for the moment. If I purchase the agent rights from the government then I don’t need to buy a building.’
But the price of an agent registration certificate wasn’t cheap. It was tens of thousands of gold! Ark only received 1,160 gold after the payout. This was why most users never thought of creating an establishment and looked for a sponsor. The agent right was necessary to establish an organization and most users couldn’t afford that amount. However, an organization was essential to Ark so he had no choice. So he devised one method.
“You are now free. But I still want to be with you guys forever.”
“Of course! We will follow Hyung-nim until we die!”
“Thank you. But our current situation is limited. We’ve truly become colleagues who faced death together so I want to make it official. After much deliberation, I decided to make our own organization. Of course, building a decent business right now is realistically impossible. But it is different if we become a mercenary company like the Silver Hand. The money needed to buy an agent registration certificate is large but if we join forces then I think it is possible. Then you will become a founding member with a stake in the organization.”
This was the method that Ark thought of. It was collecting member from the Royal Guards under the pretext of ‘establishment funds.’
’10 NPCs together should make a fast profit.’
There was no opposition. Ark’s agenda unanimously passed. The income they earned from Beltana was added to the ‘establishment funds.’ There was one question. The spoils from Beltana were shared between the members of the detachment. Based on the number of people, the Silver Hand had received approximately 60% of the total income. However, just then Mellin had handed all the money to him. The reason why……
“Leader Clem-nim, please take care of my younger brothers.”
“Understood. We will make them work to make up the amount of shares originally belonging to us that we gave to you.”
Clem laughed and looked at the members of the Royal Guards. This was why the income from Beltana entered Ark’s pocket. In the past Ark got a job with the Silver Hand because of Tori and he got the Royal Guards the same job. However, this wasn’t just to finance the business.
‘The Silver Hand has more experience and better skills than the Royal Guards. They grew just from a few days together on Beltana so they will noticeably improve when hunting with the Silver Hand. Besides, now it is possible to receive thousands of gold.’
It was a plan to eat pheasant and egg. Clem also knew Ark’s expectations.
“Really, using a tactic to use a rival group to raise your subordinates while earning money. You shameless guy.”
But Clem accepted Ark’s proposal without any complaints. In the meantime he had steadily raised his favour with them.
“Now we have to separate for a while.”
Ark summarized the general situation and said. Hegel sent him a regretful look and carefully said.
“What will Hyung-nim be doing in the meantime?”
“Me?”
Ark turned his head as he suddenly remembered. After being lost in thought for a while, he sighed and muttered.
“I’m going to sell my body.”
Space 3
Incomplete Quest x3
‘I’ve received the body coating!’
He’ll explain it once again. Istana was the capital planet of the galactic federation. Some planets in the galaxy were frozen lumps, thousands of degrees hot or filled with deadly gas. Therefore those planets weren’t suitable to live on for humans. When looking at it from the galaxy’s perspective, humans were a fragile species. If the temperature changed even a little bit then they would die like the fragile flowers in greenhouses. This was why humans had to develop environmental modification techniques when settling on planets thousands of light years away from earth. This was Terraforming. However, even Istana that was considered the heart of the federation was only 10% terraformed. The remaining 90% was still like it had been for billions of years. Pioneers risked their lives in this unknown world. In order to adapt to the harsh space environment, pioneers were given the privilege of combining their DNA with aliens to increase their bodies to the limit. They would only truly be called a pioneer once they received the body coating from Istana. Ark could now obtain that qualification.
‘I got 3 bonus skills!’
He obtained 3 different skills from the Survivor body coating. But there were too many ambiguous points for him to blindly rejoice. It was difficult to calculate how useful the skills would be in an actual fight by just reading the description. His shoulder shook from the urge to run outside and test the newly learnt skills. Any user would feel like that. However…..
“As I mentioned before, Beltana’s victory wasn’t achieved by myself. There was a commander who believe in me and colleagues who risked their lives fighting. Even now a large number of federation soldiers are confronting the Rama. They are the people who deserve to be called true heroes.”
“I have a question!”
“I heard that you were the Rama’s prisoner in an interview the other day.”
“Did you encounter any harsh actions?”
“Harsh actions…..of course there were. It was only for a short time but I had to endure some difficult pain. But I think it was a valuable experience. Before entering that battlefield, I thought there might be a way to coexist with the Rama. I soon realized over time that the Rama isn’t a species were can coexist with. They don’t acknowledge us as a species. Therefore it isn’t an exaggeration to say the humanity is at stake with this war.”
“What do you think about the 3rd alien alliance, the Aschulat?”
“Currently the federation is having a hard fight in the Bellin constellation because the Aschulat didn’t keep their promise to help us and withdrew from the battlefield. Many people are blaming the galactic federation’s diplomatic power. What does Ark-nim think?”
“That…..”
“This isn’t a question that he can answer on the spot.”
A middle age man jumped in when Ark hesitated.
“There will soon be an official announcement from the galactic federation about that question.”
“Then we’ll ask other questions.”
“Ark-nim became a war hero after you were conscripted and sent to the disputed planet as a prisoner. But there are a lot of opinions that prisoners dispatched to the battlefield aren’t guaranteed the basic human rights. What do you think?”
“There will also be an official announcement about that issue.”
The man interrupting the reporters was Marquis Martin.
“As everybody knows, Ark has been touring around various cities. Moreover, Ark just returned from a fierce battlefield a while ago. Even a war hero won’t be able to withstand such an unreasonable schedule. So I would like to give him some rest. We wouldn’t want a war hero to die from overwork.”
Marquis Martin laughed and looked at Ark. But Ark’s mood was unpleasant.
‘He is as cunning as a raccoon. His mouth talks a great game.’
Ark bit his lip to stop himself from glaring at Marquis Martin. Once again, Ark only got the body coating four months after starting the game. Right now he wanted to test the bonus skills received. It was inevitably that he would want to go to the hunting ground. However, Ark couldn’t get near the hunting grounds despite returning from Beltana for several days. This was due to his deal with Marquis Martin.
“I will accept your conditions. For you and the prisoners who follow you. The Silver Hand won’t be punished for going AWOL and I promise that all of you will get the same compensation as regular troops. But I have one condition.”
“Condition?”
“Of course. Because a deal involves give or take.”
He won the war! What more did he want? He wanted to exclaim but he firmly resisted. If he made a high ranking NPC angry then he might not get the compensation.
“I want you to travel with me once we return to Istana for a few days.”
Ark listened with a half stunned and half worried expression.
“Huh? You want me to travel with you?”
“You are a hero. No, soon you will be made into a hero. It is a bit irregular but do you know what it means that a prisoner achieved such merits on the battlefield?”
Of course Ark was familiar with this. The Aschulat were absent from the battlefield so the federation struggled. The public supported them once the war started but started criticizing them once the situation deteriorated. A war hero was the best way to take care of this criticism. The public would be more interested in the war hero than the situation on the battlefield. The galactic federation didn’t care who it was. They just needed someone. They wanted Valencia who was a regular soldier but he stole Ark’s Carrier MR-II data and there was the gold corruption scandal. They couldn’t hid Ark’s success thanks to the videos uploaded onto the internet so Ark became Valencia’s replacement
In other words, Ark became the galactic federation’s promotional hero. Marquis Martin knew this and clamoured.
“Yes, you are a promotional hero. And repetition is important in propaganda. One interview would have no meaning. Regular communication with the media is needed to turn around the public opinion. Anyway, you’ve suffered quite a bit on the battlefield for two months so you should rest.”
Ark eventually accepted the offer. That’s why Ark said he was selling his body. At first he didn’t mind Marquis Martin’s offer. He had no room to rest while trying to obtain the Iridium and then he was chased by the Rama. In reality, he also needed to deal with his duties with Global Exos. But the main problem was the real estate land in the Taek Mountains.
‘Taking a couple of days off to act as the federation’s billboard might be nice. Doing some interviews for the compensation isn’t that bad.’
That was a mistake.
‘What? Did I really think I could relax?’
It had been a few days since he returned from Beltana. Ark was dragged to each broadcasting company to do dozens of boring interviews as well as government related events. Once again, Ark was the galactic federation’s promotional hero. Every time he did an interview, he was forced to praise the galactic federation. No, these things weren’t that bad. It was the parades that he couldn’t bear. He had the title of ‘Beltana’s Hero’ and was forced to travel around to different cities. The curses from the users flowed every time……
Anyway, Marquis Martin’s words about a break were false. Once an interview ended, he would move on to another interview and another event. Since returning to Istana, his schedule was as murderous as an idol. The chores piled up and fatigue also piled up.
“He doesn’t want a war hero to die from overwork?”
Marquis Martin’s words were a joke. But Ark steadily assimilated to the schedule. The development of a country wasn’t infinite. Although he started this because of the contract with Marquis Martin, Ark also gained some things from it. The first thing was awareness!
“This interview is finished.”
Marquis Martin cleaned up the atmosphere and got up.
-You have appeared on a galaxy broadcast and became more famous.
<Fame +100>
The message appeared on his Nymphe. If he participated in interviews and events then his fame would increase.
-You have helped reformed the galactic federation’s image through your diligent publicity campaign.
<Galactic Federation contribution +150>
He could also raise his contribution to the galactic federation by giving a speech. In fact, previously Ark had no interest in fame and contribution. Well, he had been a criminal so he didn’t need to worry about fame or contribution on the battlefield……
Anyway, gaining fame and contribution were an important part of Galaxian. High fame would increase the number of sponsor offers from bigger companies as well as more quests from regular NPCs. If the user managed a business then the fame would be applied to the business and various collateral effects could be applied. And federation contribution meant that he could get special questions from the government.
‘My first task is to buy an agent registration certificate so I can create a mercenary group!’
Gaining fame and contribution could help him achieve his goal. That was why Ark endured the murderous schedule silently. His fame had climbed to 2,700 after the last few days. And his galactic federation contribution was 3,300! It was a number that showed how difficult Marquis Martin’s schedule was. It wasn’t just the fame and contribution. If that was the only compensation then Ark couldn’t endure it. Ark also obtained a second income. It was that he could travel to each city for free.
The method of transportation in the future was the Star Gate. The Star Gate could move tens of thousands of lights years in an instant and not everyone could use it. The pioneer ID meant he could travel to the government’s authorized area in each city but it wasn’t available for a lot of 2nd class citizens. Even 1st class citizens needed to pay 30~100 gold to travel between other cities using the Star Gate. That’s the reason why after selecting a city on R-14, it wasn’t possible to move to other cities for a long time. If they couldn’t use the Star Gate then it required the user to walk hundreds or thousands of kilometres. But Ark was different.
“This is your schedule.”
Marquis Martin had handed him a piece of paper after reaching Nephalim. The name of every city on Istana was written on it.
“This is the order of the city you will be travelling.”
Ark’s promotional activities wasn’t just taking part in Nephalim. Marquis Martin had planned everything once the deal was made. As soon as the transaction was completed, a schedule involving the broadcasting stations of Istana’s 20 cities were set.
……If he worked as a manager then he would’ve been highly successful. Anyway, Ark was able to use the Star Gate for free due to the public relations activities. Of course, Marquis Martin’s schedule meant there was no time to go sightseeing. Sometimes he would take the Star Gate three times a day! Nobody would envy that type of travelling. Then Ark had a thought that flashed through his head.
‘Yes, the quest!’
His Nymphe had 3 incomplete quests. Once again, Ark had originally gathered 15 prisoners on Beltana. At that time, the Royal Guards that Ark gathered by handing out food didn’t have any teamwork. In order to gain a sense of kinship, Ark had pardoned 5 prisoners. Two people repaid him by giving him the Withdrawal skill and a pistol. And the remaining 3 gave him quests
It was a repayment quest where he would be given compensation if he visited them.
‘If I visit them then I can obtain something!’
The quest was like free food. The problem was that those prisoners were in different cities. Once again, on Istana even the closest cities were hundreds of kilometres away. It would take many days just walking on foot. Of course, he was a 1st class citizen so he could move using the Star Gate. However, it cost 30~100 gold.
‘If the quest reward is below 30 gold……’
He would receive damage even if he completed the quest. The fee for the farthest city was 100 goal so even if he received 30 gold then he would have a loss of 70 gold. So he had placed the quests to the side in his Nymphe and postponed it.
‘But now I’m going around all the cities thanks to Marquis Martin. Julius, Sidellin and Tatuine are on the agenda. I can go to the quest destinations for free. This is my chance. If I miss this opportunity then I don’t know when I’ll finish this quest.’
This was the reason why Ark didn’t complain and went around on the publicity campaign. Therefore he rearranged the tight schedule to give him time to clean up the quests in Julius, Sidellin and Tatuine. The first person he visited was Hamad.
<Hamad’s Compensation>
Hamad once operated a large store before he got caught on tax evasion and sent to Beltana. He was a merchant and suffered on the battlefield. He was even worried about starving but Hamad was able to return to his hometown with your help. Hamad promised to return the favour if you ever visited him in the city Julius.
Difficulty: –
Hamad was a similar age to Mellin and managed a considerably large store in Julius. However, he was caught in tax evasion and conscripted.
‘He is a merchant so the compensation should be decent.’
Ark was full of expectations as he visited Hamad.
“Oh, this is larger than I thought…..”
After visiting the GPS information Hamad gave him, the store occupied quite a large piece of land.
“If the store is this large then I can expect better rewards.”
Ark laughed and murmured. From the beginning he had no idea about what he could get. The amount wasn’t recorded in the quest information. So he had tried to control his expectations
But his expectations collapsed the moment he entered the store. The store was significantly large. It was the same inside. Yet there were only 10 shelves inside. But the products on display were just cheap items. It smelt like a bare shop. It was the smell of a store dying……
Ark looked around the store with bemused eyes.
“Quickly…..heok! Y-you!”
The person running around stopped with a surprised expression. The old man with a moustache was Hamad. Hama stared with shocked eyes before exclaiming.
“Oh, it’s really you! Yes, I heard on the news broadcasts that you’ve returned. Awesome! You entered the war a prisoner and returned a hero! I knew you weren’t an ordinary person but I didn’t think you would succeed to this degree!”
“Thank you. Then……”
Ark looked around. He was grateful but Ark didn’t make time in his schedule to chat with Hamad. It was to receive the compensation for getting Hamad pardoned. But judging by the store, there was no way to extort money in this atmosphere. Even if there was a quest, he couldn’t just talk about the compensation.
“Why is the atmosphere of the store like this?”
Hamad’s face hardened at Ark’s question. He sighed before answering.
“This is due to my previous staff.”
“Huh? Your previous staff?”
“I had 30 employees before being sent to Beltana. The two store near here were also originally my property. When my tax evasion was caught, I was conscripted and slapped with a huge fine. In order to decrease the penalty, I moved those stores into the name of some reliable employees. And I thought the employee would return the shop when I was pardoned……”
The store employees he trusted bit him in the back.
“They betrayed me……”
Hamad couldn’t endure it and grinded his teeth together. Once again, the NPCs who followed Ark on Beltana were criminals. They were people who committed different types of crimes. He received the conscription for tax evasion so Hama wasn’t a good NPC. And before he was dragged to Beltana, he wasn’t shy about using his money to be the leader of a gang. Those delinquents were Hamad’s employees. In other words, Hamad was like a gangster boss leading some delinquents. Hamad was able to obtain the surrounding stores due to that. He never thought his employees would betray the organization. However, the reason they originally followed Hamad was his money. Hamad had handed over the store so that money shifted to the employee he left it in charge of. At the same time, Hamad’s followers shifted to the new person with money. Thus Hamad couldn’t take it back from his employee anymore. The subordinates of the organization had betrayed Hamad. This was something that often appeared on gangster movies.
“This is the only store left in my name.”
That wasn’t the only problem. Subordinates who betrayed their boss always had a clear conscience
It was impossible for the subordinates to be happy about the boss appearing next to them.
“I’m the person who built up 3 large stores using my own hands. My business sense is incomparable compared to them. So once I returned and started the business, those guys used every method possible to interfere with my business. My cleverness couldn’t withstand daily harassment……I’ve also been pardoned but the fine is still remaining. In this situation it is impossible for me to run a business. Therefore I can only obtain cheap products like this.”
This was why there were blank shelves.
“But now I’m at the limit. At this rate, it will only be a month or two before my store is seized by the court. I’ll soon become a beggar.”
What the hell…..he didn’t understand but……
It was clear that he wouldn’t be getting compensation for the moment. No, there was no guarantee that he could get a worthwhile reward at all.
‘But it is too early to give up…..’
Ark wasn’t the type to give up over something like this. He wouldn’t give up on even 1 copper coin. It was too early to abandon a potential merchant. He still owned the store. If there was no interference by the previous subordinates then couldn’t Hamad somehow recover? But Ark would soon have to leave to another city. No, it wasn’t that simple. This wasn’t something that could be fixed in a day or two. He had no choice but to wait a considerable period of time before receiving the compensation.
“I understand. But I have to leave Julius soon. I’ll also think of a way so please endure it.”
Ark arranged things for the moment and parted from Hamad. There was nothing he could do here
However, he found the clue to solve the problem in an unexpected place. After leaving Julius, Ark visited many cities as the ambassador of the galactic federation before arriving at Sidellin. Sidellin was the place where Asuran lived.
<Asuran will Return the Favour>
Asuran was the former leader of a bandit group dispatched to the disputed planet Beltana after being arrested and you’ve saved him and allowed him to be pardoned. Asuran is impressed by your favour and wants to pay you back. If you visit Asuran in the city Sidellin on Istana then you will get a special reward.
Difficulty: –
This was the quest he received from Asuran. However, the result from Asuran was also disappointing.
“I’m sorry Hyung-nim.”
He smelt like alcohol and looked like a beggar.
“You wouldn’t believe it when looking at me know but I was the boss of a moderate sized bandit group. I thought once I returned to Sidellin then we could return to what it used to be. But the group has been placed on the blacklist after the previous incident and watched by androids. I wanted to repay Hyung-nim’s favour but……I heard that Hyung-nim became a hero so I didn’t dare contact you.”
……This guy had thought he could give stolen good as compensation. Asuran continued complaining.
“It really seems dead. I’m an ex-thief and my appearance makes it so I can’t find any other jobs.”
Asuran was an alien of the Belkin clan. The Belkin looked similar to humans but their facial features were extremely ugly and scary. It gave him considerable bonus stats as a thieve but it acted as a penalty when trying to find a different job.
“So I’m currently a beggar. I might even die of starvation. If I die when I have no money then I can’t resurrect. Ha, now my life on Beltana seems rather good. At least I could resurrect even if I had no money.”
Once again, resurrecting with the Fairy wasn’t free. Prisoners on Beltana paid through achievements but others had to pay money. Pioneers resurrecting with the Fairy were immortal but that only applied if they had money. If they didn’t have money then it was the end. The thought of it was dreadful.
‘Damn, this guy isn’t okay either?’
He chose Hamad and Asuran because he thought they had money and would give him the most rewards. Now that he actually visited them, they looked shabby and he had to help them instead of receiving compensation. Ark watched Asuran and sighed. Suddenly an ‘!’ popped into his head.
‘Speaking of Hamad……that guy can’t engage in business because of interference and his situation is deteriorating. And Asuran’s subordinates didn’t betray him but they can’t find any work. What if I combine these two?’
Asuran wasn’t an ordinary NPC. He was a thief that had climbed onto the blacklist of the galactic federation. In other words, he was a real rogue.
‘Bullies vs. thieves!’
There was no reason for Asuran to be intimidated by a group of hooligans. Furthermore, he was a beggar but didn’t he still have a lot of subordinates left?
“Asuran, how many people are in your group?”
“Well, they aren’t my subordinates now…..but if I call them together then I can gather 20~30 people.”
“Perfect.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Asuran, do you remembered Hamad ajusshi from Beltana?”
Ark grinned and explained Hamad’s situation. Asuran burst out with rage.
“Those damn bastards! We might be hooligans or thieves but shouldn’t we be loyal to our colleagues? Not only did they betray their boss, now they’re trying to obstruct his business?”
“Then would you like to help Hamad?”
“Me?”
“Yes, if your group helps Hamad then they won’t interfere anymore. Hamad is quite resourceful so he should be able to recover with those guys out of the way. It might be difficult now but won’t you be able to eat once Hamad recovers? How about it? Will you think about it?”
“Yes, I’ll go! I’ll call them together now!”
Asuran jumped up when Ark said something.
“The problem is…..Julius is 800 km away.”
Asuran and his henchmen couldn’t use the Star Gate as they were 2nd class citizens. Even if they were 1st class citizens, they could barely eat at the moment so there was no way they could pay the fees. But Asuran answered like it was no problem.
“It doesn’t matter if it is 800 km or 8,000 km. I will quick go and help Hamad!”
He summoned his followers and immediately left for Julius.
“Hopefully……”
Hamad needed to restore his store. Asuran and his henchmen needed work. Hopefully. Yes, hopefully he could resolve two issues at the same time.
“And I’ll be able to get the compensation from both of them.”
He liked the idea but there was no guarantee that it would work. However, the chances of getting a good reward if he waited a long time was 0%. On the other hand, this meant that he could see the results sooner. Of course, the compensation would still take a while even if his plan was successful. However, wasn’t waiting a while better than giving up?
“Please turn out well……”
Ark sincerely prayed as he watched the departing Asuran. Ark continued travelling through several cities promoting the galactic federation before finally arriving at Tatuine.
<Milan’s Proposal>
Milan is a treasure hunter in Tatuine. In exchange for your help on Beltana, he promised to find a treasure to repay you once he returns to Tatuine. If you visit Milan in Tatuine then it might be possible to receive a special reward.
Difficulty: –
It was the destination of his final quest. In fact, he didn’t expect that much from this quest. Hamad was a shop owner while Asuran was the leader of a bandit group. His expectations were high when he went to visit them. However, Milan was just a treasure hunter. The name sounded good but it was no different from being unemployed. Furthermore, Hamad and Asuran’s quest so he just needed to visit to be given the compensation. But Milan’s said he would find a treasure to give to him.
‘If this follows the same pattern……’
It was likely that Milan would be suffering as well. He found some time to visit him but naturally the answer was disappointing.
“I’m sorry Hyung-nim. I’ve finally returned to Tatuine but so many pioneers are exploring the ruins that I couldn’t find anything.”
‘Damn, in the end 3 different quests were worthless?’
Ark sighed with frustration. Milan studied his face and tried to explain.
“But this doesn’t mean I have no income.”
He searched through a pile of junk in the corner of a room and pulled out a slab.
“I visited some ruins based on information from a tavern. But other pioneers had been there and it was empty. However, I still searched around and found this item. Do you know what is recorded on here?”
“What?”
Ark answered in a voice that displayed no interest. Milan had received information from a tavern but pioneers had already taken away most of the items. Yet he wanted Ark to be interested in the contents of a slab found in that place?
‘This isn’t right. It is the same with Hamad and Asuran. Dammit, this is strange. It is strange that there are so many quests like this. I shouldn’t have believed the promises of starving prisoners on Beltana.’
He had 99% given up.
“It is information about the Murat.”
Ark raised his head as Milan’s talk continued.
“A lot of pioneers still don’t know this but the Murat were a legendary species who controlled the Bellin constellation. They disappeared suddenly but their advanced technology was spread among the Rama and galactic federation. In particular, the Murat……”
Milan thought Ark didn’t know anything about the Murat and started babbling about them. However, it was impossible for Ark to not know about the Murat. Ark was able to become Beltana’s hero thanks to the Murat pyramid found deep underground. He raised his level, found a rare sword and was able to raid the Rama’s main base using it.
‘And I got the special 5 star rated skill Rune Carving from it!’
The Murat’s pyramid on Beltana was truly like a treasure box to Ark. Now Milan had found something related to the Murat. He couldn’t just ignore it.
“Milan, show me that slab!”
Ark took the slab and examined it. The characters engraved on the slab was the same as the Murat letters he previously saw. The Nymphe’s translation function automatically started as his fingers skimmed the slab.
-The great lords…..Murat’s lineage…… The place where the day rises and the sun sets. ….praise the Murat…… Pilgrims, the Murat will receive a selection…..to reach there…..
The slab was broken. The Murat had also disappeared a long time ago so not many records remained. It would’ve been strange for a slab made by the Murat to be perfect. A considerable amount of the slab was damaged so it was difficult to grasp the entire contents of the slab. Furthermore, the contents seemed ambiguous like a riddle. When he thought about it, the style of writing in the pyramid was also like this.
‘And weren’t the Murat a species known for their wisdom?’
But he couldn’t assume that all sentences were written like that. Still, he felt like the some phrases were truly mysterious. What the contents pointed to in the game…..
‘It is highly possible the contents leads to a hidden Murat ruin!’
He could find new clues about the Murat. Ark’s eyes flashed at the thought.
‘If these Murat ruins are similar to the pyramid on Beltana then the treasure should be similar. And I might be able to find a new rune!’
According to the information obtained, the Ikram rune wasn’t the only one the Murat used. Ikram was only one of the runes used by the Murat. Rune Carving required mana so he needed to wear the battle suit. But it was a skill that could be utilized in quite a few ways. If he found it then it would help him grow. The problem was the lack of translated contents.
“Where the sun rises and sets……does this information point to the place?”
Ark muttered to himself as he tinkered with the slab. Then Mellin’s eyes widened and he asked.
“Eh? What are you saying?”
“What am I saying? It is the sentence written on the slab.”
“Huh? W-wait. Hyung-nim can read the contents?”
“What about it? It is natural to be able to read the parts not damaged with my Nymphe.”
“It isn’t natural for the Nymphe to translate the Murat letters!”
Milan shouted with an absurd expression.
“The Murat is an ancient species that disappeared before humans appeared in the galaxy. Therefore humans only discovered things about the Murat through other alien species. Sometimes Murat relics are discovered on planets in the Bellin constellation but it is difficult to research because the scholars can’t read Murat letters. So it is impossible for the language to be included in the Nymphe’s automatic translation function.”
“Your Nymphe doesn’t translate these letters?”
“Of course!”
“Then how did you know this slab is related to the Murat?”
“I recognized the letter shapes. But knowing the shapes and translating it is different.”
Ark was confused by Milan’s answer. The characters were automatically translated for Ark while wandering through the Murat pyramid. But the language translation function isn’t included on other Nymphes?
‘Come to think of it…..’
It was the same with the Rama language. The Nymphe automatically translated the languages of the alien species associated with the federation. That’s because the language of the alien species were included on the Nymphe. The language of hostile alien species like the Rama weren’t registered on the Nymphe’s OS so it couldn’t be automatically translated. That’s why a separate translator was needed to talk to the Rama. However, Ark’s Nymphe was able to simultaneously translate the Rama’s language. And that applied to the Murat’s language because the galactic federation hadn’t fully grasped the writing system.
‘My Nymphe isn’t normal.’
It was clear where it came from. The data downloaded from the airplane toy! His Nymphe became weird because of that data. His Nymphe returned to normal once he received the Prisoner coating
That was the reason why Ark’s Nymphe was different from other users. Some other data was registered on the Nymphe in the process.
‘My Nymphe didn’t work properly because of the data. There is no reason to complain about the increased functions of my Nymphe but……’
He made an uncomfortable face. This wasn’t normal so it might cause some problems. However, it wasn’t possible to repair it since it was behaving normally. He would also have to explain that he received he data from hacking to the galactic federation. And the results meant his Nymphe would become the same as other users. The extra function would disappear.
‘It’s clear this isn’t normal but I can’t inform the galactic federation. Fortunately no problems have formed yet while using it.’
While Ark was busy thinking…..
Milan began to talk with an excited expression.
“If Hyung-nim can decipher the Murat letters then there might be a way to clear them up.”
“How?”
“Huhuhu. Hyung-nim, do you remember my job? Treasure hunter. In the past, treasure hunters carried shovels and dug at the land but this is the 24th century. This is an era where no calories are wasted. Treasure hunters have some high-tech equipment. This equipment is one of them.”
Milan laughed as he tapped a machine in the corner.
“This is a 3D restoration machine.”
“3D restoration?”
“For example, let’s say I found a statue with a detached arm. Couldn’t I guess the form based on the other parts of the statue? The 3D restoration machine repairs damaged parts by looking at the basic structure. It is impossible if it is completely broken but the 3D restoration machine has no problem restoring compromised parts. This slab isn’t that damaged so it can restore 70~80% of it.”
Ark had only decrypted 30% of the contents. If the 3D machine could restore 70~80% of the slab then he could obtain crucial information form the Murat’s letters.
‘There is a way to find it!’
Ark’s chest jumped.
“How long would it take to restore the slab?”
“This model is slightly old but the slab shouldn’t take that long to be restored.”
“Okay, call me as soon as it is done. Do you know my recognition code?”
“Yes, I’ll start right away.”
That conversation had finished two days ago. Ark continued to be dragged around by Marquis Martin for the publicity campaign and checked his Nymphe’s mailbox. And he discovered a mail from Milan yesterday afternoon.
From: Milan Hyung-nim, the restoration of the slab has finished!
Ark’s body was shaking for that reason. He wanted to test the skills obtained from the Survivor coating but he really wanted to check the information on the slab Milan discovered. But he had only travelled around 12 cities so far. 8 cities still remained.
‘It took 5 days to wander around 12 cities so do I have to continue for 3 more days?’
Ark sighed as he left the interview room. The Marquis Martin who had disappeared somewhere came in and spoke to him.
“There has been some fluctuations in the schedule.”
“Huh?”
“The publicity campaign will stop now.”
……His long promotional journey was over
Space 4
Over the Border!
‘Why…..’
He naturally made an uncomfortable expression. It wasn’t a waste of time to promote the galactic federation. He gained fame and federation contribution and it also allowed him to use the Star Gate to meet Hamad, Asuran and Milan for free. Every time he completed an interview, he would gain fame and federation contribution. He also travelled around the cities to meet old friends but the compensation quest wasn’t neatly completed. Interview, moving to another city, interview, moving, event, moving to another city…..he worked for an average of 18 hours a day for 5 days without any breaks.
‘I have to continue doing this for 3 more days…..’
A sigh naturally emerged. But that would stop soon. Ark had been suffering but he felt uncomfortable now that it suddenly sopped. So he asked.
“There’s still some parts of the schedule left so why are we suddenly stopping?”
Then Marquis Martin answered.
“The effect fell faster than I expected.”
He immediately understood that he meant. When Ark had first appeared through the Star Gate, the reporters had gathered like vultures around the new hero. The hot coverage continued as he started his PR journey. However, the coverage noticeably decreased every time they went to a new city
When thinking about it, it was the inevitable result. This was the age of information. New news poured in everyday so the same words couldn’t catch the attention of the public for a long time. Besides, every time was always about the war and repeating the federation’s PR words so the viewers found it tedious. There was no need to check the audience ratings.
-Your face has become known after appearing on the broadcast.
<Fame +20>
-The galactic federation’s image has improved due to your public relations.
<Galactic Federation contribution +30>
In the beginning his fame had increased by 100 and the contribution by 150. However, 5 days had passed and that number had decreased to 20 fame and 30 contribution. The messages also stated that the effect of his interviews had decreased. It meant the public was losing attention.
“The degree of exposure over the last few days has become too excessive. You were the hero of the first victory against the Rama recently so I thought I could use the media a bit more. But the public interest has cooled so if we continued then it might have an adverse effect. We should discard food before it reached the expiration date.”
He felt like a wash-up celebrity. Marquis Martin just continued talking like he had no concerns about Ark’s feelings.
“And these days I’m a little busy.”
“Ah, yes……”
Ark’s face looked like he had smelt a rotting cow.
‘This bastard! He’s suddenly busy? He dragged me around like a dog for five days without any breaks and now he is busy?’
Once again, Martin was a marquis. Although having a rank like marquis in an age where ships were flying around was funny, he was still nobility. He was also a councillor of the galactic federation. There was a reason the high ranking NPC had volunteered to become Ark’s manager and accompanied him for five days. There was no way a manager would drop a celebrity just because of a possible expiration date. The reason Marquis Martin accompanied Ark during that time……
-Once again, the war was won thanks to Marquis Martin’s support…..
He was mentioned every time Ark did an interview! Marquis Martin was a politician. Politicians and celebrities had some similar aspects. Popularity would become power. Marquis Martin accompanied Ark to raise his stock price until there was a potential decrease in popularity. Then here was a question. Ark wasn’t a stupid human being. He could guess Marquis Martin’s purpose when making the deal on Beltana. However, there was one reason Ark didn’t protest the murderous schedule and parroted everything Marquis Martin told him to. The settlement between them wasn’t completed yet
Marquis Martin promised three rewards if Ark became the galactic federation’s promotional hero. Two of them were the 1st class citizenship and the 3rd generation IC card. There was one more compensation. This was based on a confidential talk between Marquis Martin and Ark on Beltana.
“The same treatment as the regular soldiers. You desire the award the regular troops would receive if they gained as much achievements as you. That is your condition in order to be set up as a hero?”
“That’s right.”
“Of course that isn’t difficult.”
Marquis Martin said.
“No, you might even be given superior items to the ones normally handed out.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Of course it’s not for free. The condition is that you need to go on a publicity campaign for the galactic federation. An additional prize will be given if you become our advertising model. What you will receive depends on you. The price would change depending on how sincerely you promote during your activities. That incentive should be enough.”
There was a condition before he could receive his 3rd reward. And he endured the tiring promotional trip because of it.
‘My original agreement was to tour all the cities on Istana. But I’ve only travelled to 12 cities. That means only 60% of my target was achieved. I don’t have to do the boring interviews anymore but the stopped publicity campaign might be used as an excuse so I don’t receive my exclusive item. This situation is different. I should make sure first!’
Ark opened his mouth to ask that question.
“There is no need to look uncomfortable. I made the decision to stop the publicity campaign. You’ve faithfully participated in the interviews so I will keep my promise. Aren’t I a marquis? I have no intention of being cheap because of a problem like this.”
Marquis Martin was a surprisingly cool guy.
“Besides, you popularity might’ve fallen but you are still a war hero. If you go around accusing me of fraud then it will be troublesome.
……He was also calculating. There was a contract so he had to pay properly. Marquis Martin had no interest in the compensation promised to Ark. But he used the compensation as bait to lure his prey and became a vicious manager. Ark kept making an uncomfortable expression and twisted his hands.
“Is there such a thing? If it wasn’t for Marquis Martin then I would still be rotting in the jail on Beltana. Even if I don’t receive the promised compensation, how can I possibly say bad things about Marquis-nim? Ah, of course Marquis-nim did work me like a dog so it is basic human decency to reward me for it. Obviously Marquis-nim will give me suitable compensation for my work.”
He spoke flattering words but there was a veiled threat. If he didn’t give good rewards then Ark would say bad things! Marquis Martin clearly caught the threat. But he didn’t seem to be offended. He actually looked fascinated and laughed.
“What a funny guy. I don’t dislike it. No, I prefer humans like you. Because I can trust you as long as the give and take relationship is strong. Speaking of that…..how is it? Do you remember what I said the other day? Have you thought about it?”
Marquis Martin leaned towards Ark and asked quickly.
“Yes, you’ve received the Hero title to promote the galactic federation. Despite being a prisoner, it can’t be denied that you did some heroic actions. I estimate that you will reach a high height. More than anyone else.”
Marquis Martin looked at Ark seriously.
“The war with the Rama started again after a long armistice and it is centred on the Bellin constellation. The federation has been stagnating for hundreds of years so it is natural for the public to dislike it. Aristocrats like me can’t avoid it. We need power to survive in such change. That is, we need someone like you to secure our positions. I want to buy the ability that you showed in Beltana. If you come under my banner then I will give you exceptional treatment.”
-You’ve received a scouting officer from councillor Marquis Martin of the galactic federation.
If you accept then you can make Marquis Martin who is a power aristocrat of the galactic federation as your sponsor.
If you accept the aristocrat’s sponsor then you will automatically receive the ‘Private’ occupation.
Do you accept? Y/N
This wasn’t the first time he saw that information window. He received the same suggestion after meeting Marquis Martin on Beltana. The conditions were exceptional. Their standards were better than the galactic federation or the 4 large companies. Unlike other users, he received the war hero title so his treatment had already changed. If he accepted Marquis Martin’s offer than Ark would receive even more privileges.
‘But my competitors aren’t those users. It is the strongest AI Lucifer.’
Ark wasn’t simply playing the game. If he died inside the game then it would affect reality
He needed to stop the Taek Mountains real estate slump. It was meaningless to be slightly better than other users when fighting against Lucifer. He needed to achieve the ultimate goal in Galaxian. Only one person would occupy that spot and the fight would end.
‘I don’t know what the ultimate goal is yet. So there is only one thing I can do now. To become the best player like Ark in New World. I don’t know what the ultimate goal is but occupying the best position was no different from ending the game. No, Lucifer wants revenge for New World so he might think that is the ultimate goal.’
He needed to rise to the top spot! Then he could also accomplish his goal in reality. This was the reason Ark wanted to establish a business. Therefore he never considered the suggestion no matter how enticing it was. However, there was a problem when rejecting the offer.
“Perhaps…..will the reward vary depending on my answer?”
Marquis Martin looked surprised at Ark’s question. Then he laughed and shook his head.
“Yes, I was too careless and didn’t think about your position. The timing is bad. I mentioned something like that after discussing compensation so naturally you would misunderstand. I was too short-sighted.”
“It is unrelated to compensation?”
“I would be a really lousy human being if I involved compensation in that issue.”
Marquis Martin boldly laughed and took something out
It was a metallic disc around 1 metre in diameter.
‘Heok! T-this is?’
-Air Board (Property)
Item type: Vehicle
A hover type air board that moves using electronic power
The hover board uses electromagnetic force to float objects in the air. It is an energy-efficient and light weight, medium-sized vehicle. However, steady development has made a miniature version with the movement speed improved.
The air board only goes up to 60 km/hr. This is 1/5 the speed of a bike but the advantage is that you can carry it with you. If you become familiar with the operation then you can easily navigate through narrow and complicated topography. But there is no safety device so there is a chance of fatal accidents.
* This item isn’t for sale.
<Maximum Speed 60 km/hr>
‘Heok! This is real! A real air board!’
Ark’s mouth opened as he read the information window. In fact, Ark had been worried about a serious problem over the last few days. It was the existence of a vehicle. New World was set in medieval times so he never had to worry about vehicles. The hunting grounds were close to the villages and other towns were only 2~3 days away. It was a game where hunting was comfortable
However, the scale of Galaxian was different from other games. Even Istana that was one planet in the galaxy was 2~3 times earth’s size. The hunting grounds were also on the boundaries of Istana. Sometimes people would have to travel a minimum of 100 km after leaving a city to find monsters inhabiting an unexplored region. Anybody walking on foot would understand. It was a waste of time and calories. That’s why Ark suffered when travelling 532 km on Beltana.
‘If I earnestly start adventuring……’
Like always, the problem was money. Typically users in Galaxian moved using a bike. However, even an old model that moved a maximum of 100 km/hr cost at least 200 gold. He didn’t understand it when on Beltana but the 300 km/hr hover bike that he rode cost 700 gold.
‘Although it is necessary to live…..’
There was also a fatal weakness with the bikes. The bike couldn’t be placed in the bag so they had to park it outside the ruins. This was a problem that wouldn’t occur in medieval games. Ark wasn’t worried about the discomfort of parking but security. If someone had a hacking skill like Ark then they could steal his bike! Of course, hacking wasn’t a common skill.
‘But there is enough!’
Thieves were common enough that he was worried about it. Now he could feel relieved. Marquis Martin had solved two problems at the same time. Not only did he get a vehicle for free, the air board could be stored in his bag unlike the bike. It only travelled 60 km/hr but the speed wasn’t a problem. Above all it was free!
‘Amazing! The deadly schedule is worth it in the end. This is the compensation I need!’
“How about it? Are you satisfied?”
“Of course. It is the best!”
Ark answered without thinking about it. Then Marquis Martin smiled bitter sweetly and said.
“I’m glad you are satisfied with your compensation. But to ask if the reward would change depending on your answer……that means you are rejecting my suggestion. Am I correct?”
He was satisfied with the compensation received. This meant he had no more reason to need Marquis Martin. But Marquis Martin was a powerful aristocrat of the federation so there was no reason to offend him. He generously gave him an excellent item so couldn’t he pretend to be grateful?
“I’m thankful that Marquis Martin appreciates my ability. But I’m just a pioneer who appeared in the universe 4 months ago. I luckily became Beltana’s Hero so there is still too much I don’t know yet. I have no confidence that I can return Marquis-nim’s expectations. If I gain more skills then I might work for Marquis-nim in the future.”
“Don’t tell me that so simply.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“No, I can’t do anything if you don’t want to……”
Marquis Martin closed his eyes and became immersed in his thoughts. After a couple of minutes, Marquis Martin opened his eyes and said in a low voice.
“Then can I request a favour?”
“A favour?”
“The explanation might take a while so I’ll try to make it simple. As you know, Nabe is the northernmost city of Istana but there is actually one more there. You might have heard about this. Our ally is the 3rd alien alliance the Aschulat. Apart from Nabe, the other city in the northern wasteland called Charem belongs to the Aschulat.”
“Huh? Isn’t Istana a planet of the galactic federation?”
“It is a planet of the federation. Even if the Aschulat are allies, it isn’t possible for them to have a city on Istana. So the Aschulat claim that they have nothing to do with Charem. But the Aschulat’s reason for denying involvement with Charem has nothing to do with avoiding the federation’s suspicions. That’s because the entire city of Charem is a huge smuggling organization.”
“Smuggling organization?”
“Yes, there are a number of items restricted by the galactic federation. Charem is the city where people smuggle those things through. Of course, even the Aschulat and members of the galactic federation smuggles things through Charem.”
Marquis Martin sighed and continued talking.
“The reason the galactic federation has tolerated Charem is because it was useful. Like I said, Charem is officially a stateless city. Therefore some Rama are also associated with it. The federation were able to get information about the Rama through Charem so they overlooked its existence.”
“……But a problem has formed.”
“Exactly.”
Marquis Martin nodded.
“The Aschulat used the excuse of internal conflicts to leave the Bellin constellation conflict against the Rama. Now all the information from Charem has been blocked off. At the same time, the federation’s contact within Charem also cut off contact. The federation’s line of contact has been cut off but there is no confirmation that the Charem cut off contact with the Rama. In that case, there is a possibility that all the information from Charem is going to the Rama.”
Marquis Martin spoke with a serious expression. It was obviously a serious problem just by listening
A city situated in the heart of the federation was selling information to the enemy. The problem was more serious than a war. However, Ark wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Is Charem officially a lawless city? There is no evidence that Charem is secretly communicating with the Rama. Even if the city is used to smuggle illegal goods, can the federations’ troops be mobilized without any evidence? Won’t the Aschulat be able to complain?”
“That is why I want to ask a favour from you.”
Marquis Martin replied in a low voice.
“Charem isn’t a normal city. It is camouflaged with a few layers of advanced shields and is equipped with devices to detect movement. Charem is also 1,000 km from the nearest city so it is difficult to find with a radar. The federation might’ve overlooked Charem’s existence but to be more accurate, they have no way to handle it. If we move troops large enough to capture Charem, their information network will detect the movements. They will escape and the situation would become worse.”
The galactic federation had no confirmation that the Charem were secretly communicating with the Rama. If they rallied the troops and failed then Charem would 100% ally with the Rama
Furthermore, they might’ve officially denied it but the city still belonged to the Aschulat. If the federation mobilized troops for a sudden attack then it could adversely affect the alliance with the Aschulat. The galactic federation weren’t brave enough to take such risks.
“The federation won’t throw away troops when there is no guarantee they can control the situation.”
Marquis Martin’s voice became even lower.
“You will create the conviction for me.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about……”
“It is simple. You must sneak into Charem and use this.”
Marquis Martin took out a bag-sized machine.
“This is a GPS transmitter connected to the federation’s military. This is the most advanced GPS transmitter able to send extremely long range signals and the radio waves can’t be interfered with. The problem is the shield. The transmitter can’t penetrate the layers protecting Charem. This transmitter needs to be used when the shield is turned off or connected to Charem’s communication antenna that isn’t shielded. If it succeeds then the federal troops can overpower Charem.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to be in charge.”
“But aren’t there other people who know where Charem is?”
“I specifically asked for you.”
Marquis Martin smiled and answered.
“Didn’t I tell you? I have a high expectation of your abilities. But it isn’t your combat power that I rate highly. If it is simple fighting power then there are more reliable guys. I need someone who isn’t simply a strong warrior. I need a warrior like you.”
“A warrior like me?”
“Do you know why I was in charge of your mass media campaign? I only heard the situation from Haman. And I saw the videos you took. I came to the conclusion that you are a pioneer strong in improvisation. You’re a wise and cunning fellow. From what I know of this situation, this talent is needed more than anything else.”
‘That’s right. I can understand the situation now.’
This was definitely the reason why Marquis Martin suddenly cancelled the schedule. He didn’t understand every point but it was possible to know Marquis Martin’s aim. Ark’s visibility started to fall a few days ago. But he didn’t dare cancel the schedule until they arrived at Nabe because it was the closest city to Charem. This was the best place to spring the plan on Ark.
‘That’s also why he gave an item like the air board as compensation.’
This was the nearest city to Charem but it was still 1,000 km away. If Ark accepted the task then he would need a method of transportation. Marquis Martin’s behaviour was to make it easier for Ark to accept the mission.
‘If I think like this then it feels like…..’
It had a smell. The smell of a main quest. The quest involved playing a decisive role in helping the federation take control of a smuggling city. If he succeeded then he could guess that Marquis Martin’s reward would be tremendous. It might even be equal to the compensation received when becoming Beltana’s Hero. High-risk, high- return. If the risk was high then he would also receive a lot back. In other words, the larger the risk the larger the prize.
‘What intelligence personnel would be able to find the city, break into it, infiltrate the main facilities and connect the GPS transmitter to the communication antenna?’
It was indeed a mission impossible! He couldn’t fathom the probability of success for this quest
There were many chances for Ark to get caught and killed. This was a burden so even Ark couldn’t accept the quest blindly. He wasn’t just worried about the degree of difficulty.
‘Milan said he restored the slab……’
Ark had been waiting several days for the slab. Then he was contacted a few hours ago that the slab was restored. If the slab matched Ark and Milan’s expectations then he could get considerable income from the Murat ruins. There was also more security than Marquis Martin’s quest. He could also discover a new rune. Of course, it wasn’t so urgent that he had to go running there immediately
But he couldn’t think about relaxing. The Murat ruins were hidden but there were many pioneers on Istana so there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t find it. The place Milan found the slab had been discovered by other pioneers so the ruins might’ve already been taken away. The first person who found it would take the treasure. He didn’t know how long the quest would take so it was a burden to accept. However, he could expect a colossal reward if the quest was successful. Not anyone could receive a quest like this. He couldn’t bear to decline it.
‘The most worrisome thing is if Milan’s slab is different from my expectations. If he refused Marquis Martin’s quest and the slab turned out to be nothing then he would’ve blown off a rare quest. But he couldn’t blindly accept the quest. Besides…..eh? Wait? Come to think of it…..’
Ark finally realized something strange.
“But haven’t I been played over and over on the media as a war hero over the last few days? If Charem can grasp the movements of the federation army then wouldn’t they know me? How can I take on this duty?”
This was the problem.
Marquis Martin’s quest was a type of spy work. But Ark was a celebrity thanks to the interviews over the last few days. It would be impossible for him to infiltrate Charem. Marquis Martin laughed like he expected it and took something out.
“I’ve already thought about that.”
-Hyde Helmet (Quest Items)
Item type: Helmet
Wearer Restriction: Level 31 (Body Coating Required)
Defense: 5 Durability: 30/30
A helmet that covers the entire face.
This looks like a normal helmet but a special feature has been added. There is a special coating on the glass front so the opponent can’t see your face. It also prevents all infrared scopes from detecting your name by setting a different character name. If you want to do bad things! If you want to hide your name! The Hyde Helmet is the best choice for a coward like you.
* If you commit a crime then the chaotic value will be applied to your original name.
<It is possible to change the name the opponent can see>
“T-this?”
Ark eyed the blue helmet with astonished eyes.
“A former informant who infiltrated Charem bought this item. It can be used by the galactic federation, Aschulat and Rama. A lot of people who want to hide their identity will buy this helmet. I will lend it to you for this mission.”
‘There is a way with this helmet!’
Ark’s ears didn’t hear Marquis Martin’s words anymore. Ark became the ambassador of the galactic federation and he became a celebrity. But becoming famous was something Ark wanted to avoid most. Ark had no choice but to unintentionally receive attention from other users. In additional to his name, his face and appearance became known. When visiting Hamad, Asuran and Milan he had heard quite a few people whispering about him. That situation would continue for a while. If it was just interest then it wouldn’t matter that much. He was willing to receive requests for pictures or signatures. The problem was the guys with evil intentions. It was a world where many people hated celebrities just because they were famous. A lot of them would approach Ark under false pretences and then stab him in the back. It was to the extent that his head throbbed when thinking about it.
‘If I use this then it is possible to hide my face and name?’
His problem would be settled. It might only have 5 defense but the unique properties of the helmet made it beyond value! However, the item was leased so he would have to return the Hyde Helmet when the quest was over.
‘But……’
Ark thought for a while before speaking with a serious expression.
“I understand. I will accept Marquis-nim’s request and install the GPS transmitter in Charem. But Marquis-nim knows better than anyone that there is no guarantee this mission will succeed. If I fail then I will lose my life and a lot of time. So I would like a minimum compensation promise.”
“Say it.”
“Please give me the Hyde Helmet.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Of course, I know receiving compensation beforehand seems slightly stubborn. But Charem is 1,000 km from here. And I’m by myself…..”
“So I will give it to you.”
“No, that is…..eh? You’ll give it to me?”
“How many times are you going to say the same thing?”
Marquis Martin frowned and muttered. Ark was dumbfounded by Marquis Martin’s reaction. The defense was low but the helmet’s special function meant it was quite rare. At least in Ark’s view point
And the item couldn’t be obtained through a normal route. He got a bit of help from Marquis Martin but he was still a NPC. He played the game for several years but he never heard of a NPC that would just give an item to the user. Especially Marquis Martin who had squeezed all of Ark’s fame in the last five days? Marquis Martin declared in an unpleasant voice at Ark’s stupid expression.
“Don’t look like that. This is an urgent problem. You know that too. Isn’t that why you shamelessly pushed the conditions? I noticed your expression when receiving it so the conclusion is clear. Your mouth is babbling on for no reason.”
‘Well, I guess but…..’
The words were coolly spoken so he felt even more uncomfortable. Normal users wouldn’t think that deep but Ark wasn’t a normal user and he felt uncomfortable. He was a user who had experienced a lot of aerial combat!
‘He is a NPC. Unlike users, he won’t act based on his feelings.’
Ark knew that. NPCs normally behaved stingily. If the NPC was willing to settle so easily then it meant they wanted something. His experience with cheap tricks meant there was something fishy. But the circumstances involving Marquis Martin were different. It was a virtual reality game but a NPC was a NPC. They were part of the game. Intimacy was calculated as a numerical value and affected the behaviour of the NPC. Intimacy was also the cause behind the Royal Guards and the Silver Hand’s loyalty. If a NPC accepted an impossible request then it meant the request wasn’t impossible in the first place.
‘Yes, it isn’t a stretch to think this situation is different.’ In fact, the air board wasn’t his compensation for his achievements on Beltana. Marquis Martin just gave him the item required for the mission. The Hyde Helmet was the same. Anyway, now he had a chance to sneak into Charem to proceed with the quest. And the level restriction of 31 wasn’t high. If he thought like that then Marquis Martin wasn’t actually that generous. Then…..’
He might be able to get even more! Of course, he couldn’t be too excessive. Once again, a NPC’s behaviour was affected by various numerical values. His request wouldn’t be granted if it went beyond the threshold. This was an absolute rule! If he became too greedy and crossed the limit then there was a risk the quest would be cancelled and intimacy decreased. So Ark……
“I’m grateful to Marquis Martin in many ways. I could become Beltana’s Hero thanks to Marquis-nim. The reason I didn’t grumble about the promotional trip without any breaks was because I’m thankful to Marquis-nim. If Marquis-nim requests something from me then I can’t refuse no matter the dangers. Yes, I’ll dedicate my body and heart to your request.”
The reason he spoke like this……
“The thing I’m worried about is how to complete the mission despite the dangers. I’m not afraid to die. But the thing that concerns me is betraying Marquis Martin’s expectations and failing the mission. I heard that the northern region is infested with considerably high level monsters. I’m might be Beltana’s Hero but I’m still inexperienced as a pioneer! I only have equipment of this standard. I don’t know if I can accomplish my duty like this.”
His words were true. The area to the north of Nabe was filled with level 60~70 monsters. He also needed to travel 1,000 km. On the other hand, Ark was level 52. Entering the northern area alone was a significant risk. Of course, Marquis Martin’s quest didn’t require him to catch monsters. It was a quest to find the hidden city of Charem and infiltrate it. The reason Ark was discussing monsters and levels……
‘Now take something out! Bring out an armour with large defense!’
Ark stared at Marquis Marin with that meaning in his eyes. Fortunately Marquis Martin wasn’t a stupid NPC and he understood Ark’s intention.
“Indeed…..”
A meaningful smile floated on Marquis Martin’s mouth.
“I understand what you’re saying. And I admit that I hadn’t thought of that point. Well, even if you can avoid them on the air board…..yes, I should reduce your burden. If you get in trouble and die then you won’t be able to reach Charem.”
“Huh? Then?”
Ark asked with eager eyes. Marquis Martin thought for a while before taking out a small, square case. Ark had expected an armour piece and disappointment appeared on his face. However he changed his mind once he saw the information window.
-STK-VII (×3)
Item Type: Special Grenade (Older Generation Relic)
A weapon where the development and production is prohibited so few exist. It is based on particle decomposition theory and is called the TK technique. The TK weapon decomposes the target and is a fearsome destructive technology able to evaporate the target. It is an unstoppable weapon with ultimate destructive power. The TK technology was used as a weapon in the 1st Space War and both the galactic federation and Rama suffered countless damage.
The scientists of both nations soon realized the danger of TK technology. The TK technology generated a type of black hole that distorted the area. When both nations signed the special treaty, one of the clauses was the prohibition of the TK technology. The STK-VII was something the galactic federation personalized before the treaty was signed. It is a hand grenade that will destroy all particles within 20 metres when thrown.
* Not for sale
<All targets within 20 metres will receive 1,500 damage and ignores defense>
A destructive weapon where the development and production were prohibited! Naturally Ark had no interest in the contents of the treaty. The important thing was the enormous destructive power of the hand grenade!
‘1,500 damage and defense is ignored……’
Ark was level 52 and his health was lower than 1,500. A level 100 magician with low health would die in one shot!
It was a destructive power that would throw off the balance of the game. This grenade meant that levels didn’t mean anything. The destructive power was so large that any further research into the grenade was different. It was a consumable supply but the grenades had a colossal value.
‘I really could get another item by acting like that! As expected.’
Ark drooled as he looked at the destructive grenades.
“This grenade isn’t a weapon that can be abused. I’m giving it to you because this is an important matter. But bear this in mind. You shouldn’t use it in cases where your identity might be revealed. If you are discovered using the STK-VII then even the galactic federation won’t be able to protect you. Do you understand why?”
It was a weapon banned by the special treaty. However, Ark now possessed the Hyde Helmet. If he used the Hyde Helmet then he didn’t need to worry about his character being revealed. Maybe these items were supposed to be a set from the beginning.
“Of course. Please don’t worry.
Ark smiled as he placed the STK-VII in his bag.
“You said that you are willing to risk your life for me. I’m also taking a risk by giving you the prohibited STK-VII. So I have two more conditions. The first is that you don’t abandon the mission no matter what. And the second is a personal favour.”
As expected, Marquis Martin wasn’t an easy NPC. He was a politician who would only give something if he received something else in return.
“The mission requested by the galactic federation is to install the GPS in Charem. Now I will tell you my personal favour. It is a favour but it might help you with your mission. In fact, I personally sent an intelligence agent to sneak into Charem a while ago. His name was Kara. But he cut off contact the moment Charem hid itself from the federation’s surveillance network. He is probably locked inside Charem and can’t get out. If your infiltration succeeds I want you to find Kara and give him this. Then he will help you.
Marquis Martin handed him a sealed black bag. When Ark received it, an information window popped up.
<Charem’s Infiltration>
You have received a secret mission from Marquis Martin, an aristocrat of the galactic federation. The lawless city Charem has hidden itself in the area 1,000 km north of Nabe.
Charem has hidden its location using state of the art equipment and the galactic federation fears that it is communicating with their enemies the Rama. You have to sneak into Charem and sent the approximate GPS location to Marquis Martin.
Difficulty: A
+ Sub Quest: <Intelligence Agent Kara> +
<Intelligence Agent Kara> is a separate mission received from Marquis Martin. Before this situation had occurred, Marquis Martin had sent an intelligence agent to Charem. If you find Kara who is already in Charem then you will be able to receive a lot of help to complete the mission. If you can find him.
-You have acquired the quest item ‘sealed bag.’
“This is just a precaution. I want you to have this as well.
Marquis Martin handed him a small capsule.
-You have acquired the ‘tiny bomb for suicide’ quest item.
“I wish you luck.”
Marquis Martin smiled and said
————————————————————————————————
“Ouch, damn! There isn’t anywhere on my body that doesn’t hurt.”
Ark rubbed his arms and legs. Ark had immediately started preparing after receiving the quest from Marquis Martin.
-TO: Milan Something came up and I can’t come for a while. I’ll finish it as quickly as possible so please gather information about the Murat and wait for me.
He first sent a mail to Milan. <Charem’s Infiltration> quest was good but he couldn’t miss out on the Murat related slab. He then bought various supplies for a long adventure like food, basic consumables, bullets and various other equipment. Ark was already a celebrity within Galaxian
He felt concerned about attracting the attention of users and NPCs. However, there was no problem if he used the Hyde Helmet. There were many people in the shipping district but none of them were interested in Ark. Once again he thought that the Hyde Helmet was truly good. Anyway, all his preparations were finished……
“I’m departing! Let’s go Super Board!”
He got on the board that he already nicknamed and shouted.
Hwiiiiiii-! Kutang tang tang-!
Ark ran into the wall of a nearby store. The same situation repeated for a while. If he started the air board then it would start circling the same spot or it would go in an unexpected direction until he crashed into a wall!
“What, what the? Why is this so hard to operate?”
The air board was a ridiculously difficult vehicle to operate. By default, the air board was just a round disk floating in the air. There was no handle and the direction or speed depended on the weight. It a lot of weight was placed on the front the speed would increase and moving the weight from left to right affected the direction. But it was an incredibly sensitive sensor! If he flinched even a little bit to the back then it would stop! If his body shook then the air board would fluctuate. And the problem was that the air board didn’t have any safety equipment!
Tteok! Kung! Bam!
Every time the air board became unstable Ark would fall, crash into the wall or flew 500 metres. But Ark was patient! He was obsessive! Ark fought with the device for 4 hours before finally accomplishing it.
Bbol bbol bbol bbol……Bbol bbol bbol bbol……
He could finally ride it at 20 km/hr. He was able to go out of the city and he wanted to go at the maximum speed to savour the freedom. But Ark was afraid of falling and had to go slowly. After a while, he started to learn tips to use the air board.
‘Yes, skiing. It is similar to skiing!’
Ark grasped the feeling and started to raise his speed little by little. He started at 20 km and increased to 30, 40, 50…..and finally 60 km! Turning was still difficult but it was possible for him to move at the maximum speed without falling.
“Oho! This feels different from what I thought……”
Ark had ridden a 300 km/hr bike on Beltana. Therefore he wasn’t interested in 60 km/hr but it felt different once he actually tried it out. It was smaller than a car but the bike was still a large machine. However, the air board was just one small disc. The experience of moving on the disc wasn’t inferior to going at 300 km/hr.
The landscape started catching his eye once his posture became stable. An endless grassland stretched out in front of him. Terraforming made it hard for monsters or plants belonging to the old environment to survive. So areas around the city had a lot of mechanical creatures and few monsters. Ark was already level 52 so he wasn’t interested in the Nakuma anymore. So he skipped it and immediately travelled 120 km away from the city! The grassland gradually changed to a red earth. He had reached the boundary between the terraformed land and the wastelands.
‘This border is where the real game begins!’
On Istana there were still numerous secrets and dangers that humanity hadn’t experienced yet
Ark could finally truly begin the game after four months. And finally he entered a place with dark red earth.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The space started to vibrate as there was a roaring sound. The earth and sand flew and a huge object soared up. Ark lowered his speed as the air board became unstable and rolled onto the ground. The huge object that broke through the earth dropped towards Ark. Once again there was a roaring sound. Ark quickly rolled his body to avoid it and saw a 5 metre earthworm like monster.
-Hakerion-
Category: Space Monster
Danger: C
Combat Power: D
Hakerion is a monster commonly found on Istana. Pioneers who received the body coating and have suitable equipment can easily deal with it. However, it possesses the habit of hiding its body in the ground so beginner pioneers should pay attention.
* You can gain additional information if you face the same type of monster many times.
That was the information that appeared when he looked at the monster. When he received the Survivor coating, he had obtained the basic skill ‘Clairvoyance.’ It had the ability of an Infrared night vision scope and he could check the information about the monster that was stored in a database. Furthermore, if he faced the same monster many times then he could learn their special skills, hidden attributes and the loot normally dropped.
Grrrrrrr!
Green saliva dripped from the mouth of the Hakerion! It was a formidable monster that appeared wen Ark first stepped into the wastelands! It was a creepy looking monster.
“Yes, this is also part of the game.”
Ark grinned as he took out the Impact Blade.
Space 5
Hospital Incident
“Um…..um…..”
A middle aged man’s leg shook and trembled. He pinched his collar, twisted his plastic cup, pinched his collar, stood up while grabbing his hair, sigh and sat back down, bit his lips, twisted his plastic cup…..
“Father, please!”
“Ah? Uh? Me? Why? What?”
The middle age main raised his head like a surprised chicken and restlessly looked around
“Please sit down politely. Why are you so anxious? Please take a deep breath and calm down. Does Father also need to be examined? Calm your spirit.”
“What are you saying?”
The middle aged man snapped angrily. He snorted and hit his thick chest with his fist.
“Don’t you know me? I am Gwon Hwa-rang who was called invincible in the Gangnam area. My mind, body and indomitable spirit makes me healthier than anyone else.”
“The Gangnam area? Doesn’t that mean you’re not invincible in other areas? And if you lose your healthy body then you’ll be a corpse.”
“Why is my child questioning me so closely? The main point is that I’m healthy.”
“You look excessively healthy.”
Hyun-woo laughed and muttered. Anyone who say the man would think he wasn’t excessively healthy. His arms, chest and leg muscles were bulging through his jacket and jeans. His darkly tanned exposed skin really seemed like iron. With the exception of his face, it was hard to imagine looking at his body that he was 50 years old. The middle aged man was Gwon Hwa-rang.
This was a brief biography of Gwon Hwa-rang…..he graduated from the police academy with honours and became a greatly admired hot blooded detective until he retired due to a gun accident. Many years were spent in a gloomy mood until he married Hyun-woo’s mother! Now he was Hyun-woo’s stepfather. After spending so long in the hospital, Hyun-woo’s mother and Gwon Hwa-rang became interested in social movements and spend half a year helping in places like South Africa That’s why Gwon Hwa-rang’s skin was darkened.
The reason Gwon Hwa-rang was acting so strange was due to Hyun-woo’s mother. Hyun-woo had actually opposed his mother’s overseas relief efforts. He like helping people in difficult situations. Hyun-woo also experienced difficulties times so he made donations when he could. But the problem was his mother’s help. His mother had spent several years living in hospital so he was still worried about her health. However, his mother was very stubborn and he was forced to give in with some conditions. She had to come back at least 2 times a year to receive a comprehensive examination. That was the reason Gwon Hwa-rang and his mother returned home after 5 months. Then……
“Will it be okay? Huh? Hyun-woo, it’s not a big deal right?”
“Indeed.”
“I mean…..if something was wrong with Park So-mi…..really…..?”
“It’s going to be fine. Mother isn’t as weak as Father thinks. She had such a big accident where even the doctors gave up but his efforts helped her recover.”
“Yes, that’s right. She is strong. Park So-mi is strong. Yes, really.”
Gwon Hwa-rang nodded at his words. His mother had been burning up when Hyun-woo met them at Incheon Airport. And she had collapsed at the airport. This was the reason for Gwon Hwa-rang’s crazy actions. In fact, this was the good part. Hyun-woo had fallen into a state of panic when rushing to the hospital in the emergency vehicle. Then Hyun-woo realized something again.
‘Now I’m not the only one worrying about my mother……’
He felt like it was truly fortunate but he also somehow felt lonely. She was his mother but Hyun-woo felt like a father sending off his daughter.
‘But this isn’t what I’m talking about.’
Hyun-woo soothed Gwon Hwa-rang who had started crying.
‘It’s a fact that he is my father but this is the first time I truly felt it!’
That’s why he was able to appear calm. Hyun-woo’s thoughts were then interrupted.
“The family of patient Park So-mi, please come in.”
“Yes! We’re here!”
Hyun-woo and Gwon Hwa-rang jumped up. They felt anxious as the doctor kept on looking at a chart on the computer. After a moment the doctor smiled and began to talk.
“You don’t need to be worried.”
“S-she is okay? Are there any big problems?”
“Yes, the check-up revealed that there wasn’t any special problem.”
“Then why all of a sudden ….”
“The cause is due to fatigue. Her fatigue has accumulated. And she seems to have received a lot of stress recently. Her built up stress and fatigue made her temporarily collapse but she should feel better after some rest.”
‘Stress……’
A sigh naturally emerged from Hyun-woo’s mouth. He could guess why his mother was so stressed. In all likelihood, it was 100% due to the real estate slump of the Taek Mountains property. Hyun-woo had received a shock when he heard that the price had fallen to 1/10th of the original. It was natural since his money was invested in that land. But he was more worried about his mother’s health. The person who bought the real estate through Yoo An-gook was his mother. His mother was thinking that she wasted the money her son had earned and the mistake had been eating at her. His mother would naturally feel a sense of responsibility so he was worried it would harm her health. The money was fine. Hyun-woo had gone through some ups and downs and now he was living well. However, he wouldn’t be able to bear it if his mother was back in the hospital. It wasn’t surprising that he was anxious after her collapse.
‘Fortunately there isn’t any big problem but……’
Once again anger welled up at Korea’s politicians. He hadn’t told Yoo An-gook, the rehabilitation hyung-nims, Gwon Hwa-rang or his mother but Hyun-woo already guessed the culprit of the real estate slump. It was probably Lucifer. It was highly possible that Lucifer was controlling the nuclear power plant near the Taek Mountains. He felt angry but he couldn’t blame the people selling the real estate. It was directed at the politicians who knew the information in advance. The politicians were the ones talking about being devoted to the common people while making their lives harder. But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
“What should we do now?”
“Stability is important for the moment. There are still a few tests left so she should stay in the hospital for a few days. And she needs some nutrients. Her age doesn’t mean she’ll have trouble in the early stages of pregnancy but it is better to be careful.”
“Ah, yes……”
Gwon Hwa-rang sighed with relief and nodded. And he blinked a few times before stuttering.
“Early stages of pregnancy…..what did you say?”
“Didn’t you know?”
“No, that…..pregnant….I mean…..a baby is going to be born?”
“You should know what the word pregnancy means.”
The doctor said with a smile.
“Congratulations.”
“H-Hyun-woo!”
Gwon Hwa-rang turned around and stared at Hyun-woo. But Hyun-woo’s spirit had already flown away to Andromeda.
‘Mother is pregnant? Pregnant? Then I’ll have a younger sibling? Sibling? Sibling? Sibling! Ohhh! A boy! No, a girl! Eh, I don’t know! Anyway, a young sibling! A younger sibling!’
Hyun-woo who had fallen into a state of panic shouted back at Gwon Hwa-rang.
“Father, I’m going to be an older brother!”
“Yes, Hyun-woo! I’m going to be a father!”
“Damn, I’m also your son!”
“What are you saying? Don’t worry! I’ll raise you both with no discrimination!”
“What? Of course you have to discriminate! This is my younger sibling!”
“Ohhh! Life is good! Hyun-woo!”
“Father!”
Hyun-woo and Gwon Hwa-rang yelled and embraced each other. The doctor and nurses stared as Hyun-woo and a 180 cm tall Gwon Hwa-rang embraced while crying.
“I understand your feelings but please calm down. If you do this here then it can cause problems.”
“B-but…..”
How could they calm down when they suddenly heard such news?
The two men’s excitement didn’t subside so the doctor scratched his head and continued talking.
“Park So-mi has been moved to the hospital room. If her husband and son don’t know then it is likely that Park So-mi is also unaware of her pregnancy. She already has experience giving birth but I’ll have a nurse instruct her about what to do during early pregnancy. I’ll also prescribe some nutrient supplements that will be helpful in early pregnancy.”
Hyun-woo grabbed the doctor’s hand and said.
“Will it be a younger brother or a younger sister?”
“No, the pregnancy is still too early to tell……”
“I don’t care if it is a boy or girl but please make sure my younger sibling is born healthy. My mother too! Mother has to be healthy as well! Yes, please give her the best nutrients! It doesn’t matter how much it costs!”
“No, expensive nutrients aren’t necessarily better……”
“Hey, you fool!”
Gwon Hwa-rang hit the back of Hyun-woo’s head and shouted. He pushed Hyun-woo away and grabbed the doctor’s hand. “Is it one shot? Please give her shots with the best stuff!”
“No, that is…..”
The doctor muttered with an awkward expression. Then the nurse next to them burst out laughing and said.
“They are happy. Park So-mi ssi will be glad. The two men can barely stand it.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
“It is like that…..”
The two men were shocked by the pregnancy news and were excited for a while. But they made ignorant noises about giving the most expensive supplements or shots. Meanwhile So-mi just stroked her stomach and smiled when she heard the news. Her calm attitude had a sedative effect on the two men. It was quite fortunate from the hospital’s viewpoint.
“My body felt different these days but I never thought I would be pregnant.”
“You mean, this body……”
Gwon Hwa-rang tried to say something but closed his mouth. He grasped Mother’s hand and cried out.
“Thank you.”
“You’re worried about being a burden for no reason.”
“W-what nonsense are you saying? A burden? I have to say, I…..so far I’ve been living alone. During the days I was fighting against criminals, there were times I thought I wouldn’t come back alive. I had no family. This might sound weird but I made a son. I was already full of happiness from that. Now that happiness has increased. I…..I really am happy……”
Tears started to flow down Gwon Hwa-rang’s face. Then he buried his face in the bed and started crying.
“Now now, I understand. I don’t want to hear a sound like that so calm down.”
His mother laughed softly and stroked Gwon Hwa-rang’s back. She looked up at Hyun-woo and asked.
“Are you okay?”
She was asking if he wanted to be an older brother. It was an absurd question. Wasn’t it impossible for him to not like it? It was an amazing situation.
“Do you want me to cry too?”
“Please don’t. Having two grown men cry like babies will be embarrassing.”
“Am I embarrassing?”
Gwon Hwa-rang pouted with face soaked with tears.
“By the way, why are you acting like a kid? Soon you’re going to be the dad of two people.”
“Yes yes. Now I’m the dad of two people. Hyun-woo. You may call my Father as well.”
Gwon Hwa-rang wiped away his tears and laughed. Hyun-woo was really worried about leaving his mother and younger sibling to this person. When thinking of the future, he had help raise them. Just as Hyun-woo was thinking this. His mother sighed with a depressed expression.
“By the way I’m really sorry.”
“Mother!”
Hyun-woo interrupted his mother’s words.
“Don’t talk like that. This isn’t something for Mother to be concerned about. I’ve been talking on the phone with An-gook hyung and he says the drop is temporary. So you don’t have to worry and just continue recovering.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie to Mother?”
“I remember so many instances that I can’t count.”
“T-that…..this time I really am telling the truth. Do you want to call An-gook hyung and ask him?”
“I believe that your words are true.”
“It is true so don’t look at me like that. So Mother doesn’t need to worry anymore. Mother is pregnant now. The doctor said you have to be careful during the early stages of pregnancy so please relax. That will help me and Father.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Huh?”
“In fact, I actually returned this time because of you.”
“Me? Why?”
“Aren’t you getting older now? I told you many times but a man needs a home to become a dignified adult.”
“I’m only 26.”
“Age is not important. If you have the ability to be responsible for a home then you’re of marriageable age. Aren’t you the director of a large enterprise? It is ridiculous for someone like you to be alone. Father and I will often be abroad in the future so the fact that you’re alone is weighing on my mind. However I came into contact with an old friend not long ago who told me about a good girl.”
“Are you really trying to find someone for me to marry?”
“What’s wrong with that? A lot of people do blind dates these days.”
“Still…..”
“Mother’s only request is that you meet a good person. If you meet a good person then I can concentrate on giving birth.”
“Hah!”
Gwon Hwa-rang suddenly raised his head. He grabbed Hyun-woo’s shoulder and shouted.
“Don’t be a troublemaker and get married like Mother said! Otherwise Mother can’t confidently give birth to her child! So get married! Go meet the woman Mother is introducing you to and get married!”
“You, why are you joking about marriage?”
“…..Do I sound like I’m joking?”
Gwon Hwa-rang stared at him with roaring eyes.
“If something happens to my child because of this then I will burn out your eyeballs!”
Hyun-woo had nothing to say after seeing that.
“I understand. I’ll think about it seriously.”
“Good. If he marries the woman you introduce him to then you can concentrate on managing your health.”
“What marriage? I said I would think about meeting her!”
Hyun-woo shouted at Gwon Hwa-rang. His mother laughed and nodded.
“Yes honey. Now I’m relieved.”
His mother and Gwon Hwa-rang seemed intent on pushing him. Anyway, his mother was fatigued and soon fell asleep. Hyun-woo and Gwon Hwa-rang exited after confirming that Mother was deeply asleep. Hyun-woo and Gwon Hwa-rang sat down in front of a coffee vending machine.
“Are you going back to South Africa?”
“Well I should go. There is still a lot of work left to do.”
Gwon Hwa-rang nodded and replied.
“But Park So-mi is pregnant so we should stay here for a bit. Fortunately we don’t have to return for a couple of months.
“Honestly I’m slightly worried. Based on the news, the situation there doesn’t seem good these days…..of course I don’t object to the idea of you helping refugees. But even if you’re doing something good, it’s still dangerous. I see on the news that some kids are even carrying guns around…..it didn’t matter before but now Mother is pregnant……”
“It’s not like that.”
Gwon Hwa-rang stared bitterly at a coffee cup.
“In fact, I’m not the one who wanted to go in the first place. I just followed Park So-mi. But now it is different. My outlook on life has changed. In that place there are people who can’t even buy a cup of coffee. Someone has to help them. Your mother is helping people like that. I’m proud that someone like that is my wife.”
Hyun-woo also felt proud as well. However, his pride was separate from his worry about his mother. Hyun-woo made a sombre expression and Gwon Hwa-rang knocked him on the shoulder before smiling.
“Don’t worry. I told you, the place where Park So-mi is helping isn’t as dangerous as you think. Actually, I was visiting a refugee camp last time and I met an officer of the government. I was invited by the FBI to become a martial arts teacher. There are several conveniences and no danger.”
Gwon Hwa-rang casually talked about something that would appear in a movie. Gwon Hwa-rang was a special human. There was no criminal gangs who didn’t know Gwon Hwa-rang’s name. His power was the reason the rehabilitation members submitted to Gwon Hwa-rang. But Gwon Hwa-rang had no interest in his fame. When Gwon Hwa-rang moved in with his mother. Hyun-woo helped move his luggage and found a thick pile of paper in a corner. Various certificates of appreciation and commendations for catching criminals were piled up like a thick encyclopaedia. Gwon Hwa-rang casually replied after Hyun-woo asked him about it.
–Ah, just put it with the recyclable waste.
All the awards that would’ve normally be hanging up ended up in the trash. But Gwon Hwa-rang treasured the letters of thanks sent by people he helped. This was a person who couldn’t even put on his socks correctly. He was such a man. He was an honourable existence to Hyun-woo and his mother. Thus he had been able to let his mother go in peace to South Africa.
“But what happens if she gives birth to the child? You can’t bring up a newborn baby in a place like that.”
“Well…. Anyway, the doctor said that stability is important right now so we don’t need to worry about that for a while. I will discuss the matter with Mother. You just worry about Mother’s wish for you to get married.”
“Is Father really acting like this? You expect me to get married alone? There needs to be a partner.”
“Then go on the blind date. If you go on the blind date then won’t Mother stop complaining for a bit?Anyway, have you decided yet?”
Gwon Hwa-rang said before standing up from his seat.
“I have to go back to the airport. Park So-mi collapsed so our luggage is still at the airport. I’ll move the luggage to the house and come back in the evening. Will you be in the hospital until then?”
“I should be.”
“Okay then I’ll see you soon, son.”
Gwon Hwa-rang laughed before leaving the hospital. He stayed at the hospital but his mother was asleep so there wasn’t a lot of things left to do.
‘Should I start my hacking practice?’
Hyun-woo sat down in front of the hospital room and took out his phone. Hyun-woo’s hacking skill was very important in Galaxian. The way to use this skill was to clear mini games. Fortunately he had been familiar with the games so it hadn’t been difficult so far but that would change in the future. So Hyun-woo sometimes used his phone to train his hacking skill.
Pico pico! Byong byong! Ddiridiri! Byong byong!
Hyun-woo was immersed in his games.
“Nurse, nurse, please come here!”
A desperate voice was heard near him. The nurses and doctor ran towards the room of the person making a fuss. Hyun-woo wondered what was going on but he wasn’t going to join the crowd swarming the hospital room. When his mother was in the ICU, Hyun-woo had also called for the nurses in desperate voices a few times. And each time people flocked to the hospital room
Some were curious while others were worried. But Hyun-woo just felt like they wanted to watch other people’s misfortunes. No patient or family would welcome the attention. Hyun-woo recalled that memory.
“Like I said before, even if the patient is unconscious their reflexes means their fingers or toes sometimes move. I checked and it seems to be the case this time. But don’t be too disappointed. The results have improved since the previous check-ups. If you spot a change then call a nurse.”
‘The unconscious patient is just like my mother.’
Hyun-woo sighed and turned away. At that moment, Hyun-woo felt his heart drop.
“Yes, thank you.”
A young woman appeared at the hospital room door and bowed. Surprisingly she was someone Hyun-woo knew. She was dressed in baggy clothes unlike the last time but he could recognize her face immediately.
‘…..Irina?’
Irina who he saw at the charity party! In the game she was the officer in charge of the prisoner’s supplies on Beltana.
‘What? Irina also know someone in this hospital? This is……’
The last time Hyun-woo saw Irina was shortly after his return to Nephalim. At that time, Hyun-woo heard that Irina had helped him while he was imprisoned and jumped to the conclusion that she had a crush. But they had no time to talk and he forgot about her. He never thought he would see her again in a place like this. Hyun-woo couldn’t concentrate on the game anymore. He got up and stealthily sneaked behind the people around the room. He looked through the crack in the door and saw a room full of medical equipment. She was sitting down in the same place Hyun-woo always sat. She also had the same expression as she held the patient’s hand…..
“Mom…….”
A bitter voice was heard through the door. A drop of water fell down her chin as the woman lowered her head. Long forgotten feelings surged through Hyun-woo as he saw the tear. He forgot the pain and desperation
And he forgot……
——————————————————————————————————————————
A dark room was filled with cigarette smoke. 10 people were sitting around with heavy looks. One of them was the owner of the building. Several members were frowning and the room had a heavy atmosphere. The 10 men gathered in the room while smoking. Suddenly a guy jumped up. He broke the serious atmosphere as he bowed and shouted.
“Hyung-nim, I committed a sin! Please kill me!”
“Shut up!”
The middle age man frowned and declared sharply.
“What is this about killing? Are we gangsters? I’m 50 and enjoying my honeymoon yet you want me to kill you? And what is with this atmosphere? Has a raccoon been caught? Why are you smoking in such excessive amounts? Are you trying to commit suicide? Get it together. You’re going to live a long time. Because soon I’ll be a baby daddy!”
“Huh? A-A baby daddy?”
“Heok! T-then Hyung-nim…..”
“Yes that’s right. This hyung-nim is going to be a dad.”
“Sister-in-law is pregnant?”
“Then? Do I look like I’m pregnant?”
The man rolled his eyes as he replied. Then the crowd cheered with joy and started making noises.
“Wow! Hyung-nim, you succeeded!”
“I never would’ve expected it from someone who a bachelor just recently!”
“A man is still a man. “It is wonderful!”
“You really are having a child….no, that’s it. Anyway, we have to live a long time! Turn on the lights. We’ll now live slightly brighter. Huh? Brighter.”
Someone else quickly turned on the lights and opened the window. The middle aged man’s face was revealed as Gwon Hwa-rang. The remaining people were the rehabilitation members. Hae Gyeol-sa was the one who turned on the lights and Ma Chorung said after studying Gwon Hwa-rang’s face.
“Hyung-nim, did you come find us to inform us about sister-in-law being pregnant?”
“No that’s not it. Haven’t you heard? A pregnant woman shouldn’t worry. Don’t you know what she’ll be like is you shoulder the responsibility?”
“That would be a problem.”
“You understand me.”
Gwon Hwa-rang’s expression tightened.
“That is the reason but……”
Gwon Hwa-rang stared at Yoo An-gook and said.
“Park So-mi is worried about the Taek Mountains real estate issue. The accumulated stress caused her to collapse at the airport. That’s why I decided to visit you. I don’t feel good not seeing you guys before departing but it also reminded me of the real estate problem.”
“I know.”
The rehabilitation members scowled at Yoo An-gook. Yoo An-gook’s image had changed because of this problem. But Gwon Hwa-rang shook his head and said.
“That’s it. This isn’t An-gook’s fault. You don’t have to act like he committed a sin. But didn’t you call Hyun-woo and say that the real estate problem was solved?”
“No. I never…..”
“I can guess. That brat, he wants to take care of everything.”
Gwon Hwa-rang grunted with a faint smile on his face. But he soon scratched his head with an irritated expression and said.
“Anyway, that means there is still no way to fix this. Is that right?”
“Yes, so far…..”
“So? Do you know the reason behind the real estates’ price plunge? Why did people who bought the land at an expensive price rush to sell it so suddenly?”
“I don’t know. The value of the land originally rose because the government announced they were building a major building there. I assumed the value dropped because the people heard that plan was cancelled. But my sources told me the government hasn’t made any decision yet.”
“So you still haven’t figured out the case?”
“That’s right.”
Yoo An-gook hung his head and replied. Then Gwon Hwa-rang spoke in an unconcerned voice.
“Is that why you’re all gathered here looking so worried? The solution to the problem is simple. If you’re not sure why then ask.”
“Huh? W-who do I ask?”
“Didn’t you get the names of the owners when trading with them? Then look for the original owners.”
“B-but Hyung-nim.”
“Many of the real estate transactions involve politicians.”
“What about it? Are you joking?”
“No, that’s not it…..”
“Do I look like I’m laughing now?”
Gwon Hwa-rang interrupted the rehabilitation members’ words. And he muttered in a low voice.
“Just ask them why they sold the land. If they don’t answer then something is suspicious. In other words…..my Park So-mi would’ve received stress because of something they did. My woman! My wife who is having a child! Now, I’ll ask again. Do I look like I’m laughing?”
“Ah, no.”
“I told you many times.”
Gwon Hwa-rang spoke with eyes gleaming like a wild beast.
“Justice will always win. I’ve proved that to be true. This is for my child.”
He was filled with a wild, vibrant streak.
Space 6
Outlands
A forest covered with vines. However, it wasn’t the vines that needed to be watched carefully. It was the black, viscous liquid pouring down that seemed like the skin of a slime creature. The vines weren’t the only strange thing covering the forest. There were mushrooms that grew like thorns in the corpses of monsters, luminous moss that glowed in the dark and cactuses that released electricity when touched. Everything that caught the eye in the forest was bizarre. But that was just from the perspective of a human.
These bizarre life forms were native to Istana that was located thousands of light years away from earth. They had been growing in Istana’s environment for millions of years. But this environment was fatal to humans. Humans had no immunity again it so touching alien plants could cause unidentified diseases or genetic mutations. No, the constituents of the atmosphere were different from Earth so humans couldn’t even live there. Therefore humans had to terraform the environment to become similar to Earth’s. This was an area that hadn’t been terraformed yet. This was the 24th century so pioneers who received the body coating where their DNA was remodelled could survive in these areas called the Outlands.
“……But.”
It wasn’t a safe place even for pioneers who received the body coating. The body coating was the minimum conditions needed for survival in the Outlands. The Outlands were infested with monsters that transcended the imagination and the pioneers were food for these monsters. Naturally they weren’t friendly.
Kuaaaa!
There are also monsters here!
Woooooo!
Monsters here as well!
There were creatures everywhere as soon as the Outlands were entered. The monsters weren’t the only threatening ones. Once again, body coating was the minimum needed so ensure survival. There were toxic substances emitted from some plants to still poisoned pioneers despite them having the body coating. The cactus that caused electricity was particularly dangerous.
-Electric Tia-
Category: Space Plant Danger: C
Combat Power: –
Electric Tia is a plant commonly found on many planets in the galaxy
This plant contains a very unique nature as it uses energy gained from photosynthesis to create electricity and release it outside. The electricity has a significantly high voltage and can have a fatal result for pioneers using electronic equipment.
He knew the information about the Electric Tia through his Clairvoyance skill. And he had experienced the deadly result talked about in the information window already. The earthworm like Harkerion was the monster that he encountered the most in the Outlands. During the battle he had stepped on an Electric Tia by accident and the information window appeared.
-You have been shocked by the electricity released by the Electric Tia!
<All stats and attack reduced by 10% for 10 minutes and you will become shocked every 5 seconds>
The capabilities of the Nymphe will also be paralyzed and all skills blocked>
Skill blockage and 10% reduction in stats! He was dumbfounded when he received this penalty in the middle of battle. He couldn’t fathom the surprise attack from unidentified animals and plants. It was the perilous Outlands where it was impossible to be careless for even one moment! Ark’s state of mind when he first entered the Outlands……
‘How fascinating!’
R-14 was a tutorial. When he arrived in Nephalim where the real game would start, he had been tricked by the hamster and sold to the Silver Hand. As a result, Ark’s relationship with the Silver Hand was tremendously helpful to him. But it wasn’t something he had personally chosen to do
Then he was caught as a criminal and sent to Beltana. When he returned from Beltana he was caught by Marquis Martin and became the billboard of the federation. Ark still tried his best in every situation and got a good result but he had been feeling frustration throughout. He was playing the game but he had no freedom. That situation changed once he entered the Outlands.
‘Of course, I came here because of a quest but I have my freedom!’
He could go in any direction! There were unidentified dangers with every step! It was the type of adventure that all gamers liked! And Ark’s ability was exerted 120% in such a world. At first he had difficulty fighting the monsters. He wasn’t adapted to the unfamiliar surroundings and made significant mistakes. Now it had been 6 days since he entered the Outlands and Ark was showing his ability to adapt. He began to grasp what was needed to survive in the Outlands. He wasn’t just receiving surprise attacks from monsters but was actively ‘hunting.’ That was his idea when walking.
‘……I’ve found it!’
Ark’s eyes brightened as he looked at the monster on the other side of the vine. It was a raptor like monster similar to dinosaurs in Jurassic Park called the Bellos. Level 65. On the other hand, Ark was currently level 61. He had been level 52 when first leaving Nabe. He gained 9 levels in a mere 6 days. He encountered the Harkerion as soon as he entered the Outlands and reached level 60. Continuously hunting high level monsters meant it was natural for him to gain levels quickly. But there was a decisive reason why he could gain 9 levels after only 6 days. It was……
‘Ouch! It is painful just thinking about it!’
Ark couldn’t be completely happy. This was because there was something he had to give up to achieve such results. Ark became lost in his memories before shaking his head.
‘Damn! Forget it! There is no point dwelling on the past. Anyway, thankfully I’ve reached the level where I can hunt the Bellos. Yes, I need to think like this. Right now I need to concentrate on the Bellos. If I make a mistake like last time then I’ll be left bleeding.’
Anyway, the Bellos was 4 levels high than Ark. However, the bonus he received from the Survivor coating meant it was possible for him to win. The problem was they always went around in a pair of female and male. This was why the Bellos were able to occupy an area full of level 70 monsters. Two level 65 monsters……
He honestly felt lucky. The experience earned was equivalent to fighting 1 level 80 monsters. But…..
‘I can’t just live on experience.’
This was the reason he went looking for the Bellos. Ark wasn’t hunting the monsters for combat but for the loot. And the Bellos was the Outlands creature that Ark could get the most loot from. If he saw items then of course he would want to get his hands on them!
‘Now shall I get started?’
“Stealth.”
Ark murmured in a low voice. And it felt like his body disappeared at the same time. The light refracted around his body was one of the Survivor coating skills, Stealth! It was the same skill as other online games but this Stealth was more difficult to use. If he lost concentration when using Stealth then he would become transparent or hazy like a ghost. When he first tried to use Stealth, his body was blurry like a ghost and was still attacked. But he became accustomed after using it several times. His practiced his concentration through repetition over the past 6 days and he could maintain his transparency. Yet he still couldn’t rest assured. Stealth was easily removed.
Sneak, sneak.
Ark carefully creeped closer to the Bellos. It was only 40 metres but it took him 3 minutes to reach the Bellos undetected. A black light shot out from the Impact Blade.
Sakak-!
-The Bellos has received a sudden blow!
<The Bellos was caught off guard and receives damage x4. The Bellos is shocked by the blow and its power and willpower will decrease by 20%>
-The message flashed after the hit. This was the biggest effect of maintaining the Stealth status and approaching the monster. If Ark approached the monster from behind and dealt a sudden blow then he could deal x4 his base damage to the monster. The ‘fear’ effect also made its strength and willpower decreased by 20%.
‘The extra damage and effect from the surprise attack is amazing…..’
That was the valuable part. It was possible to use skills in the Stealth state. However, his proficiency wasn’t high enough to maintain the Stealth state while using attack skills. Stealth would be turned off the moment he attacked. That’s why he always tried to combine ‘Backstab’ with ‘Sudden blow.’
Backstab gave an extra x2 damage. The ‘Fear’ effect was an added benefit. And that effect alone was enough.
Kaack! Kuaaack!
The Bellos bled heavily and its health was reduced by 30%. He had shaved away 30% of the monster’s health before the battle even began. This meant it was an easy win despite the 4 level difference. However, there wasn’t just 1 Bellos.
Kiyak! Kiyak! Kuaaah!
There was always a male and female together. Anyway, the other Bellos shrieked and rushed forwards as its companion started bleeding heavily. It flew forward with sharp claws. But Ark didn’t even turn his head.
‘If I try to deal with 2 at once then this will never end. I have to concentrate on only one!’
“Mind Shield!”
A round shield appeared around Ark’s body. It was the Mind Shield skill received from the Survivor body coating! It was a defense shield but it was different from other shields. Like all skills received from the Survivor body coating, it also depended on concentration……
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 180 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
‘Damn, that’s not even half of the maximum durability possible.’
Ark was disappointed as the message appeared in front of him. Depending on his concentration, the durability of the shield could vary between 50~500. Stealth was a skill used before battle so the concentration was easy to maintain. But Mind Shield needed to be used while battling so it was difficult to concentrate. The first shield had 200 durability but the average was 50~70 at the most
Therefore the shield normally broke after a few attacks. After a few practices, he managed to get it over 100 and was working towards 250 durability. 180 was only an average amount.
‘It should take approximately 3~4 shots.’
He had initially questioned the Mind Shield but there was a large advantage when he actually used it
Ark’s current shield absorbed approximately 1,000 damage! Mind Shield actually possessed twice the maximum durability. Bhurad’s shield only had 25 defense and blocked the enemy’s attacks. While it could stop long range bullets that directly hit it, it was vulnerable to close combat hits in areas not covered by the shield. Even if the shield had 1,000 defense, it could only block 2~3 shots!
However, Mind Shield covered the whole body. In other words, it acted like an armour rather than a shield. Mind Shield gave him the same defense but he didn’t need to worry about long or short distance attacks. But the best part about it……
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
There was the sound of something hitting his back. Originally if he received a blow from behind then he would obtain x2 damage. The Bellos would deal Ark 180 damage. However, that changed once Mind Shield was applied. The shield absorbed 40~60% damage so Ark only received 36~54 damage. That was nothing to Ark who raised his health to 1,500!
‘But if the shield breaks then I will receive damage. Even my 1,500 won’t be able to endure 1 minute of being attacked from behind!’
It wasn’t a situation where he had plenty of leeway.
“Sonic Sword!”
Ark furiously attacked the Bellos. The blade broke through the speed of sound and caused a shockwave that dug into the Bellos’ neck. At the same time Ark pulled the trigger attacked to Impact Blade’s handle.
“Impact Shot!”
The Bellos stumbled and retreated. This was the convenient part about the Outlands. The gun was a basic equipment necessary to deal with mechanical life forms like the Nakuma. But savage monsters couldn’t use shields. Therefore he could mobilize both guns and swords while attacking.
Seokeok! Pepepeng!
The blade separated and made a bellowing sound! The bullets jammed into the wounds continuously. The Bellos was struck by a series of gun and sword attacks. But that didn’t mean Ark had a surplus of time. Mind Shield didn’t block 100% of the damage. Even if it was reduced by 40~60%, damage was still damage. It would steadily accumulate. Moreover, the shield only had 180 durability so if he lost concentration then he would die in a few hits.
‘But……’
Cheolkeok, chwaruru.
While the Bellos was stumbling, Ark quickly opened a cylinder in the Impact Blade. 4 bullet casings fell down.
‘I’ll settle it with this!’
He filled the cylinder with 4 more bullets. Ark finished reloading in an instant thanks to all his practice while the Bellos started attacking him again. While the Bellos was trying to bite his head off, Ark placed the tip of his sword against its jaw. The knife blade broke through the jaws. His finger that was on the trigger pulled it quickly.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
3 bullets were fired at once! But the bullets he loaded this time weren’t ordinary. It gave 150% additional damage!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
-The flame effect has been applied thanks to the Fire Bullets hitting skin.
<Bullets will deal additional x5 damage. It will give 50 fire damage for 1 minute>
At the same time the Bellos’ head was engulfed with flames.
Kuaaaah! Kiaaaahhh!
The Bellos shrieked and gave out a weird glow. But after a few minutes, the Bellos that was already in a critical condition took a few steps forward before collapsing. Then Ark’s shield broke and a red warning message popped up.
-You have received backstab damage from the Bellos!
His health was sucked out! In the end his Mind Shield was broken. The backstab damage caused him to lose 40% health straight away. But Ark just turned around with a pleasant smile.
“Now you’re the only one left!”
Greed gleamed from Ark’s eyes! The Bellos flinched from the outpouring of attacks and retreated. However the Bellos was also one of the predators of the Outlands! Ark didn’t know whether it was the husband or the wife but it had just seen its companion die.
Grrrrr! Kuaaaah!
Bellos growled and rushed towards him. Unfortunately the Bellos wasn’t very good at maths. Despite the two monsters attacking him, Ark’s health had only decreased by 40%. Of course, Ark’s shield broke but there was only one Bellos left. Even if the Bellos receive spiritual enlightenment that increased power by 2, the odds still weren’t in its favour. It was also blinded by rage and just ran wildly up to him……
“Sonic Sword! Impact Shot!”
Seokeok! Tang! Tang! Seokeok! Tang! Tang!
The sword sliced through the bullet hole……The Bellos became ragged as soon as the 1-on-1 battle began. Unfortunately the Bellos hadn’t received any spiritual enlightenment. But it wasn’t smart and kept on rushing towards him to be beaten. The Bellos’ health decreased to 10%.
Grrrr….Kuang! Kuang!
The Bellos studied his face and tried to retreat without him noticing. Then it shrieked and ran away.
‘It will be troublesome if I miss!’
This was the part that caused him a headache when dealing with the Bellos. If 1 Bellos was cornered then it would sometimes run away. Ark hadn’t expected it when he first fought the Bellos so he left it while it was in a critical condition. And he searched the body of the monster he already defeated.
Kuwaaaah!
Kaack! Kaack! Kaack Kuoooh!
Dozens of red eyes flashed between the vines. That’s right. To be exact, the Bellos wasn’t running away. It was in order to summon the other Bellos in the area to kill Ark. At that time Ark had used the battle suit to escape. Once the mana of the battle suit disappeared, he drank an ampoule and kept on running away from the chasing Bellos. But he had something to escape. If he was surrounded then he would inevitably die. And……
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
Ark went up 6 levels at once. That’s how Ark managed to gain 9 levels in 6 days. But it wasn’t for free. In that situation he had to give up something in order to survive. That was…..
‘Damn, I hadn’t considered something like that! If I miss then I’m screwed!’
Ark caught up to the Bellos and swung his sword.
“Do you think I will miss? Take this, Binding Sword!”
It was a skill that decreased his damage by 50% while binding the enemy for 1~3 seconds! If it was tied up for 1~3 seconds then he could somehow dispose of it. However…..
-Your attack has hit the target!
<You lacked concentration and failed to bind the Bellos>
“Dammit! Binding Sword!”
-Your attack has hit the target!
<You lacked concentration and failed to bind the Bellos>
It was the 3rd skill he received from the Survivor coating. He worried about Stealth and Mind Shield at first but it was 100% effective and worth it. He was satisfied with all except for one! The only exception was the Binding Sword. The other skills were used relatively early in battle so it was easy to focus. Although Binding Sword decrease damage by 50%, it allowed the enemy to be bound for 2~3 seconds. It could be used in situations like this when an enemy was running away. The problem was that he didn’t have time to focus like when he used Stealth or Mind Shield. He needed to chase the enemy so it was natural for his concentration to drop. The probability of the skill causing binding was only 30% so the result was clear once his concentration fell.
Miss! Miss! Miss!
It was a skill he learnt after a long time. In order to learn how to use it, Ark tried it at least once or twice in a battle. But so far he had only succeeded 5 times in 6 days. The probability was 30% but the actual success probability was 1%. If the binding wasn’t triggered than Binding Sword was just a skill that decreased damage by 50%.
‘There is a reason it was a 1 star rated skill!’
The damage was cut by 50% even when he used Sonic Sword. Using that skill in rapid succession……
“Binding Sword!”
-You are unable to use the skill because you don’t have enough mental power.
<Either rest or use a recovery ampoule to restore your mental power>
Ark currently had 800 mental power! However, he had consumed 200 using Stealth and Mind Shield. He had also consumed 400 mental power since the battle started. He persevered and used Binding Sword that consumed 50 mental power until it was depleted.
‘Damn, what is this……’
Instead of Binding Sword, it should be called Stressful Sword. Anyway, he wasted time and mental power while the Bellos increased the distance to 10 metres. The Bellos was a wild monster so it naturally moved faster than Ark. The forest was also tangled with vines so he couldn’t use the Air Board. But Ark hadn’t believed in Binding Sword. It was natural. What user would believe in a skill when the success rate was only 1%?
‘I saw it in this area when I scouted……there it is!’
Ark smiled while chasing after the Bellos.
‘The distance is 10 metres. If it is this degree……’
Ark grabbed his Impact Blade with both hands.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The ensuing four shots rattled the forest. The Bellos that was 10 metres away was hit by a blue light. It spasmed and fell down. The blue sparks was coming from a cactus near it. It was the Electric Tia! The strange cactus emitted electricity whenever it received an impact. When he first came to the Outlands, he often touched the cactus during battle and became bloody. But 6 days had passed since Ark came to the Outlands. Now he was accustomed to looking around and noticing any risk factors before the battle. This was why scouting was important in the Outlands. Anyway…..the Electric Tia caused electrocution for 5 minutes, the stats would be decreased by 10% and all skills blocked. But the deadly penalty was that the body was paralyzed for 10 seconds. Thus the Bellos couldn’t run away.
Kuoh, hek hek! Grrrr, hek hek!
The Bellos panted as it lay on the ground. The dinosaur like monster lying on the ground looked slightly pitiful. But Ark had no time to look at the circumstances of the dinosaur. The Bellos still had 10% health remaining. And it had escaped to a pretty far away place. There may be other Bellos in the area. He couldn’t relax even when it was paralyzed!
‘It is dangerous!’
Kyakak! Kyakak! Kyakak! Kyakak!
Ark quickly hurled attacks at the panting Bellos. The Bellos quickly fell to 4% health! His mental power also recovered enough for him to use a deadly skill.
“Now, this is the last shot! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
‘Whoops!’
Panic appeared on Ark’s face. Set Bullets Shooting was Ark’s knockdown technique!
If Set Bullets Shooting hit when the Bellos only had 4% health left then it would die straight away
However, there was one thing his head hadn’t considered. It was possible to reload bullets in the Impact Blade. The Impact Blade could have 4 bullets loaded at a time. And he had used 4 bullets to hit the Electric Tia.
Kuaaaaaaah-!
The Bellos shrieked as it escaped from its paralysis. The monster immediately died as Ark’s sword hit it but……
‘……T-they came!’
Ark winced as he withdrew and looked around.
Beoseok! Beoseok!
The forest shook with the shrieks from other Bellos. The surrounding bushes shook and dozens of red eyes appeared in the darkness. The Bellos had heard the shriek of its kin and came running. There were dozens of level 65 monsters! His health was already low so it Ark was surrounded then he would die instantly.
“Dammit! Armour armament!”
Ark wore the battle suit and ran away. However, the area was thick forest so he couldn’t outrun the Bellos even while wearing the battle suit. And they had already surrounded Ark. He was hit by claws and fangs and his health dropped to 20%.
‘Impossible! I’ll end up dying like this! But…..but…..’
Ark bit his lip and struggled. However his worries didn’t last long. If he died then he would lose the 9 levels he gained. There was no meaning if that experience disappeared. He had to survive! At all costs! That was his ultimate priority inside Galaxian!
“Dammit!”
Ark cursed and threw a small object. And he threw himself flat on the ground!
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
The small object exploded and black air currents swirled in the area. The dozens of Bellos were wrapped in the black air currents and their bodies crumbled to sand. However Ark had a gloomy expression on his face.
“Dammit, that is already 2 STK-VII……”
A few days ago Ark was surrounded by the Bellos and used it to survive. The STK-VII! It was the destructive grenade that dealt all enemies within a 20 metre diameter 1,500 damage. It even ignored defense! In other words, it was a weapon that could kill monsters with less than 1,500 health in one blow! Naturally the STK-VII was Ark’s trump card. But he inevitably used one when surrounded by the Bellos. The result was devastating. Dozens of Bellos disappeared in an instant!
‘This is more than I imagined! This power would be enough to wipe out dozens of level 60~70 monsters. In other words, the STK-VII made him invincible as long as he possessed it! He was carrying around something that could save his life. ‘Oh my god, what a tremendous waste to use the grenade on the Bellos!’
He could confirm its power. It was the same on this occasion as now.
–Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
The message simultaneously appeared with the Bellos’ death. He had gained 4 levels! But Ark couldn’t be pleased. He survived a situation where he would’ve 100% died! And he managed to save the experience he gained from several days of hunting! It was equivalent to exchanging one STK-VII for his life. Now he had only 1 STK-VII remaining in his bag!
“Damn, was I too greedy?”
Regret surged like a tidal wave but he had used the item already. Moreover, wasn’t there a reason he had the STK-VII in the first place? If he used it then his goal……
Even the might STK-VII had a downside. Everything caught in the explosion would disappear without a trace. So he couldn’t get any loot from the Bellos when he used the STK-VII. There was only the first two Bellos that he killed. Ark sighed and went back to the place where the killed the first Bellos
He managed to obtain a few ‘Bellos Leather’ when examining the dead body. It was a basic leather product but there were still a lot of low level users so he could get a decent price for it. However, the reason he attacked the Bellos and risked danger wasn’t for some leather.
“The Bellos was a pair so it shouldn’t be far away……”
Ark looked around for a while. He finally found a nest under some thick, overgrown vines. Ark’s target wasn’t the Bellos but this nest.
“Sheesh, are my efforts also in vain this time?”
Ark clicked his tongue and murmured as he checked the nest. There were two reasons why Ark was looking for the Bellos’ nest. The monsters in the Outlands rarely dropped equipment. Most of their loot was leather, bones, meat or ores. The Bellos were the same but they also gathered various things from other monsters and left it in their nest. Sometimes pioneer objects dropped in the Outlands would also be mixed within. The shoes Ark was wearing was one such equipment.
-Pioneer’s Boots (Magic)
Item Type: Shoes Wearer Restriction: Level 50
Defense: 15 Durability: 8/50
Shoes widely used among beginner pioneers. These boots are made from the leather of a monster so they are suitable for most environments. These boots in particular are made from luxury leather and allows the pioneers to walk in the Outlands on Istana without being poisoned.
<When exposed to a natural toxic environment, damage is reduced by 5%>
Magic item! The defense and option was decent but the shoes matched Ark perfectly. Ark barely had any equipment so he was grateful to find it. Therefore Ark concentrated on finding the Bellos’ nests but his income hadn’t matched his expectations yet. He sometimes found equipment but they were generally level 30 items. This time he only found a rusty sword when searching the nest. However, that wasn’t the only thing he obtained from the nest.
“There are 5 eggs?”
Ark gave the eggs in the nest a warm look. In fact, the second reason Ark risked hunting the Bellos was to obtain the eggs.
Usually nests contained 2~5 eggs……
“My satiety decreased quite a bit so shall I eat one?”
Ark quickly picked up an egg and placed it in his mouth.
-You have eaten a Bellos’ egg.
There was a slight toxicity but Steel Stomach means that you digested it with no problem
The Bellos’ egg has high nutritional density and eating it will give you additional stats.
<Satiety +60%, Health and Mental Power will recover by 800 for 3 minutes>
* Your resistance to various abnormal stats has increased by 30% for 1 hour.
This was why Ark wanted the Bellos’ eggs!
It increased his satiety by 80% and recovered health and mental power by 800. Furthermore, it was a high protein and low calorie food so it increased his resistance to various states by 30% for one hour! The pioneers were exposed to various dangerous states in the Outlands so this was a necessary ability.
Over the past 6 days, he had eaten various types of meat in the Outlands but the Bellos’ eggs gave the best bonuses. The only thing that weighed on his mind……
“This is the Bellos’ child……”
It was similar to killing the parents and eating the child. He hadn’t thought like that in the past
However, Ark just heard that his mother was pregnant so he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. But if he thought like that then he couldn’t eat chicken or boiled eggs. Humans inevitably took away the lives of others to survive.
‘And why should I worry about monsters? I have to stop Lucifer quickly. What would happen to my younger sibling if my money is gone? The growth fees? Tuition? Father and Mother don’t have a good grasp on economics! Yes, I have to become like a demon for my little sibling!’
Ark thoroughly firmed up his spirit. Therefore Ark had gathered 70 Bellos’ eggs over the last few days from the nests. He didn’t need to worry about food for a while.
“But……”
A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. He went through all this because he was lacking in information and experienced a large number of trials and errors! Now he was perfectly adapted to the environment of the Outlands after the past 6 days. His efforts meant he gained 13 levels and he gathered quite a few items. But was that all? He also obtained 70 Bellos’ egg full of nutrition so he didn’t need to worry about food for a while. Despite all of that……
“What good is it if I used the STK-VII?”
He had also used 2 STK-VII.
“Damn, now I should stop hunting the Bellos. If I become too greedy and dozens of monsters swarm again then I might have to use the last STK-VII. Besides……”
Ark hadn’t come to the Outlands to gain experience and items. He had received a quest from
Marquis Martin to infiltrate Charem
“I thought I would be able to find it somehow if I went to the destination of the hidden city……”
Charem was 1,000 km from Nabe. If he walked then it would take a month but Ark had the air board
However, he often received surprised attacks from monsters while travelling on the air board after entering the Outlands. But Ark kept his eyes open to surprise attacks and managed to reach the quest destination in a few days. However, Marquis Martin hadn’t given him the exact location of Charem. No, he didn’t know Charem’s exact location when he gave Ark the quest. Marquis Martin told Ark that Charem was hidden in a 100 km diameter around the coordinates he gave Ark.
‘It is amazing but Charem is still a city. It’s not like finding a needle and I have the air board so I should find it in one day. I should worry about how to enter the sealed city.’
At least that’s what Ark thought. It had been 4 days since he arrived at the destination. Yet he still couldn’t find the city on the 4th day. He was also distracted by hunting. Ark would sneak out of the designated area for 3~4 hours to hunt. The remaining 5~6 hours was spent searching on the air board. But over the last 4 days, he hadn’t met any users or NPCs let along a city. He had no choice. The place that Marquis Martin specified……
“It is a good thing I bought that gear. If Marquis Martin gave the information correctly….. I should go back to that place.”
Ark packed the eggs and ran across the forest. He pulled out the air board as soon as he left the vines area.
“Let’s go! Today I will definitely find it!”
Wiiiii!
Ark rose while on the air board and crossed the Outlands.
Space 7
Fishing Reel!
“Huhuhu. These guys!”
Ark smacked his lips together with a pleased smile. Ark was looking at a fish from his air board. The size was 50 cm and the large fish jumped up towards the air board. The bottom part was somewhat strange as it looked like a centipede but that was an unrelated problem. Istana was an alien planet. Wasn’t it understandable that the shape of the fish was strange? It was all the same once it entered his stomach.
“This evening is sashimi!”
Ark grinned as he took out the Impact Blade. And seokeok, seokek. The unique fish was instantly cut up.
“Heh, first the Bellos and now this. Isn’t the wasteland a heaven filled with food? Does that mean I filled up my bag with Space Food for nothing? Yes, next time I should buy soy sauce or wasabi.”
Ark muttered as he chewed on the alien fish. But Ark was here to play around. And Ark wasn’t feeling relaxed.
“Today is the 10th day with no results. Not including the 2 days of travelling time, I’ve wasted 8 days here. Well, the hunting grounds are nearby so I can’t complain but……”
A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. He looked around and sighed again. A sigh naturally emerged every time he saw it.
Bbol bbol bbol bbol, bbol bbol bbol bbol.
The air board was flying over water. Was it a huge lake? The sea? He tried to drink some water and it had a bitter taste but wasn’t poisonous so he didn’t know whether to call it a lake or the sea. Anyway, the water stretched out everywhere he looked. This was the reason for Ark’s sigh
Ark travelled 1,000 km to Marquis Martin’s GPS information only to arrive at a huge lake. Marquis Martin guessed that Charem was hidden in a 100 km range of the lake. Of course there was also some land. However, the land was only 10% of the entire area. No matter how complex the terrain, Ark could investigate the area in a few hours when using the air board. So Ark searched the land first. He spent 2 whole days precisely searching but he didn’t even find a shadow of the city Marquis Martin mentioned.
“In the end it must be somewhere on the lake……”
His eyes returned to the lake that took up 90% of the search area. In fact, the lake was a high possibility when he remembered Marquis Martin’s information about Charem.
-Charem isn’t a normal city. It is camouflaged with a few layers of advanced shields and are equipped with devices to detect movement.
The shield might have some unknown state of the art functions.
“This is key information. It would be strange for a city the scale of Charem to be on land and not be detected. So I wasn’t convinced until I arrived here and saw the lake. If Charem is on the lake then large aircraft carriers could move freely. It would be possible to quickly escape from Charem if there are hostile federation soldiers nearby.”
Ark was sure of his reasoning. A city like Charem couldn’t be easily moved. Nevertheless, they didn’t leave the area that the federation had already identified. If Charem was a city in the form of a ship then that would settle two questions at the same time.
“Then the problem is simple. On the lake is different from the land. The shield might have state of the art functions but the trail can’t be completely erased. Especially if it can’t move. Huhuhu, finding Charem should be surprisingly simple.”
In fact, he wasn’t worried about looking for Charem before. The range to look for the target was 100 km. But it was still the size of a city. Therefore he thought it wouldn’t be more difficult than finding a lost puppy. Not to mention there was no place to hide in the lake. It was the problem afterwards that he was worried about.
“Charem is a smuggling city that turned its back on the galactic federation. The federation had been allies with the Aschulat and Charem was useful so they left it alone. I don’t know why they’re acting like this now but Charem is now under attack by the federation. Naturally it would strengthen its defences.”
That’s why the secret agent Kara couldn’t leave. That meant it was difficult to enter and leave. Therefore Ark thought the main purpose of the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest was to sneak in
‘But……’
Ark had Stealth. The security couldn’t stop him if they couldn’t see him. If he had Stealth then he could somehow find a way. Ark hid his body using Stealth and started to actively search the lake. Now he just had to find Charem and break in. However…..
It was useless. The electromagnetic power on the surface of the water made it difficult for the air board to move quickly. 15 km/hr was the limit even when he firmly stepped on the accelerator. Thus ark spent two days riding the air board around the wide lake. But the result was a total failure. He checked everywhere and didn’t find a small sailboat let along an aircraft carrier the size of a city. That’s why Ark stopped and spent 6 days hunting the Bellos. He thought it was easy but now he had reached a deadlock. So his mind was preoccupied while wandering around collecting the eggs. And Ark’s worries started then. Although he searched for a few days, Ark couldn’t find the quest destination.
“Did the city fly somewhere else?”
He had that idea but he soon shook his head.
“No. It is impossible for Marquis Martin to not anticipate that. If there was a possibility of the city flying away then he wouldn’t have given the quest. Marquis Martin is still confident that Charem is someone on this lake. He wouldn’t give the quest if he isn’t certain. Yes, Charem is definitely somewhere within this 100 km area. Nevertheless, if I can’t find any traces on the land or on the lake……”
There was only one place remaining.
“Is it underwater?”
Ark hadn’t checked that place yet. The water underneath the lake shone with a brilliant maroon light.
“Charem might be a submarine city moving under the water.”
This was the conclusion Ark reached after a few days of searching. If Ark thought like that then it explained how the federation didn’t know the location or find it on the radar.
“Yes, there is no doubt. Charem is a submarine!”
Ark was convinced. And his expression instantly darkened. Even if it was only 15 km/hr, he could still search on the air board when it was above the surface of the water. It wasn’t difficult even if the search range was 100 km. But that changed if the search place was underwater. ‘Swim’ or ‘dive’ wasn’t something that required skills. Once again, users going to the Outlands required a body coating to cope with the special environment. There were quite a few places filled with toxic gases or no air at all on the planet. One feature of body coating was that enough oxygen was stored in the body to last for 24 hours. In addition, Ark had specifically received the body coating focused on survival. There was a 50% added bonus to environment adaptation so Ark could last for 36 hours with no air. He could easily investigate under the water.
“It is good up to this point……”
The problem was the air board. The air board couldn’t be used underwater! He needed to search 100 km without the air board. Rather than a few days, it might end up taking a few months. Of course Ark had no intention of spending a few months on one quest. So he continued to worry for a while.
“Yes, there is that!”
-Wire Camera
Item Type: Search Camera
When wandering around there are often ruins. Fearful monsters might be hiding behind those doors. Or great treasure might be hidden in crevices. There was no way to check beyond the door or inside the crack so pioneers often suffered. Thus the Wire Camera is the best choice for those pioneers. The Wire Camera is a tiny camera attached to a 30 metre long wire. It is an equipment that can fit in spaces only 5 mm wide and allows ULTRA HD image quality. If the related application is installed on the Nymphe then operating it is easy! Recording is also available.
* Using it in places like the women’s restroom is difficult! You will be caught!
This was an item he found in Nabe’s shopping area.
‘But the price is a little……’
70 gold was the price attached to the tag. However Ark closed his eyes and bought it. Of course, it couldn’t be used in women’s restrooms like stated. In fact, Nabe wasn’t the first time that Ark saw the Wire Camera. Tori had used a similar tool in Nephalim when robbing the federation’s museum. The one Tori used was illegally modified through hacking but the normal Wire Camera was still useful. Ark had the thought after receiving the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest.
‘This equipment might be helpful when I’m trying to sneak in.’
The Wire Camera wasn’t only useful for the infiltration quest. The information window meant that it could also be used for ruins investigation. So he endured it! 70 gold!
“But I never imagined that it could be used on this way.”
Ark took out the Wire Camera and connected it to his Nymphe. And the image from the camera appeared on the Nymphe.
“Testing OK. The image quality is better than I expected?”
Ark laughed and dangled the wire underneath the lake. Once he released all 30 metres of the wire, the image of the lake bed appeared on his Nymphe. This was the method Ark came up with. Ark held the Wire Camera and moved around using the air board. He didn’t need to search underwater directly. And…..Bbol bbol bbol bbol, bbol bbol bbol bbol…..
The image changed as the air board moved.
“Ha, isn’t this quite exciting?”
He sat down on the air board and watched the lake through the screen of the Nymphe. He found the new usage of the Wire Camera interesting. But that was only for a few hours. Watching the bottom of the lake wasn’t interesting after a few hours. In addition, this was also hard labour in its own way. His eyes started becoming sore and tired after 4 hours of watching the same screen. So he couldn’t remember how many times he fell off into the lake. But the thing that made him more angry was the search sped. He thought that searching underwater wouldn’t take that long if he used this method. However, it turned out differently once he started. This was the 10th day after leaving Nabe and now it was 4 hours since he started searching with the Wire Camera. Yet he only managed to search 30% of the whole area. The small camera meant he had to go back and forth in the same area several times so it took longer than expected. It might be faster than jumping into the lake and swimming around but……
“This is still taking a lot of time!”
He still needed to explore 70% of the area! A sigh emerged as he looked at the spacious lake. If it was a different NPC then he probably would’ve given up the quest already. But Marquis Martin who gave him the quest was an influential noble of the galactic federation. In other words, he already invested 10 days and received the Hyde Helmet as a reward so how could he give up now? Moreover, Ark hadn’t just been wasting time. Once again, Ark was the type to find some benefits and not just waste time. He would find some monsters to kill or dig up some ingredients.
“Let’s see…..”
He stopped the air board for a meal. Ark operated his Nymphe and changed the screen to his inventory. When he left Nabe, his bag was filled with essential supplies and now it was full of various japtem. There were the Bellos’ eggs, monster leather, broken equipment and various loot he received from the monsters he killed before beginning the underwater exploration. But there were some items classified separately.
-Rainbow Pearl (x12)
Item type: Jewel
A rare pearl found from giant clams that inhabit Istana. The various colours give it a beautiful shine like a rainbow and it can increase various resistances when used as a decorative accessory.
-Decrepit Axe
Item Type: Hatchet Wearer Restriction: Level 10
Attack: 2 Durability: 2/30
A common axe that has been left in the northern lake on Istana for a long time. The words ‘prayer for jackpot’ is carved on the handle Maybe someone believed the legend of the gold axe and threw it? Even the future contains such stupid humans. You shouldn’t expect to use this axe as a weapon or tool.
-Stone Doll with an Unusual Shape
Item Type: ???
A stone statue found in Istana’s northern lake. There is no way to confirm what purpose the doll was made for but it is very old. You might be able to receive a decent price for it when taking it to an antique dealer or collector……
A lake larger than 100 km! He found various things when exploring underwater. There were giant clams, various metal parts from the wreckage of ships as well as buildings from ancient ruins. Every time he saw something in the Nymphe, he would jump into the lake and search every corner. Apart from the Rainbow Pearls, stone dolls or Decrepit Axe, he found 10 other similar items. But it was rarely worth his labour costs. Although the Rainbow Pearl could be made into jewellery, the other items were similar to garbage and would only be sold for a few copper coins. But a few copper coins were still money. Copper would turn into silver and silver into gold.
“My bag is heavy so it isn’t an entire waste of time.”
This was Ark’s unchanging theory. He continued to dive into the lake even if it was only for a few coppers. Ark was sure that Charem was a submarine or underwater city so he spent some time searching for it. It was also possible he might find a crucial clue to Charem when underwater. So he searched the bottom of the lake generously even if it was for a few coppers. Therefore Ark filled his bag with loot, mostly junk, from the lake. He changed his mind when he got the opportunity for such unexpected income.
“Yes, I can kill some time while looking for Charem. It isn’t a lot but I can get money by searching through the lake. If I continue looking through the lake then I might be able to get some unexpected profits.”
Then something caught his eye. Fish were swimming lazily on the Nymphe screen.
“Oh my god! I’ve been bored for the last few hours so why didn’t I think of that?”
The fish scattered around! There were ingredients right underneath his air board. Of course, Ark was able to obtain food from semi-regularly hunting in the forest. But the more food he had the better. It was good to save it for emergencies. The fish might even give additional effects like the Bellos eggs.
“The fish in the lake aren’t monsters. They will run away the moment they see someone holding a sword. Then……”
Ark rummaged through the bag and pulled out a sharp tooth. It was a hook shaped tooth from the Bellos. Ark used a simple tool from his tool box and fixed a monster’s meat to the tooth using wire. And…..
-Synthesis: Wire Camera + Bellos’ Tooth+ Monster’s meat for bait= fishing!
It was the birth of a plausible fishing rod!
Bump!
It was less than 10 minutes before there was a response. He pulled the wire and a spotted fish was dangling from it.
“Hahaha! It came! It came! It is like I expected.”
Ark whipped out the sword and deconstructed the fish. Then an information window appeared in front of him.
-You have discovered a life form not yet reported to the galactic federation!
It is a living existence in the wastelands that no one knows exist. When data about unidentified creatures are registered through the Nymphe onto the federation’s database, various rewards such as experience, fame or adventure points will be given. The compensation will change depending on the difficulty of obtaining the unidentified creature. In addition, the person who first registers the creature has the right to name it.
Would you like to register information about the life form onto the galactic federation’s database? (Y/N)
“Eh? What is this?”
Ark’s eyes widened. It was a fish that no users have discovered yet! He never expected something like this. However, Ark started the game immediately after service started so Galaxian was only 4 months old. Most users probably concentrated on raising their level to receive the body coating. Who would head to a lake 1,000 km away from Nabe just for fishing? So it wasn’t strange that Ark was the first one to fish in this lake.
“I can receive a reward if I register with the federation’s database?”
The information was really unimaginable. Anyway, Ark thought about it for a while. Of course, this was the first time it happened in Galaxian but other online games had a similar system. If a new dungeon or hidden village was discovered then registering it would give bonuses. But Ark had never registered the information. He thought it was better to monopolize the dungeon rather than earning some experience or reputation. However, the circumstances were different this time. There was no user who would come just to catch fish and Ark had no intention of monopolizing the fish in the lake.
“Register! The name of the fish is Spotted!”
Ark roughly decided the name of the fish.
-A new fish species has been added to the galactic federation’s database.
The fish living in Istana’s northern lake has been named ‘Spotted.’
The pioneer ‘Ark’ has been registered as the person who first discovered and named it. The degree of difficulty obtaining this unidentified creature has been reported as ☆ and the compensation received.
<Experience +200, Fame +10, Adventure +10>
200 experience! That was similar to killing 2~3 monsters. He also gained a little bit of fame and adventure points!
“I can also raise my fame and experience in this way.”
Then Ark would suck up as much as possible. Anyway, in this situation Ark already had to search every corner of the lake.
“What else should I do? I can raise experience.”
Thus Ark started to earnestly devote himself to fishing. He attached another Bellos’ tooth to the wire. But he wanted to gain as much experience as possible so he attached 20 different teeth to the wire. He went around the lake and started to continuously catch the fish. 3~4 fish would be pulled up at once!
-A new fish species ‘Sneak’ has been registered to the galactic federation’s database.
<Experience +150, Fame +7, Adventure +7>
-A new fish species ‘Bark’ has been registered to the galactic federation’s database.
<Experience +250, Fame +12, Adventure +12>
-A new fish species ‘Happy’ has been registered to the galactic federation’s database.
<Experience +100, Fame +5, Adventure +5>
-Your level has risen!
The experience was no joke. There was almost no traffic here so 90% of the fish caught in the lake were unidentified creatures. He had no time to worry about the name of the fish. Therefore he named the fish after a dog that he used to have and other random thoughts. Ark quickly gained 1 level. But after a few hours, the frenzied fishing slowed down. After a while, the fish that Ark had already caught and registered kept on appearing. Other users would be satisfied and stop at this point but not Ark.
“Isn’t it strange? So far I’ve caught dozens of fish. It might be a lot but it is impossible for them to be the only species considering the size of the lake. When I entered the lake I saw many other types of fish. Why aren’t those guys taking the bait?”
The search for Charem had already lost priority for Ark. Registering unidentified fish was more important than finding Charem right now. Ark was completely immersed in fishing.
“Yes, the bait! Change the bait!”
Bingo!
-A new fish species ‘Jjong’ has been registered to the galactic federation’s database.
<Experience +200, Fame +10, Adventure +10>
If he changed to a different type of monster bait then he could catch new fish. Once all the possible fish could be caught, Ark would immediately change the bait. When he used up all the monster meat, he even used nuts and fruits from the forest to catch the fish. He repeated it over and over for a few days and registered dozens of fish species. He also gained some levels.
-Your level has risen!
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆) has been learnt.
Fishing (User, Passive): Fishing is one of the safest ways to obtain food. In addition, there are many underwater creatures that haven’t been registered to the galactic federation’s database yet. The federation is always interested in new information so they will give compensation for it. But don’t be careless. There is no guarantee that all aquatic organisms caught by the fishing rod will be safe.
<The probability of catching valuable fish species will increase by 20%>
He finally obtained the fishing skill. He combined various materials to make a fishing rod and managed to successfully learn the skill. Ark was truly an innate survivor.But there was no meaning in getting the skill. He received it after he had already been fishing for 3 days. He already used all the ingredients available from the vicinity as bait and was now using fish droppings. There were still many unregistered fish species that he hadn’t managed to catch. However, Ark went around with the Bellos’ teeth for one more day but couldn’t catch any new fish. And now……
“I still need to explore……”
Ark filled his stomach with the fish called ‘Sneak’ and looked gloomily at the maroon lake. He had still only explored 30% of the lake. Of course, Ark still dove into the lake sometimes to salvage items but exploration wasn’t a high priority for him due to the fishing. But even if he concentrated on searching, he had only explored 50% of the lake. If he calculated then it would take at least a week to explore all of the lake. It was indeed a gloomy prospect! Ark looked at the screen of the Nymphe and felt his breath being clogged up. However he had already invested more than 10 days.
“I have to see this through to the end.”
Ark sighed and was about to move the air board.
Pang!
The wire tightened again. He hadn’t caught any new species for one day. Therefore Ark removed all the bait and just concentrated on investigating. Yet the hook was still attached so a fish was caught on it.
“Sheesh, I guess I need to remove the hook as well. Eh?”
Ark pulled the wire without thinking and became confused. The sensation he felt through the wire wasn’t ordinary. So far the ‘Elephant’ fish species was the largest one he caught. The pulling sensation felt a lot bigger than the Elephant fish.
‘This might be a new fish species!’
Ark’s face became tense. He had to catch the fish on the hook. If he pulled to excessively then the fishing line or hook would break. He wasn’t worried about the fishing line but about the Bellos’ teeth breaking if he couldn’t control his power. But now Ark had the fishing skill.
“I can’t miss!”
Ark vigourously grabbed the wire.
Cheolseok! Cheolseok! Chwaaaah!
A full-fledged tug of war began. Ark could feel the unknown species struggling desperately but he didn’t rush. Fishing was patience. If he hurried then it would become disadvantageous to him. Right now the urgent thing was catching the unknown fish species.
“I’m someone who managed to play the game after a long time. Okay, I won’t give up even if it takes several hours!”
Ark moved the air board and regulated his power while pulling the wire. So Ark struggled with the unknown fish for 30 minutes. He suddenly felt an abrupt release of tension transmitted through the wire. Ark had experience in fishing so he could instinctively sense it.
“Now!”
Ark strongly pulled the wire at that moment!
“Huk! W-what is this?”
Ark gaped with confusion. He had struggled for 30 minutes so Ark had expected a huge fish. Yet the body hanging from the wire was 1 m 50 cm! But this wasn’t the first time he saw the species. No, this existence couldn’t even be classified as a fish species. The species gasped and pulled out the Bellos’ tooth stuck in its leg. It fell down and glared at Ark.
–You bastard, what are you doing?
It approached and grabbed Ark’s collar.
–Dammit! That hurt! The needle was stuck in me! Damn, do you want to die? Am I a fish?
It definitely wasn’t a fish. The person holding onto Ark’s collar was…..
“Charenjok?”
He had fished up an unexpected thing.
Space 8
Under the Black Water……
‘Why in a place like this……’
Ark looked around with astonished eyes. It was a small swamp surrounded by cliffs on three sides where 100 octopuses were gathered around. The octopuses were the size of a person. Ark had seen octopuses like these before. They were the Charenjok that cleaned the pipes on R-14. Ark had fished up a Charenjok a while ago. He was stunned as Ark never imagined he would see a Charenjok in a place like this.
“A-aren’t you a Charenjok?”
–What? What are you saying after pulling at the hook in my leg for 30 minutes? Do I look like a pushover? Kaack, spit! I can’t just leave! Compensation! Compensation!
The Charenjok said angrily and spat ink over him. But Ark was thinking about something else. Ark’s purpose for searching around the lake was to locate Charem. However he still hadn’t explored half of the total area. A week or more was the amount of time needed to search through the whole area. There was also no guarantee that he could find Charem after searching for a week. There were many reasons but the crucial one was that Charem could move. There was no guarantee that Charem wouldn’t move to an area that Ark already explored. That was the reason why Ark considered abandoning the quest. It would also take some time to 100% explore the lake. No matter how much time and effort invested, there was a possibility he couldn’t find Charem. It would require a considerable amount of luck. In such a situation he had met a Charenjok. The Charenjok were aliens Ark encountered before.
‘If the Charenjok live in this lake…..’
The Charenjok might know where Charem was. Ark got the idea and quickly asked.
“Does the Charenjok live in this lake?”
–What? How do you know I’m a Charenjok and not just an octopus? Huh? Is that why you fished me up? I’m 100% an octopus. Anyway, I’m an octopus not a Charenjok.
“I apologize for the incident just now. It wasn’t on purpose. If I knew the Charenjok lived in this lake then I wouldn’t have gone fishing so dangerously. In fact, there is a reason I know you’re the Charenjok. In the past I became close friends with the Charenjok living on a space station. Do you know how happy I am stumbling across the Charenjok in a place like this? If other Charenjok live around here then I would like to meet them.”
–Hah, how funny. Do you think I will be tricked?
The Charenjok spat and declared sharply.
-You think you can trick me so that I would sell out my colleagues? Hah, I already know your identity. You, aren’t you a slave trader? You sneaky bastard! Yes, that is clearly your identity…..long words aren’t needed. Now, bring it on! If you think that I’m a Charenjok then prove it! Bring it one! Bring it on!
The Charenjok raised its octopus like legs and made an X. The octopus seemed to have some twisted misunderstanding. However, Ark’s situation meant he needed to seek help from the Charenjok. He couldn’t take the X personally or turn the octopus into sashimi. Ark struggled on how to remove the octopus’ misunderstanding when he remembered an item.
“Will you believe me if I show you this?”
Ark took out a small octopus and showed it. It was the Charenjok’s token that he received from Burum who was the manager of R-14’s secret hunting ground. The item restored 1 health every 3 seconds for 10 minutes for a total of 200 health. Well he had over 1,000 health so it wasn’t a big help but it was a helpful item. Anyway, now Ark had a way to prove he was acquaintances with the Charenjok. But the Charenjok’s reaction was more than he expected.
‘T-this…..
The Charenjok showed their emotions through colour. Now his head turned to the colour of shock.
-Follow me. I will guide you to our village.
The Charenjok worried for a while before nodding his head and replying. The place he arrived was a swamp surrounded by cliffs on three sides and the lake. The bog was surrounded by cliffs and the lake well hidden by the cliffs so it was a tough place to find unless deliberately searching for it. The Charenjok had their own reasons for living in a place like this. While Ark was busy thinking…..
–Um……
A massive Charenjok 3~4 times the size of a normal one messed with the token and started speaking. And he stared at Ark.
–This is definitely something that only an elder of the Charenjok would have. This is an important token that the Charenjok elder wouldn’t give up easily. I can’t imagine the deep friendship that must be between you for the elder to give it to a human. You said he was cleaning pipes……
Burum hadn’t hesitated at all when giving him the Charenjok token. Well, he wanted control of the paid hunting grounds quickly but he hadn’t felt like the Charenjok elder hesitated at all when giving it to him. No, he only just discovered that Burum was a Charenjok elder. Well he wasn’t that interested in something like that.
–Yes, the elder who gave you this token was Burum?
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ark explained how he met the Charenjok on R-14 and became friends with them. The giant Charenjok called Bakum who was an elder of the Charenjok sighed bitterly after hearing Ark’s answer.
–Pipe cleaner…..indeed, a refugee on a foreign planet wouldn’t receive that many benefits. It is unfortunate but at least they are still alive. Sometimes I would think. Should we also defect to the galactic federation like other Charenjok? But it was clear what treatment our species would get as refugees. So I chose freedom rather than safety. I decided to refuse the protection of the galactic federation and lived in the Outlands.
Istana was the planet of the federation but they only had control over the terraformed areas around the cities. Therefore the Outlands which accounted for 90% of Istana was a lawless area and the Charenjok who lived there didn’t need citizenship. Burum intended to purchase land to buy this citizenship. The Charenjok who had no citizenship couldn’t escape from the galactic federation
But getting a citizenship didn’t mean freedom. Therefore some Charenjok chose to abandon the safety of the cities in order to live a life of true freedom! This freedom meant they didn’t need to clean pipes to receive a small salary. They could get any decent paying jobs that were available. That’s why the smuggling city of Charem was able to operate in the wilds of Istana. It was a place free of the federation’s control so the Charenjok could live openly in Charem despite not having any citizenship. But the circumstances were different for the Charenjok in Charem.
Charem was a city equipped with a shield and many advanced functions. The vast majority of people flocking to Charem were criminals but they still had citizenship with the federation, Aschulat or Rama. In other words, they were part of a civilization. On the other hand, the Charenjok had just lost their home planet and civilization. At one point, they flourished so much that they even toured Earth on UFOs. Then their home planet was taken away by the Kakajok and they were just common octopuses. And living in the Outlands wasn’t safe for octopuses.
–Many of us entered the Outlands and were killed by monsters over several years. But the most annoying thing is the slave traders. It took some time to avoid monsters and slave traders to occupy a spot here……
That was the reason why the Charenjok on R-14 didn’t leave the federation despite receiving discrimination. People without citizenship weren’t protected by the galactic federation. They were virtually treated like monsters. Therefore there were many Charenjok in the Outlands who were captured by slave traders. The pioneers also entered the Outlands so the Charenjok were forced to hide. That’s why the Charenjok thought Ark was a slave hunter when he first fished him up. Anyway, the octopuses were quite pitiful.
–But I can believe you since you have the Charenjok’s token. This token is the proof of your friendship with the Charenjok elder. Throughout the generations, the Charenjok has passed on these tokens to sincere friends. We might’ve lost our homeland and become refugees but the Charenjok still hasn’t forgotten their pride. You should relax here and eat.
The elder octopus pointed to the fish piled on one side. Spotted, Sneak, Bark, Happy…..they were fish that Ark already had in his bag. And the place the elder octopus indicated for him to rest on was a gap in the rocks of the cliff.
‘…..Eh?’
Ark eyed the fish and rock gap with uncomfortable eyes. Some areas that Ark couldn’t understand floated inside his head.
‘This lake contained Charem. And Charem is a smuggling city. The city is now sealed off so where are the smugglers coming from? And slaves are one of the smuggled goods. Naturally slave traders would be among those entering and leaving Charem. But Bakum said they settled in this place to avoid the slave traders. Even if the lake is 100 km in size, it wouldn’t be entirely safe.’
He also felt such doubts while fishing. A large number of people had to enter or leave the lake to get to the hidden city. There were many fish in the lake yet none were registered in the federation’s database. Wouldn’t everyone entering or leaving the city be aware that registering an unidentified creature receive compensation? There was no user who wouldn’t drool over bonus experience. Therefore he became nervous by the elder octopus’ words.
‘Did I make a mistake? Or perhaps Marquis Martin gave me the wrong information?’
“I want to ask one thing.”
Ark said before cutting to the chase. Once again, Ark didn’t come here to fish or find items.
“In fact, I came to this lake because I heard that there is a city of alien species here. I can’t tell you anymore but there is a reason I’m looking for the city. You’ve lived in the lake for a long time so you should be aware. Have you seen a city anywhere?”
-City?
The elder octopus’ eyes widened.
–Like you said, we’ve lived in this place for a few years. Although we don’t dare go onto land where there are monsters, we know everything about this lake. But I’ve never seen something like a city. If such a thing was here then isn’t is impossible for us not to see it?
Something was strange. Ark’s heart started beating quickly and he spoke again.
“Then it doesn’t have to be a city. A strange place is fine…..”
–A strange place…..
The elder octopus suddenly flinched and his head turned to a worried colour. There was something. Ark sensed it after seeing the elder’s head change colour.
“Anything is fine. If there is something strange then tell me.”
–No, this is unrelated to the city you’re searching for. But telling you about it isn’t difficult. In fact, in this lake a prohibited area exists.
“Prohibited area?”
–Yes, it is a place that a whirlpool occasionally occurs. When we first came here a young octopus….no, some young Charenjok wanted to test their bravery and entered. But not 1 person returned. The problem is that their bodies weren’t found. It was like they just disappeared or evaporated. A search party was sent but they completely disappeared too. It isn’t just the whirlpool. Sometimes people would disappear even when there was no whirlpool. Approximately 50 Charenjok ended up disappearing. So I declared that area prohibited and nobody goes near it anymore.
The elder octopus sighed and looked around.
–That’s why the village’s atmosphere is like this.
In fact, Ark also thought the atmosphere of the village was odd when he first came here. All of the octopuses’ heads were a green colour. At first he thought it was something to do with the lake’s water quality but they seemed to have some worries. Ark had experienced with these colour changes so he knew they were feeling ‘fidgety’ and ‘worried.’ Of course, Ark wasn’t interested in the octopuses’ emotional state. But he was interested in the prohibited area. Sometimes a whirlpool would appear and the octopuses would disappear?
‘Maybe it is connected to why I can’t find Charem.’
“Has something happened?”
–That….you can’t help even if you know.
Right now every bit of information was important to Ark.
“I am someone who thinks of the Charenjok as a friend of the heart. It is because of my sincerity that Burum on R-14 gave me the token.”
Ark wasn’t telling the whole truth. He was the type to distort the truth if it suited his purposes.
“You might not be the ones I shared a friendship with but I consider all Charenjok my friends. If I can then I would like to help. If you have a problem then please tell me.”
–To think I would meet a human who says something like this.
The elder octopus looked impressed and nodded.
-The problem isn’t a big secret. A few days ago a couple of young Charenjok disappeared. We belatedly discovered this and went out to search. We swept the lake for a few days but didn’t find them. The only place we didn’t search is the prohibited area. It is obvious that the young Charenjok headed to that area.
“Why would the young Charenjok head to that place?”
-A few months ago there was another incident where a few Charenjok disappeared. They chased after the rare Elephant fish that isn’t easily seen and entered the prohibited area.
Ark couldn’t understand those words. The Elephant fish that the elder octopus mentioned was one that Ark named directly. It had only been named a few days ago but the NPC mentioned it casually like they had been calling it that for a long time. Once again he realized that he was inside a game.
‘Should I have given it a more plausible name?’
It felt bad hearing the name from somebody else’ mouth. Anyway, the elder octopus continued talking.
–The ones who disappeared this time are the family of the Charenjok from the previous incident. We told them that they absolutely shouldn’t go to the prohibited area…..in the end things turned out like this. But if we send another search party to the prohibited area then the situation will repeat again and again……
The heads of the octopuses gathered around the elder turned even paler. Hearing the situation again made them more nervous. But in the next moment their heads simultaneously turned white. It was due to Ark’s subsequent words.
“I will look for them.”
-What, what the? What did you say?
“I will go to the prohibited area and look for the Charenjok.”
-W-what….didn’t you hear me? You won’t come back alive once you enter the prohibited area.
“I will still enter.”
Ark said with a resolute expression.
“I’m a pioneer. A pioneer’s pleasure is to pursue unknown areas! Of course a pioneer has to risk their life for that. It is better for a qualified person like me to go.”
–But they’ve already disappeared for a few days. They probably already…..
“I’ll go check.”
Ark approached the elder octopus and grabbed his shoulder firmly.
“Like I said, the Charenjok is a friend of my heart. I will overcome danger and enter the prohibited area to look for the young Charenjok. How can I say the Charenjok is a friend of my heart when I ignore their plight? Please tell me the location of the prohibited area. I will be happy to enter a place of death if it means saving the Charenjok.”
It was the place where he had to search for Charem. However, if he already needed to enter then he might as well get some benefit from the octopuses. The octopuses had run away from monsters and slave traders and hid various items behind rocks and weeds in the lake. Therefore the octopus might give him something valuable. He also might find a useable item. Anyway!
The octopuses were impressed. Their heads turned such a bright red that it seemed like they were going to explode.
–Did you hear? I brought that human here!
The octopus that Ark fished up exclaimed.
–Awesome! This is the first time I’ve seen such a brave human!
The octopuses spilled ink as they moved their bodies excitedly. The sight caused goose bumps to form on his body.
–You really……
Their impressed behaviour continued for a while. The elder octopus who also looked impressed finally said.
–I understand. If that is your intention then I won’t stop you anymore. I’m truly ashamed but I must respectfully ask for your help. I have my pride but right now I am speaking for the Charenjok. I can’t just send you to your possible death while looking for the young Charenjok without anything.
‘Is it a prepayment? They’re giving me something first?’
Expectation filled his face. Ark’s eyes shone like lanterns at the thought. The elder octopus fiddled with the token and nodded.
–It looks like the seal hasn’t been released from this token yet.
“Huh? Seal?”
–Yes, a special ancient power is sealed within the tokens given to the Charenjok elders. Of course, this power still has an effect now. But the seal has to be released through a special ritual for the true power to be shown. Elder Burum who gave you this token is probably young and inherited it from another elder.
–Elder-nim, perhaps……?
The octopuses exclaimed with surprise after hearing their elder’s words.
–No! Why is Elder-nim……
–Yes, Elder-nim we are refugees who lost our home and are drifting through the galaxy. Only a few elders remain in this galaxy. Of course we are thankful to the human but he hasn’t found the young Charenjok yet……
‘What the, what is this? Why are they in an uproar?’
The atmosphere was hard to understand. It was obvious that the octopuses didn’t like it at all. However the elder octopus was determined.
–It is already decided!
The elder octopus replied in a firm voice. And….all of a sudden he bit at his legs? Why was he suddenly biting off a leg? Was he telling Ark to bite the octopus leg while searching for the prohibited area? Just as Ark was thinking this. The elder octopus placed his leg and the token on a table. And the leg was attached to the token.
Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
After a long time. The bouncing octopus leg lost its elasticity and fell. Light was then emitted from the chewed off leg.
-The level of the Charenjok’s Token (Special) has increased!
Charenjok’s Token (Special) Lv 2
Item type: Recovery
The power of the token received from Burum on R-14 was blocked by a special seal. Bakum the leader of the Charenjok hiding on Istana was impressed by your courage and released the seal. The seal being released means that 2 health will be recovered every 4 seconds for 10 minutes. In addition, experience will accumulate every time it is used and it can evolve to a stronger token.
<Recovery from poison, your health will recover by 2 every 4 seconds for 10 minutes
Cool down time: 1 hour>
‘What, what the? The Charenjok’s Token is a growth type item?’
Ark’s eyes popped out at the information window. Originally the Charenjok’s Token restored 1 health every 3 seconds for 10 minutes for a total of 200 health recovered. 200~300 health recovered was useful but it became less so once his health increased over 1,000. Now the item restored 2 health every 4 seconds for a total of 300. That was an extra 100 health recovered in 10 minutes. It wasn’t a big different but the recovery would increase with each level up. When used steadily it could increase to 100, 200, 300…..it would recover more health. It could grow! There was nothing more exciting for a RPG user. An item that could grow was a jackpot! He was just wasting time when he fished up an octopus and received a jackpot like this. He also didn’t understand it yet but he received a possible clue to find Charem.
‘A big fish! I really fished up something big!’
It was truly a game. But there was a part he didn’t like.
‘Damn that Burum! If he unsealed it immediately then how much would it have grown by now? Ah, I really become mad when thinking about it. I explained everything when handing over the paid hunting ground and he just chucked the token at me! That bastard, are his 8 legs so valuable that he can’t part with one?’
Ark thought casually. Anyway, the elder octopus looked tired after breaking the seal and he said.
–This is the only thing I can give you for entering the dangerous prohibited area. It is only a little bit but I hope the broken seal is useful. So I beg you to search.
The elder said to Ark while his hands were pressing against his wound.
–I’m asking you. The young Charenjok are our hope. It might be too late but I’m not giving up yet. Even finding our children’s body would be good. This is the last request of this old man.
At the same time an information window appeared.
<Under the Black Water>
The Charenjok living in the northern lake of Istana have discovered a fearful secret about the lake. Sometimes a whirlpool would appear in a certain area of the lake and any Charenjok who encounter it won’t return.
Now some young Charenjok who think of it as a ghost story has disappeared in the prohibited area. You have volunteered to investigate the prohibited area and Bakum was so impressed that he released the seal on your token. You have already received your reward. Now investigate the prohibited area and find the whereabouts of the Charenjok children.
Difficulty: ???
Bbol bbol bbol bbol, bbol bbol bbol bbol.
Ark sat cross legged on the air board and looked around. The air board was moving across the lake towards the prohibited area Bakum told him about.
“I feel a little uneasy but…..”
Ark had received the quest to investigate the prohibited area but he actually felt uneasy.
‘I’ve heard various things from the octopuses but I don’t know anything about the prohibited area. And there is no way of discovering what is there.’
Ark only knew one piece of information. The Charenjok frequently disappeared in that area. The Charenjok didn’t have any combat power but their environmental adaptation was excellent. Furthermore, the Charenjok were octopuses so underwater was their home environment. It was difficult to imagine the Charenjok disappearing in the whirlpool. No, even if they were caught in the swirl at least their bodies should be discovered in the lake.
‘There is no doubt that there is something else apart from the whirlpool. I don’t know what it is but it is clearly dangerous if not even 1 octopus managed to return.’
That wasn’t the only problem.
‘Does Charem really have something to do with the prohibited area?’
He kind of wasn’t happy about it. Ark had received Marquis Martin’s GPS information and had to sneak into Charem. So Charem was hostile territory. The city wasn’t a safe place. No, it was difficult to predict what could happen so it might even more dangerous than hunting monsters.
‘There is no doubt that it is dangerous.’
He didn’t have a choice about finding Charem. He knew the risks beforehand but now he was actually trying to reach it. Therefore he started to worry about the death penalty. Since arriving at the lake, he had wasted 2 STK-VII and gained 15 levels. His worries were endless.
“I don’t know when I will be in a city again…..”
There was no Fairy in the Outlands so the death penalty would be enormous. The longer he spent hunting, the higher the death penalty would be. Especially if there was a lot of danger. The burden increased by 100 times! However, he couldn’t visit a city every time he entered a dangerous area. The resurrection system in Galaxian wasn’t that severe. There were places in the Outlands with a Fairy for users like Ark. They were pioneer villages called Sector.
‘But there aren’t a lot of users yet so the closest sector is 600 km from Nabe. Furthermore, many high level monsters inhabit the area between Nabe and the lake. If I have bad luck and encounter a level 100 monster……’
GAME OVER! He would be throwing everything away in his attempt to register. But it took 4 days for a round trip to Nabe and back so he couldn’t do that.
‘Yes, it is slightly worrying but I don’t know anything about the situation yet. I haven’t entered yet so even the danger is just my guess. I can’t waste 4 days on danger that isn’t verified. I might encounter similar situations from now on so I can’t run back to a city or sector every time. This is a risk that all users in Galaxian have to take. It is why I selected the Survivor body coating. I decided after investigating Fairy registration.’
That was Ark’s decision.
“Why…..”
In fact, Bakum hadn’t entered the prohibited area so he didn’t know the exact location where the octopuses disappeared. He only guessed that area wasn’t normal when no octopuses returned.
-There is a place 30 km from here where there is a large rock with a tunnel in it. The Charenjok disappeared around that rock.
That was the only information Bakum gave. But it was easier to find the destination then he thought. He could easily find the large rock that Bakum spoke about. Both sides form a tunnel while the maroon water inside was so dark that it seemed black. This was the place where the ghost story originated from!
“Yes, this really gives off a creepy atmosphere.”
He couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable again once he saw the place. However, he couldn’t run back to Nabe like a frightened puppy. And Ark still had a trump card. He still had one STK-VII grenade with destructive power remaining. Of course, there was only one left so he could only use it in the worst situation but it would stop him from dying.
“Shall I make some preparations? Character information window! Equipment! Skill!”
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 67
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Fame 3,920 Adventure 520
Health 1,600 (+90) Mental Power 800
Strength 170 (+23) Agility 225
Stamina 285 (+18) Wisdom 20
Intelligence 120 Luck 35
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
* Galactic Federation Contribution: 3,000
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
-Equipment Information Window-
Weapons:<Impact Blade>
Armour: <Bhurad’s Energy Shield>, <Harkenion Armour>, <Beginner’s Leather Pants>, <Pioneer’s Boots>
Accessories: <Charenjok’s Token: Lv 2> <Cheksun’s Tool Box>, <Battle Suit>
-Skill Information Window-
* Passive *
<Space Combat (Lv 2)> <Facilities Maintenance (Lv 2)>, <Swamp Walking (+Snow Walking) (Lv 2)>, <Metallurgy (Lv1), <Steel Stomach (Lv 1)>
* Active (General Common)*
<Dig (Lv 2), <Withdrawal (Lv 1), <Hacking (Lv 1), <Fishing (Lv 1)>
* Active (Battle Specialization)*
<Dagger Mastery (Lv 1), <Sword Mastery (Lv 1), <Close Marksmanship (Lv 2)>
<Sonic Sword (Lv 2), Set Bullets Shooting (Lv 2), <Rune Carving: Ikram (Lv 1)>
* Active (Survivor Exclusive)*
<Binding Sword (Lv 1), <Mind Shield (Lv 1), <Stealth (Lv 1)>
It had been 4 months since he started Galaxian. Everything Ark had obtained during that time was shown at once. This was probably the most rewarding moment for users in RPG games. The results of all his efforts could clearly be seen!
“But the skill window……”
Facilities Maintenance, Hacking, Dig, Metallurgy and even Fishing! He felt like he started off in a strange place. In fact, it wasn’t just in Galaxian. During his previous game, he had a lot of curiosity and ended up with a lot of similar skills. These skills were considered difficult to grow so the majority of users didn’t like them. However, Ark became the strongest person in New World due to these skills. The important thing was to learn to take advantage of every skill!
“That’s right.”
Ark smiled and closed the information window. His equipment and skill inspection was finished.
“Now, let’s go!”
Plop!
Ark plunged into the lake. Ark gathered the floating air board and dived in. The rock tunnel that Bakum mentioned was quite deep underneath the water. Ark used the Wire Camera to check inside the tunnel and he still couldn’t reach the end. The Wire Camera was the reason he hadn’t immediately dived in.
Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.
He blew some air bubbles while diving down. The Nymphe depth gauge said he reached 50 metres before his feet touched the ground. The tunnel and 50 metres depth meant the water was pitch dark
However, he could see 10 metres in front of him thanks to the Clairvoyance skill he received from the Survivor coating.
‘The search area isn’t wide but this should be enough.’
Ark started to earnestly search in the dark water. He went back and forth for a while and checked the opposite end of the tunnel a couple of times. However, he couldn’t find anything like what Bakum mentioned. All he saw were Mouse fish and Elephant Fish…..Ark’s unfortunate naming sense meant the fish were wandering around with horrible names.
‘The problem is…..’
He couldn’t find anything. Bakum said that dozens of octopuses went missing here. And some young octopuses had entered here a few days ago. So why wasn’t there even the slightest trail? He couldn’t even find tracks from an octopus leg.
‘It must be this method!’
Therefore Ark brought out his shovel! Ark went back to the beginning and started to dig at the ground. Despite his Dig skill reaching intermediate level, he was 50 metres deep so digging the ground wasn’t that easy. The buoyancy meant it was difficult to move the shovel. However, Ark didn’t give up and kept on using the shovel. Dust rose up all around him.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Suddenly there was a roaring sound and the floor shook. At the same time, a huge amount of mud rose up and bubbles appeared. A red eye peered at Ark through the dust. The identity of the massive object was revealed.
Falalalalak!
Air bubbles emerged from Ark’s mouth. The translation of the bubbles……
“Lobster!”
A lobster had risen through the ground! The size was 5 metres! It was a huge lobster where the pincers were 1 metre.
Space 9
Secret of the Prohibited Area
Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.
A pitch black area in the northern lake. A huge lobster with red eyes was staring at Ark.
-???? –
Type: ??? Danger: ???
Combat Power: ???
You are unable to identify the object.
That was the information window that appeared when he used Clairvoyance. But the name and information only had ‘???’ This meant the life form wasn’t registered with the federation’s database. If he reported it then he could receive experience and fame. However now wasn’t the time to rejoice. The lobster had appeared in the place where the octopuses disappeared.
‘Does that mean all the octopuses were swallowed by this guy?’
It was natural to reach such a conclusion. In other words, this incident had nothing to do with Charem.
‘Dammit, is this also a miss?’
He had dived 50 metres for nothing. But it wasn’t completely useless. At least he found the source of the octopuses’ disappearance. He received the Charenjok’s token upgrade as a prepayment so he should catch the lobster. The lobster also had no intention of letting Ark leave politely. It separated the water and rushed towards him.
‘…… Fast!’
The speed was difficult to imagine considering the lobster’s large size. He quickly grabbed his sword but the lobster’s pincers were too fast.
Syu syu syu syu! Kung!
There was a dull ring as the dust rose.
‘Ugh! My movements are too dull underwater.’
He had tried to avoid it but the pincer grazed his side and his health was sucked out. Ark had the body coating but the lobster was an underwater life form. The movement speed couldn’t help being different. The most difficult problem was the buoyancy. Unless he placed stones to weigh down his feet, it was impossible for his body to move without bouncing upwards.
‘That’s the problem!’
Falalalalak!
Ark opened his mouth and shouted. He was saying Armour Armament! In reality the smart phone wouldn’t recognize his pronunciation and work problem but the advanced equipment of the 24th century was different. It even worked when he was just saying speech bubbles! His bag opened and the Elephant fish appeared.
…..Well the speech recognition technology of the 24th century wasn’t that perfect.
Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!
The lobster’s attacks continued while Ark was trying to do this. The lobster’s attack speed gave Ark no time to breathe. Furthermore the buoyancy made it difficult for Ark to stay attached to the ground.
‘Eat this!’
He grabbed the Elephant fish that appeared from his bag and threw it towards the lobster.
Saktok!
The Elephant fish flew across the distance and the lobster’s pincer cut it in half. Meanwhile Ark quickly expanded the distance and manipulated his Nymphe. He opened to the main menu and clicked the armour icon. A flash of light appeared around Ark’s body. The space warped and armour like objects appeared. It moved like a living creature to wrap around Ark’s body. His limbs, chest and his head were covered with a crustacean like carapace. A red light appeared as the helmet finished covering his face. It was Ark’s battle suit Hyper Drone! He had manually summoned the battle suit. The battle suit caused Ark’s stats to rise by 30%. However that wasn’t why the desperate Ark had taken out the battle suit.
Kukung!
‘That’s it! My feet touched the ground!’
The battle suit was heavy! The weight caused Ark’s floating body to sink.
‘Bring it on lobster! I’ll turn you into barbeque and eat you!’
The situation changed 180 degrees once Ark wore the battle suit and his feet touched the ground.
Syu syu syu syu! Kakak! Chwiiiii! Tu tu tu tung!
There were continuous roaring sounds and dust shot up while Ark and the huge lobster collided. In fact Ark had a lot of experience when underwater fighting. He had fought a large number of enemies underwater in New World. Although that was when he had equipment that nullified the underwater penalty by 100%. But Ark wasn’t just a master of fighting underwater because of his equipment. He had gained a number of ingredients from the ocean floor and underwater skills. He had no equipment that nullified the underwater penalty by 100%! Galaxian’s combat system was also completely different from New World! The experience from that time was still imprinted in his body
This experience was Ark’s strongest weapon. That experience showed during his battle against the lobster. Ark’s feet touched the ground thanks to the battle suit but he still couldn’t move freely. So almost all the attacks were from the lobster’s side. But Ark blocked most of the attacks with his sword and used the chance to counterattack. Of course his movements were slow so he couldn’t block every attack…..
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 230 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
A blue sphere wrapped around Ark’s body! The Mind Shield decreased all attacks by 40~60%. And the durability of this Mind Shield was 230! It was higher than when he hunted in the forest due to all his practice. Ark’s ability to concentrate in a crisis situation was clearly shown.
‘But……’
There was something strange. In theory it should be an overwhelming victory for Ark. In reality it was different. Out of 10 attacks he blocked 6~7 of them. The damage was reduced by a considerable part. The remaining 3~4 attacks were reduced by 40~60% due to the Mind Shield. On the other hand, Ark’s attacks hit 9 times out of 10. Yet Ark was the one being pushed back as his attacks didn’t do that much damage. The difference gradually started to show. However, the lobster wasn’t a particularly high level. Clairvoyance showed that the lobster was only level 70. That was only a 3 level difference with Ark. Ark also had high stats thanks to the 30% increase of his battle suit.
‘Why can’t I damage it properly? Why?’
Ark discovered the reason as the battle continued. He deflected the pincer and struck a blow to the lobster’s chest. The lobster stumbled back and opened its mouth. Ark looked inside the mouth and his face stiffened.
‘T-that is…..’
Tutung!
Ark felt a sudden pain and he flew back several metres. This was due to the Water Pressure Gun shot from the lobster’s mouth. But Ark wasn’t surprised because of the lobster’s new attack. It was what he saw in the mouth before the Water Pressure Gun was fired.
‘Machine! A machine was used to fire the Water Pressure Gun!’
A lobster had appeared in the bottom of the lake. Naturally Ark assumed that it was a monster. Yet now there was a machine in its mouth! In other words, this is a mechanical creature. An android!
Why was there an android in the bottom of the lake? And why was it camouflaged as a lobster? Ark didn’t know the reason but he realized why he couldn’t do that much damage. If a sword was used to attack mechanical creatures then a significant penalty would be attached. Right now Ark was using the Impact Blade. It was a weapon with high damage. However, the damage of the sword was only shown 100% when dealing with living organisms. No matter how rare the sword was, it couldn’t exert maximum damage against a mechanical creature.
‘Yes, this is the reason for the question marks when looking at the information! It is natural that I can’t find biological information when it is a mechanical creature. It is natural for a sword to not damage iron.’
All his questions were answered. And he also found ways to cope with this problem.
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
Ark operated his Nymphe while avoiding the Water Pressure Gun and opened his bag. Impact Blade was sucked back into the bag and automatically stored. At the same time, the right and left side of his bag opened and 2 weapons shot out. It was the Modified Alloy Dagger and Fading Steel-II!
‘It is different if my partner is an android!’
Ark smiled as he grabbed the dagger and Fading Steel. He had to use bullets to damage an android
Of course Impact Blade also had a gun attached. The attack damage was 20~25. Fading Steel only did 15~20 damage so Impact Blade was stronger. However the gun attached to Impact Blade had a fatal weakness. It was the mistake he made when fighting the Bellos. Impact Blade only had 4 bullets! The most dangerous time when using a gun was when reloading. Having 4 bullets meant he had to reload more frequently so he was exposed to more danger. Moreover, Impact Blade could only load one bullet at a time in the cylinder. The gun feature of Impact Blade wasn’t an excellent secondary instrument but the gun couldn’t be made as a main weapon. On the other hand, Fading Steel had 12 ammunition! Moreover, the reload time was a lot shorter.
‘This will make up for the insufficient damage!’
Ark grabbed a magazine that came out of Fading Steel. Once again, Galaxian had special bullets with special effects. Among them were two types of special bullets effective against androids!
-Shock Bullet -I
Attack: Firearm Damage +5 (Additional Shock Attribute)
A bullet developed by Hell Lion, one of the 4 big companies. A shock bullet developed by Hell Lion that gives off a high voltage electric current when it hits. This current has a particularly strong effect on energy shield. In addition, the electromagnetic current can cause the same effects as stiffness to androids.
<3% chance of discharging electricity, 5 seconds rigid effect>
-Armour Piercing Bullet-I
Attack: Firearm Damage + 8 (Metal only)
A special bullet especially developed by the galactic federation for use against heavy armoured enemies. The head rotates like a drill to pierce through iron armour. This will have no effect against general creatures and shields but it is a powerful attack against androids.
<Additional 8 damage will be given when penetrating metal armour>
They were Shock Bullets and Armour Piercing Bullets. The Shock Bullet was useful against the android’s shield. The lobster was an android but it had no shield. That’s why Ark never imagined that it was a machine. And if he used the Shock Bullet in a place like this then there was a chance that Ark could also be hit by the electrical shock.
‘Then it must be this method!’
Therefore Ark selected the Armour Piercing Bullet! It was a bullet that dealt 8 extra damage when attacking metal armour.
Cheolkeok!
Ark ran around avoiding the Water Pressure Gun and finally finished changing the weapon and magazine. This meant Fading Steel’s damage with the Armour Piercing Bullets loaded was 15~20 +8! It was transformed into a weapon with higher damage then the Impact Blade.
‘Now let’s start attacking properly!’
Then the pincer of the lobster descended onto his head again. But Ark no longer ran away. There was no reason for him to flee. Ark lifted the Modified Alloy Dagger and blocked the lobster’s pincer. Then the opposite pincer flew towards him. But Ark no longer had just one weapon. Just before the pincer was about to hit his side, he blocked it with his gun and fired.
‘An appetizer. I’m going to eat you!’
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
The sound of a gun being fired was heard. The attack damage of the gun had no choice but to fall due to the resistance in the water. But Ark’s marksmanship was different. After several desperate attempts, he discover that he had no talent in shooting and learnt Close Marksmanship! This meant there was no penalty applied to his marksmanship. Blocking enemy attacks with the dagger and then shooting was Ark’s original fighting style against the Nakuma.
Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
The lobster opened its mouth once both pincers were blocked. The lobster had 3 ways of attacking thanks to the Water Pressure Gun. However, Ark also had 3 weapons instead of just 2.
‘Ha! You want to open your mouth right in front of me?’
Ark’s foot parted the water as it shot up vertically. Ark’s battle suit clad feet hit the lobster’s jaw and pushed its head upwards. He pressed the muzzle against the jaw and pulled the trigger.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
A headshot had occurred! The lobster’s health fell thanks to the Armour Piercing Bullet.
‘Yes, this is more like it.’
Damage started to appear once he changed weapons. The battle completely followed Ark’s pace after that. He blocked the lobster’s pincer with his dagger and….Tung! Tung! Tung! He kicked the jaw when it tried to use Water Pressure Gun…..Tung! Tung! Tung! He changed the magazine and…..Tung! Tung! Tung! The lobster’s health nosedived like the price drop of the Taek Mountains by the storm of attacks.
‘Ah, damn! I’m feeling angry again!’
The memory caused anger to well up inside him while he kept on shooting. After 3 minutes of frantically firing.
Kikikiki…..Kikikiki…..
The lobster’s movements increasingly slowed down and finally stopped moving.
‘Pant pant pant, phew! It became easier thanks to the Armour Piercing Bullets……’
Ark panted roughly as he looked at the metal shell. He still had doubts about why an android was hiding in the bottom of the lake. An android wouldn’t be in a place like this for no reason. It was also strange if the lobster was the reason for the octopuses disappearance. An android couldn’t eat octopuses so their corpses should still be near here.
‘What is the reason? Who put the lobster at the location where the octopuses disappeared? Damn, I’m back to the start again. Anyway, I’ll examine this guy for the moment. A clue might appear.’
Ark approached the wreckage with the idea of searching it.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
All of a sudden the floor started shaking. The sediment accumulated on the floor rose like a cloud of dust.
‘W-what is this? Huk, that is…..’
Ark raised his head and stiffened. A huge object was soaring up from the lake bed. Ark stared at the object and say 10 lobsters.
‘Oh my god!’
His expression instantly darkened
————————————————
“Pant pant pant. Pant pant pant.”
The shoulders shook form the intense breathing.
‘Dammit, I shouldn’t be doing this……’
A frustrated sigh emerged from the blond youth’s mouth. Once again, he had started Galaxian to meet Ark. That was all. He had no interest in anything other than that. That’s why he deliberately started that incident in Nephalim. But the government thought he was part of the Tree of Life organization and was tortured. It was good up to there. He was willing to go through that process if it meant meeting Ark. So I endured it.
……Yet it was useless. The disputed planet he was sent to was Hanan. It was a planet dozens of light years away from Beltana. He had only entered the game to meet one person. Why was it so difficult? Fortunately the life of a prisoner on Hanan wasn’t that harsh. It was because of what happened on Istana.
-The prisoner Ark who became Beltana’s Hero has returned!
-The hero Ark visited each city and talked about the troubles that prisoners faced on Beltana. Therefore questions about the prisoner’s human rights have surfaced again.
–There are rumours that federation officers used the plight of the prisoners to received bribes…..
–The federation’s Secretary of Defense has ordered that the treatment of the troops be improved!
Ark had gone around various cities and given interviews. Thanks to him the treatment of prisoners had improved! The prisoners on disputed planets were now provided with 1 free food a day.
……Of course he wasn’t happy at all. However the blond youth was glad to hear the news. Thanks to Ark going around the cities and promoting the galactic federation, the public opinion against the war was reduced. This was a great opportunity for the galactic federation! The galactic federation could reinforce their military budget thanks to the improved opinion and could now support more troops on the battlefield. 50% of the troops were dispatched to the right place! Hanan in the Bellin constellation was the battlefield that was fought over the hardest. 5 tanks, 30 combat androids and hundreds of troops were sent there. The numbers were sufficient to change the war situation. Luck followed from there. By the time reinforcements arrived, the Hanan garrison had acquired the GPS information of the Rama’s main base. The commander of the Hanan garrison was excited by the good luck that kept on coming.
“Now is the time to show the power of the federation! Advance!”
And ordered an assault towards the enemy lines. The blond youth was excited.
‘If the federation wins in this attack then I can return to Istana!’
“But……”
The blond youth looked around with a dark look. Smoke bombs were covering Hanan so he could only see 10 metres around him. But that was enough to confirm the military situation. 8 out of 10 bodies belonged to the galactic federation.
‘We were tricked. The GPS information form the Rama’s scouting unit was just bait!’
The Hanan federation army was attacked by the Rama’s main forces while they were marching. The result was clearly seen through the corpses of the federation soldiers. They suffered a crushing defeat!
‘But even so……’
It wasn’t that easy to defeat the federation soldiers with a surprise attack. He had a lot of experience with online games before Galaxian. He had led a lot of subordinates and won many battles in New World. Therefore he knew. A surprise attack wasn’t always profitable. All the variables had to be considered and the soldiers had to be able to handle the situation flexibly for it to have a tactical effect. And looking at the Rama’s surprise attack……
‘Perfect! There are no gaps at all!’
The Rama’s surprise attack had no gaps. Even with the reinforcements, the federation army was overwhelmed.
‘But I can’t fall in a place like this! This is a chance to raise my achievements quickly! If I hesitate then it will be more difficult to meet Ark in the Outlands!’
Kakakaka! Kakakarak!
While the blond youth was thinking. The dust blurred and he could see some Carack. The blond youth’s hand movements quickened.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
On R-14 the blond youth couldn’t move his body properly. On R-14 and Nephalim, he diligently practiced and now his hand techniques were more agile than most users. It was hard to imagine that the blond youth had grown up in a rich environment. He fired his gun and the bullets accurately hit the Carack’s leg joints. The blond youth then narrowed the distance and hacked at the Carack with his sword. In only 1 minute! The 3 Carack couldn’t attack and collapsed.
‘It is useless no matter how many Carack I destroy. I should join the main army!’
He looked around and was about to move a step. Then a shadow shot out from the dust. He knew just by the silhouette. The opponent was a Rama warrior! The hand of the blond youth once again moved.
Ting-! Ting-! Ting-!
However the bullets bounced off the opponent’s shield. The blond youth felt despair as he saw the features of his rival. In fact, he knew the person who commanded the Rama’s surprise attack. It wasn’t just him. All the soldiers on Hanan knew his identity. It was the Rama warrior that pushed the federation soldiers to despair during the many months fighting on the Bellin constellation! The nickname showed the overwhelming power……
‘The Red Slaughterer!’
The Rama warrior received that nickname due to the blood red battle suit he used!
“You seem quite skilled. Shall I play with you?’
The Rama warrior wearing the red battle suit smiled and lifted his sword
————————————————
Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.
It wasn’t just the sound of bubbles rising. Ark’s shoulder shook as he gasped.
‘Dammit, why are these lobsters……’
Ark breathed roughly and looked around. Sediment was scattered around him but he could see through it with Clairvoyance. And the red light opposite him could be clearly seen. 10 minutes before a group of android lobsters had appeared from the bottom of the lake.
‘It is impossible!’
Facing 1 wasn’t a problem as he already proved. But that changed when he was facing 10. It was impossible with his level to take care of each one. If all 10 attacked together then his chances of victory was 0.1%. And Ark’s expectations proved correct. He became tattered after encountering the lobsters for 10 minutes.
Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!
-You have recovered 2 health.
-You have recovered 2 health…..
Ark was still alive thanks to the battle suit. And he diligently attached the Charenjok’s token to him
If it wasn’t for the battle suit and the Charenjok’s token then he would already be a bloody rice cake. No, now he only had 8% health left. The lobsters were also really quick so he couldn’t run away either. But Ark believed something.
‘I can’t die like this!’
Ark took out his trump card. It was the STK-VII grenade with destructive power! He shed tears as he threw the remaining STK-VII towards the lobsters. However…..
‘I’m screwed!’
The lobsters only had their health reduced by 50%. He understood why the moment the STK-VII exploded. The problem was that Ark was fighting in a place 50 metres deep. Just like the power of the bullets were deduced by the water resistance, the same thing applied to the STK-VII. The STK-VII was used in vain. The tattered Ark had to clench his teeth and keep on fighting.
‘But! But I can’t just die like this!’
The odds weren’t in his favour. However he couldn’t just give up. If he gave up here then the results of the past 10 days would fly away. He would be resurrected back in Nabe and he didn’t have any STK-VII left.
‘Don’t make me laugh! All the levels that I gained!’
Ark glared at the lobsters. The last STK-VII was a dud. But that didn’t mean it was ineffective. The lobsters had lost 50% of their health. Therefore Ark attacked the lobsters until they had 20% health left.
‘There is only one way out! This is an opportunity! I can use 18 Barrage to escape from their siege.’ He would be affected by the buoyancy as soon as the battle suit was stripped off so he needed to escape as quickly as possible. If he reached the surface and got on the air board then he could escape them. This is the only way! Concentrate Ark! Let’s go!’
Ark prepared himself and was about to rush forward.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The ground started shaking again and a roaring sound was heard.
‘Heok! W-what is this? Don’t tell me another lobster is appearing?’
Ark turned around with apprehension. Something unthinkable occurred. Until now the ground vibrated every time a lobster climbed out. But this time the lobster hid back underneath the ground?
‘What, what the? This is? They’re acting scared……’
Ark asked with a befuddled look.
Kuwaaaaaaaah!
A huge vortex started swirling in the water. The words of Bakum, the Charenjok elder appeared in his head.
‘Yes, that’s it! This is the whirlpool that Bakum mentioned would sometimes appear in the prohibited area. I don’t understand but the lobster knew this vortex was happening and hid in the ground. It is a great opportunity for me to get away! I can run away while these guys are hiding…..run away…..eh…..eh?’
Ark finally realized an important fact. Once again the size of the lobster was 5 metres. They were more than twice Ark’s size. Moreover, their true identity was an android. The interior of the lobster was filled with metal parts. If placed on a scale then the lobster would probably weigh hundreds of kilograms. Despite weighing hundreds of kilograms, the lobsters had hid in the ground to escape from the vortex. However, Ark was much lighter than them! Ark was caught by the swirl of water. He couldn’t do anything once he was caught. No matter how much he struggled, he just spun around like a cockroach caught in a toilet bowl. Ark realized some strange points while facing motion sickness. An ordinary vortex would normally be shaped like a pyramid. But the one Ark was caught in was different. It was a big circle focused on a particular spot. To his surprise, the centre of the vortex was……
‘W-what is that? A black ball? No, a hole? Why is there suddenly a hole in the lake?’
A huge black hole opened in the centre of the vortex. Ark and the lake’s water was being sucked into the hole at an incredible speed. No, it wasn’t just Ark. This was probably why he couldn’t find the bodies of the octopuses. And why none of them ever came back.
‘It can’t be! This can’t be!’
Ark struggled with a desperate feeling but it was impossible like he expected! Ark was drawn into the black hole. And……
“Heok! What the? What? What the?”
Ark looked around and screamed. He had just been drawn into the black hole thanks to the momentum of the water. And he rose to the surface of the water. However, the place that his eyes saw wasn’t the large northern lake. It was a pipe with extravagant size…..no, a pipe! Surprisingly it was a pipe dozens of metres long. Ark was dragged along the pipe by the current of water.
“What on earth is going on?” Where is this place? Why am I here?”
Ark was in a state of panic and turned his head like crazy. Suddenly he saw a dark object in the direction he was headed towards. It was an iron net. He didn’t know where this was but he could determine the purpose of the net right away. It was a net meant to catch fish. The purpose of the net was to filter the fish from the water. He didn’t know where this was! But he knew what would happen! If he was caught in the net then it wouldn’t be a good thing.
‘I have to pay attention! This isn’t the time to be discouraged!’
Ark took a deep breath and looked at the quickly approaching net. The moment the net approached!
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, steam emerged from the shoulders of his battle suit. His arms moved like motors were attached to it and hit the metal net. One hit! Two hit! Three hits! Four hits! The top of the net was bombarded with his fists.
-The mana of the Hyper Drone has been exhausted.
<Hyper Drone will be recalled to its dimension and it can’t be summoned for another 10 hours>
The battle suit was recalled the moment he ripped a hole in the net.
“That’s it! I’ve escaped from the net!”
Ark cried out as he burst through the hole. But his cheer changed into a scream after 20 seconds.
Dudududu! Dudududu! Dudududu!
On the opposite side of the net was a propeller rotating at a quick speed. If he touched the propeller then he would be cut to pieces. Ahead of him a small Mouse fish had passed through the net and disappeared without a trace thanks to the propeller.
‘N-no! This can’t happen!’
Ark frantically looked around. His Clairvoyance skill allowed him to see in the darkness and he saw a ladder near the propeller. The ladder went to the upper portion of the pipe!
“That’s it! Wire Camera!”
Ark attached the Wire Camera to his Nymphe and threw it towards the ladder. If it was connected to his Nymphe then it would move in the direction he desired. Ark manipulated the Nymphe and the wire wound around the ladder. He pulled the wire and managed to grab the ladder.
“Pant pant pant! I’m alive!”
Ark climbed up a few metres and looked down. Thanks to the hole in the net, the Elephant fish was also sucked towards the propeller. And…..it was gone without a trace. Ark would’ve also been like that if it wasn’t for the Wire Camera. But it was still too early to be relieved. He still didn’t know where this place was.
“Anyway I need to climb out of this pipe and check.”
He raised his head and saw a manhole cover near the end of the ladder attached to the pipe wall
He climbed up the ladder and pushed it but it was locked. But the manhole wasn’t just locked with a simple key. It was the future and all locks were electronic.
“I’m thankful for this.”
He connected his Nymphe and a message popped up.
-This door is protected with a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
His 4 star rated skill Hacking! Furthermore, this looked like a sewage treatment plant so the lock shouldn’t be that complicated. When he attempted hacking, the game to release the lock was Tetris.
-The current lock accessed is ‘Tetris: Level 1.’
The bricks falling from above are the lock’s intrusion prevention programs. Remove all the hacking prevention programs to release the lock.
Please don’t hesitate. If you can’t release this type of lock then you’re not worthy to be called a hacker!
It was only a level 1 lock. The Tetris with an easy difficulty was quickly destroyed! But Ark didn’t lift the lid and exit yet. He said it a few times but Ark still didn’t know where this was. Therefore he didn’t know what was beyond the manhole cover. He couldn’t relax until he registered with the Fairy. His mistake was blindly entering the prohibited area. He had to be careful if he didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes. Ark lifted the lid slightly and pushed the Wire Camera through. He had bought the Wire Camera for a use like this. It wasn’t a fishing rod or an escape rope! Anyway……
‘There seems to be no one around.’
A 1 metre pipe was shown on the screen of the Nymphe. Once Ark confirmed that no one was around, Ark lifted the manhole cover and climbed into the pipe. He skillfully scanned around with the Wire Camera and moved easily through the pipe thanks to his experience as a pipe cleaner on R-14. After a short time Ark was able to find a light in the pipe. The pipe became wider as he approached the light.
‘That’s great. I’ve been wondering if the pipe led outside……’
Ark pushed the Wire Camera through a gap. Then a scene he never imagined showed up on Ark’s Nymphe.
“What, what the? This place is? Why is there a place like this outside?”
The reason he was surprised was because the camera showed a huge city. There was a huge variety of buildings, people and alien cities moving around the city! When he turned his camera to the other side, an even more amazing scene appeared. The city outside the manhole was covered by a huge sphere. And outside the sphere was the sky! The city was floating in the sky with clouds underneath it.
“P-Perhaps…..?”
Ark stuttered with surprise. The landscape on his Nymphe screen changed to an information window.
-You have found the hidden city ‘Charem!’
-City Information: Charem-
You heard from Marquis Martin that Charem was located near the northern lake of Istana. But even Marquis Martin doesn’t know a lot of information about Charem. As Charem is officially a lawless smuggling city so communication with anything outside the shield is difficult. Although the correct GPS information was determined, the most crucial unknown fact is that Charem is an aerial city floating in the sky.
All smuggling organizations associated with Charem have to sign a confidentiality agreement and only one person has permission to access it. Only a small percentage of people have discovered this hidden city so you will receive some adventure points.
* Adventure Points +200
The city that shone in Ark’s Nymphe. The smuggling city wrapped in a veil of mystery was Charem.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 05
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
My name is Alan!
Tak tak tak, tak tak tak.
Footsteps moved quickly in the darkness. The soldiers quickly moved between the walls while holding rifles. The soldiers movements showed their training as they had no unnecessary movements. They moved 100 metres and gathered behind a thick bulkhead.
“B team, we’ve arrived in the strategy area.”
–Any enemy movement?
A mixed up voice was heard from the Nymphe. A blond soldier equipped with an infrared scope looked over the bulkhead and replied.
“So far I don’t see any strange movements.”
-Okay. Commence the work immediately. Finish the operation within 10 minutes and join us.
“Understood.”
The blond soldier answered and winked. The soldier who received the wink nodded and 3~4 soldiers put down a bag. A monitor the size of the palm of a hand spouted 4 spikes and fixed firmly to the ground while a bag full of mechanical parts were opened.
“We have 10 minutes.”
“Yes, just give me a moment.”
The blond soldier leaned back against the bulkhead and searched his pockets. He pulled out a crumpled cigarette before suddenly turning his head like he remembered something.
“Hey, newbie. Do you want one?”
“No, it’s okay.”
“You should relax a little bit. You neck and back will become too stiff if you don’t relax. Didn’t I tell you? This is also a relaxing technique. It is good to be careful but you can’t show all your skills if you’re too tense. So rest when you can.”
“Yes.”
The person wearing a full helmet nodded. However the man still didn’t take his eyes off the other side of the bulkhead.
‘I’ve finally arrived.’
The environment was pitch black. Even without the infrared scope, the enemies swarming hundreds of metres from where the soldiers were gathered could clearly be seen. The shadows swarmed like a group of ants that they would soon fight.
‘How on earth……’
A complicated sigh flowed from the man’s mouth. No matter how thorough his plans, unpredictable actions could happen that would cause adverse situation. At least that was his experience. But this time he didn’t know if he was lucky or unlucky. There was only one thing he was certain of! But whether it was lucky or unlucky, he had no choice anymore.
‘Yes, this is my mission now. So I need to concentrate on survival. I have no choice but to wait for a good opportunity. I have to breakthrough somehow to do that!’
The man made a firm resolution. Suddenly a blue light flashed from the dark side.
‘Eh? A light? Heok! D-don’t tell me……?’
It had only been 1 second since the man noticed the light. Then a streamlined object trailing smoke flew towards him! The blond man who was smoking noticed the smoke and cried out.
“It is dangerous! Rocket!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was an eardrum shaking roar. Flames swept past the top of the bulkhead and caused it to melt. Urgency appeared on the head of the blond soldier’s face that had been deeply tanned.
“Dammit, we were found?”
–B team! What is going on? Report on the situation!
“Those guys have detected us! We need support!”
–Damn, it can’t be helped. We’ll move there soon so endure for a little while.
“Understood!”
The blond soldier turned his body to the opposite side while answering vigorously. Black shadows were quickly climbing over the held melted bulkhead.
“Heok! T-this fast…..?”
“They’ve also appeared here! Several of them seem to have hidden around here!”
“Ugh, shoot! We must endure until the main forces get here!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The blond soldier yelled with distress and fired over the bulkhead. But the enemies’ movements were faster. They avoided the bullets and ran along the bulkhead towards the blond soldier. Sharp fangs with a horrible smell were about to be driven in the blond soldier’s neck!
Snap!
There was a ring and the enemy flew sideways as it was hit. The soldier with the full helmet approached and asked.
“Are you alright?”
“N-newbie! Heok, it is dangerous!”
The blond soldier’s face turn pale white and he burst out screaming. Three shadows had appeared behind the rookie soldier. The man realized his situation thanks to the blond soldier’s reaction and turned. However, their movement was many times faster. The rookie couldn’t respond before they covered him. And the man was rolled to the other side.
“Dammit! Newbie! Answer me! Newbie! Ah…….”
The blond soldier cried out with a desperate tone.
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
There was a ringing sound and the head of a shadow on the man exploded. Half of the head flew away and the other two shadows bounced back from the shockwave. The newcomer in the centre slowly stood up. But he looked completely different from before. He was surrounded by an insect like armour. The black armour was the battle suit designed for space pioneering. And the man wearing the battle suit……
The blond soldier laughed as he saw it.
“Alan…..this bastard, you surprised me!”
————————————————————
“Eh? What, what the?”
Ark was confused.
“What is going on?”
He couldn’t understand the sight unfolding before his eyes. It was evident that something was going on. And there was no doubt that Ark’s actions would have a profound impact. The problem was he wasn’t sure if it was good or not. But there was one thing he was sure about. Something…..there was something strange about the situation.
“No, it can’t be. It isn’t necessary to think of this as something bad. Yes, it’s been good so far. The results seem to be good. There is evidence that I’ve received quite a bit of good luck. Now let’s calm down and think. I might be able to find some clues from the beginning to understand the situation.”
Ark pushed down his confusion and recalled some memories. It was approximately 3 hours ago.
————————————————————
“Found it! I found it! I finally found it!”
Ark was lost in excitement. It was reasonable. He had travelled 100 km from Nabe towards the Nabe lake and searched for a while for Charem.
“I knew there was something when I heard about the prohibited area!”
He had sensed there was a relation after hearing Bakum’s words. But he never imagined the process he would go through to find Charem. He had encountered a group of androids and thought he was going to die! Then he was swept away by a vortex! Once caught in the current of water, he was drawn towards a large propeller and almost turned into mincemeat! It took more than 10 days to reach this point! The result was excellent! Ark wasn’t the type to dwell on the past.
“If my search wasn’t so precise then I wouldn’t have found the Charenjok. My 10 day search wasn’t useless. Yes, that’s right. It is natural.”
He rationalized everything.
“Anyway, I understand almost all the surrounding circumstances.”
Ark looked at his Nymphe’s screen. In fact, Ark couldn’t understand the situation that occurred just now. It was natural. He was suddenly attacked by androids at the bottom of the lake, sucked into a black hole and driven towards a huge propeller. It was difficult to understand something that happened so suddenly. But all his doubts were resolved the moment he saw Charem on his Nymphe screen. He slid the Wire Camera through a gap in the pipe and saw a panoramic view of the city. Charem was a city floating in the clouds and surrounded by a transparent blue sphere! Charem was an aerial city in the clouds.
“Yes, I was moved through a huge water tank. I thought it felt familiar and now I know. The water tank is a water facility. The black hole I was sucked into is a pipe that moves water from the northern lake to facilities in the city. The lobster androids that attacked me are the guards protecting the source of water.”
It was the reason the octopuses disappeared. The android lobsters were placed to protect the water source. The octopuses were probably caught the moment they entered. The octopuses bodies were then sucked into the filter tank, purified and turned into minerals for the drinking water. Anyway…..that was the dreadful secret of the prohibited area.
“What about the quest received from Bakum?”
The ending was slightly uncomfortable but weren’t the octopuses already dead? However, he couldn’t just say ‘this is the last of the missing octopuses’ and hand over some mineral water. Anyway, Bakum asked him to find what happened to the little octopuses and gave him compensation in advance so he should neatly clean up the quest.
“Above all……”
Ark opened the quest information window.
<Charem’s Infiltration>
-The goal of the quest have been changed
You’ve received a secret mission from Marquis Martin and managed to sneak into Charem after a long investigation. But you can’t be relieved just yet. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that this is just the start of your mission and the real danger will begin now
Your job is to transmit Charem’s GPS information to the galactic federation. But Charem is a city that constantly moves so the correct GPS information can’t be acquired. So the GPS information needs to be continually transmitted from inside Charem. Like you’ve already heard, the many layers of the shield is hiding Charem from the federation’s monitoring. The only way to transmit the GPS information outside is to connect to Charem’s communication antenna in their central control tower
Difficulty: A
+ Sub Quest: <Intelligence Agent Kara> +
<Intelligence Agent Kara> is a separate mission received from Marquis Martin. Before this situation had occurred, Marquis Martin had sent an intelligence agent to Charem. If you find Kara who is already in Charem then you will be able to receive a lot of help to complete the mission. If you can find him
The quest was automatically updated once he confirmed it was Charem with the Wire Camera.
“The information window states that the real danger is beginning now. I have to locate Charem’s central control power. Entering a place like that and connecting to the tower won’t be easy. All the residents and guards here are enemies.”
This situation might be even more difficult! He couldn’t dwell on the fate of the octopuses.
“Okay, now the first thing I have to do is……”
Ark considered for a while before smiling.
“Of course it is shopping.”
He had planned that since receiving the quest. Once again, Charem wasn’t an ordinary city. Charem was a huge smuggling market! And the most important feature was that there was no tax. In other words, all the goods traded in Charem were duty free goods! There was a slight handling fee but it was cheaper than formally importing it. Smuggled goods that were more expensive than regular goods didn’t exist. Furthermore, the goods were prohibited items. It traded in smuggled goods from the federation, Aschulat and even the Rama. It was possible to save money and gain rare items on Charem.
Ark couldn’t overlook the chance to go shopping for such items.
“If Charem is helping the Rama then Marquis Martin will rally the federal army to arrest them. If I complete the quest then Charem will be out of business. So I should use this chance to shop before I begin the quest. And I have abundant money.”
Ark sent a warm look towards his heavy bag. He had tirelessly picked up items on Beltana and earned 17,400 gold! Ark monopolized all the money under the name of a business founding capital. Ark was prepared to pour all that money in if necessary. There was no reason to save money when buying an item that might give him more profit. This was the real reason why Ark postponed the Murat ruins expedition and accepted this quest.
“Huhuhu, this is clearly the revelation of heaven.”
He could smell money.
“I should go outside for the moment.”
Ark wiped up his saliva and crawled along the pipe. Ark had spent a fortnight living in the pipes on R-14. Ark was also blazing with the will to go shopping. Small and complicated pipes weren’t a problem for him. So he crawled through the pipe for 2 hours.
“An exit! Here is Charem!”
Finally he was able to go outside. And……
“What, what the? This?”
He witnessed an incomprehensible sight. Ark had seen Charem from inside the pipe. There were a huge variety of aliens and the atmosphere was like a huge shopping mall. But the place Ark arrived at had a completely different atmosphere. Not that many people were visible. He had deliberately chosen a deserted place and waited for night time where there would be fewer people. Yet he couldn’t find even a single trace of a person once he went outside. That wasn’t the only problem.
“It is like a war has occurred……”
He didn’t realize it at first because it was dark but the buildings weren’t normal. Some were crumbling down while other buildings had huge holes in the exterior walls. That wasn’t all. Some rubble were gathered and used to seal off certain paths.
Why? What was the reason?
‘No, this atmosphere is like they are preparing for a wall. But why? Who…..? Charem has certainly antagonized the federation. But the federation hasn’t found Charem yet. And it is also difficult for the federation to suddenly attack other alien species. If a foreign enemy attacks then the shield around the city can protect them.
The only thing he could think of was an inner enemy!
‘Is it something like a riot or coup d’état?’
But Charem’s atmosphere hadn’t felt like this when looking at the city from the pipe. And a riot of coup d’état didn’t explain why there were no indications of people around.
‘It is clear that something has happened.’ I saw people from inside the pipe so the situation is only happening in certain areas. Then should I return to the pipe and look for a normal section of the city?’
Ark thought for a while before shaking his head.
‘No, it is too risky. If it is a huge event then the whole city might be changed. Whether it is a riot or external attack, the city’s security was higher than normal. If I step into a place filled with people then I might cause a ruckus. Yes, I should learn what happened here first.’
A person naturally appeared in his head when thinking about it. The intelligence agent Marquis Martin sent, Kara. He sneaked in Charem before it was closed off so he would know what happened. He had wanted to put off contacting Kara until he finished shopping but now he had no choice.
-You have sent a message to recognition code T-3012.
He sent a message to Kara’s recognition code that he received from Marquis Martin
Cheolpeok! Jiik….. Cheolpeok! Jiik…..
He suddenly heard the sound of something wet against the ground.
‘There is someone!’
He suddenly heard a sound from a place where there were no signs of people. Ark sharpened his nerves and looked around. Then he heard the same sound again. The sound was coming from the opposite corner!
“Stealth.”
Ark whispered and his body became transparent. The light refracted around his body was one of the Survivor coating skills, Stealth! Ark killed the sound of his footsteps while in Stealth mode and approached the source of the noise. The moment he protruded his head around the corner!
‘Huk! W-what the hell?’
A situation he couldn’t imagine was occurring in the alley. The first thing he saw was a corpse. There were three or four bodies on the round with their flesh torn out. And a strange monster with long skinny arms and legs like a mummified spider were biting away at the bodies. But Ark wasn’t surprised at the corpses or the monster. Galaxian was a game. It was a SF game. Therefore it would be okay even if a monster resembling Taekwon V showed up. Slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people with a nuclear bomb was also okay. The unidentified monster wasn’t an interest to him. But the circumstances were different because this was the middle of a city.
‘Why is there a monster in town? Does the situation in the city have something to do with these monsters? No, why would a monster in the first place……’
Ark couldn’t get a grasp of the situation. However, his worries didn’t continue for long.
Cheolpeok.
‘Eh? What is this? Blood?’
Ark had stepped on some weird blood gathered on the ground. The monster that was eating the corpse suddenly raised its head. Stealth was a skill that only showed its worth when the opponent didn’t know about Ark’s existence. If the opponent noticed Ark then the effect would disappear. The monster heard the noise he made and the transparent effect faded when it lifted its head.
“Dammit! Impact sword!”
Ark cursed and pulled out his sword.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The sound of gunshots shook the city at the same time. But the monster was already somewhere else. Ark had pulled the trigger of his sword but the monster had already attached itself to the wall and moved towards Ark. The spider attached to the wall moved with tremendous speed. The fangs gleaming with blood soon got close to him. It was the fangs that had been biting the corpses just now!
Snap!
Ark flinched as it headed towards his shoulder. Ark groaned and rolled across the ground. He raised his body and pulled the trigger again. No, he was about to pull it. However the monster was gone.
“What, what the? Where is that bastard?”
Kieeeeeeek!
Ark burst out with confusion and the monster on the opposite wall shrieked and rushed towards him. His chest was torn as blood splattered. The subsequent attack had claws scratching his side. It was a speed difficult to spot with his eyes! It also had high damage so his health decreased by 30% after a few attacks. However…..
“I got it!”
Ark exclaimed while laughing. At the same time, his arms grabbed the monster’s waist firmly. He lifted the waist and did a back drop! He threw it firmly to the ground.
“I’m sorry but my specialty is close combat fighting.”
Ark laughed as he looked at the monster splattered on the ground. That’s right. Ark’s combat style combined taekwondo and martial arts. But that wasn’t all. Gwon Hwa-rang introduced him to the famous police officer Lee Myung-ryong and he beat Ark down to make him stronger. Ark was dedicated himself to training to prove his Master’s faith. One part of being Lee Myung-ryong’s desciple was dauntlessness. He needed to become stronger if he wanted to survive with such a master. Therefore Ark definitely became stronger. By training in the police academy’s gym, he became well-rounded in boxing, judo and wrestling. It was part of the reason for the birth of New World’s strongest user. Anyway!
Ark’s nose bled until he got anaemia learning the techniques and they were now ingrained in his body. Ark used the gun but he couldn’t compete in a speed battle with it. He had reflexively become used to shooting a gun first. But the opponent was too fast to be pushed into close combat fighting.
‘A quick monster like that won’t be hit by my marksmanship. But that’s only if I can’t strike a direct blow. It won’t be necessary to use a gun. It is so fast that I can’t catch up but…..’
“Come you zombie like guy, bring it on!”
Ark purposely provoked the monster. And it ran up trying to bite his shoulder.
“Yes, no matter how quick you are you still have to approach me when attacking!”
Ark grabbed the body and slammed it against the ground. But that wasn’t the end. He kept on kicking it when it was forced to the ground. Kick! Kick! The monster struggled to get up and punch! Punch! Punch! It tried to use its claws and stab! Stab! Stab! The monster wasn’t a match for Ark once he used martial arts. He was capable of having a martial arts career. And 100 damage, 200, 300…..the monster was battered after a 3 minute battle.
“Phew, that was more difficult than I thought.”
Ark also wasn’t in a normal state. He had been relentless bit and scratched and only had 30% health left. The opponent wasn’t easy to deal with.
“Now that I have time to speak…..what on earth is this guy?”
Ark breathed harshly as he looked down at the monster on the ground. Ark’s Clairvoyance skill gave him the ability to learn information about the monster. Therefore Ark immediately used the Clairvoyance but couldn’t learn any information.
-???? –
Type: ??? Danger: ???
Combat Power: ???
You are unable to identify the object.
It had questions marks like the android lobster he encountered. But the one collapsed on the ground wasn’t an android. It bled something like oil but it was unmistakeably a monster. That meant it was a monster not yet identified. It was incomprehensible to Ark.
“Why is an unidentified monster in a city and not the Outlands? How did a monster with no known information about it appear in a city floating thousands of metres in the air? And why is this city like this?”
He had several questions. And he still hadn’t received a reply from Kara.
“Damn, what is he doing? It can’t be helped. I don’t know anything about these monsters and it is too risky to move around. I’ll go back to the pipe for the moment and wait for Kara to contact me. I should search that guy first.”
Ark decided on the course he would take and approached the monster. Suddenly the dead monster started shaking?
“Heok! What, what the?”
Ark had no idea what was happening with the corpse and retreated. The stomach of the monster bloated like a balloon and split open. Then a few spider like insects crawled out? It was so creepy that Ark experienced goose bumps at the scene. But the more shocking scene occurred afterwards. Ark hesitated and withdrew while the spiders attached themselves to the corpses. The bones and limbs of the dead body doubled in length. It became thin and looked like a mummified spider. Surprisingly it turned into the monster that he had just killed. And…..it started producing two bodies.
“This, unbelievable…..how is this……?”
Ark stuttered with a pale face. It was a shocking scene! But that wasn’t the problem right now. Ark only had 30% health left after fighting the monster right now. But now 3 more had appeared.
‘A group! I can’t win like this!’
The monster’s fast speed also meant that it wouldn’t be easy to escape.
‘Dammit, I should’ve escaped as soon as I defeated one…..the odds aren’t in my favour even if I wear the battle suit. There is no other way. I have to run away. If I wear the battle shield and use Mind Shield then I might be able to hold on long enough to escape. I have to sneak away to the manhole.’
Ark was about to implement his plan to withdraw.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
The monsters ran along the two side walls at a huge rate. Some also blocked the entrance of the alley.
‘Oh my god! My path has been blocked! At this rate……’
Ark looked desperately at the monsters.
“Get down!”
A mysterious yell suddenly resounded through the alley. He reflexively turned around and saw a flash crossing the darkness. The identity was a rocket fired from a RPG. But where did it come from? Who? He had no room to consider these things. Ark had already experienced the power of the RPG on the battlefield. If he was directly hit then he would lost 50% health even when wearing the battle suit! If he was involved in the RPG explosion in this narrow alley then Ark who only had 30% health left would turn to ashes.
“Dammit! What on earth?”
Ark cursed as he ran inside the alley.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The ensuing explosion shook the area. The shock wave caused Ark to fly into a wall! His hair was burnt and he lost 10% health. Ark grabbed his head and cried out.
“Y-you…..”
Ark swallowed a moan and turned his head. Then he heard the same voice that yelled out before.
“A team, B team, now’s the time. Don’t let them rest and continue assaulting them!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
After the RPG attack there was a shower of bullets. The monsters were overwhelmed by the firepower and collapsed to the ground.
“The opponents are the Sufferers. C team, finish it!”
Hwaaaaack!
Flames engulfed the monsters that had fallen.The monsters wrapped in flames ran around screaming but their movements soon stopped and they turned in to ashes. After a while……A group of people approached through the smoke. They wore glossy armour while holding assault rifles and grenades. And some were equipped with RPGs or flamethrowers. While Ark stared at them with stupid eyes, the soldiers checked the perimeter before nodding and shouting.
“Clear! I’ve confirmed that they are all extinct!”
“Hey, are you alive?”
Then one of the guys walked up to Ark. He was a middle aged man holding a RPG.
“Y-you are……?”
“We are Charem’s special riot team Phoenix. I am the captain Kalbern.”
The middle aged Kalbern looked at Ark and laughed.
“I came after hearing some gun shots but you’re lucky. Meeting us like this. If we were a little bit later then you would already be dead. This is a contaminated area but it hasn’t been infested with Sufferers yet.”
“Contaminated area? Sufferer? What do you mean?”
“What? You have no idea what is happening here?”
Ark thought about Kalbern’s question. He forgot for a while but Ark had sneaked into Charem as the galactic federation’s spy. The monsters eating the corpses in the alley were dangerous but Ark also had to be cautious of Charem’s guards. If Ark was detected as a spy then it was likely that tremendous firepower would be turned on him.
“No, that…..”
Ark thought fiercely as he looked for an explanation.
“You must’ve found some shelter and hid in there the whole time so you don’t understand the whole situation.”
Kalbern seemed like an easy going character who didn’t pay attention to trivial matters. Ark quickly continued the conversation.
“Yes, that’s right. In fact I am a big hermit. I stayed at home for a long time and when I finally emerged it was like this. So I don’t know what happened. I’ve been hiding but I was surrounded by them before I knew it. Ah, I haven’t greeted you. Thank you very much.”
“You went through a lot……”
Kalbern laughed at his expression. Ark was currying favour to try and please the NPC. Anyway, Ark managed to avoid the Phoenix’s suspicions. And he waited for the proper timing before cutting to the chase.
“By the way, did you call that thing a Sufferer?”
“Yes, that is the name of the people who had the monsters attached to them and transformed.”
“People? Are you saying all those monsters were people? Why are those people……?”
“We don’t know the exact reason.”
Kalbern scratched his head and sighed.
“In fact, we also don’t know that much. These monsters suddenly emerged from the central control tower around a month ago. The researchers who took shelter in the safety zone said that it was a type of disease. The patients were called Sufferers. Anyway, they are really annoying guys. The cause of the first onset is unknown but once the Sufferer turns, they become incredibly stronger with a body like a spider and they can infect the dead bodies around them. Thanks to that, the contamination has spread to 2/3rd of Charem. Fortunately we’ve isolated the contaminated area but we can’t stop the spread until we know the cause…….”
Kalbern murmured.
Then Ark’s Nymphe vibrated and a message appeared.
-New monster data has been registered to your Nymphe.
-Sufferer-
Category: Mutated Life Forms Danger: A
Combat Power: B~C
The Sufferer is a mutated life form of unknown origin in Charem. It isn’t possible to grasp all the information about the Sufferer. The pathogens of the Sufferer can infect dead people and create a secondary infection of Sufferers. These life forms can increase exponentially and are classified as a 1st class risk in the galaxy.
* You can gain additional information if you face the same type of monster many times.
The information on the Sufferer was updated on his Nymphe. Sometimes information about the monster would be registered after the NPC gives an explanation.
‘The Sufferer can infect the body? Isn’t this like a zombie?’
But the corpses was the only thing that was similar. Ark was also fought zombies in New World. The features of those zombies were generally slow. But the Sufferer’s speed was faster than Ark. He managed to use mixed martial arts to defeat it but it was difficult. Then wasn’t it an enhanced zombie? Something floated in Ark’s head as he thought this.
‘Wait? The Sufferers appeared a month ago? Wasn’t one month ago when Charem broke off contact with the federation? Then the Sufferers are the reason why Charem broke off the exchange with the federation? Kalbern said that Charem’s central control tower was part of the contaminated area. Was Charem’s shield already triggered when the Sufferers appeared? If the Sufferers multiplied and prevents access to the central control power……’
If all the shields were exercised then Charem was perfectly isolated from the outside. The federation didn’t understand the reason and believed that Charem was now a hostile force. Kalbern continued speaking while Ark was thinking.
“The biggest problem is that the shield was triggered but the central control power is overrun with Sufferers. In this situation we can’t send requests for help to the federation or the Aschulat. And there is no guarantee the safety zones won’t be infected.”
‘Oh my god! Then…..’
Ark became startled. Ark managed to enter the city thanks to Charem’s water system. But the water supply facility was designed to be a one way gate. It was an entrance but it wouldn’t work as an exit. In other words, Ark was also stuck in Charem. Of course there were still ways for him to escape. Ark’s last resurrection spot was Nabe so he would revive there if he died. But he would lose all the experience, skills and skill proficiencies that he gained over the last 10 days. Ark had no intention of doing something like that.
“Is there nothing we can do?”
“That’s why we’re here.”
“Huh?”
“Like I said, there is no guarantee that the safety zones will remain safe from the infection. And it is impossible to deal with all the Sufferers with our remaining soldiers. Then isn’t there only one way left? We have to retake the central control tower, turn off the shield and send a request for help.”
“Then…..?”
“We are the squad undertaking this mission. That’s why we’re out here.”
Kalbern scratched his head and replied. Ark thought for a moment and raised his head while saying.
“Captain Kalbern-nim, I have a request!”
“I can guess what the favour is but…..I’m sorry. We can’t protect you anymore. One day has passed since we came here. Charem has been closed off for a month so the food supply in the safety zone is running out. It may sound cruel but retaking the tower’s management system is more important than saving you. We have to accomplish the mission no matter what. Then all the problems will be settled. Why don’t you return to your hideout and wait there? We will give you some supplies if you need it.”
“That’s not what I want to ask.”
“That’s not your favour? Then what is it?”
“I want to go with Captain Kalbern-nim’s unit!”
“W-what? You want to accompany us? Are you in your right mind?”
“Of course.”
No, but…..”
“Please. I’ve heard about the reputation of the Phoenix unit and have long admired you. It increased even more after Captain Kalbern-nim and the Phoenix unit rescued me! It deeply impressed me. I can understand Captain Kalbern-nim’s worries. You don’t have to worry about my safety. My deep admiration for Captain Kalbern-nim will make me feel worse if you reject me.”
“Ah, no, that is…..”
“Captain-nim!”
Ark exclaimed and grabbed Kalbern’s hand.
“I have always waited for this day! I can’t possible remain in the contaminated area now that I know this. I deeply respect the Phoenix squad and your mission so I am willing to risk my life. I won’t be a burden! Please give me a chance! This is my opportunity to be colleagues with the great Captain Kalbern-nim and the Phoenix squad!”
Ark looked at Kalbern with burning eyes. Of course this was 100% a lie. He had only heard about the Phoenix unit now. He was thankful that they saved him but it wasn’t to the extent that he spoke about. But there was a reason he talked like that.
‘It is better to move with these guys!’
Ark came to this conclusion after hearing Kalbern’s words.
‘Looking at this situation, Charem didn’t intentionally cut off contact with the federation. The central control tower was taken by the Sufferers and they can’t control the shields anymore. But I don’t care about Charem’s circumstances. My mission is to connect to the central tower’s antenna and transmit the GPS information to Marquis Martin. That didn’t change even if he discovered the reason for the disconnection. But……’
The Phoenix’s mission was to reclaim Charem’s management system. There would be a problem if the Phoenix succeeded or failed in the mission. If they failed then Ark would be trapped on Charem. However, it was difficult even if they succeeded. If the Phoenix squad regained control of the system then they would release the shield and send a help request to the federation and Aschulat. Ark would also be able to leave Charem. If he looked at it like that then it seemed like a happy ending. No, it was obviously a happy ending for Charem’s NPCs but…..
‘For me it is the worst ending!’
Then the reason for Ark to send Charem’s GPS information would disappear. He wouldn’t be able to receive compensation for the quest anymore. No, Marquis Martin was a ruthless opponent and might make him pay for the Hyde Helmet and STK-VII. In other words, all his efforts over the last few days and overcoming the many crisis would be for nothing.
‘If I don’t want to fail the quest then I need to connect to the antenna before the Phoenix squad to send the GPS information. If the GPS information is sent first then it doesn’t matter if the Phoenix complete their mission. Marquis Martin would have to allow it. But it would be difficult to single-handedly capture the control tower overrun with Sufferers.
He could infer that from his 1-on-1 battle with a Sufferer just ow. No, he wouldn’t have trouble dealing with two of them. But it would be difficult to win if he faced three. Besides, they could infect dead bodies to produce new Sufferers! The control tower was infested with these monsters.
‘There is a reason it is an A ranked quest. I thought that difficult was due to the sneaking in but it was actually for breaking into the control tower. That is the cause of the A ranking.’
This was the reason he wanted to accompany the Phoenix squad. Users couldn’t determine the level of NPCs. However, it was possible to guess their level by looking at the NPC’s equipment. All items had a level restriction attached to them. And the Phoenix squad were wearing weapons that Ark remembered having a level 80~90 restriction. The general members were higher levelled than Ark. And the squad had 30 people! They also fully understood the structure of the control tower.
‘If these troops fail then it will be impossible on my own. I will also be in trouble if they succeed. So the only way left is to accompany them. Once they regain the management system, I have to quickly……’
Everything would be okay if he sent the GPS information first! Charem would be saved and Ark would receive his reward.
“Captain-nim, this is my only wish! Please let my join the Phoenix squad!”
Ark started at Kalbern with eyes blazing with desire. Naturally that desire was towards the quest reward.
“Hah…..this is……”
Kalbern scratched his head.
“Captain-nim, just accept it.”
A squad member who was watching laughed and cut in. Ark turned towards the voice and flinched. The member who interrupted had dark skin and pointy ears like a Dark Elf. Ark had seen this alien species before. The Rama that he encountered on Beltana!
‘There are also Rama in Charem……’
It felt strange seeing a Rama who was normally his enemy as a NPC.
“Our mission is dangerous but isn’t it also dangerous to leave him here? He managed to defeat 1 Sufferer before we got here so his combat power should be useful. Isn’t Charem’s motto ‘all people are equal when it comes to profit?’ Is there a reason for refusing? Doesn’t he admire us?”
“Uhh…..”
Kalbern worried for a while but eventually nodded.
“It can’t be helped. Then Clark, you take care of him.”
“Yes.”
The Rama called Clark looked at Ark and said.
“Did you hear? I’ll be in charge of you from now on. I hope you will do well.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. If you’re afraid then don’t come whining to me. Ah, and take this. It is a counter. You will receive a counter every time you defeat a Sufferer and the mileage will accumulate. We might be Charem’s special forces but we are also mercenaries. We won’t risk our lives for anything that doesn’t give money. If you become a member of Phoenix then you will also work for a reward. Why, are you disappointed? Do you find it disgusting that the Phoenix are trying to earn a bit of money from this situation?”
Was there such a thing?
He also collected rewards no matter the circumstances so he understood.
“No. Isn’t give and take a normal part of the world?”
“You are surprisingly flexible. I like it.”
At the same time, the Nymphe vibrated and the information window appeared.
<Operation to retake the management system>
You have met the Phoenix special forces in a contaminated area of Charem. A rescue operation is in progress to capture the management system at the central control tower.
You’ve asked to accompany the squad as a favour and Captain Kalbern allowed it. You will be compensated depending on the number of Sufferers you kill during the operation. But if you fail or die then you won’t be able to receive the compensation.
Difficulty: –
‘Oh, a quest?’
He could settle the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest as well! Ark once again burnt with motivation after looking at the information window.
“Then the members will soon be introduced to you. Anyway, you said Captain Kalbern say my name right? The following is…..ah, I haven’t asked for your name yet.
“Ah, yes. My name is A……”
Ark was about to answer without thinking when he flinched and shut his mouth. The quest information window distracted him but Ark was a spy. Of course, Charem’s real situation meant he might not have to worry about being discovered. However, Ark’s purpose was to accompany the Phoenix squad and then send the GPS information to Marquis Martin first.
‘A problem might occur later so I should hide my real name.’
The Hyde Helmet had a full glass coating on the front so people couldn’t see his face The glass like monitor gave him a fake face and fake features. In other words, Kalbern and Clark were seeing someone other than Ark right now. But he hadn’t registered a name yet.
‘Damn, I wanted to write a cool name like Dark Wolf. However I already said part of the name without thinking. If I say a different name then it might cause confusion. Therefore I need to find a name that starts with A.’
That name was……
“Alan. Yes, my name is Alan.”
-The name ‘Alan’ has been registered in the Hyde Helmet’s memory.
The message flashed after he spoke. Alan, this was the second name used by Ark in Galaxian.
Space 2
GO! GO! GO!
“Alan…..this bastard, you surprised me!”
The blond soldier Clark’s voice was heard. But Ark couldn’t afford to turn around. 3 Sufferers had been hiding in the area and suddenly attacked Ark! Although 1 of them had the head split in half, the other 2 Sufferers were just shocked. After a moment, they got up with an angry sound and shot towards him. Among them was the Sufferer with the shattered head. The Sufferer was a type of enhanced zombie and wouldn’t die even with the head blown away. That was one of its more dangerous characteristics. A few tentacles strands also emerged from the Sufferer’s neck. The tentacles had weak attack but they were poisonous. That wasn’t the only strange thing about the Sufferers.
“I’ve fought them many times but I can’t think lightly of the Sufferers. The Sufferers’ infection deepens so the old ones will be stronger. A lot of the stronger guys are still walking around. And we are trying to attack the control tower where the outbreak first occurred. In other words, the Sufferers there will be most stronger than the ones in the other contaminated areas. That is why Captain Kalbern hesitated to bring you with us.”
That was Clark’s explanation. The level of the Sufferers increased the closer they got to the central control tower.
‘But they’re not the only ones who became stronger!’
It had been 2 days since joining up with the Phoenix squad and he had fought at least 100 Sufferers while running across Charem. Ark also became stronger as they got closer to the control tower.
Kieeeeeeek!
Then the bloody fangs of a Sufferer appeared in front of him. At first he couldn’t handle such fast movements but experience was a good teacher. It was possible to grasp the timing after experiencing it a few times.
‘There are 3 opponents! I have to use the minimum of movements to avoid and then counter attack!’
Ark quickly stepped back and to the side. He raised his body and used its flexibility to ram into the Sufferer’s side. While the Sufferer was stumbling, he placed the muzzle on its thigh and pulled the trigger.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
The most intimidating part of a Sufferer was its ability to accelerate. It was infected with an unidentified fungus and was capable to increasing its movement speed by several times. Blindly attacking wasn’t an effective method of dealing with that speed. Therefore Ark used a special bullet that the Phoenix squad used before. The bullet had a 3% chance of freezing the region that was hit!
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
There was a flash and the Sufferer’s leg turned blue.
-The freeze effect has been applied thanks to the Freezing Bullet hitting skin.
<The nerve tissue is frozen and the movement of that area will decrease by 30% for 1 minute>
‘It was activated!’
The Sufferer with the frozen leg wasn’t Ark’s opponent anymore. Ark wielded his sword like a storm and struck the frozen Sufferer. However, the Sufferer wasn’t alone. While Ark was beating up the handicapped one, the remaining two rushed towards him on both sides. But Ark also wasn’t alone.
“Shoot! Cover Alan!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Members of the B team fired his gun at Clark’s order. A hail of bullets tore through the Sufferers. However, such attacks couldn’t completely seal the movements of the Sufferer. The Sufferer lived on instinct to create corpses. They flinched every time they were hit by bullets but didn’t stop moving towards Ark.
‘I can’t fight if I’m surrounded by the quick Sufferers. If that effect disperses then I will receive even more damage. I have to deal with that guy before the frozen effect disappears!’
Ark didn’t even turn his head. He had to believe in it.
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 280 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0. In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
The message appeared as a transparent sphere wrapped around Ark. He became more familiar with it the more he used it. Because he steadily used the skill in Charem, 250 was the average durability of his Mind Shied.
Tong-! Tong-!
Once he opened his Mind Shield, the rate that he was losing health halved.
“Sonic Sword! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Ark continued to pour a shower of attacks on the limping Sufferer until it died. Then he turned around without taking a rest and faced the Sufferer running at him. Ark quickly drove his sword into its mouth.
Kakakakak!
There was a clanging sound as the iron hit the sharp teeth. The steel was also jammed in so the Sufferer’s fangs couldn’t move.
“I’ll give you something even better to eat.
Ark opened the cylinder of his Impact Blade and changed the bullets.
“Eat this! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The Sufferer’s head bounced back from the impact. The bullets flew into the Sufferer’s mouth and the head was blown away. Then Ark grabbed the metal item hanging around his chest. It was a hand grenade that was a part of the supplies that all Phoenix members received. Although the grenade couldn’t be compared to the STK-VII that Marquis Martin gave him……
“Now it is time for dessert!”
Ark shoved the grenade down the Sufferer’s mouth and quickly ran away.
Pepepepeng!
The Sufferer exploded and black meat flew everywhere. Even if it was a regular grenade, shoving it into the stomach would make the Sufferer explode.
Kikikiki…..Kikikiki…..
Despite having the head and chest blown apart, the Sufferer was still alive. The upper parts of the body were held together by a few strands of muscle and it seemed like a scene from a horror movie. But Ark had the compassion and fear of a demon once he entered battle mode! And the Sufferer who lost its combat ability was simple for him to take care of.
Kwok kwok kwok! Kwok kwok kwok! Kwok kwok kwok!
Ark stepped on the Sufferer. While Ark had taken care of two, the remaining Sufferer had been battered by the bullets of the B team. Well, it was the one with the shattered head and tentacles so it was easy to clean up. But the real battle started now.
“Damn, Alan! Quickly return! They’re gathering here!”
Clark’s voice was heard from 20 metres away.
“……Shit!”
When he turned around, dozens of Sufferers were rushing towards the wreckage where the B team was gathered. That was the reason why the B team couldn’t go out and help him when Ark was fighting against the 3 Sufferers. The Phoenix squad’s original target was hundreds of metres away from where the troops were gathered. Kalbern had sent the A, B and C team for a 3 way attack. But while the B team where hiding in the ruins and making their preparations, they were discovered and attacked by the Sufferers. So most of the B team were shooting to prevent the Sufferer’s rush. But Ark had fallen away from the ruins and had to dispose of the Sufferers on his own. However, the number of Sufferers closing in on the B team was starting to become too much. Plus……
“Alan, some of them have changed to your direction!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
There was a hail of bullets as soon as Clark’s words finished. The bullets headed towards the Sufferers rushing at Ark. In fact, there wasn’t just one type of Sufferer. The Sufferers who bit was one of the most basic types transformed from civilians, Clark had explained to him. The complicated ones were the other types of Sufferers. They were guards or smugglers who became infected and changed to Sufferers. They were capable of using guns, swords and grenades. The Sufferers Ark defeated just now belonged to the easy type. The Sufferers running towards him despite the machine guns were the nightmare type! But there were some even scarier guys.
Papapapa! Papapapa! Papapapa!
“Ugh!
-You have been hit by a bullet in your thigh!
<Your movement speed will decrease by 30% for 1 minute>
Ark stumbled as he was hit in the thigh by some bullets.
“Heok! The Battle Sufferers! Alan, the Battle Sufferers are going in your direction!”
“Battle Sufferers?”
Ark who was running towards the ruins flinched and turned his head. A Sufferer with a huge body while firing guns caught his eye. It was a robot like monster covered with weird bio tissue. These guys were the Battle Sufferers. The Sufferers wearing battle suits were the strongest type. The combat power of the battle suit wearing Sufferers were incomparable to the normal type. Their weapons were also at a different standard.
“RPG! It is shooting an RPG!”
Pusung!
The Sufferers fired the RPG as soon as he heard the shout. Ark ran away with a pale face. Most RPG rockets had a homing ability. It wasn’t easy to escape from a RPG that could change direction or turn 90 degrees. He had no choice but to find some targets in the area that would offset most of the damage. However, Ark only had 20% health left after fighting with the 3 Sufferers. There was no guarantee he could survive even if he avoided a direct hit.
“Dammit! Why me?”
Ark cursed and continued running. Soon the rocket crossed the distance and was only 20 metres away from him. Clark who was watching from the ruins shouted in a desperate voice.
“Damn! Teleport!”
Clark then suddenly appeared in front of Ark.
“Team Leader Clark!”
“Don’t speak because I’m concentrating! Spatial distortion!”
Clark shouted as he started darkly at the rocket. There was a humming sound and the surrounding space distorted. It was what happened afterwards that was a surprise. The rocket entered the distorted area and flew in the wrong direction before exploding.
“Now! Run quickly!”
Clark and Ark started running. They penetrated the shower of bullets and returned to the team. And Ark was suddenly struck by a syringe.
-You have received the medic’s Cell Regeneration shot.
<You will recover a total of 500 health over 3 minutes>
A medic was the healer type profession in Galaxian.
“Pant pant pant, thank you.”
Ark gasped as he looked at Clark. The 10 metre distorted space had caused the rocket to veer to a different direction. One possible reason was Clark’s psychic body coating. Galaxian’s Esper ability was more than Ark imagined. The Espers had several different areas of expertise. There was the spatial distortion meant that missiles or bullets would change trajectory. Some other unbeatable abilities received with the body coating involved floating in the air for a short time, levitation, spoon bending and Clairvoyance.
“Pant pant, half of my mana has flown away.”
However, these skills used a huge amount of mana and could only be used 4~5 times! But these shortcomings could be conquered.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“It can’t be helped. If this continues then it will be hard to endure. Used your armoured state!”
Clark shouted towards the team as the Sufferers got closer. Then dozens of shouts were heard from the ruins.
“Armour armament!”
There were flashes as the battle suits were summoned. All members of the Phoenix squad possessed battle suits. It was an amazing scene has 10 teammates called their battle suits at the same time. Among the B team, only 3 of them were humans including Ark. The remaining 7 belonged to the Rama and other alien species. The federation’s battle suit was in the form of a cube and wrapped around the owner, the Rama’s battle suit appeared out of thin air like Ark while the alien species had a metallic liquid that flowed over the body and transformed into a battle suit.
“Now’s the time for a counterattack! Attack!”
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Dozens of rays simultaneously shot out. It was unnecessary to say this but the physical abilities and damage increased when wearing the battle suits. However, the rays shooting towards the Surfers didn’t simply have a stronger attack. Different levels of battle suits existed. The battle suits not only improved performance but were also growth type equipment that could be upgraded. There was no mistaking that B team’s battle suits had been upgraded! The strength of the upgraded battle suit was no joke. The Sufferers in the front evaporated with no traces left at all! But the highlight was Clark’s battle suit who was the leader of B team. Although the defense and movement speed of an Esper was low compared to others, they were able to produce a high density energy bullet.
Pejijijik! Pepeng!
The Sufferers hit by Clark’s energy bullet flew back 10 metres. The Sufferers that hit the ground lost 30% of their health. It was a wave of destructive power! But it was a technique that used up all the mana of the battle suit and it was stripped away in 5 minutes. Nevertheless! The Espers that still had mana remaining were overwhelming.
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The B team who transformed into armoured warriors constantly fired their ammunition. In an instant there was a pile of Sufferers’ corpses in front of the ruins.
-Your level has risen!
All the experience he gained also caused him to level up! But there was no time to be glad. There were around 150 Sufferers in this area. Only 30 of them had arrived at this place to attack the B team. However, the battle lasted for a while and there was no end to the Sufferers that kept on joining in.
Kieeeeeeek!
“Sonic sword!”
Ark pushed back the Sufferers that got past the barrier and looked around.
‘The number of Sufferers that are approaching the barrier keeps on increasing. I don’t know how long we can hold up.’
There were too many Sufferers despite the B team’s overwhelming power. This was why the B and C teams were supposed to attack from different sides. But then the Sufferers discovered them. So far they were holding up but they would crumble if the situation kept on continuing.
‘But I have no choice but to hold up until the end!’
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Ark ran around the barrier and attacked the Sufferers. However there was a limit to how much he could do. The Sufferers used the human wave tactic and started to push at the barrier. Some Battle Sufferers used their RPGs and caused the wall to crumble.
“Damn! Alan, Norton, Tiriod, Pekud, block off the Sufferers!”
“Petal Sword!”
“Electromagnetic Hammer!”
The soldiers who specialized in close combat swung their swords and hammers at the Sufferers. The Phoenix members also overpowered the Sufferers in close combat but it was still no use. As soon as they killed some, the spider would crawl out of the bodies and the situation would become more difficult. Despite the efforts of the medics flying around, after a few minutes the B team only had 20~30% health left.
“Not yet, not yet! A bit more!”
A bloody Clark yelled as he struggled.
“Team Leader-nim, it is finished!”
A voice like a gospel was heard from the rear. And the next moment!
Tu tu tu tung! Tu tu tu tung! Tu tu tu tung!
There was a ponderous sound and the Sufferers started falling. Then an information window simultaneously appeared in Ark and the team’s Nymphes.
-The allies’ Turret has been completed in the area of operations!
Turret (Lv 2)
Attack: 80~120 (+ Special Bullet Damage) Hit Rate: 75%
Durability: 3,000 Shield Gauge: 1,500
A defensive weapon only an engineer can install. The completed Turret will continuously attack all enemies within a 300 metre radius for 10 minutes. It will automatically attack but the engineer can also manually operate it. If it is used in manual mode then the auto aim function will turn off and the hit rate will fall. This turret is Lv 2 and projectile gases can be used as a special bonus.
This was the reason why the B team came here. The B and C team had moved along with engineers to two sides with a range of 300 metres. While the turrets were covering both sides, the Phoenix’s main forcers would destroy the Sufferers situated in the centre. This was Kalbern’s plan. It was the reason why the B team stayed here despite being discovered by Sufferers. Although the engineers’ combat powers were low, they were useful as soldiers due to production skills like the turret. It was a defensive turret that attacked the enemy and once it was successfully installed, it had the combat power of a tank.
Waaaaaaah!
The Battle Sufferers lifted their RPGs the moment they saw the turret.
“Ha, you’re just asking for us to kill you. The first target will be you!”
The engineers boarded the turret and made it revolve. And….Tu tu tu tung! Tu tu tu tung! Tu tu tu tung!
The 25 mm bullets emerged from the turrets and slammed into the Battle Sufferers. And they collapsed without shooting the RPGs that had been annoying the B team. The engineers used the turrets to intercept the high level Sufferers and helped out team members.
Syu syu syu syu! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
An explosion occurred to the rear of the Sufferers.
-Hey, Clark! Are you still alive? We’ve arrived!
“C-Captain!”
Clark turned towards the explosion after hearing the voice flowing from the Nymphe. A tank had appeared behind the Sufferers attacking the B team. The tank called the Guardian was a means of transport as well as holding the supplies. Clark shouted angrily as he looked at Kalbern who was sitting down and holding a RPG.
“Damn, you’re late!”
–Bastard, stop whining. We weren’t playing around. We also experienced difficulties. It looks like the turret has been completed so get over here. We were late so we’ll properly cover you. Launch! Sweep them up!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Team A led by Kalbern started shooting the Sufferers.
“Sheesh, I understand. Let’s leave! Penetrate and join with the main forces!”
Clark shouted in a thunderous voice and rushed forward. It wasn’t just Clark. Ark and the other team members gathered their remaining mental power and pushed through the Sufferers. The turret’s automatic firing and A team’s cover meant they could soon join Kalbern. The C team also joined them from the other side.
Kieeeeeeek!
100 Sufferers also flocked towards them.
“They’ve all gathered. Hey, install the CM-III!”
A member of the A team pulled a small box out of his bag and threw it at Kalbern’s order. The box automatically opened and a sparking net 3 metres in size emerged. 10 more boxes were thrown and formed a barrier around them.
-CM-III
Electromagnetic energy: 2,000
This is used to instantly install an impromptu barrier. The vibrating particles of the CM-III net acts to obstruct the enemy’s attacks. But it cannot block a projectile.
CM-III that formed an instant barrier! It was the main method of fighting Sufferers in contaminated areas. The 100 Sufferers had no leader and just rushed forward with no plan. But they just struck the CM-II barrier and couldn’t do anything! It was the same when the Sufferers used the gun.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“Oh my god, that is so terrifying. Guardian, switch to defensive formation!”
The Guardian spread out wings on both sides. Kalbern stared at the Guardian’s spread out wings and muttered.
“Now, all subordinates. Don’t let yourself be hit by the bullets.”
“Please don’t say things like that. The Guardian’s armour stinks.”
“Stinks? It is better than dropping dead.”
“Dammit! B team, be careful!”
Clark yelled and dived behind the wings. CM-III stopped the Sufferers’ rush and the arms blocked the bullets. This was how the Phoenix squad were able to penetrate contaminated areas filled with 100 Sufferers. Of course, it was also supported by their basic combat power. Anyway, the situation changed 180 degrees once all the members joined up. The 30 Phoenix members fired from being the CM-III barrier and the Sufferers collapsed like dominoes. The Guardian sat in the middle while the engineers operated the turrets on the left and right side.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tang! Tang! Peng! Peng!
After 20 minutes of attacking with assault rifles, pistols, RPGs and grenades, they finally managed to destroy all the Sufferers in the area.
“Good work. The other soldiers will clean this up so take a rest for now.”
“Phew……”
Ark sighed and flopped to the ground.
“That was no joke. I never imagined going through so much just crossing 10 km in a city. Why are there so many Sufferers?”
Ark murmured as he saw the corpses of the Sufferers being burnt with flamethrowers. This wasn’t the first time fighting against a lot of Sufferers. The nature of the Sufferers was to swarm so the Phoenix’s tactic was to deliberately gather the Sufferers together to attack. Every time he faced dozens of them so dealing with 100 took considerably more effort. That’s why they took two days to only travel 10 km in Charem. But Ark’s words weren’t a complaint.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 71
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Fame 3,920 Adventure 720
Health 1,700 (+90) Mental Power 850
Strength 170 (+23) Agility 225
Stamina 305 (+18) Wisdom 20
Intelligence 130 Luck 35
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
* Galactic Federation Contribution: 6,350
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
‘It is impossible to be dissatisfied.’
Ark laughed as he retrieved the information window. Ark was level 67 when entering Charem and he had faced dozens of enemies. Ark was able to gain 4 levels thanks to the Sufferers. It would’ve been impossible on his own!
“No, I wouldn’t have even made it this far alone.”
It was fortunately that Ark emerged in an area infested by Sufferers and was rescued by the Phoenix squad. Anyway, Ark was able to reach this point because of the Phoenix squad.
“But……”
It was approaching the end.
“Hey, why are you muttering to yourself?”
Clark hit him on the back and laughed.
“Are you thinking of a lover at home? Indeed, that is one of the few pleasures for mercenaries like us. But don’t worry, there isn’t much time left now. Look. We’ve been fighting against the Sufferers for 2 days in the contaminated area and finally reached Charem’s central control power. We are here.”
Clark pointed to an enormous building several hundred metres away from them. That huge building was Charem’s central control tower! It was the destination of Ark and the Phoenix squad.
“Hey! A, B and C team, gather your members! This is no time to delay. We will enter the central control tower as soon as everything is organized. Check your equipment carefully!”
The loud voice of Kalbern could be heard. Now for the central control tower!
Space 3
Unknown Enemy
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant.”
Ark breathed roughly and looked around.
‘Has everything here been clean up? Pant pant, I really have no spirit left.’
The place illuminated with a swaying light was a scene of mess and confusion. There were shattered glass and various miscellaneous household goods scattered on the ground with random blood splatters around. This was the atmosphere inside the central control tower where a biohazard occurred and the Sufferers first appeared. Naturally the Sufferers here were like heaven and earth. A Sufferer would jump out every time he turned around or entered a room.
‘I thought it would be easier to fight in an area that wasn’t open like the city……’
In the city, he would end up surrounded by hundreds of Sufferers once the battle started. But this was a building with narrow passages so it would be easier to take care of his opponent…..that thought was a mistake.
‘Damn, it really popped out of a cabinet.’
Ark muttered as he looked at the sharp teeth marks still on his shoulder. It was from a Sufferer he encountered when leaning against a cabinet. Suddenly the cabinet opened and a Sufferer bit his shoulder. Unlike the city, the Sufferers would really pop out of nowhere.
‘If I have to stay in a place like this for a few more days then I might have a nervous breakdown or a heart attack.’
It wasn’t just the cabinet. Under the desk, in a hallway where the lights weren’t turned on, on the ceiling…..the Sufferers would hide in every possible narrow or dark space. So he couldn’t relax at all. He was always in a battle state when moving because he never knew when he would encounter a Sufferer. There were only 20~30 inside the tower compared to the 100 in the city but the mental and physical fatigue was many times more. But Ark was holding up well. No, to be exact the Phoenix squad was holding up well.
-The auditorium is clear. All the Sufferers are destroyed.
–This hallway has been cleaned up.
Voices came from Nymphe network that the Phoenix members were connected to. The team members speaking were reporting after finishing a battle with the Sufferers. Then Ark and Clark who was on top of a broken desk also reported in.
“Yes, this places has also been neatly cleaned. Over.”
-Okay. Burn the bodies and gather in the auditorium for a break. We will rest and inspect the equipment before entering the next area. Anybody injured should seek treatment from the medics.
Puhwaaak!
Fire gushed out after Kalbern’s command. The members always cremated the bodies of the Sufferers after a battle ended. If they left the corpse then there was always a chance they would revive again. Ark stared blankly at the flames and muttered.
“It is still amazing every time I look at it.”
“What?”
Clark asked as he jumped down from the desk.
“Pureah using the flamethrower. The fire can move freely like a whip. It will only burn the target. If paper was next to the target then it won’t even move.”
“Eh? You still don’t know about it?”
“What?”
“I’ve spent most of my time with the members so I naturally thought you knew….. Originally Pureah isn’t his name. It is the name of a species. The Pureah lived on a small planet in the Bellin constellation and they are born with the ability to control fire. Therefore the Pureah mostly specialize in Espers of fire. Even if other species receive the pyro kinesis coating, they will find it difficult to match the Pureah’s natural abilities. That guy isn’t an Esper but he has the skill to use a flamethrower.”
‘I thought the red head and eyebrows were strange…..’
Pureah also had a habit of laughing when using the flamethrower. He was normally expressionless but he would become so animated when using a flamethrower on the Sufferers’ bodies. But to think there was a species with this ability in the galaxy. This was also critical information in Galaxian. There might be many times when his opponents were users or NPCs. Thus it was important to find out the characteristics of the opponent! It was like committing suicide if he fought a magician or warrior while ignorant of their characteristics. Especially in Galaxian where there was the different species and body coating. Sometimes the abilities given by the body coating would completely change depending on the species. Therefore he would prefer getting advanced information instead of walking blindly into a fight. The person who had more information would control the battle. Anyway, knowing oneself and the opponent was the key to victory. But it was still the 24th century where space ships were flying around.
“Pureah has taken care of the bodies so let’s head to the auditorium.”
Clark said as he navigated between the household goods on the floor. Ark who was lost in thought suddenly shouted.
“No, I……”
“What? This time too?”
“Yes, don’t you know? I have to make a profit even if it is one copper.”
Ark smiled as he replied and Clark just shook his head.
“Hah, you’re just picking up junk so you can’t earn that much money. Aren’t you tired?”
“Team Chief-nim!”
One member attracted Clark’s attention.
“Why are you criticizing someone who is working hard? Alan…..Alan has a reason.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot. I’m sorry. I said some unnecessary words.”
Clark blushed and scratched his head with embarrassment after the team member’s words. The reason for this situation…..since the game started, Ark wasn’t a character who would waste his time in vain. Even if he just finished a tough battle, Ark couldn’t just sit back and rest. Ark applied that same mindset when joining the Phoenix squad.
‘Why on earth are they doing this?’
Ark was shocked when he joined the Phoenix squad three days ago.
“You will participate in battle so we will give you consumable supplies like bullets. But you’re not a formal member so distributing loot to you is difficult. We’re mercenaries and are participating in this mission to make money. And the loot is an important source of revenue for mercenaries. You suddenly joined up so the members would be dissatisfied if I give loot to you.”
This was the condition Kalbern gave him when joining. It was to give up on the loot. Ark was depressed but the quest was more important than loot so he accepted. Therefore he never looked at the loot…..
The Phoenix defeated thousands of Sufferers a day so of course they would gain a huge amount of loot. But the members didn’t show any special interest. They would pick up the loot but there were a variety of japtem that they didn’t even look at.
“I won’t make money from a little thing like that even if I pick it up.”
“If we pick up things like that then we might run out of bag space.”
This was the member’s replies. Their words weren’t wrong. Most of the loot from the Sufferers were useless compared to their levels. They were tattered old clothes, a few metal parts and japtem that would only be worth several coppers in stores. But copper was also money. If he gathered copper then it would turn into silver and then into gold! How could he simply leave money like that alone? So Ark rolled up his sleeves and came out. Ark didn’t rest while the other members who finished fighting were taking a break. He would search around the burnt bodies of the Sufferers and swept all up the items he found. But soon problems arose.
-There is no empty space in the bag!
That was the scariest message to Ark! After Ark arrived at the northern lake, he had obtained various loot from hunting and fish from the lake. He couldn’t stop by a store before joining the Phoenix so it was a natural result when scraping up japtem. The method Ark came up with……
“Can I keep the loot I picked up in the Guardian?”
All the loot they gathered was stored in the tank. But the Guardian was different from the Silver Hand’s container truck. It was a cramped vehicle with almost no empty space once the drivers and Kalbern boarded it. Of course Kalbern didn’t have a good response to his request.
“Why should I collect that trash?”
Then Ark murmured with a sad expression.
“Mother……”
That sentence settled everything.
“M-mother?” “That’s right. My mother……”
“Your mother?” “I’ve been going around without any rest because of my mother’s hospital expenses…….”
“We disliked it without even knowing……”
“I also have a mother at home. It’s been 10 years since I became a mercenary and left home. I didn’t want to hear her nagging so I didn’t contact her. I don’t know how my mother is living……”
“Ugh! Don’t speak like that! D-damn! This is a runny nose! I’m not crying!”
“Captain-nim, you have to listen to his request! Yes? That guy’s mother……”
Ark’s ‘mother had just become pregnant. I have to gain money for my younger sister.’ was what he tried to say. But the Phoenix member’s imagination ran wild and they started misunderstanding.
“Y-yes. Then it can’t be helped.”
Kalbern blushed and nodded. If the situation was like this then Ark didn’t feel the need to remove the misunderstanding. It wasn’t a total lie. The Phoenix members just misunderstood. Anyway, now Ark could just the Guardian tank as well as the Phoenix members’ bags. If he piled up all the japtem in the Guardian then he could get at least 10 gold……
While Ark was busy thinking…..
“Hey, Alan!”
10 of the members waved their hand and approached.
“What, you guys? We’re supposed to be gathering at the auditorium so why are you here?”
“Did we come to see you?”
The members snorted at Clark and looked at Ark.
“Alan, are you picking up japtem? It isn’t necessary. We’ll collect everything. By the way, do you have any bag space left? The Guardian can’t enter this place so you must have no bag space left. So we dropped by pick it up for you.”
“Huh? No, that…..”
“You brat, we’ve got it. Aren’t we friends now? A fellow soldier’s mother is also our mother. We’ll pick it up from now on so please get some rest. You have to live so you can introduce us to your sick mother.”
A soldier laughed as he placed his arm over Ark’s shoulder. Thanks to Ark’s circumstances (?), he could rest while the Phoenix members picked up the japtem. Of course they would belong to Ark. There was even more.
“Hrmm, please use this medicine as well. I’m giving it to you.”
The members also gave him supplies as well as loot. Among them were equipment that he could use straight away.
-Pioneer’s Pants (Magic)
Item Type: Under Armour Wearer Restriction: Level 50
Defense: 30 Durability: 42/70
Pants widely used among beginner pioneers. These pants are made from the leather of a monster so they are suitable for most environments. These deluxe leather pants will protect the lower body from various toxic substances in the Outlands. There are rumours that it also has an effect on increasing energy. This is a necessity!
<When exposed to a natural toxic environment, damage is reduced by 15%>
* You have gathered 2 items of the same series and the set effect has been applied
+ Set Effect +
<Pioneer’s Pants><Pioneer’s Boots>: Harmful Environment Immunity +10%
It was a level 50 equipment, Pioneer’s Pants! Ark could finally change out of the level 20 beginner’s pants. Furthermore, he also obtained the Pioneer’s Boots from the forest near the northern lake so he created a set effect. It was the level 50 magic set that could be easily obtained. Anyway, he was given it for free! This was all due to the soldier’s misconception.
‘If I treat them well then the NPCs will give quite a lot!’
This was a law of virtual reality games and the philosophy that governed Ark’s behaviour. Ark had been using the method to raise the NPC’s intimacy throughout his many years of gaming. It had been 3 days since he joined the Phoenix squad and Ark hadn’t hesitated to jump in to help the soldiers. He picked up the japtem and even used his tool box and Facilities Maintenance to repair their equipment and clean the Guardian.
“I am a rookie.”
Ark said with a bright smile!
“Doing this even when your mother is ill…..”
Their reaction was 100% expected!
-Intimacy with Kalbern has increased by 100.
-Intimacy with Clark has increased by 100……
‘Huhuhu, this degree is enough.’
Ark had the innate talent of selling things to Ark.
“I wanted to see it again.”
A soldier muttered as he saw the octopus attached to Ark’s head.
Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok!
The octopus on his head was the Charenjok’s token. Ark was almost always using it ever since Bakum upgraded it. It wasn’t that useful before so he often forgot about it but now it could continue to grow. And it was surprisingly popular among the Phoenix squad. It wasn’t because of its ability to recover. Even if it was upgraded, it only recovered 2 health every 4 seconds. That wasn’t enough to have an influence on battle. The medic’s injection healed 500 health so it was impossible for them to prefer the recovery ability of the octopus. The members were interested in the octopus itself.
“It moves while on the head. The bbok bbok is really no joke.”
“That’s not all. It wiggles and crawls when placed on the ground.”
“This isn’t a common mechanism.”
The Charenjok’s token would move around by itself when he placed it on the ground.
It was cute and its popularity exploded! It was to the extent that a soldier even tried to exchange a level 80 sword for it.
“I’m sorry. This is a token of my friendship with the Charenjok so I can’t sell it.”
But Ark refused. It was a level 80 sword but the Charenjok’s token was a growth type item. The recovery ability wasn’t useful at the moment but it would steadily grow. He couldn’t give up the benefits of such an item. And…..in fact Ark had become quite attached to the Charenjok’s token these days.
‘In the past I was accompanied by my summons so I was never bored……’
When he first started Galaxian he hadn’t been bored. First he was busy trying to learn the system on R-14 and then Tori sold him to the Silver Hand before he was arrested and sent to Beltana. But Ark had been extremely bored when exploring the northern lake. Ark spent 10 days staring at the Nymphe’s screen while sitting on the air board and was so bored he felt like dying. It became so bad he started thinking out loud. The octopus’ animation reminded Ark of his summons so he was comforted by it.
“Sheesh, it can’t be helped.”
“If you ever get tired of it then tell me. I’ll give you 100 gold for it.”
“Now let’s go. We should go to the auditorium because Captain is waiting.”
“My body isn’t the same as before. I should have a medic look at it.”
“Your head isn’t the same as before.”
The members chattered noisily as they headed towards the auditorium. Ark could also go straight to the auditorium because they gathered all the japtem already. But Ark didn’t rest even when he arrived at the auditorium. Ark had a lot of work to do even if he didn’t need to collect the japtem. One of them was hacking.
-Hacking (Lv1): Proficiency 244/500
“I still have passed halfway.”
Ark sighed as he checked the skill information window. Galaxian’s skill proficiency rose quite slowly compared to his previous game. Anyway, the 4 star rated skill Hacking was one of the slowest to rise. Hacking wasn’t a combat skill so the proficiency couldn’t be raised in a short period of time. He needed to hack a system to increase it. And Ark hadn’t been impatient. There was no reason to raise his Hacking level right away. But the situation changed a short time ago.
‘I haven’t received a reply to my message so what on earth could’ve happened?’
Ark had sent a message to Kara, Marquis Martin’s intelligence agent when he first entered the contaminated area. However, there was no reply from Kara over the last three days. Charem was currently sealed off but internal communication was still possible. Yet he couldn’t contact Kara even when he was in Charem. But no one could escape from Charem at the moment. Then there was only one answer!
‘Perhaps he was in the contaminated area and encountered the Sufferers?’
That was the only reason why he wouldn’t reply. Naturally Ark was curious about the black bag placed in a corner of his bag. It was the bag Marquis Martin asked him to give to Kara.
‘This might be an item that will help the intelligence agent with his mission. It might be something like the STK-VII. If Kara already died then it won’t be a problem if I use the item to help with my mission. Marquis Martin only told me to deliver it to Kara! Huhuhu, he never mentioned anything about what I should do if he dies.’
However…..
-This bag is protected by a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock. The security rating of this lock is level 6. Your present hacking techniques can only release level 1~3 locks.
<If you don’t know the password then try against after raising the level of your hacking skill>
As expected from Marquis Martin. The bag was protected by a strong lock. But Ark had no intention of giving up this long awaited chance.
‘If I raise hacking one more level then I can release a level 6 lock. I need to raise the proficiency and grab the contents of the bag before meeting Marquis Martin again!’
Of course there weren’t that many security locks to hack. However, there were other ways to raise the skill proficiency. Although the degree of proficiency was only 1/10 of the amount he gained when hacking security locks, he could hack the circuits in japtem like when he first learnt the skill.
‘Fortunately the central control power has many mechanical parts.
This was another reason why Ark gathered up all the japtem. If he took it to the store then he could only receive several copper from it! Meanwhile hacking the japtem would raise the skill proficiency by 1! If he gathered 100 then he could raise it by 100. Ark’s current hacking proficiency was 244. If he hacked 256 more times than he could reach level 2.
‘I have 50 mechanical parts right now. I need to obtain 200 more mechanical parts before meeting Marquis Martin again.’
Ark connected one machine to the Nymphe.
-This circuit has a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
“Okay. Start!”
When he started hacking it was a simple level 1 mini game. While the other members were taking a break, Ark sat in a corner with the octopus on is head and focused on the mini game.
Byong byong! Byong byong! Byong byong!
How much time had passed?
‘Huh? What the?’
Ark flinched and raised his head. He felt like something was moving within a dark hallway. It was a dark place with no light but Ark could see thanks to Clairvoyance. Although he closely searched every corner, Ark couldn’t see anything different.
‘Something seemed to move……is there a reason for that feeling?’
“Hey, Alan! Get ready! We’re moving to the next place!”
At that time he heard Kalbern and Clark calling. Ark stared at the hallway before shaking his head and rising.
‘If it was a Sufferer then it would attack immediately.’
Shortly after Ark walked towards Clark.
Susususu. Susususu.
Something moved in the darkness.
———————————————————————————————-
“Hyung-nim?”
The person with big eyes flinched and turned around. He saw a man with a huge figure nearing.
“Pant pant pant, Hyung-nim? What does that mean?”
“No, that……I thought I heard Hyung-nim’s voice……”
“It is your imagination. Leader Clem said that Hyung-nim is on the north side of the planet. That is thousands of kilometres away from where we are.”
“I know that already. I understand but…..”
The person with big eyes muttered with an uneasy look.
“What if something happened to Hyung-nim?”
“You don’t have to worry about him. Hey, who is Hyung-nim? He is a hero, a hero. He changed his prisoner status to that of a hero. We don’t need to worry about him.”
“……I guess.”
The person with large eyes blinked and nodded. Then he opened a notepad on his Nymphe and started to pour out his thoughts.
Dear Ark hyung-nim.
We have just arrived at the mountain that is near Istana’s equator. The dense jungle with a sizzling heat is like a dream after Beltana. There was a time where we lost all hope of surviving. Hyung-nim is the one who helped us escape from Beltana and gave us new hope. We couldn’t help by overflowing with delight after hearing Hyung-nim talk about making our own group. At that time we promised. We would try our best to meet Hyung-nim’s expectations.
The Silver Hand members are also close to Hyung-nim and are generously teaching us combat skills. Once Cupa, Hedro, Reben and Konsed finish their duties after 10 hours, they would receive separate attacker training from the Silver Hand. Apart from the heavy weapons training, Cupa is also being taught gymnastics. His body has become so tattered that he would vomit a few times every day.
Ah, now…..
“Weeeeeek!”
When the person paused and turned around, he saw Cupa vomiting near him. Cupa was double the size of normal humans so the amount he ate and vomited up was different. The smell was no joke so the man moved to the opposite side where two people caught his eye. Their bodies were bruised all over. The man sighed and turned back to his Nymphe.
But Cupa is nothing compared to Berad and Ralph. Berad and Ralph are training in sword mastery. They have to do things like picking up items with chopsticks, climbing a waterfall with bare hands, getting past a bee swarm with deadly poison……
It is training that can’t possibly be understood. I don’t know whether their sword mastery is increasing but Ralph and Berad seem to be getting more durable. Last time they just laughed after being sent to face a grizzly bear. It is clear that their courage has grown.
As expected, Kalliben and Beleol are becoming more proficient in sniping thanks to Clem’s training. There is no other choice. A sniper’s hit rate is the most important thing so they would miss a meal if they miss. The distance to the target also increases every day so Kalliben and Beleol are always starving.
The man turned around and looked at two people in a corner. Kalliben and Beleol were enviously watching the Silver Hand members eating.
Oh, grandfather Mellin is also difficult to train because of his age so he is being taught to handle explosives from the engineers. Huhuhu, the medical technology these days is really great. Even if limbs are separated because of an explosion, it would be perfectly regrown after a few hours. Well, the length of the limb would sometimes not fit and it would move strangely……
The person wrote up to that point.
“Hey Hegel! What are you doing? Did you do all the exercises I gave you yesterday? There will be a test soon!”
“Huh? Ah yes! Heksu ajusshi, I will go soon!”
The person who was Hegel said with surprise and busily moved his hands.
I have been taking lessons in being a Scavenger under Heksu ajusshi.
Heksu ajusshi seems happy that he has a successor. He has been with the Silver Hand for 50 years and is passing on all his knowledge to be. Therefore he gives me a bunch of homework every day. Every day I can only get 2 hours of sleep. This pain will definitely allow me to grow.
I am looking forward to it. T he day when we can meet Hyung-nim again and build our business. So I want to tell Hyung-nim this.
Hyung-nim……
“Ya! This bastard! What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming quickly?”
“Yes! I-I’m going! Right now!”
Hegel’s hands moved even faster at Heksu’s roar.
Please help!
This place is a hell more terrible than Beltana! Please set up the company before we die!
Hyung-nim, where are you? Please help us!
But Hegel was unaware of something. The torturous training course set by the Silver Hand. It was the training program that Ark developed. Ark recalled his past training with Lee Myung-ryong and applied that philosophy to the program.
“This guy, do you want me to rearrange your spirit? Aren’t you a part of Ark’s Royal Guards? Ark went through even more harsh training when he was part of the Silver Hand!”
Thus the Silver Hand members steadily proceeded with Ark’s training program. Thanks to that the Royal Guards grew every day……
-Hyung-nim, I want to see you!
Their loyalty to Ark also rose.
———————————————————————————————-
Tak tak tak tak! Tak tak tak tak!
Dozens of footsteps resounded through the hall. They were the soldiers of the Phoenix squad carrying assault rifles! Several groups were clearing obstacles or checking various passages. The reports of people in those passages could continuously be heard.
-The right side hallway is clear. There are no abnormalities.
–The second hallway on the left is also clear. There are no abnormalities.
“Maintain an alert formation for the moment.”
Kalbern lifted his RPG as he strode across the hall. He was heading towards a metal door at the end of the hall.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
“This is…..?”
Ark asked with narrow eyes as he approached Kalbern. Clark who was on Ark’s other side smiled and replied.
“Isn’t it obvious? It is an elevator.”
“Elevator? We’re using an elevator?”
“Then? Do you expect us to walk to the 40th floor of the control tower? The first 5 floors are general facilities so this elevator is the only way to reach the upper floors that are the security areas. But only someone who holds a special security card can access the elevator on the 5th floor. So we are taking the elevator to the 39th floor. Our destination is the management system on the 40th floor. We only need to go up one level after reaching the 39th floor with the elevator.”
“Then…..?”
“Our mission will soon be over.”
Ark stared at the elevator after hearing Clark’s words. This was a building in a game but the central control tower was also similar to a dungeon. That’s why Ark who was a user viewed using the elevator as a type of cheat. But they had already spent a day and a half in the central control tower. If they hadn’t taken the breaks then they probably could’ve reached the 5th floor in one day. If they maintained that same speed then it would’ve taken 10 days to reach the 40th floor. But they could use the elevator to climb to the 39th floor in one day!
“Is the elevator working properly?”
“Even if the tower is occupied by the Sufferers, all the functions are still working. Safety devices were prepared for situations like this. If the system wasn’t working then we would have no reason to come here in the first place. Because Charem wouldn’t be sealed off.”
“Indeed.”
Ark nodded. He hadn’t thought about it but this was also good news for Ark.
‘It’s good that I don’t need to be stuck in this place for ten days. Although I haven’t raised my hacking skill, I don’t have to give the bag back to Marquis Martin. I can just pretend ignorance while slowly raising my skill. It is better than looking for mechanical parts in a place like this.’
The situation in Charem would be quickly settled once the management system was recaptured. He could complete two major quests at once. He gained a lot of experience from hunting the Sufferers but that couldn’t be compared to the quest compensation. While Ark was busy thinking…..
“That’s it. It is working!”
Kalbern insert the special security card and password in the device next to the elevator and the metal doors opened. It was the direct elevator to the 39th floor!
“Everybody board it. We are going up!”
The scattered members gathered at Kalbern’s command. Kalbern pressed the button to the 39th floor after confirming that all 30 members boarded and the elevator started to climb. The alert crew started to relax after the elevator doors closed.
“Hah, it is almost over.”
“Yes. This is the first time during my 12 years as a mercenary that I’ve had such a horrible experience. A disease that causes corpses to move. And they also smell awful.”
“But if we settle the problem then the lords of Charem promised that we would be greatly compensated.”
“There was no way to escape from Charem and we were also promised a lot of money so we had no choice but to accept the mission. I’d still prefer hunting monsters over this. I will be glad when I don’t need to smell the Sufferers anymore. Besides, we can’t believe that Java bastard. The fellow is always talking nonsense. He might speak differently once this finishes.”
“That’s why Captain firmly negotiated before accepting this mission.”
“Then it is fortunate.”
“Anyway, after this finishes I’m going back to my hometown and resting for 1 year.”
“Me too. In fact, a little while ago I heard that my wife gave birth to a daughter. Huhuhu, I’m going to use my holiday time to visit them. After I return home I’m going to take my wife and daughter to a resort planet.”
‘…..Eh?’
Ark looked around blankly. He suddenly felt an ominous feeling while listening to the member’s conversations. But he didn’t notice any particularly strange signs. Ark was uncomfortable because of the contents of the conversations. Anybody who watched a lot of movies or dramas would realize that the person who talked about taking a trip with their family would be killed moments later! There was a 99% chance of them dying. It was a death flag! It was the behavioural pattern of people who would soon die in a movie. Ark felt that feeling after hearing the member’s dialogue.
‘This isn’t a movie or a drama and the well-trained Phoenix had fought against hundreds of Sufferers with no deaths but……’
He was uncomfortable. He suddenly became really uncomfortable.
“Should you be saying something like that when the job isn’t over yet?”
“Alan’s words are correct.”
Kalbern silently nodded his head.
“This elevator is heading to the 39th floor. We don’t know what will happen so you shouldn’t relax. And…..haven’t you guys seen the movies? It is common sense that the people who say things like this would be the first ones to die.”
Kalbern had the same idea as Ark.
“Don’t say anything else. Huhuhu, especially if you want to live longer.”
Kalbern’s words were effective. The squad members all closed their mouths after that. They were quiet as the elevator rushed to the highest level.
-36, 37, 38…….
And shortly before it reached the 39th floor!
“We’ve arrived! We don’t know what is out there so be alert……”
Kwakwang!
There was a roaring sound and the elevator shook just before it was about to stop.
“Heok! What, what the? What’s going on?”
“Everybody calm down! Clark, what happened?”
“I’m not sure. We seem to have received a strong impact from outside!”
“Damn, the elevator has stopped moving! Engineers, check the elevator’s system!”
“Understood!”
Kwakwang!
Then the roaring sound was heard again. This time the impact was larger than before and the lights went out. Sparks flew all over the place as the elevator was engulfed in darkness. The members hurriedly turned on the flashlights attached to their firearms. Then a black shadow passed by a gap in the ceiling made from the impact just now.
“Captain-nim, there is something out there!”
“Sufferers?”
“I-I don’t know. It was too quick……”
‘It isn’t a Sufferer! It is something else!’
The lights went out so the members with infrared scopes or flashlights wouldn’t have seen it but Ark could see exactly what it was thanks to Clairvoyance. Of course he couldn’t see everything but it definitely wasn’t a Sufferer. It was many times larger than that…..
There was something huge! Kalbern turned around and said.
“Remove your hands from the trigger. If everybody fires bullets blindly then we can die! We need to escape outside here. Engineer, what is your status? It is possible to open the door with manual manipulation?”
“The security is tight so it will take some time!”
“We don’t have time to wait! Right now…..”
Kwakwang!
There was another roaring sound before Kalbern’s words ended. Then an engineer screamed.
“Oh my god! It is falling! The magnetic levitation device of the elevator shattered!”
They didn’t need to hear the engineer’s report to realize that.
Wiiiing-!
He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach like he was on a huge ride. The elevator was falling to the bottom.
‘Dammit, I knew it felt strange!’
Ark grabbed the walls of the elevator and bit his lip. The group of 30 people was falling from the 30th floor. The impact on their bodies would transcend imagination, especially if they were wearing body armour. They would be smashed to death!
Smashed…..smashed…..smashed……
That word echoed through his head.
‘Don’t make me laugh! How much have I struggled so far? Will I lose all my levels and skill proficiency because I’m stuck in this elevator?’
“Clark-nim! One moment!”
Ark raised his head and ran up to Clark. He took out Fading Steel and loaded the Armour Piercing Bullets before aiming at the ceiling.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
A huge hole was made in a corner of the ceiling. Ark moved to the other side and continuously fired bullets and holes were opened on both sides. Kalbern raised his head and shouted.
“That’s right. Norton, Tiriod, the ceiling!”
“Ohhh! Electromagnetic Hammer!”
Norton and Tiriod swung their hammers and sparks flew. There was a huge noise and the ceiling flew away. Once the ceiling was opened, the sight of flames occurring where the elevator met the rails could be seen. Kalbern looked at the members and yelled with a desperate expression.
“Everybody follow me lead!”
Tutung! Bump! Chwaaaak!
Kalbern manipulated his Nymphe and a wire anchor was shot from his buckle. The anchor tightened around the rail and Kalbern rose up out of the ceiling. Kalbern hung from the rail and quickly became far away.
“There is no time! The elevator will soon crash to the floor! Quickly escape!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
The remaining members instantly escaped from the elevator using the same method as Kalbern. Clark was manipulating his Nymphe when he flinched and stared at Ark.
“Alan, you. You don’t have this equipment so can you escape? It might be difficult but you can come with me……”
“I am fine. Please escape first!”
“I will believe in you. Follow me immediately!”
Tutung!
Clark then flew out of there. Now Ark was the only remaining one! Ark immediately searched through his bag and took out the Wire Camera. This was why he wanted Clark to escape first. Ark accompanied the squad for three days so he knew about the wire anchor equipment. It was a device for 1 person. If this was a normal situation then it might withstand the weight of 2 people. But in this situation there was a risk that the extra weight would cause the anchor to come loose. Ark knew this so he didn’t take the chance to escape with Clark.
‘There’s no time left. I will soon crash at this speed.’
Ark quickly threw the Wire Camera outside the ceiling. He operated the wire with the Nymphe and was able to wind it around the rail. Ark grabbed the wire and was pulled out of the ceiling. 10 seconds barely passed when he heard a crashing noise underneath his feet.
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
It was the sound of the elevator slamming into the floor.
“I-I lived!”
Ark breathed out while dangling from the wire. 10 seconds. If he delayed for 10 seconds more than he would’ve been crushed like a tomato. Then Kalbern’s desperate voice was heard from the Nymphe.
–Did everyone emerge? Who was the last one out? Report!
–This is Clark. There was only one person remaining when I left!
–Alan, answer us! Are you okay?
“Yes, I’ve escaped!”
The members sighed with relief at Ark’s answer.
-Okay. Everybody is well. But we can’t be relieved yet. There is still that guy that hit the elevator hiding somewhere. And the Sufferers are outside so it is dangerous to move individually. So the plan will change. My present location is near the 27th floor. All members should meet in the middle on the 16th floor……jijijiji……
The Nymphe suddenly started emitting static.
“Captain-nim, what happened? Please respond Captain-nim!
-Something dangerous is happening!
–The member who is closest go and check the Captain’s safety! Who is next to Captain-nim?
–It’s me! I…..heok!
–What’s going on? Hey! Puroki, answer! Damn! Answer!
Shouts continued emerging from the Nymphe. Another member screamed over the Nymphe.
–There is something above me! Something…..something…..an absurd speed….wahhhhh!
Screams echoed like a chain from the Nymphe. He didn’t know what was going on but something was definitely happening. The voices of the Team Leaders turned hysterical as the situation changed.
-Dammit! Check what is going on!
–But it is happening above us! This is an emergency situation! All squad members descend! It will be good if you can hide! Move as quickly as possible!
–Heok! T-that….wahhhh!
–Who? Who was it this time?
–I don’t know! I can’t confirm it directly….cough!
–T-that sound…..something is descending at a huge rate from above….wahhhh!
The correspondence with the squad members kept of being cut off. 10 members had already disappeared after screaming.
Dudududu! Dudududu!
The elevator shaft shook as the roaring sound was heard again. It was coming from the top! Something was descending at a huge rate. There were flashes from above him and shots started ringing out. But the roaring didn’t stop. The deafening screams got closer to Ark as the communication continued being disrupted.
‘The Phoenix members can’t fight properly but the opponent clearly isn’t ordinary. I don’t know the identity but it clearly isn’t a Sufferer. I can’t fight it while dangling on the wire. First I have to move out of this shaft. No, it will be quicker to descend to the bottom based on my location.’
Ark grabbed the wire attached to the rail. He could tell the monster was quickly descending. He kept on hearing gunshots and screams and he couldn’t tell how many members were left. No, Ark couldn’t do anything even if he grasped that fact.
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant.”
Ark moved his arm like crazy and climbed down the wire.
-Dammit! This…..heok! T-this is unbelievable!
‘This voice is? Clark! It is Clark!’
Ark flinched and looked up.
–Dammit! Alan, run away! Bring it on you bastard! I am Clark of the Phoenix squad!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Clark’s scream could be heard as an explosion occurred above him. Then no more screams or gunshots could be heard. Clark was the member that escaped just before Ark! It meant that thing descending had slaughtered all the members of the squad.
“Oh my god….how is this….in such a short time…..”
Ark looked up the shaft and stuttered.
Dudududu! Dudududu!
There was a moment of hesitation before that ‘thing’ roared again. The explosion this time was only 15 metres away from Ark. And Ark was still dangling from the wire. When considering the speed it was impossible for Ark to run away!
“Damn…..of all things…..a place like this…..”
Ark looked up with a hopeless look. And after a while he could see a black shadow incoming.
Susususu!
Then something wound around Ark’s ankle.
Space 4
In the X…..
“What…..what the? Wah!”
Ark cried out as something wrapped around his ankle. Something had emerged from a vent in the wall to wind around his ankle. Then there was an increased sense of power as his ankle was tugged and grabbing onto the rail with both hands couldn’t stop him from being sucked into the vent.
“Ugh! Don’t make me laugh! I won’t go that easily! Fading Steel-II!”
The side of his bag automatically opened and Fading Steel-II emerged. Ark who was dragged into the vent turned his body with a pleasant smile. And he aimed the muzzle at the guy pulling him inside.
–Don’t be a fool. Do you want to die?
“Heok! Such a thing! Y-you…..”
-Shhh! Be quiet!
He (?) approached and covered Ark’s mouth.
Dudududu! Dudududu!
At that time a loud roar was heard from outside the vent. It sounded like the mystery creature that attacked the Phoenix members! It was the sound of something crashing into the ground at a tremendous speed. His heart really jumped as he hid in the small vent from the ghastly monster. Then he heard the sound of snapping from below. And signs that the monster was getting further away. Judging from the sounds heard, the monster seemed to have hit the bottom of the elevator shaft and entered the 5th floor.
–We somehow managed to avoid it.
A sighing voce was heard from behind him. Ark’s mouth was then unblocked and he was asked.
–Who are you?
That was what Ark wanted to ask. Well he survived thanks to that guy dragging him into the vent but he still wanted to ask. However Ark could already grasp 50% of the person’s identity. Surprisingly the person in the small vent was a Charenjok! The octopus type alien Charenjok. How did the octopus…..a question appeared in his head.
“Are you one of the Charenjok who disappeared from the prohibited area?”
–Prohibited area! Where did you hear that from?
The octopus grabbed Ark’s collar and shouted.
“I asked Elder Bakum of the Charenjok who lives near the lake.”
–Bakum? You met Elder Bakum?
“Yes, he is the reason why I entered Charem. I’m very friendly with the Charenjok. While visiting the northern lake, I managed to encounter the Charenjok living there. I heard from the elder that Charenjok have gone missing in the prohibited area and I requested to investigate the area. Then I was swept into Charem while investigating.”
-That’s right. Is that how you managed to obtain the Charenjok’s token?
“Eh? How do you know that…..?”
Ark’s eyes widened. He had a battle with the Sufferers before riding the elevator. He had used the Charenjok’s token and then placed it in his bag. So how did the octopus know about the Charenjok’s token? The octopus removed his hands and sighed.
–It is like you said. I’m a Charenjok who went missing from the prohibited area.
“I didn’t think the Charenjok were still alive.”
–Heh, I also thought I was dead when I was sucked into that black hole. But…..you must’ve seen it as well if you came through the black hole. The net spread in front of the huge drain. I was caught in the net and captured by the androids in charge of those facilities. And…..I was given this.
The octopus pointed to a collar around his neck with a bitter expression. The black ring fastened tightly had an octopus head and 8 characters carved on it.
–This makes it so I can’t leave the designated area. If I try to take it off or step over the boundaries then it will explode. In other words, these collars are evidence of slaves. Elder Bakum refused to seek asylum with the federation and chose to live in the Outlands. I was caught as a slave but I would rather choose death. But I couldn’t risk all the colleagues with me dying.
“Colleagues? Then all the Charenjok that disappeared in the prohibited area are alive?”
–Yes, all the Charenjok that didn’t encounter the lobsters in the prohibited area are still alive. Lord Java turned us into slaves and made us clean the pipes of this place.
The octopus sighed with a depressed expression. Once again, the octopuses were really a species optimized to clean pipes as proven on R-14. Their flexible body meant they could enter everywhere and they had the ability to heal minor wounds. It seemed they were forced to clean plumbing no matter where they went. It was a cursed ability.
–I was living as a slave with no chance to escape when this happened suddenly. A black spirit spread after people died…..and they became alive again. It was the appearance of the Sufferers.
“Do you know why it spread?”
–I don’t know. It just happened all of a sudden. The dead woke up and started killing others and the infection spread. Lord Java and some people managed to escape but I was stuck here. The area my collar is set to is the central control tower. Therefore I’m confined to this tower unless I want my head to explode. But the pipes don’t spread throughout the whole building. And nobody knows the pipes as well as I do. I managed to avoid the damage by hiding in the pipes. I was going around to check the situation when I discovered you on the 4th floor.
“4th floor?”
Ark asked with a frown. He was reminded of something. After a battle he was resting while raising his hacking proficiency when he felt something strange. That strange feeling had occurred on the 4th floor.
“Then when I felt like I was being watched……”
–It was me. I saw the Charenjok’s token on your head at that time.
“Then why didn’t you say something?”
–You were with the soldier belonging to Lord Java. You might’ve had the Charenjok’s token but I didn’t know who you were and what purpose you came here for. So I thought I would follow you secretly and watch for a while. I missed you when you entered the elevator but then I heard the deafening roar. Therefore I entered the vent to check the situation.
This was the process the octopus went through to help Ark.
-Now it is your turn. How did you end up with Java’s soldiers when you were sucked into the black hole like us?
“I managed to escape outside the water tank and accidentally met them. Their purpose is to recapture the management system at the top of this building to release the seal. I can’t escape from here until the seal is released so I accompanied them.”
-So that’s what happened.
“But the thing that attacked my colleagues and I…..what is it?”
–I don’t know. I know it is a huge being different from the other things inside here but I haven’t seen it directly. I don’t even dare approach it.
‘Certainly…..’
He understood that feeling. Ark had gasped with fear hanging inside that dark shaft as he heard it approaching him. It was obviously something with a high level. It really felt like when watching a horror movie and then a ghost like Sadako jumped out of the TV. The atmosphere itself was frightening. It was the same in this case.
‘I only survived thanks to the Charenjok…..’
-Multiple Communication Network
Network Name: Phoenix Channel: 1 main connection)
Connection Staff: 0
Ark sighed as he saw the Nymphe screen. The multiple communication network was like a chat room system where team members could communicate with each other. There was a distance restriction but he could communicate with all members connected to the channel. But currently there were 0 people connected. If he considered the previous situation then the only possible situation was that they all died.
‘I’m left alone in a place like this……’
The control tower was infested with Sufferers and he had to get to the top by himself. Once again, this was the original outbreak site. The Sufferers in this area showed the symptoms first so they were higher level. And a huge, unidentified monster wandering around this place was many times more dangerous. The thought of being left alone in this place made him gloomy. Right now the chances of survival wasn’t high.
‘In addition, there is all the loot on the Guardian that I collected!’
The Phoenix were wiped out so he could look for it. If he sold all the items in the Guardian then he could get 10 gold for it! But they were items that he went around for 3 days collecting without any breaks. The thought of all that japtem flying away…..
‘No, that isn’t the problem now!’
Ark sighed and shook his head. The Phoenix’s main duty was to recapture the management system. If that mission was accomplished then he would have to wait in Charem until he died. It wasn’t the time to worry about japtem. But the Phoenix members he trusted were killed in battle. Judging from the environment around him, Ark was currently on the 10th floor. Ark had no choice but to climb the remaining 30 floors by himself.
‘The elevator that connected to the 39th floor was smashed….that means I have to climb 30 floors infested with Sufferers. This isn’t a place where Sufferers would gather together like in the contaminated areas…..but I’m still climbing 30 floors alone.’
Currently Ark could only deal with 3~4 Sufferers at once. Of course this wasn’t an open place like the city so he could avoid facing dozens of opponents at once. But there was no guarantee he wouldn’t find more than 4 while going up the 30 floors. Furthermore, it had taken the Phoenix members 1 and a half days to move 5 floors. When he was alone he would need to pay attention to avoid being attacked by more than 3~4 Sufferers. He couldn’t guess how long it would take him to reach the top. The probability of success was only 10%. This quest was already almost finished since he lost the Phoenix squad.
‘But that doesn’t mean it is impossible!’
Ark finished organizing his thoughts and asked the octopus.
“Do you know the complete layout of all the pipes in this place?”
-Sadly.
“Could you tell me the layout? Like I said before, the reason I came here was to win back the management system. If the pipes connect to the management system then this problem can be settled.”
The octopus had survived for 1 month in the Sufferer infested central tower. It meant the pipes was a relatively safe place. The long, deformed limbs of the Sufferer meant they couldn’t navigate through the narrow pipes. In other words, if he moved through the pipes then he didn’t need to worry about surprise attacks from the Sufferers.
‘If I can reach the top floor with the pipes……’
–I don’t care about what happens to Charem.
The octopus replied in a testy voice. He grasped the collar around his neck as he said.
–Lord Java is the one who made me a slave. So why should I worry about his city? Although I’m now living in the pipes, it isn’t that different from my normal life.
“But you won’t be able to endure this situation for long.”
–I guess. My food is already running out. But if the management system isn’t recaptured then won’t Java also die? Therefore I don’t care if I die. I’d rather die with Java then to live like a slave.
‘This damn octopus!’
Ark angrily stared at the octopus. But he could also understand the octopus’ words. If Ark accidentally entered Charem and was captured as a slave then he wouldn’t be able to endure it either. Like the octopus said, he wouldn’t be free even if Charem was saved.
‘Is there a way to convince him?’
Then something Ark forgot about popped into his head.
“Wasn’t another group of Charenjok dragged here a while ago?”
–Other Charenjok? Another group of Charenjok disappeared in the prohibited area?
“Yes, that’s why Elder Bakum wanted me to investigate the prohibited area. We assume that some young Charenjok went looking for their parents in the prohibited area and disappeared. I actually thought the children were dead until I met you just now. But if other Charenjok survived then there is a possibility that the children are alive. If the android managing the water facilities captured them then Java might’ve turned them into slaves. Maybe Java brought them into the safe zone or they might be held somewhere in the water facilities.”
–T-that!
The octopus’ heads turned red hot. He was upset. Ark looked at the octopus and continued.
“If Charem’s problem isn’t solved then those children might end up as the Sufferer’s prey. One of them might be your child.”
–I-I am a bachelor!
The octopus snapped angrily. Ark had misunderstood. But he just continued talking without any signs of embarrassment.
“But they are children. If Charem is left in this state then they would 100% turn into Sufferers. In this situation you need to save Charem no matter how unscrupulous Java is. No, I’ll personally persuade Java to release everybody. You know that I have the Charenjok’s token. Please believe me.”
-Uhh…..
The octopus nodded.
–I can’t pretend after hearing such words. I understand. I will help. But I can’t enter the place with the management system either. That’s because this collar doesn’t allow me to go beyond the 39th floor. If I try to climb anymore then POP…..you understand? In addition, there are a large number of security devices on the 39th floor. But I know someone that might be able to help.
“Someone who might help?”
–Come along.
The octopus nodded and turned around before suddenly asking.
–I am called Tuntun. You are?
“I……”
Ark smiled and replied.
“I am Ark. I’m a friend of the Charenjok.”
————————————————————
“This place is?”
He followed Tuntun for a long time. The long pipes finally ended and a wide space appeared. Several hundred pipes crisscrossed in a complicated pattern 20 metres above the wide space.
–I found this place while living here. This is a hiding spot for the Charenjok that Java doesn’t know about. And now…..the Sufferers also doesn’t know about it? We took advantage of this place to hide from the Sufferers.
Tuntun said as he indicated to 30 octopuses. They were the octopuses that had gone missing from the prohibited area. However, there weren’t just octopuses in this hiding spot. A translucent shiny mass shaped like a slime was a NPC? A monster? Anyway, those things were running around this place.
“What is that?”
–Is this the first time you’ve seen it? It is a life form called the Mumu. They are a primeval being living on different planets in the galaxy for millions of years. But they have almost no intelligence.
Tuntun was a surprisingly well informed octopus.
“Why are they here?”
–It has a habit of going around and eating whatever is on the ground. So Java decided to catch a few of them. Anyplace that they move over will become clean. They are a substitution for robot cleaners. Well, it is no different from us being turned into exclusive pipe cleaners. Those guys received the same treatment…..anyway, their circumstances were similar so they also moved to this hidden spot. We tried but we only managed to save 3. Originally there were 100 of them but they were caught by the Sufferers.
A slime like alien life. It was abrupt but there really were many types of guys out there. While Ark was looking at the Mumu strangely, some octopuses approached and asked.
–Tuntun hyung-nim, who did you come with?
–I’ll explain later. Where is that guy?
–That guy? Do you mean Jay?
–I saw Jay around that corner just now……
Ark stared at the place that the octopus indicated.
“Is the useful person that Mumu?”
The octopus had pointed towards a huge Mumu in the corner.
–Not that!
Tuntun suddenly yelled and ran up to the huge Mumu.
–This guy again! Shoo! Shoo! Go away! This guy isn’t for you to eat!
The octopus kicked out and the Mumu immediately moved to the side. Then a man was shown. The man wore a white robe and couldn’t stop trembling. Tuntun slapped his cheeks and shouted.
–Hey! Wake up! Gather your spirit!
“Ohhh…..”
The man painfully lifted his eyelids. The eyes looked around idly before staring with surprise at Tuntun.
“W-who? Tuntun? Why…..?
–It’s me. You were almost eaten by the Mumu just now.
“Hu…. I’m a goner….. I can’t lift a finger anymore….. Then I don’t mind being eaten by another life form…… Yes…..I won’t die…… I’ll be born anew in another life form…..huhuhu.”
–Stop talking nonsense and wake up! The person you’re waiting for has come!
“I-I…..person? Who?”
The man raised his body and looked around restlessly. Then he ran up to Ark and shook his shoulder.
“Food! Do you have something to eat? This is a request! It doesn’t matter if it is fermented soybean paste as long as I can put it in my mouth!”
He was puzzled when the man suddenly ran up but now Ark could understand almost all the circumstances. Tuntun and the Charenjok could avoid the Sufferers in the pipes but it wasn’t a good situation. This wasn’t simply because they were confined. The Charenjok could navigate through the pipes in order to gather food. If they travelled through the control tower then they could obtain 3~4 food a day. It needed to be split between 30 octopuses so of course they would starve. In fact Tuntun was looking for food on the 4th floor when he discovered Ark. But the Charenjok was a species surprisingly good at fuel efficiency. Their satiety fell at a much lower rate compared to other species. In comparison, Jay’s satiety fell quickly and he was in a critical condition and lost all of his spirit. But Ark didn’t exactly have food. While the Phoenix members possessed abundant supplies, Ark wanted to raise the proficiency of Steel Stomach so he only stocked fish in his bag.
“If you don’t mind something like this…..”
Ark pulled out a Bellos’ egg.
“Ah! F-food! I’m going to eat! Ohhhh!”
Jay snatched the egg and swallowed it. And…..
“Phew, I’m alive! But what type of egg is this? Was this egg bio-engineered to be huge? Some planets….ugh! T-this….all of a sudden…..huh? Did I eat the egg of a Bellos? Ahuk! T-then…..ik! Ik! I-it is coming out! Ack! P-please excuse me for a moment. P-please…..ugh! No more!”
Ark quickly retreated. He had already guessed what would happen. Ark and the Charenjok all turned their heads away! Once again, most of the ingredients in the Outlands were toxic so they caused stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea etc. Ark wasn’t affected thanks to Steel Stomach but to the NPC it was like drinking expired milk! Ark would only get a stomach ache but the NPC……
Bujik! Bujik! Bujijik!
It was an embarrassing scene that was hard to describe. Although it was better to be embarrassed than to starve and die.
“Phew, I’m sorry to show you a sight like that. Anyway, I’m alive thanks to you.”
Jay smiled awkwardly and lifted his pants.
“By the way, I didn’t think I would see a person here. Are you part of the rescue team sent by Java?”
“It was a rescue team but……”
Ark ignored the pile of X in the corner and explained the circumstances. The expectations on Jay’s face changed to despair.
“All of the squad members are dead?”
“Probably…..”
“Phoenix…..I’ve heard of them. They are a multinational mercenary unit hired by Java. I heard that their skills are the best among the Charem guards…..if even the Phoenix members died…..it is the end. Dammit, do I have no choice but to die here? Ohh!”
Jay looked around with a hopeless expression.
“But I haven’t given up yet.”
Ark replied in a firm voice.
“If I manage to retake the management system at the top then the problem of Charem will be solved. Fortunately Tuntun knows the complete structure of the pipes in the control tower. But Tuntun only knows up to the 39th floor. And I heard there are a lot of security devices that are hard to bypass without a special security card. Like I said, I don’t have contact with Kalbern who possesses the special security card anymore. Tuntun told me that you could help with this matter.”
“Ah, that’s right!”
Jay suddenly raised his head at Ark’s words. He raised his body with a determined expression and replied in a calm voice.
“Yes. In fact I am the supervisor of the research institute in Charem!”
Tutudung!
Jay’s identity was becoming clear! Just now he had placed the X in the corner and…..Jay belatedly realized it and tried to make some excuses.
“No…..I’m not always like this. I’m full of intelligence…..I’m a person who leads with my charisma. W-what’s with those eyes? You don’t believe it? What is that? It is true. I’m like an aristocrat when I’m in the laboratory. Tuntun, say something. Eek? Y-you don’t believe me either? Y-yes. I’m not an aristocrat. But…..no, that’s not it. It couldn’t be helped. There was no toilet. I mean…..yes, I’m sorry. Please don’t spread any rumours.”
But Ark had no interest in Jay’s X or anything else. Ark was only concerned about how Jay could help with the quest.
“Can you help me?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. The top floor. Yes, you want to go to the top floor? I can help you with that problem. Like I said, I am Charem’s head of research.”
Jay’s laboratory was located on the 40th floor where the management system also was. When the biohazard occurred, Jay took refuge in the laboratory with the other researchers because it had high level security. They avoided the Sufferers thanks to the security but the researchers there starved to death. Once all the researchers starved to death, Jay finally tried a desperate escape attempt. He escaped using the elevator on the 39th floor that the Phoenix members used. Just before he was found by Sufferers, he was discovered by Tuntun and rescued.
“When an emergency situation occurs, all the passages on the top floor are automatically blocked off. So the Sufferers also can’t enter the 40th floor. The problem is that an A level security card is required to release the security on that floor. Tuntun knows the safe route to the 39th floor and you only need to rise one more floor to the laboratory. There will be no difficulty heading to the management system from the laboratory.”
“Can you give me the security card?”
“Of course.”
‘There is hope!’
A light seemed to shine after Jay’s answer. Jay then became confused after looking through his pockets.
“Eh? Eh? Eh? W-where is it? I had it when I came here?”
–What are you saying? You’ve lost the security card?
Tuntun glared angrily and Jay shook his head with a pale face.
“Ah, no. That is impossible. I had it just now. Yes, it was clearly in my pocket when I fell asleep just then. It is obviously somewhere here. Obviously….heok! I found it! Inside that guy! That guy ate it while I was sleeping!”
Jay shouted as he pointed to the Mumu. Just like Jay said, a rectangular object like a card floated in the transparent Mumu. Jay yanked his hair after seeing the card inside the Mumu.
“Ugh! No! That is plastic! It will melt!”
–So stupid! Don’t you know how important that card is?
Tuntun looked around desperately and shouted at the octopuses.
–Catch that guy! If that card is damaged then it is all over! Make him spit it out!
The octopuses had listened to their conversation so they knew how important this matter was. The octopuses all stampeded over to the Mumu after hearing Tuntun’s words. They turned the Mumu upside down and even kicked the stomach but the Mumu didn’t budge.
‘Dammit, this is…..’
Ark looked at the scene with amazement. He had finally seen a light of hope in the darkness only to discover that the key was inside the Mumu’s stomach. If this card was lost then he was screwed!
‘I have to make that guy vomit out the card no matter what!’
Ark was about to take out his sword. Then the pile of X caught his eye.
‘Yes, there is that method!’
“Please open the Mumu’s mouth!”
Ark shouted as he ran towards the Mumu. And the octopus pulled down one side of the Mumu’s mouth! Ark took out a Bellos’ egg from his bag and placed it in the mouth. This was the method he came up with after seeing Jay’s X! He made the Mumu eat the Bellos’ egg so that it would make X. But unlike Jay, the Mumu seemed to have no reaction to the egg.
‘Damn, is that guy’s stomach really sturdy? But let’s see how much it can take!’
Ark shoved the Bellos’ egg and fish in to the Mumu’s mouth. Soon the Mumu’s body swelled up like a balloon!
Bujajajajak!
An absurd amount of X poured out. And…..
-You have acquired the <A class security card>
‘Damn, it is really messy…..’
Ark could finally obtain the security card. He didn’t want to explain exactly how he obtained the security guard. Let’s just say that it really was a dirty method. But this was a game! The X and Y were only graphics…..if he thought of it like that then he could endure it. Anyway, he managed to obtain the security card.
-You have acquired <Bullets (12) x 2>
-You have acquired <Armour Piercing Bullets (12) x 2>
-You have acquired <Low level mechanical parts x5>……
Various miscellaneous things were mixed in the X along with the security card. The Mumu digested everything but it couldn’t digest metal objects like bullets or machine parts. It was truly an economical NPC that could pick up metal to recycle it. After the trouble the Mumu probably went around the control tower and ate the items that the guards dropped.
‘Then the other Mumu might also have items.’
Ark’s eyes naturally turned towards the other 2 Mumu. Kalbern replenished his bullets every time a battle ended but there was a limit to how much he could obtain for free. The bullets were gone after it hit someone so there weren’t a lot of bullets remaining. If the bullets completely disappeared before arriving at the management system then the combat power would be cut.
‘Dirty…..it is dirty but…..’
Bullets were the lifeline on the battlefield! So he did that! Even though it was dirty!
Bujajajak! Bujajajak!
He fed the remaining 2 Mumu. He looked through the pile of mechanical parts in the X.
‘Eh? This is…..?’
Something he hadn’t considered was mixed in the X. The item in the pile of X…..
Space 5
Curse VS Curse
“Jackpot!”
Ark’s eyes shone as he exclaimed. Ark was standing in a place lined with cabinets. The reason Ark was in this storehouse…..he had to go back 3 hours.
-You have acquired the plumbing information about the central control tower from Tuntun.
<Your Nymphe has been updated with the plumbing information about the central control tower>
“Okay.”
Ark grinned and nodded. After gathering all the items from the Mumu’s X, he received a thorough education in the control tower’s plumbing information. Once the map of the central control tower was revealed, he discovered another route that didn’t involve the elevator on the 5th floor. It was a secret passage in plumbing of the central control tower.
–Is it really okay to go by yourself?
Tuntun wanted to accompany him but Ark respectfully declined. The octopuses didn’t have any combat power. So it was more convenient for Ark to act alone. Ark climbed into the pipe again after finishing everything in the octopuses’ lair. The pipe was so narrow that he had to crouch his body so that he could finally enter. But Ark was the supervisor of the pipe cleaning group on R-14.
Susak! Susak! Susak! Susak!
Ark crossed the pipe at a speed that wasn’t inferior to the octopuses.
‘I expected it but it really is no joke.’
When he looked through the gaps a lot of Sufferers caught his eye. He couldn’t be relieved even if he was in the pipe. The Sufferers responded to sound. Every time there was a sound in the pipe the Sufferers would respond and scratch at the wall nearby. And they always looked around restlessly for 3~4 minutes. It made him freeze! He would lie like the dead inside the pipe and not move a finger.
‘I can’t be hasty. I don’t know what will happen if the Sufferers discover I’m in the pipe.’
It took him 13 days to reach Charem. If he made a mistake because of his impatience then he would never get all that time back. The most imperative thing was to get to the management system on the 40th floor…..or at least that’s what he thought……
‘I can’t pretend I didn’t see this even if it is an emergency!’
Ark looked at the key in his hands with shining eyes.
-<39F First Guard Battalion Armoury Key>
This was the item he found in the Mumu’s X!
-What? This brat, when did he pick up something like this?
“Well I’m not familiar with it but the guard quarters and armoury is near the stairs that leads form the 39th floor to the 40th floor. This key should belong to the captain of the guards…..maybe he is in the shape of a Sufferer somewhere.”
Tuntun and Jay both said. But those words didn’t enter Ark’s ear. Armoury…..so it was a weapons storehouse. Looking at the present situation, there was no way a lot of weapons would be piled up in the armoury. The guards must’ve taken the weapons when the Sufferers first attacked. But even in this situation. No, in this situation it was impossible for the armoury to be empty.
‘A key obtained in this method wouldn’t just be decorative. This is a game. If I found the key in a place like this then it is impossible for the armoury to be empty.’
Ark’s guess was correct. He finally arrived at the 39th floor after 3 hours of crawling through the pipe. Because of security problems, there wasn’t a separate pipe on the 39th floor that reached the 40th floor. If he hadn’t found the key then he would’ve gone up to the 40th floor via the stairs immediately. But Ark submitted to the risk and searched around the stairs before discovering the armoury. In fact, he had been frustrated when he first entered the armoury. The cabinets that filled the room were open and empty. However there were still boxes piled up on one side filled with bullets! Right now bullets were one of his most important supplies! But Ark hadn’t come here for bullets.
‘No, I don’t know yet. Not all the guards would’ve realized and collected their weapons. There might be one weapon remaining.’
He thought like that and started searching the armoury for 10 minutes. He managed to find 2 items left in the gap between the cabinet and the floor.
-Fire Eagle P-40 (Magic)
Item Type: Shotgun (One handed, Two handed) Wearer Restriction: Level 65, all professions
Attack: 20~65 Firing Rate: 3.00 Sec
Durability: 80/80 Number of Ammunition: 5
The Fire Eagle P-40 is a shotgun designed to divide the bullet into 10 fragments. The splintered bullets would spread out to attack all enemies in front in a wide area attack. However, the splintering of the bullet means the damage won’t be as high. The range is 5 metres and the damage will be extremely weak after that distance.
The Fire Eagle P-40 is a small firearm but it unleashes havoc in close combat. Try to hit the enemy’s head from a close range. All the accumulated stress from the battle will be released.
<When using both hands success rate +30%, effect will be applied to all enemies within 5 metres>
-RPG PW-600 (Magic)
Item Type: Rocket Launcher (Two handed)
Wearer Restriction: Level 70, Heavy Armour affiliate
Attack: 200~350 Firing Rate: 10.50 Sec
Durability: 50/50 Number of Ammunition: 1
The rocket launcher is a personal firearm that boasts the strongest firepower. The PW-600 is an RPG that will show an effective performance, especially when used by the armed forces of the galactic federation. The RW-600 will deal 40% splash damage to all enemies within a 15 metre radius of the landing force and will inflict panic for 5 seconds.
Regular infantry with and heavily armoured troops will be like a paper doll in front of you. You who selected the PW-600! There is a possibility that you will become a hero of the battlefield!
<Has a half-homing function. Hit rate + 50%>
Shotgun and RPG! The shotgun and RPG were both weapons that belonged to the expensive category. The magic items were a minimum of 150 gold! He had found 2 such weapons. Although the RPG PW-600 couldn’t be used because of the restriction on body coating, the Fire Eagle P-40 was something he could use immediately! He also got the required shotgun bullets from the Mumu’s X and the armoury. Searching through the Mumu’s X was worth it.
“I was able to obtain 2 weapons and bullets from finding the key in the Mumu’s X. I had felt gloomy when the Phoenix members died but luck has followed. No, that’s not it.”
Ark shook his head.
“I can’t lose my spirit in a place like this. The RPG and shotgun is an unexpected profit but not worth struggling for 13 days. My goal is the quest reward! And the quest completion is in sight. This is the time when I have to be the most careful. If I make a mistake then I’ll be killed. One small mistake will undo all my efforts of the last 13 days. I can’t relax until this quest is finished.”
It wasn’t simply a matter of attitude. If Ark was an ordinary warrior then he couldn’t help feeling too excited. However, Ark wasn’t an ordinary warrior. He was a warrior focused on survival above anything else. And his survivor’s ability needed 100% concentration!
“Stealth.”
Ark said as he took a deep breath. Then his skin gradually became invisible. The bending of light to make his body invisible was a Survival coating skill! Like Binding Sword and Mind Shield, Stealth was a skill that required concentration. Therefore composure was needed to ensure his survival.
Kuaaaaah!
The moment Ark opened the door of the armoury! The horribly distorted faces of Sufferers were all around him.
“Ugh!”
-Your concentration has been disturbed and stealth mode is released!
……Ark’s concentration didn’t even last for 1 second. It was reasonable. Who would’ve expected that the Sufferers would be right in front of the armoury? But even in this bad situation, he was Ark!
“Dammit, take this! Fire Eagle P-40!”
Ark quickly took out the shotgun and fired.
Pepepeng-!
Flames started spewing out! The muzzle placed against the Sufferer’s chest exploded and threw it into the wall.
‘T-this is more than I thought…..’
Ark eyed the Fire Eagle. He thought it was quite a good gun when he read the information widow. But he only discovered the real value after using the weapon. And the result was beyond imagination. The Sufferers health only decreased by 10% when he got a head shot but the Sufferer lost 20% when hit by the shotgun. Just like the information window said, it felt like all his stress was flying away! In fact, it was the inevitable result. Fading Steel was a level 20 weapon and despite Impact Blade being a unique weapon, it was still only level 30. But the Fire Eagle was a level 65 firearm. It was also a weapon that maximized damage in close range. The damage of Fading Steel and the Impact Blade couldn’t be compared to the shotgun. As expected, the basic requirement in RPG games was equipment! This scene just confirmed that truth. Ark handled the shotgun with a happy smile.
Kieeeeeeek!
Now wasn’t the time for this. Other Sufferers had shrieked and gathered after hearing the sound of gunfire. Including the Sufferer slammed into the wall, there were now 4 of them rushing at a tremendous speed.
‘I can win against 4 of them with the Fire Eagle but……’
The central control tower was infested with Sufferers. He didn’t realize the extent when moving with the Phoenix members but it was obvious when crawling through the pipes. In other words, it was like he had been left stranded in the middle of a herd of Sufferers. More Sufferers would eventually come.
‘I can’t fight blindly in a place like this. Fortunately I’m right next to the stairs going up to the 40th floor. And Jay’s lab is not far from the stairs. Jay previously managed to escape from the Sufferers by hiding in his lab. If I enter the lab then I can escape the Sufferers’ pursuit!’
Ark’s body automatically moved after he had the thought. Ark ran like lightning through the Sufferers while pulling the trigger. 10 pieces of the bullet exploded all over the place. It wasn’t concentrated on one place but the damage was enough to make the Sufferers flinch. Ark ran towards the stairs with all his power.
“Dammit!”
Ark’s guess was correct. 4 Sufferers were running down the stairs when he turned the corner. One of them discovered Ark and ran up to him.
Pepepepeng!
The Sufferer was hit by the bullet and blown away.
‘Considering the distance and power of the shotgun, that should’ve done 40% damage. But there is no meaning in defeating just one. Right now it is imperative to reach the lab. I have to save my bullets. The shotgun also takes a long time to reload. It will be the end if the bullets run out!’
Then a Sufferer swung its claws at him.
‘There is no time to avoid it!’
“Mind Shield!”
Ark triggered the Mind Shield and placed his muzzle to its stomach. Once again the Sufferer flew back several metres after he pulled the trigger. Ark grabbed the railing of the stairs and jumped up.
Woooooo!
There was a weird sound as he entered the 40th floor. It was the voices of the Sufferers running through the dark hallways towards him. But Ark wasn’t interested in them anymore.
‘The second hallway on the left!’
Jay had told him the layout of the 40th floor. No, he only drew the route to the laboratory. He turned his body and ran in that direction when there was a gunfire and sparks hit the wall and floor. Blocking the passage was a Sufferer holding a rifle that had probably been a guard from the 40th floor. But that didn’t stop Ark. The narrow corridor made it hard to avoid the bullets and there were 10 Sufferers behind him.
‘If I stop then I’ll die!’
“Shield!”
A blue shield rose from his wrist. It was Bhurad’s shield that he hadn’t used in a while. Bhurad’s shield blocked the bullets aiming for his head and chest as Ark rushed forward. Sparks rose and the level 10 shield broke after a few seconds. And even the Mind Shield with 250 durability broke from the Sufferer’s attack. He lost a huge amount of health in an instant.
‘Just a little more! A little more! A bit more! Now!’
“Damn, eat this!”
Ark cursed and grabbed a grenade. He pulled out the safety pin and threw it with all his strength.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a roar and the Sufferer flew in every direction. Ark wasn’t entirely safe. He was caught in the explosion and lost 10% health while flying back a little bit. But that was Ark’s intent. The moment the blast occurred, Ark rolled up from the ground and fired the machine gun. Of course that wasn’t all.
Pepepepeng!
It grazed them from groin to chest. The Sufferer was tossed to the ceiling while its crotch became ragged. When the Sufferer aimed its gun at him, Ark smiled pleasantly and dropped to the ground. The bullets collided with the Sufferers chasing him.
“Nice!”
Ark cheered as the Sufferers fell like bowling pins. And a close metal door caught his eye when he turned around. It was the laboratory Jay mentioned. Ark immediately swiped the security card at the terminal next to the door. Then a message flashed on the screen of the terminal.
-The security card has been confirmed.
The administrator privileges is being authenticated…..
“Dammit! Is this a 486 computer? Work quicker!”
Ark tapped his foot and exclaimed. The Sufferers were regrouping.
“Damn it! This is the last…..”
Ark turned and lifted the Fire Eagle. At the same time the door of the lab opened. Ark pulled the trigger as the front Sufferers were hit and then ran into the lab. And the Sufferer at the rear lifted a machine gun! Ark pressed the switch for the door.
Pushu-!
-Operation of the door lock has been confirmed. It is locked.
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant.”
Ark leaned against the door and gasped. There was the sound of the Sufferers firing and clawing at the door but it was no use. The lab that Ark entered was protected by an A class security device. It was made with several layers of steel and superalloys so not even C-6 or RPGs would break it…..that’s what Jay said.
‘That was close.’
When he checked he only had 30% health left. He had lost 70% health even when using Mind Shield and Bhurad’s shield. If it hadn’t been for the shield then he would’ve been eaten by the Sufferers.
‘Anyway, now I can be relieved. I still need to get to the management system but for now I can catch my breath.’
Ark manipulated his Nymphe after taking a rest.
“Phew Jay-nim, I’ve just arrived at the lab.”
–I-is that true?
Jay’s glad voice came from the Nymphe. Before leaving the Charenjok’s shelter, Ark had exchanged recognition codes with Jay. He had heard about the structure of the 39th and 40th floors but there were too many variables he couldn’t understand.
–I honestly didn’t expect much but you’re amazing!
He didn’t expect much? Then Jay thought he was going to die?
-Anyway, now you are 90% successful. If you go exit the door on the other side then it is the control room with the management system. Usually there are no people in the control room. The security devices are all operated automatically. So there shouldn’t be any Sufferers in that area. If you use the security card I gave you then everything should be okay. He gave…..
That was so condescending.
‘It’s true that I managed to reach here thanks to Jay’s security card. Anyway, Jay said there should be no Sufferers near the control room but I can’t just walk there blindly. I only have one life. So I need to be careful. I only have 2 recovery ampoules remaining.’
Ark reloaded the Fire Eagle and looked around. There were various monitors all over the place and it was divided into several areas with partitions. And bodies were scattered all over the place. The researchers had starved and died when they were locked inside the lab to escape the Sufferers. Ark decided to snoop around the lab.
‘Eh? What is that?’
A large rock was placed in a circular space in the centre of the lab. It was oval shaped like an egg and approximately 3 metres in size. It was an opaque, black rock with something that looked like ice or crystal on it. Various types of devices to study the rock were attached to it.
“What is that?”
–What? What did you say?
“A rock that looks like the egg in the centre of the lab.”
–A rock that looks like an egg? Ah, that. I don’t understand it well either. It was something that Java purchased before this situation occurred. I heard it was a meteorite that fell on some planet. But doesn’t there appear to be something in the rock? There are letters carved on the surface of the rock. It is clearly not an ordinary meteorite. So it was moved to the lab to be examined. Please don’t touch it. It is expensive.
‘Letters carved on the surface?’
Ark tilted his head and approached the rock. He couldn’t see it from the front but the angle of light changed when he approached. Embossed characters could be seen on the surface. Ark narrowed his eyes and looked at the characters without specifically thinking anything.
‘T-this is…..?’
Ark had seen those characters inscribed on the rock before. He had seen these bizarre shapes in the pyramid underneath Beltana. And it was carved on the slab that the treasure hunter Milan found. It was the Murat letters!
‘There’s no doubt about it. This is the Murat letters! Then?’
Ark placed his fingers on the characters with an expectant expression. The Nymphe’s automatic translation function started working and the message appeared.
I am Osiris, the master of eternal life.
The day of ruin passed many months ago…..I left searching for the legacy of the great gods in order to resurrect the species but I couldn’t’ accomplish it and went to sleep. You who have inherited the will of the Murat shall awaken me with the purest light.
This is a warning for those who disturb my sleep without the will of the Murat. Everybody that is vain and greedy will be struck with Osiris’ curse.
‘Murat! It really is the Murat!’
Ark’s heart thumped wildly. He had put of the Murat slab discovered by Milan to find Charem. But who knew he would discover another Murat relic in Charem? He had thought it was a jackpot when he discovered the shotgun and RPG in the armoury.
‘This is different from the slab that Milan found. It is apparent that the Murat left something based on the phrase recorded. The relic wouldn’t be left behind for no reason. There must be something.’
Ark couldn’t just leave something like this alone. No, he wouldn’t get another chance to obtain it after this one.
‘The Sufferers are currently infesting the tower so this is my only chance. If the problem is settled then the control tower will return to Java’s possession. No, I wouldn’t even be allowed into the lab. So now’s the only chance. This is the only time to get the meteorite!’
But there was a part that weighed on his mind. The meteorite was different from the RPG and shotgun he found. Ark was the only person currently in the lab. If the control tower was taken back and the meteorite missing then it was obviously that Ark was behind it. It would be troublesome if Java discovered that he broke the meteorite and took the contents inside.
‘That can’t happen. I need to clean this up.’
Ark thought for a while before saying.
“But why is this thing broken? Did you do that?”
–Broken? Such a thing? It was perfectly fine when I escaped from the lab. The lab was also closed so the Sufferers also won’t be able to enter.
“I don’t know either.”
–Damn, there was still a lot I wanted to learn.
The method Ark came up with was saying ‘I don’t know. It was already like that.’ If Ark said this then Jay had no choice but to believe it. Even if a problem occurred later on, he could use Jay as a witness to insist on his innocence. This was the real value for Ark!
‘Now shall I see what I can get?’
Ark laughed and used his Fire Eagle. However, Ark was so engrossed with setting up an alibi that he forgot about something. The very last part of the phrase carved on the surface of the meteorite was ‘curse.’ In the past he was blinded by the items in the pyramid and fell into a trap……He was so excited by the opportunity that he completely forgot about it. Ark was reminded of those memories shortly after pulling the trigger.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The Fire Eagle spouted tremendous fire power. It was the shotgun that blew the Sufferers back several metres! Ark believed that the rock wouldn’t be able to endure it. However the meteorite didn’t even have one scratch on it.
“What? No matter how hard it is, to not even get one scratch……”
Suddenly the meteorite turned red hot and a thunderous voice was heard in his head.
–You have interfered with my sleep without permission! You shall suffer Osiris’ curse!
“C-curse?”
Ark flinched and retreated. He really couldn’t imagine what happened next. Dozens of light shot up from the meteorite and a blurry object appeared. At first it was a circular object until metal legs emerged and formed a spider! It was the spider that crawled out of the Sufferer’s stomach when it died and carried the zombie virus.
“S-spider? Why all of a sudden?”
Ark burst out with confusion and retreated. The group of spiders that emerged from the light quickly stampeded towards Ark.
-7 damage!
-12 damage!
-9 damage…..
The messages continuously rose in front of him. It only did a maximum of 10 damage. But the 10 spiders bit and clawed at him and he quickly lost 300 health. Ark also penetrated through a dozen Sufferers when rushing to the lab so he only had 30% health left. His health had recovered thanks to a short rest but it managed to go below 50% in 1 minute. He didn’t have time to think about why the spiders appeared.
“Holy shit! N-no!”
Ark suddenly screamed and rolled on the ground. And shot the Fire Eagle at the spiders.
Pepepepeng!
Fortunately the spiders didn’t have a lot of health. Half a dozen spiders melted from the splintered shots.
“Okay. Even if there are dozens…..”
Ujik! Ujik! Ujik! Kwadududuk!
Ark stood up and lifted the Fire Eagle. Then he heard the sound of bone breaking. Ark turned his head and reflexively stiffened. A researcher’s body sitting in a chair started spasming. It was an instant change. The skin started dried out like a mummy and the sound of the bones breaking was the limbs extending.
“Sufferer!”
Ark realized what was happening. The spider was infecting the corpse with the Sufferer virus.
“Oh my god! All the corpses here……”
Ark belatedly realized the situation and looked around desperately. There were 15 bodies in the lab! In order words, the spiders could create 15 Sufferers inside the lab. That was more than the number outside the lab. If that happened then he would totally lose!
Kieeeeeeek!
At that time the mutation into a Sufferer finished. Ark hurriedly pulled out his dagger and drove it into the Sufferer’s mouth. When the Sufferer fell to the ground, Ark placed the muzzle of his gun against the stomach and pulled the trigger.
Pepepepeng!
The Sufferer flew away and grabbed his stomach. But Ark had no time to worry about that Sufferer. There was a bunch of spiders that hadn’t mutated into Sufferers yet. He was more worried about them changing into Sufferers. The spiders were gathering around the researchers’ corpses.
‘It is the end if they all change into Sufferers!’
However, there were still dozens of spiders left. Except for the spiders attached to Ark, others were hidden in hard to get areas like under the desk, in niches and partitions.
Ujik! Ujik! Ujik! Kwadududuk!
Meanwhile another corpse was moving.
‘I made a mistake! There is no way to stop the spiders that have already scattered! I can’t take care of 15 Sufferers even if I wear the battle suit! The only way is to burn the corpses with the flamethrower……’
Ark suddenly raised his head.
‘Wait a minute, corpses? Yes, the corpses! If I get rid of the corpses then I can stop the spiders! And the flamethrower isn’t the only way to get rid of a corpse!’
“Come out! Armour armament!”
Ark jumped up and shouted. At that moment there was a storm and all the spiders attached to him flew of. The space warped and a black, insect like armour appeared. Ark was then covered with the armour. It was his battle suit Hyper Drone that increased all stats by 30%! But Ark had a reason other than the boost in stats to summon the Hyper Drone.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Ikram!”
Ark’s hand drew a complex character in the light. It was the Ikram rune he learnt in the pyramid! Then a hazy shape that looked like the ghost of Anubis appeared in the air. The dog’s head was then sucked into the researcher’s body. Then the researcher’s body started shaking like it was about to explode. And a dog with the head of a person emerged! It was the Hell hound.
“That’s it! It was successful!”
This was the method Ark devised!
“If the corpses are a problem then I should change it into Hell hounds!”
Then the Sufferer that received the shotgun bullet to its stomach came running. But Ark had no interest in the Sufferer anymore. He could see the spiders spreading out behind the Sufferer’s body. Ark was only interested in the Sufferer’s body.
“Those damn spiders, take this!”
Pepepepeng!
Ark fired towards the swarm of spiders around the corpses. While the spiders scattered, he avoided the Sufferer’s attacks and carved a rune in the air.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Ikram!”
Pepeng!
A new Hell hound was created. However, he couldn’t take the counterattack of the spiders lightly. While the Hell hound was being created, a corpse on the other side started being turned into a Sufferer. Ark blindly fired at the spiders and shouted.
“Dammit, Hell hound! What are you standing around looking stupid for? Spider! Attack the spiders that are devouring the offerings to Anubis! Don’t just stand there watching! Stupid! Why aren’t you catching those spiders? Catch the ones approaching the corpses! Run!”
The 2 Hell hounds Ark created ran across the laboratory at Ark’s command. The abilities of the Hell hounds depended on the body that was sacrificed. The corpses that Ark offered were researchers. Their stats would be trivial. But they were still better than the spiders that had been hit by the Fire Eagle.
Grrrr! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!
They might be weaker than people but the cat was better at catching mice. The Hell hound was the same. It would be difficult to catch the spiders if they were hiding underneath the desks and partitions. However, the spiders were desperate to dig into the corpses to transform them into Sufferers. Ark also wasn’t idle.
“Ikram! Ikram! Ikram!”
He rolled around wielding his dagger and Fire Eagle while turning the bodies into Hell hounds. And he ordered the new Hell hounds that emerged to attack the spiders. The Hell hounds chased after the spiders and the Sufferers ran after Ark. Meanwhile he ran around transforming bodies into Hell hounds and attacking the Sufferers…….
‘It’s up to here!’
Ark gasped and raised his head.
-Hyper Drone’s remaining mana: 22%
The battle suit’s mana lasted for 30 minutes but he ran away using Rune Carving and the mana decreased to 22% in just 2 minutes.
‘But……’
Ark had managed to use Ikram 7 times! There were 7 Hell hounds running around in the laboratory. Those 7 Hell hounds ran around and caused the spiders to emit smoke before melting. While the Hell hounds were running around, 5 Sufferers managed to be successfully created. There were still a few corpses but no more spiders.
‘This should be enough!’
Ark stopped using Rune Carving. There was 22% mana left before the battle suit would be recalled. The Hell hounds would also disappear. The Sufferers weren’t increasing anymore so there was no reason to keep them around. But Ark could use the bonus stats and Hell hounds when fighting against the Sufferer.
Pushu-!
-You have used the recovery ampoule loaded on the Nymphe.
<Your health has been restored by 500>
“Now let’s stick!”
Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok
-You have recovered 2 health.
-You have recovered 2 health…..
He used the recovery ampoule! The token was placed on his head! At the same time Ark turned and fired at the Sufferers. The 5 Sufferers pushed aside the desks and chairs and rushed at Ark.
“Sonic Sword!”
The dagger broke through the speed of sound and caused a shock wave. Ark pushed back the first Sufferer and exclaimed.
“Hell hounds! Stop those guys in the back!”
Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Kaekang!
As expected, the Hell hounds created from the bodies of the Sufferers were extremely weak. They seemed incredibly strong when hunting the spiders but were nothing against the Sufferers. One attack would decrease their health by 20%. But he didn’t expect a lot anyway. Ark just wanted to disperse the focus of their attacks. The Hell hounds persistently bit onto their legs despite being kicked. The 7 Hell hounds are tied up 2 Sufferers! It was good enough.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The projectiles shot out by the Fire Eagle exploded instantly. The shotgun caused 20% damage to three Sufferers! Meanwhile the one shot directly in the chest received 50% damage and flew back 10 metres. The claws of the Sufferers attacked from the left and right. But Ark ducked down and the claws just swiped through the air. The Sonic Sword then hit the Sufferer’s ankle, causing it to collapse. Ark then aimed at the head of the Sufferer.
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
The head of the Sufferer blew up like a watermelon and it collapsed. This wasn’t the first Sufferer Ark killed since entering the contaminated area. He joined the Phoenix squad and gained 4 levels travelling through the city and he was level 72 after entering the central control tower. But his growth wasn’t simply in the levels. His experience of fighting against the Sufferers was ingrained into his body. His movements were completely different from the first time he met the Sufferers. He also inadvertently obtained the Fire Eagle!
Kakak! Kakaka! Pepepeng!
Ark relentlessly attacked the possessed Sufferers. His sword split apart bone and flesh while the Fire Eagle’s bullets lodged into the Sufferer. He was indeed in a trance! Meanwhile the cool down time of Mind Shield was over so Ark triggered it and didn’t receive that much damage. After approximately 3 minutes.
Cheolkong! Pushu!
The casings fell from the Fire Eagle’s cylinder. The casings fell among the scattered remains of the Sufferers on the ground.
‘There’s 2 left!’
Ark reloaded the bullets and started moving. 5 Hell hounds had died when he looked at the remaining 2 Sufferers. However the Sufferers weren’t completely okay. The Hell hounds hadn’t stopped biting and the Sufferers’ ankles were so worn that bone could be seen. Just like the Hell hounds, the Sufferer’s ability also depended on the body it mutated from. Moreover, this Sufferers were just created so they were extremely weak from the ones Ark normally faced. Ark could also easily take down 3 even if they were the strong ones.
“Hell hounds. That’s enough. If any spiders emerge from these guys then kill them straight away! I’ll take care of those fellows!”
Kong kong kong! Kong kong kong!
Ark called off the Hell hounds and wielded his sword and gun. The Sufferer’s health had decreased by 20% while taking care of the 5 Hell hounds. But the ankles meant that their movements were decreased. Their health was reduced by 30~40% after the focused attacks. And Ark wasn’t an opponent easily stopped by the Sufferers.
-The Hyper Drone’s mana has been exhausted.
<The Hyper Drone will be recalled to its dimension and it can’t be summoned for another 10 hours>
The mana consumption of summoning so many Hell hounds meant the battle suit was recalled quicker. Ark didn’t pay any attention and continued attacking the Sufferers.
Kieeeeeeek!
The battle ended with a final cry of distress. The Hell hounds meant to be killing the spiders had also disappeared with the battle suit so Ark took care of them. Finally the spiders, Sufferers and Hell hounds disappeared and Ark was the only one left in the lab.
“Pant pant pant! Now I understand what is going on. It is obvious what happened in Charem.”
Ark breathed harshly as he looked at the meteorite. The Sufferers had suddenly appeared one month ago. When he first heard Kalbern’s words he thought nothing of it. But there was a reason for it. It was a game but there was a reason for the unidentified biohazard. The curse on the meteorite was produce the spiders as soon as it was hit!
“This isn’t a biohazard. It is a curse. Just like Anubis was in charge of the pyramid, the Osiris created the curse that made the Sufferers. Jay didn’t know that and someone hit the meteorite as an experiment.”
Clearly it spread because of that. And spiders appeared and all the people inside the lab became Sufferers. The Sufferers left the lab and attacked the guards that tried to stop them……
The situation repeated several times until the control tower and the surrounding area in the city became contaminated with Sufferers.
“This is the first generation of Sufferers. It is the cause of the Sufferers. Jay and the researchers who died in here were unaware that this was the cause of all the damage. And I just invoked the curse again. If it wasn’t for the Ikram rune then I would be dead.”
The Ikram was a rune that offered up bodies to summon a Hell hound. It was similar to the process of creating a Sufferer. Well they were both techniques of the Murat so they would be similar but……in the end he managed to survive against a curse using another curse.
“Okay what now? There is no doubt that is a relic form the Murat. But it didn’t receive one scratch from the Fire Eagle and it also caused a curse. In other words, there must be a separate way to unseal it……if I go to the management system then there was no doubt I can solve Charem’s problem. However I can’t carry the whole thing……”
While Ark was busy thinking…..
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Suddenly the meteorite vibrated and shattered? He struggled so hard to find out how to crack it but it was suddenly resolved? Then Ark heard a voice in his head while he was staring with a dumb expression.
–The pure light has released the seal. You, take up the Murat’s will!
“Eh? The pure light? It was definitely recorded that pure light could wake up the meteorite but…..wait? That reminds me…..the Shire! That’s right, the Shire is a technique originally used by the Murat. And the Shire was a photon organism. The pure light must be referring to the Murat’s Shire. Oh my god, I had the method to unseal the meteorite all along?”
There was no reason for him to go through all that trouble in the first place. But that was the result. If it wasn’t for Osiris’ curse then Ark would still be yanking at his head. The process might not be smooth but at least the seal was released! And the thing that appeared in the meteorite was a mummy! The mummy was dressed like a Pharaoh while holding a small pyramid in its hands. The only difference from the small pyramid found underneath Beltana was the colour.
“This pyramid is obviously……”
The moment Ark touched the pyramid! Light shot up from the vertex of the pyramid and a video appeared.
‘Indeed! This is the same reaction as the small pyramid underneath Beltana!’
The 3D video that appeared in thin air……
7 people wearing pharaoh clothes were standing in a place that looked like a spaceship and staring outside. A large fireball was falling outside the spaceship. It was a huge fireball that seemed like it was going to swallow the planet! A man looked at the fireball and sighed before muttering. He couldn’t understand it but the conversation seemed to be about the fireball. After a brief moment, the man pulled out a small, gold pyramid. The remaining 6 people also took out small pyramids. They simultaneously lifted it over their head and a huge light shot out. And hundreds, thousands…..the incalculable number of lights flew towards the fireball.
‘W-what is that? 7……there were originally 7of these pyramids? And that light? It was created after the pyramids were gathered…..this pyramid isn’t the same as the one I received before? Is there a hidden secret within the pyramids?’
The pyramid that he had accidentally found on Beltana was still hiding something! As seen from the video, something great would occur if all 7 pyramids were gathered. Ark’s heart felt unsteady when he discovered this. But he still didn’t know wat was going on. That’s because the video ended with the explosion of the light.
The new image showed a man dressed in pharaoh’s clothes inside a small, capsule like spacecraft and flying somewhere. He was holding the brown pyramid that Ark had right now. Endless…..endless…..endless…..he flew for so long that his skin changed to that of a mummy. And the man finally realized it was the end for him. He opened the bottom of the pyramid and put his hand in, filling it with light. His eyes closed and he hardened to stone. It was the rock that had broken just now.
-You have acquired undisclosed information about the ancient alien species called the Murat.
The universe has a long history and many alien civilizations have grown and declined. Finding undisclosed information can help illuminate the history of the universe. Hidden alien artefacts or technology can play a decisive role.
+ Information about the ancient alien species Murat (2/15).
+ You have obtained 300 Adventure points for acquiring information about the Murat.
+ You have gained 5 Intelligence for acquiring information about the Murat.
The image disappeared and the information window popped up. He gained bonus adventure points and intelligence like the previous time. But disappointment spread on Ark’s face.
“Damn, I was full of expectations but it was just a clue to secrets hidden within the pyramids? It is no different from throwing bait while fishing only to pull up some rice. No, the mummy turned into a meteorite in the second video…..perhaps he was also looking for the pyramids? That reminds me, on the meteorite it was recorded that the mummy was searching for the legacy of the gods. Then maybe there was some incident where the Murat lost the pyramids and the mummy was searching for it when he died of old age…..is it somehow related to the video form Beltana?”
Ark frowned and muttered. Then the mummy turned into dust and glittering objects fell onto the ground.
-Sheraton’s Dawn (Rare)
Item Type: Necklace Wearer Restriction: Level 100
A necklace belong to the Murat, an ancient alien species that was destroyed a long time ago.
The purple gemstone inserted in the pendant of the necklace emits a mysterious light. This gem disappeared a long time ago but it had a stabilizing effect and was nicknames the ‘light of intelligence.’ The ancient Murat respects wisdom above everything else and decorated various accessories with it. The gemstone placed in the Sheraton’s Dawn is a size that is hard to process.
<Intelligence +45, Mana Regeneration +30%>
“T-this……!”
Ark’s mouth dropped open as he lifted the necklace. Jewellery was more expensive than weapons when traded in Galaxian! And this was a rare jewellery. But Ark’s mouth wasn’t wide open because it was good.
“Ugh! Why is it mana instead of mental power?”
And the option was mana recovery +30%! Ark was increasingly using skills that required mana in recent times so he was glad about that. But Ark’s normal skills didn’t use mana. No, he didn’t even have a gauge for mana in the first place. Of course, this was the first rare necklace he got and the +45 intelligence meant he could sell it to Espers for a high price. 45 intelligence was a great option. No, he should cheer at the 45 intelligence attached to it.
“It is still too early to be disappointed. Just like the mummy in Beltana, this pyramid was filled with light. That light is the Shire. If it is the same as before then it is a new rune. A new skill!”
Ark fiddled with the bottom of the pyramid when he stopped. If he died then the skill he learnt from the item would disappear. Even if he was within the vicinity, the management system hasn’t been recaptured yet. An unexpected situation where he could die might occur after learning the skill! I can’t waste the skill that I obtained through a weird incident.
“Yes, it isn’t necessary to learn the skill at this time. I can learn it after I settle Charem’s problem and register at the Fairy. It is fine until then.”
Ark placed the pyramid in his bag. Then he turned and looked at the metal door on the other side. If he exited that door then there was only several hundred metres left until the management system!
Space 6
Never-ending Quest
“W-what?”
Really…..it was outrageous. And…..it was fascinating. Just like Jay said, there were no Sufferers on the other side of the lab. There was only the control booth for the management system. The control room was the core facility for Charem so they were equipped with androids or turrets. Therefore a battle occurred between the security system and the Sufferers. When Ark exited the lab he saw the shattered bodies of the Sufferers and security system. Although there were one or two still surviving…..they already weren’t a match for Ark.
Rururala susak susak! Pepepeng!
Ark comfortably destroyed the Sufferers and ran towards the control room. But this was the main place of his quest so he couldn’t afford to relax. After a moment Ark flinched.
‘Wait? Whenever I think these types of thoughts……’
It always happened. It was too easy. He was lucky. He didn’t understand why but when that happened things would always twist in a strange way. This tradition went all the way back to when Ark was in New World.
‘This, perhaps…..it might be different. I came all the way up here…..’
But he was wrong. Ark used Jay’s security card and entered the control room. Then Ark saw it. A thick iron wall blocking the various control devices! In fact Ark wasn’t worried about it. There was terminal right in front of the iron wall and Ark possessed Jay’s A class security card. He got an unlucky feeling when he swiped the security card on the terminal.
-Error! This security card isn’t authorized the open the current location!
Jay immediately explained the situation through the Nymphe.
–Oh my god! This have become complicated.
“Complicated? What do you mean? What is this iron door? You didn’t say anything about this!”
–I didn’t think it would work like this. I’ve never saw it before but the management system will be surrounded by a wall when an enemy destroys the security device.
“Then is there a way to release it?”
–The only way to release it is to use the Lord of Charem, Java’s security card.
“Java’s security card……”
He had seen it. It was the top rated security card that could access all system in Charem. Kalbern was able to open the door of the control tower and proceed to the 5th floor because he had this security card. And Kalbern got on the direct elevator to the 39th floor with the security card. But they never arrived at the 39th floor. They were blindsided by a mysterious attack in the elevator. It was highly likely that Java’s security card was somewhere in the stomach of that creature. The Phoenix members were dangling from a vertical passage and weren’t able to fight properly. It had been a few hours since that happened so they might’ve been digested and emerged in the creature’s X. He didn’t want to fight the fearsome creature…..Did he have to search through 40 floors infested with Sufferers for the creature’s X?
‘In the end I have to search through all of the control tower? No way! How am I supposed to move around 40 floors by myself? There must be another way!’
Ark attempted to hack the terminal.
-This device is protected by a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
This lock has a security rating of level 30. Your present hacking techniques can only release level 1~3 locks.
<If you don’t know the password then try against after raising the level of your hacking skill>
……It was impossible.
“Damn! Is there any other way?”
–I only know that you can disable it from the control room. If it can’t be released……it is made of a compressed metal land Orichalcum alloy so it can’t be scratched with a normal bomb. Only the special bombs created with the banned ‘TK technology’ can scratch it.
Bombs where TK technology was applied. Marquis Martin had handed him the STK-VII made with TK technology when he accepted the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest. But he had used it all while hunting in the northern lake.
‘The grenade was needed in a place like this!’
Once again Ark realized that Galaxian was a RPG game. This was why he received the item in conjunction with the quest. In RPG games, items that played a decisive role in the quest were given. Ark completely forget that common sense.
That wasn’t all. If he was more flexible and coped better during the surprise attack in the elevator then he might’ve been able to grab Java’s security card. Java’s security card and the STK-VII were items necessary for the quest progress and he lost both of them. While Ark was busy thinking…..
–Ah! There may be a way.
“W-what is it?”
–There is no way to release the lock or destroy the wall. But our purpose isn’t to recover the management system is it?
“Huh? It isn’t to recover the management system?”
–No, I mean you’re looking for the management system to turn off the shield around Charem. The system might not be recovered but it is simple to release the shield. Just turn of Charem’s power.
“Power…..!”
–Yes, the facilities for all of Charem’s power is in the basement. Charem’s shield also uses the power from these facilities. If we turn off the facility then the shield will be released. My security card will be able to release the basement door.
“Again…..now I have to go down to the basement?”
–That is the only way.
Jay replied in a firm voice like there was no room for negotiation. He really was going around all over the place. He climbed all the way to the 40th floor and now he had to go down to the basement? Of course, except for the 40th floor it wasn’t that difficult to navigate thanks to the pipes. But he had to go down to the 39th floor in order to use the pipes. And there were 20 Sufferers gathered outside the laboratory. But he had no other choice. Java’s security card! The STK-VII that Marquis Martin gave him!
“Dammit!”
——————————————————————
Wiiiii!
Loud sirens rang out. The flashing red lights attached to the wall, the rough footsteps and the shouts all indicated an emergency situation. Sometimes the screams would mix with the gunshots. Inside a dark corridor.
‘Huhuhu, as expected. It was nicely accomplished!’
The black eyes shone as the guy smirked. Crouching in a corner was a hamster applying ash to his fur! It was Tori who was arrested for the museum break in and sent to the orbit prison Stael.
‘Those federation guys, did they think they could keep me locked up? What is this? I am Tori. Tori who used to run wild around the galaxy. If you thought this Tori would politely stay here for 2 years then you miscalculated. The plan took a bit longer than I expected but this is my expertise.’
Tori remembered the turbulent memories of the past few months.
–The defendant Tori is sentenced to 2 years of labour in the orbit prison Stael!
Everything started from that moment.
‘2 years? Don’t make me laugh! I just stole a few things and now I have to be stuck for 2 years? I am Jean Valjean? I can’t accept this! Those damn federation bastards! I definitely have to escape!’
Tori started to dream of a jailbreak after being imprisoned in Stael. But there was a weak point. He was forced to labour for 15 hours a day. Stael was a prison created on a satellite that used to be a battlefield between the federation and the Rama. The labour imposed on the inmates was to gather parts and equipment left behind by that war.
‘This is great!’
All the plans were completed in Tori’s head at that moment. Since then Tori slowly started to hide small metal parts. Of course he received a physical check from a guard after the labour finished but Tori was a hamster and could hide it in undetectable places. For example, in between his fur or his stomach…..he was thoroughly searched with a metal detector and X-ray machine but Tori had ways of cheating those equipment.
“Eh? That bastard, why is his X-rays turning up black?”
“Why is the metal detector responding?”
“Ah, that? It might be this.”
Tori shook his body and iron powder fell from it.
“Hihihihi, I have a lot of fur. The powder seems to have been caught in my fur while working.”
Of course he had intentionally stuck the iron powder to his body. It was natural for the metal detector to react when he was covered with iron powder. Even the X-rays turned out black. Tori’s greatest strength was his cunning.
‘A genius? Aren’t I a genius? Hihihihi!’
Anyway, Tori gradually gathered small metal parts. And after a few months of gathering metal parts and joining them together……
‘It is complete!’
Tori looked at a machine the size of a soccer ball. It was the machine Tori went without sleep for the past few months to create! It was a machine he named ‘Random hacking, sprinkle virus.’ The name was the same as the use. It was a machine that randomly hacked various systems and spread a virus.
‘Stael’s security is definitely no joke. This facility is completely isolated from the outside and there are hardly any gaps in security. But……’
The external security was perfect but that meant internal security was lax. Furthermore, Tori’s Random Hacking machine was something he had been working on for several months. Of course, he didn’t have the right equipment so he didn’t have fine control over it but it was simple to plant a virus in the connected system. Tori hid the machine on him while waiting for an opportunity when the guards weren’t looking.
‘Random hacking, sprinkle virus’!
‘The chances of success was fifty-fifty but it worked better than expected!’
Tori looked around with sparkling eyes and laughed. Once he started the machine, there was an error in the locking mechanism and all the doors in Stael opened at once. He didn’t need to use his imagination to know what happened next.
“Ohhhh! The prison doors opened!”
“Those bastard guards, shall we bother them? I will show you this time!”
“It is a riot, a riot! Seize the central control tower! If they escape then they will threaten the galactic federation!”
“Hahahaha! Kill everybody!”
People who committed atrocities in Galaxian were also placed in Stael prison. The proof was that the prisoners rioted at once. The guards who couldn’t react to the sudden situation had their weapons taken away and the riot got out of hand. However Tori had no interest in the riot.
‘Those stupid guys, they’re just ignorantly fighting. Do they really think they can seize Stael just because they got their hands on some weapons? The federation army fleet will come as soon as Stael’s situation is conveyed. They will fire the guns. Do they want to drop dead? Well it doesn’t really matter to me. No, I’m actually thankful. This makes my escape easier. Yes, escape! Now I can escape from this hellish place!’
Tori raised his head with a hopeful expression. Hope dawned on Tori’s haggard face. He couldn’t eat his favourite sunflower seeds, his eyes were sunken in, he had bruises all over the place and he had lost some fur. This was a brutality committed by the Katz that shared his cell. Tori’s plan was also behind schedule because of the Katz. Those guys stepped on Tori and kicked him so he felt badly every night. So it was difficult to find time to make the machine.
‘But today is the end of this miserable life. Those guys are violent so they will run around violently and will be shot at. Hihihihi, that’s good.’
Tori laughed and shook his head.
‘No, that’s not it. Now’s not the time. There are also smart guys like me among the prisoners. I have to escape before it is too late!’
Tori ran along a passage. Tori was heading towards the space shutter hangar! The security there was strict but all the door mechanisms were currently jammed. And the guards were mobilized to stop the riot.
‘There are still a few guards remaining but…..’
Tori had applied some ash to his fur!
He would blend into the darkness to avoid catching the guard’s eyes and sneak away on a stolen shuttle! Tori’s hope swelled up and he quickly ran to the hangar.
“Huk! W-what is this?”
Tori stared around the hangar with confusion. There were 10 bodies scattered around the entrance of the hangar. They were the bodies of the guards.
“Don’t tell me? Some prisoners managed to reach the hangar in the meantime?”
Roaaaaar!
Then there was a tremendous roaring sound. Tori turned his head and flinched. The roaring came from a space shuttle inside the hangar. There was no doubt about it. While Tori was hiding to avoid being mixed up in the riot, some prisoners had attacked the guards in the hangar and seized a space shuttle. Of course there was still a lot of space shuttles left…..
“This way!”
“The prisoners are running away! Shoot!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Guards ran inside the hanger firing machine guns.
‘No! The guards are starting to flock to the hangar. I don’t have time to seize another space shuttle! If I don’t get on that space shuttle then I’ll be caught!”
He would go back to working during the day and being beaten up by the Katz at night. Tori would rather die than go back to a hell like that.
“Stop! Stop! Take me along as well! Wait a minute!”
“A prisoner hasn’t got on yet!”
“Shoot! Stop him even if you have to kill him!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bullets were fired but that didn’t stop the hamster. Escape from hell! Freedom! Sunflower seeds!
“Ohhhhhh! Freedom!”
He threw his body towards the space shuttle that was rising.
“He is a colleague too! Grab him!”
The shuttle door opened and someone grabbed Tori’s hand. The light of deliverance! Light of freedom! Tori tightened his grip on the hand and crept into the shuttle. Then the door closed and the space shuttle flew out of the hangar’s doors into space. The sight of Stael receding brought Tori to tears then he turned his head.
“Pant pant pant, thanks! Thank you! I’ll never forget that you saved me from hell! I am Tori! My saviours…..heok! Y-you are……”
Tori suddenly screamed and retreated. The man smiled and nodded.
“You understand Tori. You are our friend.”
There were 10 people gathered in front of Tori. They were the Katz that he shared a cell with.
“We seem closely connected. Let’s see what happens in the future. Nyang∼.”
“……Should I just jump out into space?’
Tori was seriously worried.
——————————————————————
“Damn, it was possible to do it this way!”
A curse naturally emerged. Ark had reached the management system on the 40th floor and now he had to go back down again. The thing he was most concerned about was the Sufferers outside his lab. But it was surprisingly easy to settle that problem. The doors of the laboratory!
-The administrator has been authenticated and the door will be opened.
The door opened.
Keeeeeeh!
-The administrator has been authenticated and the door will be closed.
The door would close as soon as three or four Sufferers ran through the door.
And susak susak! Pepepepeng!
By attacking a few Sufferers at a time with the sword and Fire Eagle, he could wipe out all the Sufferers in 30 minutes. The process meant he didn’t need to worry about dying. His worries were for nothing. Anyway, Ark took care of the Sufferers and exited the lab. He went down to the 39th floor and took the pipes ↓↓↓↓! He used Tori’s instructions and Jay over the Nymphe to climb down the pipes to the 20th floor to a door where a sign saying ‘Danger! Off limits except for administrators’ hung from it. It was a door that led to the outer wall of the control tower!
“……This is Charem!”
Ark muttered to himself. This was the place that Ark first saw using the Wire Camera when he entered the water facilities. It was crowded with aliens and was probably the safety zone that Kalbern mentioned. But the place Ark emerged in was the contaminated area. He immediately joined the Phoenix members and then he was stuck in the control tower. Therefore Ark completely forgot that Charem was a city floating in the air. However, he was again realized this once he emerged on the outer wall of the 20th floor. A 10 km city stretched underneath his foot. More than half of the buildings had turned into ruins with smoke pouring out from it while the downtown area remained perfect.
And beyond the boundaries were clouds! Clouds swept over Charem’s shield like a wave. He had crawled through narrow pipes for a few hours so the sudden panoramic view really made him feel good. But that only lasted for a moment. The control tower was located on one end of Charem. In other words, the front looked towards the city while the back was like a cliff. The power facilities was like a lump attached to the back of Charem’s control tower. He had to go down the ladder on the outer wall to reach the facilities. By the way…..
Weng weng weng! Weng weng weng! Weng weng weng!
Ark walked along the outer wall until he heard a sound that he could identify. At the bottom of the ladder was a large 20 metre hole. That hole led to the facility that supplied Charem’s power! However a huge propeller was spinning at the entrance at a tremendous speed. It was a ventilator designed to clear the toxic fumes created inside the facility. This was the reason that Ark was dangling from the ladder. There was a 20 metre large ventilator covering the entrance. If he got caught in the propeller then he would be cut to pieces.
–Oh! I didn’t think about the ventilator.
“So there’s no way for me to enter? Is there a way?”
–All the facilities are managed by the central control system! You have to manually operate the control system to stop the ventilator!
“If I could touch the control system then I wouldn’t need to come here!
– …… Oh!
He really wanted to beat Jay up.
“Dammit, why can’t this be easily resolved?”
In fact, that wasn’t the case. He might’ve become the strongest in New World but he went through a lot of hardships to get to that point. Ark had a long history of being unlucky. He had been in situations like this many times…..
That experience wasn’t a bad thing. It meant he became accustomed to handling things like this. He drew on his experience of being a gamer for several years. And he soon discovered a solution to the problem.
“I have to do it.”
Ark sighed and pulled out the Wire Camera.
“Dammit, the thing that cost me 70 gold…..I have to leave it in a place like this. I have to squeeze as much compensation as possible from Marquis Martin and Lord Java when the quest finishes!”
Ark threw the Wire Camera towards the centre of the propeller. It wrapped around the centre for a while before intertwining with a propeller blade. The next moment…..clang! Clang! Kararara! Ku ku ku kung!
There was a loud sound and the propeller stared slowing until it eventually stopped. The Wire Camera wrapped around the centre and acted like a brake. In fact, he knew about this method to stop the propeller as soon as he saw it. But he had to give up 70 gold in exchange. Therefore he wanted to think of another way. However he was tired of wandering the control tower. The fastest way was to give up the 70 gold. The value of the camera would be nothing compared to the compensation.
“Of course, that only applies if it is completed successfully.”
Ark immediately started descending the ladder. It was an underground facility but it wasn’t that deep. No, it was a city in the air so the facilities wouldn’t be underground anyway…..anyway, he passed the propeller and a wide area appeared after continuing for another 5 metres.
“This is Charem’s power generating facility?”
Ark muttered to himself and looked around. 1 minute had passed since the propeller stopped. He didn’t know what fuel the propeller used but a smoky gas covered the area underneath it. The area was approximately 40 meters. He couldn’t see the details because of the gas but there was the roar of hundreds of engines working at the same time.
“I’m in the power facility. Now what do I do?”
-I don’t understand how but it is good that you managed to enter the facility. Charem’s power facility uses a synthetic ether as fuel so there should be a superluminal particle converter somewhere. It is a cylindrical machine 10 metres in size so it shouldn’t be hard to find. If you disconnect the particle converter then the power facility will stop working.
He didn’t know what a superluminal particle converter was but he could find a cylindrical machine immediately. It was a machine that vibrated and emitted a red light!
☞ (Power Supply Switch) ☜
It was even kind enough to indicate the switch for him.
Woong woong woong woong, woong woong woong woong……
He pressed the button and the vibrating sound of the machines in the facility gradually stopped.
“That’s it! I can soon finish this damn quest!”
It took a fortnight to reach this point of the quest. When considering all the suffering that he went through, he felt like collapsing at the thought of it ending.
‘The power is cut so now the shield is also gone? That means I can send a radio wave to Marquis Martin without needing to connect to the communication antenna!’
Ark took out the special communication device that Marquis Martin gave him.
“Federation! Galactic Federation, over! This is Ark!”
——————————————————————
“Marquis-nim!”
A soldier shouted in a desperate voice.
“A signal is coming in over a closed frequency! It is Ark!”
“Ark? Are you sure?”
Marquis Martin got up suddenly and asked.
“Yes, it is the frequency of the special communication device. The person also said that he was Ark!”
“Connect the signal right now!”
“Understood!”
The soldier quickly manipulated the panel.
-Hey, can you hear me? I’m Ark! Galactic Federation, over!
‘That voice clearly belongs to Ark!’
“It is me. Ark. It is Marquis Martin!”
–Eh? Marquis-nim? I didn’t think that Marquis-nim would receive this directly. How are you?
“Let’s skip the small talk. Where are you now? Charem? Are you in Charem?”
–Huhuhuhu, that is correct.
“You’re now in Charem? You’re really contacting us from Charem?”
-That’s right. Who am I? Somehow I completed it. By the way, there seems to be a misunderstanding. When I entered I discovered that the situation is more tangled than I thought. Do you know how much I’ve suffered because of it? No, that doesn’t matter. I need to tell Marquis Martin the detailed information…..
“A misunderstanding?”
-Yes, the reason that Charem broke off contact with the federation…..heok! Waaaah!
“Ark! What’s going on? Ark, answer me!”
Marquis Martin screamed through the communication device with a desperate voice. Then the communication soldier shook his head and said.
“…… The connection has been lost.”
“It suddenly disconnected? What on earth…..and he talked about a misunderstanding?”
Marquis Martin stared at the communication device before raising his head and asked.
“Communication soldier, did you manage to get the GPS information from the signal?”
“Yes, the location is X0588, Y-489, the sky above the northern lake!”
Marquis Martin grabbed a uniform on a hangar and shouted.
“Deputy, send an emergency signal to the galactic federation’s special operation centre. Inform the governor of Nabe. Make him gather all cruisers with a photon movement function loaded at the port. Once all the cruisers are gathered, make them warp to X-599, Y489. The primary goal is to take control of Charem. If that isn’t possible……”
Marquis Martin paused before continuing.
“Then we will destroy Charem.”
——————————————————————
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Ark gasped as he touched the particle converter.
“Oh my god! Why didn’t I think of that?”
When Ark was communicating with Marquis Martin. Ark suddenly felt a sensation in his body. This wasn’t the first time he felt that feeling. It was the same as when the Phoenix members were in the elevator and it fell from the surprise attack! A lightning bolt then flashed through Ark’s head.
‘W-wait? Isn’t Charem a city in the air? I don’t know what the structure is but it is obviously operated through some mechanisms. If the power was cut off all of a sudden……’
It was obvious what would happen.
……Fall!
Charem was falling at an absurd speed.
‘I didn’t think about the consequences of disconnecting the power! Did spending several days dealing with the Sufferers rot my head?’
Ark’s head wasn’t the only one that rotted. It was clear that the head of research Jay’s head also melted away. But now wasn’t the time to curse. Charem was a huge 10 km wide city with a large mass. That city was falling several thousand metres in the sky. It would be a terrible collision even if it hit the lake. Everybody in Charem would be injured or dead. Especially if they were in one of the lower facilities like Ark. He would be crushed by the weight on top of him!
“Heok! Waaaaah!”
That’s when he screamed through the communication device.
Ark belatedly realized the situation and yanked at his head. Then a small button caught his eye and gave him some hope……
☞ (Power Supply Switch) ☜
‘Y-yes! The particle converter! I might be able to stop it if I turn on the power!’
And he pressed the ON switch! He stopped getting that sinking feeling.
“I-it stopped! I’m alive!”
He didn’t see it but he could feel it directly with his body. That’s why the communication with Marquis Martin stopped in the middle. The power was restored which meant that Charem was wrapped in the shield again and the radio waves were cut off. So Charem was back in its original sealed state……
“The original quest I received was to send Charem’s GPS information to the federation. The communication might’ve been disconnected in the middle but the GPS information was still passed on. If the federation army arrives then all the problems will be solved. I no longer have to disconnect the power.”
And there was some time before the federation would arrive. Just as Ark was relaxing.
Ku ku ku ku! Kukung!
A loud ringing sound was heard from behind him. He was still tense from the fall so his heart jumped.
“Heok! T-this sound is? It sounds like something falling into the hole……”
Ark turned his head and stiffened. A huge object had appeared in the facility filled with smoke. And the sloppy flesh slapped against the ground. The huge shadow dragged its body and headed towards Ark.
“Is that…..?”
Ark stuttered with shock and retreated.
-The destruction ranked monster ‘Mumu’ has emerged!
The warning message flashed before his eyes. The huge flesh fell towards him.
Space 7
Like a Phoenix!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The huge body rose off the floor. The man rolled around as it fell.
“Oh my god! The Mumu……these guys…..how did the Mumu…..?”
Ark stared at the huge body with astounded eyes. The slime like body was definitely similar to the Mumu that he saw in the Charenjok’s hiding spot. But there was one crucial difference. It was clear just from the name recorded on the information window.
-The destruction ranked monster ‘Mumu’ has emerged!
It only had one name! It was called the Mumu. This Mumu was a huge collection of dozens of other Mumus. It wasn’t just the size. The Mumu in the hiding spot had smooth and wriggly skin like jelly and was cute. However he couldn’t find that type of charm in this creature. He didn’t know if it had anything to do with Osiris’ curse but it had turned into a disgusting black mass. He saw the creepy skin and remembered something.
‘I…..I’ve seen that before!’
It was the black form he witnessed at the top of the elevator shaft!
‘There’s no doubt about it. This guy. He is the one who attacked the elevator and swallowed the Phoenix members hanging in the shaft!’
It became increasingly clear. The Phoenix squad’s enemy!
Roaaaaar!
Then the black form flew at Ark again. Long tentacles spouted from the body and shot towards Ark. He rolled his body and there was a roar as the tentacles hit the ground and caused pits. The tentacles had tremendous power! The Mumu that was the Phoenix squad’s enemy! And maybe……it was Ark’s enemy.
‘Damn, I’ve reached this point……’
Ark bit his lip and glared at the Mumu. Even if they were hanging in the vertical passage, the Mumu was able to instantly defeat the 30 strong members of the Phoenix squad. He was facing such a monster alone. Ark was thinking it was all over!He didn’t know how that monster got here but it was a disaster for Ark.
‘Dammit, why did this have to happen?’
Various curse words rose in his throat. But after a moment, Ark took a deep breath and pushed it down.
‘Calm down Ark! You shouldn’t become so upset that you’ll become rushed. The attack is incredibly fast and powerful but it isn’t impossible to stop. An attack in a straight line like the previous one will be easy to avoid. I have to focus on the fight! And……’
Ark looked at a cylinder with a blue light in his bag. It was the mana battery pack that he received from the Rama’s bunker on Beltana. It was an item that could restore 1,000 mana when wearing the battle suit. Ark had obtained 2 battery packs from the Rama. He had used one of them fighting against the Gigantic on Beltana. He had used the battery pack to summon the Hell hound and trick Valencia. And he thought about using the remaining one on the 40th floor. In fact, Ark had expected something like this to a certain extent. He didn’t know a huge Mumu would emerge but he hadn’t expected it to end that easily. He had bad luck inside the game so his intuition had sensed something. Thanks to his intuition he was prepared for something happening. Anyway, thanks to that Ark’s battle suit was 100% charged!
“Armour armament!”
Then Ark stood up and shouted. A shock wave spread out as the armour was summon and enveloped Ark’s body. The glossy black battle suit that looked like an insect carapace wrapped around Ark’s body. Ark opened both arms and shouted.
“Super alloy dagger! Fire Eagle P-40!”
The sides of his bag opened and both weapons sprang out. It was the shotgun that Ark used as a primary weapon, the Fire Eagle P-40! In his left hand was his dagger!
“Not yet! Mind shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 270 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
A blue sphere was created around the battle suit after the information window appeared. His battle mode was completed!
“Now let’s go! Be prepared to die!”
Ark’s eyes shone red as the helmet closed up and turned. And the moment he looked at the Mumu!
Cheolpeok! Chwaak! Cheolpeok! Chwaak! Cheolpeok! Chwaak!
The Mumu’s body vibrated violently. 6 bits of flesh 4~5 metres long shot towards the ground and supported the huge body. It looked exactly like a spider! The shape was exactly the same as the spiders created by the meteorite.
“W-wait a minute! A Mumu! Aren’t you a Mumu? The Mumu that attacked the elevator? Why did it suddenly turn to a spider? Isn’t this cheap? What is your identity?”
Ark thought the monster only had the tentacles. It might be fast but it could only go in one direction so it was easily avoided if he concentrated. So he had thought the odds were in his favour. But it suddenly grew 6 legs!
“This is a foul!”
Kuaaaaah!
The Mumu’s entire body started moving like a storm. Six legs at the same time? Tentacles? Body? Anyway, the long legs started moving like a whip towards Ark.
“Dammit!”
Ark cursed as he turned his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was the sound of the legs continuously striking the ground. While avoiding a huge impact, he moved in the wrong direction and backed up against a wall. Ark was pushed by the impact into the wall. But there was no time for him to scream. The Mumu’s legs were flying straight towards him.
“B-block it…..Sonic Sword!”
Ark raised his dagger. A ringing sound occurred and he could feel pain throughout his entire body. He called it a leg for convenience but the flesh was 1 metre thick. It was impossible to stop the shock wave produced by such a huge body with a dagger. Ark who had used his dagger to block was stuck between the Mumu’s leg and the wall. But this wasn’t the end of the Mumu’s attacks. The Mumu started pushing its leg down towards Ark. Then its body started spinning and sparks flew between the wall and the battle suit.
-20 damage!
-32 damage…..
His health fell at a tremendous speed. The great power pressed him against the wall and he was grounded like a pestle. Rather than a battle, it was like the Mumu was using Ark as a toy to play with.
‘No! I can’t fight properly like this!’
Ark bit his lip and desperately lifted the Fire Eagle.
“Ouch! Ouch! S-Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Flames shot out form Ark and the leg was blown off. At the same time a piece of flesh fell off the leg. Ark kicked off from the wall and rolled several metres away. His health had decreased by 20% in just a few seconds. A loss of 20% at the start of the battle was a painful loss.
‘The Mind Shield didn’t even hold up against that damage…..he didn’t know what it was but the firepower was destructive. I’ll die if I’m even careless for a short while.’
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Another leg was approaching from the other side. Ark’s battle style was to block the enemy’s attack with the dagger and then using the pistol or shotgun to counterattack. However his dagger couldn’t stop the huge leg.
‘But!’
Pepepepeng!
Bullets spewed from the muzzle of the Fire Eagle. The Mumu’s leg was pushed back and flesh torn off. It was the effect of the shotgun!
‘But that guy has 6 legs. On the other hand, the firing rate of the Fire Eagle was 3 seconds! I can’t stop all of the legs using just the Fire Eagle. I have to avoid the rest. Fortunately this area is wider than the control tower. I can take full advantage of the facility if I concentrate. I can’t stop moving my legs!’
Ark turned around and ran through the legs in the opposite direction. The firing speed was 3 seconds so he made sure to shoot every 3 seconds. He had to use the weapon to stop the legs.
Kwa kwang! Kakak! Kakak! Kakak!
He would attack with the dagger whenever the leg was pushed back. But the level 20 dagger couldn’t deal any damage to a boss monster of the control tower. Even when he dealt a few hits, he couldn’t see any signs that the Mumu’s health was decreasing. It was the same with the Fire Eagle. The Mumu’s body wasn’t iron so the Fire Eagle would exert 100% of the damage but it only lost 1% with every bullet that hit.
‘I can’t be hasty. Right now avoiding damage is more important than dealing it. I can keep attacking as long as I don’t receive more damage. The most important thing right now it to endure it. If I hold out as long as possible then I can also read the attack patterns! My swordsmanship and Fire Eagle will be used as a shield instead of a weapon!’
Offense through defense! That was the tactic that Ark chose. And with that tactic, using the Fire Eagle to push back the Mumu’s legs was more important than ever. He needed to step carefully or there might be a fatal result.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Ark placed the muzzle on the approaching leg and pulled the trigger. He avoided the attacks from the other legs, reloaded the gun and swung his dagger when he could no longer avoid the legs.
Pepepepeng!
There was no time to think once the battle began in earnest. He also had no time to check the Mumu’s body. Ark ran around the wide power generating facility! Blocking two legs took a lot and it required all his concentration if four legs attacked at once. How much time had passed?
‘Now I’m starting to see the pattern. At first I had no room to think but the moves become simple once I’m used to it. It sometimes shows irregular movement but I can hold up if I use the Fire Eagle!’
Tuntun said that the Mumu was a creature with almost no intelligence. It might’ve changed to a huge Mumu but it was still stupid. In the beginning he didn’t have the timing and received at lot of damage. Now he couldn’t avoid it to a certain extent and had room to breathe. But it had high attack and defense so it would take him a while to defeat it. Ark was good at fights but he couldn’t keep up his concentration forever. He had to defeat it while his concentration was maintained!
‘Now is the time to switch to attack!’
Ark turned his body and stared at the Mumu.
Snap!
There was a crack as he received a huge impact to his stomach. The pressure pushed Ark backwards and he looked down at his stomach.
“Ugh! What is this? This is…..chunks of iron? No, machine parts! These are machine parts?”
Various mechanical parts were lodged into his stomach. The extravagant pressure was caused by the chunks of iron hitting him.
“P-Perhaps?”
Ark suddenly lifted his head. The Mumu’s body on the 6 legs was swollen like a balloon and metal objects were flying from its mouth.
Peng!
Ark reflexively lowered his body and the iron chunks hit behind him. The metal parts had barely missed Ark.
“U-unbelievable…..t-this bastard……it can even do ranged attacks?”
The huge Mumu had picked up metal parts while travelling around the control tower and now it was launching them as projectiles. The huge Mumu used its recycling ability to create projectiles! But he wasn’t complimenting it. This ability was terrible for someone fighting the Mumu like Ark. The situation changed 180 degrees once the Mumu started to shoot the iron chunks. The situation had been good for him because he became familiar with the leg’s attacks. But that pattern didn’t help once the iron chunks were added. The iron bullets flew at a speed difficult for him to see!
Peng-snap! Peng-snap! Peng-snap!
The Mumu fired the iron chunks every 0.1 second. The iron chunks aimed at his legs, shoulders and head. Fortunately this was the power generating facility and it was filled with various mechanical devices. He could hide behind those machines to catch his breath. But that only lasted for a moment.
Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Snap! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The machines crashed to the ground when it was hit by the indiscriminate shower of bullets.
“Pant pant pant, the Mumu! I can’t die like this!”
Ark face darkened as he ran and confirmed how much of his health had decreased. He confirmed that his health was reduced to 60%. On the other hand, the Mumu still had 90% health left. He had attacked dozens of times with the Fire Eagle and only reduced the health by 10%. Now the chance of him winning was 0.1%.
“Dammit! This isn’t funny! I’m Ark! I can’t die like this!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Ark ran behind the machines and attacked for 5 minutes. Then something unthinkable occurred. One of the pipes that was broken from the Mumu’s attack started spreading unidentified gas. The gas ignited when Ark shot his Fire Eagle and flames spread everywhere.
“Oh my god……!”
Ark watched the flames and murmured in a blank voice. Suddenly a shadow jumped out from the flames and stood in front of Ark. In the next moment the flames parted like the Red Sea.
–Fire! There is fire! Start the fire prevention tasks!
Chwaaaaah!
Water started to stream down from the ceiling.
“H-how…..?”
Ark who had been raising his Fire Eagle muttered with a stupid expression. Ark started at the man that appeared through the flames. The man had a large body and red hair like fire!
“Pureah?”
“Alan!”
Then he heard a familiar voice from behind. Ark reflexively turned his head and his mouth widened. One man was descending the ladder connected to the control tower’s outer wall. The light attached to the battle suit revealed that he was the leader of Phoenix’s team B, Clark.
“Clark? And Pureah as well! T-then the other members?”
“It is only us!”
Clark jumped down from the ladder and aimed his arms at the Mumu.
“Energy Blast!”
10 lights simultaneously formed from Clark’s battle suit. It moved in a circuit to gather at his wrist and was fired as a ball of light. Energy blast was the main weapon of Clark’s Esper battle suit! The mana ball was guided like a missile and exploded when it hit the Mumu’s body.
Roaaaaar!
Clark ran up to him while the Mumu wobbled.
“Alan, are you okay? Why did you break your connection to the multiple communication network? Don’t you know we thought you were dead?”
“Huh? B-but I checked it shortly after the surprise attack in the elevator…..”
“At that time I used a grenade and spatial movement to barely escape. But my Nymphe received damage from the grenade exploded and didn’t work for a while. It was the same for Pureah. Pureah used the flamethrower when he was eaten and he was immediately thrown up again. You probably checked your Nymphe when mine wasn’t working and Pureah was still eaten. I met up with Pureah but you didn’t connect to the network so I thought you were dead.”
Ark broke the network connection after he checked it. He was the only one who escaped from the elevator so there was no reason to maintain the connection when he needed to talk to Jay. Anyway, since then Clark and Pureah proceeded with the mission. They were in the vicinity of the 20th floor when Charem suddenly started falling. That was when Ark cut the power to the particle accelerator. Clark thought that a problem occurred in the power facility so they went there and saw the Wire Camera Ark used to stop the propeller. Then they descended the ladder and saw Ark fighting the Mumu.
“But I never imagined…..you would be fighting here alone. You might’ve guessed already but that thing is out enemy. At that time…..I saw it clearly. It swallowing my colleagues inside the dark shaft!”
Clark glared at the Mumu.
“That monster bastard, I can’t let it go now that I’ve encountered it again! Let’s show the power of the Phoenix squad! Let’s go Alan! We’re going to get revenge for the colleagues inside its stomach!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
Clark and Pureah yelled and ran up to the Mumu. The situation changed once Clark and Pureah joined.
“Energy Blast!”
“Burning flames, Frame Buster!”
A ball of light and flames flew towards the Mumu. In a fantasy world, slime like monsters would be weak to magic. It was the same with Galaxian. The Mumu’s health started going down at a ridiculous speed after being hit by the mana sphere and the flames. But they couldn’t take the counterattack of the Mumu lightly. It swung its legs and continuously fired iron chunks. While they had the best firepower in the Phoenix squad, Clark was an Esper so he had weak defense while Pureah’s movement was slow thanks to the flamethrower.
‘If Clark and Pureah die then there is no way to defeat the Mumu! I need to draw the attacks!’
“Take this! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Ark attacked the Mumu with the Fire Eagle. The water from the sprinklers above his head continued putting out the flames. Furthermore, the fan had stopped working so the facility was filled with thick smoke. Ark ran around in the thick smoke and attacked the Mumu while Clark and Pureah kept on attacking as well.
“Pant pant pant, this terrible guy. Where did this monster come from……?”
Clark groaned in the middle of the battle.
Clark was still unaware of what it was. The opponent was the Mumu that worked as a floor cleaner. The Mumu’s combat power was beyond what was expected for something that worked as a floor cleaner. Even though Clark and Pureah joined, the Mumu still has a 6:4 advantage. That wasn’t the only problem.
-Danger! Danger!
The concentration of toxic fumes in this area has reached the limit! If you don’t leave this area quickly then you can suffer fatal nerve damage!
<If you can’t escape within the time limit then various penalties will be applied to your stats>
Time remaining: 50 seconds, 49 seconds, 48 seconds……
It wasn’t necessary to say but the body coating wasn’t invincible. The power generating facility was a place that make all sorts of harmful gases. Unidentified fumes and various gases were leaking from the pipe. The ventilation also stopped so the gathered gases rose beyond the level that his body could endure. Thankfully Ark’s resistance rose by 50% thanks to his Survivor coating so the penalty wasn’t applied yet. But Clark and Pureah already received the penalty.
“Ugh! I-I’m feeling dizzy…..!”
“Ouch! I feel sick! V-vomiting…..!”
It was so intense that the Pureah vomited out of the bottom of his helmet. Their movement speed and hit rate also decreased so the battle was become more disadvantageous as time passed.
‘ It is suicide to stay here! We have to move out of here before it is too late!’
Ark eyed the hole connected to the top of the control tower. It was the only exit. In fact, Ark had tried to escape many times when fighting against the Mumu. But the Mumu wasn’t just watching. If he climbed the ladder here as a 99% chance he would be hit.
‘It is possible now that Clark and Pureah are here!’
“Clark, Pureah, focus your attacks on its ankle and sneak out of here!”
“Damn, it can’t be helped. Pureah!”
They were experiences soldiers so long explanations weren’t needed.
“Burning flames, Frame Buster!”
“Energy Blast!”
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
All the attacks exploded on the Mumu’s body. While the Mumu was stumbling around, the three soldiers turned and ran towards the ladder. Ark turned once he reached the ladder and reloaded the Fire Eagle.
“You guys climb up first!”
“Understood. Pureah, let’s go!”
Clark and Pureah climbed the ladder. Ark shot the approaching Mumu and jumped up.
Kuaaaaah!
The Mumu let out a roar of anger behind him.
————————————————————————————–
Kwaaaaah! Kwaaaaah!
A storm blew and scattered the clouds. The space distorted and dozens of space ships appeared. A soldier on the space ship in the centre turned his head and shouted.
“Photon movement is complete! We’re arrived at the target coordinates!”
“Can you see any objects in range?”
“I can’t see anything!”
“Is there a shield?”
Marquis Martin looked around with sharp eyes at the expanse of clouds in front of him. Marquis Martin had mobilized dozens of cruisers after receiving the GPS information from Ark’s transmission.
“They are hiding well like parasites but……”
The corners of Marquis Martin’s mouth lifted.
“Deputy, check the photon distribution in this region. If those guys used light speed movement to escape then there should be a large amount of photon distribution.”
“The figures are normal. No signs of moving photons are detected.”
“They are still hiding then. Okay, use the optical scanner. Search every corner of this 20 km area while the height will be 3 km from this space ship.”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
10 circular flying objects flew at Marquis Martin’s command. They started to slowly search in a range of 20 km and a height of 3 km. After a moment, sparks started flying from one of the circular objects and a huge object was revealed. It was a city covered in transparent glass!
“We’ve finally exposed them! That rat den Charem!”
The circular objects launched just now was an optical scanner. It radiated a strong disturbance radio wave in the designated area to find anyone hiding. And the optical scanner was able to release Charem’s camouflage function. The circumstances were as good as finished now that he had arrived.
“Install the dimension net around Charem!”
Dozens of gas objects were thrown from the cruisers surrounding Charem. When the gases connected, a huge net made of red light was formed. Just like the name, the dimension net was able to stop warp or photon movement. Marquis Martin spoke in a relaxed voice once the dimension net was installed.
“Charem has been discovered using the optical signal. We’re the army belonging to the galactic federation. This is a warning to the stateless city ship that invaded the galactic federation illegally. If you don’t release the shield within 30 seconds then we will be forced to shoot you down.”
Marquis Martin’s words were changed to an optical signal and sent to Charem. But there was no reaction from Charem. There couldn’t be a reaction. The Sufferers were wandering the control tower so there was no one to receive the signal. So 10 seconds passed.
“Are they trying to hold up? They must think lightly of the federation.”
Marquis Martin folded his arms and laughed. The soldiers sitting in front of the panel looked puzzled and said.
“Marquis-nim, the photon distribution is rapidly increasing in the area 2 km ahead! Photon movement! It seems to be a few Ogre-class cruisers based on the photon distribution. There are at least 5 of them!”
“Finally the master of the rats have arrived.”
Kwaaaaah! Kwaaaaah!
As soon as Marquis Martin’s words ended, a storm occurred and 5 cruisers showed up. Various characters were carved on the side of the cruisers. The soldier who confirmed it nervously swallowed his saliva.
“They are from the 3rd alien confederacy. The Aschulat cruisers.”
“Marquis-nim, we are receiving some communication.”
“Allow the connection. I want to hear what they have to say.”
A screen appeared in the control room and showed an alien species. Marquis Martin started talking as soon as he saw the alien that looked like ET.
“Ha, who is this? Aren’t you Aschulat’s ambassador? How unexpected. You said you had no time when I asked for an interview many times so why are you here?”
–Marquis Martin, what are you doing here?
The ET alien sent Marquis Martin a nasty look.
“What are I doing? Shouldn’t I ask you that question? I don’t know what you mean. I was just doing military training in this territory. Yet there was a huge accident and I discovered this stateless city ship hiding here. It is impossible for us to pretend not to see it.”
–Marquis, don’t you know? Charem…..
“Does that mean it is associated with the Aschulat?”
–No, that…..
“Of course that is impossible. I’ve found this city accidentally but I’ve heard rumours about it. This is the city that serves as the focal point for smugglers in the north. Surely our allies the Aschulat won’t be associated with something like this. There are rumours that the senior politicians of the federation tolerated this city’s presence in exchange for information. Yet didn’t the Aschulat break the agreement? In other words, Charem is just a free, illegal city. It doesn’t matter if I shoot them down.”
–Marquis Martin, you…..
ET glared at the Marquis. Then the ET alien rolled its eyes and sighed.
-Okay. You know the circumstances so I won’t mess around. To be honest, we’ve been worried about Charem for a while. One day they suddenly cut off all communication. While we were surveying this area, we detect the radio wave of a nearby communication signal. Now I just want to ask. If Marquis Martin is here then that means the communication was sent to you. Does that mean the reason Charem broke off the communication is also related to you?
“Are you trying to place the blame on me?”
Marquis Martin smiled and nodded.
“Indeed. You’ve devised a plausible excuse.”
–Excuse?
“Well it doesn’t matter what you say.”
Marquis Martin ignored the ET’s words and looked at the deputy soldier.
“Deputy, tell all ships to prepare for bombardment. The target is the city in front of us!”
-Marquis, do you think you will be safe if you do something like this? It will be a war!
“Shut up!”
Marquis Martin raised his head and exclaimed.
“Do you think the federation will tremble at a threat like that forever? I’m saying this clearly from the position of an ally. Will you support or stop us? If you can’t answer clearly then disappear. And return to your home planet. If you want then I will give you a war!”
–Marquis, you have made a big mistake!
“I guess so.”
Marquis Martin smiled and turned away. And he was about to give an order to the dozens of cruisers aimed at Charem.
“Marquis-nim, something is strange. Look at this. Half of Charem has been changed into ruins. Furthermore, the speech signals won’t penetrate the shield but thousands of people are flocking and waving their hands towards us. It is like they are welcoming us.”
“Welcoming us? That is…..”
Marquis Martin muttered and frowned. Then a soldier suddenly shouted.
“Over there! The outer walls of Charem’s control tower!”
Another screen appeared next to the one of the ET. Charem’s central control tower was emitting black smoke and people climbing up a ladder on the outer wall. Marquis Martin didn’t know the first two people but he was surprised at the identity of the third man.
“That helmet is clearly Ark! He was alive?”
Ark had screamed in the middle of a conversation and disconnected it. Marquis Martin thought he had connected the communication device to the antenna before being caught by guards. Yet he was unexpectedly on the control tower’s outer wall.
“Why is that guy over there? What’s going on…..?”
Marquis Martin murmured with confusion. Then he saw something emerge from the hold and wrapped around Ark’s ankles.
————————————————————————————–
“The federation and Aschulat’s cruisers!”
Ark heard Clark’s cry while he was climbing out of the hole. He turned and saw dozens of space ships. The streamlined cruisers with the logo of a blue planet belonged to the federation.
“That’s it! They’ve come!”
A cry emerged from Ark’s mouth. The federation’s cruisers had finally arrived at Charem. Now the problem of Charem could be settled. And Ark would also receive the quest reward! Ark’s eyes couldn’t see the guns aimed at Charem. The aliens hiding in the safety zone were the same. The aliens were so shaken by the horrors of the Sufferers that they didn’t notice the tense situation between the federation and Aschulat. Anyway!
“That’s it. If I deal with this guy then the rest will somehow…..”
Ark murmured as he crept up the ladder.
Hwiririri! Chwarararak!
Then dozens of tentacles emerged from the bottom and wrapped around him.
“Ugh! W-what is this? That bastard!”
Ark’s face warped as he looked down. The Mumu was sticking to the wall like gum and creeping up it. The flesh was torn from Ark, Clark and Pureah’s attacks but there were enough flesh to form tentacles to wrap around Ark. At the same time Ark experienced a huge pulling force.
“Alan! Damn! Energy Blast!”
“Frame Burst!”
Light and flames poured down from the top. A few tentacles were torn or burnt but it was ineffective. The Mumu continuously wrapped more tentacles around Ark. Ark was unable to go up the ladder and the Mumu was gradually approaching the propeller.
‘I made a mistake! I can’t separate from this guy! In that case……’
Ark looked down for a while before grinding his teeth together.
“Shall I end this? Okay, let’s see this through to the end!”
Ark shouted and released his hand from the ladder. Ark was pulled by the tentacles and fell.
“Heok! A-Alan! What are you doing?”
“Is he trying to catch that monster for us……?”
“Oh my god! That brat! No! We can’t lose him now that we’ve reached this point! The Aschulat and federation cruisers just arrived…..he can’t die like this!”
Clark yelled at him from above.
“I’m alive!”
Ark yelled from the bottom. Clark and Pureah had misunderstood the reason why Ark jumped off. Of course his colleagues were also important to Ark. But this was all to secure his own safety. No matter how much they became friends, he wasn’t going to sacrifice what he got over the last fortnight. Ark fell down because the odds were in his favour.
Tong-!
Ark had fallen onto a propeller’s blade. Then he rolled until he was about to fall between the blades into the facility.
‘There!’
Ark took out a small object and threw it. He immediately fell between the gap into the power facility.
Pejik, pejik, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
An explosion occurred in the centre of the propeller. The explosion snapped the Wire Camera tangled around the centre of the propeller and it started turning again. The Mumu was still near the propeller as it hadn’t followed Ark’s action! There was no need to imagine the following scene.
Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka!
It was the awful sound of flesh being torn up. The Mumu’s enormous body was unable to follow Ark and was cut by the propeller. How much time had passed? Finally large lumps of flesh fell into the facility. The upper portion of the body also fell and a spider emerged from it.
‘The curse! It is the core of the Mumu!’
“18 Barrage!”
Ark ran towards the spider and shouted. At the same time, the shoulders of the Hyper Drone opened and steam emerged. His fists started to move like engines were attached to them.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The mana was finished and the battle suit recalled.
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
The messages popped up in front of Ark. His screen was filled with 7 level up messages! He had gained 7 levels.
“Pant pant pant! It is a success!”
The battle suit disappeared and Ark felt drained. He was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath as he looked at the fiercely spinning propeller.
“I never thought it would be used like that.”
It was the object Ark had thrown before rolling off the propeller. It was the ‘tiny bomb for suicide’ that he received from Marquis Martin. It caused an explosion like a grenade but the range wasn’t strong enough to blow up everything in the area It as able to destroy the Wire Camera without damaging the propeller. Marquis Martin gave him the bomb to blow himself up if something went wrong but it ended up saving his life. Once again, every item he gathered could be used in the future.
“But it’s up to here. I no longer have the strength to move.”
Ark muttered as he flopped to the ground with exhaustion.
“Alan, are you alive? Just wait! I’ll teleport down……”
“N-no! I’m fine! Just stay there until the fan gets rid of all the gas!”
Ark raised his upper body and shouted. And he got up despite wanting to lay down and sleep. This room contained the corpse of a boss monster that gave him 7 levels. Loot of a considerable standard was likely to be dropped by the boss monster. Ark had no intention of sharing the loot with NPCs. Yet Clark was thinking about teleporting to his location?
“Damn, they don’t give me any time to breath!”
Ark cursed and moved his body. In fact, the Mumu has dropped many items in different directions thanks to the propeller. Most of them were machine parts picked up from the tower and bullets. But Ark used his Dig skill to search through the body and found an amazing item.
-Ray Steel??? (Unique)
Item Type: Removable Grenade Launcher Wearer Restriction: Level 100
Attack: 15~120 Firing Rate: 20.40Sec
Durability: 18/30 Number of Ammunition: 3
A grenade launcher found in the body of a mutated Mumu. Although the Ray Steel is slower than grenade launchers exclusively for heavy armoured troops, it is a secondary device that can be attached to rifles and is useful on the battlefield.
The Ray Steel has transformed in a strange manner in the Mumu’s stomach and general grenades can’t be loaded anymore. When a metal of a suitable size is loaded into it, it would be compressed and converted into a strange type of bullet. Therefore it can’t produce the explosive results of a normal grenade launcher. But the strongest is that you don’t need to waste money buying expensive grenades. You can use any metal or machine as a projectile.
However, the damage will depend on the metal or machine parts used. It is a good chance to get rid of wasteful japtem when there is no room in your bag!
<Strength +20, Stamina +10>
<Special Option (Bullet Production): Metal or mechanical parts can be changed into bullets and launched>
* Can be attached to rifle affiliated items
A grenade launcher that used metal parts to fire bullets! It was different from the grenade launchers exclusively used by heavy armour troops. His level was too low to use it and the attack was 15~120 but it was a unique weapon! The Ray Steel was a normal item sold in stores but it transformed while within the Mumu’s stomach and a unique weapon was born.
‘I can get a lot for it even if I don’t use it directly.
Ark packed it in his bag and started to collect the smaller items. His bag became full with machine parts but he had no intention of abandoning even 1 copper. In addition, the metal parts could contribute to his hacking skill. After 10 minutes. Ark gathered all the useable scrap iron and looked at the propeller.
“It is good that I destroyed the Mumu with it…..but the propeller is rotating again so I can’t get up. Do I have to wait here until the federation retakes the management system? Well it can’t be helped. I’ll just increase my hacking proficiency until then.”
Ark sat down, grabbed one of the circuits and connected it to his Nymphe. And he eventually raised his skill proficiency.
“Eh? T-this is?”
Information that he hadn’t possible considered was shown on his Nymphe screen.
Space 8
That Guy, This Guy, That Guy
“A demotion?”
“No, that is…..”
The middle aged man scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. It didn’t matter even if he didn’t reply. His facial expressions and gestures showed everything clearly. Irina replied with an emotionless face.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. I know this isn’t your intention. I made up my mind when I decide to disobey Commander Haman’s instructions.”
After the Beltana war ended, she had expected to be sent to Hanan which was the hardest fought battlefield. She was generally indifferent to everything but she was also a user. And a user always needed experience. However the announcement was delayed for a fortnight and…..All of a sudden she received a notification from the section chief she belonged to and was given an unexpected mission. Irina was able to notice the rough situation immediately.
‘Commander Haman.’
Although the Beltana battle ended with the federation’s victory, Commander Haman was pushed into a corner. Ark was displayed as a war hero and the federation was concerned the media would start criticizing their treatment of prisoners so they pushed all the criticism towards the incompetence of Commander Haman. Naturally this was because of Irina. She rebelled against Haman but it didn’t work. Ark was the one who solved the problem himself. He placed the video of the battle onto the internet and attracted the interest of users and NPCs. But Haman didn’t forget that fact that she rebelled. The federation members also didn’t forget that she went against the decision of the higher ups. This mission she couldn’t understand was probably retaliation for that incident.
‘All the worlds are the same. Power was everything. This is a game so I was hoping that justice would win in here……’
But there wasn’t anything she could do. She wasn’t the type of protest in front of the presidential office. She had no ambition for changing the world. She just wanted a small shelter to relax. A small shelter where the eyes of a callous father won’t reach……
“I don’t understand.”
The section chief said as he stared at her.
“You knew about the circumstances of the federation yet you were still determined. I heard that you were about to receive a promotion to lieutenant soon. But that promotion was put off. So far you’ve never caused any problems. You also never showed interest in other people’s matters. Therefore I don’t understand why you did acted in a way that would attract Haman’s backlash. Is that Ark person someone special to you?”
“Special?”
“Isn’t he? I know that you’re not an emotional person.”
“I’m not an emotional person……”
Irina murmured with a strange expression. When she thought about it, the section chief’s words were right. She fled from her father into Galaxian and resolved to do all the work in her own way. That’s why she was obsessed with sticking to the rules. It was illogical that she took such actions on Beltana. It was definitely strange. This was also the part that her section chief was asking about.
‘At that time I was angry. Why? I didn’t like Commander Haman’s actions but there were different ways to dispute it. But I visited Commander Haman and questioned him excessively. Why did I act like that? What made me so angry? Does it have something to do with Ark like the section chief said? No, that is impossible.’
Irina thought for a while before shaking his head.
“I don’t understand either.”
“Hey hey, why does your answer have no sincerity?”
“It is unrelated to my sincerity. I just don’t know.”
“That sounds like you.”
The section chief smiled and said. But Irina didn’t say anything else. The section chief watched her for a while before saying.
“Anyway, this situation might be a little uncomfortable but just endure it. The atmosphere in the upper ranks is improving. If you handle this mission well then you’ll probably receive that lieutenant promotion. I don’t know if this will be a comfort but this mission isn’t easy. If the media is aware of it then the federation’s reputation might nosedive again so please deal with it before then. Do you understand? I recognize your skills so I believe you can handle this.”
“Understood.”
“This is the material sent from the field.”
The section chief handed her a file that said.
-Report on the mass breakout at the orbit prison Stael.
A new quest was registered after she read the words on the file
———————————————————————————–
“It’s been a while.”
Ark looked around with interested eyes. Paved roads were stretched out in all directions from the fountain in the plaza and chattering crowds were everywhere. Men and women wearing robes were sitting on benches reading magic books while merchants were selling goods in street stalls. Users wearing armour were shouting to gather users for hunting in dungeons. And chicken were crying from nearby buildings.
“This is the good part about New World.”
Ark laughed while sitting on a bench. That’s right. This wasn’t the pioneering era in the 24th century. It was a world in the 10th century…..a different world. Instead of a world of gun and missiles, New World was a world of swords and magic. And this place was Selebrid, the capital city of the Schudenberg kingdom. Why was Ark suddenly in New World? It occurred a couple of days ago.
“Did you know?”
He had dropped in at Global Exos. The Planning Department chief Ha Myung-woo suddenly asked him.
“Huh? What?”
“The number of people connecting to New World is decreasing these days.”
“Ah, yes. I guess I’ve been busy.”
“Why is your answer like that? You can’t be that busy!”
“No, I really am busy…..”
This had happened when Ark first arrived in Charem. He was inside the pipes at the water facility so he had plenty of time. But Ark knew. Ha Myung-woo seemed to have gone through some difficulties judging by his voice. Once Ark was seated, Ha Myung-woo started to list his complaints.
“There are a various reasons for the number of connections decreasing. There are various errors every time an expansion pack is released and the development speed is slow so the new content can’t match up with the users’ level up speed. However, the planning team investigated and came to the conclusion that the biggest reason is that the player’s interest has cooled.
If the interest cooled then of course the number of connections would decrease. The 20 people of the planning team were mobilized for an investigation? Did they ever think that the cause of New World’s falling numbers was because of the stupid planning team? The words were in his throat but he swallowed them down. When Ark first joined Global Exos’ entrance examination, Ha Myung-woo was the person in charge of it. Despite becoming Global Exos’ advisor, Ark still found Ha Myung-woo difficult. Anyway, Ha Myung-woo continued talking.
“The planning team worried for a while so we created a new project. These days a massive amount of publicity comes from internet broadcasting. Therefore we have to promote the fantasy game system once again. After having users fill out a questionnaire, the answers came back as ‘Ark.’ Ark is the strongest person in New World so he is the thing that users are most curious about. So the planning team joined with an internet broadcasting company. The name will be ‘Ark, the Legend of that Time’ and it will be a trilogy!”
‘What is he proposing now?’
Ark looked at Ha Myung-woo with irritation. When Ark was initially appointed as the advisor of Global Exos, the users interest exploded and Ha Myung-woo created things like ‘Ark, I am a user’, ‘Ark, the human,’ ‘Ark, behind the legend,’ ‘Ark, where is he going,’ and so on. Now another new project was being launched…..and the name was ‘Ark, the Legend of that Time’? He was being treated as a retired entertainer. However Ark had no right to refuse. The reason Ark could become an advisor for Global Exos was because he obtained the master code and he had responsibilities in New World. This was also one of Ark’s main tasks.
“I understand what you’re saying. I’ll make some time.”
Ark accepted the suggestion. But the situation in Galaxian suddenly changed and he postponed it until Charem’s problem was finally settle yesterday.
‘I might not have time when I move to another place so let’s put it in order while I have time!’
This was the reason Ark came to New World.
‘I was a little annoyed when I first heard the news but it is good once I entered. I suffered after fighting the Sufferers for so long in Galaxian so the medieval city has a calming effect. But when are they coming……’
Ark confirmed the time and looked around.
“You are Ark-nim?”
Two people started approaching him. They were both wearing robes when the woman in front holding a microphone and the man behind holding a magic projector to shoot a video. He was holding a magic projector that cost 50 gold (memory crystal sold separately).
“Yes, I am Ark.”
“That’s great. I’m Fufu from African TV and this is Camel.”
“Ah, I’ve seen you before. Are you a professional newscaster for virtual reality games?”
“That’s right. But Ark-nim is much more famous than me. You are New World’s strongest gamer and Global Exos’ consultant. That is indeed a user’s romance. There was a lot of interest from before but this is the first time I saw you directly. We’ll take good care of this trilogy.”
The red haired Fufu said with a smile. She looked vaguely like Roco.
“So now what?”
“I’ve heard from Ha Myung-woo that Ark-nim has done a lot of broadcasts before. Yet Ark-nim never talked about the NPCs that helped you become the strongest gamer. This time we want to talk to the people around Ark-nim.”
“The people around…..you mean specifically…..”
“There are a number of people. For example the 7 heroes that helped Ark-nim against Lucifer, Sid who worked with Ark-nim for a long time and is now in charge of the dwarf union, Buksil, Ulmeok, Sapjil, JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members as well as the Meow, raccoons and other beast clans.”
‘That is a long list.’
Once he heard Fufu’s words, he really though it had been a long time since he entered New World. Then Fufu said with a smile.
“As expected, the thing that users are most curious about is Ark’s summons.”
“Summons?”
“Yes, the colleagues who travelled with Ark-nim from the beginning until you became a legend. Yet they’ve never appeared on any broadcasts. How does Ark-nim’s summons live normally? That is the question that appeared the most in the survey.”
“Summons…..”
Ark scratched his head for a while. Ark also hadn’t seen them for a while. Of course he used to often enter New World. However, he could handle the bugs by himself so he didn’t need to call his summons. No, Ark had the master code so he was like a god in New World. Even if he faced a level 999,999 devil, he could just press ‘Del’ so he didn’t need to call his summons. Therefore it had been 1 year since Ark saw his summons. However, he started to remember his summons after starting Galaxian. He was playing alone so he sometimes missed the days when he travelled with his summons.
‘That’s great. Doesn’t this give me an excuse to see them after a long time?’
“I understand. Then I will summon them right away.”
Ark laughed and nodded his head. Then Fufu shook her head and quickly said.
“No, that’s not it. I told you. The users are wondering what the summons does normally. In order words, we want to go to them.”
“Well that is also okay.”
Ark was anxious when hearing those words. He hadn’t seen them for 1 year so he didn’t know what they were doing.
“I understand. Then I’ll take you to them immediately.”
Ark smiled and took out a lamp from his bag. He rubbed the lamp with his sleeve and a giant rose from it. The giant made of blue smoke kneeled in front of Ark and lowered his head.
–Master, did you call?
“Ah, Ark-nim, that is?”
“The genie of the lamp. He is a pretty carefree guy.”
Ark tapped the giant’s knee and laughed. The existence of the master code was still a secret for the general users. It wasn’t possible to announce that a user had control of all of New World. But Ark wasn’t a magician so there would be problems if he suddenly used spatial movement or removed a whole mountain. Therefore Global Exos’ development team quickly create the genie of the lamp after Ark obtained the master code. All the miracles that Ark created with the master code could be blamed on the genie of the lamp. Therefore the ability of the genie was almost unlimited.
“Heok! W-what the hell?”
“Lamp! The genie of the lamp!”
“The genie of the lamp? T-then the person holding the lamp…..”
“Ark! He is the only person in New World who has the genie’s lamp!”
“Wah! Ark! Ark has appeared in Selebrid! Pictures! Take pictures!”
The users in Selebrid started flocking. However Ark didn’t pay attention to the interest of the users.
“Genie, please move me.”
–Where is the place you desire?
“Well…..shall we start with that guy? Genie, the destination is Dark Earth. Move Fufu, Camel and I to the Immortal Castle in Dark Earth on Seutandal.”
–As Master commands!
Kwaaaaaaah-!
A storm wrapped around Ark, Fufu and Camel.
“T-this is?”
“It is the Immortal Castle on Dark Earth which is the Holy Land of the vampires.”
Ark replied while looking at the city locked in darkness.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
There were successive ringing sounds and dozens of vampires appeared. Wearing red armour and holding various weapons, they were the guards of the Immortal Castle. And…..
–Who dares trespass on the Immortal Castle?
An old man shouted from the centre of the guards.
“Hey Lord. It’s been a while. Are you healthy?”
-What? Damn, is it Ark? I was wondering why it was quiet. I told you the last time you came here. Please don’t just spatially move to the castle. Don’t you know how many cracks appear in the magic barrier every time you use spatial movement? At least use the dragon when coming here.
The pale, old man sighed and muttered with irritation. Then Fufu asked Ark in an uneasy voice.
“Ark-nim, isn’t that an incredibly scary vampire?”
“Huh? Oh, that old man is the Vampire Lord.”
“Vampire Lord! The King of all vampires that has enough magic to kill a dragon?”
“That’s right.”
Ark shrugged and replied. That’s right. The guards were protecting the Vampire Lord! Like Fufu said, he was the King of all vampires and one of the strongest NPCs in the world. However, Ark had already become friends with the Vampire Lord one year ago. Because he was a god. A vampire with eternal life had nothing against him. Power was the thing that determined ranking. And Ark was a user will the power to match the Vampire Lord. Because he was a god. Anyway, the Vampire Lord was a rare NPC that general users hardly ever saw! Fufu became restless with the appearance of the Lord.
“C-Camel, turn on the camera! Stand-by! Ohhh! Everyone, it is the emergence of a rare NPC! How awesome! The Vampire Lord who is a legend! Look! That disinterested face! The fearsome magic that can be felt even at a distance! He is indeed a monster of monsters!”
–What? Who is that impolite woman?
“Don’t worry about something like that. She is with me today.”
Ark clicked his tongue and sighed.
“By the way, where is Curio?”
–He is in his mansion. Yes, this is good. Please do something.
“Do something?” What are you saying?”
–That Curio. I really…..he is your summon so I left him along but seeing his actions every day…..he really is a young vampire. You should go and see him. You’ll then understand what I’m saying. I’m asking you. Please control him somehow.
The Vampire Lord said before disappearing with the guards. Curio was one of Ark’s 3 summons. At first he was just a bat but under Ark’s loving (?) care, he grew rapidly until he earned a spot in the Immortal Castle. He was a bit sassy at times but he was a pet that suited Ark.
‘I should control him? What does that mean?’
It didn’t take that long for Ark to get an answer.
“Oh, finally! This is the mansion of Ark-nim’s summon, the vampire Curio. His usual appearance is that of a cute body so he is especially popular among female users but in reality he is a vampire! In addition, he is a high pureness vampire. What kind of life does a vampire like this live? As a vampire, does he sleep in a coffin? Or is he raising his magic in preparation for any upcoming battles? This will now be revealed to the public!”
Fufu relayed while entering the gloomy mansion.
“Kyaaaak!”
A female scream was suddenly heard. He was a vampire so maybe he captured someone to suck their blood! He thought like that for a short time but……Ark’s face soon warped strangely.
“Kyaaah, over here! Curio-nim!”
“Hohohoho, try to catch me.”
Barely dressed women were running around the hall while laughing. And chasing after them was a boy who covered his eyes with a towel.
“Hehehehe, you cuties. I’m going to catch you. Ang, I’m going to eat you!”
The body saying such silly words……
“Curio?”
Ark murmured with an amazed voice.
“Hey! What is this? Who dared invade Curio-nim’s mansion!”
“You rude bastard! I’ll ask again! Don’t make me hurt you! We’re going to hurt you!”
3 bats shouted and flew towards him.
“Ah! Ah! King Master-nim!”
They soon screamed when they saw Ark’s face and hit the brakes. The 3 bats were Curio’s cousin and they followed him once Curio became a lord. There was a time when they believed Ark was lower than Curio but now they were taught that he was the King Master. They didn’t dare be rude to him anymore.
“Why is the King Master here?”
“What is going on here?”
“Ah….I….that….you see…..”
The bats alternating between looking at Curio and Ark who was glaring. In the end they sighed and said.
“Lord-nim has changed.”
“When Lord-nim was still accompanying Ark, he treated his well. But since Lord-nim entered the Immortal Castle…..”
“The Lord-nim we wanted wasn’t like this. We wanted a vampire with the pride of a vampire. However the Vampire Lord just sighs at his actions while other vampires gossip. Huk, having a Lord-nim like this is really embarrassing.”
“Now Lord-nim doesn’t listen to our words anymore. Now he is just living the life of debauchery….huk!”
Ark listened to the bats whine with an amazed expression. Curio who was chasing the girls then embraced Ark.
“Hehehehe, I got you! Kikiki, I’ve decided to pick you tonight. Huh? Isn’t your body quite firm? And why are you dressed in so many layers of clothes? Huhuhuhu, are you embarrassed? This cutie, then I’ll peel it off you personally! Hehehehe!”
And he started groping Ark’s body. It was this. This was the reason why the Vampire Lord sighed. While Ark was spending time in the 24 century, his summon was running around feasting and committing acts of debauchery every night. But……
“……You seem to be enjoying yourself huh?”
Ark growled out with anger in his eyes.
“Huh? What? A man’s voice? Eh? Why is a man here? Huh? What bastard are you? Who dared interrupt Curio’s fun….heok! M-Master?”
“I’m sorry I’m a man.”
“W-why is Master here?”
“Why, is there a reason for me not to be here?”
“Ah, no…..that’s not it…..”
“Why? Huh? Why are you sweating? Is there something I shouldn’t notice?”
“Ah, no, that, I mean…..Master….I…..”
Curio broke into a cold sweat and retreated. Then a woman who was watching from behind shouted.
“Hey you! What are you doing? This is my money so what’s the big deal? He might be a summon but he is still a vampire with privacy! You have no right to interfere even if you are his master. In addition, it’s been 3 years in New World and 1 year in reality since you’ve seen him and now you suddenly show up and act like his Master! He isn’t just your pet bat anymore. He is the high pureness vampire of the Immortal Castle! Curio!”
The woman had a lot of bravery. But Curio had forgotten one thing. Who was Ark?
“3 years…..that is certainly a long time.”
Ark nodded before turning around. He looked at Fufu and Camel who were staring blankly and smiled.
“Can you turn off the camera for a while?”
“Huh? Ah, yes!”
-The broadcast will stop airing for a while thanks to various circumstances. Please be patient.
After this message played for a few minutes.
“Sob sob, I’m sorry. I went overboard. Please forgive me.”
Curio shed tears as he begged for forgiveness. Curio’s face was…..
“M-mosaic! It is a mosaic!”
……It wasn’t necessary to explain the details. It could be guessed just from seeing the reactions of the women trembling in the corner. Ark then took one step towards Curio. Curio’s face that had a mosaic stuck to it freaked out and retreated.
“Don’t be so astonished. Huh? You’re acting like I did something bad.”
“S-something bad? No! Master is a good man!”
“This brat, you sound so natural……”
Ark shamelessly laughed and said.
“However, I think I was a little wrong. It is my fault for leaving you alone for 3 years. I should still take care of my summons no matter how busy I am. A high pureness vampire has a lot of money and they also don’t age. Furthermore, you have no work so you have a lot of free time. Yes, it’s not your fault. The surrounding environment is bad. Isn’t that right?”
“You understand?”
“Yes, so I decided to change the environment. You will live like a healthy vampire.”
“Huh? C-change the environment?”
He spoke in an uneasy voice. Ark called the genie from the lamp and ordered with a pleasant smile.
“Genie, confiscate all the residences and assets that belong to Curio. And pay him an allowance of 10 silver a month. Can you do that?”
–Of course!
Nothing was impossible for the genie of the lamp who was the incarnation of the master code in New World. Once Ark gave the money, there was a swirl of magic and the mansion was taken apart and sucked up. That wasn’t all. All the goods and even the money in Curio’s pocket was drawn into the swirl of magic. And…..clink. Curio gazed blankly as 10 silver coins fell into his hand.
“How about it? It won’t be that hard to live like this right? If you receive 10 silver a month then you don’t have to worry about dying of starvation. How about it? Isn’t this a good consideration from a master worried about his summons? Aren’t you thankful?”
“…….”
Curio couldn’t answer. He kept looking at the 10 silver coins with a soulless expression.
“Lord-nim, now you can stop that life of debauchery!”
“Yes, we’ll help you as well.”
“…….”
Curio couldn’t answer. He kept looking at the 10 silver coins with a soulless expression.
“Yes…..what a….heart-warming scene…..yes…..it seems to be like that.”
Fufu finished off.
‘This is really embarrassing…..’
Ark glanced at Fufu and inwardly sighed. He was a legendary gamer. Ark was a god in New World. He might’ve neglected his summons for a while but who knew that Curio would start womanizing? Thinking of such a scene being broadcasted made his face turn red. Ark was his master so wouldn’t some people who saw the broadcast also think he was like that?
‘Surely Purital isn’t like this as well?’
Ark remembered that he was a reliable summon. He was just a skull when first summoned but Purital soon became a powerful undead lord. There was also one crucial difference between Curio and Purital. Purital was an undead knight. He only remembered that he was a knight so his loyalty to Ark was absolute.
‘Yes, I should be able to restore some of my image if we visit Purital!’
“Genie, the next destination is Oberium the city of the undead!”
He asked the ghosts about Purital after arriving in Oberium.
Clack clack clack clack, clack clack clack clack!
A skeleton was sitting in a dark corner and snapping his teeth. Even without Curio there to interpret for him, he could understand Purital’s words thanks to the master code…..
–Heh, yes. I am not like that. Anyway, I’m a skeleton. I’m only made of bones. It is natural to be abandoned by my Master. Huhuhu, an masterless knight is trash. So I am trash. Why does it matter if I’m alive? Should I just die? Ah, I’m an undead. Huhuhu, yes then I’m undead trash.
……This was the content. According to the ghost king of Oberium’s words.
–It started when you hadn’t summoned him for a month. Purital kept on repeated the same words over and over in that corner. The undead doctor said that he seems to have depression. Do you know? He might look like that but he has a delicate heart.
Even an undead can have a heart……
An undead having depression and other symptoms……There was nothing more to say.
“Ah, Ark-nim?”
“N-not yet! There is still one more left! Genie, the Eastern Nation’s castle!”
Ark flew towards the Eastern Nation’s castle in Seutandal.
“Omo? Ark-nim?”
He heard a surprised voice once he arrived at the castle. It came from a beautiful woman with glistening black hair and pale skin. She was Isabel who was the head of the assassination group Dark Brother before they were renamed the Eastern Nation. In addition, Isabel was an NPC with an unusual history. She was married to Shambala, a user who was Ark’s rival, friend and one of the 7 heroes. No, the unusual thing was that an NPC was married to a user. Unlike Curio and Purital, Ark’s last summons had no residence so he left him with Isabel.
“It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
“That…..Shambala?”
“He went out for a while. Did you come to meet Shambala-nim?”
“Of course not.”
Ark glanced at Fufu and Camel behind him and said.
“Today I came to see Burning Soul. Where is he?”
“I have him with me. Burning Soul!”
A green snake lifted from her waist after hearing Isabel’s words. This snake was the last of Ark’s summons, Burning Soul! Unlike his other summons, this snake was the one that Ark cherished the most. At first he thought it was a snake but Burning Soul was later revealed to be a Netherworld creature called the Alamone. Once he grew, he managed to transform into a dragon species called Pendragon. Burning Soul regarded Ark as his parent and had never disappointed Ark!……At least that’s what he thought…..
Swaek swaek? Swaek swaek? Swaek swaek swaek! Swaek swaek swaek!
Burning Soul buried his head in Isabel’s chest as she carried him. He was already disappointed by Curio and Purital so he felt uneasy after seeing Burning Soul’s reaction. But as expected, Burning Soul was different from his other summons.
“Geez, why are you doing this? Take a look. That’s your dad. The dad you’ve been waiting for.”
Burning Soul raised his head again at Isabel’s words. He started at Ark for a while before jumping towards him with tears streaming down. Ark and Fufu sighed with relief and Fufu clamoured.
“Ah, what a poignant scene! If you saw glance at it, this snake seems like something that can eat someone. But this snake is actually Ark’s summon called Burning Soul! It is clear that there is a relationship closer than Master and pet between them!”
“That’s right.”
Ark felt his burden fell thanks to Burning Soul and replied. Now was the same to save a little face. Ark felt better and started opening up.
“It has been shown on public broadcast many times but after his last evolution, Burning Soul can transform into the legendary Pendragon. Genie’s spatial movement isn’t bad but it is nothing compared to flying on Burning Soul.”
“Ohh! Is it possible to see it once?”
“Of course.”
“Ah! Ark-nim, wait a minute. Burning Soul…..”
Isabel stuttered with a startled expression.
“Burning Soul, transform into Pendragon!”
But Ark had already placed Burning Soul down and shouted powerfully. And…..Burning Heart transformed…..but….he was swollen like a big balloon……
“He is too cute so I feed him every time I see him……”
Isabel blushed and muttered.
“Ah, Ark-nim. That is Pendragon? Is it different from what we’ve heard.”
“No! It is right! This is Pendragon! Right! Burning Soul, fly!”
Ark got on Pendragon and screamed angrily. He indicated towards the sky and gave a command.
Ting-! Ting-! Ting-!
Burning Soul started running but couldn’t get up in the air to fly. It was already too late to turn around.
‘Don’t turn around! Run! Run until we’re out of sight of the camera!’
Burning Soul ran across the garden but was soon caught by the garden walls.
“Hohoho, how is it? Isn’t he cute?”
Isabel laughed and asked Fufu and Camel. Then she clapped her hands and laughed.
“Ah! Honey!”
Sprit flashed back in Fufu and Camel’s eyes and they raised their head.
“Among the 7 heroes, there is one who caused a big topic by marrying the NPC Isabel. Shambala! Camel, aim your camera! Let’s get an interview with Shambala!”
Fufu turned around with a happy expression. She ran up to the masked Shambala and said.
“Hello Shambhala-nim. We are Fufu and Camel from African TV. Can you do an interview for a while?”
“Ark?”
Shambala stopped and looked at Burning Soul who was stuck at the wall. He looked back at Fufu and Camel before saying.
“Get lost.”
Space 9
After a Long Quest……
“Ark……”
The young man spoke in a low voice.
Ting-! Ting-! Ting-!
He gazed at the monitor where a man was running around on a snake shaped like a balloon. It was Ark riding on Burning Soul. The reunion between Ark and his three summons was being broadcasted on the internet and TV in real time. And the young man was watching the broadcast in hospital while undergoing rehabilitation.
“What the, that is?”
“He is the legendary gamer…..”
He could hear people who were watching on the monitor burst out laughing. Ark was called the legendary gamer. It was impossible to get that impression when watching the broadcasted scene. But the youth knew.
‘That is Ark!’
At first the young man had felt the same as other people. Ark looked simple with a few screws loose. However, Ark had risen to a seat that he couldn’t reach. He wasn’t simple. He might be hiding behind that simple appearance but he wasn’t. That’s why the young man wanted to meet Ark. He couldn’t surpass Ark. Why? He was superior in everything so why couldn’t he surpass the simple Ark? In the meantime he had stood on top of a large number of people so why couldn’t he overcome Ark?
‘Why? What am I lacking?’
He asked himself that question hundreds and thousands of times when he lay in a hospital room and couldn’t even lift a finger. But he couldn’t determine the answer. If the game character’s abilities could be quantified in numbers then Ark’s would be a lot higher than the youth’s. Therefore he wanted the chance to ask. If he requested it of his father then it wouldn’t be difficult to meet Ark. However he didn’t want to show his current appearance to Ark. A man also had his own pride. If he was going to meet Ark in reality then he wanted to be standing on his own two feet. Even if he meet Ark in that state in reality, he wouldn’t be able to get the answer he desired. Ark’s talent shone in a virtual reality game. This was the reason why the youth started playing Galaxian.
‘But……’
There was an unforeseen difficulty. He committed a crime in order to personally meet Ark on a disputed planet! However he was sent to Hanan and encountered someone he couldn’t face. It was a Rama user called the Red Slaughter.
‘Today was the 5th time……’
That was the number of times he encountered the Red Slaughter on Hanan. And the result was a total failure. He encountered him 5 times and experienced 5 defeats. Several factors affected the outcome of a battle in the game. Apart from level and equipment, Galaxian also had the battle suits. Before meeting the Red Slaughterer, he had experienced death many times.
‘The Red Slaughterer is different from other users.’
The Red Slaughterer never once used his battle suit when facing the youth. He didn’t use anything except for the most basic skills. Yet the youth still wasn’t a match for the Red Slaughterer. It wasn’t a mere level difference. He was an experienced gamer so he could distinguish it with the first battle.
‘Strong! This guy is strong! This is the power of the person, not the character!’
However, there was a separate reason the youth was interested in the Red Slaughter. After being killed by the Red Slaughter in combat a few times, he finally heard his words through the federation’s interpreter.
–Until when do I have to face these trivial guys? Is Ark ready yet?
Since then the youth’s target was the Red Slaughterer. He didn’t know who he was. Or why he wanted to fight against Ark. But here was another user eager to meet Ark. It was like saying the youth had no right to meet Ark. At that moment, the youth felt like he had to defeat the Red Slaughterer first before meeting Ark. And that was the reality. If he couldn’t defeat the Red Slaughterer then Hanan had no chance. He wouldn’t be able to return to Istana to meet Ark.
‘I need to knock him down with my own hands. And I’m going to meet Ark!’
“Pant pant pant, I’m going to do this!”
The young man gnashed his teeth and raised his body again. He had already been going through rehabilitation for an hour but there was no time to take a break. He needed to be strong. His abilities needed to be strong, not just his character. While the youth was undergoing his rehabilitation…..
“Your son is really motivated today.”
“I was worried when he asked to play the virtual reality game but it seems I didn’t need to.”
His father and doctor were waiting outside.
——————————————————
“……Damn.”
Ark said with a sigh. He was watching his appearance on the TV. He wasn’t an entertainer so he wasn’t entirely comfortable with it but he liked to catch his appearance on TV. Yet when he watched it he saw his pet bat harassing women, his skeleton being depressed and his snake was so fat that it had trouble flying……
Therefore Ark had been humiliated in front of the whole nation. But Ha Myung-woo’s reaction was different.
“That’s it, that’s good. It was what I wanted. In fact, aren’t there a lot of game broadcasts these days? They just show skills and hunting monsters. Therefore the public lost interest in those type of scenes. And isn’t gag the trend these days? Look at how many people are watching it! It is a jackpot. It has only been a few hours and it has already crossed 3 million views. Those 3 million people are probably grabbing their stomachs while rolling with laughter. Congratulations. Until now there had been a lot of stories about bad encounters with you on the internet. After the broadcast, your image has changed to a funny kid. Isn’t that image a lot better? Fortunately the number of connections also increased.”
……Of course he wasn’t happy at all.
‘I wanted to look good!’
But who would believe him if he said that now? The appearance of the genie in Selebrid evoked admiration from the crowd but if he appeared again then they would probably start laughing.
‘This is the first time I feel more comfortable inside Galaxian than New World.’
Ark scratched his head and looked around. It was a place with large and small buildings filled with aliens. It was no different from other cities but just yesterday this city was under an unidentified biohazard attack that changed corpses into monsters. The city’s name was Charem. And Ark was the one who settled Charem’s problem. Ark didn’t rest in order to settle Charem’s problem but the last day was the most hectic. This was because there were a lot of things to clean up. If Ark tried to sum up all the work he had to do in one day……
‘What? This atmosphere?’
When Ark exited the power facility. Charem was wrapped in a lot of tension. Marquis Martin and the Aschulat ambassador that looked like ET witnessed Ark fighting the Mumu and signed a tacit truce afterwards. Both sides penetrated Charem’s shield and took care of the remaining Sufferers. However the residents of Charem were still anxious. The atmosphere felt like the federation and Aschulat were able to start a war with Charem in the centre. Of course there was a reason for it.
“I know the situation now.”
Marquis Martin nodded. Ark had explained it after he exited the facility and joined the federation army’s camp.
“There is no doubt that it was a misunderstanding. But it isn’t possible to remove the federation army now. The inner circumstances doesn’t change the fact that Charem is an illegal city. The federation army has already burst into Charem so we can’t pretend we don’t know about it anymore. If we remove the troops then it will be like admitting that the federation endorses smuggling.”
“Is that why the Aschulat isn’t leaving?”
“I guess so.”
Marquis Martin replied in a cold voice.
“But we can’t leave even if a war starts with the Aschulat.”
‘He really is playing around. Who do you think solved Charem’s problem?’
Ark was the one who settled it yet they are fighting amongst themselves. Ark was annoyed that the federation and Aschulat troops were fighting with each other after all his efforts. But that was a separate matter. He sent the GPS information to the federation so he had completed the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest. It didn’t matter if a war started as long as he received the compensation. However, this wasn’t the only quest that Ark received. There was the <Operation to retake the management system> quest that he received after entering Charem. And Ark had to receive that quest reward from Lord Java. If a war started then he couldn’t receive the compensation from Java. There were other reasons but……
‘Anyway, I have to somehow stop the war over Charem!’
“I’ll be the mediator.”
Ark thought for a while before starting to talk.
“You will be the mediator? Do you think you can solve this problem?”
“Yes, I think it can be solved simply if Marquis-nim and the Aschulat ambassador make some concessions.”
“What do I need to concede?”
“Leave Charem like it is.”
“What?”
“Of course there will be some conditions. This problem is because Charem occupies an area in the federation’s territory without permission and illegal smugglers can freely enter or leave. If the federation forcibly suppressed Charem then the Aschulat will become your enemy. There’s currently a war against the Rama so this would be a tremendous burden on the federation. Then Marquis Martin won’t be able to do anything.”
“You’re stating the obvious. I already understand the circumstances. Yet you’re still me to just withdraw?”
“Is some moral justification necessary?”
“So?”
“You can withdraw if Charem isn’t an illegal city anymore. So Charem will come into the open. The galactic federation will manage the city. Of course the Aschulat won’t just give up the rights to Charem. But couldn’t the federation call it something like a special, autonomous trading region?”
“Your words are quite cheeky for a mere pioneer.”
Marquis Martin sent Ark an unpleasant look and said.
“If that’s the case then I can certainly withdraw the troops. However, that means the federation needs to yield to the Aschulat. Did you think I would accept such a proposal?”
“If they receive a gift then shouldn’t we get something in return?”
“A gift?”
“I heard that the Aschulat removed their troops for no reason after the Rama war started. Marquis Martin can nominate a condition that they send troops into the battlefield.”
“Sending troops to the Bellin battlefields……!”
Marquis Martin murmured with a surprised expression. He was locked in thought for a moment before asking.
“Do you think the Aschulat ambassador will accept such a request?”
“He will accept.”
Ark answered like there was no need to worry about it.
“Why?”
“For the same reason that Marquis-nim will accept my request.”
“Hah, don’t make me laugh. Why do I need to accept your request?”
“Because of this.”
Ark grinned and lifted a small bag. When he received the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest, he also received the <Intelligence Agent Kara> sub quest. Ark had been really interested in the contents of this bag while wandering around Charem. However, the lock on the bag required a higher hacking skill than Ark possessed. Yet he still attempted to open the bag. While he had trapped in the power facility after killing the Mumu, Ark used that time to raise his hacking proficiency. The main items that androids dropped were circuit parts.
-#$!@#!$#!#$!#$$!#!##$##%%%!#$!
The information was part of an unknown program remaining in the circuit. Sometimes the Nymphe’s memory from someone who suddenly died would become mixed in with the circuit. Of course, most times that information was worthless. Sometimes it contained information about a city or home finances. But sometimes GPS information about new dungeons would be mixed in with that information. The problem was the master of the Nymphe.
-Kara…..recognition code (T-3012)…..member of Marquis Martin’s intelligence squad…..
Marquis Martin’s intelligence agent Kara! To his surprise, the memory of Kara’s Nymphe was mixed in with the hacked circuit. The memory contained several pages of Kara’s notepad. Ark thought that he might find a clue for the password of the locked bag. And…..bingo!
-Java Work Lv10
Item Type: Destructive Hacking Program
A destructive hacking program used by the galactic federation’s special intelligence bureau. If you connect this program to the terminal of a specific system then the Java Work will force the terminal to transmit information to the device. Usually high level security systems attached to the terminal will prevent hacking but Java Work uses physical methods to extract data from most machines. But if Java Work is used, the system will suffer irreparable damage.
<Forcibly extract information from the target system>
This was the identity of the bag! Ark sensed something after seeing the contents of the bag.
‘Now I understand. This is why Marquis Martin hid the contents of the bag from me despite asking me to sneak into Charem. Marquis Martin wasn’t interested in why Charem cut off contact with the federation. No, he actually thought it was a chance. Charem is a lawless city but it is actually similar to an information base for the Aschulat. Therefore the federation could obtain a lot of information about the Aschulat and Rama from Charem. There is also the information about the various contraband goods traded. If all that information enters Marquis Martin’s hands……’
Marquis Martin could grasp Charem’s weaknesses. The person who controlled Charem could spread out throughout the galaxy. This was the true reason why Marquis Martin didn’t give up despite the threat of a war. If Marquis Martin obtained the data stored in Charem’s central system then he could blackmail the Aschulat and Rama.
ET also knew this and was 100% not going to give up.
Marquis Martin immediately turned pale when he was shown the bag.
“How did you open that bag…..did you…..?”
“There is no data about Charem.”
When he opened the bag both groups were already confronting each other over control of the tower. But he could use the contents of the bag even if there was no data on it.
“Won’t it be a problem if the Aschulat discover that you wanted to deliver this to Kara who already infiltrated Charem?”
“Are you threatening me?”
Marquis Martin was indeed very quick at understanding his words. Ark just sat without talking and Marquis Martin narrowed his eyes at him.
“….What do you want?”
In fact, this was the most difficult part for Ark. He obtained an item that he could blackmail Marquis Martin with. Couldn’t he obtain some pretty good things from it? The idea that popped into his head was money. Ark soon shook his head. The other person wasn’t a user but an NPC. There was a limit to how much he could ask even if he grasped the weakness. Moreover, the person was an influential noble in the galactic federation so it was foolish to turn their relationship hostile. There was a limit to how much users could get from NPCs. If he didn’t squeeze too much then he could maintain a good relationship with the NPC. That was Ark’s cardinal rule. Besides, Java Work didn’t contain any data so he actually had nothing. Marquis Martin was confused but if he gave him too much time to think then he would calm down.
‘I’ll also receive the quest reward soon so there is no need to make the appreciation drop.’
“I just want to mediate freely.”
“Hrmm……”
Marquis Martin looked at Ark before sighing.
“Okay. If the Aschulat promise to seen troops to the Bellin constellation to support us then I will agree. The Aschulat also has to accept from their side.”
It was easier to persuade ET than it was Marquis Martin. This was because the Aschulat would 100% lose if there was a battle over Charem. The federation would get their hands on Charem. But if the Aschulat accepted the offer then Charem would change from an illegal city to an autonomous trade region. And the problem of the support army for the Bellin constellation……
–Charem was actually the reason that we withdrew the troops. We thought the federation was the reason why Charem suddenly cut off contact. But we couldn’t question it at the diplomatic meeting because officially Charem isn’t associated with the Aschulat. It isn’t difficult to send reinforcements now that we know it was a misunderstanding.
That was ET’s words. Thus the negotiations were a success! Once Marquis Martin and ET shook hands and signed the agreement, an information window appeared on his Nymphe.
-You have received the title of <Mediator>.
You have managed to persuade Marquis Martin and the Aschulat ambassador and stopped the battle that originated from a misunderstanding. Therefore Marquis Martin and the Aschulat ambassador have given you the title of Mediator. This title will be recognized in both the galactic federation and the Aschulat.
You have also received the recognition of the Aschulat ambassador. This means you are qualified to access the constellations until the control of the Aschulat. You have also resolved Charem’s problem and can receive various conveniences in Charem.
<Title Effect: Mediator (Wisdom +15, Intelligence +15)>
+ 1,000 additional fame. + 500 contribution to the Galactic Federation and the Aschulat is obtained.
+ 30% discount when using various services in Charem.
+ Qualified to access Aschulat controlled planets.
This was the first compensation that Ark obtained. And the second was the quest rewards. He could receive compensation for the two main quests <Charem’s Infiltration> and <Operation to retake the management system>. And Ark was already thinking about the rewards for those quests.
“Now, speaking of the successful mission……”
Marquis Martin brought it up first after they finished negotiations with ET. Ark’s eyes flashed and he said.
“Money! Please give me money!”
By default users could select the quest reward in Galaxian. But there was only one choice for him. Money! In the game he would sometimes encounter a quest item he didn’t like or it was an item he couldn’t use. He would have no choice but to sell it at auctions. Therefore Galaxian had a money system to avoid this hassle. Of course, the compensation matched the value of the item.
“I don’t want to go through the trouble of returning to Nabe so I prefer this.”
Therefore he received 1,250 gold! In fact 1,250 gold was a large amount for a quest reward. It was well beyond the price of the current top rated item traded and was probably the highest amount received from a single quest reward.
‘Of course I could’ve received an item worth 1,250 gold but…..’
Right now Ark needed money.
+ 30% discount when using various services in Charem.
That was something he received with the title. It wasn’t applicable to items bought in Charem. It was applied to services provided by Charem such as the Star Gate or Fairy. But Ark had an item the moment he saw it.
‘Agent registration certification!’
Ark’s primary goal was the agent registration! When Ark checked, the price to purchase an agent registration right in the galactic federation was 27,000 gold. However, he could receive a 30% discount from all services provided in Charem. In other words, he could save 8,100 if he bought the agent registration right in Charem. The final price was 18,900 gold. And Ark currently had 17,400 gold.
‘Now Marquis Martin gave me 1,250 gold! 18,650 gold! I only need 250 gold! I still need to receive the quest reward by Java so I can purchase it immediately! And there’s also the money from selling all my japtem obtained from Charem!’
In fact, buying an agent registration certificate in an illegal city meant nothing. However he negotiated with both parties and now Charem was a special autonomous trade region. If he registered in Charem then he would receive the same benefits as registering with the federation. And the cost of registering was 30% cheaper! His goal was right around the corner! Ark’s heart jumped at the idea. Since Java’s quarters in the control tower was still being repaired, Ark headed towards Java’s temporary lodging.
“Hey, Alan!”
Then he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He turned and saw Clark and Pureah approaching.
“Phew, why are you wandering around so much? We’ve been looking for you for a while.”
“Did you come to receive the compensation from Java?”
“We previously signed a contract so it had been settled. However the control tower isn’t functioning yet so the short distance gates isn’t working. Since the city has been closed for a while, the merchants are having problems with delivery. The Aschulat are sending several transport ships so we are also leaving. We wanted to say goodbye before leaving.”
“You’re leaving right now? Why all of a sudden……?”
“Haven’t you heard yet? Marquis Martin and the Aschulat made an agreement a short while ago after some negotiations. We heard that the pioneer called Ark who became a major war hero on Beltana was the mediator…..he doesn’t seem ordinary if he was able to negotiate with both sides. Are you from the federation too? Have you seen the person called Ark?”
“No, I……”
Ark scratched his head and hesitated. Clark and Pureah still knew Ark as Alan. Charem was designated the autonomous trade region so there was no reason to hide his identity now. In fact, he felt bad that he was deceiving them. However he hid his identity so there would be issues if he revealed it.
‘The problem is the Hyde Helmet.’
It was good at hiding his identity but the intimacy would drop to 0 with the NPCs the moment he took it off. The intimacy for ‘Alan’ would be wasted.
‘Still, if I want Clark and Pureah to join me……’
He didn’t want to waste all the intimacy he gained. He just didn’t know if Clark who was a Rama could accept his identity. The federation was the reason Clark was leaving Charem.
“Either way, Charem is now affiliated with the federation. Even if it is an autonomous trade region, the federation and Rama were at war so Java couldn’t allow hostile species to freely access it. It is unlikely that I will ever come back. Kalbern is also dead and the Phoenix squad disbanded so there is no reason to remain.”
‘Well, I guess but…..”
He discovered this after defeating the Mumu but the Phoenix members weren’t pioneers. That was normal. Ark was sent to Beltana and lived with NPCs that were pioneers but only 0.1% of NPCs were actually pioneers. No matter how strong the remaining 99.9% were, it was the end if they died. This was the reason that the galactic federation and 4 large companies gave users and pioneers special treatment. They had an immortal body and could face the risks on the space frontier. It was the reason Ark wanted to create the Royal Guards! NPC pioneers were rare NPCs. Just as Ark was thinking this.
“Unfortunately it can’t be helped. I’m proud to be a member of the Phoenix squad. And we are the remaining 3 members of the Phoenix squad. That fact won’t change no matter where we go in the galaxy. Even if we become enemies on the battlefield, I will still regard you as fellow soldiers. So you shouldn’t forget me.”
“Yes, I won’t forget.”
“Thank you.”
Clark laughed and nodded his head.
“Then I’ll see you next time. Let’s meet again one day.”
Clark and Pureah said goodbye and joined up with the crowds. He couldn’t keep going with NPCs who weren’t Royal Guard members but he felt somewhat lonely as they walked away. But he didn’t have time to be depressed!
“I received quite a bit in the meantime. Character information window!”
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 79
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Fame 5,820 Adventure 720
Health 1,850 (+90) Mental Power 1,000 (+75)
Strength 180 (+23) Agility 245
Stamina 335 (+18) Wisdom 20 (+5)
Intelligence 160 (+15) Luck 35
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
** Contribution: Galactic Federation 6,850, Aschulat 500
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
Of course! His depressed mood flew away at the sight of the information window. Ark had been level 67 when he arrived in Charem. And now he was level 79! Now was his 5th day in Charem so he had gained 12 levels in 4 days. That was an average of 3 levels a day. He could also gather the money for the agent registration rights soon! But was that all? The items he got from the control tower and the Mumu! The Murat’s pyramid! His Mediator title! He already received a lot of compensation. There was no reason for him to be depressed.
“There’s no time. I still have a lot of work to do. The quest reward from Java, the agent registration…..and contacting the Royal Guards. Huhuhu, I’ll surprise them after the agent registration is complete. And it took me a while to reach here so shouldn’t I look around? Ah, I also need to find the missing octopuses and report back to Elder Bakum. And Milan! If I decrypt the letters on the slab then I might find a new Murat ruin!”
There were still a lot of things for him to arrange. It wasn’t the time to be playing around.
“Let’s go! GO! GO! GO!”
Ark shouted vigourously as he ran across Charem.
——————————————————
“That Ark……”
After the negotiations with ET were concluded. Marquis Martin sat in the control room of his cruiser and laughed.
“I covet that guy the more I see him.”
Marquis Martin didn’t feel bad about Ark suddenly blackmailing him. No, he actually appreciated Ark even more. In fact, Marquis Martin also though about negotiations when ET was opposing him. Like Ark said, they were in a war with the Rama so it was stupid to antagonize the Aschulat. But Ark solved that problem while he was worrying about it. However his evaluation of Ark increased due to different reasons.
‘He isn’t greedy. He works hard and isn’t greedy.’
Ark could request anything other than negotiations when threatening Marquis Martin. Marquis Martin wouldn’t accept any unacceptable proposal. And if Ark informed Aschulat of the contents of the bag then he would have no way to appease them. Ark also knew this fact. However, he only asked to do the negotiations so Marquis Martin’s favourable impression of him increased. It seemed easy but it wasn’t as simple as it looked.
‘He can be quite useful.’
Marquis Martin was thinking such thoughts.
“Marquis-nim, we are receiving communication from the central government!”
“The central government? I’ve already sent them the report about the negotiation with the Aschulat…..connect.”
Marquis Martin turned and saw the form of someone from the central government.
“What is going on?”
–That……
The official hesitated for a while before saying.
–20 minutes ago we received a report that the Rama have captured Hanan.
“So it turned out like that……”
Marquis Martin’s expression didn’t change. When considering the military situation, it was something easily predicted.
“Understood. I will return to the central government after I arrive back in Nabe. I will listen to the report there.”
-And…..
“There is still more to report?”
–Shortly after the war ended, the Rama on Hanan sent us this video.
The screen changed after the official finished talking. It was the smouldering ruins of the federation’s base on Hanan. At first h couldn’t understand the intent of the video. But after watching for a while, he noticed that the placement of the federation bodies were strange. It was like it was purposely arranged……
The bodies formed a series of letters. Someone used the corpses to send a message to the federation. Surprisingly the message was…..
I’m sending a challenge to Ark.
The Red Slaughterer.
“What the, this is?”
Marquis Martin’s face warped.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 06
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Special Reward
-A new city has appeared to the north of Nabe.
-So far the northern trading port Charem has only existed in rumours. It is registered with the galactic federation as a special autonomous trade region.
-Charem is a new, advanced base in the northern frontier!
Right after Charem was registered as the autonomous trade region. The news spread throughout the excited users of the federation at a LTE speed. The users with a merchant affiliate showed a particularly hot reaction.
“Charem…..that city was real?”
The merchants were no strangers to the name Charem. It was a city that smuggled goods through the galaxy so they had no choice but to hear about it. However, the exact location and how to access it were unknown so it had been treated like an urban legend until now.
“This is a great opportunity to open new trade routes!”
The merchants gathered their baggage and headed for Charem. Then the interest of the warriors naturally turned to Charem.
“There are still a lot of unexplored areas in the north compared to the rest of Istana. It had no city or village so it was too much trouble to go but now the situation has changed. With Charem acting as a base we can now explore the northern areas!”
The adventurous people cheered.
“The new trading city has appeared so merchants will flock there. Huhuhu, it is easy to make money from merchants. Right now Charem isn’t connected to other cities via the Star Gate. The routes there will still be limited so it will be simple to take from merchants. Let’s go! Grab your weapons!”
Even the criminals cheered.
“The security around Charem won’t be working properly. Therefore a lot of thieves will target small scale merchants. We will escort them to destroy the thugs and raise awareness with agents in other areas. Let’s go! Pack your shields!”
The security companies cheered as well. But not everyone welcomed the emergence of Charem. Dozens of octopuses were watching from the lake as Charem suddenly appeared.
–Unbelievable…..
–No way! Why did a city all of a sudden…..?
–Oh my god! A disaster! This is a disaster!
Around 100 octopuses grabbed their heads and screamed.
————————————————
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
A few hours ago. A large spaceship emitted a roaring sound and flew away. After the Sufferers incident finished, the Aschulat sent some transport ships as support. There were two types of people who took this transport ship. The city had been blocked for a month so merchants were on the ship to help with deliveries. Of course, Charem was autonomous region but it was still under the control of the federation. Therefore criminals or hostile species like Clark had no choice but to feel anxious. As soon as the blockade was lifted, many people swarmed to the port and exited Charem.
“This is why it doesn’t have the atmosphere of a shopping mall.”
Ark clicked his tongue as he looked around and murmured. Huge crowds were gathering at the port so the other regions were relatively quiet. He could wander the wide road without bumping into someone and the doors for the shops lined up barely opened.
“But this is a temporary phenomenon.”
A new city had been registered in an area that was previously classified as undeveloped land. Right now people were ebbing out of Charem like a tide but soon more people would flock in. Until now this city was filled with smugglers not pioneers. Now Charem would change. Charem was a special autonomous trading region with fewer restrictions compared to other cities so it was likely to grow explosively.
“This is the greatest time to grab a spot!”
Ark looked around Charem with shining eyes. If he had to explain……
‘It has been 4 months since I’ve started Galaxian and I hadn’t really adapted during that time. It was I didn’t have a concrete direction. If I have a specific direction then I can endeavour to work towards that goal.’
When checking it clearly, it was Lucifer. He had proposed a condition and he had hurt his head thinking about it. He also died while raising his level. The condition that Lucifer raised was to reach the ultimate goal. It was such an ambiguous condition that Ark wandered off.
‘But there is no reason to think too hard. No matter what the ultimate goal is, there is only one answer. The strongest person in the game wins! I just have to be stronger than Lucifer.’
It didn’t mean simply raising his character level. Anybody could raise their level in a general PC game. However MMORPGs, especially virtual reality games weren’t that simple. His purpose in New World was to make money and he raised his level to reach that goal, ultimately becoming the strongest person in that game.
‘Yes, it is clear that I need an organization as well as power to fight against Lucifer.’
When he thought about it, Ark also did that in New World. At that time Lucifer had the Army of Darkness as a powerful organization. Most people only remembered Ark’ part against Lucifer but he had actually led a coalition to win the war.
‘Fortunately I was the commander of the allied forces. I was also able to protect Lancel village that was my home base thanks to Dark Eden. They were the reason I was able to push back Lucifer in New World. Yes, now isn’t the time to be wandering. Right now I need a base. I need funds and a base to rally the forces!’
This was the conclusion Ark came to after 4 months of worrying. In order to create a stronghold, he needed to register as an agent in Galaxian. An agent might seem similar to a guild in general RPG games but it was actually a different organization. And the registration cost was 27,000 gold! The price was 10 times the amount required to establish a guild in other games. Unlike a guild that was a simple gathering, an agent was a business. The privileges given was also different from the standards of a guild……it was too complicated to expand on right now but the agent registration was another worry.
‘Where should I do the agent registration?’
It was this. When registering an agent, the city registered in would become a base. The rights given to the agent came from the relevant city. So Ark had considered Tatuine, the most prosperous city in the galactic federation. But he changed his mind the moment Charem was registered as an autonomous region.
‘Right now Tatuine is the most stable city. However it is the same for other users. Many users have already registered as agents in Tatuine.’
It meant there would be competitors everywhere.
‘Charem has no influx of users yet. The city is new so there will be more opportunities. Moreover, it is designated as an autonomous region so the growth potential is a lot better than Tatuine. There is no better place to be my base.’
Furthermore, he received a 30% discount on services thanks to his Mediator title. This privilege would be a tremendous help when operating a business in the future. No, even the 30% discount on the 27,000 agent registration rights means that he only needed to pay 18,900 gold. The discount gave him a huge potential for growth! It was a no-brainer. And Ark presently had 18,650 gold.
‘I still need 250 gold even with the discount but……’
He still needed to receive the reward for the <Operation to retake the management system> quest. He could receive the reward as money and register as an agent!
‘I’m close to reaching my goal!’
Kukwang! Kukwang! Kukwang! Kukwang!
He heard a banging sound while he was walking. It was the noise of equipment repairing the areas destroyed by the Sufferers. Ark would soon register as an agent so this was like sweet music to his ears. He finally reached the desired street.
“It is here.”
A huge metal building was being built in a corner of the business district. It was made from bits of metal scraps so the building was shabby but that was an unrelated matter. The important thing was that this was the residence of the Lord of Charem. In other words, this was the temporary lodgings for Lord Java who he would receive the quest reward from. Ark showed the guards at the front of the hotel the counter that Clark had given him when he first joined the squad.
“I am a mercenary who participated in the operation to retake the management system with the Phoenix squad.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about you from Clark.”
Phoenix was a mercenary squad but they were Charem’s elite soldiers. And it was also known that they played a crucial role in settling the Sufferers problem. Therefore the guards had a good impression of the Phoenix members. The atmosphere made him anticipate the quest reward.
“Then follow me. I’ll guide you to Lord Java.”
“Thank you.”
Ark followed behind the guards. They crossed a long hallway and finally arrived in front of a spacious hall.
“How many times did I tell you?”
A rough voice was heard from the hall.
“If it wasn’t for their help then Charem wouldn’t have been saved!”
“A bizarre voice is talking. Did your head rot while you were stuck in the pipes? The soldiers of the federation and Aschulat were the ones who saved Charem.”
“Are you denying it?”
“There is no more need to negotiate!”
“I just……”
“It is disgusting to hear! Stop and go away! I don’t have time to argue with you. Guards, what are you doing? Remove this guy!”
“Wait a minute! Please wait a minute, Lord-nim! Lord-nim!”
“I said I don’t want to hear it!”
‘What? What’s going on? In addition, this voice is…..eh?’
Ark’s eyes widened as he peeked over the eyes of the guards. A creature that looked like a giant larva was sitting on a floating chair in the middle of the hall. If he saw it in the Outlands he would shoot a bullet into its head but it didn’t seem to be a monster judging by the atmosphere. No, the various jewels and decorations hanging from it made it seem like a high ranking alien rather than a monster. The larva creature was probably Java, the Lord of Charem. However Ark wasn’t surprised because Lord Java was a larva.
“Jay?”
The man being dragged by the guards suddenly raised his head after hearing Ark’s voice. Jay was the man who helped Ark navigate through the control tower! But Ark had forgotten about him after taking care of the Mumu and the negotiations with the Aschulat. Jay also looked at Ark with surprised eyes.
“Ah Ark-nim! That’s right!”
Jay shrugged off the guards and approached Ark.
“It is good that you came. Lord-nim, here! Here is a witness!”
“What? Who is this?”
“He is the person that Clark of the Phoenix squad told you about.”
A guard replied after the larva frowned at Ark. Jay nodded and said.
“Yes, that’s right! I told you. This is the warrior who decided not to give up after receiving the surprise attack from the Mumu and losing most of his fellow soldiers! He is the witness who will prove me words. Ark-nim please say something!”
“No, I don’t know……”
Ark scratched his head with a puzzled expression and Jay immediately shouted.
“The Charenjok!”
“Eh? Charenjok?”
“Yes, the Charenjok! Will Ark-nim deny it as well? Ark-nim was able to survive the Mumu’s attack and save Charem thanks to the help of the Charenjok. If they didn’t help then it is likely that Charem would’ve been destroyed. Shouldn’t they receive some kind of compensation? Even if they are slaves, doesn’t it make sense? I won’t leave until they give them compensation!”
“……Ah!”
He had forgotten until he heard Jay’s words. The agent registration distracted him so much that he forgot about Tuntun and the Charenjok. He had received a quest from the elder Bakum to find the missing Charenjok. But when he thought about it, it wasn’t as easy as he thought. The octopuses that disappeared were alive but they were presently Java’s slave. This was the reason Jay was raving wildly. Anyway, the Charenjok were the ones who saved Jay from the Sufferers. He was spouting fire because he wanted the Charenjok to escape from their identities as slaves.
‘This is true……’
Ark scratched his head and looked at Java. Ark had visited Java to receive the quest compensation. Yet now he was embroiled in the problem of the Charenjok. Of course, it wouldn’t be a problem if Java decided to release the Charenjok but that was highly unlikely judging from his expression. No matter how he looked at Java, he didn’t seem like an alien with a good nature. In order words, there was a high possibility that he would incur Java’s ill feelings. No, it felt like Java already had ill feelings towards him. Java had been glaring the whole time Jay was talking to Ark.
‘However I can’t pretend ignorance……’
Anyway it was true that Ark received Tuntun’s help. He couldn’t pretend otherwise just to receive the reward. But he was worried about suddenly interjecting. Then Java who was staring at Ark suddenly tilted his head to one side.
“Wait? Ark? If you are Ark then perhaps…..”
“Yes, Ark is the name of the human who negotiated with the Aschulat ambassador.”
Someone who looked like a secretary replied and Java’s gaze turned back to Ark. His eyes were asking if it was the same person.
“Yes, I am that Ark.”
“But wasn’t the mercenary who joined the Phoenix squad called Alan?”
“There were circumstances and I used a pseudonym for a while.”
Ark scowled at Jay and replied. In fact, Ark hadn’t thought about revealing his identity until he received the quest reward. Ark had sneaked into Charem as a spy for Marquis Martin in the first place. The whole thing was resolved but he didn’t know what problems it would cause.
So he was still using the Hyde Helmet but Jay had called him Ark.
“That is normal for mercenaries.”
Fortunately Java didn’t dig deeper into the matter. The unpleasant expression on his face also smoothed out.
“I never imagined that the person who completed the mission with the Phoenix squad and the person who mediated with the Aschulat was the same. You saved Charem. But this is a different problem. I don’t care who you are or what you say. The slaves are my possessions. It is natural for my possessions to protect my assets. Yet you want me to give compensation for doing their duty? They are my slaves. Other people who no right to tell me how to treat them.”
Java spoke with an arrogant expression.
Then a light flashed in Ark’s eyes and he said.
“Wait a moment. Lord-nim is acknowledging that the Charenjok helped?”
“What? No, I mean……”
Java flinched and tried to make an excuse but Ark struck first.
“Like Jay explained, it is obvious that the Charenjok played a large role in saving Charem. Of course, they are Lord-nim’s slaves so you have the right to do what you want with them. However, Charem is now designated a special autonomous trade region so many people would be flocking from all over. If they know the contents of this situation then I’m worried that they will misunderstand Lord-nim.”
“Hrmm……”
His words were effective. Java folded his short arms and started thinking. Then Jay took the chance and spoke quickly.
“Yes! I will spread rumours! I’ll spread rumours about Lord-nim in every direction!”
“This bastard…..!”
Java glared angrily at Jay. Then he looked at Ark again before nodding.
“If you received the Mediator title then you definitely aren’t ordinary. Okay, I’ll accept your proposal.”
“R-really?”
The answer was surprisingly different from what he expected. It was settled so easily that he was puzzled. Java laughed and continued.
“However I will only release the Charenjok called Tuntun.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it natural? I’ve heard about all the circumstances from Jay. According to him, isn’t Tuntun the only one out of the Charenjok who saved you? The other Charenjok were just hiding in the pipes. There is no reason to give mercy to slaves like that. If you still want to save the other Charenjok…..I will sell them.”
Java asked a man in uniform standing next to him.
“Adjutant, how many Charenjok slaves do I have?”
“If I add all the young children that the androids captured from the water facility, the total is 35. Excluding Tuntun that is 34 Charenjok.”
“34 in total. If it is 30 gold for 1 then that is a total of 1,020 gold. Okay, I will make it 1,000 gold. How about it? This is the maximum that I can tolerate. I’ve achieved my obligations by releasing Tuntun. If you want to release the other Charenjok then you have to pay that amount. Isn’t that right?”
As expected from the Lord of a smuggling city, Java wasn’t easy to crack. There was no room for him to object……Jay also released this and cursed.
“Dammit, this guy is really nasty! Spit! Really petty and nasty!”
“Shut up, Jay!”
Java was shooting a really mean glare at Jay.
“You shouldn’t be worrying about the Charenjok right now. I’ve received some testimonies from employees that escaped from the control tower. If the reason for the outbreak was due to the research then you will have to take responsibility as the head of research.”
“That’s it! This job, I resign! I resign!”
“He dares……!”
Java snapped angrily at Jay. Then he acted like it was too troublesome and turned back to Ark.
“Anyway, this is the maximum amount that I can concede. This is a courtesy that I’m showing you because the Aschulat ambassador recognized you. But I also have a condition.”
“Huh? Condition?”
“Before saying that…..you performed the mission with the Phoenix squad so shouldn’t you receive the compensation? Let’s check that and speak afterwards.”
‘What condition is he suddenly talking about?’
Ark was uncomfortable by Java’s sudden words but handed the counter over to the secretary. Java asked the secretary who was looking at the counter on his computer.
“What is the number that is piled up on the counter?”
“1, 646. According to the agreed contract with the Phoenix squad, we need to pay 800 gold.”
‘…..800 gold!’
Ark felt an exhilarating feeling after hearing the secretary’s words. Although he entered the control tower with the Phoenix members, Ark was all along after the Mumu attacked the elevator. The federation and Aschulat troops cleaned up the Sufferers but that was possible because of Ark. When considering that point, 800 gold was a lot for a quest that he received by chance. He had gained an extra 800 gold. No, it was quite a satisfying amount. Ark’s biggest interest was the 250 gold required for the agent registration. If he was given 800 gold then he could register and have some spare money!
‘That’s it. I can complete the agent registration.’
Ark puffed up with anticipation.
“This is my condition.”
“Huh?”
“Charem has been attacked by the Sufferers for 1 month so half the city is in ruins. The meeting with the federation and Aschulat has designated this area as an autonomous trading region but nothing can be done in this state. The problem is Charem’s recovery. We need huge amounts of money for the recovery project. Charem’s urgent problem is to save every copper possible.”
“T-then my pay……”
Did it have something to do with the Charenjok? Ark started feeling uneasy.
“It’s not that I’m not paying you. I just want to postpone it a bit.”
“Postpone the payment date? For how long?”
“Let’s see? Restoring the city should take about 1 month?”
Ark’s body felt cold after hearing Java’s answer. Even if he didn’t receive the quest reward, he could still do the agent registration. Among the loot obtained from the control tower, he could sell the ‘RPG PW-600’ and ‘Ray Steel-???’ and it would be sufficient to get 250 gold. However Ark was irritated that he would have to wait 1 month to receive a quest reward. Think about it. Who wouldn’t be annoyed if they expected to receive their pay check today only to be told to wait 1 month? Java was looking at Ark’s expression and began to talk quickly.
“If you don’t like that then there are some other ways.”
“Some other ways?”
“There are two ways. The first one is to receive the reward through the Charenjok. The price for the Charenjok is 1,000 gold so you have to pay me 200 gold.”
“Ark-nim, 200 gold……”
“No!”
He replied in a decisive voice before Jay could finish talking. The octopuses who were slaves had saved Jay and Ark’s lives. But like Java said, Tuntun was the one who actually helped him and his freedom was guaranteed. Ark had no reason to be responsible for the other octopuses. And the octopuses were hiding in the northern lake so they didn’t have any money. There was still the <Under the Black Water> quest but he wouldn’t receive a dime if he rescued the Charenjok. At best it would probably be a bag of fish for travelling. There was no quest compensation and he would have to pay 200 gold.
“And the other way?”
“Play a simple game with me.”
“Game?”
“Yes, there are no copper coins in my vault right now. In order to obtain the funds necessary to restore Charem, I need to dispose of the items in my personal collection that I’ve gathered for a long time. But it will be tough to receive a fair value when I have to sell it so quickly. Therefore…..I’m also uncomfortable postponing the payment for 1 month so how about you receive something from my collection as a reward instead?”
“Take something from your collection as a reward?”
“Yes, I’m actually more comfortable with this. However the control with Kalbern and the Phoenix members said I had to pay in cash. But if you accept then we can change the terms of the contract.”
“Then why did you talk about a game?”
“Huhuhu, this is the key point.”
Java laughed and pointed towards an iron door.
“It would be no problem if I decided to give a specific item in the first place but the contract agreed to give money. I have no complaints but my position means I just can’t give it to you. And it will be difficult to confirm if the item is actually 800 gold. So I want you to go to my collections warehouse to select it directly. You can choose one item. Time isn’t an issue. Take your time and select it carefully. However it ends if you exit the warehouse. In other words, the item you pick can be worth 1 gold. Of course, the opposite is true and it can even be worth 10,000 gold. Do you understand? This is a game to test your discerning eye.”
“A game to test my discerning eye……”
Ark looked at the iron door that Java indicated. If he received this proposal in New World then he would accept without thinking. Ark had the skill called ‘Discerning Eye’ and his experience meant he could guess the approximate value of the items. But Ark wasn’t familiar with the swords, armour and items in Galaxian so he couldn’t judge the value. It was the future so special items like firearms, RPGs and grenades also existed. It was difficult for Ark to guess the price of a commercial transaction. In some cases he might suffer an enormous loss.
‘But……’
There was also a chance of gaining a huge benefit.
‘And the value of the goods isn’t just determined by the store price alone. It is like the meteorite in the laboratory. Some items might be worth thousands of gold but I won’t be able to sell it at the stores. There might be a lot of things similar to the meteorite in Java’s collection. Yes, this might be my chance to get my hands on an excellent item. If I add some conditions then I might not lose money.’
Ark considered for a moment before speaking to Java.
“I accept. But I have a few questions.”
“What is it?”
“Is there a time limit?”
“No. It doesn’t matter how many days you take. Just search until you find something you like.”
“Are there any rules about touching the stuff?”
“It doesn’t matter as long as you only bring out one item.”
“Then my last point. I don’t know what types of items are in the warehouse. In some cases I might have trouble lifting it alone so I want to go in with Jay.”
“It also doesn’t matter who goes in with you.”
‘……The game is over.’
Ark was inwardly certain of it after hearing Java’s answer. As long as he could directly confirm the item information window, he could obtain the most expensive item even if it took some time. Of course, it was also dafficult to determine the value even with the information window. That’s why he wanted to make Jay enter with him. Jay might’ve resigned just now but he had still been Charem’s head of research. He would possess more knowledge about relics than Ark.
‘This is a game that I absolutely can’t lose!’
“I’ll accept!”
Ark’s eyes shone as he answered.
Yet that didn’t even last for 1 minute before Ark’s face turned dark.
“T-this is…..”
A shocking scene unfolded before him in the warehouse. Ark naturally expected a warehouse full of treasure after hearing about Java’s collection. However, stacked in the warehouse were piles of scrap items and machine parts instead of treasures. Instead of a collection, it should be called a pile of junk!
“I-it’s a scam!”
Jay shouted.
“A scam? Where did I scam you? This is my collections warehouse that I told you about. The collections warehouse where I keep all the goods gathered from the areas that the Sufferers destroyed.”
“No way! You didn’t say that there was only junk in the warehouse!”
“I never said that it wasn’t second hand items. This might be a misunderstanding but I never lied. I never said that you would find something worth 800 gold in the warehouse.”
Java shamelessly replied.
‘……This!’
Ark now realized his mistake. He was fooled by the word ‘collection’ and forgot to ask the main question.
He forgot to ask if there was an item worth more than 800 gold!
“But there is no need to be disappointed. We gathered everything from those areas so who knows what might’ve been missed? Why don’t you check everything one by one? If you search eagerly then you might even find a treasure.”
Java turned his levitating chair and exited the warehouse.
‘……I was stupid!’
Recrimination surged inside him afterwards. When he first heard the proposition, Ark thought the probability of losing was 1%. On the other hand, the probability of a jackpot was at least 50%. But he should’ve had doubts. The proposal was too good to trust. He should’ve been suspicious.
‘The Phoenix members told me. Java isn’t a guy to be trusted.’
This was why Kalbern specifically placed a money reward in the contract. But Ark was careless with Java. He felt uncomfortable with him but Ark wasn’t expecting a scam.
“It’s a scam! Scam! Ark-nim, let’s just leave!”
Jay was still clamouring away.
“No, like Java said it isn’t a scam.”
Ark looked at the pile of junk as he said.
“It is like Java said. He didn’t lie. I just didn’t question him enough. And I was the one who accepted the offer.”
“Oh my god! Why are you saying this now? Isn’t Ark-nim angry?”
“I am angry. 800 gold suddenly changed to several coppers worth of scrap iron. Of course anger would surge. But if I just ran out of the warehouse then it is GAME OVER. And running out and hitting him isn’t a good idea. He isn’t an ordinary NPC but a Lord. We would just need to pay hospital expenses. I’m angry! I’m angry but there’s nothing to do!”
The result was obvious. But Ark hadn’t given up yet.
“Please help me.”
Ark rolled up his sleeve and walked to a pile of scrap iron. Then Jay frowned.
“Are you really going to search through that pile of crap?”
“Giving up is just what Java wants.”
“I guess, but……”
“Java thinks there is no item over 800 gold here but he hasn’t checked everything. Therefore we should look at every piece of scrap metal. There is no reason to give up yet.”
“You’re really going to check it?”
“I have to.”
Ark replied without thinking about it. From the beginning Ark had been planning to check all items and picking the best one. Things were no different now. There were more than 100 items so the odds of finding something worth 800 gold……it was honestly depressing but Ark wasn’t going to give up.
“I won’t give Java the satisfaction of abandoning this task!”
“…..I understand. I’ll help you.”
Finally Jay rolled up his sleeves and approached.
“Then I’ll dig up the scrap metal. Jay-nim will classify them.”
Ark took out his shovel with a determined expression.
“Then let’s start! Ohhhh!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Ark started continuously digging.
-<Old Motor>, <Used Battery>, <Broken Monitor>…..
Trash kept on pouring out!
“Now let’s continue! Ohhhh!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
-<Clothing Pieces>, <Crumpled Pieces of Iron>, <9 mm Screw x10>……
Trash flowed out over and over again! Trash! Trash!
“Pant pant pant, dammit!”
Ark cursed while breathing harshly. His lower back was sore after digging for 6 hours without a break. But the result was a total failure. Even when he dug trench after trench, the only thing he found was japtem. It was japtem that was only worth several gold! Not one item was worth a lot of money.
‘Well, I knew this from the beginning……’
Not even any useful items showed up. If he couldn’t find an item worth 800 gold then he was hoping to find something useful. He searched for piles of junk for 6 hours but he didn’t even find one cheap iron sword. Fortunately he learnt the Metallurgy skill so he found some scrap metal worth 3~4 gold.
‘If there any item that I can use in here?’
Ark looked around with gloomy eyes before shaking his head.
‘No, I shouldn’t be weak! I’ve only searched through 30% of this. There is still more than half left. I can’t give up until I search through every piece of scrap metal!’
Ark gnashed his teeth together and grabbed the shovel again. He bent his waist and started digging again.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa…..tang!
The end of his shovel hit against a large object. He moved the surrounding scrap metal around and found a big machine buried. Most of the scrap metal piled in the warehouse was the size of a soccer ball. But the machine deeply buried in the scrap metal was more than 2 metres.
“This might be the most expensive thing we can find in here.”
Because it was scrap metal. The value of scrap metal depended on the weight.
“If this is a rare metal then we might be able to receive hundreds of gold for it…..damn, it is just an alloy. What, I can only receive 10 gold for this size?”
Ark checked the metal of the machine using metallurgy and resumed digging again. Then something popped into his head.
“Wait? The name of this machine……?”
He checked the information window again! There were other pieces of it scattered around.
‘Yes, so far everything I’ve checked was japtem. That’s right, Java collected all the scrap metal left in the ruins of the city. Clearly…..Java’s proposal was taking out one item so this isn’t breaking the rule. Maybe……’
“I found it! A way to defeat that larva bastard!”
Ark smiled and muttered.
————————————————
–Alive?
A large octopus shouted with an agitated look. After spending a full day in Java’s warehouse, Ark exited and rode the air board towards the Charenjok’s hiding place. The octopuses were delighted that their kin were alive but that only lasted for a brief moment.
–But a slave……
Bakum shook his head and sighed.
–That means they can’t return even if they’re alive?
“I’m sorry. I spoke to the lord of Charem many times but I only managed to release Tuntun. However I have a way to free the rest of the Charenjok.”
–You have a way? What is it?
“Buying the Charenjok from the lord of Charem.”
–B-buying? Buying the same species like a slave trader?
“Yes. It is wrong to pay money to buy a race that should be free but that is the reality. Why don’t you just think of it as paying a ransom to kidnappers?”
–That is true however……
Bakum moved his 7 legs and hesitated. He looked at Ark with a worried expression and asked.
–How much do we have to pay?
“Except for Tuntun, Java has 34 Charenjok so the ransom is 1,000 gold.
-1….1,000 gold!
Bakum’s head turned pale white with fear.
–That’s impossible! We’re hiding in this type of place so how can we get that money?
Ark also knew this as well. The Charenjok wouldn’t be hiding in a place like this if they had money. They would just this money to buy citizenship. But the Charenjok could only catch fish and couldn’t gather that type of money. Well, the Charenjok on R-14 could just their pipe cleaning skills to earn money but these Charenjok couldn’t. However…..
“I’ll prepare the way to gain the money.”
In fact, Ark had a reason for visiting the Charenjok as soon as he left the warehouse. Some time ago, Ark had found the body of a huge machine in the pile of rubbish. Of course it was broken from the Sufferers attacks. Therefore it was just junk. He could only sell it as scrap metal.
Then Ark had a brilliant idea.
‘Can this machine be repaired?’
Ark had the idea because of small machine parts. The information window had written ‘some parts of a machine.’ He found a 2 metre large machine so he might be able to repair it. If it wasn’t broken then the machine would be worth a considerable amount!
‘Yes, Java placed all the scrap metal found in an area together. Then there is a large possibility that all the parts for his machine are in the warehouse. If I look for the necessary parts then I can assemble it!’
Of course not everyone could assemble a machine. Unless it had a simple structure, only engineers with the ‘mechanical engineering’ skill could assemble one. Obviously Ark wasn’t an engineer…..
“If there is a body then it is possible.”
Jay was an advanced engineer in charge of Charem’s research. He also had the necessary tools in Cheksun’s Toolbox. Since then, the direction of Ark’s work changed 180 degrees. He looked for parts that seemed like they would fit a large machine. That’s why Ark and Jay spent an entire day in the warehouse. They even needed to find the precise screws to attach the parts to the machine. Finding the parts, attaching them with screws, tightening and oiling took one day! When the machine was restored to its original appearance……
-Space Food Maker (Ver. 2)
Item type: Primary Production Machine
A machine made to settle the chronic food problem in the space pioneering age. Most planets in the galaxy contain wild flora and fauna that contain ingredients harmful to humans. In addition, the environment was too poor to grow crops common on earth so the early human pioneers experienced food problems.
The Space Food Maker was developed to settle this problem. This machine removes the various toxins and forms the extracted nutrients into the form of an energy bar. The resulting space food is easily to store, can be consumed anywhere and the prices are also affordable for pioneers.
<After ingredients are inserted, 120 Space Foods will be produced per hour. The quality of the Space Food will range between 1~3 depending on the quality and freshness of the ingredients>
Space Food Maker! It was just scrap metal when broken but the Space Food Maker was a machine worth thousands of gold! Java never imagined that Ark and Jay would be able to put together a machine like that. As expected, Java ran wild as soon as Ark dragged out the Space Food Maker.
“T-this is…..a foul! This is a foul!”
“Your condition was that I could bring out one item from the warehouse. You didn’t say anything about not assembling the parts inside. And……isn’t this ‘one’ item?”
Ark tapped the machine that had been changed to 10 metres using hundreds of parts and laughed. Ark could also use the same methods as Java. Java had to keep his promise. Java might be a larva but he was still a lord. Ark might’ve built it with hundreds of parts but the Space Food Maker was still one item! In the end Java was forced to admit it. 800 gold compensation had been turned into thousands of gold. However there was a small problem. The Space Food Maker might be worth thousands of gold…….
“It worked! Now we can save the Charenjok!”
Jay was still talking nonsense. Ark had no intention of wasting 1,000 gold to buy 34 Charenjok. But he couldn’t ignore Jay’s pleas now that he had the Space Food Maker. Ark thought for a while before finding a way to use the Space Food Maker.
–You’re offering to rent the Space Food Maker?
“That’s right.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“In the beginning I thought about just selling the Space Food Maker so I can pay the Charenjok’s ransom. But I know that the Charenjok have their own pride despite being refugees.”
-No, that’s not……
“Also! Even if I buy their freedom, isn’t this place different from before? The Charenjok are still refugees. There is no guarantee that something like this won’t happen again. You’ve been hiding here but now Charem occupies this area. Soon a large number of people will be flocking here. Quite a few of them will be slave hunters.”
-Yes, that’s right. That’s why we’ve been discussing about leaving this place.
Bakum had received a huge shock when Charem first appeared. Ark nodded as if he understood and continued.
“The Space Food Maker needs ingredients. If you have the Space Food Maker then you can also gain money. If you catch the fish in the lake and make Space Food then you can eventually make enough money to buy a federation citizenship. You’ll no longer need to hide!”
–Ooh!
The octopuses murmured with excitement at Ark’s speech. This was the method Ark developed to use the Space Food Maker. The Space Food Maker meant he didn’t need to waste money buying food but it actually wasn’t good for general users. The weight made it difficult to carry around and the person always needed ingredients. At least 2 people were needed, one to supply the ingredients and the other to operate the machine. However, the price of Space Food was 10~50 copper. If it produced 120 per hour in 24 hours, that would be 2,880 produced a day. If he calculated with the maximum amount then his profit would be 14 gold and 40 silver a day. It was possible to get a profit from the machine.
……If he didn’t include the labour costs.
‘It is different if there are aliens that will work for free.’
Ark looked at the 100 Charenjok and smiled. The northern lake was overflowing with fish that the Charenjok could catch. If the Charenjok didn’t rest and continued catching fish then it was possible to have a 24 hour non-stop operation! And if he rented it to the Charenjok then Ark didn’t need to manage the Space Food Maker machine directly.
‘Charem is an autonomous trade region so pioneers will flock here. Besides, the areas around Charem were wastelands. Of course it was possible to buy supplies in Charem. And Space Food is the item required above everything else! There will be plenty of customers!’
He even created a sales channel already. And Ark would get 30% of the profit. If he left them alone then the octopuses would earn money for him like the SCV (StarCraft Workers)
“However 1,000 gold is a large amount of money so it wouldn’t be easy to make that amount using the Space Food Maker. But that is the best I can do for now. The northern lake is also full of ingredients. If you have patience and work hard then it won’t take as long as you think.”
Bakum nodded after hearing Ark’s words.
–The fact that the Charenjok are enslaved and we have to pay a ransom is deplorable. But there is no point lamenting the situation so I will accept your offer. And one day we might be able to buy a citizenship. However, this isn’t a safe place for us anymore. What guarantee is there that we won’t be caught as slaves?
It was an obvious problem. Naturally Ark had already thought of this.
“Like I said before, Tuntun isn’t Java’s slave anymore. He will stay in Charem to help his friends. However…..Tuntun might be released but he is a refugee so how can he possible stay in Charem?”
–I don’t know.
“It is thanks to this.”
Ark laughed and took out a familiar collar.
-Slave’s Collar
Item Type: Restriction Ring
If you enter the authentication number of your Nymphe into this ring, you can restrict the body of a monster. The collar can tighten to give pain and it will blow up if the monster leaves the designated area.
The collar was developed to train captured monsters but now it is used to capture nationless aliens not protected by the federation. Therefore it became known as the slave’s collar. It is prohibited by law to use these rings on people with a citizenship.
It was the slave’s collar that had been around Tuntun! Bakum was also sensitive to the sight of the collar.
–T-this is?
“Yes, the slave’s collar.”
–W-why do you have this thing…..?
“This will guarantee your safety in the future.”
–It will guarantee our future? Don’t tell me……?
“Yes, by law aliens with no citizenship won’t be protected by the federation. But if you are recognized as somebody else’s slave then no one can capture you. There is no reason to fear slave hunters and you can also freely access the city.”
–We will become your slaves?
Bakum muttered with an unwilling expression. The other Charenjok who heard the word ‘slave’ also trembled. But Ark had no intention of being put off by their unease. Ark had already spent quite a bit of money on this plan. The Space Food Maker was equipped with parts from the warehouse but the inner battery and several motor parts were so badly damaged that they needed to be replaced. He also purchased the slave collars for the octopuses. This was an investment into the octopus SCV so that he could earn a steady income! And Ark knew that the Charenjok couldn’t refuse his offer. If they rejected the proposal then they were giving up on the 34 octopuses, including 5 children who were caught by Java. The Charenjok also had no other plans for their future.
‘The octopuses will understand if I make a reasonable justification……’
“I feel bad even though it is just for show. But this is the best course for now. I received the token as a symbol of the Charenjok’s friendship so can’t you think of these collars as a symbol of my friendship?”
–Okay.
In the end Bakum nodded his head.
–Putting on the collar weighs on my mind…..but it is a symbol of your friendship. No, we will think of it as a token of our appreciation for you. Thank you. Bakum bowed on behalf of his clan.
Bakum then placed the collar on his head. The remaining octopuses continuously used the Slave’s Collar and an information window popped up.
-112 Charenjok have been registered as Ark-nim’s slave.
The federation basically doesn’t admit slavery. However, illegal aliens who are wearing the Slave’s Collar will be treated as the private property of the citizen.
Therefore if someone else tries to capture the slave then they could be punished with unauthorized infringement of private property or theft.
And…..112 SCV were established.
Space 2
CEO’s Responsibilities
-Tuntun!
–Elder Bakum-nim!
The 2 octopuses embraced while crying. They were Tuntun who regained his freedom and Elder Bakum.
-This guy! How much have you suffered during this time? I’m sorry. I’m the elder yet I never knew my relatives were living a life of slavery.
–Not at all. Isn’t this my fault? And now I’ve gained freedom thanks to Ark so it is okay. However some guys are still stuck with Java so I can’t be entirely pleased.
–Hum……that’s right.
Bakum nodded with a melancholy expression.
–But don’t be too concerned about that. They will come back to us in the near future. Soon we will be able to live openly as citizens of the galactic federation. This is all thanks to our friend. He is clearly a friend sent from the heavens during our time of misery.
The person Bakum was admiring was Ark! After concluding the slave contract with the Charenjok, Ark led Bakum and 30 octopuses back to Charem. The Charenjok had left their hiding place in order to transport the Space Food Maker. This was because the Charenjok’s hiding spot was going to be the food manufacturing factory for the time being.
“Jay-nim, are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Jay tapped the Space Food Maker.
“There are twenty 100 litre tubes attached. This degree of buoyancy means that you should have no problem carrying it to the lakeside.”
“Are you coming to the Charenjok’s village?”
“Of course. I need to check the machine after it is moved.”
“Then please. It’s only a bit more trouble.”
“Huh? Aren’t we going together?”
“I need to handle some other business.”
“Ah, yes……”
Jay made an ambiguous expression at Ark’s answer.
“What’s wrong? Did you have something you want to say?”
“Something I want to say…..no. Let’s meet at the Charenjok village.”
He shook his head and went to meet the octopuses.
“Come on everybody! Let’s start moving! The main components are fixed firmly but be careful when carrying it. Be especially careful that the circuits don’t touch any water.”
–Understood. Start!
–Yes, Elder-nim! Let’s go! This is our source of income!
The 30 octopuses grabbed the Space Food Maker at Bakum’s command. They pushed it until it reached the waterway towards the lake and started floating. The octopuses plunged into the lake carrying the Space Food Maker.
“Then let’s meet in the Charenjok’s village! Let’s go!”
Jay cried out before heading into the lake. The goal was the Charenjok village. Or the place that would become Ark’s food production factory.
“Now that matter is handled……”
Ark smiled at the receding Space Food Maker and turned around. He crossed Charem as he opened the Nymphe’s information window. Ark smiled and retrieved the list of his belongings. In fact, Ark had spent quite a bit of money on the food production business. It wasn’t just reassembling the parts of the machine in the warehouse with Jay. Some key parts needed repairing so he had to exchange a few of them. The parts he bought added up to 300 gold! And the slave collars he presented to the Charenjok also weren’t free. It was 1 gold and 50 silver per piece. It added up to approximately 170 gold. Of course it wasn’t just simple expenses. It was an investment so he would eventually get it back.
‘It isn’t a waste but……’
The problem was that it caused a disruption to his plan. The agent registration! Ark had 18,650 gold when he went to meet Java. He only needed 250 gold to do the agent registration. He was expecting the quest reward to settle it but instead he spent 470 gold, making the amount required 720 gold.
‘Damn, does this mean I have to postpone the agent registration?’
In fact, there was no reason he had to do the agent registration immediately.
But money wasn’t the only thing required to do the agent registration. Each city had a certain number of agents that could be registered. Cities like Tatuine with a high rate of development already had more than half of the agent registration spots taken. Charem was a city that had just joined the federation. However it was the first new city since the release of the game. Moreover, it was designated as an autonomous trade region so the possibilities were endless. A lot of users would be drooling to register as an agent in Charem. Of course, the registration fee was 27,000 gold so there were still be some spots left. But Ark still needed to search for the Murat ruins with Milan. If he left Charem then there was no guarantee when he could return. If everybody bought the licenses in the meantime then Ark would lost the opportunity to register at a 30% discount. This was the reason why Ark was in a hurry.
‘The probability of all the agent registration cards being sold out is slim. But there is no guarantee that it will be unsold. I have to register as an agent before leaving Charem!’
That was some time ago. Now a message signalling good news appeared in his Nymphe.
-The <RPG PW-600 (Magic)> registered with the auction has been sold for 150 gold.
-The <Ray Steel-??? (Unique)> registered with the auction has been sold for 600 gold.
It was the RPG PW-600 and Ray Steel-??? that he obtained from the control tower! He had registered the items at the auction. Sometimes the bids were cheaper than the market price but it meant he could get the money immediately. He also earned 50 gold from the various japtem found in the control tower. Therefore Ark gained 800 gold and his money increased to 18,980 gold!
‘……Finally!’
He managed to prepare the agent registration fee. While he was thinking this, Ark arrived in front of Charem’s registration office. It was a place that his eyes had looked at many times but he had never been able to enter. But this time he unabashedly opened the door and entered.
“I came to register as an agent!”
His voice echoed through the interior. The agent registration that had been Ark’s goal! He judged that it was essential to oppose Lucifer. However, registering as an agent didn’t guarantee success. There was no guarantee that the business would succeed after it was started. It was the risk with all businesses.
‘But nothing can be done until this is started. And everybody needs to take risks in life!’
He had planned the agent registration with that resolution. He had finally came here after all his troubles so it was natural that he would have a loud voice……
The alien official with green skin frowned and said.
“Your voice will damage other people. Can you speak quieter?”
“Ah, yes……”
“You came to register as an agent? Input your name and recognition code in the terminal.”
“Ah, yes……”
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
“Your name is Ark. You are registered with the galactic federation as a 1st class citizen. You have achieved some merit in Charem so Ark-nim will be exempt from the tax and will receive a 30% discount when registering as an agent. The calculated total is 18,900 gold. If you complete the deposit then the registration card will be issued. Of course we don’t allow paying in instalments. Do you have the money?”
“Here it is.”
“Please put it in the counterfeit detection machine.”
“Ah, yes……”
Clink, clink, clink.
“18, 900 gold. It is confirmed. Finally, please register the name of the agent.”
“Ah, yes……”
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
“It has been registered. This memory chip contains the registration card, the instructions, obligations and operating manual. When connecting when the Nymphe, you can access the government’s database and get the necessary services. Please inquire with the staff if you have questions about any other matters.”
“Ah, yes……”
“Then next person please.”
Ark was dismissed and left the counter. He gathered the funds from the Royal Guards, suffered while saving Charem, received the 30% discount, gathered the 18,900 gold and he had finally registered as an agent. But the agent registration was different than what he expected. He inputted his name, took out the money and received the registration card. He felt empty for some reason.
“Although what else can I expect from an official servant?”
The officials were just receiving their pay checks and waiting until they could retire. They wouldn’t understand the heart of an average citizen who had to scrape together the money to start a business. And Ark also had no interest in the attitude of the civil servant. Anyway, he had finally completed the agent registration.
“I’m the boss!”
Ark laughed and loaded the registration card onto his Nymphe.
-Agent registration has been completed!
The galactic federation also gives the opportunity to participate in government projects in order to encourage the general public to explore the universe. Usually this requires real estate or businesses but users can skip this if they pay a registration fee. Pioneers who register without a particular business will be registered as an ‘agent.’
If you register as an agent then you are qualified to participate in various quests that will give city merit. In some cases it can also lead to opportunities to participate in quests given by the government. However, the agent’s biggest benefit is the right to invest in the relevant city. In addition, if they succeed in clearing a new frontier for development then they will be given the right to invest in it depending on their contribution. Of course, this contribution will also include the CEO and staff (see terms and conditions of your sponsor). If you invest in a city or a cleared frontier then you can receive the suitable dividends from it. Therefore many agents will recruit promising staff that have the ability to help clear frontiers.
The number of staff hired will be determined by the level of the agent. The CEO and staff can raise the level of the agent through Adventure points.
Therefore continuously develop your business.
+ The right to hire employees.
+ The right to invest in the assigned city.
+ The right to invest in a frontier based on contribution points.
+ The right to receive special quests from the assigned city and the government.
+ Agent: Dark Eden (Lv. 1) +
CEO: Ark (R-02788) Assigned City: Charem
Assigned Employees: 0/15
* Possible areas of investments and investment situation: Charem (0/3%), Beltana (0/5%)
* Regular income from the investment: –
* Regular expenditure: –
* Profit and Loss quarter: –
Dark Eden! This was the company name that Ark decided on. Dark Eden was the name of the organization he built in New World so it would be a solid foundation for a new organization. Anyway! The agent window was a poor contrast to the information window. He felt like he was finally starting after seeing the information window. But unlike other users, Ark could invest in areas other than the assigned cities. It was Beltana! He was given this right when he became Beltana’s Hero. He had the right to invest in 5% of it!
“Well I can’t do anything yet with no money……”
Ark looked at his bag that was much lighter and clicked his tongue. So far agent registration was his name. But it wasn’t the end once he registered as an agent. He needed 18,900 gold to register as an agent but that wasn’t the end of it. He needed to invest more to generate revenue. In order to fight against competitors he needed to invest more in cities and frontiers in order to get a higher return. It was just starting now! Ark had entered an unlimited competition against other CEOs. He had to tighten his belt even further. It was a long future in front of him but there was an unexpected smile on Ark’s mouth.
“I’m starting to see the path!”
So far he had been wandering but now he had found his direction. He was still exploring the frontier and earning money but his attitude towards it had changed.
“Now, next……”
———————————————————————————————-
–W-well?
Bakum asked with a worried look. Ark grinned and nodded.
“It is beyond my expectations.”
–R-really? Is it really okay?
“Yes, if it is to this degree then we can sell it for 40, no 50 copper.”
–Ooh! That’s it! We did it!
–Now we have some hope!
Cries burst out from the crowd of octopuses after they heard Ark’s answer. Ark also looked at the octopuses with a warm expression. In front of him was a small, rectangular shaped Space Food. After registering as an agent, Ark left Charem to check the food created by the Space Food Machine.
‘To be honest I have been worried……’
Currently most of the Space Foods in the galactic federation were created with the space bugs that Ark hunted on R-14. But fish were the only ingredients that the Charenjok could obtain so he was worried about the result. Yet the prototype was more than he expected! General Space Food created with space bugs only increased satiety by 20%. But the Charenjok’s food increased it by 40%! It was double the amount of satiety. Space Food that recovered that much would go for at least 30 copper. That wasn’t all. General Space Foods were bland pieces of protein chunks with no flavour. This one was created using fish and it had a fish paste taste.
“I’m also surprised.”
Jay muttered while munching away at the fish paste bar.
“I’ve been eating the Space Food made with space bugs so I thought it was natural. But the taste actually changes depending on the ingredient. Come to think of it, I heard that the early pioneers used ingredients from the alien planet to create food. Once DNA manipulation made mass production of space bugs available, the price of food gradually went down.”
This was the reason food made with space bugs became generalized through the universe. The mass production of the space bugs also made the price plunge to 10 copper. But there were some Space Foods densely packed that increased satiety by 100% and those went for 50 copper. That was when he was just talking about the NPCs. In this world NPCs and users were distinctly different. NPCs might eat for survival but players were used to eating delicious things. Some would even drive 20~30 minutes to dine at an expensive restaurant. He said 50 copper but Space Food with taste could be sold for 60 or 70 copper.
‘This is marketable!’
In addition, it was a product that had no competitors! Even if other users knew this fact, they didn’t have the machine that cost thousands of gold to produce the required amounts. There was also the cost of labour and ingredients. Yet Ark had the 112 SCV so he didn’t need to worry about labour costs.
‘If I have a monopoly on something then I can adjust the price. Furthermore, the taste varies according to the ingredients so I can develop other goods!’
That was Ark’s guess.
-Space Food (Bellos’ Egg)
Space Food created with a Bellos’ Egg.
Some nutrients were lost while removing the toxins but it still recovers a significant amount of health.
<Satiety +60%, Health and Mental Power will recover by 500 for 3 minutes>
* Your resistance to various abnormal stats has increased by 15% for 1 hour.
That was what emerged when he inserted the Bellos’ Egg.
‘It’s not a joke! This is worth at least 1 gold. No, I can sell this for 3~4 gold!’
If he could produce food like this then revenue would increase tremendously. But it was impossible for the octopuses to obtain the Bellos’ Egg when even Ark had trouble. Besides, the fish were a lot easier to get than the Bellos’ Egg. No, it was better to have 24 hour production using fish as the ingredient.
‘Mass production is possible but it is amazing that I can create special food by changing the ingredients. One day I might be able to find some ingredients that can be commercialized. Right now it is still the starting phase so it is better to concentrate on mass producing the fish paste bars.’
Ark started to earnestly consult with Bakum about the fish paste bar business.
“The price for the moment will be 50 copper. It might be a little more expensive but the most important thing is to invite customers. We will fix the price after seeing the reactions of the customers and consulting again.”
–But will it be okay selling it for 50 copper?
“At first it will be tough. However it will sell once they taste the flavour. It is necessary to trademark it as different from other space foods. A little more diversification will be good but right now we need to focus on the fish paste bars.”
–That feeling when I ate it……I agree with the product.
The octopuses decided on the fish paste bar being the trademark.
“Like I said in the beginning, I will receive 30% of the proceeds as rent for the machine. Is that okay?”
-Of course. We couldn’t even begin this if it wasn’t for you.
“Then that’s fine.”
The business negotiation was finished! At the same time the octopuses poured a heap of caught fish into the machine. The fish paste bars started emerging onto a rail in the front. 1 fish paste bar cost 50 copper and 120 were made every hour. That was 2,880 in one day. A total of 14 gold and 40 silver! Ark would get 4 gold a day! Of course, this also wasn’t free. There was the 800 gold quest reward from Java and the parts replacement costs that was 300 gold. That was a total of 1,100 gold. Even gaining 4 gold a day would take nearly 3 months to earn back. However, if he secured the customers then he could raise the price. And there was also room to develop new goods. He would soon gain back double or triple his investment!
‘Food is the most basic of supplies so it is a reliable investment. There is no need to worry about it failing. There is nothing better to choose as Dark Eden’s first business. Plus……’
Ark had obtained something he didn’t think possible in the process. Let’s go back in time to when Ark first proposed the space food manufacturing business.
–Our purpose is to obtain the ransom for Tuntun’s group but we also want jobs. While hiding in this place, we never knew when we would be caught or eaten by monsters. Yet we secured our safety and even got jobs thanks to you. You gave us the means to save our family. Do you understand what this means to us?
Bakum placed his octopus legs on Ark’s shoulder with a thrilled expression. Then he sighed and continued.
–That’s why I regret our circumstances even more. You are our saviour. That we can’t even give you some token of gratitude…..
Bakum murmured with a bitter look. Then a young octopus approached.
–M-my treasure…..I’ll give it to you.
And he held out an old fashioned toy with an embarrassed look. An adult octopus then shouted with surprise.
-This guy! What kind of humiliating thing are you doing? I’m sorry. He is young and just wanted to thank you with something. Don’t pay attention to it. Rather…..we’ve gathered some things from the lake…..would you like to take something from it?
The adult octopuses started lining up some japtem. Once again, while looking for Charem Ark had obtained various japtem from the lake. The octopuses lived here for several years and also found some japtem. It was these japtem that the octopuses were placing in front of him. Among them were some things he could pick. If he collected everything then he could get 10 gold for it. However Ark didn’t pay any attention to such items.
“No it’s fine.”
–You don’t like these either?
“That’s not what I mean.”
Ark shook his head and said.
“Have you already forgotten? The reason everyone is working is to free your fellow kin who are Java’s slaves. You no longer need to hide so won’t you be able to come in and out of Charem? This will earn you some money. How can I possibly receive it?”
-Uhh…..
The octopuses stared with a solemn expression. Then Ark kneeled down next to the young octopus.
“And I feel like this toy contains more sincerity. Of course this toy isn’t worth 1 copper! But it is probably the most precious treasure to this child. How can I not take this gift as proof of the Charenjok’s friendship? Thank you. I will keep this and think of you every time I see it.”
Ark patted the young octopus’ head and received the toy. The other octopuses started exclaiming.
-Ohh….indeed!
-As expected from the human that Elder Bakum recognizes!
–To be honest I thought he had some ulterior motive when giving us the slave collar but…..I’m so ashamed. I misunderstood his sincerity!
–I’m sorry. I was too short-sighted.
–I’ll believe and follow you!
-Intimacy with the Charenjok has increased by 100!
His intimacy increased! He made a lot of progress with the Charenjok after giving them the slave collars and negotiating a 30% rent. But the truth was different from what the octopuses thought.
‘There’s no doubt! This is similar to the toy that I was given on R-14!’
Ark had gained Sonic Sword and Set Bullets Shooting from a hidden journal in that toy airplane. The toy that young octopus gave him was similar. So items worth 10 gold didn’t matter. No, even items worth 100 gold didn’t reflect in his eyes!
‘The Charenjok have other toys.’
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Where did you get this from?”
Ark quickly asked while the octopuses were still exclaiming. The young octopus scratched his head and said.
–I got it from my Father. It was a toy from the past and he divided it with his friend.
“Do you have more of these toys?”
–No. I heard that he separated with the friend he gave the toy to while leaving our home planet Charen.
It was the same as the toy he obtained from R-14. Ark’s guess was correct.
-You have obtained an Undisclosed Memory Chip.
There are different memory chips with various types of information in Galaxian. Connect the memory chip to the Nymphe to access the information.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
He solved the puzzle of the toy and found another memory chip. Ark found the memory chip 10 minutes after receiving the toy. And unlike before, he had the skill to hack it straight away…..
‘My Nymphe became strange when I hacked the memory chip the other time.’
There was no guarantee the same thing wouldn’t happen again. So Ark hadn’t been able to verify the information on the memory chip he obtained. That was the reason that Ark grabbed Jay. He remembered that Tori said he could fix Ark’s Nymphe. Tori was the owner of a junkyard was Jay was the head of research in Charem so it was possible he would know what to do.
In other words, Jay was his contingency.
“Jay-nim”
Ark headed towards Jay once the octopuses earnestly started manufacturing food. And showed him the memory chip.
“I want to ask you something. I want to check the contents of this memory chip but my Nymphe experienced some problems when I connected a different memory chip to it. Can you check if there are any viruses in the data?”
“Of course.”
Jay received the memory chip and connected it to his Nymphe. And he manipulated the Nymphe for a while.
“There are no viruses in the data. However it is the Rama’s OS.”
“Rama’s OS?”
“Yes, if the previous memory chip was similar then that is probably the problem. Nymphes provided by the federation are made so that they conflict with the Rama’s OS. It technically isn’t that serious. The federation deliberately added this feature. Because it belongs to hostile forces. In fact, all you need to do is add a simple language patch to the automatic translation function and it should function normally with the Rama’s OS.”
Dudong!
That was the reason his Nymphe broke!
‘In the end the owner of the data was a Rama? Then why does the Charenjok……?’
One question was answered and another one arose. But there was no way to figure out how the octopuses got the toys. And it didn’t matter if the Rama or the Charenjok were the owners of the data. The important thing was to make the memory chip secure so he could download it!
“Is there a way to install the patch on my Nymphe?”
“It’s not a hard job. Are lot of merchants in Charem were Rama so the patch spread around. I can’t release the lock on the memory chip but I can add the patch.”
“Please do it for me.”
“As I said this is not a hard job.”
Jay grinned and connected their Nymphes. And he manipulated the Nymphe for a while.
“Eh? You have the patch already?”
“I have the patch?”
“Yes, it is different from my patch but you clearly have the Rama language on your Nymphe. Have you ever understood the words of a Rama without an interpreter?”
“That’s right…..”
“Then you 100% have a patch.”
‘A patch that is compatible with the Rama’s OS……when did it…..ah, perhaps?’
He was reminded of something while contemplating. In the past his OS was deleted and installed again, making it return to normal. In order to receive the prisoner’s coating, his Nymphe needed a new OS.
‘If the data downloaded was made with the Rama’s OS…..and the old OS remained when overwriting it…..yes, I could understand a Rama’s words without an interpreter from that point onwards. But there is even more. My Nymphe needs to be compatible with a Rama’s in order to use Hyper Drone. It is apparent that the data gave me the language patch!’
Dudong!
The secret was finally revealed after a long time.
“So there is no problem downloading it?”
“Yes, I guarantee it.”
Jay replied with a smile.
‘That’s it. I can receive the data with no problem and I can leave the food manufacturing to the Charenjok. Now it is time for Milan and the Murat ruins!’
In fact, Ark had received 10 emails at once when Charem was registered as an autonomous trade region and connected to the federation’s network. The emails were sent by Milan. Ark replied that he would meet Milan in Nabe to save time. And all his work here was done.
“But did Jay-nim want something?”
Ark asked Jay before preparing to leave for Nabe. Jay scratched his head before saying.
“In fact……I wanted to discuss something with Ark-nim.”
“Huh? Discuss?”
“You see, that is……”
Jay mumbled something before suddenly lifting his head with a determined expression.
“Ark-nim, can you hire me?”
“Eh? J-Jay-nim?”
“Yes! This is a request! Ah, don’t get me wrong. I’m not doing this because of what happened with Java yesterday. I’m impressed by Ark-nim.”
“Impressed…..what…..?”
“Honestly I felt despair when walking into that warehouse and discovering Java’s trick. But Ark-nim didn’t give up. In the end you made a Space Food Maker from a pile of trash and beat Java. Ah, it really was exciting!”
Jay said gleefully.
“But there’s even more. I survived in hell due to the Charenjok and I wanted to somehow return the favour. Yet there was nothing I could do against Java. Unlike me, Ark-nim prepared a realistic way to save the Charenjok. Frankly I just thought about selling the machine to free the Charenjok but then Ark-nim came to this village. Rather than giving fish to a hungry man, you taught him how to fish! You gave the Charenjok methods to live.”
He was mistaken. Ark’s choices were due to money. Of course, he didn’t break the illusion of respect that person had.
“That’s not the only reason why I want you to hire me.”
There were even more reasons.
“Other people might not know but I do. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that Ark-nim saved Charem alone. Didn’t you also mediate the dispute between the federation and Aschulat? I decided after I heard that story. This person, unlike Java this person is someone that I can follow and sincerely believe in. So please accept.”
“No, saying something like that out of the blue……”
Ark was a little baffled by the abrupt proposal. However it was quite fortunate when he thought about it. Jay was the former head of Charem’s research. He was an engineer with a significantly high level. And he already identified Jay’s ability in Java’s warehouse. Jay was the one who restored the machine while Ark gathered the parts. It was no different from gathering junk and making a machine out of it. Significant levels of skills were probably required.
‘He might not be good in combat but his skills might be an advantage. The agent registration finished so now Dark Eden is a business. We have no capital in the beginning stages so I don’t need to hire mercenaries yet.’
Galaxian was a SF fantasy genre. A person dealing with machines and programs was probably required.
‘And this will be Dark Eden’s food factory so he can be useful in many ways. If the Space Food Maker working 24 hr/day broke then Jay can repair it immediately. But the problem is……’
Money. He wouldn’t work for free even if he respected Ark. Furthermore, he was a NPC so the pay check will be higher. But Jay settled it with his next words.
“I don’t expect you to hire me just because I asked. I want to spend 3 months as your intern. The revenue from the food factory will increase by at least 50% in the meantime. My employment salary can be determined then.”
He had no need to worry with those conditions.
“Thank you!”
Ark shook Jay’s hand. So Jay had the honour of being Dark Eden’s first staff.
-Jay has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Jay (NPC ☆ ☆) Profession: Engineer
Level: 78 Related Skills: Mechanical Engineering, Research……
Jay’s information was registered on the card.
Ark appointed Jay the manager of the food factory and headed to the lake.
“It’s been a while.”
Ark muttered as he took out the air board. Charem’s Star Gate wasn’t active yet so shuttles moved from nearby cities. There was a shuttle to Nabe but it wasn’t free. The amount was a burden so……
“From now on I have to save as much money as possible. I need to tighten my belt even more!”
Ark got on the air board and cried out.
“Let’s go! Super Board!”
———————————————————————————————-
While Ark headed back to Nabe.
In the highest level of the control tower while Charem’s recovery operation was in full swing. Voices flowing from the Nymphe were mixed with the voices of the workmen.
–You sneaked in safely.
“Charem’s security system wasn’t maintained so it was easy. There were no problems reaching the highest level using my counterfeit ID. But……”
–Are there other problems?
“There isn’t anything here.”
-That’s impossible. I received information that the merchant sold it directly to the Lord of Charem. Charem was sealed shortly after that. It was probably the cause of Charem’s situation. Charem’s situation is evidence that it was there.
“Yes, that’s right. One of the researchers probably checked it secretly. But it has disappeared. No, it is broken to be precise.”
The Nymphe was silent. Then he replied after a while.
–It isn’t possible to break that with a bomb. This means someone broke the seal and got their hands on the contents. Can you guess who that person is?
“Not one of the people seemed to have an opportunity. The other person is the mercenary Java dispatched to solve the problem.”
–The name?
“He is called Alan.”
–Alan……
The voice over the Nymphe murmured.
–If he really broke the seal then he must already have one or more artefacts. A person has appeared who might cause significant setbacks to our plan. Good work. I will check on this Alan.
“Thank you.”
–And I got some new information. I sent you some pictures but it really is unbelievable. I’ll send you the GPS information so sneak out of Charem and head there. Keep this in mind. We have our duty as the representative of the Great God to bring true rest to the galaxy. The time won’t be far away.
“Yes, the Great God willing.”
“The Great God willing.”
Space 3
Mt. Fargo
“Huhuhuhu.”
Ark couldn’t stop laughing. He was rapidly crossing the Outlands on his air board. In fact, the reason Ark hadn’t taken the Charem-Nabe shuttle wasn’t just because of money. The airship flight time was much slower than the Star Gate’s spatial movement but it was cheaper. 1 copper was still a huge amount for Ark but……
It had been over a fortnight since Ark received Milan’s notification that the slab was restored. If he considered that point then it might be easier to pay the price of the shuttle. Nevertheless, Ark had his own reasons for crossing the Outlands.
‘It is important to find the new Murat ruins but I should get a hang of what I already have.’
It was the pyramid he obtained from Charem’s laboratory.
‘After listening to the video in the pyramid then I can obtain a new rune just like on Beltana.’
However Ark still hadn’t released the pyramid. When he first got his hands on the pyramid, he hadn’t registered with the pyramid and couldn’t be assured that he would survive. And he had put it off until now because he needed to clean up the Sufferers incident, registering as an agent and establishing the food manufacturing plant. There was no reason to rush. He could obtain it at any time. Leaving something for later would make it tastier. If he could afford it then he would like to act slowly.
‘And nothing might happen even if the Shire appears. I didn’t know how to use the Ikram rune for a long time. Getting a skill I don’t know how to use will make me anxious. So I should check the skill in better conditions.’
This was the reason he decided to walk. He intended to try out the new rune in the Outlands overflowing with monsters. While crossing the land on the air board, he opened the bottom of the pyramid and the light emerged.
The mysterious power of the Murat, the Shire!
“Come out Shire!”
Ark had experienced it already so he touched it with his hand. And the moment his hand touched the Shire!
-You have absorbed the photon life form ‘Shire!’
The Shire are mysterious photon life forms and are some of the most mysterious creatures in the universe. According to old documents, they will condense over millions of years to form mana. The Murat have the ability to use the power of the Shire through ‘Rune’ characters.
+ You have absorbed the Shire and acquired a Rune.
+ You have acquired a Rune (Immortal) from the Murat memory contained.
Up to here it was identical to the previous time. However there was a crucial difference between the old and new rune.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Rune Carving- Immortal (User, Passive): the runes used by the Murat have the ability to extract the potential of the photon life form Shire. Therefore the Shire can store the memory of the runes. The Immortal rune is the symbol of Osiris who sought eternal life. Thus the Immortal Rune has imprinted the source of life on your body, mana. Those who already use mana will gain 100 mana while those that don’t will have 50 mana generated. And the maximum amount can rise every time you absorb new Shire.
+ 50 mana has been generated with the Immortal rune.
+ 25 additional mana has been gained for the Shire from the Ikram rune.
“Eh?”
Ark’s eyes looked shocked. The new rune was a passive skill! Ark hurriedly opened the character information window.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 79
Species Human Occupation Pioneer
Fame 5,820 Adventure 720
Mana 75
Health 1,850 (+90) Mental Power 1,000 (+75)
Strength 180 (+23) Agility 245
Stamina 335 (+18) Wisdom 20 (+5)
Intelligence 160 (+15) Luck 35
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 6,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
He had checked it once before leaving Charem so it wasn’t necessary to see most of it. The important thing was…..
“The mana stat was really created!”
The mana stat was sitting in his character information window! Ark could now use mental power and mana. Mental power was the basic power that all users in the federation used. However some users didn’t stop there. Some users would receive magic when the received the body coating that was classified as the magician type. But in those cases mental power would disappear. Warriors used mental power while magicians used mana. This was common sense in Galaxian. However Ark had preserved the mental power stat when mana was added. This meant he was a warrior but he could learn skills associated with magicians! It meant he was a magic warrior in fantasy terms. Of course he wasn’t yet at the standard of a magic warrior. Usually magicians got 200~300 mana when they received the body coating. Depending on the bonuses added by intelligence and wisdom, they would get at least 500 mana to start with. Currently Ark only had 75 mana. It was only 25% of the mana that Espers stated off with.
‘But!’
He still received it!
“Now I don’t need to wear the battle suit to use the Ikram rune.
The Ikram rune that summoned the hell hound! It was a fairly good 5 star skill but it hadn’t been really useful so far. That’s because the skill couldn’t be used unless he wore the battle suit. Now he didn’t need to wear the battle suit to summon the hell hound. Of course there were some restrictions. The Ikram rune consumed 10% of the battle suit’s mana when he used it. He could only summon a maximum of 9 hell hounds. The mana stat might be generated but he would only be able to summon 1 hell hound. Ark had only been looking at the ‘%’ of the battle suit’s mana but the Ikram rune consumed 50 mana. Even if it was 1 hell hound, the utilization couldn’t be compared to before.
“Besides, if I obtain more Shire then my mana will increase!”
There was no reason to lament over having low mana. He was satisfied with the result.
“Although this is kind of ambiguous…..”
Ark eyed the memory chip. It was the memory chip that Jay said was safe to download. Of course Ark had already checked the contents of the memory chip. Ark had been more interested in the memory chip than the pyramid. It was because he expected to learn skills like Sonic Sword and Set Bullets Shooting. He had released the lock with hacking and downloaded the data to his Nymphe.
-# Logbook 01~03 page has been downloaded.
The previous memory chip contained the logbook 4~6 pages. If he looked at the page numbers then this was the first part of the previous logbook. But when he read it the contents seemed like it was the end.
Logbook~01
How long ago…..
When I think back to the beginning, my journey began from a bitter betrayal. The fact that this betrayal came from someone of my blood made it a lot harder for me.
Why…..
It was a question that I asked countless times. But no one answered. Therefore I felt even more hurt and frustration when I thought of something. Is it possible that they did’t understand either? It was the first time I thought this. I’ve been wandering about this question for a long time.
Right now a large number of disputes are spreading through the galaxy. I’ve thought about it and the dispute must’ve started somewhere. Teacher-nim always said it. Don’t believe your eyes and search for the truth. This is the mission entrusted to us . Teacher-nim’s words have been a big consolation for me.
If the truth is different from what I though then I might be able to relieve this miserable feeling. But I was wrong. The truth I discovered was scarier than I imagined. Its true name caused huge despair. And I found myself in front of a door. Any souls who step close would be swallowed up in despair.
But I can’t stop. I have to spread the truth to the large number of species in this universe. However, if I step foot in ‘that’ then there is almost no chances of coming back alive. I’m not afraid to die but I need to pass on the mission that I’ve inherited.
That’s why I’m leaving this logbook. If anyone….even if it takes hundreds of years, I hope that an adventurer will find this. If someone sees these writings then I’ll tell you in advance.
Discovering the truth will drop you into despair. Nevertheless…..if an adventurer who discovers this logbook has the courage to find the truth…..then you and I are tied by the same thread of fate that transcends space and time…..if you look for it then you will inevitably reach my hometown…..
My experience and knowledge will be helpful to you at that time.
Lock- <Sealed Contents of a Quest> -Lock
This was the contents of pages 1~2. That was written in the first half of the logbook.
‘The truth discovered will cause despair? What does that mean?’
Naturally he was curious. But nothing else about the ‘despair’ was written. And Ark wasn’t curious enough to be impatient. This was a game. How many users would read the contents of these pages? If a user was interested then they would eventually get some results. He just needed to wait. But the contents of the 3rd page were sealed. He couldn’t accept that so he opened it with hacking.
‘…..What is this?’
An information window he never imagined had appeared in front of him.
<Proof of Qualification (Occupation Quest)>
You have found an old logbook in the Charenjok’s toys that have been handed down.
The contents written are obscure and difficult to understand. The only thing determined if that this is the last message of someone sailing on a journey to their death. And the contents were left in data form. But the data is locked by a mysterious force and you must satisfy certain conditions to get it. If you want the prophet’s experience and knowledge then you need to prove the four virtues necessary for a true adventurer.
-Proof of Destiny: Obtain 2 logbooks (2/2)
-Proof of Courage: Dispose of monsters higher level than your own (0/100)
-Proof of Faith: Rescue your colleagues (0/200)
-Proof of Eligibility: Finding a sanctuary (0/1)
“Occupation quest?”
Unlike other games, having an occupation wasn’t essential in Galaxian. Other games needed an occupation to receive skills other than the basics but this was taken care of with the body coating. Therefore an occupation was optional…..there was no insistence on picking one in the game. Of course, it might not be required but picking an occupation could give exclusive skills and bonuses. When considering the skill proficiency, it was good to select an occupation earlier. However there were no vocational schools in Galaxian. Unlike other games, Galaxian didn’t have occupation related NPCs in each major city. And there was no fixed level or method to receive an occupation. Just like Ark received Heksu’s ‘Scavenger’ or Marquis Martins ‘Private’ offer, they needed to find clues or the related NPCs to receive an occupation. In order words, all occupations were hidden!
‘……But.’
They also varied greatly. All occupations might be hidden but the degree of difficulty differed. Occupations like Scavenger was something easily obtained while ‘Private’ from an NPC was a lot harder. The bonuses given would also change depending on the difficulty. In the end, even hidden occupations could be sorted into ratings. This was the reason Ark felt ambiguous. When he received the Scavenger or Private offer, he could guess the related skills and bonuses. However this was an occupation quest that he couldn’t figure out.
‘It is clearly a warrior affiliated occupation!’
This was because he received the Sonic Sword and Set Bullets Shooting from the second part of the logbook.
‘And it isn’t an easy occupation to acquire. The other parts weren’t special but it isn’t easy to obtain 2 logbooks. When judging by that point, I have a considerable advantage because I already received the other logbook on R-14. Anyway, the conditions are surprisingly tricky so the occupation might be decent. Just because I accept the quest doesn’t mean I need to accept the occupation.’
Ark accepted the quest.
“By the way…..”
Ark scratched his head and looked around.
“Doesn’t this mean I didn’t have to take the air board across the Outlands?”
Ark had decided to cross the Outlands in order to test the skills he would learn from the pyramid and logbook. But he learnt a passive skill from the pyramid and the logbook was an occupation quest.
“Well, I can still use this situation to relieve stress.”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Then an enormous monster rose from the ground. It was a Hakerion, the monster that Ark had first encountered when coming to the Outlands! He remembered that he had quite a hard time but…..
Seokeok seokeok! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Now there was no need to even get off the air board. A quick double attack shot out from the air board! And the Hakerion soon turned into minced meat. Once again it had been a fortnight since Ark left Nabe. His level and equipment were completely different from when he first entered the Outlands.
“Come on, let’s go! Towards Nabe!”
There were no difficult areas he couldn’t overcome.
—————————————————————————————–
Buzz.
The Tatuine noble council. The federation’s nobles had gathered a while ago to hear some shocking news. They had lost Hanan! The planet in the Bellin constellation that had the most military support had collapsed. The council of nobles heard the terrible news and quickly panicked. Just as they were on the verge of mass hysteria, they heard good news that they never considered.
“Really?”
“Yes, I met directly with the Aschulat ambassador and signed an agreement. The Aschulat home planet has already given their approval and is gathering the support army to send.”
“This news is like having rain in a drought!”
The Chairman spoke in an eager voice. However some nobles couldn’t hide their dissatisfied expression.
“But acknowledging the existence of Charem is unacceptable. Right now the smuggling city is like a parasitic lump on the federation. Officially recognizing the city is like going against the legal system. Not to mention the damage that will be done to the merchant association. Who will shoulder the responsibility for that? I’ll tell you in advance but the Department of Domestic Affairs wouldn’t shoulder the responsibility!”
The aristocrat who said this was Marquis Jyubel. He was the Minister of Domestic Affairs. Martin looked at Jyubel and nodded.
“It is like Marquis Jyubel said. Although we were promised military support, it is difficult for the federation to recognize Charem’s existence. In addition, there is quite a bit of resistance from the merchant association. I realize that I’m responsible for this matter.”
A smug smile spread on Jyubel’s face after hearing Martin’s answer. But that smile didn’t last for even 1 minute.
“Naturally I should take all responsibility for those problems. Therefore I’ll be in charge of the management of Charem from now on.”
“What? But that is a matter for the Domestic Affairs…..”
“It is under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Affairs Department. However it is irresponsible of me to dump everything on the Domestic Affairs Department. Didn’t Marquis Jyubel also say that someone else should shoulder responsibility? Then the person who has to shoulder the responsibility should be me. I’m the one responsible for the problems with Charem so shouldn’t I take care of it?”
“B-but…..”
Jyubel stuttered with an upset expression. Naturally this wasn’t what Jyubel had been aiming for. He wanted to rebuke Martin while still getting his hands on Charem. Unlike other cities, Charem’s growth potential was high. Jyubel’s concern was that if Martin gained Charem then his power would also grow rapidly along with the city.
“City management is under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Affairs Department!”
“But you just said that this department won’t be liable for Charem.”
“T-that…..I mean……”
“I already proposed this to the Prime Minister and received permission. I was worried that this would upset Marquis Jyubel who is in charge of city management but luckily you don’t want responsibility. Thank you. ”
Jyubel couldn’t say anything else.
“Since the Prime Minister approved it, the problem will be handed over to Marquis Martin.”
The Chairman who was watching the two Marquis’ psychological warfare anxiously put the situation in order. And he brought out a different agenda.
“But how are we going to handle this problem?”
“The problem?”
“The video sent by the Rama on Hanan.”
The nobles started buzzing again after hearing those words. The Chairman was talking about the message made from the corpses of federation soldiers. The Rama warrior called the Red Slaughter had sent a challenge to Ark. Most of the nobles already knew about this unprecedented event.
“This is unrelated to the agenda but I would like to hear opinions.”
“It is not worth doing anything.”
Marquis Martin replied without thinking about it.
“This is a war. It is a war where the federation and Rama soldiers risk their lives. Reacting to a message that an enemy soldier sent is foolish.”
“But the opponent is the Red Slaughterer.”
“So that makes it even more difficult. The Red Slaughterer is the Rama’s hero while Ark is designated Beltana’s Hero. Their battle would have a significant impact on the morale of the military. It isn’t necessary to explain if Ark wins but this defeat would pour cold water on the situation. With this agreement with the Aschulat, the tides of the war will turn in our favour when they send reinforcements. In such a situation there is no need to bother with a risky gamble. So just dismiss and ignore the message from the enemy.”
“……That makes sense.”
The Chairman nodded his head.
“I understand. Like Lord Martin said, the Aschulat reinforcements will be sent soon.”
The council meeting was ended after that. Marquis Martin received the greetings of some nobles before exiting the assembly hall and saying to his adjutant.
“Do you know what Ark is now?”
“I just know that he left Charem not long ago.”
“From now on keep an eye on Ark’s whereabouts.”
“I understand. But why the sudden interest in Ark? Didn’t you say to ignore the Red Slaughter’s message?”
“I have decided to ignore it, now.”
Martin stopped walking and laughed.
“Soon an even better stage will be prepared. Watch him until then.”
—————————————————————————————–
“Hyung-nim!”
Milan greeted him after he arrived in Nabe.
“There were no replies no matter how many emails I sent so I really thought you died!”
Milan complained as soon as he saw Ark’s face. If he explained for a moment, the Nymphe was like a smartphone with communication capabilities and other functions attached. The communication range was only 50 km. This was because communication antennas weren’t installed anywhere other than cities. There were many electromagnetic pulses outside the area so there were many times when communication failed. This also applied to communication between cities.
There could be problems even if the city had a large communication relay. Therefore there were many constraints to communication through emails. The recipient had to enter the city and link to a relay machine to receive the email. That was why Ark only received Milan’s emails once Charem was recovered. It had taken a fortnight. It was natural for Milan to be worried.
“I’m sorry. I was in a situation where I couldn’t receive the mail.”
“Where on earth did you go……?”
“I’ll explain it slowly. Where is the slab?”
“Here it is.”
Milan carefully observed the surroundings and pulled out the slab. When Ark first saw the slab, the surface was considerably damage and many characters weren’t recognizable. But the slab Milan pulled out was neatly written. The slab had been restored using the 3D restoration machine.
“Now then…..”
Ark received the slab. The Nymphe vibrated and automatically translated the letters.
–Descendant of the great ruler, you who have inherited the lineage of the Murat.
Although it has been a long since our great blood relatives left, the Elim hasn’t forgotten them.
The Elim have left a great legacy in the place where the sun sets and the sun rises for the descendant of the Murat who will someday come! It is for a true pilgrim! Don’t hesitate. You will need to prove your qualifications.
But you have to reach that place.
<Secret of the Slab>
You have stumbled across a slab and acquired information about the ancient alien species the Murat.
Numerous alien species have disappeared that weren’t recorded in Galaxian’s history. The science and technology of these alien species will far transcend the imagination of modern species. Therefore explorers who find historically significant relics can gain wealth and honour.
Of course this doesn’t apply to all relics.
Difficulty: ???
A quest was registered on the Nymphe.
‘This slab really is related to a Murat relic!’
In fact, slabs weren’t a rare item in Galaxian. The slab was like a treasure map on the frontiers. Actually Ark had found a treasure map while hacking the circuits to raise his skill. But when he visited there, other users and NPCs had already been there and only trivial japtem remained. Therefore there were almost no users that collected slabs anymore. If this was a different time then Ark probably wouldn’t care about it. However the slab had Murat letters written on it.
‘So I had some expectations in my heart…..’
The slab said that the Murat’s legacy was hidden somewhere. The only problem was to find the place referred to on the slab.
“I have to go to the library.”
Ark immediately looked for Nabe’s public library. He said library but it was more like a type of internet that connected to the federation’s enormous data base. The city also had a network that users and NPCs could access but the information there was more general and less reliable. However, the library contained only government-certified materials so the reliability was 99%. Therefore the conditions to use it were difficult.
1st class citizens had to pay 5 gold as an admission fee.
‘5 gold just to browse some materials, what a rip off!’
But now wasn’t the time to save money. Ark paid the 5 gold and entered the library. Despite the expensive fees, quite a few people were running around the library. They were probably people like Ark who came to gather information about a slab or treasure map they found. Therefore reading rooms were created in the library to maintain security.
-What information are you searching for?
A mechanical voice murmured as he entered an empty room. He didn’t need to worry about this. Looking at the contents of the slab, the write was a species called the Elim. The Elim historian stated that the legacy was sealed in a hidden location. Naturally the search keyword would be Elim!
-There is a total of 130 different data retrieved about Elim 35 cases are the names of an item, 63 the name of a person and 3 cases are related to species. 4 are brands…..
“Species.”
-All materials associated with Elim species will be shown.
A huge amount of text popped up in front of him. But there was no reason to read the huge wall of text. He already found the information he desired at the beginning.
–The Elim is the name of an indigenous people that used to live on Istana.
According to the records, the Elim were people granted special powers by the gods and helped keep the peace on Istana. But the Elim suddenly disappeared hundreds of years before humanity migrated here.
Why they disappeared is still a mystery. Not much is known about the Elim but according to information recently registered by pioneers, they worship at the place there two suns intersect around a dormant volcano called Fargo……
He had a feeling as soon as he read those words. Istana has two suns, one large and one small sun. They moved around a different orbit so there were points where the two suns overlapped. That was the dormant volcano Fargo! The place written on the slab where the sun set and the sun rose.
“The location of Mt. Fargo.”
The GPS coordinates were transmitted to Ark.
“The result is good despite wasting money.”
Spending a bit of money will sometimes release a lot. Milan also nodded after explaining it to him.
“In my opinion Mt. Fargo also seems to fit.”
“Okay. Then let’s do the necessary preparations to leave.”
He had finally figured out the location of the new Murat ruins. There was no reason to delay. But Mt. Fargo was 1,800 km away. Furthermore, Ark’s air board only had the ability to move 1 person. Therefore Ark was forced to tearfully take the shuttle to the pioneer village nearest to Mt. Fargo.
‘I need to gain some capital!’
Ark once again became motivated when his pockets became lighter. Ark finished making his preparations at the sector. When he left the sector the atmosphere had completely changed. The Outlands were filled with strange trees and bushes. Completely different types of flora and fauna grew in the Outlands. Ark had only experienced a small fraction of the Outlands. The swamps around Mt. Fargo contained thorny vines that wrapped around the body and contained venom as well as other natural traps.
“It is dangerous out there. There are black plants that discharge poisonous gases instead of drawing in air. And some bushes will cause you to lose consciousness suddenly.”
Milan was a NPC that specialized as a treasure hunter. Milan’s experience was a considerable help in the Outlands. However Ark wasn’t the type to follow behind Milan.
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
Red eyes appeared in the shadow of the forest. The Outlands were infested with monsters. The monsters in the forest zone were stronger than the monsters around the northern lake. They were 10 levels higher than the Bellos. But Ark wasn’t the same as his previous self.
“Back off!”
Ark instantly swiped through the bushes. The monster was shattered by his attacks.
“Hyung-nim, what happened in the meantime? You became stronger.”
A light of respect dawned in Milan’s eyes. As a treasure hunter, Milan needed to explore the frontier so he had strong combat power. No, he was even higher level than Ark on Beltana. Ark was weaker but Milan had followed him in order to obtain food. And Milan was pardoned so he only remembered his original impression of Ark. Now he realized that Ark was different from the warrior he met on Beltana. But Milan was impressed for a separate reason.
“Heok! T-this! Hyung-nim!”
“It’s dangerous! Ugh!”
When Milan was in a crisis, Ark would run down and protect him. This made Milan recall his memories of Beltana.
‘As expected, Hyung-nim is different from other people. He changed the situation by gaining food and gathering colleagues. I received Hyung-nim’s favour but I didn’t completely believe in him. But Hyung-nim has changed. He is stronger compared to Beltana and I can now consider him a colleague.’
Ark laughed as he shed blood. He could smile with accomplishment despite being hurt when saving his colleague! Milan’s respect increased by 100 times! He was so impressed that tears gushed out. However, that wasn’t the reason for Ark’s laugh.
‘As I expected.’
-Proof of Faith: Rescue your colleagues (1/200)
It was the completion condition for the quest he received not long ago! He could accomplish it by saving his colleagues. But Milan didn’t know the circumstances and couldn’t help being impressed.
‘To be honest, I thought those guys will stupid for following Hyung-nim even after leaving Beltana. Now I believe in Hyung-nim! I will follow him to the end!’
And the heart was determined. There were a large number of traps and monsters but they couldn’t stop the two men whose friendship had solidified. He spent two days passing through thick greenery.
“Hyung-nim!”
Milan calculated the coordinates and lifted his head. He then pointed to a hill a short distance away with a thrilled expression.
“Over there! That hill is Mt. Fargo!”
He had finally arrived at his destination.
“Finally! Let’s go!”
Ark and Milan hurriedly jumped up the hill. But their faces warped strangely the moment they arrived at the top.
“Huk! W-what the hell?”
Space 4
In That Place
The universal space treaty.
Shortly after the 1st Space War ended, the three powers signed a special treaty. One of the conditions of the treaty was that they were banned from developing technology like the ‘TK’ that would deal tremendous damage to the military of all 3 powers. Another part of the treaty involved unexplored planets. When resources were found on an undeveloped planet that belonged to none of the powers then the right would belong to the nation of the pioneer that first discovered it. This was to avoid an unnecessary war of attrition and to encourage space pioneering. Whoever found it would grasp extravagant wealth and honour! Many pioneers headed to the frontier dreaming of a jackpot. Naturally pioneer villages called Sectors started to form in the Outlands. Irrespective of species! Irrespective of the past! If you have the money then it is OK! This was the location of the space station (Hive). On one hive called Kwain was a tavern.
‘Shut up…..’
A woman sighed and frowned. The tavern was filled with cigarette smoke and music. Her ears were tingling from the chaotic, loud noises of aliens drinking alcohol. She usually preferred quiet places so this was a hardship for her.
‘I should end this mission quickly……’
She sat down with a tense expression.
“Hey babe.”
Someone said from behind her. She turned around and saw a man that looked like a gorilla.
“I’ve been watching you just now and I like what I see. I’m Kurakan. If you mention my name in this are then there is no one who doesn’t know it. How about it? Would you like to have a drink with me? Well, it is good if you’re inclined. As you can see I’m a person with a lot of fame.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t have time to play with a gorilla.”
“What, what the? Gorilla?”
“If you are an orangutan then I apologize.”
“H-how dare you…..?”
The gorilla snorted with anger and grabbed her. No, he wanted to grab her.
Cheolkeok!
A muzzle was pressed against the gorilla’s head. The Hive was no different from a lawless zone. Pioneers who didn’t notice this didn’t last long in a place like this. The gorilla realized the situation and immediately raised both arms.
“Eh? You should’ve said if you have a companion…..”
“I don’t want to make a lot of noise so get lost.”
“Yes! Of course!”
The gorilla quickly ran out of the tavern. People in the tavern didn’t even look up at the commotion. That’s because incidents were common in the Hive. The woman turned around after the gorilla left and asked.
“Did you check?”
“The Katz were clearly here.”
The man with the gun answered before sitting down opposite her.
“Are you sure?”
“There is no doubt. According to the testimony of the staff working at the port, the identification code and mark on the side of the transport ship clearly belonged to the galactic federation.”
“You’re speaking in the past tense.”
“I confirmed that they met someone here. But they already left 3 days before we arrived.”
“We’re one step too late.”
The woman sighing was Irina. The reason she came to Kwain was because she received the mission to track down the prisoners who escaped from Stael during the riot. She came across information that they headed to Kwain and tracked them here. However they had already moved to a different location.
“Do you have any other information?”
“There is something slightly strange.”
Her assistant Camel scratched his head.
“According to the staff at the port, there is another species mixed in with the Katz clan. It was a hamster like alien from the Tiny clan.”
“One of the prisoners who collapsed form Stael was from the Tiny clan.”
“I also thought that.”
“But what is strange?”
“That guy handed this to the staff just before the Katz left. He told them to give it to the person looking for him.”
Irina’s face warped after she read the note that Camel gave her.
Please help!
I have been kidnapped by evil guys!
Specific coordinates were also included.
“What do you think?”
“The hamster like Tiny and the cat like Katz…..”
The corners of Irina’s mouth rose quietly.
“But the coordinates written is weighing on my mind. Do you know? This is where……”
“I’m aware of that. I’m not going to run away because of the location. But the people they met here are weighing on my mind. They might have a different purpose that we don’t know about. Well we have no other information so we’ll go to that location for the moment.”
Irina stood up like she didn’t find it necessary to worry. All of a sudden 4 people interrupted them when they left the tavern.
“Hey, are you just leaving?”
The person in the front was the gorilla Kurakan.
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m a well-known person in Kwain. You’re mistaken if you think you can escape after humiliating me. You’re chicken who just entered the universe and I’ll teach you how scary it can be. Especially you! I will give you 1-on-1 training all night. Hihihihi!”
“This damn gorilla…..!”
Camel growled and grabbed his gun. Irina shook her head and stepped forward.
“It’s okay. I’ll handle this.”
“Huh? But……”
“I also want to relieve stress sometimes.”
Once again, not everyone could join the galactic federation. Several months had passed since Galaxian started its services and they had only sponsored a few young guards. In reality and the game, the competitive rates of joining the government was hundreds to one. And the evaluation criterion was combat! She had been secretly investigating so she hadn’t taken part in the Beltana war but she also passed the test to enter the federation. And she had been promoted to the Ensign rank.
“Sword!”
She spoke in a low voice and a long sword came out of her bag. She grabbed the sword and grinned.
————————————————————————————–
A meteor passed by outside the window. At the same time tears fell from Tori’s eyes. It had been a few days since he escaped from Stael. The several days were like literally hell to Tori. He still needed to work on Stael. The Katz also needed to sleep so there were several hours where they didn’t bother Tori. But now they were flying together for 24 hours on a transport ship so the Katz had plenty of time. The result was Tori’s appearance now. Originally Tori was a plump hamster with clean, shiny fur. But now chunks of fur had fallen off and he looked like a chihuahua. Cuts and bruises were also covering multiple places on his skin. This was the result of being the ‘play toy’ of the cats. There was even more. Tori also had to do the chores like preparing meals and cleaning the ship. He spent all days bending over doing chores and he was also the punching bag for stress alleviation.
‘I’m going to die! No, it is better to die!’
Tori had a lot of regrets. But he still had hope.
‘Yes, it is still too early to give up. The federation will definitely dispatch an investigator to examine this matter. That investigator is the only way I can escape from their hands!’
Tori handed a message to the staff at Kwain’s port! Tori had spent his lifetime adventuring. While the Katz were meeting with some people, Tori managed to find a piece of paper and left a message with the staff. It would be noticed in the near future.
‘Help me! I believe you’re out there! Please save me!’
The hamster’s prayer also continued today. In order to escape from the hands of the devilish cats…..
————————————————————————————–
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
Ark sighed and looked around. A large number of people were erecting hasty buildings. This was the shocking scene that Ark saw from the top of the hill. Ark’s destination was Mt. Fargo. There was a small village at the base of the mountain. But there was no information about a sector when he searched Nabe’s library. Of course, not all sectors in the Outlands were formally registered. In games users would gravitate to dungeons or hunting grounds. In those places, merchants and user related NPCs would naturally swarm to create a village. That was how an informal sector was created. The problem was the location of the village.
‘Mt. Fargo is the location of the hidden Murat ruins. It can’t be a coincidence that a village is created here. Their purpose might be the Murat ruins as well!’
Ark felt his heart drop at the thought. When he thought about it, there was no guarantee that Ark was the only one to obtain clues about the Murat ruins. If they were also after the Murat ruins then all his efforts might be for nothing. However…..
“It is this.”
A bearded, middle aged man lifted a small stone. It was a stone with a strange texture and faint purple circles could be seen on the surface.
“This stone?”
“This isn’t a simple stone. It also isn’t metal. It is something like a gallstone?”
“Eh? Gallstone? The one that forms in the body?”
“Yes, because it is made from the body of a monster. Of course it isn’t a conventional gallstone. Only one out of thousands of monsters will create this stone. Researchers who investigated determined that high density energy will accumulate in the bodies of monsters that have lived for a long time to create this stone. So they called them gallstones. But that is an unrelated matter to a technician like me. The most important thing to me is the best materials to fuse the stone with.”
“Fusion?”
“Is this the first time you’re hearing about it? Well, it isn’t a common technology yet.”
The middle aged man scratched his beard and said.
“This has worked out great. I just received a request for a fusion operation. Seeing is worth more than a thousand words. Seeing it directly will be faster than explaining it to you.”
The middle aged man smiled and took out two swords from a bag. He placed the swords in the left and right side of an unusual looking machine before placing the stone in the middle. The switch was pressed and sparks flew. Soon one sword and the stone decomposed and small light particles moved along a glass tube. And it was drawn towards the sword on the right side.
“That’s all.”
The man took out the sword. He evaluated it before laughing with satisfaction.
“It came out pretty well. Why don’t you examine it?”
-Camas’ Sword (Magic) +1
Item Type: Long Sword Wearer Restriction: Level 75
Attack: 45~55 Durability: 60/60
Camas’ Sword is a common sword made by the Camas company.
In an age where firearms and explosives are common on the frontier, Camas lovingly produces a traditional sword and the top level craftsmanship means it is used by countless pioneers. In the hands of an outstanding warrior, Camas’ Sword is worth more than hundreds of other swords.
<Agility +20, Stamina +15>
* The performance has been improved through fusion technology.
Attack: + 10% Durability: +40
* A special effort has been given through the success of the fusion.
Added Special Effect: Shock damage +5
“How is it? Isn’t it good?”
The man said with a conceited expression.
“This is fusion technology. This technology fuses two weapons into one and improves the performance. The quality of the stone is more important than the materials. The improved performance will vary depending on the quality of the stone. This time I used swords. However it is also possible to use guns, armour or equipment.”
“That means…..it is possible to receive the stones from the monsters here?”
“To be exact, it is from that cave.”
The man pointed to the mountain in front of him. There were quite a few caves seen among the grey rocks.
“I don’t know the reason but the monsters in those caves are highly likely to drop the stones. Well, it is still only a few hundred but that is dozens of times more than monsters in other areas. Do you now understand why pioneers are flocking here?”
“In order to obtain the stone?”
“Are there any other reasons? This stone is a fairly rare material. The price will be quite considerable. Even if there are plenty of players here, the income is a lot better. Well that isn’t necessarily true these days.”
“It isn’t?”
“It is due to those guys.”
The middle aged man pointed with an irate expression to a large building on the slope of the mountain. It was different from the other hastily built ones and was made with garish metal. It was a military base with the mark of a shield on the side, the symbol of one of the 4 large companies Lauis.
“The large company also come to gather the stones?”
“They say it is to study.”
“Study?”
“Like I said a short while ago, the stone is made by high density energy gathering inside the body of a monster. In other words, it means that high density energy exists in this area. That is their purpose. There is high density energy somewhere in that mountain. Therefore a lode might exist.”
“Is it really because of the lode?”
“Damn, who cares about the lode. Those dogs. Their purpose is the stones. A lot of stones are appearing in one area. They might be using research as an excuse but the only they’re here is to monopolize the stones. They gathered troops here under the name of research. The pioneers are also after the stones. Fortunately I’m able to live thanks to this industry. But I’m barely breaking even. Dammit, are the large companies that great?”
The middle aged man raised his middle finger and cursed at the research centre.
“Anyway, keep this in mind if you’re going to stay here for a while. In fact, the Lauis technicians aren’t that special. The Lauis fees are crazy expensive and their fusion enhancements aren’t that great. Do you understand? If you want fusion technology then come find me. The performance will greatly improve depending on the technician’s skill. Please pay attention to that. Oh, I buy stones as well as sell general items and repairs. So stop by often. You can trust Hammer Industries.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
————————————————————————————–
“Gallstone…..”
The president of Hammer Industries had shown him a Gallstone! It was a type of gemstone used to enhance the performance of an item. There was no need to explain the value of reinforcement in online games. When considering that an item needed to be sacrificed, it might not be worth it. Some people might thank being an item of a higher grade would be better. But there were also level restrictions on items. No matter what type of powerful weapon users got their hands on, it was useless if they were too low levelled to use it. However, using a gallstone enabled them to use a similar weapon but at a suitable level for them. Every synthesis would increase damage by 7~12%. Even a normal weapon could become better than a high level weapon if synthesis was repeated. Then it would become a unique item.
And like the weapon that the technician showed, sometimes special options could be added. Any user would covet an item like that! This was a reason a village formed at the base of Mt. Fargo. It was different if Ark was looking for the gallstones like other users. But Ark hadn’t come here for the gallstones. Therefore there were a lot of unnecessarily noisy users wandering around town.
‘Dammit! Why did the gallstones show up here?’
Ark angrily thought as he looked around.
“Various japtem sold cheaply! These japtem are good materials to be used for fusion!”
“Recruiting a party! We will be recruiting a party for an expedition tomorrow! One spot left!”
There were various users selling items at street stalls or recruiting party members. Probably those users were going into the cave to gather the gallstones.
‘My purpose is the Murat ruins but…..’
Hundreds of users were scattered around. Their purpose was the gallstones. Even if they were looking for the gallstones, it was impossible to look for the Murat ruins with them around. That place was like a treasure warehouse for users. There was also a risk of them discovering the ruins. When considering the number of users already gathered at Mt. Fargo, that possibility was very high. Of course, he hadn’t heard any rumours about ruins being discovered here. But that wasn’t proof that the ruins hadn’t been robbed. If someone found the place then they might hide it so they could monopolize it.
‘……But it’s still too early to give up.’
Ark took a deep breath and rearranged his heart.
‘There is no way to verify if someone has found the ruins. The only way is to directly search the ruins. The result will be the same. So I don’t need to think about it in advance. I shouldn’t become pessimistic before I even start. Yes, let’s think positively. There is a possibility the ruins haven’t been found yet. Even if they found it, they might not have discovered the relics that I desire.’
There was a reason for that. It was based on the contents of the slab.
‘The slab says that only the descendant of the Murat can reach the ruins. Therefore a special condition was required to reach it. In Charem I needed the Shire to open the meteorite. What? Why do I need to worry about other users? No, it is better not to worry about the result. I need to search through every corner of Mt. Fargo to find the ruins. If I meet any monsters then I also might obtain the gallstones.’
Ark was a positive human.
‘Anyway, now isn’t the time to be thinking about this. I can’t find the Murat ruins or gallstones sitting here. I have to enter the cave first.’
It was good for a human to be diligent. Every minute and second was valuable after identifying the situation. Every second he wasted increased the chances of the ruins being discovered.
“By the way, where did he go?”
Ark muttered in an irate voice and looked around. After entering the village, Milan had separate to look for more information. But 30 minutes had passed and he hadn’t returned to the arranged meeting spot. 5 more minutes passed before Milan returned.
“Hyung-nim!”
“You, what on earth were you doing?”
“I’m sorry. I ran across something puzzling.
“Something puzzling?”
“That is…..that is to say…..”
“Hey! Who do you think I am?”
It happened when Milan was about to open his mouth. A chilly voice spoke from behind and Milan stuttered.
“H-how?”
One man was approaching Milan. He was wearing heavy armour and he glared as he saw Ark.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? I was suspicious as soon as I saw someone running away but who would’ve expected to meet you in a place like this.”
“…….”
“What happened? Are you shocked speechless? It is natural. You followed Marquis Martin like a puppy to Beltana and you probably thought you would never see me again. But you can’t escape me forever.”
“……Ah!”
Ark’s eyes that had been staring absentmindedly suddenly widened.
“Yes, you! That’s right! I remembered after hearing about Beltana. Don’t I know you?”
“What? Y-you bastard! You don’t know me?”
“I remember! I mean….well….your name…..”
“Valencia!”
“Yes! Valencia!”
Ark clapped and shouted. And Valencia glared at Ark with a bright red face. Ark made a really hateful expression and laughed.
“Your face doesn’t look the same. Did you feel so bad after your demotion that you lost weight? How could I have recognized you?”
In fact, Ark was inwardly quite puzzled. Ark never imagined that he would meet Valencia in a place like this. No, in fact Ark had forgotten about Valencia until now. Ark would forget about someone once he repaid his grudge. And he quickly remembered after seeing Valencia again.
–Valencia was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon on Beltana.
–I unknowingly aggravated someone with a high rank. But I paid him back with interest.
–I don’t need to worry about that guy now.
Those memories…..
It wasn’t nice of him but he used their hostile relationship to make Valencia explode with anger. Ark looked like a cool character next to Valencia.
‘Damn, I have no capital. Why did I have to meet that guy now?’
He might’ve lost his position once the bribes from prisoners were discovered but Valencia was once the leader of the 1st armoured platoon which meant he was a great user. Ark defeated him on Beltana by using a nuclear explosion, not directly fighting him. He got that position for a reason. He hated to admit it but Valencia’s equipment, level and skills meant he was a lot stronger than Ark. But that was the him on Beltana. It had already been a month since the war on Beltana ended. Ark’s level, equipment and skills weren’t the same as before. Now he wouldn’t be pushed that easily.
‘The problem is what happens next.’
Ark needed to be here until he found the Murat ruins. In such a situation he would be tired whether he won or lost against Valencia.
‘It can’t be helped. It has to be this!’
Ark worried for a while before turning his body.
“You should be happy meeting me after a long time. How you been well in the meantime? Well, I would like to discuss our memories but I’m slightly busy right now. Let’s mend our fences.”
“If you walk away then I’ll shoot a hole in the back of your head.”
……It didn’t work.
Ark sighed and slowly turned his body again.
“So, what now?”
“You still don’t understand? Shouldn’t we settle this between you and me?”
Valencia grabbed a rod attached to his waist. And a red light vertically rose up from it. It was the beam sword that often appeared in SF movies. It was an expensive weapon.
“What? A fight?”
“Ohh, is that a beam sword? Isn’t this worth watching?”
People flocked around once Valencia took out the beam sword. It was a village in the Outlands. It wasn’t even formally registered as a sector. There weren’t any guards. This place was no different from a lawless area.
‘Do I have no choice?’
Now the battle was inevitable. If he couldn’t avoid it then he didn’t want to show a weak side.
“Won’t you regret this?”
Ark answered coolly.
“That’s enough Hyung-nim!”
Milan who had been watching with uneasy eyes suddenly cried out.
“Don’t you know? Valencia was the leader of the armoured platoon! He isn’t an opponent that Hyung-nim can win against! Cut it out! You’ll die! I can’t watch Hyung-nim be beaten to a pulp!”
Milan had lost his will before the battle even started. He lowered his head to Valencia and said in a tearful tone.
“Captain Valencia-nim, I’m very sorry! I don’t know what happened between the two of you but I apologize on Hyung-nim’s behalf! Please forget this just once! Please!”
It was embarrassing just seeing it. But he could understand Milan’s attitude. Milan had been pardoned and left Beltana before Ark formed the Royal Guards. Therefore he didn’t know about the hostile relationship between Ark and Valencia. Milan only knew Valencia as the captain of the armoured platoon. Milan thought of Valencia as someone a mere prisoner couldn’t defeat. Milan had travelled together with Ark though the Outlands so he knew Ark was strong. He also knew that Ark was Beltana’s Hero. Yet he didn’t think that a prisoner like Ark could deal with Valencia. Milan had been on Beltana for longer than Ark so he was intimidated by the opponent called Valencia.
“Hyung-nim, Hyung-nim will apologize as well! Yes?”
“This bastard! What are you talking about? That isn’t the case at all. Besides……”
Ark pulled Milan’s collar and looked at Valencia.
“That guy won’t leave even if I apologize.”
“You understand.”
“Like I said, you will regret it.”
“Impertinent fellow!”
Valencia stepped forward with his beam sword. Ark also pulled out the Impact Sword and took one defiant step towards him. They both stepped forward until the gap narrowed.
“Sir Valencia!”
A loud voice cried out from behind. Valencia flinched and turned around with a frightened look. At that time, someone in a robe walked out from the crowd of bystanders. The face couldn’t be seen because of the hood but a blue light was shining inside. The man in the robe reached Valencia and murmured in a low voice.
“I told you to refrain from personal behaviour.”
“But……”
“The command is absolute.”
The robed man declared sharply. The surprising thing was Valencia’s reaction. He was still staring at Ark but he turned off the beam sword and placed it back on his waist.
‘Who is this guy? He looks like an NPC but why would Valencia obey like a puppy when the NPC speaks? What is their relationship?’
Then the robed man turned towards Ark.
“I’m sorry. Valencia is a member of my party. I don’t know what problems are between the two of you but can you leave it like this?”
“He is the one who started it first……”
Ark answered the robed man with a doubting expression. Milan quickly ran forward and lowered his head.
“Thank you! Thank you very much!”
Really, this brat……
“Then let’s put this in order. He won’t cause you trouble again.”
The robed man nodded and turned. Valencia stared at Ark but followed after the robed man.
‘I’m feeling somewhat uncomfortable……’
Ark looked at their retreating backs and frowned.
‘That robed man is suspicious but Valencia following him obediently is even more suspicious. Is he possibly participating in a quest with the robed man? No matter what, Valencia isn’t the type to retreat with a few words.’
There was something there. He had such an idea. Besides, the robed man said he wouldn’t cause trouble in the future but Ark didn’t believe that. Ark couldn’t believe the words of the robed man. And this was Valencia. Who knows when he would try to stab Ark in the back with the beam sword?
‘Despite that, why did we have to meet again?’
He had an ominous feeling that the path to finding the Murat ruins wouldn’t be smooth. But right now he had different worries.
“Sheesh, what the? Is that the end?”
“We were looking forward to a fight! What a waste of time.”
“That guy kept on cringing. If a battle started then the result will be clear.”
“Didn’t that guy just show his belly? I turned red just watching him.”
…….He was embarrassed.
————————————————————————————–
“How thoughtless.”
The robed man muttered in a low voice. Valencia sighed and nodded.
“I’m sorry. That guy just makes me so angry…..”
“Is it a grudge?”
“Yes, there were some incidents before.”
“That’s great.”
The man stopped moving. An eerie smile was revealed as the man pulled down his hood.
“All those blinded by greed who gathered here will die soon.”
Space 5
Mystery of the Stone Mountain
“Hyung-nim, think!”
“Pant pant pant, understood. Stop scolding me so much.”
“Ah, why are you annoyed?”
“Damn, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I’m just playing around. You didn’t know something like that?”
“Who? I knew it!”
A rough voice suddenly said. And Milan withdrew with surprise.
“Wah! What a surprise. Phew, your face really doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hey, what? What did you say? Do you think I’m doing this because I want to?”
Ark snapped angrily and scowled at Milan. Ark’s fact was completely different from a while ago. He had slit eyes, puffy cheeks and buckteeth! Naturally this wasn’t Ark’s original face. Once again, Ark was a celebrity. He appeared a few times on broadcast and he looked the same in New World so there were a lot of people who knew his face. When he created a character in Galaxian, he played around like a three year old using play dough. Ark’s face looked different because of the Hyde Helmet! The Hyde Helmet was a special helmet that could change the name and face that other players saw. Milan was looking at the ugly face that he created the first time he called himself Alan in Charem. In fact, Ark hadn’t been thinking about creating an ugly face. This was a face he made in a hurry. However once a name was registered to a face, it wasn’t possible to change it.
‘I don’t care what other people see when they look at me……’
The reason Ark was using the Hyde Helmet was due to the previous incident. He had encountered Valencia out of the blue and suddenly entered a battle. He was slightly embarrassed by Milan’s reaction but this situation meant Ark couldn’t pay a lot of attention to it. Wearing this meant that it was possible for Ark to avoid any fights. Yet his appearance made even Milan look slightly handsomer.
‘I was worried for Hyung-nim and now his appearance is like this.’
But that idea didn’t continue for long.
“Hey, there’s that guy?”
“That’s right. He’s still hanging around?”
“Even if he didn’t want to be killed, isn’t it too much begging for his life? It would’ve been better to just die. If he is so afraid to die then why did he come into the Outlands?”
“Leave it. There might be some circumstances.”
He called his place a village but it was actually just a place where users and NPCs gathered. The stores of the NPCs lined up only reached several hundred metres. Rumours would spread through this place in an instant. And the original rumour wasn’t preserved but became ever more exaggerated. Now the rumour was that Ark grabbed the hem of Valencia’s pants and begged for his life while crying. He wasn’t a person that could endure this. That’s why Ark used the Hyde Helmet. He was embarrassed!
“But why did you act like that?”
“I was just worried about Hyung-nim……”
“Yes!”
Ark stabbed Milan’s chest with his fingers.
“Did you think I would be stepped on? I don’t like that thought.”
“But the opponent is Valencia of Beltana’s armoured platoon.”
“I told you. He is just a child.”
“But he isn’t weak.”
“Aha, you’re saying that I’m still weaker than someone from the federation even though I’m Beltana’s Hero?”
“No, I know that Hyung-nim has become stronger……”
“But I’ll be stepped on by Valencia?”
“That’s not what I mean. Why do you have to twist my words?”
“Sorry. Because I don’t like being called weak.”
Ark retorted in a testy tone. However Ark was petulant for another reason. If he thought about it from Milan’s viewpoint, Ark naturally wasn’t someone who could beat Valencia. Ark also wasn’t sure about the prospect of success. And Ark wasn’t a character who would dwell on other people’s words. Of course it wasn’t a comfortable feeling but if he paid attention to everything said about him then how could he live in this inhospitable world? Besides, he had used the Hyde Helmet just now. If he walked with Milan then he would be recognizable even if he hid his face…..he hadn’t hid his original face to hide from the unpleasant looks. Ark’s petulance started to rise after he arrived at Mt. Fargo.
———————————————————
A few hours ago.
“This is larger than I thought now that I’m standing underneath it.”
Ark muttered as he looked up at Mt. Fargo. It wasn’t pleasant encountering Valencia but Ark had come here to find the Murat ruins. However he felt a stifling atmosphere now that he was actually looking up at the big mountain. That only thing Ark knew was that the Murat ruins were somewhere in Mt. Fargo.
“If it hasn’t been found yet then the probability that it is hidden somewhere in a cave is high……”
His mind was in a hurry but he knew that limiting the search scope was dangerous. He couldn’t limit the search range in case he missed it so he had to check everywhere precisely. In other words, entering the cave before he searched outside the mountains might make him miss it.
“I also have the same idea.”
Milan nodded his head.
“I don’t see any suspicious areas just looking at it. But if it at a visible place on the mountain or inside the cave then it would already be found by other users. In other words, it is in a place not exposed to the outside. That means it is highly likely that it is buried somewhere.”
Fargo was a large mountain. It was well over 200 metres in height? However, the mountain was a mountain. It didn’t matter if he could find it by looking around but it was a serious problem if buried. They couldn’t just dig blindly. That was when Milan’s ability as a treasure hunter came in handy.
“Huhuhu, it is my turn.”
Milan smiled and took out an iron rod in the shape of an ‘L.’ This was the secret weapon of the treasure hunter Milan, dowsing!
-Dowsing (Special)
Item Type: For Searching (Related skill is necessary)
Sometimes a treasure hunter would face a situation where treasure is buried in an unknown location. Of course, such problems can be solved with advanced equipment but it isn’t always possible to carry that equipment around. However the ground can’t just be blinding dug at. Then something like dowsing rods will be needed.
The dowsing rod is the most affordable and easy to use exploratory device. If you grasp two iron rods in both hands and walk then it is okay. The iron rods will move and cross over when they find something. However, there is no scientific basis behind it.
* Accuracy will depend on the user’s skill proficiency.
It was a technique that sometimes appeared on TV.
‘But to use dowsing in the 24th century……’
There was no scientific evidence but it was better than blindly digging at the ground. When looking at it like that, Ark and Milan could be called a golden combination.
“I’m picking up something here!”
Milan’s dowsing rods had discovered something.
“Okay, get out of the way! Dadadadada!”
Ark grabbed his shovel and ran to the target spot. Mt. Fargo consisted mainly of rocks so digging wasn’t a problem for Ark whose skill had reached intermediate level. Small stones or large stones were split instantly. It was highly likely that something would emerge.
-Old Metal Utensils
Item Type: Antique
Metal utensils made from outdated technology. It is believed that Istana’s indigenous people used it long before humans came here. However more antiques are useless except for their looks.
Well, that is for most of them……
‘The accuracy of dowsing is quite high. This will greatly reduce the search time!’
That wasn’t all. It was only trash but he had unearthed items that the indigenous people of Istana used. The odds that the Murat ruins were hidden somewhere became increasingly higher. His motivation also increased!
“Over here!”
“Get out of the way!”
Pa pa pa pa!
“There’s something here!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
“Here! Here! Here! Here too!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
So he ran around the mountain for several hours.
‘Pant pant pant, this is strange. This is strange no matter how I think about it!’
Ark and Milan panted. They had run around the mountain for several hours digging pits. It was serious. Sweat dripped down his face into his armour. However Milan’s skin was dry compared to Ark.
“Hyung-nim, isn’t the weather quite cold?”
He was talking nonsense. It was natural. Ark had been shovelling alone for a couple of hours. In the meantime Milan had just been running around with his dowsing rods. At first he didn’t realize it because he was so focused on the Murat but Milan wasn’t shedding even one drop of sweat.
“Hey you! Why aren’t you digging?”
“I’ve never done it.”
“Aren’t you a treasure hunter? How did you find anything in the meantime?”
“Of course I used the auto excavator. But I was caught sneaking on the territory of a noble and all my equipment except for the 3D restoration machine was confiscated before I was sent to Beltana. Ah, I still have these dowsing rods as well.”
Milan answered as he walked around with the dowsing rods. The dowsing rods that moved in Milan’s hands….
“If you don’t know then learn! You don’t have an auto excavator now so start learning how to dig!”
“Understood.”
Ark was his Hyung-nim so Milan took the shovel handed to him without any complaints. And that made Ark even angrier. That time when Ark was going pa pa pa pa! It was a cool sound when listening to it. However, Milan’s shovel went tick tick tick……
He didn’t drive in the shovel properly. Once again, Ark had dug a tunnel from Tori’s junkyard to the federal machine as well as the frozen ground on Beltana so his Dig skill had reached intermediate level. But Milan hadn’t formed the skill yet! Mt. Fargo was covered in rocks so the difficulty was too high for a beginner. It wasn’t good enough. The exploration had begun but there was no security that other users wouldn’t find the ruins. And hundreds of users were exploring Mt. Fargo and there was no guarantee he could find it. He needed to dig in order to find the ruins! It wasn’t the time to be playing around.
‘Dammit, I’m really suffering!’
“Just give it to me!”
In the end Ark couldn’t stand it anymore and took back the shovel. And once again dig! Dig! Dig!
‘Damn, wherever I go I can’t escape from digging.’
-‘Dig’ has gained 1 experience.
-‘Dig’ has gained 1 experience…..
The messages that appeared once in a while were the only consolation.
“Hyung-nim, there is a response here!”
“I know!”
Ark cursed and wielded the shovel.
———————————————————
“Eh? What’s this?”
“Why are there holes all over the mountain?”
“There weren’t any yesterday. What the hell happened?”
The users looked at Mt. Fargo and muttered noisily. The appearance of Mt. Fargo had changed in one day. Originally Mt. Fargo had several caves running through it. But that had increased to over 100 in just one day. Of course, the number of caves hadn’t increased. The new pits were only 1~2 metres at most. The new holes looked different. This phenomenon was so mysterious that it stimulated the users’ curiosity.
“UFO! A UFO must’ve made the holes!”
“Don’t be silly. Why would there be UFO’s in the space pioneering age?”
“It’s probably caused be the foundation sinking down. There aren’t a lot of mountains in this cave. Please players use their guns and explosives on monsters in the cave so it is naturally for sinkholes to happen.”
“Doesn’t that mean the caves might also collapse?”
“That’s not it.”
Just as the users were thinking anxiously. One person stepped forward and said.
“It is because of a person. I saw it yesterday. Someone was carrying a shovel and digging at the land.”
“What? Then that person dug all the holes? Why?”
“Isn’t it clear? He thinks the gallstones are buried in the ground and is going around randomly digging.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“Yes, who would dig blindly even if items could be found? Besides, how can anyone create 100 holes in a day?”
“Isn’t that person really stupid?”
The users kept on buzzing noisily.
‘That stupid fellow is here!’
One user was angrily glaring at the back of their head. He was the one who dug holes in Mt. Fargo, Ark.
‘I have to find the ruins before others do!
This obsession was how he managed to dig 100 holes in one day. In fact, Ark hadn’t expected a lot. The ruins were very likely hidden somewhere in the cave. However, he couldn’t conclusively state that. The caves were also the aim of the users looking for gallstones. If the ruins hadn’t been found yet then he couldn’t ignore the possibility that it was hidden somewhere outside. Looking outside took less time than searching the complicated caves where monsters swarmed. Therefore he started his search outside first. But the result was a total failure. He spent one day digging and hadn’t found anything. Although that didn’t mean he got nothing.
-The rating of the skill ‘Dig (Common Occupation ☆) has increased!
Dig (Master, Active): you have become a master at techniques using the shovel. You have mastered that tricks that will allow you to easily dig through solid, frozen ground or stone gravel. The callouses on your palm also proves what a wonderful worker you are.
<Digging speed increased by 100% and the chances of finding items and minerals also increased by 50%>
His intermediate dig skill had increased to an advanced level.
‘For Dig to be the first skill that reaches an advanced level……’
In fact, it was a natural thing. The stars attached to the skill weren’t just the degree of difficulty to acquire it. More stars meant it was harder to raise the proficiency. Dig was only one star so it had no choice but to go up quickly. Anyway, his speed at digging the land increased to 100%! That was the reason why Ark was able to fill the mountain with holes in just one day. That wasn’t all.
Of course, it wasn’t easy for Ark no matter how fast his digging increased. He dug everywhere that Milan indicated with the dowsing. He dug 100 holes and found 100 items. Of course, 90% of them were japtem but…..
-Carmela’s Sword (Magic)
Item Type: Long Sword Wearer Restriction: Level 60
Attack: 35~45 Durability: 34/60
An ancient sword unearthed in Mt. Fargo.
Many ancient alien species have disappeared from the galaxy. Therefore excavating uncovers many weapons that the ancient warriors used. Sometimes they will be made with technology that is difficult for modern science to reproduce. This sword is made with excellent craftsmanship. Despite thousands of years passing since the weapon was created, it has a better performance than many present day weapons. It is still unknown how these ancient civilizations could produce such weapons.
<Strength +10, Stamina +5>
It was a magic grade level 60 sword!
‘It isn’t just japtem.’
He dug 100 holes so sometimes items like these would appear. But when compared to the magic grade long swords sold at the stores, the attack was a little low. If it was sold at an auction then h would probably only receive a price slightly better than a general long sword. But it was a weapon that Ark was eagerly waiting for. While Ark used the shotgun Fire Eagle, his secondary weapon to assist him was the level 10 dagger. In that situation he was extremely grateful for the level 60 magic sword! Even if 90% of the items found were japtem, it added up to at least 10 gold.
“Dowsing…..it is a surprisingly useful skill…..’
Ark looked at the snoring Milan near him. The Carmela’s Sword and other items he found were the result of digging all night. However, it wouldn’t be possible to find items if he just dug excessively at the land. Although 90% of it was crap, Milan’s dowsing skill meant he always found an item.
‘Dowsing can detect items buried it the ground and I can dig it up. This is similar to a skill combo. I’ll have to learn it once I finish this.’
But nothing in this world was free.
‘Damn, there isn’t anywhere on my body that hurts.’
The price he paid for the loot he found in one day was severe.
-You have ‘muscular pain.’
This pain is caused by excessive muscular use.
<Strength, Agility and Stamina will decrease by 50% for 8 hours>
This happened despite his Dig skill. He hadn’t received this penalty while digging the underground tunnel because of breaks. Although he dug up frozen ground on Beltana, that was only during the scheduled times. However, his heart felt urgent and he dug for one full day without any rests. Milan was fine wandering around with iron rods while Ark received muscular pain from shovelling. Anyway!
‘I’ve already gone around the outside. Now there are only the caves left!’
This was the reason Ark came down to the village. According to the information he obtained, the lowest ranked monster in the Mt. Fargo caves was level 100. If he entered deeper than they would be more than level 150! Some even reached level 200. The service just started so the average level of most users were 60~70. Therefore a hunting party was required!
‘If a level 100 monster appears and I only have Milan……’
Right now he had muscular pain and his stats were reduced by 50%. Despite finishing searching outside and napping, he still had 1 hour left.
‘Besides, my purpose is to find the ruins not hunting. I can’t spend a lot of time defeating the monster. There is also no guarantee that only one monster will appear at once or that a level 150 monster won’t emerge. I have no choice but to find a party.’
Although his heart was reluctance, Ark confirmed the problems and knew he had no choice. However a party wasn’t that easy to obtain.
-Looking for a position. Level 80, the name is Alan, 1 NPC.
30 minutes had passed since the message was set up and there had been no hits yet. Therefore his annoyance started increasing.
“Excuse me.”
A man wearing light armour approached. He sent a sharp glance towards the dozing Milan and asked quickly.
“Are you bringing the NPC along with you when hunting?”
“Yes, if it’s possible……”
“Then it will be hard to find a party. That’s because everybody is looking for the gallstones. So a party is created the minimum number required. More people in a party means the profit is lower. And the combat power of a NPC is also lower than that of a user. He doesn’t look like a combat NPC so it will be difficult to find at party with him.”
‘What? It is because of this guy?’
He had thought it was strange. Once again, the average level in Galaxian was 60~70. Ark was 10 levels higher. Nevertheless, the level 65 users were popular while Ark who was higher levelled was waiting for 30 minutes. It was all due to Milan. They didn’t want to give stones away to NPCs who weren’t useful in battle! That’s why Ark didn’t receive any offers.
“I never thought of that. In fact, he is just my bag carrier so you don’t need to split the loot with the NPC. You don’t need to put him in the party.”
“I knew it was like that.”
The man laughed and nodded his head.
“In fact, we were a party of 5 but 2 people just left. But to tell you the truth, my friend and I are over level 80 so 2 more people aren’t required. If we supplement it with someone else of the same level then we can hunt the monsters with just 1 more person. If the NPC doesn’t receive a share of the loot then you can come with us. Can you do 3~4 hours?”
“Yes, I can do all night!”
“I’m Leon.”
“Alan.”
Ark stood up and replied. He woke Milan up and followed after Leon.
———————————————————
“What do you think?”
Valencia asked as he looked at the 100 holes dug in Mt. Fargo.
“It might be people digging randomly at the ground looking for items but……”
“You don’t think it is that simple.”
The robed man nodded and replied.
“There might be someone else aside from us who knows the secret of the mountain. That is the only reason I can think of for digging that many holes in one day.”
“Will this be a setback to the plan?”
“I wouldn’t think so……”
The robed man stared at the tattered looking Mt. Fargo for a while before saying in a low voice.
“Nevertheless we should advance the plan.”
———————————————————
“Over there.”
Leon’s party was gathered at a cave halfway up the mountain. There was 1 man and 1 woman. The man was a warrior with a sword, gun and armour like Leon while the woman was dressed in a white garment like a healer
“The warrior is called Slayer while the healer is Melina.”
Leon introduced the two of them to Ark. The warrior called Slayer sent Leon an uncomfortable look.
“What? Didn’t we decide on 1 person?”
“There is 1 person and a NPC. We don’t need to separate the loot for the NPC.”
“Well then I don’t care……”
Slayer scratched his head before looking at Melina. He rushed to Leon and hurried whispered.
-Hey! Why did you bring a guy?
–This guy? What are you saying all of a sudden?
–Damn, that’s right. You weren’t there. Do you remember what I was talking about yesterday? That guy was so pathetic he held onto the legs and begged for his life. That person is this guy.
–Eh? Really?
–Yes, there is no doubt. His face seems a bit different but I remember the NPC. These guys won’t be useful at all.
–But he is level 80.
–What does that matter? Most users in the village are level 60~70. What warrior could reach level 80 by being afraid of strange things? He might be wearing those clothes but he probably isn’t a warrior. No, he definitely isn’t a warrior. He’s bringing along a NPC so he is probably a merchant or porter. Let’s check his body coating.
“Alan-nim, what body coating do you have?”
Leon asked Ark after listening to Slayer.
“Survivor.”
–See! Survivor, it is the feeling that he will do whatever it takes to survive! If it becomes even slightly dangerous then he’ll probably abandon his colleagues to run away!
–Then what do we do?
–What else? We have to send him back.
–But he said we don’t need to worry about giving loot to the NPC…..
Leon scratched his head and hesitated.
–And it will be difficult to find another ugly user.
–Indeed. That’s certainly the case. It was to the extent that I released a sound when I first saw him.
Slayer gawked at Ark. In fact, these users had another purpose apart from the gallstones. It was understandable when looking at the level, but Leon and Slayer were people who spent more than 12 hours in the game a day. And the thing they desired most was a girlfriend. And spring visited all of a sudden. Melina!
Leon and Slayer made an effort to impress girls. However the only things that emerged from their mouths were related to the game so it never worked out. But Melina was different. Her character was refreshing and she liked talking about the game unlike other women. Plus her appearance was pretty!
‘It’s a match! This is a chance that heaven has given me!’
Since then Slayer and Leon’s goal changed from the gallstones to Melina. And they made some preparations to look better compared to other men. Therefore Leon and Slayer looked for appearance when forming a party. They picked the ugly ones so that they could stand out more. In fact, the two who just left the party were only level 57 and 59. They were accepted into the party because they were ugly. It was also why Leon showed interest in Ark despite being attached to a NPC. His slit eyes and protruding buck teeth stimulated an unpleasant feeling! Ark’s face shown in the Hyde Helmet was +1000% to Leon and Slayer. In this game, the character’s faces could be touched up. Therefore it was rare to find an ugly user in the game. Even so, Ark’s degree of ugliness was extremely rare!
–This low talent is too valuable to give up.
–That’s right.
–It isn’t a problem if he can’t fight. The two of us alone can catch any level 100 monster. It is actually better that this guy doesn’t help in battle. We will look even better compared to him.
–Yes.
–Anyway, I take back what I said about sending him away. This is a smart move. If we bring that guy here and send him back with no explanation then it might look bad to Melina.
–Chet, I see. I’ll allow that guy. And don’t forget the promise. Fair play. We can’t cause trouble for Melina by fighting among ourselves. Understood?
–Of course! It is a man’s promise!
Leon and Slayer shook each other’s hands firmly. Then Ark who was watching from behind asked with anxiety.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no! No problem!”
“Yes, we’re done with the preparations so we can enter immediately.”
“Enter? But I…..”
Ark scratched his head. He had followed the party for the moment but he still had 1 hour of muscle pain left. The penalty was the penalty but he was in so much pain that it was difficult for him to even move. Therefore he wanted to ask if he could be rear support until the muscle pain wore off. However Leon and Slayer slapped his back before he could say anything.
“It’s okay. You just have to believe in us and follow.”
“Yes, Alan-nim doesn’t need to worry about anything.”
“Melina-nim, let’s go.”
Leon and Slayer placed their arms over Ark’s shoulder and moved towards Melina. Ark’s face was +1000% a blessing for the two men. Leon and Slayer who were ordinary looked handsome next to him. No, they looked like users standing next to a monster.
–As expected, our appearance looks a lot better.
–Huhuhu, if he’s here then we’re like celebrities!
Leon and Slayer looked at Ark with warm eyes. The two men dreaming of a pink romance entered the cave. The fear they would face inside the cave…..
Space 6
Cave of Terror
‘This is……’
Ark looked at the people walking ahead of him with uncomfortable eyes. They were Leon, Slayer, Melina and Milan. It was the first time he had joined a part of people since R-14. Once in a party, it was important to consider balance, power, linked actions etc. All this could be checked once entering the dungeon.
Kukung!
It happened not long after they entered. There was a sudden ringing sound in the darkness. It was the skin of a large lizard monster scraping against stone. The lizard called Thanatos was a pitiful monster killed instantly by users for its gallstone. Slayer looked greedy as soon as the Thanatos appeared.
“Thanatos! Leon, attract its attention!”
Tu tu tu tung-!
Blue rays of light exploded from Leon. The Thanatos shrieked as the special rays penetrated his shell and rushed towards the party. But it was obstructed by Slayer’s shield before it could attack the party.
“Your opponent is me! Vibrate, shield! Taunt!”
The surface of the huge shield started vibrating like the surface of a speaker. It was the warrior’s Taunt! The Thanatos attacked Slayer like it was in agony. However most of the attacks were blocked with Slayer’s shield and he counterattacked with his mace. Of course Leon and Melina weren’t just standing there.
Tu tu tu tung-!
The rays from Leon’s rail gun were fired again and again. The rail gun accelerated the bullets using electromagnetic power so it had the best destructive power and penetration power. It also damaged biological or mechanical creatures so it was one of the firearms that users like best. Although the heavy armour and shield had a disadvantage in slowing down movement speed, it was the best for characters known as tanks to withstand attacks.
“Power surge! Power the Berserker’s courage!”
Melina also used buffs to increase the attack of the party!
‘A battlefield and hunting ground is definitely different.’
Ark had quite a bit of experience fighting in a party. He had fought with the Royal Guards on Beltana while in Charem he fought alongside 30 Phoenix members against the Sufferers. But this party had a different feeling. There were always fewer numbers in parties so the competency of the individual meant a lot more. Victory or defeat depended on the individual’s abilities rather than tactics. The more the number was reduced, the more weight was placed on the individual. And the military troops also had support from tanks or armoured vehicles as well as large weapons. However the users in a party were required to buy the supplies themselves. That’s why it was difficult for players to become medics. Medics who handled various drugs and medical supplies were without doubt the strongest healers! But the supplies for a medic weren’t free. Preparing their own medicines was more expensive than just buying the recovery ampoules. They had to spend money on medicines and buffing medicines if they wanted to fight!
It wasn’t something that users’ with poor pockets could afford to pick. If a user was a healer then they usually picked the Esper type that focused on recovery. It had less recovery capabilities but it relied on mana so it was free. Anyway, the basics of a party in Galaxian were a combination of tank-damage dealer- healer. Therefore conjunction moves were important and relied on the individual’s competence. When judging just this aspect, the part scored 8~9 out of 10.
“Body resonance! Regeneration!”
“Melina-nim, thank you! Hahaha, bring it on lizard!”
Melina aimed her healing at Slayer and he pushed back the Thanatos.
“Slayer, expose that guy’s head! Precision Shot!”
Leon aimed his rail gun through a gap. Slayer, Leon and Melina fulfilled the tank-damage dealer-healer combo and the level 100 Thanatos wasn’t a match against them.
…..That was the problem.
‘I shouldn’t be just watching!’
Ark still had muscle pain. The battle was also so one-sided that it didn’t matter if he didn’t enter the fight. It was the first battle in this party so he wanted to join but the muscles in his entire body felt like they were breaking from the pain. He also had his combat related stats decreased by half. And every time he moved it felt like his body was tingling.
“Ah! What are you doing?”
“Just stay in the back!”
Slayer and Leon complained immediately. After the battle was over, Slayer looked at Ark and bluntly asked.
“Are you really level 80?”
“I’m sorry. I tried to tell you before we came in but I have muscle pain right now and all my stats are reduced by 50%.”
“Uh? Indeed.”
Slayer nodded……
-Hey, he said he had muscle pain. Have you heard of it?
–I’ve never heard of something like that. He is clearly making up a reason because he is embarrassed.
A user had never shovelled for 24 hours in the game before. It was natural that they would never hear about muscle pain and then think Ark was lying. But Slayer and Leon didn’t show it in their expressions.
–He really is a lousy bastard. Should he really remain in the party?
–That guy acted shamefully in the village. It isn’t an abrupt thing.
-Then it’s okay.
-Yes, since we’re looking for ugly guys.
–That’s right. It is a rare opportunity. Don’t pay attention to the loot and just hunt.
Ark sensed that Leon and Slayer were whispering to each other. Of course he couldn’t imagine the contents of their words.
–Is it impossible? If I enter the battle despite having muscle pain……’
Ark thought they were discussing about how to treat him and sighed before speaking.
“This muscle pain will last for another 40 minutes. I thought it would take more time to find a party after putting up the ad…..I had no intention of deliberately hiding this but if you’re annoyed then I will leave the party.”
“Ah, no it’s fine!”
Slayer and Leon shook their heads.
“Don’t misunderstand. We spoke without thinking after the battle. We have no complaints. Isn’t that right Leon?”
“Of course. We value our bonds above anything else. Once you join then we should finish it to the end! That’s our motto. We accepted Ark-nim into the party so we’ll shoulder the responsibility until the end. If we don’t do this then we won’t be able to sleep. We’ll be responsible!”
Leon said with looking at Melina.
“It isn’t necessary for you to worry. You don’t need to join in on the fights. Just stay behind and give support fire while protecting Melina.”
“Yes, because Melina-nim is invaluable.”
This time Slayer was the one who spoke while looking at Melina.
‘Ah! Some users are really considerate!’
Ark wasn’t naive. Ark noticed the atmosphere after hearing Leon and Slayer’s words. These guys were playing the game. Then a woman entered the party and they were pretending to be good. When considering those guys’ purpose, he really thought it was pitiful…..
‘It’s fine if I can support from behind.’
In fact, that had been the part he was most worried about. Unlike other users, Ark’s purpose was to find the Murat ruins. But if Ark and Milan participated in the battle then there would be no time to search. Furthermore, this was a dungeon so there were plenty of parties hunting. Therefore it would inevitably take a longer time to look around. However he couldn’t confess about the ruins.
‘I have to get Milan out of combat!’
This was the reason Ark was happy to give up Milan’s share of the loot. He was going to use a suitable excuse to leave Milan in the back so that he could search for the ruins. Now both of them were remaining in the rear so it was good. Judging by the atmosphere of the party, he didn’t need to worry about the loot even if he didn’t participate in the battle. There were no conditions better for Ark.
‘Then……’
“Thank you. In fact I’ve been worrying about being weak compared to my level but I’m touched by your compassion. It is shameless but please allow me to continue in the party. What about Melina-nim?”
“It also isn’t good if people keep on changing.”
Melina replied cutely. This was the answer that Slayer and Leon wanted to receive. Not surprisingly, the two men were happy to grab Ark’s hands after hearing Melina’s words.
“I agree! We will continue with these 5 people until the end!”
“Don’t worry about it! We will push you on!”
Thus Ark’s dungeon exploration begun. Slayer and Leon took care of the Thanatos every time it appeared. Ark and Milan just had to appear like they were shooting while looking around. And they still received experience and loot when the battle ended.
‘I have the perfect party right now…..’
There were only two parts that he was dissatisfied about.
“You bastard! You’re stronger than you look. But I’m the shield for my colleagues! I won’t allow you to take one step even if my entire body is shredded! Bring it on! Ack!”
“Ah! Slayer! Ack! You bastard, he is my friend! Wrathful Bullets!”
“Hut! T-these lights are….ohh! Every cell in my body is alive! Thank you Melina-nim! I will use this opportunity! I will be Melina-nim’s shield!”
“I will be Melina-nim’s bullets! Take this! Continuous Bullets!”
This was the first thing. The over compensatory actions and words every time they competed in a battle! He didn’t know if Melina was slow or pretending not to know but Ark could clearly see the two men’s hearts. But it was thanks to this that Ark could do nothing so he endured it. The second problem was Milan.
“Phew, he is quite useful.”
“I didn’t expect much from the support shooting but there were a lot of critical hits.”
Slayer and Leon were talking about Milan. It was unnecessary to say but Ark’s power showed its strength in close combat. But it wasn’t possible to use the shotgun meant for close distances as rear support. Therefore Ark was forced to use the level 20 pistol Fading Steel. The attack power was trivial. Ark’s marksmanship skills were also bad.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Ark’s shots kept on missing. However Milan was using a machine gun. Furthermore, he was a treasure hunter that used long distance attacks so the NPC was better at rear support than Ark. Ark only dealt 2~3 percent damage while Milan dealt 10%! The problem wasn’t with Ark.
“Who on earth……”
It was the words he heard. The problem was Milan’s attitude.
“Hey, that won’t do at all. Although he is still my Hyung-nim.”
‘What? What did he say just then? That bastard!’
Milan’s eyes had been shining with respect for Ark when they arrived at Mt. Fargo. Then he met Valencia and was humiliated by Milan and the atmosphere slowly changed while they were digging at Mt. Fargo. And to receive more praise than Ark……
“Hyung-nim, please don’t pay any attention to it. Aren’t you my Hyung-nim? Hat hat hat!”
He started speaking informally to Ark. It was an inevitable result. The relationship between the NPC and user depending on their intimacy. And the NPC’s appreciation often changed depending on the evaluation of the surrounding users. The Royal Guards’ loyalty went up when Ark became Beltana’s hero while Milan’s decreased due to Leon and Slayer ignoring him. Ark once again realized an important fact.
‘I shouldn’t be blindly nice to the NPCs. Sometimes they will forget who their master is. Damn, you’ll see soon. I’ll show you once the ruins are found!’
But the main thing right now was finding the Murat ruins. Ark pushed his anger down and endured it. So the users and NPC continued to treat him badly while he continued the exploration. Ark then faced a difficulty he hadn’t considered.
‘Eh? This place is…..?’
Ark looked around puzzled before going up to Melina.
“Melina-nim, perhaps this place…..didn’t we pass this place a short time ago?”
“Huh? You didn’t know so far?”
“Don’t know?”
“We’ve been going around the same place for a while now. There are 9 entrances in Mt. Fargo but they’re all connected. Only the layers are different. There are 3 layers. We’re only going around the top. The passages here aren’t wide and are connected in a circle.”
“Do we have to go to the other caves to go to the lower floors of the dungeon?”
“That isn’t the case. Alan-nim, do you see that hole in the ground? That hole is connected to a lower floor of the dungeon. You can just jump down that hole.”
“Then why are we still going around the same place?”
“Huh? Oh, that…..”
Melina studied Ark’s face and hesitated. Then Slayer who had just taken care of a Thanatos returned.
“In fact, we thought about descending after forming a new party and practicing our connected attacks. The Thanatos underneath are level 150 but there are more gallstones and less competitors. If one more level 80 person was added to Melina-nim, Leon and me then we could try it.”
However the user had entered with a NPC. It meant they could only hunt the safe level 100 monsters.
‘Damn, I didn’t think that far!’
Ark had been digging at Mt. Fargo so he knew everything was connected. Therefore he thought he could search through the entire dungeon. He didn’t’ know that the dungeon was divided into 3 layers.
‘We’ve returned to a place that we passed just a while ago. Then it will be meaningless if I spend a few more days here. In the end I’ll have to go downstairs……’
It was essential for Ark to descend. In fact, Ark’s muscle pain had already gone away for a while now. He was the level 80 user that Slayer and Leon were hoping for. No, he had confidence that he could win again Slayer or Leon in a 1 on 1 battle. However, Ark had already explored the ruins for 3 hours and packed a lot of free loot. How could he just say ‘I’m strong again! Let’s go down!’ to them all of a sudden? He would clearly incur some bad feelings. Ark’s thoughts starting turning over at a rapid speed in his head. He then raised his head and looked at Melina.
‘Melina is actually the one in charge of this party! Then……’
“I have to go to the bathroom for a while. Anyway, I’m not a big help so you guys can go first.”
“Yes, we’ll be near here.”
“I’ve finished.”
Ark re-joined the party shortly afterwards. Slayer and Leon were in the midst of fighting a Thanatos.
Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark!
Suddenly there was the sound of a dog in the dungeon. The party reflexively turned as they heard a sound they never imagined. Surprisingly a dog with the head of a Thanatos was rushing towards them!
“What, what the? There was also a monster like this here?”
“Damn, something like this…..no! Melina-nim, it’s dangerous!”
Leon shouted as he hurriedly lifted his rail gun. The monster had ignored Slayer and Leon and was rushing towards Melina. Just as it was about to bite the neck of the confused Melina! A man shot towards her like lightning……
“Danger!”
Ark grabbed Melina’s body and rolled across the ground. And…..
“Ugh! So envious….ah, no! Well done Alan-nim! Nice! Now…..eh? W-wait a minute! There is……”
They fell into the hole that led to the intermediate layer.
Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark!
The monster dog also plunged into the hole after them.
—————————————————————
“Kyaaak!”
They fell for a long time through the hole. Then Melina screamed from the shock of the impact.
……He didn’t know why she screamed. Ark was the one that had hit the ground. But Melina didn’t understand his thoughts and looked up at the hole before bursting out in confusion.
“It’s a big deal! We fell into the intermediate layer!”
“And Melina-nim is lying on me.”
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
Melina hurriedly got up. Then she looked around and stuttered.
“A-Alan-nim, t-there…..a-a monster dog…..”
“Retreat! I’ll stop this guy!”
Ark stood in front of Melina holding his sword. The red eyes from the approaching monster was in front of him. The bizarre creature had the body of a dog and the head of a Thanatos. Thankfully Melina was too busy being scared that she didn’t realize something. The tail was shaking intensely!
‘Huhuhu, you cutie!’
A smile formed on Ark’s mouth. It was natural. Ark was the owner of the monster dog. While the part was busy, Ark had summoned a hell hound with the body of a Thanatos. This was the method Ark came up with to force the party down into the intermediate level.
‘Slayer and Leon will do anything to impress Melina. If Melina was forced into the intermediate layer then of course……’
“Melina-nim, just wait! We’re coming!”
‘…….The two of them are entering.’
Ark grinned as he looked at the hell hound.
‘That’s it! Stop now. You know what to do next?’
Ark conveyed through his eyes and the hell hound nodded before running away. Slayer, Leon and Milan fell from the top layer shortly afterwards.
“Melina-nim, are you hurt? Where is it?”
“It’s okay. The monster dog ran away. And Alan-nim protected me from the fall…..”
Melina blushed and replied. Slayer then sighed and looked up at the hole in the ceiling.
“But this is serious. We suddenly came down to the intermediate layer. Of all things…..”
Slayer looked at Ark with dissatisfied eyes. His expression seemed to indicate that he held Ark responsible.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve paid more attention……”
“No! It’s not Alan’s fault. He was just rescuing me. It is my fault!”
Slayer instantly shook his head forcefully at Melina’s words.
“It was a surprise and you didn’t do anything wrong! We’ll do as promised. We will go on together. Let’s not worry about the future.”
“That’s right! Alan-nim and Melina-nim, you don’t have to worry!”
“Please don’t worry. We promised to take responsibility no matter what. It’s fine if we die as long as Melina-nim and Alan-nim can get out safely!”
“Yes, just believe in us!”
‘Those fools.’
Ark inwardly laughed as he looked at the two of them. If Ark had fallen downstairs by himself then they probably would’ve made up an excuse to get rid of him. It would be different if Melina fell. But he couldn’t just push Melina into the hole. That’s why he used the hell hound to fix the situation. This was the result. The remaining members descended a layer like Ark intended. And there was one more problem to solve.
‘It should be back around now……’
Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark!
Then the sound of a dog was once again heard from the opposite side. Slayer and Leon reflexively turned and their faces stiffened. It wasn’t because the monster dog was running towards the group. The problem was the huge shadow coming behind it! It was a Thanatos two times larger than the one upstairs.
“T-that damn dog pulled a Thanatos?”
“Oh my god! Level 150! It isn’t someone we can take care of with our current power!”
“But this is a dead end. There is nowhere to run away!”
“Ugh, damn! Leon, take care of that dog!”
Tututung! Tututung!
Leon’s rail gun subsequently shot out rays of light. The hell hound was created with a level 100 Thanatos so its stats were relatively high. However, it had been chased by a Thanatos so it only took a few shots from the rail gun to melt away. Now the only problem was the Thanatos! After the hell hound died, the Thanatos immediately headed towards the group.
“Should we take out our battle suits?”
“No. We’ve fallen into the intermediate level so we’ll encounter many of these guys no matter how careful we are. It will be hopeless if we can’t even take care of one. So we should use the battle suit sparingly. Let’s just take care of this one! Melina-nim, Milan, cover us!”
Slayer shouted as he took out a shield. They never mentioned Ark’s name even in this situation. It was because he didn’t use his power from the beginning. It was natural when considering what happened up to now……
‘I’m different now!’
Slayer used his shield to block the Thanatos’ sharp claws. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that a level 100 and a level 150 monster were completely different. It was two times larger and had twice as much power. The shield that stopped hundreds of attacks in the upper layer was pushed back.
“Slayer! Dammit, Continuous Shooting!”
Tututung! Tututung!
Rays poured out from Leon’s rail gun. Fortunately Slayer avoided being damaged by the Thanatos but the situation had changed. Close combat was possible because of Slayer. So far he had executed the tank role but he couldn’t receive the attacks of the level 150 Thanatos by himself. Melina poured her recovery skills like a waterfall but it wasn’t possible to catch up to the speed that his health fell. In the end Slayer’s health fell to 30%. Slayer murmured feebly.
“I made a mistake.”
‘…….Now!’
Ark flew towards the Thanatos. He stood in front of the wobbly Slayer and blocked the attack.
Snap!
His bones shook from the tremendous impact.
“Alan-nim?”
Slayer looked at Ark with a puzzled expression. Ark stumbled back and said with a smile.
“Ugh, I’m fine. Slayer-nim, this isn’t the time to give up. I’m also here so let’s fight together. This is a chance to show your true worth to Melina. A man won’t give up!”
“Ah! T-that’s right! I see!”
Slayer became fired up and raised his shield. Slayer was actually thinking differently. He only pretended to become fired up so he could show a nice, final impression to Melina. But the situation was different once the battle began again. The attacks of the Thanatos became weaker. Even if the attack had the same power as before, there were more chances to counterattack. Slayer’s health that was on 30% no longer fell. Melina’s recovery skills hadn’t become stronger so it meant the damage received was reduced. And…..
“Slayer-nim, Leon-nim, now!”
“Ohhhh! Acceleration Iron!”
“Super magnetic shot!”
There were loud cries as the mace and rail gun bullets hit. The Thanatos’ health reached the bottom and it collapsed.
“Kyaak! We did it! Awesome!”
Melina jumped and cheered. But Slayer and Leon looked sombre.
“Alan-nim, for a while…..”
Melina studied Slayer’s face and approached.
“What happened?”
‘It’s come.’
They were able to win this battle thanks to Ark. That didn’t mean that Ark took care of it alone. What Ark did was interrupt the Thanatos’ attack rhythm. He focused his attacks on the joints of the leg. It was an advanced technique so Melina and Milan hadn’t noticed. However Slayer and Leon had combat experience so they noticed it straight away. And they felt a surge of betrayal!
“Have you been tricking us?”
“I said it at the beginning. It will be hard for me to fight properly for a while because of muscle pain.”
“I’ve never heard of that state before!”
“Even if it was true, shouldn’t it be released long before now? Why didn’t you help us until now?”
“Yes, I recovered 40 minutes after we entered.”
“40 minutes…..then you tricked us to receive 3 hours’ worth of experience and loot for free……”
Slayer’s eyes trembled. Ark sighed and said.
“I admit it. I deliberately tricked you. But it was for the two of you.”
“What? You say that now……”
“The two of you, don’t you have something in mind with Melina-nim?”
Slayer and Leon closed their mouths at his words.
“I knew it. It was the reason why I stayed in the background. It was in order to give you two a chance to appeal to Melina-nim. Doesn’t it seem cooler if 2 people deal with all the monsters? So far the two of you have been enough. This time is also the same thing. I didn’t use my skills and strength in order to make it look like the two of you defeated the Thanatos. So I deliberately only helped when Slayer-nim was in danger.”
It fact that wasn’t the only reason. One of the conditions of his occupation quest was to rescue his colleagues! Ark knew that it was possible to win against the Thanatos if he fought. He needed to increase the number of times he saved a colleague. And he had to make sure Melina didn’t sense it. So it was possible to convince Slayer and Leon with those words.
“Amway, I was very impressed that the two of you helped me for 3 hours without a word of complaint. So I made up my mind. I will do my best to make sure you two have a good impression with Melina. We fell into the intermediate layer so I have no choice but to enter the battle. But I’ll only do it if the situation deteriorates and the two of you need help.”
“Uh……”
“Well we were originally planning to enter the intermediate layer……”
Slayer and Leon looked at each other.
“This might be a chance. The two of you came down to this layer to save Melina-nim. Therefore Melina-nim is feeling guilty inside. If you show the two of you struggling against the Thanatos then she will receive a better impression of you.”
These words ended the indecision.
“Certainly…..okay! Like Alan-nim said, this is an opportunity given by the heavens!”
“Yes, if we have Alan-nim then the intermediate layer won’t be a problem!”
In fact, Slayer and Leon had no other choice. It would be hard for them to escape the intermediate layer if they kicked Ark out of the party now. And Ark also used compelling words to convince them. This was to relieve any bad feelings if he ever met those users again!
“We misunderstood!”
“Thank you in advance!”
Slayer and Leon firmly grabbed Ark’s hand. However they were unaware that this was the beginning of a nightmare. In far, Ark had calculated it carefully before making his suggestion. Since then Ark only helped Leon and Slayer when they were barely surviving. Thus they were in danger many times……
“Alan-nim, it is dangerous! It is up to the guardian to protect his colleagues! Ugh!”
Slayer poured out his heart into protecting them. If they protected their colleagues then of course Melina would be impressed! Every time there was a battle, their health and mana would reach the bottom. That was also Ark’s desire. Ark’s purpose was to find the ruins. He hadn’t discovered in the upper layer so Ark had descended to the intermediate layer. There was no time to investigate the area thoroughly.
‘But it is different when they run out of health and mana.’
It meant they needed to take a break after the fight. While their health and mana were recovering, it gave Ark time to look around. Therefore Ark intentionally made sure that his health and mana fell to the bottom in every battle. He took care of any dissatisfaction by saying.
“I’m sorry. I’m so clumsy in battle……”
“It’s nothing. This happened because of me. Thank you for trying hard.”
Melina felt guilty so she was okay with everything.
“Did you hear? Melina-nim apologized to us. It is important to give an impression of a hard fight. Our favourable image is rising.”
“Huhuhuhu. Thank you. Settling it this way…..”
Melina had surrounded herself with 2 wolves. They would smile happily every time their bodies became tattered in the battle. Ark controlled the party from the back and could search the intermediate layer. However, it had been 2 hours since entering the intermediate layer. It was a total of 5 hours if he added the hours spent in the upper layer so Slayer was getting tired. No, he was trying to make a good impression on Melina.
“Let’s end it here and look for the exit. Now we know we can hunt in the intermediate layer so the group will gather to continue tomorrow.”
And just as they found the exit.
Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark!
A monster dog once again came running. There were 10 Thanatos chasing behind it!
“Heok! D-dammit! Another one of those dogs! No! If we get caught then we’re dead! Run!”
Slayer screamed and ran away from the exit. This situation repeated a few times. The monster dog seemed to sense whenever they would find an exit and would use the Thanatos following it to herd them deeper into the dungeon.
“A curse! This hunt is cursed!”
Slayer and Leon grabbed their heads and screamed. However they failed to notice something. The monster dog always appeared after Ark went to the toilet.
‘Huhuhu. You won’t get any chances to exit.’
Ark laughed as he looked at the gasping Slayer and Leon. The hell hound merciless drove the Thanatos towards them. Ark used the hell hound to herd them towards places he hadn’t searched yet. This was all to achieve Ark’s goal! In New World, he once stayed all up night for two days in order to find an item he desired. Ark valued this before getting a good sleep.
‘This is a spacious dungeon so it would take quite a while to investigate. I’m sorry but I’m still not finished. They should at least stay until I finish searching the intermediate level.’
Slayer was the one suffering. But this was a game so he wasn’t concerned about his condition.
“Pant pant pant, that monster. Why is it doing this to us?”
The frustrated Slayer wheezed with a spiritless face. But he still had some spirit left. The upper layer only required 2~3 hours but the intermediate layer was several times larger. And there weren’t a lot of parties here so it was overflowing with Thanatos. Thus they were like zombies by the time 15 hours had passed. Meanwhile Ark and Milan had rested before entering so they weren’t as tired!
“I-it isn’t possible anymore.”
“No! There are no tents. If we go to sleep then we’ll die!”
Slayer flopped down on the ground and Leon grabbed his collar while yelling. The tent was an item where users could safely enter hibernation mode while in dungeons. However, the village was right near here so Slayer and Leon hadn’t bothered preparing tents.
“I, I……I really can’t hold out anymore. My eyes feel like it will fall out. I’d rather die.”
Slayer and Leon had been playing the game for more than 15 hours before meeting Ark. They only played an average of 12 hours a day but they held out because of Melina. Yet another 15 hours had passed. It was a total of 30 hours! They couldn’t concentrate on the battle anymore. But Ark didn’t allow them to abandon it halfway through.
“Gather your spirits! If you fall down here then we’ll be in trouble! Slayer-nim, Leon-nim, shouldn’t a man protect Melina-nim until the end? Do you want to leave Melina-nim by herself in a monster infested dungeon? The more difficult and painful it is, the more you two will shine in her eyes! That is a man!”
“Ohhh…..I’m a man……”
Slayer and Leon moved their zombie like bodies at Ark’s encouragement. But Melina’s eyes were looking at Ark.
‘At first he didn’t fight properly so I thought he was brazen to enter the party….. It was inconvenient……but he didn’t show any dissatisfaction with the situation and even encouraged his colleagues……he also isn’t patronizing like Slayer-nim and Leon-nim…..yes, I gain energy every time I see Alan-nim.’
Rather than Slayer and Leon who fought to attract her attention, Melina was more impressed by Ark who encouraged his colleagues. But another pair of eyes were looking at Ark differently.
‘I know it! That monster that pulled the Thanatos! That’s right, it is similar to the dogs that Hyung-nim produced on the way here! The person controlling the dog is clearly Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim is keeping the party here to look for the ruins. When I think about it, I also couldn’t rest for one day while searching on Mt. Fargo. Then we can only leave this dungeon after searching through this entire layer?’
Milan knew. The horror that the level 80 Slayer and Leon couldn’t imagine! The level 150 Thanatos hadn’t appeared because of the hell hound. This was all Ark controlling it from the rear!
“Scary! Hyung-nim is a scary man!’
—————————————————————
“Damn, I’m in trouble. It is difficult!”
A man with slicked back hair muttered impatiently. His name was Bain. He had joined the large company Laius when he was young and is success meant he was now the director of one of the major projects. The place he recently became interested in was Mt. Fargo. Compared to other areas, there were a large number of monsters that had gallstones.
‘According to the latest theory, the gallstones are formed from high density energy accumulating in the body of the monster. In order words, it means there is a source of high density energy nearby. If it is a lot higher than other areas……lode! A lode of energy might be hidden!’
Development and maintenance of a civilization required energy. After the humans entered the universe, it lead to a revival of different energy sources. It was the same for the Rama and Aschulat. Thus the galaxy was now struggling from a chronic lack of energy. That’s why there was a war as soon as resources were found in the Bellin constellation.
‘In other words, it will become money. Now swords and guns are part of the primitive age. The important thing is energy. The person who controlled the energy would dominate the universe. If I can find the energy lode at Mt. Fargo then I can be promoted!’
Bain managed to convince the company to build a research centre here. However, they had explored for a fortnight and still hadn’t found the energy lode.
No, it was becoming increasingly possible that the energy lode didn’t exist.
“This is serious. I’m the one who established the research centre here and drove the project. If an energy lode doesn’t exist here then I’ll be held responsible. In the worst case situation I might be stripped of my position! N-no! I’m still young! I can’t be unemployed at such a young age! If I can’t find the lode then I should at least find something else!”
Bain held his head and frantically worried.
“Director-nim!”
A guard came running in and shouted.
“This is an urgent report! A high density energy reaction was detected on the radar searching the area!”
“High density energy reaction? A lode? Yes? Is it a lode?”
“No, that is……”
Kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang!
The ground shook like an earthquake was occurring.
Space 7
Enemy Unknown
‘…..Sheesh!’
Ark clicked his tongue. The interior of Mt. Fargo was divided into three layers. Ark and his companions moved from the upper layer to the intermediate layer underneath it. And the dungeon was inside a mountain so naturally the layer became wider as they descended.
‘It is impossible for me to move to the lowest layer even in a group. But I should take this opportunity while I have companions to fully explore the intermediate level.’
Ark determined. And he used the hell hounds to lure the Thanatos and herd the group back inside the dungeon. Unfortunately the timing matched up to when 3 other parties were at the exit.
“Please help! I’ll give you a gallstone if you help us!”
The breathless Slayer uttered an SOS! He made an alliance with the 3 parties and they disposed of the Thanatos and hell hounds.
‘Damn, only 2~3 more hours and I would’ve explored everywhere in this layer……’
It was a very regrettable thing for Ark.
“I’m alive!”
“Now I’m able to sleep!”
The zombie like Slayer and Leon burst out as they exited the dungeon. Melina also quietly cheered.
‘It is easy to understand why those two guys are eager.’
Ark initially couldn’t understand Slayer and Leon when he first joined the party. This was a game. Most of it might be the power of science but there were plenty of pretty women. Melina wasn’t extremely pretty compared to others. Now he could understand why Slayer and Leon were crazy about her. She had wandered the intermediate layer for 20 hours and hadn’t complained once. Of course, the party was in the intermediate layer because of her so she wasn’t in a position to complain. But she had clearly reached her limits. Yet she still listened to Slayer and Leon’s silly jokes and laughed sincerely. Men went crazy over little things like this.
‘Is this the end for today?’
Ark looked at the party and said to them.
“Everybody is tired so let’s return to the village first.”
“Yes, let’s go quickly.”
Ark suddenly took the role of the leader in the party. Ark aggressively pushed Leon and Slayer when they were tired so now they were used to listening to him. And Slayer who was the actual leader had panicked in the beginning.
‘I couldn’t search everywhere but the income isn’t bad.’
He gained 2 levels and reached level 82 thanks to steadily hunting the level 150 Thanatos. And the Thanatos also dropped at least 80 gold. It was shared among the party except for Milan so every person got 20 gold. This wasn’t bad but there were some separate loot.
-Gallstone
Item Type: Reinforcement Materials
It is a special material that acts as the catalyst to fuse two weapons or two equipment together to improve the performance. The improvement will depend on 3 conditions, the materials used, the skill of the artisan and the rating of the gallstone.
However, if the gallstone is used to strength the same item more than 3 times then the probability of success will fall.
<Performance of the equipment will improve by 7~12% and an additional option created>
Gallstone! It was the reason why users gathered at Mt. Fargo. This time they obtained 9 gallstones. There were 3 lower class and 6 intermediate class.
“It is quite vague……”
“Slayer-nim and Leon-nim have already strengthened their equipment a few times? Then you’ll need intermediate level so let’s split the intermediate between the two of you. I’m willing to receive the 3 beginner ones.”
Ark neatly organized the situation. It was natural for intermediate class to be higher than lower class. If he looked at the price then it was quite a bit of damage. But Ark conceded it easily. There was still tomorrow. He was going to make sure that they cleared 100% of Mt. Fargo’s dungeon with this party. The bizarre love triangle between Slayer, Leon and Melina made the group easy to steer.
“Then let’s stop here today and I’ll see you in 6 hours.”
“Huh? 6 hours?”
“We need at least 10 hours……”
“What use is sleeping that long? It is better to earn more money. Right now there aren’t a lot of users yet but that will change once this area becomes a formal sector. The users will grow exponentially and it won’t be easy to find Thanatos anymore. After we become accustomed to the intermediate layer tomorrow, we should go down to the bottom layer.”
“B-bottom layer?”
“Slayer-nim and Leon-nim both gained 2 levels on this hunt. If both of you are this strong then it will be fine to descend to the bottom layer.”
“I agree.”
Melina smiled at Ark and nodded. Her words made the situation simple.
“I understand. 6 hours…..yes, we’ll meet here in 6 hours.”
The party disbanded and just as they were about to shut down the connection.
Kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang!
The ground shook like an earthquake was occurring.
“What, what the? This is?”
Ark wasn’t the only one confused. All the pioneers in the village made exclamations of confusion at the sudden roaring sound. Their eyes looked at a huge rocket that had plunged into the village. Several rockets had fallen all over the village like meteorites.
“W-what is that? What’s going on…..?”
“Is the Laius company doing something?”
The pioneers murmured to each other. Suddenly a huge number of shadows started flowing out from a rocket lodged in the ground. They were people approximately 1 metre and wearing black rags? Aliens? No, their species didn’t matter. The important thing was the weapons in their hands! There was huge scythes, machine guns and RPGs!
“What, what the? These guys are?”
“S-space pirates? Space pirates are attacking!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time there was a burst of heat from the village entrance. The people wearing black rags started to rampage towards the pioneers.
“Ugh, those bastards! Fight! They’re all enemies!”
The pioneers also took out their weapons. However the number of people wearing black rags wasn’t a joke. They numbered more than the people gathered in the village! The few pioneers at the entrance of the village were trampled by the black rags entering. This wasn’t a formal sector so it didn’t have any defensive facilities. Once the black rags entered, the scattered pioneers couldn’t fight properly and were soon defeated.
“T-this is ridiculous!”
“We’re supposed to sleep! Let’s just die!”
Slayer and Leon grabbed their heads and screamed. But the black rags wouldn’t understand their circumstances. There was a scream and the black rags appeared right in front of Ark’s group. Ark shouted in a desperate tone.
“Slayer-nim, Leon-nim, please be steady! We need you!”
“But there are so many of them……”
Pepeng! Kukukukung!
Then a trailer truck right next to them exploded. When he turned his head, 10 people wearing black rags were jumping over the collapsed truck. They also fired a shower of bullets!
“Ugh! I can’t die like this! We have to live and return! I can’t die!”
Slayer placed a giant shield on the ground and shouted. The shield had a tremendous weight so the defense power must be at least 400. It couldn’t be stored in the bag so it had to be inconveniently carried around like a tortoise shell on his back. But the defense and high resistance couldn’t be compared to any other shield. It was a moving wall!
Pepeng-!
“Ugh! Dammit! RPG!”
Slayer cursed as he was blown back a few metres. One of the black rags had fired a RPG. Even the moving wall couldn’t ignore the damage from the RPG.
“Damn! Precision Aim! Straight Fire! Super Magnetic Shot!”
Tututung! Tututung!
Rays continuously flashed from Leon’s rail gun. Headshot! The head of the black rag firing the RPG exploded and it collapsed. However Slayer was no longer playing the role of the shield so the black rags managed to flock around the group. And one of them swung a scythe.
“Danger!”
Ark avoided the scythe and moved towards Melina. A sickle was also heading towards her! He couldn’t afford to worry about Slayer or Leon’s sensibilities at the moment. Ark grabbed her waist and used taekwondo to move his body.
“Alan-nim……”
Melina’s eyes widened. But there was no room for Ark to answer.
“Fire Eagle P-40!”
Pepeng-!
Flames shot out and the black rags bounced back. The rag was torn open to reveal an alien that looked like a frog.
“Kero clan? Isn’t that the Kero clan? Why are these guys……?”
Melina cried out with surprise and Leon turned around.
“This isn’t the time to be discouraged. Please help. Milan, protect Melina-nim!”
“Huh? Yes Hyung-nim!”
Milan grabbed his machine gun and jumped to Melina’s side. Melina scattered her recovery and buffs and Slayer and Leon soon got back into position. Slayer stopped the Kero’s attacks with his shield and broke their heads using his mace while Leon stayed behind and shot them. Ark also wasn’t idle. He was mindful of the atmosphere in the dungeon and had only used Carmela’s sword. Now his left hand held the Fire Eagle while his right hand held Carmela’s sword.
Kakang! Kakakakak! Pepeng!
He stopped the scythe with his sword while he fired at the Kero’s head with his shotgun.
‘These fellows are too weak to worry about. But……’
Ark eyed the flames rising from the village. It was like the village was a candy and ants were swarming all over it. The odds weren’t in their favour even if the pioneers in the village united to fight directly. It was especially bad thanks to the element of surprise. So the Kero swarmed over the scattered pioneers and killed them.
‘We won’t be able to hold up much longer. No, there is no meaning even if we endure it. There is only a low chance of success even if the power of the users were collected. If I gather the users……’
Ark suddenly raised his head.
‘That’s it! A place where the users can gather!’
Ark was looking at Laius’ research centre located on one side of Mt. Fargo. It was a large building made of metal with a shield surrounding it. It was a research centre so it had a large number of defense facilities. His worries didn’t last long.
“Slayer-nim, Leon-nim, we have to move over there!”
The two of them immediately realized Ark’s intention. Slayer took a deep breath and grabbed his shield.
“Okay! Stay behind me! Steel Dash!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Slayer charged through the Kero clan like a large truck. Ark who was shooting behind him with Leon shouted.
“Melina-nim, can you use any amplification magic?”
“Yes I can.”
“Then walk with Milan. Milan, I want you to shout as loud as possible. Tell people to gather at Laius’ research centre. Slayer-nim, we need as much allies as possible. We need to look for nearby pioneers while heading towards the research centre. If our numbers increase then the risk will decrease even if we take a while.”
“I understand what you’re saying!”
“Then…..let’s break through!”
Tututung! Tututung! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark and Slayer ran across the village.
—————————————————————————————–
“Pant pant pant!”
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant!”
Rough breathing could be heard. It was reasonable. They had fought without any breaks for many hours and then unidentified enemies suddenly attacked. It was natural for the two of them to breathe harshly.
‘Phew, we’ve arrived.’
Ark panted as he looked around. It was the Laius building made of metal and surrounded by a shield.
‘The danger has passed for the moment. Now the problem is……’
While Ark was busy thinking.
“Thank you.”
“I’m alive thanks to you.”
10 users flocked around Ark. They had either heard Milan’s yell on the way to the research centre or the party helped them directly. The reason they flocked to Ark was because the formal leader Slayer had started napping in a corner the moment they arrived at the research centre. Therefore Ark was considered the one in charge. They saw that he didn’t give up to the end and even through himself in front of bullets that were about to hit an ally. Of course, he didn’t do this because of kindness.
‘There are 1,000 of them. When combined with those who moved to other areas, there are thousands of them. The situation would change if there was no shield around the research centre. The most important thing is to gather troops!’
This was the first reason. And the second one was……
-Proof of Faith: Rescue your colleagues (142/200)
It was the conditions of his occupation quest! Ark didn’t forget about it no matter how much the circumstances deteriorated. However, Ark was inevitably seen as a person who sacrificed himself for other users. Their eyes were all saying thank you. Anyway, many people managed to take refuge in the research centre thanks to Ark’s efforts.
‘There are approximately 150 people……’
Ark had brought around 60 people. And 90 people had taken refuge on their own. Of course there were many more pioneers gathered at Mt. Fargo. But most of them were inside the dungeon. And the Kero clan had controlled everywhere except for the research centre. Even if they appeared they would just be defeated by the overwhelming numbers. Therefore these were the only pioneers that could oppose them. A user then spoke with a pained expression.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Does anyone know who they are?”
Everybody gathered shook their heads.
“Anyway, we should worry about the future rather than their identities. They stopped their attacks for a while but they are gathering in front of the research centre. They’re probably arranging their formations. We can’t think this place is safe considering their power.”
There was a heavy silence after Ark’s words. Mt. Fargo was located quite deeply in the Outlands. It meant that most users here had a high level. They had plenty of fighting experience so he didn’t need to explain how severe the situation was. This wasn’t a formal sector so it didn’t even have a Fairy. Like Ark, all the pioneers registered at a nearby sector and walked here. Most users stayed here for days to collect the gallstones. If they were killed in battle then they would lose all that experience.
“Everyone needs to unite and discuss how to defeat the enemies.”
“There needs to be a chain of command. If everyone plays separately then we’ll just be killed.”
“Then let’s pick a commander.”
As expected from experienced users.
“I recommend Alan-nim.”
A user with a tattoo carved on his face said.
“It isn’t simply because you saved me. During a sudden attack he was able to make a quick judgement to make the research centre the base. He also led everyone here so I think he is the best fit to be the commander. There are people here that are higher levelled than Alan-nim but level is a separate matter.”
“I also have the same idea.”
“We don’t know each other well enough so Alan-nim is clearly the best fit for command. But that isn’t the problem. They came in separately so they’ll probably disagree……”
The man pointed at the users scattered around. 90 people had sought refuge on their own.
“It will be meaningly if some of the soldiers don’t listen to the commander.”
“I’ll talk with those people.”
The man with the tattoo said and stood up.
“Everybody pay attention!”
A group of people appeared inside the research institute and shouted. It was Director Bain of the research institute and his guards.
“Everybody is puzzled by the sudden situation. But please don’t worry. In case of unforeseen calamities, the shield around this research institute can stop 5 missiles at the same time. It won’t easily collapse from the enemy’s attack. We also sent a carrier to the Laius branch in Sidellin when this attack started. Laius’ defense army will arrive within 24 hours at the latest!”
“Then we just need to endure for 1 day?”
“We can live?”
“It is good that I came here to escape!”
The crowd of pioneers started murmuring at Bain’s words. Then Bain smiled and said.
“Please rest assured. The Laius company with take responsibility and protect everybody. However everybody needs to pay a fee.”
“F-fee?”
“Yes, 50 gold per person. This is the fee to stay in the research institute.”
“No way! Asking for money in such a situation?”
“This world isn’t free. This facility is the private property of the Laius company. Our guards will also be arriving tomorrow to rescue everyone. Then isn’t it natural to pay a fee? In addition, the guards will be under my jurisdiction once they reach the research centre so they’ll have to obey my commands. If you don’t like it then you should leave.”
“Don’t make me laugh you asshole!”
“How despicable! Saying this now?”
The pioneers cursed as they took out their japtem. But Ark had no intention of abusing them. No, he was thinking that it was lucky. He took shelter in the centre because it was possible to make a base from it but defense was defense. The shield had to endure. He couldn’t guarantee their safety and it was difficult to escape the crisis with 150 people. Fortunately Bain had sent a carrier message to the guards from the company.
It would take one day for them to arrive. And the facility had a large number of defences so it wouldn’t be that hard to endure for one day. In other words, their lives were worth 50 gold. It was amazing that they wanted to pay a fee to use the facility in this situation but the value wasn’t that high compared to their lives.
‘Even so…..that guy has quite a bit of business sense?’
The pioneers needed the institute. The facility had a large number of defences but the Kero clan would eventually defeat the shield. No matter how good the facility, a minimum number of forces were required. But Bain didn’t say a word about it. He was acting like he was helping one-sidedly. Therefore the users had no choice but to pay the fee. Ark had only been here for two days and he already gained two levels. When combined with the journey to this place, that was a total of 3 levels. 50 gold wasn’t a lot compared to the experience he would have to give up. It wasn’t necessary to talk about the users who had been here longer than Ark.
‘You don’t need to hurry. I….eh?”
Ark who had been looking at Bain suddenly narrowed his eyes. While the pioneers were busy cursing and throwing japtem at Bain, a hazy shadow seemed to be moving. He could recognize what it was with one glance. The blurry shadow was similar to when Ark was in stealth mode.
“Who is it? Why would someone be using Stealth here? Eh?”
Ark stared at the shadow with confusion. If Ark noticed them then he could see through stealth with his Clairvoyance ability. Narrowing his eyes made his Clairvoyance ability rise. The blurry shadow was surprisingly someone that Ark knew. It was Valencia! Valencia was with the robed man who stopped their previous fight and some other people.
‘Was he involved in Valencia’s bribery matter? No, why is that guy moving using stealth mode?’
Something……something stank……
He smelt something awful!
“I don’t understand but I can’t pretend not to see this.”
Ark grinned as he looked at Valencia’s group.
“Uh Hyung-nim?”
Milan who had been cursing Bain looked around doubtfully. But Ark had already changed into a ghost and followed after Valencia.
—————————————————————————————–
“Here.”
A man muttered in a low voice. The man with the jaw square was Valencia. Next to him was the robed man and a few others.
“This is the panel where the main energy supplying the research centre’s shield is. If we destroy this then the shield will be released.”
“Thanks for the good work.”
“Then the promise……?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already contacted them. You will come with me to that place as soon as this finishes. And you will become a glorious warrior.”
The robed man replied with a light smile. Valencia made a satisfied expression before lowering his voice and asking.
“By the way, what are you looking for here? Isn’t it simply the gallstones?”
“You will come to realize the reason once this situation finished.”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
“I want to but there is no time. The galactic federation isn’t filled with morons. We prepared a Drop Ship that looked like a meteorite but they will soon notice our presence. Even if that isn’t the case, pioneers will soon resurrect at the Fairy and they will tell either the federation or the Laius company. We have to hurry if we want to finish before they arrive.”
“I understand. But…..this panel is protected by a thicker partition than I thought. It seems like general explosives won’t work on it……if we attempt many explosions then people inside the research institute will sense it.”
“Just leave it to me.”
The robed man approached the giant metal sphere containing the panel for the shield. He muttered something and a red light appeared around his palms. He placed his hands on the thick partition protecting the panel and it started to melt like a candle.
‘Those bastards, what are they doing now?’
Ark looked at Valencia’s group with an amazed expression. Ark had been secretly following Valencia using Stealth. Ark had chased after these guys because he smelt something foul. According to Ark’s experience, they were planning to grab a weakness so they could squeeze something out later. However their ulterior motives were more serious than Ark expected. These guys were located at the rear of the research centre. While two soldiers were guarding them, Valencia and the robed man were doing something to a metal sphere. Judging by their conversation, he guessed that it supplied the power to the institute’s shield. They were hiding here to destroy the energy panel. If he analysed the overall situation……
‘Oh my god! Those bastards, are they behind the space pirates?’
He could only think like that.
‘Those space pirates attacked a place cut off from the federation. Those bastards really…..’
But now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. He wasn’t sure what skill it was but the robed man was melting the sphere protecting the panel. At this rate it seemed like it was going to completely melt in a few minutes. It would blow up! The shield around the research institute would collapse.
‘If the shield is turned off then we have no way to stop them. It was likely that everyone will be wiped out before the guards from the Laius company arrives. I have to stop it somehow!’
–Melina-nim, can you hear me?
Ark immediately whispered towards Melina.
–Alan-nim? Where are you? This place is a mess.
-For certain reasons I’m at the rear of the research centre. Is there anyone you can ask for help in the area? No, the centre’s director. Please pass on my words to the director.
–I can’t do that right now. People are angry at his words and arguments have started. I don’t have a way to get to him.
‘…..Dammit!’
The situation was so messy that it was impossible to ask for help!
–What about Slayer-nim and Leon-nim? Those two, have they exited yet?
–They’re dozing in a corner.
–Then bring them along with Milan! Hurry! I’ll explain later!
-Huh? Huh? U-understood. I’ll give it a try.
He heard Melina’s reply but the circumstances meant he couldn’t wait. The man’s hand was already reaching through the partition. The shield around the energy was so tough that explosives couldn’t melt it but underneath were just mechanical parts. One grenade could destroy it. All the shields would then be released. Everybody would die.
‘I have to buy some time. However the problem is Valencia and those three.’
He might’ve killed him on Beltana but Ark had never fought directly with Valencia. Ark had grown since Beltana but the leader of an armoured platoon wasn’t an easy opponent. There was no guarantee he could win. Valencia also had the robed man and two henchmen with him. The odds were against him if Ark started a fight.
‘If it is Valencia……’
“Hey! Who’s this? Valencia?”
Ark considered for a while before suddenly jumping out and shouting. The robed man flinched and his hand dropped from the sphere when Ark walked out. Valencia and the robed man moved in front of the sphere to hide the hole from Ark’s eyes.
“Who are you?”
“Me? I am this person.”
Ark laughed and turned off the function of the Hyde Helmet. Valencia and his henchmen’s faces warped.
“Ark! How did you get here?”
“I’ll tell you. I was looking around the institute…..but why are you gathered in a place like this? Do you go far away to find a place to pee? I don’t think you have time to be playing around when we’re cut off from the federation. You were the armoured platoon leader on Beltana so you should know this.”
“……Do you want to die?”
“That’s not it. You should ask if I want to kill you. And the answer is yes.”
Ark carelessly said towards Valencia.
“There were a lot of people around at the time so I left it alone but it really makes me furious. Honestly, aren’t you someone who already lost to me? Why did I have to be shamed after that situation? So I was thinking. I should step on you in our next encounter. And here you are! Didn’t we meet?”
“You dare speak like that……”
Valencia’s face turned red and he took one step forward. Then the robed man sent him a look. The two henchmen also stepped forward next to Valencia. Ark’s lips curled up.
“I see how it is. I was thinking you left too obediently at that time. You didn’t have any subordinates to help you. Fine, that is just like you. Even on Beltana you were also surrounded by your followers. Okay, I’ll jump forward even though I’m afraid. I’ll knock all of you down in the same way. Let’s jump hey”
Valencia growled in a rough voice.
“Belt, Seth, step aside!”
‘……Just as I thought.’
Ark’s eyes narrowed and he inwardly laughed. Ark had met a lot of guys like Valencia in New World. They were arrogant and treated others badly. Their main feature was their ego. In order words, Ark could make them respond the way he wanted by scratching at their ego. The robed man then frowned and yelled.
“Sir Valencia!”
“This won’t take long.”
“Of course. I would become embarrassing if I took a long time to defeat you!”
“Impertinent fellow! I’ll tear you apart!”
Valencia ran towards Ark while grabbing a rod from his waist. At the same time a blue ray rose from the rod. It was the beam sword common in SF movies. It had high attack power so it was a quite expensive item.
‘I’m a bit envious……’
However Ark’s equipment also wasn’t inferior.
“Impact Sword!”
It was the Impact Sword he obtained from the pyramid! It was a level 40 sword but it was a unique sword with higher damage than Carmela’s sword. The disadvantage was that it was a two handed sword so Ark didn’t use it as often these days but he took it out for this situation. Currently he used the Fire Eagle often but Ark’s main strength was in martial arts. And the opponent was also attacking with a sword. There was no need to complicate the situation with guns.
‘A 1 on 1 battle with a sword…..I’m so thankful that tears are falling.’
“Die!”
Valencia brought down the beam sword and shouted. Ark blocked the beam sword and replied.
“I don’t want to!”
Pajijijik!
Sparks flew as the two blades collided with each other. Valencia withdrew when Ark blocked his attack and took a deep breath before unleashing a series of quick attacks. It was to the extent that afterimages of dozens of blades formed!
‘Eh, eh, eh? This is?’
Ark winced with a confused expression. Usually smug guys like Valencia were 90% empty. But Valencia turned out to be a surprisingly formidable opponent. He could sense it from the first strike. And the angle of the sword and the stance was remarkable. It was clear that he had experience with the Furthermore, the blade of the beam sword was made with light. Except for the rod, the remaining weight was 0. The sword was so light it was like his hands were empty. Naturally the speed of his sword swings would be incredibly fast. In addition, the light moved more freely then a normal sword so it could be moved at difficult angles.
This was the reason why users were enthusiastic about lightsabers.
‘But……’
Pajijijik! Kakakak!
Ark brought down his sword with incredibly speed and Valencia jumped back with surprise. The sword barely passed by the tip of his nose.
‘Speed isn’t the one thing required to swing a sword.’
Ark had gone through training with Lee Myung-ryong who wanted to turn him into Superman! Not a lot of people knew this but he knew one of the best swordsmen in the country.
-I’m opposed to the use of weapons but it isn’t a bad technique to learn. Those were his words.
And he threw everything at Ark who was his student.
‘Valencia…..he seems to have learnt martial arts like kendo. That’s why he has confidence in his sword skills. Yes, it definitely isn’t normal. He clearly has some skills. But…..I shed twice the amount of blood when learning fencing!’
Lee Myung-ryong’s acquaintances were as skilled as he was. They knew that person’s student wouldn’t die so easily. So they firmly beat him up. He didn’t die. He had to eat an iron pill because he would get nosebleeds every day. But he didn’t die. Ark realized it at that moment. He would do anything in order to live. And Ark was trained in swordplay. A sword to help him live!
‘My weight is different from yours.’
It was actually different. It was a two handed sword against a lightsaber. There was a huge difference in speed but speed wasn’t that important. It was how and where he struck. One attack accomplished correctly was better than one hundred wasteful attacks. And a heavy sword wasn’t necessarily slow. If he used inertia then a heavy object could fall quicker. There were several core principles to using a sword.
‘Although he avoided it…..’
Half of him made sure that it could be avoided. Ark was convinced that he could win in a sword battle. However, if it became too one-sided then Belt and Seth might interrupt.
‘I need to make it look like we’re on a similar level until Slayer arrives!’
“Why? Are you scared? You definitely should be frightened.”
Of course Ark didn’t forget to mix in some taunts as well.
“Scared? I’m just playing around. You seem to be lasting well but how long can you hold up? I’ll smash you!”
Valencia once again rushed forward and swung his lightsaber. Sparks kept on flying as the two swords collided. The speed of the defense and attack were hard to keep up with! There were hardly any changes from the beginning of the battle but their health started to decrease at a rapid pace. Skills started to become mixed with the sword so damage started occurring. But the game was still 50-50! Valencia had stronger sword related skills but Ark was overwhelming with his swordplay itself. Therefore both Ark and Valencia’s health fell to 50%.
“W-what is this?”
A baffled exclamation was heard from behind them. The people looking with confused eyes were Slayer, Leon, Melina and Milan.
“What, what the? Why are they hitting each other in a place like this?”
“Slayer-nim, Leon-nim, take care of that robed man! He is trying to blow up the panel supplying energy to the research centre’s shield! You have to stop him!”
“Eek? T-this voice is Alan-nim?”
“T-that person fighting over there is Alan-nim? But…..the face is normal!”
“I don’t have time to explain in detail! If you don’t take care of him then the people inside the research centre will be completely wiped out!”
“Ugh! This bastard, he was just buying time!”
The robed man growled out. Then his red hands once again started creating a hole in the metal sphere.
“T-this guy is doing something?”
“Didn’t you hear Alan-nim’s words? We have to stop him!”
“Y-yes! I don’t understand but let’s just go!”
Slayer and Leon instantly ran forward after hearing Melina’s angry words.
“We won’t let you! Kill them!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Belt and Seth took out their M-60’s and started shooting. Blood poured from Slayer and Leon’s body as they rushed forward.
……It was good up to there.
The two of them had been awake for 30 hours! They had no motivation even while being fired upon with a shower of bullets. But the next moment! The situation immediately changed the moment a bullet hit Melina.
“Ack!”
“Ugh! Melina-nim! Blood! Blood!”
“These scums dare hit her!”
“Ohhhh! I’m going to kill you! Let’s go Leon! Steel Dash!”
The angry Slayer panted and charged. The bullets couldn’t do anything against the thick alloy his shield was made of. Slayer swung his mace and Belt and Seth were forced to put away the machine gun. Then the rays from Leon’s rail gun came from the back. Their combat power was no joke once Slayer and Leon fully decided to engage in battle. They were a charge type guardian and a specialist in firearms and they had selected their body coatings based on that. The two of them had always played together so it was like getting set of 2 people for the price of 1. The selected body coating complemented their strengths and weaknesses. Slayer and Leon were like 1+1=3. Then their power x2 once Melina joined! A healer was essential to any party so it was natural. Anyway, Melina was a woman who made their combat power climb sharply.
“Ugh! What, what the? These guys…..”
With Melina healing Slayer and the support from Leon and Milan, the situation quickly turned. And when it came to Ark……
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
‘Dammit, I shouldn’t have been so smug!’
He cursed as he rolled away from the hail of bullets. It was when Slayer’s group appeared.
“S-surely not…..”
Valencia glared at Ark. At that moment Ark slid his blade down Valencia’s chest.
“Impact Shot!”
Bullets were fired from his sword handle. This was the double attack possible with his Impact Sword! Valencia never expected that attack and retreated. Ark raised his Impact Sword and laughed.
“Did you see it? Yes, of course you did. Aren’t you thankful?”
“You…..you….bastard…..”
“You don’t have to be so impressed. Soon I will kill you.”
Ark stepped towards Valencia. At that moment Valencia’s bag opened and a capsule popped out. It spun in the air before forming armour around Valencia. This was the federation’s battle suit!
“What? I heard that was seized…..the beam sword to…..did you buy it with the money from prisoners on Beltana? But I also have something like that! Armour armament!”
Armour also wound around Ark’s body at that moment. It was the battle suit that looked like a creature rather than a machine. Valencia murmured with a surprised expression.
“The Rama clan’s……”
“It is a long explanation. So just die.”
If both sides were wearing battle suits then their power should be almost equal! Or so Ark thought. But the next moment small machine guns emerged from both of Valencia’s arms. And he had to run away escaping from the bullets. Valencia’s battle suit was specialized in swift assaults. It had the ability to catch up to Ark while he was dodging the bullets.
‘However, that guy’s health fell to 20% before he wore the battle suit so I can win if I use the shot gun. The problem is time!’
Ark looked at the robed man. The Fire Eagle was meant for close combat. The damage would decrease the further the distance was. Therefore he needed a considerable amount of time to win with such a method. But that guy started to work again with Slayer’s appearance and he was already halfway through. In addition, Belt and Seth were also wearing their battle suits so it was more difficult for Slayer and Leon.
‘There is no point in defeating Valencia if I can’t stop that guy. I have to kill him as soon as possible. To do this I need to use my sword. Then there is only this method!’
Ark raised his head and shouted.
“Binding Sword!”
A black vortex emerged from the end of sword.
-Your attack has hit the target!
<The enemy’s movements will be sealed for 2 seconds!>
The message appeared as soon as the vortex hit Valencia. Binding Sword was the skill to seal the enemy’s movements! In fact, this was a skill that hadn’t succeeded when he previously tried it. But this time Ark was successful. He had spent 20 hours in the dungeon. There were times when Ark needed to help Slayer without showing his strength. Therefore he used Binding Sword instead of Sonic Sword or Set Bullets Shooting. No, he used it as practice. Thanks to that he now learnt the timing and trick to it. The result was a success! Valencia was sealed!
“It is finished!”
“You fool!”
Just as Ark was running forward with delight. Valencia raised his head and shouted.
“Gas port open! Target is Ark! Numerous firing of multiple warheads! Go!”
The battle suit around Valencia’s shoulders opened and 20 missiles came flying out. Each battle suit had a special skill attached to it. The special skill for Valencia’s battle suit was a multiple rocket launcher. It didn’t have homing capabilities but the hit rate was close to 100%!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark’s body was wrapped in a wave of heat.
“Kukuku, how is it? A trump card is meant to be used at times like this!”
Valencia laughed as he looked at the rising smoke. Ark only had 20% health left. It was because he wanted to buy time until Slayer arrived. Of course, that would be enough if Ark fought directly but he was hit by multiple rockets. The damage would build up and multiple! If it was that much than Ark would be turned into powder. However…..
“Not yet.”
Ark’s voice was heard from the smoke. The smoke cleared and a transparent sphere could be seen around Ark. It was Mind Shield that reduced 40~60% of all damage. As soon as Valencia fired the rockets he had reflexively produced a shield with 300 durability. Therefore he still had 10% health left!
“It is only called a trump card if you’re the last one to use it. 18 Barrage!”
Ark rushed like a bullet as his shield broke and shouted. At that moment the shoulder area of his Hyper Drone emitted steam. And both arms shot forward at a dazzling speed.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
His fists left sharp marks on Valencia’s chest. And 18 marks were engraved!
-The Hyper Drone’s mana has been exhausted.
<Hyper Drone will be recalled to its dimension and it can’t be summoned for another 10 hours>
The Hyper Drone disappeared. And…..
“Cough!”
A fountain of blood shot up and Valencia collapsed. Ark felt refreshed as he cleaned up the grudge from Beltana. But Ark didn’t have time to gloat over Valencia collapsing.
“You gloomy looking guy! Now it is your turn!”
Ark turned towards the robed man and exclaimed.
“That dumb child, Valencia didn’t listen to my advice in the end…..”
“Hey, move away from the panel if you don’t want to die!”
“Heh, ignorant bastards. Do you think you can interfere with the cause of God?”
“I guess words won’t work.”
In fact he knew this from the beginning. Ark grabbed his sword and ran towards the robed man. The man took out his arm that was melting the partition and drew a complicated patter in the air. The next moment there were flames emerging from his eyes, mouth and ears! Any experienced user would sense it in this moment. It was dangerous!
“R-retreat! Everybody back off!”
“Ohh! For the purpose of the Great God!”
The robed man shouted in a voice filled with insanity.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
An explosion shook the area.
Space 8
Land where the sun sets and sun rises
‘Huhuhu, keep on making noise.’
Bain smiled wickedly. The pioneers in the vicinity were yelling wildly but it wouldn’t change anything. Once again, he was in an unbearable situation until today. He had convinced the Laius company to establish a research centre at Mt. Fargo despite them being sceptical. But he couldn’t find any signs of a lode despite searching.
‘If I can’t achieve any results then I might lose my job!’
Responsibility →Dismissal → Poverty→ Homeless→ Desperation→ Death!
The route for a gloomy life replayed through his head. And suddenly space pirates struck. This was a chance he could take advantage of!
‘So far the project has failed and the company has received huge damages. But this will change if I handle this crisis. Istana never had space pirates of this scale attack before. Of course it would be an issue. And I’m in the centre of this issue! I can gather assets from the pioneers in exchange for my protection. If I do this then I can make up for the project’s failure. Of course I will also make a profit.’
He charged a fee for the pioneers to use the facility. 50 gold per person. There were 150 people so that would be 7,500 gold. When compared to the cost of establishing the research institute, it was an amount that could save him.
‘If I take advantage of this then I won’t be fired from the company!’
Issue→ Transfer→ Success→ Treated well→ Family harmony→ Happy in his old age.
A route for a happy future rose in his head.
‘Huhuhu, they might make noise but they will be forced to accept in the end. The pioneers have to pay 50 gold to resurrect at the Fairy. If they pay 50 gold then they don’t have to die. The answer is obvious. So don’t hold back your money! Pay money to be protected by the research centre! For my promotion!’
While Bain was busy thinking.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A huge amount of fire burst from the rear of the research centre. Bain turned around with surprise and the blood drained from his face. The institute’s shield had disappeared along with the explosion.
“S-shield…..!”
“What? That explosion just now?”
“It seems to be an explosion from the research centre…..heok! The shield is gone!”
“The shield is gone? What happened? What’s going on?”
“This is serious! If there isn’t a shield then we can’t stop those guys! We’ll be wiped out!”
The people around Bain started chattering noisily. Bain who was surveying the research centre suddenly raised his head.
“W-wait? The panel that supplies the shield with energy is behind the research centre…..then that explosion just now was at the panel? Oh my god! Guards, check where the explosion occurred!”
“This is serious!”
At that moment a group of people ran from the rear of the research centre and shouted. The people came from the rear where the explosion had occurred just now! Bain who summed up the situation in his head suddenly jumped and pointed at them.
“Those guys! They’re the culprits who made the panel blow up!”
“What? Those people?”
The pioneers turned angry eyes towards them. Then the woman in the party exclaimed with an amazed expression.
“What are you saying? We were trying to stop them from blowing up the panel!”
“Shut up! You’re lying! Guards, catch them! They’re clearly part of the space pirates!”
Bain shouted hysterically at the guards who lifted their guns. Then 10 pioneers emerged from the crowd and stopped them.
“Wait a minute! They came from the source of the explosion but it is impossible to conclude that they’re the culprits. Previously we were able to arrive here because of their help. If they didn’t help then a lot of people here would’ve died a long time ago. Why would they help us if they’re part of the space pirates?”
“You moron! That is obvious! It is to enter the research centre!”
“But shouldn’t we hear their explanation first?”
“There’s nothing to hear.”
Then one suspect stepped forward and said.
“It is true that some space pirates were hiding here. Their purpose was to destroy the energy panel supplying the shield. We accidentally became aware of tat but failed to stop them. I can show you the scene recorded on the Nymphe. But that isn’t the important thing right now. Those guys gathered in front of the research centre are waiting for a good opportunity after the shield is released. And they will soon launch an attack. If we don’t take immediate measures then we’ll be wiped out.”
“Hah! Don’t make me laugh. Who are you?”
“I just……”
The man sighed and was about to continue. Then another person emerged from the rear and shouted.
“My Hyung-nim’s name is Ark! He is Beltana’s Hero!”
‘This guy……’
Ark sighed and shook his head. The person who introduced Ark was Milan. Milan had been ignoring Ark since they started to dig at Mt. Fargo. But Milan’s attitude suddenly changed after he defeated Valencia.
“Hyung-nim defeated Valencia of the armoured platoon……!”
In fact, Valencia was a separate existence for Milan. He had spent longer on Beltana than Ark so it was natural for him to be fearful of the armoured platoon. Valencia was the leader of the armoured platoon so he was an existence that couldn’t be touched. He thought that Ark who was a prisoner couldn’t be an opponent for Valencia at all. Yet Valencia had died right in front of him. Ark was truly his Hyung-nim!
“Hyung-nim is strong! He didn’t receive the title of Beltana’s Hero by luck!”
-Milan is sending you a look of respect.
<Intimacy +100>
-Milan considers you a Hyung-nim to be proud of.
<Intimacy +100>
Those messages had popped up! This was why Milan proudly introduced Ark. Ark was a Hyung-nim he wanted to brag about the moment he defeated Milan. Anyway, the pioneers murmured noisily after Milan dropped that bomb.
“Ark? Did he say Ark?”
“Beltana’s Hero that appeared on the federation’s TV a while ago?”
“Didn’t he lead the drafted prisoners to victory on Beltana?”
“That’s right! I remember that face! I clearly saw that face on the federation’s TV!”
However there were some people who received a bigger impact. They were Slayer, Leon and Melina. Their eyes widened as they stared at Ark. He didn’t have a chance to tell them his real name after the panel was blown up.
“Ark the hero of Beltana? Really?” Then his previous face and name……?”
“I’m sorry. Actually, I met that guy I just defeated when I first arrived here. That guy’s name is Valencia. I knew that guy from Beltana so I sensed he was up to something suspicious.
Ark combined the situation and gave a plausible answer. Well, it was true that he used the Hyde Helmet because of Valencia.
“I’m sorry. Whatever the reason I still tricked you.”
“Talking like that…..”
“It’s nothing. I understand! I can see that it was an important affair.”
Slayer wiped off his angry expression. Melina nodded. Then she grinned at Slayer and Leon.
“These two aren’t narrow minded either. Isn’t that right?”
“……Of course.” We understand.”
Slayer spoke quickly with a cough. Meanwhile the man with the tattoo on his face approached Ark.
“I am Shein. I thought your clothes were similar but you’re the same person. I’ve been in the Outlands for a while so I hadn’t heard about Beltana’s Hero but I have experience with Ark-nim on the battlefield. Like I said a while ago, my party will follow Ark without comment.”
“I’m Kuma. I’m also with you.”
“My name is Face.”
The pioneers started gathering around him. Once half of them followed him, it was natural for the rest of the pioneers to admit that Ark was the commander. Then one of the pioneers screamed.
“Those guys are coming!”
At the same time, all of the pioneers’ eyes focused on Ark.
“The shield is gone so the research centre isn’t safe anymore. The only obstacle stopping them is the barrier around the institute. However, the barrier is only 1 metre thick so a few RPG attacks will make it collapse. If they rush in then the odds aren’t in our favour.”
“Is there no other way?”
“Yes, here……”
“You mean……?”
“We have to endure for one day. If we move to this place then it is possible.”
Ark raised his head and looked at the top of Mt. Fargo as he answered. Ark had been thinking of ways to deal with this situation since the explosion. Then a 200 metre basin at the top of this mountain popped into Ark’s head. Mt. Fargo was a dormant volcano so it was natural for a basin to form.
“You might already know this but Mt. Fargo had a basin. It is a concave shape with rocks around the perimeter. If we enter the basin then we can take advantage of this rock wall. The mountain is like a natural wall so the RPGs won’t be a problem. If we occupy the top and shoot downwards then we’ll also get the terrain bonus.”
“When did you survey the terrain……?”
“I investigate the terrain everywhere I need to fight.”
He actually did this while digging around Mt. Fargo. But an impressed light spread in the eyes of the pioneers. Then Bain who was listening ran towards them and shouted.
“What, what the? You’re leaving the research centre? Don’t make me laugh! This bastard, do you know how much it took to make this centre? You can’t go! You have to protect this place even if it means your death!”
“Ha! He’s gone crazy.”
“The reason we headed to his place was because of the shield. Not to mention he tried to rip us off to pay a fee.”
“Now he wants us to protect him? Let’s leave.”
“T-that…..no! Don’t go! If you leave the research centre then I’ll be ruined!”
Bain yelled but the pioneers didn’t even look at him. Shein turned back to Ark and said.
“I understand what you’re saying. But those guys are already advancing towards the research centre. It won’t be easy to reach the top while pursued by them. There are also many non-combatants.”
“I have an idea.”
Ark’s eyes stared at Bain’s guards.
“Does the research centre have any vehicles?’
“There are 3 mountain land cruisers in the shed.”
“Land cruisers? No! That is the private property of Laius!”
“A maximum of 20 people can board 1.”
Even his guards were ignoring Bain.
“That’s good. Then please have all non-combatants like merchants and research centre staff board them. The heavy armoured pioneers as well. All pioneers wearing light armour like me will move on foot. But before that……”
Ark looked at the herd of frogs approaching and laughed.
——————————————————————————————-
“It is time.”
Someone said from among the frogs. The man wearing a black robe stared at the research centre with glossy eyes. Just before the shield was released, a red light had exploded from the centre. He knew the identity of the light. Sacrifice. The priest class could turn their bodies into bombs to destroy their enemies. In other words, the brother who infiltrated was dead. But his eyes had no regrets.
“Hyung has returned to the Great God. This is the will of the true God. All followers, go! Pay back the sacrifice of your Hyung! For the glory of the Great God!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Kero clan fired their guns and ran towards the research centre. A shower of bullets was fired at the research centre. As expected, the turrets around the research centre started to counterattack. It was a long range turret that was devastating along with the protection of the shield.
Pushu! Pushu! Pushu! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A few RPGs hit it directly and the turret was turned into mechanical parts. The Kero quickly disposed of the turrets and entered the research centre. The man who was watching the situation warmly suddenly narrowed his eyes.
‘Something…..?’
A reaction couldn’t be felt. The Kero clan didn’t encounter any resistance from the enemy. The Kero fired their guns and advanced but it felt like the research centre wasn’t retaliating apart from the turrets. It was like there was no one there. The man suddenly raised his head.
“Wait a minute! No! Stop!”
The moment the man was screaming!
Kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang!
Massive amounts of flames shot out from the barrier the Kero clan stepped over. At the same time, 300 Kero that were jumping over the barrier turned into ash. On the other side of the fire, 3 land cruisers and dozens of people were sneaking away.
“W-we were deceived! Those guys…..”
——————————————————————————————-
‘Success!’
Ark grinned as he saw the research centre circled by flames. 200 Kero had been turned to ash in an instant! Naturally Ark was the cause. The pioneers had scattered C-6 around the barrier before they sneaked away.
“How much is that…..”
Bain was on the verge of crying. The barrier had exploded but it wasn’t just a barrier. Before the energy panel was blown up, the barrier was the place that deployed the shield. Naturally it would be more expensive than a normal barrier. Now it had flown away.
“I’m screwed! Demotion! Dismissal! Suicide!”
Bain completely lost all his spirit. And in front of Ark…..
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen!
The messages rose with a cheerful melody. Ark was currently the commander of 150 pioneers. He also spearheaded the strategy to use explosives to kill the Kero so he got a lot of experience.
“Oh, I gained 2 levels!”
“Jackpot!”
The engineers next to him cheered. However Ark’s expression didn’t change.
‘There is no meaning in gaining experience if I don’t survive!’
He had experienced it in the severe -50 weather on Beltana. The stats increasing were only slightly helpful in battle. If they were killed before registering with the Fairy then it would go back to 0. That’s why experience on the battlefield meant nothing. The important thing was to survive until the end. Naturally the reason he blew up the barrier wasn’t to gain experience. It was to gain time to retreat to the top!
‘They’re gathered in front of the research centre so it will be difficult if they chase us immediately…..’
It was different from sealing the entrance of a dungeon. Once the pioneers started climbing the mountain, the Kero clan would flock from all over the place.
“There is no need to panic! The slope is made with gravel! They have no time to aim so their hit rate would fall terribly! Focus more on climbing the mountain than on counterattacking!”
Ark saw a user with a RPG and approached him.
“Kuma-nim, we have to be most careful about the armoured troops. There is a risk of RPGs hitting the land cruiser. So we need to aim at the heavy warriors before they aim at the land cruiser!”
“Understood!”
“And Leon-nim!”
Ark turned towards Leon.
“While our heavy weapons unit is countering them, I want you guys to snipe them. Leon-nim should gather the snipers and prepare to shoot at any time! Please cover us while we’re running!”
Ark distributed the roles. In a battlefield with bullets and artillery, he couldn’t afford to give orders once the confusing fight began. Now was the only chance to properly assign roles to the soldiers. This was the wonderful thing about pioneers. By default they were high levelled. They were also used to hunting in a party.
“RPG to our 3 o’clock! Two snipers are near them!”
The pioneers responded instantly after Kuma and Leon designated the targets. Even the low levelled pioneers here were at least level 60. Therefore their aim and hit rate couldn’t be compared. In a gunfight this difference was tremendous. And the pioneers had specific targets unlike the Kero clan that were shooting wildly.
The Kero’s heavy troopers and snipers kept on falling. However, numbers couldn’t be ignored on a battlefield.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bullets fired down everywhere! The hit rate was low but it was a number that couldn’t be ignored.
“Ugh! Dammit, I was hit in the leg!”
In the rear a pioneer fell to the ground while holding his leg. This was Ark’s role!
“Melina-nim!”
Ark took out the air board and flew on it with his left arm around Melina’s waist. The weight was heavier on one side so the air board shook uneasily but he had flown on this air board for a month. Ark maintained his balance and flew towards the injured pioneer. He interrupted the bullets with Bhurad’s shield and said to Melina.
“Conserve your mana. Just do what is necessary.”
“Yes, Stitch Wound!”
Melina used her skill while dangling from Ark’s arm. The pioneer with the injured leg stood up with a thrilled expression and said.
“Thank you Ark-nim!”
“Give your thanks to Melina-nim. And I’m sorry but she has to conserve her mana to save others so she can’t heal your health. If you’re worried then join the main body.”
“I understand! This much is enough!”
The pioneer saluted and replied. Ark nodded and flew towards another injured person.
-Proof of Faith: Rescue your colleagues (178/200)
Meanwhile the completion of his quest condition steadily increased. But his eyes already didn’t notice the message.
‘It will take the Laius guards at least one day to get here…..’
Right now it had only been 2 hours. They still needed to hang on for at least 22 hours. He couldn’t lose even 1 pioneer.
“Ugh!”
“Ark-nim, you’ve been shot in the side…..!”
“I’m okay! Don’t waste your mana on me! Save if for pioneers who have their movement restricted!”
Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok!
He used the Charenjok’s token to heal himself! However it was impossible to cover all the pioneers with just Ark and Melina. The difference between the soldiers’ equipment and speed showed once they started climbing the mountain. Once the Kero attacking the research centre started to catch up, the pioneers in the rear started falling one by one. Ark felt his heart burn every time he saw a pioneer die. The hectic chase continued for 30 minutes.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
The Kero started being hit by bullets fired from the top. The land cruisers had arrived at the top and were providing cover fire for the pioneers.
“Just a little more power! It is right in front of us!”
Ark shouted as he flew on the air board. After 10 more minutes, all the survivors were finally able to reach the top. Ark jumped down from the air board and gathered the leaders of each unit.
“You suffered a lot. But now comes the tough part. The Laius guards won’t arrive for another 20 hours. The space pirates are probably aware of this fact. Their purpose is to wipe us out before help can arrive. Now there is only one thing we can believe in.”
“Only one thing we can believe in?”
“Those guys are raiding this place for a reason. In order to achieve that purpose, those guys must stop killing us a few hours before the guards arrive. I said 20 hours but the time is actually less than that.”
“In order words, those guys have to rush.”
Ark nodded and replied.
“That’s correct. We’re currently occupying a favourable terrain. If we use the rocks then we can neutralize the enemy snipers and troopers. On the other hand, we won’t have a problem using sniping or heavy weapons. The terrain bonus will also be applied so our damage will increase. If they’re rushing then we have some chances of succeeding.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
However the faces around him were still dark.
‘……They sensed it as well.’
He spoke hopefully but raising morale was a serious problem. The Laius guards were arriving in 20 hours but there was a crucial reason why it would be tough to endure. They were experienced users so they knew what the problem was. The problem would occur after 10 hours. Until then the situation went like Ark predicted. Approximately 130 people arrived at the top and he placed the pioneers around the perimeter. And they would shoot at any Kero running up!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
It was a one-sided battle. The pioneers could hide behind the rocks so they had a tactical advantage over the Kero. Thousands of Kero covered Mt. Fargo but numbers were insignificant in a situation like this. From the pioneers viewpoint they were half water and half meat! The Kero tumbled and shot out blood as they were hit by the bullets.
-Your level has risen!
The pioneers constantly had cross marks on top of their heads. But the gunfire gradually decreased once 10 hours passed. It wasn’t because the Kero’s attacks had slowed down.
‘The time has come!’
Ark murmured as he bit his lips.
‘I’d pushed them this far……’
The pioneers ignorantly thought they were winning but Ark knew differently. In this situation the pioneers were overwhelming! So the Kero should attack more carefully. But the Kero were frogs so they were stupid. They didn’t care about the dying bodies and just continued moving forward. The result was…..
“I’ve run out of bullets!”
“My RPG shells have finished!”
This was exactly what Ark was concerned about. They didn’t have an infinite supply of ammunition. Of course pioneers used firearms so they always collected bullets. And they had loaded the land cruisers with supplies when they retreated from the research centre. However, 130 people were shooting for 10 hours so it was natural for bullets to run out.
‘There is only one way left!’
It was to fight in close combat. But shooting enemies from a distance and close combat was completely different. It would be impossible to hold up when the mountain was covered in Kero.
But it was the end if they gave up!
“Everybody please pay attention!”
Ark shouted from the centre. The pioneers at the edges looked at him.
“You’ve fought well so far. Unfortunately there aren’t any bullets remaining. Soon some of us will start falling. The only way we can resist is in close combat. Of course it will be a tough fight. We might be wiped out before the guards arrive. No, to be honest the chances are very high. I’m sorry for everyone who believed in me and came here. However I’m not going to give up until the end. So believe in me and follow until the end!”
“The bullets have run out?”
“Damn, then didn’t we make a mistake?”
“There is no way. How long did we endure for……?”
The pioneers murmured among each other after Ark’s words. At that time the NPCs and Bain came rushing towards Ark.
“Close combat? Win in a close combat situation? You stupid brat! Look at their numbers! It will be impossible for us to hold up until the guards arrive! Ah! I made a mistake! I’m not a pioneer like you! I only have one life! You have to protect me! You! I came here because of you so you have to take responsibility!”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
A middle aged man in work clothes snapped at Bain. He was the president of Hammer Industries that Ark first met in town.
“It was inevitable. And your instructions weren’t wrong. Have confidence. Even if we’re completely wiped out, we were only able to last this long thanks to you.”
“But it is the same if we die! We suffered for no reason! Because of him!”
Bain raised his head and shouted angrily. Then Melina glared at him and snapped.
“What are you saying? Do you know how hard Ark-nim worked to save everyone?”
“Shut up! I can say whatever I want to stupid pioneers!”
“What did you just say?”
Then Leon grabbed Bain’s collar and said.
“This might be a bad result but this is the first time the rail gun has seen so much excitement since starting Galaxian. If I didn’t know Ark-nim then I would already be dead. I thought it was wondering that Ark-nim was Beltana’s Hero but he didn’t obtain that title for nothing.”
Then Slayer took out his mace and exclaimed.
“Hey! Isn’t everybody else the same?”
“Indeed. So far it was a great stand.”
“Yes, we might be throwing away a bit of experience but let’s see this though to the end. Do you know? Maybe a miracle might happen?”
“We will fight together with Ark until the end!”
“Yes, let’s go! Ohhhhh!”
The pioneers lifted their weapons and cried out. Milan who had been looking around with a worried expression said.
“Hyung-nim, I’m proud you’re my Hyung-nim! I will look forward to the next time I see Hyung-nim!”
“Huk huk huk, these assholes! This is why I hate pioneers……”
One NPC was sitting on the ground and crying. Anyway, fortunately their morale had increased!
“A crowd of those guys are coming!”
A pioneer suddenly cried out. The same report simultaneously came from different directions. The Kero noticed that the shooting had stopped and pushed forward.
“Having a sunset in the background for the last battle…..good.”
Slayer said with a smile. Then Leon laughed and said on the other side.
“You’re on that end. Having the sun set during a battle is just gloomy. This is sunrise. We’re battling with the rising sun. Doesn’t that give you more hope?”
“Sheesh, having a sunset and sunrise at the same time. This planet really isn’t normal.”
Ark raised his head as he noticed Slayer’s words. He saw that the two of them were standing on different sides.
‘Sunrise and sunset at the same time?’
Once again, Istana had two suns. Each moved at a different orbit so it was possible to have a sunrise and sunset at the same time. Just like Slayer and Leon’s words, one side of Mt. Fargo was having a sunset while the sun was rising on the other side. It was a curious phenomenon created by the rocks surrounding the summit. The phrase written on the stone slab suddenly entered Ark’s mind.
–The place where the sun sets and the sun rises!
Ark didn’t know the exact meaning of that phrase until now. When he looked at the library, he thought the place was Mt. Fargo.
‘But that didn’t simply point to Mt. Fargo. It needed the right place! It referred to a place on the mountain where the sun set and rose at the same time! Here! This is the place I’m looking for!’
It was followed by this phrase.
You will need to prove your qualifications. But you have to reach that place.
‘This is the place where the sun sets and rises at the same time! And it states that only a descendant of the Murat can reach it. In order words, proving my qualifications means proving I’m a descendant of the Murat. This is like the meteorite that I found in Charem!’
It was the Murat’s Shire!
‘I might be able to get away from this situation!’
Ark’s eyes flashed. If Ark was correct then the Shire could open the door to the ruins. And this was the top so the door must be underneath his foot. It meant the ruins were somewhere in the interior of Mt. Fargo! Laius’ guards would arrive in 10 hours. However, the inside of the mountain was like a bomb shelter so they could endure for that long.
‘The fact that other users will know about the ruins is weighing on my mind……’
If Ark didn’t open the ruins then he was bound to die. And there was the person manipulating the Kero behind the scenes. Valencia wouldn’t be able to control the Kero no matter how corrupt he was. Actually, the person who gave orders to Valencia was different to the one leading the Kero. The man controlling Valencia had blown himself up! Ark had no room to think about it at the time but the technique he used was similar to Ark’s Rune Carving.
‘If he really used seals then they might be after the Murat ruins.’
There was no guarantee the Murat relics would be there if he returned. Ark thought up to there.
Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka!
He heard the sound of iron on the side of the sunset. 100 Kero was gathered with their swords. It wasn’t just these guys. Another group! Another one! Another!
‘I can’t hesitate!’
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving!”
A blue light appeared at Ark’s fingertips.
——————————————————————————————-
“Now it’s over.”
The robed man looked up the mountain and smiled. Hundreds of Kero had reached the summit. The circumstances were clear. They ran out of bullets so they would die soon. And his wish would come true.
“This is the will of God!”
Then a blue light suddenly appeared at the mountain’s summit. Confusion spread on the man’s face.
“T-that light is….w-why….n-no! Stop! All followers! Stop that light! No, kill! The person producing the light! They are God’s enemy! Kill them! Kill!”
At the same time the light exploded into the sky.
——————————————————————————————-
‘W-what it this?’
Ark became baffled. He experienced all sorts of mysterious things when playing a virtual reality game. Therefore he wouldn’t be surprised if the volcano exploded or a devil appeared. But he was really upset this time. Ark thought doors to the ruins would appear when he called the Shire. And a light pillar suddenly shot up from the ground. The light pillar wrapped around him like chains and he couldn’t move. And his body started turning into particles and scattering.
‘Oh my god! Was my judgement wrong?’
Ark thought he had operated a trap. When he thought about it, there was always the option of a trap when the Murat were involved. There was the infinite rooms that all connected in the pyramid on Beltana and on Charem there was an artefact that created Sufferers. If he looked at the pattern then it was likely that this place also had a trap. The trap was to destroy ignorant invaders!
‘I’m dead! Dammit, I can’t die like this!’
Ark grabbed his head and started screaming. No, he wanted to. However he couldn’t even lift a finger because of the light. He was frozen as he was about to carve a rune. Fortunately his stance looked cool but…..he was still being disassembled.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“What is going on?”
Milan and the other pioneers were upset at the sudden situation. Then the pillar of light disappeared.
“N-no! Hyung-nim is gone! He was completely burnt!”
Milan ran to where the light pillar was and stuttered tearfully. Only a black mark was left on the ground.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Then Mt. Fargo started making a rumbling sound and shaking.
Space 9
Elim!
‘This is……?’
Ark held his breath and looked around. His body was decomposed by the light so Ark naturally thought he was dead. Then in the next moment, Ark had appeared in an unexpected place. It was a dark space but he could differentiate between some things thanks to his Clairvoyance ability. It was a spacious rectangular space. The room was 10 metres and lined with stone statues. He couldn’t remember the exact name but the statues were something he often saw in Egyptian related documentaries!
‘If it is Egyptian civilization then it must be the Murat! Then this place is the Murat ruins in Mt. Fargo? Did I really enter the ruins? Then the light decomposition didn’t mean I died?’
He was glad to be alive but he couldn’t be assured. There was no guarantee this room wasn’t a trap like the pyramid. Ark took one step and looked around carefully.
Tututudung!
There was the abrupt sound of drumbeats.
‘Hik! What, what the? What’s going to happen now?’
Ark became tense and lifted his sword. Then an information window appeared in front of him.
-Proof of Eligibility: Finding a sanctuary (1/1)
-All the conditions for <Proof of Qualification> have been met.
<The data sealed by the quest has been unlocked>
‘Eh? What is this? Proof of Qualification?’
Ark looked at the information window with confusion. The <Proof of Qualification> was the occupation quest he received from the memory chip inside the Charenjok’s toy. There were four conditions required to fulfil this quest. Proof of Courage, Proof of Faith, Proof of Destiny and Proof of Eligibility. He had completed the Proof of Destiny as soon as he found the logbooks. As for the Proof of Courage that required him to defeat 100 monsters higher levelled than him, that was taken care of by killing the Thanatos in Mt. Fargo for 20 hours! He had completed the Proof of Faith by rescuing 200 pioneers a short time ago! The problem was the proof of Eligibility.
‘How can I find a sanctuary? Where the hell am I supposed to go? Does that mean visiting a Cathedral in a city?’
At first he thought it was simple. However he visited the Cathedral before leaving Nabe and there were no changes. Yet the Proof of Eligibility was completed the moment he entered the Murat ruins. An ‘!’ appeared in Ark’s head as he confirmed the information.
‘I see. The Cathedrals on Istana represent the human’s religion. But the pioneer that hid the data in the toy might not be human. Furthermore, he was a pioneer from a very long time ago. It is possible that humanity’s religions didn’t exist back then. In that case, the quest condition is finding an alien sanctuary!’
That was the Murat ruins right here. Then another message window floated in front of Ark.
-Xanax
“Xanax?”
Ark tilted his head to one side and muttered.
Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong.
There was a mechanical sound and the space brightened. The light was coming from a sphere in the middle.
“W-what is this? Is it a trap like I expected? Eh? A trap?”
Ark flinched and took a few steps back.
–Hrmm…..
A low voice was heard from the sphere of light. Ark became tense as the light scanned him.
–I thought this existence was lost…..that the heir who appeared after hundreds of years is human…..I’m surprised. The undeveloped humans roasting meat on the fringe of the galaxy has grown enough to be the heir? Although the galaxy did go through a great crisis…..By the way, Xanax……that nostalgic name.
He didn’t know what was going on but there didn’t seem to be a threat. But he was completely alone here.
“That…….”
–Ah! Yes, human.
Now the sphere of light started to show an interest in Ark.
–I didn’t ask for your name yet. What is your name?
“I am Ark.”
–It is amazing that the heir is human but I suppose the era has changed. Good, Ark. It must’ve been tough getting here. You’re human but the fact that you entered here is proof of the Murat’s lineage. Needless to say, you will become Xanax’ successor. Now the heir has appeared after hundreds of years . Soon we will begin the ceremony. Ark, kneel down in front of the great prophets and pay your respects.
“W-wait a minute!”
Ark stuttered with a puzzled expression. He was confused by everything. Ark thought this place was the Murat ruins. But there was something strange. There were the stone statues but Ark didn’t see any Murat items like the pyramid containing the Shire. That wasn’t the only confusing thing. The word ‘Xanax’ had appeared when he completed the <Proof of Qualification> quest. Yet the sphere of light that appeared had mentioned the name Xanax? Furthermore, it said something about an heir? The situation was so ambiguous that he had no idea what was going on. Ark pondered all these questions before asking.
“Is this place the ruins of the Murat?”
–What? Did you come here without knowing where this was?
The sphere of light turned red with anger. However it returned to its original colour after a moment.
–No, it is natural for you to think that. There hasn’t been an heir for a long time so you wouldn’t know any information related to succession. And you’re from the undeveloped human tribe. Well it can’t be helped. Okay. I’ll explain it.
The sphere of light spoke in a patronizing tone. And it burst into explanation mode.
–A long time ago, four great species existed in Galaxian. They each controlled a different solar system and we called the Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious. At the time there were many undeveloped species and they generously bestowed their science and civilization to numerous species in the galaxy.
But they were races that didn’t dominate. They had an implicit promise between them to not directly engage in any other species. They reigned but didn’t rule. But then a problem occurred. The species that had their eyes opened to technology started developing hazardous weapons like nuclear bombs. If they continued then the galaxy would be senselessly destroyed. But if the four races engaged directly then there was a risk that it wold cause even more dissention.
-After worrying about it, a great prophet of the four races came to one conclusion. There needed to be limits on their direct involvement. That was the Elim.
“Elim? Weren’t the Elim the original natives that lived on Istana?”
Ark asked after remembering the information from Nabe’s library.
–Oh, the humans know this much?
The light sphere shone with interest.
–It is a little different but that isn’t entirely wrong. The Elim were the proxy of the four races who executed their will. The four species each choose 1 person with excellent abilities to act on their behalf. So you weren’t entirely wrong. However, the true faces of the Elim were warriors. The four races passed on their power to the Elim. The four races also gave them ‘Divine Artefacts.’
The Divine Artefacts weremade with the essence of the four races’ power and science. This made the Elim the strongest warriors in the galaxy and they successfully managed to settle the feud between several species.
–Peace continued for a long time after that. At least before the Karma showed up.
“Karma? What is that?”
-I don’t know what they are. Or even what their purpose was. They came from the outer reaches of space that no species had reached yet. Confusion spread in the galaxy at their appearance and many alien species were wiped out. It lasted for 50 years. At that time, the four races joined hands with the various races of the galaxy to take care of the Karma. The Elim were the ones that played the biggest role in this war. The Elim…..
The statement seemed to indicate that something terrible would follow.
“Is that the crisis you mentioned a short time ago?”
–No, the large crisis took place after that.
The sphere of light sighed.
The war with the Karma moved from the boundaries of the universe to the centre. But the four faces who participated in the war had some of their civilizations destroyed. That was the start of all the problems……
The blow that the four races received became the seeds of another conflict. They needed a large amount of resources to repair the damage. The Potamia and Oritious argued that they needed to requisition the planet’s species to manage its resources. Meanwhile the Murat and Indus just commandeered the resources from the planets where they bestowed their civilization on hundreds of years ago. The Potamia and Oritious against the Murat and Indus. The four races were divided into two camps while the alien species that followed them were also divided into two camps. Finally the seeds of conflict became a war.
-It was different from the Karma’s invasion. In addition, the galaxy that was the battlefield wasn’t simply divided in half. The four species were the main axis with the power to destroy the galaxy. The damage couldn’t be compared to the Karma’s invasion. No, it was just after the Karma’s invasion so the damage was even worse. Everybody knew it. There would be no end to the ruin. But it couldn’t be stopped. Finally victory or defeat was decided.
The ones that put an end to it were the Elim. The Elim that represented the four races fought each other. And the one that survived in the end was the Murat’s Elim!
-The Murat who were in charge of 10 species chose a Rama born with exceptional talent to become the ultimate Elim warrior. His name was Xanax.
“…..Eh?”
Ark who had been listening blankly suddenly looked surprised. Xanax was the name he learnt after completing the <Proof of Qualification> quest. Then the person who stashed the data in the toy airplane was the Murat’s Elim? He was confused about how everything connected. But that wasn’t what caused Ark’s surprise. Ark had obtained the Rama’s language from the data. He was surprised that the Rama were a part of the Murat. Ark had seen the video from the pyramid on Beltana. Weren’t the Rama the ones who attacked the Murat city? The light sphere soon explained the scene Ark saw in the video.
-That’s the reason Xanax hid himself.
“Hid himself?”
–The Murat survived the war until the end but the blow they received was serious. Then the Murat were betrayed by the Rama. It occurred while Xanax was travelling to other planets to help after the war. It was all finished by the time Xanax came back. The Murat had exhausted all their power stopping the Galaxy War and were finally wiped out by the Rama. Xanax was furious. However the Rama were his species. Xanax was boiling with anger and eventually hid himself.
Ark now understood the contents of the logbook. The logbook had stated something about a betrayal. He meant the Murat had been betrayed by a species they protected.
-However Xanax didn’t just give up. They might’ve been destroyed but the four species were hundreds of years more advanced than other species. Xanax didn’t want their civilization in the hands of the warlike Rama. In addition, the survivors of the Galaxy war had questions about where Xanax was. The Murat had been wiped out while the hidden Xanax started to look for answers to his questions. And he finally found the truth. No, he said that he reached the truth.
“Then he came here?”
–Of course!
The light sphere pulsed strongly.
-This is the holy place where the Murat’s Elim was appointed by the Khafra, the natives of Istana after finishing their training. Hundreds of the Murat’s Elim had inherited the teachings of the prophet in this location. This is the Holy Land of the Elim. This is where all the knowledge of the Elim sleeps.
“The Murat’s Elim…..!”
–The Murat might’ve been betrayed and destroyed but Xanax was proud of the fact that he was the Murat’s Elim. And he felt responsible as the last Elim. The Elim might have no meaning with the four races destroyed but he didn’t want the Elim to disappear. Therefore Xanax made me a promise after he came here.
The light sphere looked at Ark for some reason and continued.
–Someone would eventually visit me. They will be someone who gives his hand to the weakest species in the galaxy, who doesn’t show fear at unlocking the truth and who has the power not to back down from a strong enemy. And that person should share a destiny with Xanax and the Murat.
The strange situation then combined together in Ark’s head. He received the quest in the first place from the Charenjok’s toy. The person who helped the weakest species would receive the toy as a sign of the Charenjok’s gratitude. And playing with the toy meant the data would be discovered. Not showing fear for the truth meant releasing the lock with hacking. And the destiny mentioned was the Shire he acquired from Beltana! That was the conditions that Xanax required. And Ark met all the conditions of the <Proof of Qualification> quest. In other words…..
–Xanax said before leaving this place. He said that the person who comes here will be equipped with all of that. That person will be qualified to inherit the name of the Elim. Now I’ll say this. I am the ‘memories of an Elim,’ an Elim who watch the history of the Khafra from the first Elim. I’m asking for the head of the Elim committed to true peace. The human warrior Ark, do you accept the fate of the Elim?
-You have received an offer of an occupation from the Elim’s Memory.
If you accept then you will gain the experience and knowledge of the Murat’s Elim. At the same time, you will receive the special occupation ‘Elim’s Heir’ if you accept.
Do you accept?
This was the meaning of having the qualifications to be an Elim! So far Ark had a few chances to receive an occupation. However it was the ‘Scavenger’ that picked up trash or the ‘Private’ that was following Marquis Martin around. This occupation didn’t have those limitations. And the Elim’s Heir would be given the enormous power of the four species! Of course, the Murat’s Elim had disappeared a long time ago. But they had left behind ruins. In fact, Ark had ended up here because he was searching for ruins. The result was connected to his occupation quest but Ark’s goal was to collect the Murat artefacts! This occupation was related to the Murat. There was no reason for him to hesitate.
“I accept!”
Ark kneeled down and replied powerfully.
–Good Ark! You are authorized to become Elim’s Heir according to Xanax’s will.
The light sphere shouted excitedly. Then rays of light emerged from the eyes of the statues and wound around Ark. At the same time an information window appeared.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 85
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 5,820 Adventure 720
Mana 75+250
Health 1,950 (+115)+500 Mental Power 1,050 (+75)+250
Strength 190(+33)+20 Agility 265+30
Stamina 355(+23)+20 Wisdom 20(+5)+20
Intelligence 170(+15)+20 Luck 35+20
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 6,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Khafra fencing (User, Active): the swordplay that the Elim learnt from the Khafra and completed after decades of training. Khafra Fencing is a simple yet highly utilized method of swordplay with 9 parts. The Elim used Khafra Fencing for several centuries and it had been steadily handed down until the final Elim, Xanax.
-1st style <Defense Break Lv.1> : Technique to break an enemy’s defense stance. <Force: 100>
-2nd style <Shield Emission Lv.1> : Technique to blow up a shield into small pieces to damage the enemy. <Force: 150>
-3rd style <Galaxy Sword Lv. 1> : A technique that creates an illusion of numerous swords to attack the enemy. <Force: 250>
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Elim’s Heart Force (User, Passive): an Elim someone that the Murat picks from numerous species to pass down their traditions to. Different species use mana or mental power so there were some technical difficulties in regards to the skills. After several years of meditation, the Khafra developed a power beyond mana and mental power called Force. This skill can change mana or mental power into Force to use the skill. If you train steadily then you can switch between mana, mental power and force.
<Convert mana or mental power into Force through meditation>
—————————————————
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
In the southern desert of Istana. One thick container truck was moving through the heat raising sand. It was the container truck of the mercenary group Silver Hand. Clem who was sitting on the truck sprayed water on his red face and said.
“Hey, how many kilometres left?”
“We’ve just travelled 30 km.”
The attack leader Pedro said.
“30 kilometres…..there is still quite a bit to go.”
“What about them? It looks like they might die.”
“This isn’t enough to kill them. It also isn’t a big deal if they die. Because those guys are pioneers.”
Clem smiled and looked at the group in the back of the truck. The 10 people collapsed on the back of the truck with their long tongues hanging out were Ark’s Royal Guards.
“But if they were able to survive 30 km in the desert then they’ve somehow passed. Recently they’ve also been doing pretty well in training. The difference compared to when they first joined the Silver Hand is tremendous.”
“Of course. Because they’re doing this for their leader.”
“They’re strong thanks to that.”
“They became strong. Because they would die if they didn’t become strong.”
“Is there such a thing? It would be annoying if they died just like that.”
The Royal Guards were sold to the Silver Hand in order to collect the company establishment fund. For the last month, the Royal Guards had stood on the crossroad between life and death every day. It was Clem and Pedro’s training method. They purposefully dropped a lion cub down the cliff in order to raise a child. But that had a limit. They couldn’t drop a lion cub down every day. However, Clem and Pedro threw the Royal Guards down a cliff on a daily basis. This wasn’t a metaphor.
They really were dropped off cliffs. If they climbed up within the time limit then they could have a short break and eat some rice. But if they didn’t come up within the time limit then they would starve to death. This was just a very small example. That was the inhuman, alien training style. It was also like that now. They had to run along the truck in 50 degrees Celsius without a sip of water for 30 km.
‘I will do it! Everything is for Hyung-nim!’
The Royal Guards grinded their teeth together as they listened to Clem and Pedro laughing. But the Royal Guards had no idea yet. The person who thought of this training and gave it to the Silver Hand was in fact Ark! Well, the Royal Guards were ignorant about where the radical training program came from but they definitely became stronger.
‘We have to live! Live and return!’
They also became mentally stronger!
“Now they’ve repaid the deposit given to Ark and they will soon reach the final stage of the training program.”
“How unfortunate.”
Pedro clicked his tongue and muttered.
Roaaaaar!
There was an abrupt roaring sound as an airship appeared from the sandstorm. Its wings were clearly stamped with the mark of the federation.
—————————————————
‘Huhuhu, what kind of luck is this?’
Ark laughed as he looked at the lightsaber in his hand. It was a 1 metre blue ray emerging from a 20 cm rod.
-Heir’s Sword (Unique)
Item Type: Long Sword Wearer Restriction: Elim’s Heir
Attack: 65~70 Durability: 100/100
A lightsaber received from the Khafra when the Murat’s Elim would be selected. The students practiced with this sword before they could receive the Elim designation.
Therefore it is a tradition for the previous Elim to pass this onto the new students. Although the sword is used for training students, the Murat has a more advanced civilization so the lightsaber they produced has a better performance than those created by other species.
<Strength +20, Agility +20, Attack Speed +10%>
* Special Option (Force Balance): When holding this sword and meditating than the achievement rate of Elim’s Heart Force will rise by 50%. In addition, the Force Recovery Rate will increase by 30%.
He received the Heir’s Sword after changing occupation. Just the attack power made it the standard of a level 100 magic sword! The special option also increased attack speed by 10% so the Heir’s Sword was dedicated to attack. The more amazing thing was that this lightsaber was created for the students. The light sphere, Elim’s Memory kept on explaining.
–You were led here by the will of the last Elim Xanax and became the Elim’s Heir. But that doesn’t mean you’re a true Elim yet. You need two things to become a true Elim. I’m only the teacher who passed on the beginnings of Khafra Fencing to you. You will need to learn the remaining 6 style as well as the Divine Artefacts. And the last Elim Xanax is the one who has all of them. But Xanax didn’t leave them in this place.
Of course he definitely left them behind. Do you understand?
You have to find the 6 remaining styles of Khafra Fencing and the 5 Divine Artefacts. That is the condition to change to an Elim.
The item to change to a higher ranked occupation wouldn’t be found in a beginner area like this. It wasn’t surprising because of the game system but the NPC couldn’t say ‘This is a game!’
–Xanax probably has his own method to teach you directly. It is probably his intention for you to learn what it means to be an Elim while following his path. That is the only plausible fact.
Motivation rose inside Ark. The Elim possessed the most outstanding talent from the alien species serving the Murat! It was an occupation worth billions of dollars! The Murat even made 5 Divine Artefacts for the Elim. The problem was that Xanax had disappeared with them hundreds of years ago…..
-The seal on the logbook’s 3rd page has been released.
He received the message after changing occupations.
‘Now there is no doubt that the owner of this logbook is Xanax. The 3rd page is probably talking about the Elim. Xanax was unable to directly select his student so he needed to find somewhere with the conditions he required. The 3rd page might say something about where to find the Divine Artefacts and remaining skills.’
However Ark didn’t check the logbook. The situation had proceeded very suddenly so he had forgotten about something.
“Did anybody other than me come here?”
–That is impossible now.
“Now?”
–Originally this was the Elim’s Holy Land. Only the Elim and their successor could come in. But Xanax changed that when he came back here. It was to allow the person who would become Elim’s Heir to enter. Therefore I followed Xanax’s will and opened the door for the heir. You were able to come here because of the Shire, a symbol of the Murat. Now that a new Elim’s Heir was born, this place will be sealed again. You will be the only one allowed to enter.
Ark sighed with relief after hearing the sphere’s words. When he came here, the pioneers at the top of the mountain were being attacked by pirates. If this place was the space pirate’s purpose then Ark thought they would enter after wiping out the pioneers. Fortunately Ark entered first. Therefore the Elim’s Holy Land had become Ark’s hideaway.
‘It has been 20 minutes since I entered this place. There is no doubt that the pioneers would be completely wiped out by the Kero clan by now. No, it would be the same even if they aren’t wiped out. The situation won’t change even if I exit now. But……’
They had believed in him and followed him to the summit. Yet the moment they would about to begin the decisive battle, Ark alone went into hiding. Of course that wasn’t his aim but it had ended up like that. The pioneers left behind by Ark to die would curse him!
‘I still have to check on the situation.’
Ark sighed again before looking at the sphere of light.
“Is it possible for me to confirm the situation on Mt. Fargo?”
–Of course. I’ll show it on the screen.
An image appeared after the light sphere’s answer. One of its functions was CCTV. Then he looked at the image floating in the sphere of light.
“Eh? Eh eh eh?”
Ark’s face warped strangely.
—————————————————
Pusung!
A blue light welled up from Mt. Fargo’s summit.
“What, what the? Why is the same light…..?”
The people gathered in the basin looked at it with a puzzled expression. And after a while, their faces displayed shock and excitement. It was because of the person who appeared in the light. The person inside the blue light…..
“Ark! Ark-nim!”
“Ohhhh! He came back! Ark-nim is back!”
“The saviour of Mt. Fargo! The prophet Ark-nim has returned!”
The pioneers were babbling unknown words while flocking around him. This was the reason why Ark stepped outside. Ark was confused after seeing the CCTV footage. The 100 pioneers had run out of bullets so he thought they would be instantly wiped out by the thousands of Kero. Yet they were still alive. It was incomprehensible!
However Ark soon figured out the reason why. The Elim Sanctuary was hidden inside Mt. Fargo. Ark woke up the sanctuary after hundreds of years, causing Mt. Fargo to shake like an earthquake was occurring. This was the reason why the pioneers were alive. The caves inside Mt. Fargo were divided into 3 layers. Then Ark had dug 100 holes while looking for the ruins. Mt. Fargo that was made of rocks starting shaking in that state. He saw what happened in the video.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A landslide! The scarred mountain caused a landslide because of the shaking. And the Kero clan had completely covered the mountainside. The pioneers in the basin at the top were completely safe while the Kero were buried by the falling rocks. The Kero became disordered because of the landslide and were forced to retreat. It was good up to that point. He hadn’t intended it but it had saved his life. There was just one problem.
“What’s going on…..?”
The pioneers were saved by a natural disaster!
“Ark hyung-nim!”
Milan who had been absent-mindedly looking at where Ark disappeared suddenly shouted.
“This was Ark hyung-nim’s plan! Hyung-nim knew! He knew we couldn’t hold up until the guards arrived once we ran out of bullets. Even so, this was the reason why he came here and sacrificed himself!”
“S-sacrifice? Then perhaps?”
“Ark-nim was the one who caused the landslide?”
“Yes! Of course! Everybody saw it! Hyung-nim called down a holy light that burnt his body! And a landslide happened at the same time!”
“But even so……”
“You’re still doubtful?”
Milan scowled with teary eyes and said.
“No, rather than doubting……the landslide occurred because of all the holes dug yesterday……”
“Who do you think made the holes?”
“D-don’t tell me it was Ark-nim?”
“Yes! Of course! Of course! It was Hyung-nim!”
Dudong!
The mystery of the stone mountain was suddenly solved! But there was an even more shocking truth afterwards.
“At the time I also didn’t understand why Hyung-nim stayed up all night making the holes. I didn’t know! Yes, I didn’t understand! But this was the truth! A man called Noah did something similar a long time ago. He created the ark even when people called him stupid. And finally the time came. A flood. Right now we’ve witnessed a miracle! No, it isn’t a miracle! Hyung-nim knew this was going to happen! He knew that many people would be driven here to die. What would happen if he told everyone?”
“Of course……”
“No one would believe it! They would call him a fool! They would curse him and throw stones!”
“No, you don’t have to go that far……”
“So Hyung-nim had to prepare it on his own! He silently shovelled while his whole body was broken and in pain! He hid this until the last moment and sacrificed his body! All so he could save us!”
“H-he did that!”
“Ark-nim dug 100 pits for us……!”
“He even sacrificed his life for us!”
“He is truly Noah of Noah’s Ark!”
Milan’s next words made the pioneers even more excited.
“That is Hyung-nim! He also helped me the same way on Beltana! Hyung-nim silently obtained food by digging and gave it to the starving people! We were criminals who couldn’t stomach our anger against the world and he still gave it for free! I’m also a person saved by Hyung-nim. It makes my cry every time I remember it…..Hyung-nim!”
“Ehhhhh! Amazing!”
“There really is a user like that!”
“We have to be thankful! Our great martyr Ark Hyung-nim! We have to praise him! The great prophet Ark Hyung-nim!”
Milan shouted forcefully. This was the reason Ark immediately went outside. If he left the momentum like this then Milan would’ve created a fraudulent religion. Naturally Ark had no intention of being the founder of a religion. However he was a little too late.
“The great prophet Ark-nim!”
The pioneers had already been influenced by Milan. Of course, Milan was the one who believed it the most.
“Did you see? He came back without a Fairy! The miracle of resurrection!”
He continued babbling on even after Ark returned.
‘How do I solve something like this……?’
Ark sighed as he held his head.
“Ah! There! An airship! The guards are coming!”
A pioneer shouted as they pointed to the sky. 10 small airships were flying from the direction of the sunset. However they weren’t the airships of the Laius guards like the pioneers were expecting. They clearly had the mark of the galactic federation!
“What the? Isn’t that the federation’s battleships? Why are the federation’s battleships arriving before Laius?”
“One ship is coming down!”
Syu syu syu syu syu.
There was a storm as one ship descended to the top of the mountain. The door of the airship opened and people wearing uniform emerged. To his surprise, there was someone that Ark knew. Marquis Martin! Marquis Marin looked around and saw Ark.
“Ark, I was looking for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, I need you to leave with me immediately. I’ll give you the details later.”
Ark was worried by Marquis Martin’s sudden words. He felt like something difficult would happen. But his worries didn’t last long.
“……I understand.”
Anyway, all the work here was finished. He didn’t know what was going on but he could ride the airship for free to return to the city. No, he wanted to quickly escape from the uncomfortable situation. Then Milan hurriedly came running and shouted.
“Hyung-nim, take me along too!”
“Yes…..I’ll have to bring you too…..come!”
Ark grabbed Milan’s collar and tugged. If the airships didn’t use photon movement then it would take some time to return to the city. He couldn’t refuse Marquis Martin’s offer so he would use the time to re-educate Milan. So Ark dragged Milan with him and was about to board the airship. This time Melina was the one who came running.
“Ark-nim, take me too!”
“Huh? Melina-nim?”
“It’s a request!”
“Eek? If Melina-nim is going then me too! Take me too!”
“Me as well! Ark-nim, don’t you know? We’re a set! If Melina-nim goes then we’ll come along!”
Slayer and Leon ran out next to Melina. Marquis Martin looked at them with an annoyed expression before saying.
“There is no time. Just ride! Captain, return to Tatuine immediately!”
Syu syu syu syu syu.
Ark, Milan, Leon, Slayer and Melina boarded and the airship took off. It was flying towards the headquarters of the galactic federation in Tatuine.
“As expected from Ark-nim. Even an aristocrat from the federation came to get him directly…..”
Someone’s murmur was scattered by the wind.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 07
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Throwdown
In the centre of the galaxy that separated the federation and Rama. There was a diamond shaped constellation consisting of 12 planets that formed the border between the two forces. This was the Bellin constellation where the Rama were fighting with the federation over resources. The places where the fiercest battles were taking place was on the left and right of the Bellin constellation, on the planets called Hanan and Athamas. Hanan and Athamas were the richest in buried resources among the 12 planets and they were also important strategic locations for the war. Therefore both sides committed the most troops to these two planets and a fierce battle was contested.
–Hanan has been occupied by the Rama!
The news of the Rama’s victory spread throughout the galaxy! Finally one of the planets had fallen into the Rama’s hands. Thus all the attention was focused on Athamas. If the Rama captured Athamas then it was clear who would win. The federation would have nothing to stand on if they lost Athamas. Naturally the fierce battle moved from Hanan to Athamas.
Ku ku ku ku ku!
The roar of the artillery continued through the day and night! Athamas’ endless forests were filled with flashes and flames. The roar of the artillery echoed in the dark forests. Then a red flash of light separated the darkness. There was an explosion and one guy fell out of the bushes.
“…..You monster!”
The man wiped his lips wet with blood and raised his head. The middle aged man who painfully raised his sword was Baras. He was the leader of the 3rd guerrilla unit on Athamas and had achieved considerable military gain. He had confidence in a 1 on 1 battle. He had believed that. At least until he encountered ‘him’ on Athamas……
–I didn’t think you would purposefully come at me…..
‘He’ walked out of the forest towards Baras. The man was wearing red armour. His lightsaber was soaked in the blood of countless soldiers so it had a reddish tint. Baras knew who he was. Any federation soldier would know about him. He was the champion that caused despair to numerous federation soldiers on Hanan, the Rama’s strongest warrior. He was the subject of fear from the federation and awe from the Rama. A moan emerged from the mouth dyed with blood.
“…..The Red Slaughterer.”
–My nickname has become quite famous.
The Red Slaughterer said as he slashed a vine with the lightsaber and approached. He was walking at a relaxed pace towards the gasping Baras. There was no taunt more humiliating than this for a warrior.
“Dammit, take this!”
Baras tightened his grip on his sword and threw his body forward. But it was impossible for a desperately swung sword to cut the Red Slaughterer. Baras’ sword weakly bounced off the lightsaber. Then Baras switched his sword to his left hand and pulled out a machine gun with his right hand.
“Die!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The machine gun poured out countless bullets. However Baras was the one who ended up screaming.
“Kuaaak! T-this……”
Baras grabbed his thigh and fell to the ground. Blood was flowing heavily from between his fingers. Just as Baras had pulled the trigger of the machine gun, the Red Slaughterer had blocked the bullets with his lightsaber handle and cut him on the thigh.
–The gun isn’t as easy to handle as you think, Rookie.
“T-this bastard!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Baras clenched his teeth and fired the machine gun blindly. However the lightsaber was swung at a tremendous speed and deflected all the bullets. Even a bullet fired from a distance of 1 metre was blocked. The Red Slaughterer laughed and continued.
–And this weapon isn’t that great.
“H-how did you block the bullets……?”
–Are you a pioneer?
“Ah, no.”
-Then you won’t have a chance to know.
A red flash crossed the space. In the next moment, Baras’ neck was hit by the flash of light and blood came gushing out. It was the end of Baras, the leader of the 3rd guerrilla unit who built up a large number of war achievements over the past few months. But the Red Slaughterer showed no interest on his face. He wasn’t even pleased at the fact that he knocked down an unit leader. He turned away from Baras’ body and walked towards 20 Rama warriors.
-The remaining federation forces have been taken care of.
–Casualties on our side?
–Many people are injured but it isn’t enough to cause a problem to the strategy.
They were the Rama warrior squad that answered directly to the Red Slaughterer. While the Red Slaughterer was taking care of Baras, his squad were annihilating the 3rd guerrilla unit. The Red Slaughterer’s squad had chased the target through hundreds of kilometres of forest and wiped them out after 2 hours.
–The next target?
–There was a support request from area C-15.
-C-15? Isn’t there a Gigantic in that area?
-That’s right. Apparently there is an influential person controlling the federation’s defense turret. After the Gigantic received considerable damage, the engineer unit were left stranded inside the Gigantic.
–Considerably influential person? The name?
The Red Slaughterer asked with an interested look.
–He is a soldier called Rapid.
–Rapid? Rapid…..
–Yes, that is the nickname of the leader. He is the one who persistently challenged you on Hanan…..
–I remember. That guy was also sent to Athamas?
His interest turned into disappointment.
–Hmm, he still hasn’t come yet.
– …… You mean Ark?
–He is late. I deliberately sent him a challenge.
The Red Slaughterer’s deputy Keiko asked with a confused expression.
–I don’t understand the reason why Captain-nim is clinging to Ark. He might be a war hero but there are thousands with a similar status among all the battlefields the federation and Rama are fighting over. Captain-nim’s fame is 10 times more than his. Captain-nim is sending a challenge to a person like that…..
-He is the real thing.
-Really?
–Yes, and I have to a debt to repay to Ark.
–A debt? Didn’t Captain-nim say you haven’t met him yet?
–It is a relationship from a previous existence.
Keiko couldn’t understand even more after hearing his answer. But the Red Slaughterer didn’t explain anymore.
–Anyway, I have to meet that person. He has the title of the federation’s hero so he can’t ignore my challenge forever. No, I won’t let him ignore it. I’ll call him here even if I need to create a message with the federation’s corpses again. In order to do that, I need to annoy the federation members a little bit more.
–Just give us a command.
Keiko said was an expression overflowing with fighting spirit. Then an observer at the front exclaimed.
-Captain-nim, 10 flying objects have been detected at the 12 o’clock direction. Judging by the mass, it seems to be Gigantic interceptor missiles and will land in a minute!
–Our location seems to be exposed to the federation army.
–Chet, those federation brats.
The Red Slaughterer clicked his tongue and muttered. Baras seemed to have requested bombs from headquarters before confronting him. But the Red Slaughterer’s expression didn’t change.
–You think you can catch me with something like this?
The red squad had chased the guerrilla unit across hundreds of kilometres. The defeated guerrilla unit had consisted of hundreds of Athamas lizard men and soldiers. Yet the federation’s attacks were turned away repeatedly and they became disorganized once the defense lines were broken. And they had no way to stop it. The federation soldiers on Athamas couldn’t oppose the red squad. Therefore the federation’s headquarters would bomb the red squad with missiles every time their location was discovered. However that long range bombing didn’t have any success so far. Of course the missiles were powerfully but there was no meaning if they didn’t hit.
–Do you think we would just sit down and take it?
–Do they think we only have skills in hand to hand combat?
–It is annoying to avoid the missiles so we have to teach them.
The Red Slaughterer said to the observer.
–Calculate the orbit of the warheads and link them to the squad’s Nymphes. Everybody get ready to intercept!
The red squad members lifted their weapons with long barrels after hearing the Red Slaughterer’s order. It was the anti-missile equipment that targeted any missiles that came within range of 2km, the Stinger!
–It has entered the interception area!
–Launch!
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
20 Stingers were fired at the same time. The projectiles designed to destroy missiles flew through the night sky. And it hit the warheads that were approaching within several hundred metres! No, right before it hit the 10 warheads split into pieces and spread metal powder in every direction.
–It is the wide area Chaff!
–It is the Chaff that disturbs communication!
-What? What are these guys……?
The Red Slaughterer raised his head at the unexpected situation and muttered. Then several objects fell and mixed in with the Chaff. They were 10 soldiers falling several hundred metres!
–Federation soldiers! Air parachute! They weren’t missiles! The soldiers were disguised as the missiles in order to drop them to this location!
The observer burst out with confusion.
–All electrical equipments are jammed because of the Chaff! We can’t catch them using the automatic interception system!
–Sheesh! These federation soldiers are a little smarter! All members, switch the Stingers to manual intercept!
Keiko manipulated the Stinger and shouted.
Then the Red Slaughterer stepped forward and said.
–That’s okay. It will be difficult to reach that distance with manual launch. And…..
The Red Slaughterer grinned as he saw the soldiers falling into the forest.
–The guest that received the invitation has come.
———————————————————————————-
Roaaaaar!
The blue sky stretched out in front of them. The silver airship flew through the scattered clouds. The gold ornaments on the wings indicated that it was an airship only aristocrats could use. Inside the airship.
“Waaahhhhh! S-so fast!”
“Look at the background passing by quickly.”
Slayer and Leon exclaimed while staring out the window. It was natural. This was the airship of Marquis Martin who was the federation’s military advisor. His personal plan was different from the passenger ships used to transport users. It was a first class luxury airship that could move 2,500 km/hr and was capable of photon movement. As well as…..
“Look here. A bar, bar! The airship has a bar. Champagne in a crystal glass! Omo, isn’t this a massage chair inside a bathtub? This isn’t an airship, it is a perfect hotel!”
The interior contained facilities that were worthy of a 5 star hotel! The only reason there wasn’t a riot in the cabin was because of Melina.
“Ugh! Damn world! Look at the difference between the rich and the poor even in a game! Money is a bully!”
“Aren’t the nobles just like politicians? They’ve obviously kept stuff back for themselves!”
“Sheesh these nobles! The world is unfair! Damn capitalism!”
Slayer and Leon spoke with the bitterness of the common people. Ark could understand their feelings but they weren’t the right words to say in front of the airship’s owner who was a noble. Therefore Marquis Martin frowned and looked at Ark.
“What? Who are these noisy and rude humans?”
“They became my colleagues through various reasons. Please don’t worry about them.”
Ark scratched his head with embarrassment.
“Let’s continue our earlier talk. Why were you looking for me at Mt. Fargo? What happened?”
“I need your help.”
A NPC’s request meant a quest! He had guessed that was the answer when taking the airship back. The NPCs would never visit a user for no reason. And quests were like shining lights to users. If they completed a quest then they could get bonus experience and compensation. And the NPC giving the quest was the galactic federation’s aristocrat. But Ark wasn’t feeling entirely glad.
He had a chance to win experience and money from the quest but that was only if it was a success. If it failed then it was only a waste of time. It depended on the level restriction and the degree of difficulty. Ark had experienced that with the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest. Therefore he couldn’t relax at the possibility of being picked.
‘A quest from a senior NPC like this is no joke. If I think about how much work I would have to do……’
The degree of difficulty would be tremendous. It was highly likely to be difficult after the <Charem’s Infiltration> quest. However he couldn’t refuse. Marquis Martin was an aristocrat of the federation. He was also Beltana’s Hero so Ark needed to maintain his good impression with the NPCs. He didn’t even need to hear the quest to know that it would be hard.
“Please tell me.”
Ark answered with a stiff posture. Marquis Martin sighed and said.
“Did you hear the news that the Rama occupied Hanan?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“It happened several days ago. Therefore the federation is in a fairly difficult situation.”
“But didn’t Charem solve the problem of the war in the Bellin constellation? Didn’t the Aschulat send their troops?”
“Good point.”
Marquis Martin nodded.
“The reason the federation focused a lot of troops on several planets isn’t because of the enormous resources but because of its strategic location. Hanan is the best location as the transit point for the Star Gate from multiple planets in the Bellin constellation.”
That’s why Hanan’s loss was a painful blow to the federation. The federation’s transit point on Hanan was destroyed making it harder for them to send troops and supplies between planets in the Bellin constellation. It didn’t seem like much at first but this difference gradually showed as more time passed. However the federation still had hope.
“That is the 2nd primary star in the Bellin constellation, the planet called Athamas. Just like Hanan, Athamas is also an appropriate location as a transit point. This is the last remaining hope of the federation. If we are also deprived of Athamas after Hanan then there will be no more hope for the federation. In contrast, if we occupy Athamas then we might have a springboard to counterattack.”
However that required moving troops from other planets. The federation didn’t manage just one or two planets. They couldn’t leave those planets in a defenseless state to win the war. While they were contemplating this……
Marquis Martin managed to sign an agreement with the Aschulat for them to enter the war. He was the aristocrat that had secured additional forces for the federation! The Aschulat committed to sending reinforcements to Aschulat. That was part of the problem.
“The Aschulat have no Star Gates in the Bellin constellation. In order to move troops to Athamas, the Aschulat need to use a multidimensional portal to synchronize with the federation’s Star Gate to access it. In order words, they need to get the frequency correct.”
……He couldn’t understand what Marquis Martin were saying. But there was no need for him to understand. That wasn’t the point.
“However the plan was leaked to the Rama. The Rama constructed a powerful antenna 200 km away from the federation’s headquarters that interfered with the synchronization to the Star Gate.”
Therefore the Aschulat reinforcements were stranded on their home planet. Of course the federation quickly tried to destroy the antenna. But they were unable to get past the Rama’s defences……that was Marquis Martin’s explanation.
He felt uneasy at this point.
“Then the task you require of me……”
“You have to go to Athamas.”
A sigh flowed out at the expected answer. He knew the difficulty would be high but he never imagined he would be sent to another battlefield. This wasn’t the individual commission of Marquis Martin but a request from the galactic federation. Obviously the rewards couldn’t be compared to general quests. But this was a battlefield. Ark had experienced it on Beltana but there were many soldiers on the battlefield. The abilities of an individual were limited in such a place.
Different elements were required to win the war. Friendly and enemy soldiers, commanders, equipment, situation in the battlefield…..all of that would determine the outcome. And the circumstances were already against the federation. What would the addition of Ark do? Having the same circumstances as Beltana was like throwing a 6 with a dice three times in a row. The possibility was highly unlikely. Ark tried to insinuate that.
“In this situation wouldn’t it be better to invest more federation troops?”
“If we could then I wouldn’t need to come see you. Thanks to the frequency disturbing the federation’s Athamas Star Gate, it isn’t possible to move a large number of troops. We can create a portal to circumvent the Achulat’s synchronization but that is also limited in the size of the troops. Therefore instead of the maximum number of troops, we decided to commit the minimum number.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think you’re the right person.”
“Do you really think I can reverse a battle like this?”
“I don’t expect that much……”
Marquis Martin glanced at Ark and quickly continued.
“In history there have been several cases where the tide of the battlefield changed due to a soldier. That is the existence of a hero. It is like you demonstrated on Beltana. And there is one Rama warrior on Athamas that is the proof of that now.”
“Huh? Rama warrior?”
“Not long ago the military situation on Athamas wasn’t that bad. Then it changed when he appeared. The Rama Hero killed numerous federation troops on Hanan and played a key role in the Rama military’s victory there. After the war on Hanan ended, he headed towards Athamas and the situation rapidly tilted in the Rama’s favour. And this is why I said you’re the right person.”
“That’s why you called me the right person? What does that mean?”
Ark tilted his head with confusion. A 3D image then emerged from Marquis Martin’s Nymphe.
“This is a video the Rama sent us after occupying Hanan.”
“Oh my god!”
Melina burst out. She had been exploring the airship but sensed the serious atmosphere and approached with curiosity.
“Even if they are the enemy, doing such a cruel thing……”
Corpses had filled the screen of Marquis Martin’s Nymphe! The corpses were stacked together next to a pile of ruins. Melina couldn’t bear to watch it anymore and turned around but Ark kept his eyes on the video. He had found the hidden message within the cruel image. The bodies formed a series of letters.
I’m sending a challenge to Ark. The Red Slaughterer.
“The Red Slaughterer!”
This wasn’t the first time he heard this name. It was a name that entered his ear when he was on Beltana. He was the Rama Hero who destroyed a guerrilla army with just 20 elite troops. But Ark hadn’t remembered the name because of the flashy background. The Red Slaughterer was a name he associated with someone else. It was the reason Ark started Galaxian.
The strongest AI Lucifer! Lucifer’s nickname in New World was the Red Man. When Ark heard the name Red Slaughterer, he was instantly reminded of ‘the Red Man.’ However he didn’t suspect it was Lucifer simply because of the word ‘red.’ Ark had forgotten about it at first. It was his amazing way of using the body! He had become proficient enough to receive the title of Rama’s Hero despite the game service only starting for a few months. And then he sent a message to Ark. Ark only knew of 1 person like this.
……Lucifer!
‘Is this guy really Lucifer?’
“You already know about the Red Slaughterer.”
Marquis Martin said after seeing Ark’s expression.
“He has a lot of interest in you. Despite the war starting again in the Bellin constellation, he only recently received the title of Rama’s Hero. The Red Slaughterer and Ark. It is impossible not to be interested. That isn’t the only reason.”
“It isn’t?”
Ark who was thinking about Lucifer flinched and raised his head. Marquis Martin overlooked Ark’s reaction and continued.
“Isn’t it obvious? The Rama has the momentum with them after Hanan. In such a situation, the Rama will be demoralized if their hero is defeated by you. That is the role of a hero.”
“Ah, yes….indeed…..”
Ark nodded with a dumb expression. It was easy to understand when thinking about it that way.
“This message arrived at the federation a few days ago. We didn’t want to respond to the enemy’s provocation but it is also risky ignoring it.”
“But now the situation has changed?”
“That’s right. Like I said, if we lose Athamas and Hanan then it will be hopeless for us. That’s why the federation army is concentrating their attacks on the Rama base containing the antenna. If we want this strategy to succeed then we need someone to kill their key-man, the Red Slaughterer.”
“You’re talking about me.”
“The Red Slaughterer is his nickname. If it is you then you should be able to catch him. That is what I wish for. I don’t want you to lead the army to victory like on Beltana. I also don’t want you to defeat the Red Slaughterer. You just need to hold the Red Slaughterer who is the largest variable while the operation is in progress.”
“Does that make sense? What bullshit are you saying?”
Then Milan jumped in with an affronted expression.
“Hyung-nim is Ark! Beltana’s Hero! That Red Slaughterer bastard isn’t a match against Hyung-nim! Isn’t that right Hyung-nim? Hyung-nim, let’s go right now! We’ll show them!”
Milan had no doubt that Ark was invincible after defeating Valencia. But the Red Slaughterer had received the title of Hero after experiencing dozens of battlefields. Valencia couldn’t be compared to a warrior like that. The odds couldn’t be guaranteed. Especially if the federation soldiers had already been reduced. But what if he was really Lucifer?
‘This might be an opportunity to come in contact with Lucifer.’
Lucifer had asked to compete with the users in Galaxian. Ark couldn’t help but feel like the conditions were really disadvantageous to him. Ark still wanted to know what Lucifer’s ultimate goal was. A person who didn’t know the goal couldn’t leave the starting point. Even if it was just a guess, wouldn’t that be beneficial? Of course, figuring this out was more important to Ark than anything. Even if he achieved success in Galaxian, it would be meaningless if Lucifer reached the ultimate goal first. And Lucifer defeating him meant the nuclear power plants exploding!
‘The fortune I invested into the Taek Mountain land would fall to 0. Dammit!’
‘There are rumours that it is impossible to win against the Red Slaughterer in a 1 on 1 battle. But that isn’t the important thing. If that guy is the real Lucifer…..maybe I can figure out what his ultimate goal is. No, I need to confirm that he is Lucifer first.’
He had no choice. Ark reached that conclusion and he instantly changed his mind.
“I understand what you’re saying. I’m also a citizen of the federation. I can’t refuse this matter. But I’ve already undergone compulsory military service so I will be competing as a civilian. In addition, not long ago I became the CEO of an agent called Dark Eden.”
“I know.”
“Then can I make a request of the federation if I accept this commission?”
“In other words, you want a reward.”
“That’s right.”
“Does that mean you’ve already thought of the reward?”
“As expected from Marquis-nim, you understand me.”
Like the Marquis said, Ark had already thought of the compensation. However, the reward of the individual you want to receive the arc as you can get. This was the reason why he emphasized that he was the CEO of Dark Eden. It was in order to get Ark’s desired reward. The reason was because he created the business in a hurry.
“I know you better now. I’d like to think you would make a fair bargain. And this is an official request from the galactic federation. Anyway, if it is reasonable then I will pay it out of my pocket.”
“Then……”
Ark approached with a coy expression. Marquis Martin looked at him with surprised eyes.
“That is what you really want?”
“Can you help me?”
“It is a bit complicated because it is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Domestic Affairs…..okay. If you obtain the results that the federation wants then I will settle it somehow. Do we have a deal?”
“There is just one more thing.”
“What?”
“Please gather my colleagues.”
“Are you referring to the soldiers who followed you on Beltana?”
“Yes, Marquis-nim saw the videos of Beltana so you would know. I would able to obtain the title of Beltana’s Hero thanks to their help. If my colleagues join me on Athamas’ battlefield then the odds of success will increase.”
“That isn’t a problem.”
Marquis Martin answered and quickly spoke to an adjutant in the rear. The adjutant nodded and replied.
“We came into contact with them a short while ago. All 10 people are waiting at the landing place.”
“That’s right.”
Marquis Martin laughed and looked at Ark. Ark felt a cold shiver at the laugh. Not only did he find Ark deep in the outlands, he also knew the exact location of the Royal Guards. This meant Marquis Martin had an information network beyond Ark’s imagination. Once again, he shouldn’t make an enemy of this NPC.
“So the bargain is concluded.”
An information window popped up after Marquis Martin’s words.
<Athamas’ Battlefield! (Agent Quest)>
You have received a special mission from Marquis Martin, an aristocrat of the galactic federation.
Currently the federal army on Athamas, the 2nd primary star of the Bellin constellation is having a hard time against the Rama. Furthermore, the Rama had built an antenna to jam the frequency of the federation’s Star Gate to prevent reinforcements from the Aschulat. Just like you’ve become Beltana’s Hero, the Rama also has a hero who played a role in many of their victories. If you successfully perform this mission then Marquis Martin will give you appropriate compensation.
Difficulty: A+
“Wait a minute!”
“Ark-nim, did you just receive a federation quest?”
At that moment Slayer and Leon jumped in. They both ran forward with red faces. After seeing the difference between the rich and poor, they were desperate to get some revenge for the commoners and drank the alcohol like it was water.
“That quest, can’t we share it as well?”
“You two?”
“Yes, if this is a federation quest then wouldn’t the compensation be enormous? Furthermore, we might even be able to get a hero title like Ark-nim. It is a request. Please share it with us as well!”
“But……”
Ark looked at Marquis Martin with an uncomfortable expression. Marquis Martin replied without thinking about it.
“What are you talking about? Of course you will go with Ark.”
“Ohh! You really are a noble of the federation! Did you recognize our skills with just a glance?”
Slayer and Leon said with elated looks. However Marquis Martin had other reasons for accepting both of them.
“This operation is in progress so it needs to be top secret. If the information gets out then advancing will be difficult. You’ve overheard this mission so you have no choice but to go with Ark.”
“What? Your words put me into a bad mood.”
“It doesn’t matter. We will be given huge compensation.”
“Compensation?”
Marquis Martin turned and smiled. His gaze was directed at the empty bottles Slayer was drinking.
“That is a bottle from Padron where they only produce 100 a year. Just one would cost 500 gold. That is the alcohol you guys drank. Did you think you wouldn’t need to pay for the 3 bottles you drank?”
“Eh? What are you saying? You mean the drinks aren’t free?”
“Do you think this is a commercial airship?”
Marquis Martin looked at them with ludicrous eyes.
“You have two choices. Go with Ark to Athamas. That commission will pay for the alcohol that you drank. Or you can be found guilty of theft and forcefully drafted to Athamas. The choice is up to you.”
They didn’t have a choice.
-You have received compensation in advance for the <Athamas’ Battlefield!> quest.
In the end, Leon and Slayer were forced to receive these drinks as compensation for the quest.
……As expected, it wasn’t wise to turn a NPC like Marquis Martin into an enemy. Therefore Slayer and Leon were forced to enter the war without receiving a penny in return. With Milan and Melina, that was 5 people secured.
“Dammit! If only you didn’t drink the alcohol!”
“Shut up! You drank 2 of the 3 bottles!”
“Huk huk huk, liquor is my enemy!”
They had to listen to Slayer and Leon’s drunkenness for the rest of the flight. Finally the airship crossed the Outlands and arrived at Tatuine.
Syu syu syu syu syu.
“Hyung-nim!”
10 people came running as soon as the airship’s doors opened. They were Mellin, Hegel and the rest of the Royal Guards. Their skins were extremely tanned and thin in the month and a half since they arrived back in Nephalim. In contrast to their slim bodies, their eyes were extremely sharp. It was the look that showed the result of the Silver Hand’s hell training!
‘It is more than I expected.’
This look was what Ark desired. He could confirm the results of the hell training with just one look.
“This mission is to take care of the Red Slaughterer?”
The Royal Guards were puzzled after Ark explained the mission. They had been prisoners on the battlefield so they had heard of the Red Slaughterer. However they weren’t puzzled for a long time.
“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is!”
“What is dying one more time?”
“When compared to what we experienced, death is…..”
“Following you is better than being with the Silver Hand!”
The Royal Guards weren’t scared anymore after their hellish training. They were 10 warriors who weren’t afraid of death. He also had the 2 level 80 warriors bought with 3 bottles of booze as well as Melina and Milan. Including Ark, a party of 15 people was created. The party was then sent to the federation’s armoury.
“This is a formal request from the galactic federation. If necessary then you can hire these weapons and armour to use during the mission. Please select it using the necessary discretion.”
Marquis Martin said as he pointed to the variety of weapons and armour that filled the armoury. As expected, their treatment changed after receiving a formal request. When they were prisoners, they had to starve and die while now they could rent supplies worth 9,900 gold for free. However it didn’t have special significance to Slayer, Leon or Melina. The armoury was stocked with all sorts of equipment of different levels but they were basically items that were mass produced. The standard equipments were general class products. It was meaningless for users who had magic or higher class equipment. Ark was the same as well. He possessed the unique Heir’s Sword and magic Fire Eagle. His armour also had a magic rating. While the defense might be slightly lower than the level 80 general items, there were special bonuses attached so he saw no reason to change them.
‘But the supplies are free!’
-<Fire Bullet for Shotgun: Lv.2>×100, <Freezing Bullet for Shotgun: Lv.2>x100, <Grenade: Lv.2>×30…..
Ark swept the Lv. 2 expensive bullets and grenades into his bag. Meanwhile the Royal Guards replaced their equipment. The beggar like Royal Guards now looked like soldiers from the federation. Of course his bag was popping open! Ark had filled it tightly with free supplies.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 85
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 5,820 Adventure 720
Mana 325
Health 2,450 (+65) Mental Power 1,300 (+315)
Strength 210 (+33) Agility 295 (+36)
Stamina 375 (+13) Wisdom 40 (+8)
Intelligence 190 (+63) Luck 55 (+3)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 6,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
-Equipment Information Window-
Weapon: <Heir’s Sword (Strength +20, Agility +20, Attack Speed +10%>, Fire Eagle P-40 (Push effect)>
Armour: <Hyde Helmet (Camouflage Function)>, <Bhurad’s Energy Shield (Strength +3, Stamina +3>, <Harkenion Armour (Agility +10, Close combat damage reduced by 10%)>, <Pioneer’s Leather Pants (Environmental damage reduced by 15%)>, <Pioneer’s Boots (Environmental damage reduced by 5%)>
Jewellery: <Sheraton’s Dawn (Intelligence +45, Mana recovery rate +30%)>
Accessories: <Charenjok’s Token: Lv 2>, <Cheksun’s Toolbox>, <Recovery Ampoule>, <Battle Suit-Hyper Drone: Lv 1>
His character and equipment inspection was OK. Once they finished the preparations, the party took the elevator to an underground hangar.
“The portal to circumvent the Aschulat’s synchronization won’t last for long. Hurry! I will explain the situation to the commander.”
Marquis Martin said in front of the turbulent blue light of the Star Gate. There was no reason to delay any longer.
‘Red Slaughterer! Here I come!’
Ark plunged into the turbulent Star Gate without hesitation. Ark’s body was broken down into small particles and sent towards Athamas. 14 lights followed him and crossed the vast universe.
———————————————————————————-
“The Gigantic has appeared in C-13!”
“Squads 5 and 6 in that area have been wiped out!”
“Enemy tanks have been found in area B-19, the defense is requesting support troops!”
“Drop C-3 bombs in that area at my command. 3, 2, 1, launch!”
The control room of the federation army on Athamas. The number of soldiers mobilized on this battlefield was no joke. There were 10,000 combatants committed! They were facing dozens of tanks, Gigantics and the Rama warriors. Therefore the soldiers at headquarters looked like zombies due to a lack of sleep. The soldiers fighting looked even shabbier. However they had no time to take a break. The federation already had Hanan taken away so Athamas was their last resort. If Athamas was taken by the Rama then the remaining planets would disappear. Of course, this was a war so they were prepared for this.
But there was one person sitting with a relaxed posture in the command room. It was Ark. It had been 3 hours since he entered Tatuine’s Star Gate and reached Athamas. Despite arriving in a hurry, Ark had just sat in a corner of headquarters. There were no soldiers who could complain about Ark’s attitude. They knew that Ark and the 14 warriors gathered at headquarters were there to take the mission. That mission was…..
“Ark!”
Then a cry resounded through the command room. Ark opened his eyes.
“I finally got the position!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, the Red Slaughterer. There he is!”
This was why Ark was sitting in the command room. Ark and his companions hadn’t been sent to Athamas to help the soldiers. Ark was dispatched here to tie up the main axis of the Rama’s offense, the Red Slaughterer! He had been preparing for this.
“The 3rd guerrilla unit leader Baras sent us a report that he is located 150 km from C-17. Based on the situation, he won’t be able to hold them there long. The time will be 5 minutes maximum.”
“Are you ready?”
“Of course. We’ve been ready since we arrived.”
“Then let’s go.”
Ark stood up and replied. The Royal Guards, Slayer, Leon, Melina and Leon also stood up. They rode the elevator to the roof of headquarters were gun turrets 20 metres in size were lined up. It was a turret for support but right now it wasn’t loaded with shells. A capsule that a person could enter was within.
“This will take you to your destination.”
Commander Hasullo pointed to the open capsule. Right now 90% of the planets in Bellin were unable to launch any aircrafts. The main reason was due to the weapon called Dark Star. Dark Star was an artificial satellite created to intercept any flying vehicles. The Rama and federation had scattered a number of Dark Stars among Bellin’s 12 planets so neither side could use aircrafts. In other words, aircrafts couldn’t be flown to the battlefield.
The turret was developed as an alternative! It scattered the electrons to produce a range of 500 km. The electromagnetic field produced by the scattered electrons meant it wouldn’t be intercepted by the Dark Star. And soldiers could fly 500 km away at the speed of a bullet while remaining intact inside the capsule. This was why Ark was waiting in headquarters!
“Ark!”
Hasullo grabbed Ark’s shoulder.
“You’ve heard the communication in the control room so I don’t need to explain how serious this situation is. Or how important this operation is. You will be launched at the same time that the soldiers participating in the operation will move. If you fail……”
“We will do our best.”
“……Please.”
Ark entered the capsule.
Kwajijijiji! Pepepepeng!
The electrons scattered and sparks flew as the capsule was fired. It was literally the speed of a projectile! Even though they received the body coating, it still became dark for a moment as they felt the gravity. They felt the pain of that gravity as they crossed the sky for a while. Then a message flashed on the monitor inside the capsule.
-There is 1 km left until the target area.
‘Pretty soon……’
Ark muttered with a nervous look. The message then changed to a warning.
-Shells flying in the direction of the capsule have been detected!
Your safety inside the capsule can’t be guaranteed if hit by these shells.
Escape quickly!
‘……Those guys!’
“Everybody escape from the capsule!”
Ark shouted as he pulled a handle inside the capsule. At that moment, the capsule dissolved into Chaff. At the same time, Ark’s seat was separated from the capsule and started falling at a huge velocity. If he hit the ground then he would be smashed!
“Vehicle control! Jet!”
Hwaaaaack!
Flames appeared from the jets underneath his seat and his falling speed decreased. Ark landed safely thanks to the jet equipment and released the seat belt before shouting.
“We’re not far from the enemy. Gather quickly!”
The surrounding bushes shook and the members gathered around Ark. There were 14 people including Ark.
“Okay. Fortunately we didn’t lose anyone. Now…..”
Then the bushes dozens of metres away shook and a bunch of people appeared. They were soldiers wearing red armour. It was obvious by the colour alone who they were. The Rama warriors wearing red armour on Athamas were soldiers that the federation never managed to defeat. They were the Rama’s elite squad! Their leader was……
“The Red Slaughterer.”
Ark said in a low voice. The warrior in front wearing red armour turned around and slowly smiled.
–We finally meet Ark!
Space 2
Hero VS Hero (Part: 1)
Approximately 100 metres from Ark and the Red Slaughterer’s location in the forest. A mysterious man was watching them from the branches above. He was wearing dark armour and blended into the darkness.
“It is progressing like I thought.”
The man spoke in a low voice with a smile on his face.
“I’m sorry but I’m going to take this victory.”
The man quickly climbed down the tree like an agile cat. He carefully walked behind a bush and kicked the ground before nodding.
“Okay. I should finish this quickly.”
The surprising thing that the man took out……
———————————————————————————————–
The capsules exploded and scattered Chaff. The scattered powder looked like glittering lights covering the sky, giving the battlefield a fantastic atmosphere. However, the space below was tense and frozen. It was due to the soldiers divided into two sides! They were the Rama’s strongest squad and Dark Eden who represented the galactic federation. In other words, it was Ark’s troops versus the Red Slaughterer’s troops. They had stumbled across each other on the battlefield. Normally bullets and swords should be running rampant. But the two sides 30 metres away from each other didn’t move. It was because of the tension flowing between the Red Slaughterer and Ark. The Red Slaughterer scanned Ark with the infrared scope and opened his mouth first.
–Ark…..
He confirmed Ark’s name with the infrared scope. But Ark couldn’t confirm the name of the Red Slaughterer.
-#$#$%!##$.
The infrared scope displayed unknown characters. He was using special equipment to deliberately conceal his character name. That’s why the federation army had no choice but to call him Red Slaughterer.
‘There must be something if he bothered to hide his name on the battlefield……’
“Are you the one called Red Slaughterer?”
–The federation soldiers call me that.
“I wanted to ask you. Why did you send a challenge to me?”
–I wanted to check.
“Check? What?”
–Whether you are the ‘real’ Ark……
The Red Slaughterer’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Ark.
–So far I have seen many opponents with the same name on the battlefield. But I could tell right away. They have the same name but they’re not real. I want to meet only one Ark. Do you know who that is Answer me. Are you the real one?
“Why are you clinging to the name Ark?”
–I have a debt to repay.
“A debt to repay? Then you….really…..”
Ark stared at the Red Slaughterer.
“……Lucifer?”
Then the eyes of the Red Slaughterer flashed.
I found him! Ark!
“Answer! Are you really Lucifer?”
-Check it with your skills!
The red light from the Red Slaughterer’s beam sword rose up. Then there was the sound of someone firing the bullets at the Red Slaughterer from the bushes. The first one who reacted was Leon. The Red Slaughterer had been looking at Ark throughout the confrontation so Leon used the chance to fire his Rail Gun.
Tu tu tu tung-!
Blue rays crossed the darkness! The moment the projectile was about to hit the Red Slaughterer’s head, the red lightsaber struck it down. The deflected bullet changed direction and lodged in a tree.
“W-what is he? Blocking a bullet with the sword…..”
Leon stuttered at the incredible sight.
–Don’t interfere! This fight is between Ark and me.
The Red Slaughterer roared angrily.
–Red squad! Take care of those guys!
-Understood. Everybody prepare for battle!
The Red squad simultaneously lifted their beam swords. As expected from the core squad of the Rama army, their basic equipment was the beam sword. But Ark’s party had the support of the galactic federation. Although it wasn’t at the standard of the beam swords but they had changed their equipment in Tatuine’s armoury.
‘The opponent is the Rama’s strongest squad.’
The Red squad that caused countless despair to the federation army. Even if the Royal Guards went through the Silver Hand’s training, it would still be difficult for them to win. In addition, the Red squad had 20 people while the addition of Leon, Melina and Milan meant Dark Eden only had 13 people. It was an overwhelming disadvantage! However they knew this before coming here. In this battle victory or defeat wasn’t important. Marquis Martin and Commander Hasullo didn’t even want Ark to destroy the Red squad. They just wanted Ark and Dark Eden to hold the core power of the Rama army as long as possible. Ark had developed tactics focused on that part.
‘There is no reason to confront the Red squad!’
“Spread out!”
Tung, syu syu syu syu! Tung, syu syu syu syu!
At Ark’s command, the group dropped dozens of smoke bombs. The Royal Guard members, Milan, Melina and Leon scattered into the forest. The Red Slaughterer yelled with an annoyed expression.
–Chet, how petty. Keiko, I’ll leave those guys to you!
The dense smoke scattered at the bolt of blue light. Sparks flew as red and blue beams collided. Ark had emerged from the smoke.
“Your opponent is me!”
–Ark! Come!
A gleeful smile was on the Red Slaughterer’s face. At the same time, two beams of light clashed in the darkness.
———————————————————————————————-
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Hundreds of metres from the place where Ark and the Red Slaughterer clashed. 20 soldiers were crossing the forest while breathing harshly.
“Pant pant pant, hurry up! There is no time!”
“B-but…..”
“I know. We’ve been battling for several hours with no breaks and your fatigue is at the limit. But we’re the unit closest to the destination so we received the support order. Several Rama units are chasing us so if we don’t hurry then it will become difficult.”
Despite saying this, the heard of the blond man was rough and unstable. However that wasn’t due to running through the bushes. His heart was wavering because of a name! Ark! The man was deeply embedded in his head! The reason he started Galaxian was to meet Ark. He had deliberately committed a crime to join the prisoners to meet up with him.
……It was useless. While the blond youth had been sent to Hanan, Ark had returned to Istana as Beltana’s Hero. Since then the young man tried to escape from the prisoner status but another wall was in front of him. The Rama Hero, the Red Slaughterer! He was drafted to Hanan where the federation troops were smashed by the Red Slaughterer and the Rama. It was impossible for the prisoners to build up achievements in that situation. No, he tasted death too many times at the hands of the Red Slaughterer.
‘But those deaths weren’t in vain.’
He had been hurt a long time ago and it was difficult for him to even walk to the capsule. That was true even in the game. Therefore his progress in meeting Ark was delayed. The doctor said it was the limit of his physical strength. But his thoughts were different.
‘Is it my fate to not meet Ark?’
He couldn’t get past the situation. As a result he lost his motivation. However that changed when he met the Red Slaughterer. No, he realized something after hearing the Red Slaughterer’s words. He recognized what a powerless existence was.
‘Why am I trying to meet Ark? Is it to show him this body? To buy his sympathy? No! I can’t explain properly why I want to meet him. But meeting in this state doesn’t mean anything. Yes, the important thing isn’t meeting him but how I meet him.’
The blond youth clenched his teeth. He made an effort to get stronger inside the game and out.
‘It is impossible to overcome my physical obstacles at the moment. It will be difficult to catch up with other users with swordplay. Therefore I have to only focus on marksmanship from now on!’
A battlefield was a good training ground for him. He polished off his marksmanship day and night during the war and developed incredible skills. It was the essence of marksmanship, quick fire shooting! He intensively trained in shooting with his right hand. Thanks to his skills, he received the nickname Rapid and became the leader of a unit despite being a prisoner. And he steadily built up his achievements until he could finally be pardoned. Yet he was told a shocking message by headquarters just now.
–This is transmitted to the whole army. Ark, the hero of Beltana has arrived at Athamas and is taking care of the Red squad in area C-17. Ark will soon take on the Red Slaughterer. Units 13, 15, 45 and 46 should move to the areas next to C-17 to support Ark. The remaining troops will retreat to the designated locations and wait for the next order. I repeat. This is an order . The federation army……
There were more troops sent to Athamas than Hanan. There were many reasons why but the Red Slaughterer had a decisive influence. The morale of the Rama had soared after Hanan. And their hero was the Red Slaughterer. Thanks to the Red squad destroying the federation soldiers, their morale soared even more. Therefore headquarters had searched for an alternative……
‘That is Ark!’
The blonde youth’s heard fluctuated wildly. Ark was also on this battlefield. Moreover, he was the leader of unit 46 that was ordered to support him!
‘I can meet him! There’s only a few hundred metres left and I can meet Ark!’
His emotions were repressed while he was fighting on Athamas but he couldn’t hold it back anymore now that he knew Ark was several hundred metres near him. His eyes were fixed on the forest 1 km away. It was the place where Ark and the Red Slaughterer were fighting!
“Captain-nim, it is dangerous!”
A soldier following behind the blond youth shouted. A small metal sphere was thrown the moment he broke through the bush.
“A land mine! Everybody get down!”
Pepepepeng, pepepepeng!
The red sensor on the sphere went off and it exploded. The blast pushed the blond youth back several metres before he got up. Meanwhile the soldier who received the explosion instead of the blond youth was covered in blood.
“Medic! It is an emergency!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The blond youth cried out just as a hail of bullets fired at him. The forest was saturated with Rama warriors.
“Damn, it’s an ambush! All members look for cover and be alert!”
The blond youth shouted as he hid behind a tree. Then leaves fell from above his head. When he flinched and looked up, a Rama warrior was falling towards him with a dagger.
–Die you federation dogs!
And the moment the dagger was about to hit his neck!
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Three gunshots shook the forest. The Rama warrior went flying back from shots to his shoulders and forehead. This was why the blond youth was known as Rapid! He fired his gun at a speed that was difficult to see. Even if the distance was 100 metres, his hit rate was 100% accurate. The Rama warrior was turned into a honeycomb as the blond youth continuously fired.
‘I have no time to be caught in a place like this!’
“All troops, take cover!”
The blond youth threw a wooden pole and yelled. There was gunfire and the wooden fragments flew all over the place. However, the blond youth’s eyes moved like a machine and identified the location of the sparks in the darkness. It was the places where the Rama warriors were hiding!
‘There is one guy behind the tree at 3 o’clock! Another two on top!’
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The cylinder of his automatic pistol moved and fired the bullets powerfully. The gunshots hit the enemy’s head without a doubt. Even if it was a long range weapon, a gun was different from the bows in medieval ages. It was a weapon that could kill the enemy by moving just one finger. This was the primary reason why the blond youth chose the gun as a weapon. There was a disadvantage of course. Most soldiers used shields, making the damage of the gun weaker than melee weapons. However, he had the ability to compensate for this. It was the hit rate that he trained night and day! The headshots occurred thanks to that.
‘I have only this!’
The blond youth experienced countless deaths on the battlefield and now he only aimed for headshots.
-Headshot-III!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 200% damage>
And he finally obtained Headshot-III! A normal headshot dealt 50% more damage. The blond youth didn’t have time to wait for support from his unit and continued taking out the enemies. Naturally the Rama weren’t just sitting there politely. They were wildly shooting machine guns, using shields or throwing grenades.
Tang! Tang! Pepepeng!
He could intercept the grenade with just a gun. However, one pistol couldn’t fend off all those attacks! The blond youth’s body became bloody thanks to the numerous Rama warriors. However…..
‘Ark is right in front of me! I can’t stop here!’
“Don’t disturb me! I’m going to kill everyone who tries to stop me!”
The blond youth roared like a wounded predator.
———————————————————————————————-
“Pant…..pant…..”
In the dark forest where there was a smoke screen. The man with a large body leaned against a tree gasping. Dozens of bullet wounds and cuts from swords could be seen on his grey skin. His name was Cupa. His large size indicated he was from the Tobil clan. But his injuries looked so serious that it was hard to expect him to recover. No, it was a miracle he was still breathing.
–What great tenacity.
A man approached him. Holding a machine gun in one hand and a lightsaber in the other, it was the Rama warrior Keiko. He was the leader of the Red squad.
–So far I’ve dealt with numerous federation soldiers but this is the first time I’ve encountered someone like you.
The Red Slaughterer was famous but he had also killed numerous federation soldiers. However he had never seen a federation soldier worth paying attention to. The federation soldiers were just targets to be killed. But this time was different.
‘Who is this guy?’
For the first time, Keiko was curious about an enemy. Cupa wasn’t particularly stronger than the federation soldiers. He wasn’t stronger than the other soldiers that had died from his hands. However he had something more.
……About 10 minutes ago.
‘Those stupid guys just came here to die.’
Keiko thought as he entered the forest after Ark dropped a smokescreen. Athamas was a planet covered in dense forest. The Rama were a warlike species who inherited the DNA of their ancestors. They were a species who received bonus abilities in the mountains or forests and the Red squad were the elite of the Rama warriors.
‘Stupid federation bastards. They used Chaff to block any communication to reinforcements yet they chose to confront us in a place like this.’
They could exterminate these guys in 10 minutes tops. Keiko never thought it would take longer than that. However that idea changed once they actually started fighting.
‘This guy…..he’s not the normal type!’
Ark’s troops were different from the normal federation soldiers. Their skills weren’t particularly better. If they were normal than Keiko would’ve defeated this guy in 10 minutes like planned. However Keiko had been unable to defeat Cupa over the last 10 minutes. The reason was simple.
‘This guy, this isn’t the first time he’s fought in a forest. He is just as familiar as the Rama about ow to use a tree or bush to battle. This isn’t a level that can be achieved through training. These skills can only be learnt by overcoming crisis. But the scary thing is……’
Tenacity! His body was riddled with bullets! He latched onto the enemy despite the sword shredding his skin! This was what aroused Keiko’s interest. Keiki stepped closer to the dying Cupa and asked.
–What? Why are you fighting so fiercely? Your loyalty to the galactic federation?
“The federation…..loyalty…..kukuku……how funny.”
Cupa laughed with lips stained with blood.
“Federation…..it doesn’t matter if it falls or not…..it doesn’t matter.”
-Then what?
“You…..won’t understand…..”
Cupa looked up at Keiko and laughed. He recalled the last month and a half with the shadow of death hanging over him.
———————————————————————————————-
Once again, the Royal Guards had served in the Beltana war as prisoners. Of course their levels and skills were inferior to regular troops. The Royal Guards had grown thanks to their training with the Silver Hand. They had been sold to the Silver Hand to secure the agent registration fee. Every hour of the last month and a half was an adventure that pulled them close to death. They raised their stamina, gymnastic ability, reflexes and courage through their close encounters with death……
Of course, this didn’t mean that their levels rose. Nevertheless, there was a reason Ark chose to have them train with the Silver Hand. If it could be briefly described……
Whenever a user gained a level, they received 10 bonus points that they could invest into any stat they wanted. But the NPCs didn’t have the same freedom as a user. They gained 10 bonus points but the stat raised was random. Of course, if they were warriors then it was highly likely for strength or stamina to increase. If the warrior was unlucky then they would gain points in wisdom or luck. If they were really unlucky then a level 100 warrior would only have 200 points in strength while the rest were invested in X stats. That’s why most NPCs had lower stats then users despite receiving the same bonus.
However, there was still a solution. NPCs couldn’t choose what stat to invest in but there were ways to increase the probability of certain stats. The method was surprisingly simple. If NPCs trained in a certain ability than it would climb. Of course, that was more difficult than it seemed. A person had to train more than others in weight lifting or study harder than others if the NPC wanted to raise that particular stat. This was the core of the training program that Ark created.
The PT exercises that lasted several hours……
-Your muscle strength has increased due to the continuous training in physical strength.
<The probably that the level up bonus will be invested in strength has increased>
It increased the changes of strength increasing! Spending a few days suffering from a fever in a bee infested cave……
-Your concentration has increased thanks to running around and escaping from the bees.
<The probably that the level up bonus will be invested in concentration has increased>
It increased concentration! Climbing up the cliff to receive a meal……
-Your stamina has increased from climbing the cliffs daily.
<The probably that the level up bonus will be invested in stamina has increased>
Their stamina increased! There was a reason for it. The result of their hell training meant the chances of a combat related stat would drastically increase! They were able to verify that after hunting in a dungeon with the Silver Hand. The warriors Ralph and Berad increased their strength and stamina every time they levelled up. Hedro, Reben, Konsed, Kalliben and Beleol increased their agility! Meanwhile Hegel and Mellin raised their intelligence! General NPCs increased their related stats by 3~4 points. However, the trained Royal Guards increased their respective stats by 6~7 points. This meant they became stronger than other NPCs. At the end of their terrible hell training, a miraculous physical modification was created.
But that wasn’t the real effect of the hell training. The physical modifications were an investment for the future. It would only exert its power once they reached a certain level. The Royal Guards had only gained 10 levels after their training with the Silver Hand so it didn’t have a significant effect yet. There was another reason why the Red squad members were perplexed. The members who had experienced hell more terrible than death……
———————————————————————————————-
“Kukuku…..I’m not afraid of death!”
Cupa who had become like a bloody rag laughed. A madness that didn’t fear death!
“You know…..the pain I went through compared to this…..death…..it is nothing. I fear only one thing…..going back to that hell…..to do that, we have to show Hyung-nim that we’ve become stronger. So…..even if my whole body is torn apart and I die…..I can’t look helpless!”
This was the reason why the Royal Guards were fighting so desperately. They had to show Ark they didn’t need the hell training anymore. Death meant nothing in the face of possibly returning to the Silver Hand for several more months. Compared to that, death was nothing!
“Hahaha! Ark hyung-nim, hurray!”
Then Cupa raised his head and rushed forward. Then Keiko noticed the piece of iron in Cupa’s hand. It was the safety pin of a grenade!
-T-this….!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Keiko reflexively retreated and fired the machine gun blindly at Cupa. Fresh blood flew out of the tattered Cupa. However Cupa crawled on the ground and approached Keiko. It was this. This dreadful tenacity! This was the reason why the Red squad felt overwhelmed.
–This bastard!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Keiko moved back the moment the grenade exploded. Keiko rolled along the ground and confirmed his health when he got up. He received some damage but fortunately he still had 30% health left. However, Keiko showed no signs of anger as he looked at Cupa’s corpse. The sentiment seen in his eyes was admiration!
–That is a very fearful obsession. I’ve been on many battlefields but this is the first time I’ve encountered a soldier like you. Even a pioneer who can revive with the Fairy isn’t so casual about the possibility of death. To laugh in the face of death, he is a true warrior. As a fellow warrior, I pay respect to your tenacity and bravery!
Keiko saluted Cupa’s corpse. It was a homage paid between enemies!
–They aren’t cowardly soldiers. I’m not sure what he meant but they are clearly fighting due to their loyalty to Ark.
One thing was certain. It was very different from what Keiko thought. Keiko looked at the direction where the red and blue lights were clashing with a conflicted expression.
-Captain-nim’s eyes weren’t wrong. It is clear that Ark is the federation’s strongest warrior. The people following him believe he is the strongest warrior so they don’t even fear death!
A sigh flowed from Keiki’s mouth.
–Ah, I’m envious of Captain-nim. It is the highest honour for a Rama to fight the strongest warrior. Obviously Captain-nim who is fighting in this battle will feel a great satisfaction…..
It wasn’t just him who had this idea. The Red squad members scattered all over the forest while fighting the Royal Guards were thinking the same thing. As for the Red Slaughterer who was the object of their envy…..
———————————————————————————————-
‘What? This?’
……He was baffled. He had finally discovered Ark’s presence. Thus the Red Slaughterer had been expectant when confronting Ark. The name was Ark but he wasn’t sure it was the genuine one. However, he was convinced of it after a few words from Ark at the beginning of the battle. The moment he had been waiting for had finally came he thought. His fighting spirit was kindled! But confusion was the only thing the Red Slaughterer felt after10 minutes.
‘Is this really Ark?’
The question didn’t disappear from his head throughout the fight. He knew Ark. No, any gamer would know. He was the gamer recognized as the strongest user in New World. His ability was recognized and he even became a director in the game publishing company. He was already a legend in South Korea’s gaming world. But the Red Slaughterer didn’t know him through his reputation. He had direct experience against Ark. So he knew. He knew how strong a user Ark was. He had experienced Ark’s strength first hand. But the Ark in front of him didn’t feel that strong.
‘Perhaps he hasn’t gained a lot of levels yet?’
That was one possibility. And he could feel the level difference through the sword. However, it wasn’t simply a matter of level difference. While level increased, the basics such as strength and agility also increased. But that didn’t always mean the users’ skills increased. It wasn’t just power behind the sword swings or the high agility to avoid attacks. The important thing was the users’ battle sense to take advantage of their capabilities. That was the charm of a virtual reality game! Even if level could influence victory or defeat, it was nothing without the user’s ability to take advantage of it. But Ark’s sword movements felt like a complete beginner. He felt like a completely different user.
…..It was still the same even now.
“Damn! Take this!”
Ark ran forward wielding his lightsaber. However the orbit of the sword was obvious. It was such a trivial attack that the Red Slaughterer couldn’t believe it was Ark. No, he didn’t want to believe it. However he couldn’t deny that the Ark in front of him was the ‘real’ one. That’s because only Ark would know the contents of the conversation they had before the battle.
‘For my rematch against this guy to be like this……!’
Flames soared in the Red Slaughterer’s heart. That anger exploded through the red lightsaber.
Snap, pajijijik!
The red light collided with the blue and a shockwave occurred. Ark was pushed by the shock wave and ended up on one knee. Ark had even activated his battle suit soon after the fight begun. The Red Slaughterer only had his body. Yet the battle was still one sided. Anger was in the Red Slaughterer’s eyes as he looked at the powerless form of Ark.
–How disappointing Ark. You only have this much?
“Shut up, you bastard!”
Ark got to his feet and thrust his sword again. But the sword wielding Ark was no longer a threat. The Red Slaughterer blocked all of Ark’s attacks and hit his wrist with the hilt of his lightsaber. It was the Red Slaughterer’s skill to disarm the enemy! It was a highly technical skill and the success difficult to achieve. The lightsaber fell from Ark’s hand towards the ground.
“D-dammit!”
Ark burst out and tumbled to pick up the sword. No, he was about to pick it up when the Red Slaughterer placed a knee on his stomach. It was a completely one sided match! There was no doubt that the difference between the Red Slaughterer and Ark was like between an adult and child.
“Cough! T-this is impossible…..”
–This is it. The rematch I dreamt about so badly was this pathetic.
The Red Slaughterer said coldly as he placed his sword to Ark’s neck. Ark only had 5% health left. The outcome was obvious.
“Damn, who are you?”
Ark shouted the moment the Red Slaughterer’s sword went up.
–I won’t tell you my name. And now you’ll never know. I won’t send a challenge to someone like you anymore. Rest assured and die.
The red beam descended towards his neck!
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Shots rang out from the darkness. The Red Slaughterer reflexively activated a shield and turned his body. 2 of the bullets bounced off the shield but the 3rd one hit his shoulder. The Red Slaughterer took a few steps back and raised his head.
–Ugh, someone dared interfere…..you…..
The Red Slaughterer gazed towards the forest. The man was shaking and his whole body showed fatigue. It was a face he remembered. He was the blond youth who persistently stuck to him on Hanan, the warrior that the federation soldiers called Rapid.
-……Another one?
The Red Slaughterer glared at the blond youth. However the blond youth didn’t even look at the Red Slaughterer. He was staring at Ark with spellbound eyes.
“A-Ark?” Really…..you’re Ark?”
-Get lost! This isn’t the place for you!
The Red Slaughterer flew towards the blond youth. The blond youth belatedly noticed and tried to block but the red sword had already cut his thigh. However the blond youth pulled his trigger as he was falling. 3 bullets shot towards different vital spots! It was skill that the Red Slaughterer couldn’t ignore.
-Sheesh, this guy!
Two bullets were stopped by the shield while the other one changed trajectory because of the lightsaber. He turned around and saw the blond youth throwing a grenade. The moment the Red Slaughterer was about to split apart the grenade with a lightsaber, he once again fired his gun. The bullets penetrated through the darkness and exploded the grenade.
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The unexpected explosion pushed the Red Slaughterer back. Then the blond youth ran with a limping leg and shouted.
“Now Ark! Your sword! You can’t die in a place like this!”
–I said this isn’t the place for you to interfere!
Tung!
The Red Slaughterer crossed the space like a bullet. Then the red sword was thrust through the blond youth’s chest. The blond youth flew back and moaned.
“U-unbelievable…..”
Ark had the lightsaber in front of him. However the sword once again fell from the Red Slaughterer’s consequent attacks. And the sword that was lost in the struggle rolled underneath the Red Slaughterer’s feet. It was like a cat treading on a miserable rat. The Red Slaughtered coldly glanced at Ark and the blond youth.
–Rapid, you came here to help this guy but…..look at him. This is the reality of the Ark who you held up as a hero. Isn’t it disappointing? But I feel an even bigger disappointment that you can’t even fathom.
The Red Slaughterer was talking but it just sounded like ‘#$!##@#$@##$!##$!#!##’ to the blond youth. His eyes were looking at Ark and he couldn’t hear anything. Ark’s helpless look was shocking. The blond youth got up with trembling legs and shouted.
“Ark, no! You….you can’t have such an expression on your face! Wake up!”
–It is impossible. This guy isn’t who you think he is. Now I have no more regrets about the name Ark. He is just one of many federation players. Armour armament!
The Red Slaughterer looked down at the struggling Ark and said. The space warped and armour like objects appeared. The armour that looked like a living creature wrapped around the Red Slaughterer’s body. It was the Rama’s battle suit! However this battle suit was different from Ark’s. The battle suit had sharp horns attached to it!
–As a last gift to the user I once thought about, I’ll show you why I’m called the Red Slaughterer. Come out! Kusankya’s secret arts, Hwaryun’s Extermination!
Wiiiii!
Light circulated intensely above the Red Slaughterer’s head. Dozens of wheels were spinning fiercely! The wheels shot in two directions towards Ark and the blond youth. The blond youth hurriedly grabbed his pistol and raised it vertically.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The wheel impacted with the barrel and caused sparks. Once several wheels piled up, the pistol collapsed into small pieces. It made an unearthly noise as the wheel scratched continuously against his skin. The blond youth’s health was already low after breaking through the numerous Rama warriors to reach here. The blond youth was instantly shredded apart by the wheels. The body was torn into small pieces. But the blond youth was still looking at Ark in his last moments. The wheels had headed towards a fleeing Ark’s head! Ark fell as the wheel hit the back of the Hyde Helmet and broke it. Ark was pitiable until the very end.
-……How empty.
The Red Slaughterer said with a bitter voice. Then he frowned as he looked at Ark.
–What? Why is this guy?
The Red Slaughterer knew Ark’s face. He remembered the face from the days in New World. Ark’s face was also exposed through the mass mediate after he became Beltana’s hero. And the face the Red Slaughterer had been fighting was definitely Ark. But a completely different face appeared once the Hyde Helmet was split apart.
–D-don’t tell me this is the Hyde Helmet?
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Then he heard a yell from the rear. The Red Slaughterer reflexively turned around and confusion spread on his face. Dozens of blue swords flashed before his eyes. The Red Slaughterer hurriedly lifted his left arm.
–This! Shield!
Kakakaka! Kakakaka!
Dozens of blades scratched against the shield. The Red Slaughterer felt a tremendous pressure and took a few steps back. After he was pushed back 10 metres, the Red Slaughterer’s shield broke.
–Kuak! Heat Wave!
A red aura emerged from the Red Slaughterer’s body. There was a visible burn in the ground every time he took a step. The swords were broken by the aura he dispersed.
–Who are you?
“Me?”
The Red Slaughterer was looking at a man walking out of the forest. He was holding a blue lightsaber in front of him. The man grinned and said.
“Ark.”
Space 3
Hero VS Hero (Part: 2)
According to law, the soldier’s equipment depended on their field of expertise. Therefore the federation’s armoury in Tatuine was divided into several sections. Rifles and swords, defence items for assaulters, pistols and daggers in the scout section, various communications equipment and support packs…..and there was a section for spies.
-Hyde Helmet
Item type: Helmet
Wearer Restriction: Level 31 (Body Coating Required)
Defense: 5 Durability: 30/30
A helmet that covers the entire face. This looks like a normal helmet but a special feature has been added. There is a special coating on the glass front so the opponent can’t see your face. It also prevents all infrared scopes from detecting your name by setting a different character name. If you want to do bad things! If you want to hide your name! The Hyde Helmet is the best choice for a coward like you.
* If you commit a crime then the chaotic value will be applied to your original name.
<It is possible to change the name the opponent can see>
He found the Hyde Helmet there! Thus he thought of a plan.
“Huh?”
Slayer’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean? I should be Ark-nim?”
“You heard me. Slayer-nim should wear the Hyde Helmet with my name and face.”
“Why should I?”
“It is an opportunity.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“We received the quest from Marquis-nim but we still don’t know the situation on Athamas. If we just turn up on the battlefield then we won’t be able to grasp the situation. Slayer-nim is experienced but you might fall into an unforeseen trap. Then shouldn’t someone observe the enemy and the situation in order to complete the quest? Slayer, Leon and Melina had no military experience while the rest of my men are NPCs so only I’m eligible.”
However, the Red Slaughterer had challenged Ark. Ark needed to be there in order to attract the Red Slaughterer’s attention. Then he thought of something after seeing the Hyde Helmet. It was to make Slayer into ‘Ark-II!’
“Why me of all people?”
“The Red Slaughterer sent me a challenge so he knows about me to some extent. He would’ve obtained data from the Rama who fought me on Beltana. So he’ll know that I’m a warrior who uses a gun and sword.”
This was the reason he chose Slayer. The Royal Guards were NPCs. Melina was a female healer so she couldn’t even be considered and Leon was a firearms specialist. Slayer was the only warrior candidate.
“But can I really deceive him?”
“You can trick him. I’ll give Slayer-nim the word to make him believe you.”
“A word?”
“Lucifer.”
“Lucifer? What is that?”
“It is like a password. Anyway, if the Red Slaughterer is who I think he is then he will react to that word. This is the evidence that you are me.”
Ark said with a smile. However Slayer scratched his head with an unconfident expression.
“I understand what you’re saying. But I don’t know if I can accomplish……”
“The only person I can request from is Slayer-nim. And didn’t you say it a short time ago? This is your chance. They won’t just talk about you on the battlefield. This is Slayer-nim’s chance.”
“Huh? My chance?”
“Didn’t you want to be a hero on the airship?”
Ark approached Slayer and whispered.
“Slayer-nim, listen to me. The Red Slaughterer is known as the Rama’s hero. That person sent me a challenge so it is possible to have a 1 on 1 fight with him. In other words, if Slayer-nim disguises as me then you’ll have a chance to fight the Rama’s hero. And if you knock that guy down…..”
“I-if I win?”
Slayer swallowed his saliva and asked. Ark looked at Slayer and laughed.
“The birth of Slayer, Athamas’ Hero.”
“A-Athamas’ hero!”
“Do you remember when I used the Hyde Helmet on Mt. Fargo? That was due to my celebrity status. After becoming Beltana’s Hero and being well known on the federation’s TV, I couldn’t walk around freely. The female users kept on surrounding me……”
“F-female users!”
“It was very annoying because I wasn’t interested but wouldn’t it be different if I liked someone? For example, a female user you have your eye on……”
“Cough! Hrmm hrmm. No, well…..”
Slayer glanced at Melina who was wandering around the section before looking away. Ark had noticed for a while that Slayer and Leon were uncomfortable around him. That’s because Melina had started to pay attention to Ark. It was because of this reason that Slayer and Leon participated in this quest in the first place. They thought Melina had a crush on Ark because of his ‘Beltana’s Hero’ status. Their levels and skills were similar to Ark so they thought they could also become war heroes if given the chance. Well even if that wasn’t the case, they were still sold for 3 bottles of alcohol. Anyway, Ark’s flattery was effective. The words ‘female users’ were a direct hit.
“Huhuhu, I’ll do it!”
Slayer firmly grasped Ark’s hand. And the user who dreamt of a rosy future…..
——————————————————————————-
Ark eyed the body near the Red Slaughterer’s feet. The dead body was covered in blood. It was an empty end for the user who dreamt of a rosy future.
‘Well I expected it to a certain extent but……’
He hadn’t expected Slayer to win. Even if he was a warrior, Ark was an offensive fighter while Slayer was a tank. This was the reason Slayer died so easily. He threw away his shield which was his main equipment and used the lightsaber in order to pretend to be Ark. Therefore he couldn’t exert his full power. However, there was another decisive reason for Slayer’s defeat.
‘This guy, he’s strong!’
He hadn’t received the title of Rama’s Hero for no reason. No one could obtain fame for free. If a user received that type of fame then obviously he would be strong. But the Red Slaughterer’s attack was beyond what Ark imagined.
‘Isn’t this obvious?’
The Red Slaughterer was convinced Slayer was Ark thanks to the dialogue. And Ark was sure he was Lucifer based on his reaction. If he was Lucifer then naturally he would be strong. Therefore it was natural for Slayer to die one-sidedly. Yet it was still helpful. Slayer still had the stamina of a tank so he lasted for 10 minutes.
‘Now it is my turn!’
The Red Slaughterer stared at Ark and opened his mouth.
-……In the end it was just a trick? I was confused but now it is easy to understand. But what is the proof that you’re really Ark?
“My skills.”
Ark tightened his grip on his sword. A blue light shot out from the hilt.
“I just want to ask you one thing Lucifer. What do you think is the ultimate goal?”
The Red Slaughterer narrowed his eyes at Ark’s question. However he then smiled and lifted his red lightsaber.
–I’m curious about your skills.
Tung!
The Red Slaughterer’s feet caused a hole in the ground. At the same time, the Red Slaughterer’s body shot forward like a projectile. A red afterimage trailed behind him.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
He lifted his sword and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. A lightsaber didn’t weigh a lot so it was hard to withstand a heavy iron sword. However the disadvantage disappeared with the explosive acceleration.
“Ugh!”
Ark retreated a few steps.
–Not yet! You haven’t proved it yet!
The Red Slaughterer chased after Ark. And he unleashed a shower of onslaughts. The first blow didn’t have the shortcomings of a lightsaber while the continuous attacks maximized the benefits of the lightsaber. Any other user wouldn’t be able to withstand those attacks. Because they couldn’t imagine such reckless attacks out of the blue. But the opponent was Lucifer. Therefore Ark’s concentration was already at the limit before the battle. Therefore his battle mode was ON!
“You don’t have to make so much noise……”
Ark said why dodging the Red Slaughterer’s arms.
–You fool, you want to die……
“Armour armament!”
Ark suddenly shouted. The space warped and armour sprung out around him. It was the battle suit that looked like an insect’s carapace, the Hyper Drone! The moment the Hyper Drone covered Ark’s body, it released a shockwave that pushed the Red Slaughterer back. Ark who had turned into a fully armoured warrior smiled and raised a finger.
“Bring it on. If you want it so badly then I’ll carve the name Ark into your body.”
–R-Rama battle suit? How do you…..?
“Do I have to explain it?”
–That’s okay. I’ll discover it by force.
“Ha, then you’ll never know.”
This time Ark was the one who attacked first. It was the same lightsaber as before but this time it was different. The battle suit increased all stats by 30%! Of course his physical abilities using the sword also increased. However there was more to the battle suit.
Snap, pajijijik!
Their shoulders shook as the two lightsabers clashed together. Then Ark raised the sword and kicked his foot as quick as lightning. The roundhouse kick caused the Red Slaughterer to go flying back! But this was a trick. The Red Slaughterer had jumped back the moment Ark kicked his chest. Yet he still felt the heavy blow down to his toes. This was the true meaning of Ark’s battle suit. Space monsters typically had skin harder than monsters in the medieval ages. Some monsters had such hard skin that steel bullets would find difficult to penetrate! On the other hand, Ark was wearing armour and shoes made of synthetic material. The material was created using state of the art science but it was still basically cloth or leather. Wouldn’t kicking a steel monster only fracture his foot?
This was true for an opponent wearing a battle suit. However that changed once Ark wore his battle suit. He wasn’t sure what material it was but the battle suit was incredibly hard. So it was okay for him to kick the opponent! Ark’s specialty was the use to taekwondo techniques.
“Heh, how is it?”
Ark turned around and smiled pleasantly. But the Red Slaughterer just laughed.
-Kukukuku.
“What? Did I hit you so hard that I created a hole in your lung?”
–This is it. Your kicks and the way you talk. Yes, this is the Ark that I remember.
“Ha, is that so? Did you become scared after remembering being beaten up by me?”
–It isn’t necessary to remember it. Because I’ll never forget it.
“I guess you were depressed.”
–I was until today.
The Red Slaughterer answered as he strode forward. No more words were needed now. They already knew each other’s identities and purpose. That purpose would be shown through their swords! Only the strong would accomplish their purpose.
–I’ll end this game here! Sword Detection!
The Red Slaughterer shot forward with his sword. The red light split through the darkness! However that red light soon encountered a blue one.
“Sonic Sword!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a ringing sound and dust rose. It swirled up like a whirlwind and dispersed. Sharp claws shredded through the cloud of dust and the Red Slaughterer came closer! The sword seemed to appear in front of Ark in moments.
‘This guy’s battle suit is agile!’
It explained the unusually fast movement. Speed faster than the opponent. Speed was definitely a weapon that wreaked havoc in combat. But that wasn’t absolute.
–It is foolish to chase after speed with your eyes. No human can see a sword. My sword can hit your eyes, feet, shoulders, anywhere I want.
This was what his sword master taught him. Ark was hit over and over and experienced it through his bones. For a long time…..he had forgotten the teachings of his mentor after reaching the ultimate position in New World.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
That spark revived through the conflict of lightsabers.
‘When I stop it has to be smooth. If I attack it has to be short and bold!’
Ark muttered and started using footwork. He stepped forward and started twisting his sword. The blue light that had been waving like a wild beast started flowing smoothly! The teachings that he suddenly remembered was manifested through his body. Ark’s blue sword started forming a brilliant pattern in the darkness. No movements were wasted.
–As expected from Ark!
The Red Slaughterer said with glee. And the red lightsaber also started to create a colourful pattern. It was like they were competing over who could create better patterns. However, the mood changed the moment the two lights conflicted.
Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Kwa!
There were continuous bursts of light! The two lights clashed without any breaks in the darkness. The beam swords unleashed unstable electromagnetic power every time it clashed. It felt like every hair on his skin was standing up. That feeling intensified with every clash of the sword.
Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Kwa!
This feeling! Ark was absorbed in the fight. He didn’t have any idea in his head. He didn’t even feel the pain as the red lightsaber cut his skin several times. The only thing he saw was the trajectory of the Red Slaughterer’s sword. And he would kick whenever there was a chance. He breathed carefully as he attacked and defended! But he couldn’t remain in that feeling forever.
‘……It is impossible.’
Ark and the Red Slaughterer’s skills were almost equal. However, Ark started being pushed once the battle continued for a long time. The reason why his level!
‘The Red Slaughterer must be at least 20 levels higher than me.’
This was due to spending time on the battlefield. If he died on the battlefield then he wouldn’t gain any experience. While the Red Slaughterer has killed dozens of people on the battlefield, Ark had kept on dying before he received the title of Beltana’s Hero. Of course, Ark had reduced his sleeping hours to spend more time in the game. However, he had spent the early stages of the game cleaning pipes on R-14 and digging on Beltana. He might be 10 levels higher than regular users but he couldn’t be compared to the Red Slaughterer. If their skills were higher than it was natural for the one with a higher level to have the advantage. That’s because they would deal more damage! Therefore it was more painful! But that wasn’t the only reason.
‘Damn, if only I could use Galaxy Sword…..’
Ark had few battle skills compared to his level. That’s because he learnt a lot of non-battle skills like hacking in the early stages and his body coating focused more on survival. It didn’t matter when fighting monsters but the lack of battle skills was a disadvantage against users. It’s because the opponent could figure out the effect of the skill. Of course, he learnt Khafra Fencing when he became Elim’s Heir but that required Force not mental power. Therefore Ark used meditation while waiting at headquarters to change mental power to 260 Force. Ark had used all that Force in the surprise attack. Well, he destroyed the Red Slaughterer’s shield thanks to that attack but he only had 10 Force left. Therefore Khafra Fencing was sealed after using Galaxy Sword. That’s why Ark had to use Sonic Sword that required mental power instead. The only skill he could use with his lightsaber was Sonic Sword. On the other hand, the Red Slaughterer……
-Detection!
The red lightsaber constantly attacked.
-Blood Sword!
The red lightsaber suddenly increased to dozens of swords!
–Dragon Sword Break!
Dragon Sword Break was a quick stab attack! The combat skills people would brag about constantly poured out. And Ark’s sword teacher didn’t show him how to deal with skills like this. Therefore his health decreased with every skill until it reached 10%. However the Red Slaughterer still had 40% health left. He couldn’t rely on luck against a user of a similar skill.
‘Any more is impossible. Then…..’
Kakak! Pepepeng!
Ark pushed against the sword and shouted.
“Damn, this is cheating!”
–Cheating?
“Indeed! Don’t you know? You’re much higher level than me. Your stats are higher so of course you’ll perform better. Fighting in such a situation wouldn’t be fair. Don’t you think it is a little cowardly?”
–This is a game. It is up to you to raise the level and learn skills. I can understand if the starting time is different but you started at the same time as me. If you have a lower level or fewer skills then it means you didn’t make an effort. So why are you talking about unfair?
The Red Slaughterer said with a ludicrous expression.
–This place is the battlefield. How can you talk about cowardice in a place like this? This is a warrior’s fight. Fight openly and die a warrior’s death.
“I don’t want to! Binding Sword!”
Ark shouted angrily and twisted his sword. The Red Slaughterer instantly raised his sword as a flash crossed the darkness. However, this wasn’t an attack skill but Binding Sword. It was a skill that tied up the enemy’s movement! The flash wound around the Red Slaughterer’s body.
-Your attack has hit the target!
<The enemy’s movements will be sealed for 2 seconds!>
The message popped up in front of him! Ark cried out as he ran into the forest.
“Sorry but I’m busy. I’ll see you later.”
It was the combo of Binding Sword and running away! This was the reason Ark felt an attachment to Binding Sword. He could escape when it was disadvantageous! Once again, Ark’s mission wasn’t to defeat the Red Slaughterer. It was to delay him while the federation army started their plan to reverse the military situation. He had already delayed him for a sufficient amount of time. He also checked that the Red Slaughterer was Lucifer. All his objectives were achieved so there was no reason to fight anymore. The Red Slaughterer’s expression became murderous at Ark’s combo.
–You cowardly wretch! You call yourself a warrior!
“Stop playing around. This is a battlefield. Anything can change in 1 second.”
The legendary gamer Ark said that while running away!
–I won’t miss!
2 seconds wasn’t a long time. The Red Slaughterer was soon freed and chased after Ark. Furthermore, the Red Slaughterer’s battle suit was fast so he instantly reduced the distance. And 1 minute after Ark entered the forest.
Kwakwang!
A tree in front of Ark started shaking. The pine tree received a huge dent after being hit by the Red Slaughterer. He had transferred his body using high speed technology and flew in front of Ark. But he had expected this!
–You will die…..
“18 Barrage!”
Ark shouted as he threw his body towards the Red Slaughterer. At the same time, steam spewed from his battle suit clad shoulders and his arms moved at an incredible pace. It was the deadly skill that poured our 18 rapid fire steel fists! There was no way to escape once hit.
“Dadadada!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark pumped his fists like a bulldozer! The Red Slaughterer hadn’t expected the surprise attack and his chest was turned to rags. So one hit, two hit, three hit, four hit…..finally all his fists were poured out!
“Pant pant pant!”
-The Hyper Drone’s mana has been exhausted.
<Hyper Drone will be recalled to its dimension and it can’t be summoned for another 10 hours>
The battle suit disappeared from Ark’s body. However…..
–Hu. Was this your last card?
The Red Slaughterer said as he looked at the gasping Ark. 18 fists had impacted with his chest but he only lost 10% health. The damage of 18 Barrage depended on the mana left in the battle suit. However, he had exerted too much power in the battle and the mana had been depleted. Ark was aware of this. That was the reason he chose to run away after using Binding Sword.
–Your battle suit has been recalled and you can’t compete anymore.
“You still don’t understand?”
Ark lifted his head and grinned. He raised his middle finger towards the Red Slaughterer and said.
“You’re already dead!”
It was the death sentence! The Red Slaughterer couldn’t imagine the upcoming horror…..
-……Are you crazy
“Heh, its fine if you don’t believe me. These hell hounds will guide you to hell. Hell hounds!”
Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark!
2 dogs ran out of the bushes towards the Red Slaughterer. They were dogs with the head of a person. While the Red Slaughterer was tied up with Biding Sword, he had invoked the Ikram rune when running away. The bodies offered were Slayer and the blond youth! They were dogs with the faces of the people the Red Slaughterer killed. He stepped back when the hell hound tackled him!
–Heok! W-what…..?
The Red Slaughterer burst out with confusion as he disappeared. Then a voice was heard from the bottom.
–Trap! S-surely not?
“Didn’t I tell you? You’re already dead.”
Ark looked down at the open hole in the ground and smiled. The Red Slaughterer was tangled up with the hell hounds in the ground.
‘My level isn’t sufficient to fight against the Red Slaughter 1 on 1. He also has a bunch of powerful Rama warriors with him.’
Ark’s mission wasn’t to kill the Red Slaughterer. But even if the federation’s strategy succeeded, Ark’s party would still be completely wiped out. Ark had no intention of letting that happen. So he thought desperately while waiting at headquarters and came up with this trap! While the Royal Guards lured the Red squad and Slayer was fighting the Red Slaughterer, Ark had remained in the forest to create this trap. He dug a hole at a location that wasn’t far away! By the time Slayer died, Ark had dug a hole 20 metres deep! This was due to his advanced digging.
–You cowardly wretch!
“You’re saying the same things again? Didn’t you say there are no cowardly acts on the battlefield?”
–I didn’t mean something like this! You should be ashamed!
“Do you think I would change my viewpoint? Didn’t you say it? Level and skill is also a strength. I admit it. But there is another way to win against the enemy. I diligently dug this hole and covered it. And then I acted in a drama and lured you here. Do you think that is easy? I’m not embarrassed but proud.”
–Don’t make me laugh! Do you think you can beat me with a trap like this?
The Red Slaughter shouted while taking out the hell hound with Slayer’s face. Ahh, Slayer……even when reincarnated as a dog…..the poor guy. But Ark was unmoved.
“Of course it would be difficult with just a trap.”
Ark laughed and took out a metal sphere into the trap. It was the grenade he collected from the federation armoury.
–T-this is?
“It is the devastating blow to send you to the afterlife. Please receive it carefully.”
Ark pulled out the grenade’s safety pin and waved goodbye.
–You…..you…..Ark!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a roar and the trap was engulfed in flames. The Red Slaughterer and hell hound were buried as the walls of the hole collapsed. Ark whistled as he took out his shovel and walked over.
And…..Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
He filled the hole completely with soil.
“Heh, Lucifer is no big deal.”
Ark laughed as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He felt an exhilarating feeling in his stomach. But the Lucifer-Red Slaughterer competition wasn’t finished with this. Lucifer’s goal wasn’t to win on this battlefield. The reason Lucifer sent the challenge was to verify his identity. Ark was also the same. He came to see Lucifer but he didn’t think this was the end of it. In Galaxian, Lucifer was a user with an immortal body so it wouldn’t end with just one fight. He won this battle but Lucifer was stronger than Ark. He couldn’t be pleased when considering the next battle.
‘From now on I have to increase my strength to stop Lucifer’s growth!’
Lucifer brought up power on the battlefield. In other words, Lucifer’s support base was the Rama!
‘The Rama already have Hanan so I can’t allow them to get Athamas!’
This was another reason to win the war. He couldn’t assume they would win even if he defeated Lucifer.
“Once you join the confluence area Scouts and should be operational.”
Ark fired the signal flare and took out his air board.
“Wait? The face of the blonde man on the hell hound seems slightly familiar……do I know him from somewhere? Well it doesn’t matter. Let’s go, Super Board!”
Wiiiii!
The air board crossed the forest. He left area C-17 that was covered in Chaff behind him.
Space 4
Flying the Federation’s Flag…..
“Rama assault units have broken through B-13, 15,19!”
“The 5th guerrilla unit in area B has been wiped out!”
“There are reports that a Rama army is advancing into area A! Our current troops won’t be able to hold out for long!”
“If the defense lines in area A collapsed then they will reach headquarters!”
“There is no more time to wait!”
The voices of the communication soldiers exclaimed hysterically. Let’s talk about the current situation of the federation army. Athamas and Hanan were the most fiercely contested planets in the Bellin constellation. The federation and Rama had already been there long enough to determine the location of the headquarters. The only thing left was to breakthrough! That’s why both sides had no choice but to pour extensive amounts of resources and compete day and night. However their armies were almost equal. Both sides couldn’t get a decisive chance to win and it became a war of attrition. Then they heard the Aschulat was going to enter the war.
‘If reinforcement arrives then we can change the military situation!’
The problem was the Rama also obtained this information. The Rama installed an antenna in area E to interfere with the synchronization between the Aschulat and federation’s headquarters. Then the Rama entrusted their key attacks to the Red squad. The Red squad was led by the Rama hero called the Red Slaughterer. The battles took place in the forests covering Athamas. And the Red squad boasted the invincible power of the Red Slaughterer! The federation units were quickly destroyed with their arrival. Just their existence was intimidating for the federation!
-The Red squad has entered this area with the Red Slaughterer!
The overwhelming fame! Just the name alone exerted a huge power on the federation soldiers.
‘Does the federation have a soldier that can deal with the Red Slaughterer?’
Then Beltana’s Hero Ark was sent to Athamas! However Ark didn’t seem that reliable to Hasullo. He was a war hero but Beltana’s battlefield was small compared to Athamas. He wouldn’t be able to get such achievements in a place like this. However the person who recommended them was Marquis Martin.
‘It is worth a try!’
No, he had no choice but to see. There was no way to reverse the military situation with the Red squad present. Therefore Hasullo decided on a life and death strategy while Ark was slowing down the Red Slaughterer. However things turned out more serious than expected. The federation had divided the battlefield into different grids. Headquarters was located in area A. Each grid was 50 kilometres. And the places where both sides collided were the C and D area. But the Rama had just broken through area B and had reached area A. They only needed to make 50 km to reach.
“Commander-nim, there are more of them! The news you just heard is already wrong! The Rama would reach headquarters by the time we recall our troops!”
“No, not yet…..a little more……”
“Commander-nim!”
The soldier shouted with an uneasy expression. Then the communication soldier watching the monitor spoke to Hasullo.
“The signal flare has risen in area C-17!”
“Flare! Then Ark?”
“Yes, the decoded signal information…..the Red Slaughterer is dead……”
The communication soldier who deciphered the message stuttered and turned to look at Commander Hasullo with a red face.
“H-he did it! Commander-nim, Ark…..Beltana’s Hero Ark…..he defeated the Red Slaughterer!”
“That’s it!”
Hasullo slammed his fist on the dashboard and got up.
“Send a message to all soldiers. The federation will step on the Rama! All troops on standby should advance immediately. The time has finally come to end the war!”
Commander Hasullo cried out in a face red with excitement. 1000 km away, the Rama commander Thor’s face was dyed with confusion. It was due to the report that came in from the battlefield.
–What did you say just now? The Red Slaughterer was killed in battle?
–We heard the federation soldiers hollering about it on the wide frequency channels. The Red Slaughterer battled a federation warrior in C-17 and died.
–Cut the crap! He is an undefeated hero. It is impossible for the federation to kill him! The Chaff cut off radio contact in C-17 so it is probably just groundless rumours.
–The Chaff has disappeared from area C-17.
-What?
–Although I can sense the signals from the Red squad’s Nymphes, I can’t detect the Red Slaughterer’s at all.
–Then the Red Slaughterer was really killed?
–At the moment, it seems so……
–By who? Who defeated the Red Slaughterer?
–He is called Ark.
-Ark? Is it that Ark……?
–He is the federation’s hero that the Red Slaughterer sent a challenge to.
–So stupid! He was defeated by the opponent he sent a challenge to?
Thor shouted with a furious face. Then a nearby communication soldier turned around with a puzzled expression.
–Commander-nim, it is serious!
–What is it?
–There was a report from the scouting unit that stayed behind in the D area. 5000 federation soldiers are moving from there to area E. The majority are tanks and there is 1 Gigantic included.
–W-what? 5,000? Isn’t that an error? How did they appear in area D that is right in front of headquarters?
–I checked it many times. There is no doubt.
–…..A trick!
Thor ground his teeth together. He had been too relaxed. Shortly after the Chaff was scattered in area C-17, the Rama pursued the retreating federation troops to their defense line in area B. They had fought the federation troops over the last few months yet they had collapsed so easily. Of course Thor had thought it was easy but he hadn’t worried that much about it. That was a mistake.
‘Those guys retreated to lure our troops in!’
Thor’s judgment was correct.
This was Hasullo’s plan. He hid troops in the important D area and rallied them after the Rama chased the federation army back to area B. The problem was that the federation troops were heading towards area E while the Rama were in area B. One thing was clear.
‘Their aim is the antenna base in area E!’
Now most of the Rama troops were heading towards the federation’s headquarters. It would be difficult to stop the 5,000 federation soldiers with just the defense troops at the antenna base.
‘They’ve already entered area A so it will be difficult to reach the federation troops that are 150 km away. There is also the risk of being attacked from behind. The only way left is to destroy their headquarters first!’
–Inform the leaders in area A!
Thor lifted his head and yelled.
–It doesn’t matter what damage there is. Use every method possible to take out the enemy’s headquarters as soon as possible! It doesn’t matter what their plan is if we occupy their headquarters. Keep this in mind! The Bellin constellation will be ours the moment we win Athamas!
However Thor hadn’t considered one thing. The backbone of the Rama’s attacks came from the Red squad and Red Slaughterer. And in the federation army……
——————————————————————————————-
“Hyung-nim!”
Hegel ran out of the bushes. Following him was Mellin, Berad, Melina, and Leon.
“The other members?”
“We’re the only ones remaining.”
Leon answered Ark’s question.
“The Red squad members were really no joke.”
They knew this before arriving in Athamas. They were called the Rama’s strongest unit. It was impossible to take care of all of them. Plus there were 20 people in the Red squad. Excluding Ark and Slayer, Dark Eden only had 13 people. Even if they lured the Red squad away, it was beyond their power to take everyone out. Leon’s shredded body was proof of that. He sighed and said.
“I was fortunate. Some federation soldiers came and gave support while I was running away from them. But the decisive reason behind my survival was Ark-nim’s men. I’ve battled with NPCs before but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this. Anyway…..their mentality is really no joke. It is the first time I’ve seen a NPC smile as they self-destructed.”
“Indeed.”
Melina also added with an expression of admiration. Then Leon studied her face and said in a low voice.
“Well, Melina-nim and I were still the best.”
As expected, he was conscious about Melina’s words. They had promised to meet here after there was a signal flare. But the battle with the Red Slaughterer had taken longer than expected. It was 20 minutes between encountering the Red Slaughterer and the signal flare being fired. Therefore Ark thought it was highly likely everyone would be wiped out. It was good that he even managed to hold out for 20 minutes considering the Red Slaughterer’s skill. Yet 5 members were still alive. While it was expected for Leon and Melina, that fact that Hegel and Mellin who had low combat skills survived was a surprise.
“If the battle continued for any longer then we wouldn’t have endured it.”
7 Royal Guards died while they only managed to take out 3 of the Red squad. At first they fought but then started running away when it became too difficult.
“Those guys suddenly retreated after Ark fired the signal flare.”
“Perhaps the Rama ordered them to ascertain the fate of their hero.”
“Then the Red Slaughterer……”
“Buried.”
Ark smiled and replied. Hegel, Mellin and Berad cheered with excited expressions.
“Ohhh! As expected from Hyung-nim! Didn’t I tell you? The Red Slaughterer isn’t a match for Hyung-nim. Of course. Hyung-nim is invincible! The sacrifices weren’t in vain!”
“Then Slayer?”
“He fought bravely but unfortunately didn’t make it.”
To be exact, Slayer fought bravely as a dog. Well they didn’t need to know that. Ark roughly described the situation to Hegel, Mellin, Berad, Melina and Leon.
“This is more than I expected. Thanks for the good work. You guys also went through some trouble.”
“Yes Hyung-nim. Our members……they all fought bravely!”
Hegel replied with huge tears in his eyes.
“Yes, they fought without fearing death. Hegel, Berad and I are also prepared to die at any time. We trained for this moment to be with you. I look forward to withstanding any difficult situation with you. As long as we’re with you!”
Mellin added quickly.
“Of course! I’m prepared to throw my life away at any time!”
Berad nodded as he lifted a hammer onto his shoulder. Melina murmured with an impressed look after seeing Hegel, Mellin and Berad.
“Ark-nim is incredible. For NPCs to trust a user so much……”
She was mistaken. The Royal Guards just didn’t want to be sent back to the Silver Hand. Ark had no intention of sending the Royal Guards back to the Silver Hand. However the Royal Guards didn’t know that so they thought they had to be really good.
‘It looks like the stat distribution method worked. The framework is in place so now it is time to raise their level. Levels are necessary if we have to fight Lucifer and the Red squad again. Okay. Once this is completed, I’m going to take the Royal Guards and go level up!’
Ark started making plans for the future. Anyway!
“The war hasn’t finished yet. According to the briefing from headquarters, the main force of the federation army is heading towards the antenna base. Now it is a fight against time. We have to join the army as quickly as possible to ensure that the antenna is destroyed.”
“But isn’t area E 150 km from here?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Ark muttered as he looked up at the night sky. Missiles were flying at a rapid pace from the federation headquarters. When it was 300 metres away, they exploded and dropped parachutes. They were the capsules that Ark had ridden here. However this time soldiers weren’t the ones inside them. Bikes were attached to the falling parachute! After the signal was confirmed, headquarters had sent him hover bikes. Ark got on the bike and looked at Hegel.
“Hegel, calculate the shortest route to the antenna base.”
“I’ve already completed it.”
Thanks to the training with the Silver Hand, Hegel transferred the 3D map immediately. Ark checked the map and vigorously turned the handle.
“Okay. Let’s go!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The bikes flew across the forest. Hasullo had sent him high class bikes that moved at 300 km/hr. But moving 300 km/hr in a forest was like committing suicide. In contrast, 100 km/hr was like a walk in the park. But the Rama were in area A while the federation were in area E. The areas between them were empty. Thanks to crossing an empty battlefield, Ark was able to reach the antenna base in 1 and a half hours.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Bursts of flashes tore up the darkness. As expected, a fierce battle was taking place around the base. The federation soldiers were surrounding the base along with 10 tanks and a Gigantic. But the Rama were resisting quite well. The antenna base was like a fortress. Dozens of turrets mounted on the wall were firing wildly. Numerous soldiers died with every attack !
“This is a battlefield……!”
Leon said as he was overwhelmed. Then a tank arrived and one person jumped out.
“Are you Ark-nim?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“It’s an honour to meet you. I’m Captain Cross in charge of this operation.”
Cross saluted him with respectful eyes. The federation soldiers had already been informed that Ark defeated the Red Slaughterer. That’s why a captain with 5,000 troops under him was saluting Ark. It was a tribute to the federation warrior that knocked down the Rama’s hero!
“Can I ask about the battle?”
“Of course.”
A 3D image of the battlefield appeared from Cross’ Nymphe and he explained.
“Currently the federation army is overwhelming in troops and firepower. However the resistance from the Rama is more than I expected. The antenna base is equipped with a high class GEM and it has intercepted half of our shells. The other half has been blocked by the dual shield covering the base.”
“Then we have to compete with troops.”
Ark nodded and replied. The Rama developed science and technology earlier than the federation. Ironically, science and technology didn’t have that much of an effect on the battlefield. No airships could work thanks to the orbiting satellites Dark Star. The GEM and shield also halved the power of the tanks and Gigantic. The Dark Star, GEM and shield didn’t affect one thing!
Infantry. Therefore the advanced science ended up causing a battle between infantry. Soldiers used SF weapons like lightsabers and ray guns.
“So I’ve ordered troops to the shield control tower but they’ve received damage from the many bunkers around it. If we can only penetrate that one point……”
“Leave it to us.”
“Huh?”
Leon and Cross said simultaneously.
“I-Is it okay?”
“Captain-nim, you know there is no time right? I have no choice but to try.”
He had defeated the Red Slaughterer and surrounded the antenna base. But that situation wouldn’t always remain favourable. Right now the Rama’s main army was attacking the federation headquarters. They had to destroy the antenna base before the federation headquarters was destroyed. Like he said, it was a fight against time. In the end, Cross was forced to agree with him.
“How can I help you?”
“Just support me please. And give me a federation flag.”
“The federation flag!”
“I will fight while carrying the destiny of the federation army.”
“I understand. Good luck!”
Cross saluted again. Then a flag with the symbol of the federation on it was given to Mellin and the preparations were complete!
“Let’s go!”
Kuaaaaaaah-!
Ark, Hegel, Berad, Leon, Melina and Mellin headed off with the fluttering flag! The 6 bikes carrying the warriors rushed towards the antenna base.
–The federation’s bikes are charging forward!
–They’re carrying a large flag…..crazy bastards, kill them.
-Shoot! Tear through that flag and show them the might of the Rama!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Hundreds of bullets crossed the space. Ark just turned the handle and accelerated even further while shouting.
“Don’t be afraid! You won’t die from a few bullets. If you continue moving then the hit rate will fall. Only worry about the RPGs. Hegel, calculate and report the trajectory of the heavy artillery!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
Hegel replied.
“RPGs are flying towards Hyung-nim from your 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock and 9 o’clock. It will land 50 metres in front of Hyung-nim after 3 seconds!”
Hegel could now mentally calculate the trajectory thanks to his training with Heksu of the Silver Hand. They avoided the shells that impacted with the ground.
“Leon-nim, the heavy troopers!”
“I know!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
Leon lay flat on the bike and fired his rail gun. The rays went through the heads of the Rama’s heavy troopers.
-Headshot-II!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 175% damage>
It was a cool headshot.
“Units 1, 2, 3 and 4, cover the bikes!”
Kwakwang! Kwakwang! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The federation army started to support them from the rear. Most of the Rama were inside the shield to avoid being hit by the tanks. However, their visibility dropped thanks to the outpouring of attacks. This changed once Ark got to a close range.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Blood gushed out from several holes in his body. It wasn’t just Ark. Hegel was avoiding it reasonably well but he couldn’t fight back while Leon and Mellin were covered with several gunshot wounds. It was the same for Mellin and Berad. In particular, Mellin was bleeding a lot because the flag he was carrying was a target. However Mellin didn’t complain even once.
“Hahaha! This is nothing! I’ve had bombs aimed at me so I won’t be afraid of something like bullets!”
This was the result of the hell training. Meanwhile Ark had arrived in front of the base’s gate.
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 360 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
The message appeared as Ark’s body was engulfed in a blue sphere. Ark pulled on the handle as much as possible and jumped off the bike. The bike hit the gate directly!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Flames soared and a portion of the gate collapsed.
–Someone has entered! Tear him apart!
Rama warriors holding swords and machine guns came running out of the smoke. No, this was what he wanted. A flash ran between the Rama warriors. Blood gushed out wherever the flash went. After a while, drops of blood poured down like rain from Ark’s sword.
–What, what the? This guy?
–Kuack! Don’t just stand there looking! Attack at once!
Half a dozen Rama warriors holding swords or hammers flocked to him. Once again there were flashes of blue light and blood followed the trajectory. The sword seemed like it was possessed! Leon was just as confused as the Rama by Ark’s movements. But Ark didn’t hear anything.
‘Yes, this is the feeling!’
In fact, the military situation wasn’t the only reason why Ark rushed here. Ark had been impatient since leaving C-17. That’s because of his battle with the Red Slaughterer. Their two lightsabers had kept on clashing. During the contest of swords, Ark had felt something sleeping wake up inside him. Ark knew the identity of that feeling. Awakening!
It was a moment of enlightenment. The spiritual enlightenment had hit him like a lightning bolt. The experience from countless fights had accumulated in his body and finally awakened. That awakening had occurred during his confrontation with the Red Slaughterer. He felt a tremendous sense of fulfilment. He wanted to continue using the sword on the battlefield. Whether he won or lost the battle, Ark wanted to completely regain that feeling. Therefore he had felt impatient while riding the bike. The end of the fight with the Red Slaughterer…….
‘I don’t feel completely alive yet!’
Every cell in his body was calling out for battle! The Rama warriors around him looked like they were moving slowly. The angle of the weapon, the way they were going to move, he understood it all. Ark moved his sword while caught in that feeling.
Sakak-!
The Rama warriors collapsed. When the Rama fired their guns, he avoided the bullets and plunged into the opening.
Wiiing! Seokeok!
The lightsaber moved freely in connected motions.
–Oh my god! T-that sword!
The Rama warriors watching from the sidelines were stunned. Meanwhile Leon with his rail gun, Berad and Melina had made it through the gate. But bullets were still being fired at them. Ark had created a hole and entered the shield. A bunker situated 10 metres away was pouring particularly heavy fire.
“Mellin, stay behind me! Shield!”
Ark used the shield and pushed towards the bunker. Blood poured from his legs at the onslaught of bullets. But that just made Ark feel even more exhilarated. This was truly a battlefield! Inside his head, intense orchestra music seemed to reach its peak. And he finally arrived in front of the bunker.
“Now!”
Ark kicked the barrel of the machine gun firing at him and shouted. Mellin who was following him quickly threw an explosive into the bunker. Thanks to his training in handling explosives, the C-6 contained the maximum firepower!
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Flames poured out from the hole in the ground. The enemy inside the bunker were burned to a crisp.
“That’s it, now……”
“Ark, behind you! It’s dangerous!”
Mellin shouted desperately from near him. When he turned around, a Rama warrior wearing a tattered battle suit had emerged from the bunker and was aiming a RPG towards him. Smoke emerged and the shell flew towards him. Ark had already lost a lot of health reaching the bunker. If he was hit by the RPG at this distance then it was 100% death! Ark’s body automatically reacted.
“I won’t die!”
His blue ray headed towards the shell. Then the ray struck down the black shell. The orbit of the shell was redirected and it flew towards a group of Rama warriors dozens of metres away. Mellin’s mouth dropped open.
“C-changing the trajectory of the shell with your sword…..”
Suddenly a message window appeared in front of Ark.
-A new skill (☆☆) has been learnt.
Sword Defense (User, Active): After civilization developed, firearms were recognized as an efficient and easy to use weapon. Now warriors can’t just use swords like before. In order to overcome the disadvantages of a sword against a gun, a technique called Sword Defense was developed.
Sword Defense uses electromagnetic energy generated to change the trajectory of a bullet. However, this technique requires the right timing and incredible concentration in order to be successful. Therefore the success rate depends on timing and concentration.
<You can change the trajectory of a bullet using a beam sword>
* Sword Mastery Lv.3 or higher required.
‘……This is great!’
Ark felt refreshed. He had encountered the Red Slaughterer for the first time in the forest. While watching from the forest, he saw the Red Slaughterer changing the trajectory of Leon’s bullet. Ark’s body had remembered that scene in his moment of crisis. The result was Sword Defense!
–Unbelievable! For a human to know the Red Slaughterer’s technique……?
The Rama warriors looked at Ark with incredulous eyes. In fact, Ark was also the same. He never thought he could change the trajectory of the shells. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of blue swords appeared and flew forward. It was his strongest battle skill Galaxy Sword! The Red Slaughterer had stopped it so he couldn’t check out the skill properly but it had a huge effect on the Rama warrior holding the RPG.
-Kuaaaak!
He could now determine the true power of Galaxy Sword. The Rama warrior’s entire body was shredded in an instant. The scene was clearly imprinted in the eyes of the federation and Rama soldiers.
“Mellin, flag!”
Ark held the flag and ran over to the bunker. Then he shook the flag and yelled.
“I am Ark!”
“Ark! Our hero!”
“The true hero who defeated the Red Slaughterer!”
The federation soldiers boiled with excitement.
“That guy is the hero of the galactic federation! That flag represents the will of the galactic federation! All warriors of the galactic federation, follow our hero. He will lead us to victory!”
“Waaahhhhhh! Follow Ark!”
The hiding federation soldiers simultaneously rushed towards the base. This was the reason why Ark brought the flag. The value of a hero on the battlefield wasn’t simply taking down the enemy. Right now the total of both armies was 8,000 people. Even if the hero took down 100 enemies alone, it wouldn’t affect the outcome. Yet this was the reason why the presence of a hero had a profound impact! It was because the allies’ morale would rise explosively. It wasn’t just the words that left his mouth. The sight of the hero was imprinted in the eyes of the allies. Ark showed them the image of him capturing the bunker. The bunker had the symbol of the federation flying above it! With their morale so high, the federation soldiers and even the mercenary groups didn’t fear dying against the Rama. The momentum had fully tilted towards the federation troops.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The federation soldiers rushed towards the base. The Rama desperately tried to resist but they couldn’t do anything against the federation’s high morale. After 20 minutes, flames soared as all the bunkers in the base were destroyed. And once the federation soldiers occupied it……
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Flames soared as the shield around the antenna base was destroyed.
“The shield was released! Penetrate the defense with the tanks and Gigantic!”
A bombardment of shells followed! The lasers intercepted some of them but it couldn’t stop even half of the shells. The federation continued their bombardment until the last of the defense turrets collapsed. The thousands of military troops entered the base. The head of the federation army……
“Charge!”
Ark held the flag in one hand and the lightsaber in the other. After 20 minutes, the antenna attached to the upper part of the base exploded.
——————————————————————————————-
–Unbelievable!
A desperate sigh emerged from Mukah’s mouth. He was the leader of the 1st division of the Rama’s army and in charge of the attack on the federation headquarters. The federation were attacking the antenna base so Mukah hurried and they received a lot of damage. He had mobilized 6,000 troops, 20 heavy tanks and 2 Gigantic! It was all of the Rama except for the defense troops left at the antenna base and headquarters. And they finally destroyed the shield around the federation’s headquarters.
Chwa chwa chwa chwa! Chwa chwa chwa chwa!
Suddenly beams of energy exploded from within the headquarters. Dozens of warriors rushing towards headquarters were hit by the enemy beams and melted! But instead of feeling hot, Mukah’s body became cold as ice.
–This is the beam from the Aschulat’s particle cannons!
One thing was clear. The destruction of the antenna base allowed for reinforcements. Mukah had a premonition of defeat after seeing the Aschulat troops. The Rama commander Thor also identified the situation.
-…..Is it too late?
Thor moaned as he looked at the huge monitor. The monitor showed the antenna base collapsing while spewing black smoke. Thor was staring blankly at the monitor when he heard a voice in his ear.
–The 1st division captain Mukah has sent an emergency transmission. The Aschulat troops at the federation headquarters is steadily increasing. He is asking for a command to retreat. And he asked us to prepare the Star Gate for retreat.
-Retreat? How can we retreat!
Thor shouted with a displeased expression. Then a lieutenant said with a sigh.
–It is like the division captain said. According to our intelligence, the Aschulat has organized 10,000 reinforcements for the Bellin constellation. We won’t be able to deal with it if even half of those troops are committed to Athamas. If the forces that destroyed the antenna base returned to headquarters then our army will be wiped out. The federation hasn’t lost as much troops as us. Now that the Aschulat have entered the war, it is best to preserve our troops and return to the home planet.
–I’ll have to tell the Emperor that we abandoned Athamas……
–It is better than losing thousands of soldiers.
–You say that so easily.
Thor glared at the trembling lieutenant. However his expression soon eased up.
–Send this command to Mukah. And tell Star Gate command to link to the home planet. Mukah is to immediately start preparations to retreat.
-Understood.
The lieutenant saluted and exited the room. Thor continued glaring at the monitor. He should’ve won this war. But he was defeated. Thor had meticulously monitored the situation so he knew the reason why. He led the federation to victory. And the Rama army was defeated by one soldier! Fury ignited in Thor’s eyes.
–Ark, I’ll never forget today’s disgrace!
——————————————————————————————-
While the situation in Athamas was being cleaned up. A mound of dirt in the forest started to shake. After a while, an arm stretched out through the dirt. And it was followed by another arm. The two arms then dragged the torso out of the dirt. It was like a scene of zombie rising from the grave!
–Ark, I’ll never forget today’s disgrace!
The person saying the same line as Thor was the Red Slaughterer.
——————————————————————————————-
While they were cursing Ark. Ark was…..
-The Rama’s antenna has been destroyed!
<Bonus experience will be given to all federation soldiers who participated in the battle>
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen!
He gained a few levels. Of course the war on Athamas hadn’t ended yet. The Rama’s headquarters still remained.
-The Rama army has retreated from Athamas.
<If you destroy the Rama’s headquarters ten it is possible to get additional victory points to be converted to achievements>
Victory had already been decided. Destroying the Rama’s headquarters was just to gain more experience! So Ark had no time to think about Thor or the Red Slaughterer.
“Come, let’s go! Follow me, the hero of the federation!”
Ark sprinted across the battlefield carrying the federation flag.
Space 5
That Man
Silver General Hospital.
One car entered the parking lot. The person at the steering wheel was Gwon Hwa-rang and next to him was his wife Park So-mi. Previously Park So-mi had returned from serving in Africa and collapsed. Her husband and Hyun-woo were frantic only to discover she was pregnant. Since then she had been under the care of Gwon Hwa-rang. Today she visited the hospital for a general check-up.
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
“Huh? Ah……”
Gwon Hwa-rang said with a bemused expression. He looked around for a while before saying.
“What did you say?”
“I asked what you were thinking about so intently. What are you worried about?”
“My worries…..you don’t know? Am I the type of person to worry?”
“I know you’re not.”
Park So-mi laughed at his words.
“That’s why you didn’t hesitate for even a second to go to Africa.”
“Of course. Wherever you go is my home.”
“This time it is a civil war area. This time we’re going to have a child so you should think about it more.”
“I’ll do whatever you want to do.”
“But……”
Park So-mi looked straight at Gwon Hwa-rang.
“As soon as we arrive in Africa, you contacts in the police and military are picking us up at the airport. And when we reach the civil war area, you’ll be teaching the troops martial arts. You don’t have to keep your worries a secret from me.”
“My worries…..
“I know. But I’ll never let you face it alone. Because you are the person I married. So I’m asking.”
Gwon Hwa-rang sighed at Park So-mi’s words.
“You’re not a person who easily expresses my worries. If you’re showing your worry then it must be something big. Isn’t it?”
“Uh……”
Gwon Hwa-rang made an uneasy expression. Then Park So-mi laughed and nodded.
“Okay, you don’t have to say it. l believe in you and I’ll follow you to Africa. You must have a reason for not telling me. But please don’t worry too much. Because you will soon by the father of two children.”
Gwon Hwa-rang sighed. He had been troubled for a few days. His worry was related to Hyun-woo’s land in Taek Mountain. Gwon Hwa-rang intuitively noticed it when he met the rehabilitation members after returning to Korea. There was something hidden in the real estate slump. These days many people became public servants because it was difficult to find a stable job. But that wasn’t why Gwon Hwa-rang once worked as a detective. The reason he became a detective was justice! Therefore it was the most suitable job to achieve justice. That was the type of person Gwon Hwa-rang was. He couldn’t leave it alone once he smelt something rotten. Besides, the rehabilitation members were like brothers to his while Hyun-woo was his stepson. A father wouldn’t be able to pretend not to know.
“Look!”
Gwon Hwa-rang ordered in a cold rage. The rehabilitation members started diligently gathering information. And a few days ago they handed the results back to Gwon Hwa-rang.
‘I guessed to some extent but……’
The rehabilitation members had determined the actual owners of the Taek Mountain land. They were heavyweights in the local political or financial circles. This was the reason behind Gwon Hwa-rang’s worries. He was a man who wasn’t scared of the world. He was a man who didn’t hesitate to enter the office of gangsters when he was still a detective. There was no reason to flinch if the opponent was a local tycoon. Especially since the property belonged to Hyun-woo. No, money already wasn’t a problem for Hyun-woo these days.
In the process of examining the information received he discovered that many ordinary people suffered huge damage as well. It was to the extent that some who lost their entire savings tried to commit suicide. However, not one bit of this information was written in an article. Those behind this had the power to even silence the media. But that wasn’t the reason Gwon Hwa-rang hesitated. It was a fight for injustice. It doesn’t matter who the opponent was! Gwon Hwa-rang lived like this his entire life. Wasn’t this intolerance the reason why he left his home country to help in Africa?
……But that was when he was just ‘one person.’ Now he had a wife and was going to be the father of two children. He knew from his many years as a detective. The people behind this had huge political or financial power. In some cases they could be even more cruel than crime syndicates. His fury wanted him to enter straight into the execution phase. The fortune that Hyun-woo gathered might be lost. But if he engaged too deeply then it was his pregnant wife and son who might suffer the damage. A pregnant wife and a son. That was Gwon Hwa-rang’s only weakness.
‘What should I do…..?’
“If you’re sure……”
Then Park So-mi said.
“I know. I believe in you and will follow you. I’ll be here if you decide to confide your worries.”
‘……Amazing.’
A smile spread over Gwon Hwa-rang’s face. This was what she wanted to say.
“You don’t have to worry about such things. Aren’t you in the early stages of pregnancy?”
“I’m tougher than you think.”
“I know that. You wouldn’t have caught me if you weren’t. But no matter how strong you are, you still have to be careful because of the baby in your stomach.”
Gwon Hwa-rang said in a much light mood as he found a parking spot and prepared to get out of the car.
Kiiiiik!
Suddenly a car appeared and blocked the path in front of him. 3 people in suits got out and knocked on the car window.
“Gwon Hwa-rang ssi?”
“Honey, what is it? Do you know these people?”
“Lock the car door. I’ll see what is going on.”
Gwon Hwa-rang looked at the men before getting out.
“I am Gwon Hwa-rang. What can I do for you?”
“Someone wants to talk to you for a moment. Shall we go by our car?”
“I have business with my wife. If you have a request then give me a business card. I’ll contact them later.”
“It won’t take long.”
“I won’t say it again. Either leave or give me a business card.”
“You must not have understood my words.”
One of the men looked Gwon Hwa-rang straight in the eye and laid a hand on his shoulder. There was strength in the hand that grabbed his shoulder. The tone was polite but it was obviously a threat. However, he had been a detective for 20 years. He could guess who had sent these people. Judging by the exquisite timing, they were probably sent by someone behind the whole real estate problem. They had sent their minions. A guy like that dared to put his hand on Gwon Hwa-rang’s shoulder. But he endured it. Because he was now the head of a family.
“……Okay, I’ll listen to your words.”
“Good choice.”
The man grinned and nodded. He probably thought his threat had worked and he was delighted. Although he really wanted to punch the man in his face, Gwon Hwa-rang showed patient and went to the car. And when he was about to climb into the back seat. Another man started beating on the car window and shouting.
“Hey lady! Put down the phone. It won’t be good if you start making noise for no reason.”
He threatened Park So-mi who was holding a cell phone! The barely restrained heart snapped. A bloody aura entered Gwon Hwa-rang’s eyes.
“You……who did you just threaten?”
“What? Heok! T-this guy! What are you trying? Let me go!”
The man shouted and swung his fist as Gwon Hwa-rang grabbed his collar. But he couldn’t do anything against Gwon Hwa-rang. Gwon Hwa-rang lowered his upper body to avoid the swing and approached the car. He smiled at Park So-mi inside the car and said.
“Close your eyes for a moment. The sight won’t be good for the baby inside.”
“Don’t be too hard on them.”
“It’s okay. This place is a hospital.”
Gwon Hwa-rang grinned and replied. His smile lasted until here. Once he was sure that his wife closed her eyes, he turned around with a face that looked like a predator. A low growl flowed through the mouth of the beast.
“You guys…..I need to teach you a lesson.”
“Ha! A guy like you……cough!”
Gwon Hwa-rang narrowed the distance and grabbed the man’s throat.
“This is your job so you should be slightly strong? Now, here I go. Try not to bite your tongue!”
Spread following the exercises, such as renovating! Gwon Hwa-rang rushed towards the 2 men who looked confused. However, they soon recovered and ran forward at the same time. And…..
“Heok!”
“Cough!”
They flew in an arc and hit the ground. Gwon Hwa-rang breathed out and looked at the men scattered on the ground.
“I will leave it here today. If you don’t want to be beaten even more then quickly leave the business card and leave.”
Then there was a noise and another guy got out of the car. He was a short man in his 40s and wearing a leather jacket. He alternated looking at Gwon Hwa-rang and the men before muttering.
“Your spirit is overflowing for someone your age.”
“Are you calling me old?”
“As expected from a former detective.”
“Oh, you know I’m a former detective yet you still did something like this? I’ll let you know the difference between someone who wags their tail for the rich and someone who catches criminals.”
“I don’t know what’s so great about a former detective.”
The man smiled.
“I planned to just stop in for a greeting. You’re the one who started it. Those are nice words but I’ll make you understand in minutes. Why didn’t you just leave with us?”
“This is sincere advice. Change your career.”
“What a meddlesome old man……”
The guy took off his leather jacket as he came up to Gwon Hwa-rang.
“I’m sorry but I need to save face in front of my subordinates.”
The man threw his leather jacket forward.
“You asshole!”
Gwon Hwa-rang struck the leather jacket and took a defensive posture. However the man had already reached him and his elbow headed towards Gwon Hwa-rang’s side. It was a bold and short attack that would pierce him in the vital spot! Anyone else would be floored and caught off guard. But Gwon Hwa-rang could tell with one glance. The other person might be short but he was familiar with fighting. It was the atmosphere of someone who could squash people if he was in the mood.
Ttak!
Gwon Hwa-rang stopped his elbow with his own elbow. He rotated his bod while grabbing the guy’s collar with both hands. And he tried to bend forwards to smash the guy into the ground. However, the man bent his knee and pulled back the collar. He smiled and bent forward like he was leaning on Gwon Hwa-rang’s body. Then his elbow dropped towards Gwon Hwa-rang’s neck.
“Please understand. This is just a job.”
Snap!
There was a sharp sound.
————————————————————————————–
“Father!”
Hyun-woo threw open the door of the hospital room and ran in. He had just exited the capsule to take a break from the game.
-Missed calls: 3. Text messages: 1
He had checked his phone out of habit and saw these messages.
“Eh? Mother called me? 3 times? Did something happen? Huk!”
Hyun-woo checked the message without any particular thoughts.
Your dad was caught in a fight and injured.
He rushed to the hospital as soon as he confirmed it. At first he wasn’t worried about the injury. But then Hyun-woo started going crazy. He caught a taxi in sweatpants and sinister thoughts ran through his head as it headed to the hospital.His anxiety became many times larger as he couldn’t connect to their phone. It was just like that time. When his father died and his mother started her long struggle with illness, he had been told of the accident through a text message and then the phone didn’t connect.
‘If something happens to Father……’
His imagination was going crazy.
‘Please! Please don’t let it be anything serious!’
He prayed as he ran into the hospital.
“Can you tell me what room Gwon Hwa-rang and Park So-mi are staying in?”
“No. 1132.”
He found the room and immediately opened the door.
“Eh? Why are you here?”
Gwon Hwa-rang stared at Hyun-woo with surprised eyes. Contrary to his worries, Gwon Hwa-rang was sitting on the bed with a perfectly fine appearance. There was a big bandage on his forehead but he couldn’t consider it life threatening at all. Hyun-woo calmed his head and went over to Gwon Hwa-rang.
“What’s going on? Don’t you know how worried I was?”
“Worried? Why?”
“You’re asking why? I received a message that Father was injured!”
“Ah, your mother contacted you. I told her that wasn’t necessary……”
Gwon Hwa-rang laughed and scratched his head.
“That’s the great thing about marriage. I have a son who will come running if I get hurt.”
“You’re joking right now? Why didn’t you pick up my call?”
“Call? I left it with your mother. You know. We only have one cell phone.”
“Mother? Why did you leave it with Mother?”
“Today is the day of her regular check-up. So I borrowed the room. You know that your mother is slightly old to be pregnant right? She needs to take many early pregnancy tests so we have the room.”
“So nothing’s wrong with both of you?”
“No.”
Hyun-woo sat down on the bed.
“But what on earth happened? Why is your forehead hurt?”
“It’s not a big deal. I just had a small quarrel in the parking lot.”
“Quarrel? Someone hit you?”
“What a imagination. Who do you think I am? There was a little bump during the struggle. My forehead hit his nose. Very lightly.”
Initially Hyun-woo didn’t understand what he was saying. But he imagined the scene of the forehead hitting the nose and could understand the situation.
“Don’t tell me you head-butted him?”
“Eh? There was a name for it? I thought I was the first one to develop the technique. Too bad. I thought of a nice name for it.”
“Oh my god! Are you joking right now?”
“What do you think?”
“Didn’t he know who Father is? You’re a person who can catch a bear with your bare hands. His nose muse be quite hard to damage your forehead to the extent that you have to place a bandage on it. Was Father attacked by some young delinquent? Why did this incident occur? What happened? Is the person going to sue your for this?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Gwon Hwa-rang answered without even having to think about it.
“Your mother recorded the scene on her cell phone.”
This was the reason why Park So-mi was holding her phone. Park So-mi hadn’t been worried about Gwon Hwa-rang getting hurt. It was actually the opposite. She was worried Gwon Hwa-rang would injure them so badly they would need to spend 18 weeks in hospital. Therefore she took out her phone just in case!
“This is the trust between a couple.”
Well, he didn’t know if it could be called trust…..
“Mother is unbelievably strong.”
Hyun-woo muttered with an astounded expression.
“However I should meet with the victim. You encountered them in the parking lot so are they also in hospital?”
“That’s not necessary. Those guys wouldn’t sue even if your mother hadn’t taken the video. Did you think I would do things without thinking? I had my own ideas. Even if some of them died, those guys would never dare sue me.”
“Those guys?”
Hyun-woo asked with a frown and Gwon Hwa-rang flinched.
“It wasn’t just a random quarrel. Isn’t that right?”
“No, that…..”
“Father.”
Hyun-woo said in a low voice. Then Gwon Hwa-rang sighed and said.
“Yes, I didn’t really talk to them but I could guess who sent them. They probably figured out I was the one investigating them.”
“Father knows those people?”
“They are the original owners of the Taek Mountain land.”
“Father, why did you do this? I said I would take care of it.”
“I didn’t want you to handle all of it.”
“This isn’t a job for Father.”
“I wanted to.”
Gwon Hwa-rang said with a firm expression.
“The problem isn’t as simple as you think. Some powerful political and business people are involved. I only determined this today. That’s why they tried to threaten me. My son’s assets is invested in that property so how can I pretend not to know?”
“But……”
Hyun-woo sighed with frustration. Just thinking of the Taek real estate was enough to make his heart jump in anger. However Hyun-woo was silent despite Gwon Hwa-rang’s words. This was because he knew it far too well. Lucifer threatened Korea’s government with a nuclear power plant. That plant was located next to the Taek Mountain therefore the powerful figures wanted to capitalize on the situation and it became like this. In fact, Hyun-woo had been furious the first time he figured it out. The only ones fighting against Lucifer’s threat was Hyun-woo and some famous gamers. The Emergency Planning department said it was a secret so he never mentioned one word about it. However they obviously gave those guys the information. He wanted to visit the Emergency Planning department and question them closely.
However there was no evidence. And it didn’t matter even if there was evidence. Hyun-woo couldn’t make them take back the land that was sold or the land sold to Hyun-woo. Especially considering the fact that they were powerful figures. Of course he hadn’t abandoned hope.
‘The real estate prices plunged because of the possibility of a nuclear explosion. In other words, if the explosion is definitely stopped then the price might go up again. No, it might rise even more than before.’
In order to prevent the explosion, he needed to win against Lucifer. If he won then it was a jackpot. But Hyun-woo had confidence inside the game. At first he didn’t know what Lucifer looked like in the game. But now he had found Lucifer. He even managed to win against him using various methods. That was all thanks to Hyun-woo himself.
‘I won against the opponent. There is no guarantee I will win twice. That Lucifer bastard, it was a mistake to hold the Taek Mountain hostage and provoke me. If I win against Lucifer then the real estate price will double, no triple what I invested in it! And I’ll make the guys who sold the land regret it.’
That was how Hyun-woo would get revenge. But Gwon Hwa-rang unexpectedly cut in and made it dangerous. Yet he couldn’t confess the entire situation to Gwon Hwa-rang. The real estate problem being caused by Lucifer was only Hyun-woo’s guess. There was no evidence. No, there was a separate reason apart from Lucifer for the prices plunging. It was the VIPs who sold the real estate. That’s why he wanted to stop Gwon Hwa-rang. Hyun-woo worried for a while before pulling out his trump card.
“I understand how Father feels. But if those people are involved then it will be dangerous. There is no guarantee what happened today won’t occur again. I wouldn’t worry if it was Father alone but what about Mother? Mother is pregnant right now. What if something happens to my sibling?”
“I was also worried about that.”
Gwon Hwa-rang nodded with a serious face. He scratched his head before laughing.
“So I found another way.”
“Another way?”
“It is me. Hey!”
Ppak-!
Someone suddenly smacked him in the back of the head. That eerie voice penetrated straight into his brain! The one who smacked him was a man 180 cm tall. Hyun-woo knew of only one person like that.
“Myung-ryong hyung?”
“You still have more to learn. You have no manners. I’m the person who generously bestowed that body to you yet you don’t come see me anymore once you become part of a large company?”
The man who entered was Lee Myung-ryong. He was the one who taught Hyun-woo taekwondo and he was a part of the police agency’s cyber investigation team. His philosophy was ‘become stronger even if you’re broken.’ Lee Myung-ryong had enthusiastically showed Hyun-woo this philosophy by beating him day and night.
“W-why is Myung-ryong hyung here?”
“I called him.”
It was Gwon Hwa-rang who replied. Then Lee Myung-ryong flopped down opposite him. He looked at the bandage on Gwon Hwa-rang’s head and laughed.
“Kukukukuk. It really is a spectacle. Hyung-nim is losing his touch. Being hit by some neighbourhood thugs. The police agency would cry.”
“Who will cry? And I wasn’t hit! This is the side effect of a special move.”
“That doesn’t matter. Originally, couldn’t you beat the opponent without bleeding? No, tell me what happened. I heard an overview of the situation on the phone. What do you want from me?”
“I want to employ you as a madam.”
“Madame? Do you want me to get a gender reassignment surgery? That’s too much even for Hyung-nim.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Gwon Hwa-rang laughed and continued.
“I explained things on the phone. Like today has shown, this situation could become very dangerous. Well now I have a disguise.”
“A disguise? I’m not going to marry you.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what do you want me to do? Should I just leave?”
“You really are talking nonsense. Anyway, it is dangerous so what I need is a disguise. The guys waiting in the parking lot was like a warning. If I continued digging then my family won’t be left alone.”
“Those guys often use methods like that.”
“Yes, that’s why I want to employ you as a front. I was given a warning but they might not notice a police officer digging.”
“Aha!”
Lee Myung-ryong tapped his finger and nodded.
“So Hyung-nim called me so that I can be cannon fodder for you?”
“Why, you don’t want to?”
“What did you just say?”
Lee Myung-ryong stood up and shouted. He frowned at Gwon Hwa-rang before laughing.
“Wasn’t I just thinking about how bored I was these days? I came quite quickly when you called. Okay. I’ll take over this problem.”
A sigh flowed from Hyun-woo’s mouth. A difficult man to deal with had appeared.
Space 6
Sector S-20
“Hah……”
Ark couldn’t bear it. He was anxious about Gwon Hwa-rang involving himself in the real estate problem.
‘Should I have confessed about Lucifer from the beginning?’
He had that thought. However Gwon Hwa-rang wouldn’t back off even if he knew the circumstances. Gwon Hwa-rang was already involved in the issue. He wanted the people who used their position to create victims of the real estate scam to be held accountable. Ark didn’t know what Gwon Hwa-rang would do if he found out that Lucifer was threatening people with the nuclear power plant.
–The country is in a crisis situation yet those VIP people are using their position to trick the common people into a corner! Unforgivable! I’ll expose their work and deliver justice!
It would be like pouring oil on the fire! In fact, Ark originally had the same thoughts as well. But it wasn’t very realistic. The parking lot incident occurred not even two months after Gwon Hwa-rang returned to Korea. While Ark’s feelings were cheering Gwon Hwa-rang on, realistically he didn’t want him to go against those powerful people. The situation could also get worse at any time. But not just yet.
‘This is a complicated situation. Father has interfered so I should be more cautious. I’ll trust it to Myung-ryong hyung at the moment and will just watch.’
Ark organized his thoughts for the moment. But there was no guarantee the 3rd party would back off. Ark could fight in a separate manner from Gwon Hwa-rang and Lee Myung-ryong. That was his confrontation with Lucifer!
‘The real estate of the Taek Mountain is in a slump because Lucifer is controlling the nuclear power plant. If the threat disappears then the real estate prices will soar again. Then the problem of the common people will be resolved. Then I’ll make those people regret selling the land and threatening Father.’
If he won the confrontation then all the problems would be settled. And he had already started. He had won 1 skirmish with Lucifer. Of course, the war would only be won if he reached the ultimate goal before Lucifer. This victory might not be that significant but it boosted his confidence.
‘I can do it! I just have to be more determined!’
…..That’s what he thought…..
“This is a video from Athamas.”
Marquis Martin showed him a video after the battle ended and he returned. The video showed a Rama warrior wielding a red lightsaber. His identity could be determined as soon as he saw the appearance.
“The Red Slaughterer?”
“Yes, this video was taken shortly after the destruction of the antenna base and the federation army was in the midst of attacking the Rama headquarters. In other words, it is after you claimed to defeat the Red Slaughterer. Considering the Red Slaughterer’s level, it is impossible that he revived using the Fairy.”
The higher level a pioneer was, the more time it would take to revive with the Fairy. The Red Slaughterer was over level 100 so a minimum of 2 days was required for resurrection. Yet the allied federation and Aschulat troops had attacked the Rama headquarters when less than 24 hours had passed.
“In other words, the Red Slaughterer wasn’t killed in battle with you. And that guy escaped through the Star Gate before the Rama headquarters was destroyed.”
‘I certainly didn’t confirm that he died……’
Ark had thrown a grenade into a trap and buried him. If he survived in those circumstances then he was like a zombie. He realized once again that Lucifer, the Red Slaughterer wasn’t an easy opponent. But he hadn’t expected that his war with Lucifer would end with this confrontation. And overall it was Ark’s victory! And he received compensation for that victory!
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 94
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 8,520 Adventure 1,120
Health 2,500 (+90) Mental Power 1,500 (+340)
Mana 65 Force 260
Strength 240 (+38) Agility 305 (+41)
Stamina 385 (+18) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 230 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 11,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
Level was the first thing he checked! Ark had played a core role in the federation’s victory so he had received bonus experience ad gained 9 levels. But there was even more.
-You have received the <Athamas’ Hero> title from the Galactic Federation.
This title is given to the user who participated in the war on the disputed planet and gains the most achievements. Therefore it is a unique title due to the different names of the disputed planets. Only one person can receive this title so it is different from the general titles.
The user who receives a title with the name of a disputed planet would be given huge compensation from the galactic federation. You will be given priority in investing on Athamas when development starts. You will also receive preferential treatment compared to the average citizen.
<Title Effect: Athamas’ Hero (All stats +5)>
+ 2,000 additional fame. + Galactic Federation contribution +5,000 + Acquired 400 Adventure points
+ Acquired 3% investment stake in Athamas that has become the property of the galactic federation.
A new hero title! His fame and contribution rose significantly while all stats earned +5 points. However there was a difficult part involved with that. A hero’s duty. It was becoming the federation’s promotional billboard. Ark had no intention of being dragged around like before. On Beltana he had made a secret deal with Marquis Martin so he had no margin to argue. Of course, fame was useful in many ways. It helped maintain a good impression with the NPC. Fame could also help prevent make unnecessary enemies. Ark already had a powerful enemy called Lucifer so it was best to avoid any new ones. So he made a suggestion.
“Can you give that role to someone else?”
“Someone else?”
“I’m talking about Slayer, Leon and Melina who earned some large achievements. I received the Hero title but it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for them. You know better than anyone that a hero can’t win a war by themselves. It is soldiers fighting in unison. If the hero receives the entire spotlight then wouldn’t the morale of other soldiers fall? I’ve already been exposed to the mass media so wouldn’t using other warriors have more effect?”
It was an annoying task for Ark. But his suggestion was quite persuasive.
“If I reuse the same person then the effect would definitely drop.”
If herbal medicine was used too many times then the effect would lessen……
“Okay. This time I will use them.”
Marquis Martin nodded.
“Really?”
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
Slayer and Leon welcomed it with open arms. In fact, that was how most users would react.
“We’ll finally get to be celebrities. As expected, it is good that I came along with Ark-nim! Huhuhu, now we will be popular!”
Leon and Slayer were celebrating because of the bonuses that came with being a celebrity. They expected that they could use their brilliant background to attract the interest of female users. Well, it was consistent with their personality.
“Doesn’t that mean Ark-nim is going to leave now?”
Unlike Slayer and Leon, Melina wasn’t that excited. However Ark had no intention of parting with Slayer, Leon and Melina here. There were numerous users in the game but it wasn’t easy to meet reliable ones. And they were the most reliable users he had met so far. Maintaining the relationship with these users was also important.
“We can meet again any time if necessary.”
Ark exchanged ID codes with Slayer, Leon and Melina. The clean-up after the battle…..wasn’t over yet. There was still the most important thing. The title was just a perk he obtained for his active role. He still needed to receive the quest reward from Marquis Martin. This was the reason he was waiting in Tatuine after leaving Athamas.
“Was the problem dealt with?”
“I guess.”
Marquis Martin nodded.
“Jyubel is in charge of the Department of Domestic Affairs so it was slightly difficult. But his Majesty the Emperor also showed an interest thanks to your achievements so that guy couldn’t say no.”
“So now…..”
“I finished the process a short while ago.”
Marquis Martin said as he handed over a memory chip.
“The debt between us is cleaned up with this. I don’t know why you’re interested in a place like that but here you go. I wish you well. Now, is there anything else I can help you with? Or will you return there immediately?”
“I’ll go there.”
“Then I’ll lend you my personal airship. This is compensation for the delay in the processing.”
Ark had no intention of rejecting it.
“Thank you.”
Ark headed towards the airfield where the Royal Guards were gathered. The Royal Guards had returned the rental equipment after arriving in Tatuine and now looked like their previous selves. But Ark wasn’t disappointed. Ark wandered for a while before finding the target and the Royal Guards was only starting now.
“Hyung-nim, what will we do now?”
“Surely we’re not going back to the Silver Hand again?”
The members asked with uneasy expressions. They had to give to the Silver Hand to repay the money the Silver Hand lent Ark. They had spent a month and a half with the Silver Hand and they still hadn’t repaid the money. The Royal Guards were also aware of this and was concerned they would be sent back to the Silver Hand. However Ark had already paid back the debt out of his own pocket. This was because he judged that further training wasn’t required.
“You guys will be coming with me.”
“To where?”
“You’ll see.”
Ark smiled and replied. And the place Ark headed to on Marquis Martin’s airship was……
No, before that!
“Don’t touch any of the food or drinks on this airship!”
—————————————————————————————-
Da da da da!
Hegel sprinted forward. Once he arrived at a distance place, he spread his arms and shouted.
“Pant pant pant! Hyung-nim, here too?”
Ark silently nodded. Then Hegel ran a few hundred metres in the opposite direction and shouted again.
“Pant pant pant! Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Here too?”
Ark once again nodded and smiled. This situation repeated a few times. Hegel ran around gasping and asking the same question while Ark nodded without any annoyance. Once he had done this a dozen times, Hegel ran back with tears in his eyes.
“Hyung-nim, really? It’s not a joke? Yes? This is really our land?”
“Yes, it is our land.”
Ark replied while patting Hegel’s head. A large wasteland stretched in front of him with a mountain located in its centre. This was Mt. Fargo, the dormant volcano. The reward Ark claimed from Marquis Martin for the <Athamas’ Battlefield!> quest was Mt. Fargo.
“You want to have Mt. Fargo?”
This happened a few days ago when Ark was flying to Tatuine on the airship. Marquis Martin frowned and said.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. Mt. Fargo doesn’t belong to me. Strictly speaking, Istana doesn’t even belong to the federation. I don’t have the right to give you this land.”
“I know.”
Then why did you say that?”
“Mt Fargo doesn’t belong to the galactic federation but what about the different sectors?”
“Are you talking about splitting that area into sectors?”
“That’s right.”
Ark said with a smile. The reason he thought of this reward…..
‘The fight with Lucifer won’t simply be decided with a 1 on 1 fight. Something larger was required to meet the ultimate goal. Then there would be limits on my power alone. I need the strength of an organization behind me.’
This was one of the reasons why Ark hurried to register as an agent. Luckily he was able to register as an agent in Charem. However, the agent registration wasn’t his goal. It had no meaning if he didn’t grow it properly. Of course Ark’s interest was in growing the agent.
The first step was to secure a base.
An organization required robust roots in order to grow. And the foundation of any organization is a base.’ Ark had intended to use Charem as a base. He managed to become an agent for 18,900 gold, he also had a 3% share and the Charenjok’s food manufacturing factor was nearby. It was also a special autonomous trade city so the growth possibilities were endless. That idea changed once he found the Elim Sanctuary. He had obtained the occupation Elim’s Heir from there. Ark needed to focus on growth and obtaining Xanax’s legacy. Therefore he needed to make his base at Mt. Fargo where the Elim Sanctuary was located. Of course, this wasn’t the only reason to pick Mt. Fargo. There was a hunting ground situation inside Mt. Fargo. He could earn income from the gallstones and grow the Royal Guards at the same time.
‘This place is perfect as a base.’
And there was no apparent difficulty. Mt. Fargo was located in the Outlands. Istana basically belonged to the federation but they had no reach over the Outlands. Therefore a user was free to make it a base.
‘But……’
That was the problem. The federation isn’t involved in anything that happens in the Outlands. Therefore establishing a base is free but it won’t be protected by the federation’s laws. Of course, if someone killed a user or NPC in the Outlands then they would become chaotic. But unlike a city, the chaotic value accumulated was low and they would just need to pay a small bail. This was the reason why PKing was prevalent in the Outlands.
Outlands= lawless.
Building a stronghold in this place was dangerous. Even if he painstakingly developed the building, its rights wouldn’t be formally acknowledged. So he had no way to stop large guilds from forcibly crushing it. That was the reason why Director Bain needed to request help from the Laius headquarters when the Kero clan attacked. The federation troops couldn’t get involved in incidents in the Outlands. There was only one way to prevent such a situation!
‘A sector!’
The only thing the federation could manage in the Outlands was a sector. The same laws as a federation city also applied to the sector. The federation troops could help out in a raid.
‘An unsafe base will only be a burden. If he wanted to establish a stronghold in Mt. Fargo then it was necessary to make a sector. And it will be good if I’m registered as the administrator of the sector.’
This was the conclusion Ark came to. Of course, that task wasn’t as easy as it seemed. The user had to have a business to apply for a sector. It also required the appropriate fame and federation contribution. This was the minimum conditions required to apply for a sector! Marquis Martin looked frustrated and said.
“But that is literally the smallest condition. In order for a sector to be formally recognized, the area needs to have a minimum population and you need to apply to be qualified as an administrator. Once all those criteria are met, you need to pass an exam at the Department of Domestic Affairs.”
“Isn’t that why I asked Marquis Martin?”
“You think I can do something like this?”
“Yes, that is what I think.”
Ark replied with a serious expression. Marquis Martin sent Ark a sour look before finally nodding.
“Okay. If you succeed on Athamas then I’ll take care of it.”
That was the behind the scenes deal Ark made over Athamas. And Ark did his part. Somehow Marquis Martin had also achieved his promise. Ark didn’t care how he persuaded Jyubel who was in charge of Domestic Affairs. That important thing was that Marquis Martin had registered Mt. Fargo as a sector and Ark was the administrator. That was the contents of the memory chip given to Ark before leaving.
-You have become the administrator of a new sector!
Sector code: S-20 Sector rating: Lv. 1
Sector range: 1 km area around Mt. Fargo.
Sector manager: Ark (Agent- Dark Eden)
* You have become the administrator of a sector and was granted the right to uphold the laws of the federation in this area. You can receive taxes from pioneers and merchants who visit the sector. However, you have to pay the federation 50% of the tax money as a public utility fee. In return the sector will be protected from all threats.
The administrator of the new sector S-20! This was founded on Ark’s achievements in Athamas.
“I never thought this day would come!”
“You were a criminal sent to the battlefield and now you’re a sector manager!”
“I’ll have no regrets even if I die now!”
The members looked around with eyes full of tears. They were beyond impressed. They used to suffer from hunger on Beltana and now they were the subordinates of a sector manager. Ark also felt a deep emotion with looking at the area around Mt. Fargo that he was in charge of. He had finally gained a piece of land in Galaxian!
“It is thanks to your suffering.”
“Ugh! Hyung-nim!”
Tears finally fell from the eyes of the members. However Ark wasn’t entirely pleased. It was a small scale town when Ark came here for the first time. However many of the merchants’ trailers were abandoned after the Kero’s raid. The Laius’ research centre on the slope of Mt. Fargo was also smashed by the landslide. The debris was just left around Mt. Fargo so it was no different from a ruin. The caves inside the mountain had also collapsed so users couldn’t hunt. The merchants also all went away. It hadn’t been designated as a formal sector when the attack happened. It was natural that everyone would desert it and it would become a ghost town.
‘Now it is time to fight!’
Ark started the sector reconstruction project. This was the first step he had to do after registering it as a formal sector. However, he used his remaining funds to clear the Royal Guard’s debts with the Silver Hand so he was penniless. No funds meant he couldn’t build anything……
-Sector S-20 Administration
Manager: Ark
This was the information on a signpost.
“Hyung-nim, it is okay to cry.”
While the members were thrilled, he was sighing in front of the signpost. But it couldn’t be helped. He had no money!
“It might be disappointing but this is our reality. As you can see, a formal sector was registered but this is the middle of nowhere. How it changes will depend on us. We need to pour our blood and sweat into this land. We have to transform this sector into the largest and most thriving sector in Istana. Of course things won’t be that easy. But I believe in us. Working together nothing is impossible.”
“We believe in Hyung-nim!”
“I’ll do whatever you say! Anything!”
“What do we need to do?”
He had waited for those words.
“This!”
Ark took out a shovel. An entrance fee from pioneers was the basic income for a sector. If he added many inns and shops then he could get additional income. In the Outlands, pioneers needed a Fairy the most so he could also obtain money from that. Therefore the necessary thing for his sector’s growth was to secure pioneers! But the caves inside Mt. Fargo were blocked by the landslide. It was necessary to create the caves in order to return the sector to its original state. Then he needed to do one thing.
Dig!
Of course he wasn’t going to do it alone. Ark had used his remaining money to purchase 11 shovels in Tatuine. Milan distributed the shovels to the other members of the Royal Guards and Ark started the digging training.
“Everyone grab one and follow me!”
Ark led the members to dig in Mt. Fargo.
And…..Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Ark, Milan and the Royal Guards. The 12 of them started shovelling. Once again, the Royal Guards had shed tears because they weren’t required to receive the Silver Hand’s hell training anymore. Yet those tears tried up after not even one day in S-20. Instead sweat started pouring out!
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
All of them were breathing heavily. Ark was the only normal one. Still, this was better than receiving the Silver Hand’s hell training. Their training was so tough they felt like they were always going to die. But they could take breaks with Ark. Ark ate breakfast, connected to the game, dug, ate lunch, dug, dinner, dug, dug, dug until he fell asleep! But he couldn’t complain. Because Ark had a reason for doing it.
“This is our land. We need to save this place with our own hands. You guys have to dig, dig, dig. Every drop of sweat will fertilize S-20! Now, follow me!”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
And the shovelling started again. How could the subordinates not obey a boss who was working hard? Even if the Royal Guards’ backs were throbbing with pain, they couldn’t stop shovelling. No, if it was just shovelling then they could withstand it. Mt. Fargo’s caves were teeming with Thanatos! They had to shovel as well as take care of the Thanatos when they came flocking. The members also needed to deal with the Thanatos. The members became battered by the Thanatos every time they penetrated a blocked cave. Then they had to start shovelling again!
‘W-what it this?’
‘I thought I finally escaped from the Silver Hand……’
‘Oh my god! That was 100 times better!’
The members became like zombies after the situation continued for a few days. But the members had some hope. The caves where they were digging weren’t that big. The cave had a round form and was only 5 km large. After 5 days had passed, they were able to clear out all the dirt and sand and opened the cave to traffic.
“W-we did it!”
“The cave is finally in its original state!”
The members who hadn’t seen sunlight for 5 days cheered. However Milan’s expression didn’t change. Milan knew the structure of the caves inside Mt. Fargo. The cave the members took 5 days to clear was just the upper layer. The intermediate layer was many times larger and he couldn’t even grasp the size of the bottom layer. And considering Ark’s nature…..
“Now. Let’s go down to a lower layer!”
Of course he wouldn’t give a break. The Royal Guards finally started to realize it. Meeting Ark again had been their dream. The happy start they imagined soon turned to misery. They had moved from hell to an even worse place! The members would actually rather receive the training from the Silver Hand. But it was too late for regrets. The Royal Guards had no choice but to continue digging.
-Mellin has learnt the <Dig> skill.
-Hegel has learnt the <Dig> skill……
The only consolation was the ever increasing skill. And that was also Ark’s happiness.
‘Huhuhu. This is a pretty good?’
The members were going to help Ark fight Lucifer. Ark had been quite nervous about not seeing the members’ growth. That’s why he came up with the training schedule that he gave to the Silver Hand. He had also confirmed their fundamentals on Athamas.
‘My efforts on building the foundation for stamina is starting to show an effect. It has been demonstrated that the Royal Guards are still too low levelled to compete with Lucifer’s subordinates. Now I need to focus on raising their levels.’
That was his thoughts after the fight on Athamas. But right now it was imperative to rebuild the sector. Then the Thanatos showed up every time they penetrated a cave. Ark was glad about being able to do reconstruction work as well as level up. Of course this was incidental. Right now the urgent issue was to restore the sector. S-20 had to develop beyond what it was before. And he had finally cleared the upper layer dungeon.
“Soon I will receive guests.”
He was ready to bring back the pioneers. And the promotion of the newly opened S-20 was already in progress.
—————————————————————————————-
Istana’s central city of Tatuine.
Two men and one lady appeared on a large screen attached to a building. The two men and one lady smiled perkily despite looking like they had no rest. They were Slayer, Leon and Melina who were playing Ark’s promotional role. Leon and Slayer thought they could be famous like Ark.
–I heard that you played a decisive role in leading our forces to victory on Athamas?
–No, that….it is something I wanted to do as a citizen of the federation.
–You’re too humble.
–Doesn’t a rice plant ripen better when it lowers its head? Hat hat hat!
The big screen zoomed in on Slayer laughing like a frog. Then the users watching the screen gave it unpleasant looks.
“What? That guy?”
“He’s unbelievably smug after receiving some achievements.”
……He gained a lot of anti-fans every time he appeared on the screen. However this shameful conduct by Slayer and Leon led to an unexpected effect.
“Sheesh, I can’t believe those guys became heroes.”
“Okay. We should lend our support to Bellin’s battlefield!”
“If those guys could gain attention than the Rama must not be a big deal.”
They started becoming dismissive of the Rama. Therefore the number of pioneers volunteering to go to the battlefield steadily increased. That wasn’t the only effect of Slayer and Leon’s advertising.
“I thought Ark was annoying when he appeared on TV……”
“That’s right, now I actually prefer the blunt Ark. He is better than these smug guys.”
“Those bastards, they should stop promoting at once!”
“Okay, killing Ark is cancelled. Now they are out targets!”
Ark’s anti-fans transferred their attentions to Slayer and Leon. It was an excellent choice picking Slayer and Leon as his promotional billboard. But those were both unexpected effects. Other than his anti-fans switching targets, Ark had a reason for selecting Leon and Slayer as the billboard. That condition was……
–Did you have any last words you wanted to say?
–Well, no……
Slayer and Leon scratched their heads.
Then the silent Melina had quickly jumped in.
–Wait a minute. I wanted to let the people seeing the broadcast know something.
–What is it?
–We were able to build up the achievements thanks to Ark-nim who has received the title of Hero. We got the chance to go to Athamas after accidentally meeting Ark-nim at Mt. Fargo. It received a surprise attack by space pirates and is in ruins. However Ark-nim is currently reconstructing the sector. The probability of monsters dropping gallstones in the dungeon is quite high so it will be useful for any users looking to upgrade their equipment.
This was the condition attached. The promotion of Ark’s sector S-20! Ark had already played the role of the federation’s billboard. He knew how quickly things could spread if promoted properly. The effectiveness of S-20’s promotion was more than he imagined! Pioneers were attracted to S-20 thanks to Ark’s advertising strategy. And the advertising strategy was definitely effective. Users interested in gallstones headed to S-20 from close cities like Tatuine as well as faraway cities like Sidellin. Among those users was ‘him.’
“Ark!”
The blond youth looked up at the screen with complicated eyes. He had received a special pardon for the war on Athamas and was nicknamed Rapid.
“……I finally know where Ark is.”
A corner of his mouth went up. He had been completely disappointed on Athamas. He couldn’t understand why Ark had been defeated so easily by the Red Slaughterer. He felt like he lost the feeling that was sustaining him. However he learnt after the battle that it wasn’t the real Ark. Ark also played a decisive role in the victory on Athamas.
“Yes, I knew it. It is worthwhile looking for you.”
His enthusiasm was revived. After returning to Istana, he figured out Ark’s location through Slayer, Leon and Melina’s broadcast. The end of his long journey was finally nearing. He still couldn’t clearly explain why he wanted to see Ark. He didn’t know what he wanted to say. But he didn’t worry about that issue anymore.
“I’ll discover it when I meet Ark.”
All the answers would be released from Ark himself. And soon he would meet Ark!
Space 7
Visitors
“It is good that I received S-20.”
He had worried about if for a while. He gave up all the other compensation for the <Athamas’ Battlefield!> quest in order to receive the sector. But it felt extremely difficult after he first arrived at S-20. A landslide had occurred on the mountain and only wreckage was left. Ark lost all his energy. After the space pirates attacked, he had gone away with Marquis Martin straight away so he couldn’t see the result.
‘Is it useless?’
He didn’t express it to the members but he was worried about this. However he had already obtained it. And the value of the gallstones inside the dungeon was high enough that he thought it was worth a try. Thus Ark launched the reconstruction work! He mobilized the Royal Guards to dig up and clear out dirt in the upper layer of the cave.
“Excuse me.”
The first visitors appeared in S-20. No, it wasn’t precisely their first visit.
“It really is Ark.”
“I wanted to look since I heard that Ark-nim came back.”
It was Shein, Kuma, Face etc. They were the users who assisted Ark when the Kero clan attacked. They had left for another hunting ground after Mt. Fargo became blocked but came back after hearing that Ark was making a sector here.
“I heard that you’re opening up Mt. Fargo’s dungeon again……”
“Yes, I’m still working on the middle layer but the upper layer has been completely opened.”
“Ohh, is that true?”
“I felt uncomfortable because I couldn’t finish gathering gallstones the other day. Now we can hunt in this sector again. Oh, this is now a sector so I had to pay a fee to use it.”
This was the first income opportunity for S-20! But Ark gracefully shook his head.
“That’s okay. We are fellow soldiers who fought the space pirates together. This might be a sector but how can I charge you money? Don’t pay any attention to the fee. I’m the administrator for S-20 so use it freely.”
“But this won’t be feasible for your livelihood……”
Kuma said as he looked at one of the signposts erected. However Ark shook his head without any hesitation.
“It is sufficient that I met you again.”
That perspective…..the Royal Guards had shed a lot of blood clearing the middle layer of the cave and killing the Thanatos. They had been digging at the dungeon for one week! However Ark had his own ideas. The basic source of revenue for a sector was the admission fee from visitors. The fee was to allow people a place to rest from the monsters of the Outlands. But that was only when it was properly equipped with amenities. A sector needed a terminal for airships, a Fairy to register at and shops selling various goods. Pioneers paid the entrance fee for a sector in order to take advantage of such facilities. However S-20 was in the middle of nowhere.
-Sector S-20 Administration
Manager: Ark
That was the only signpost in the sector. Of course S-20 had the gallstones from the dungeon. The dungeon had been covered up from the landslide so they had to use 100% manual digging to clear it. It was natural to receive a fee for such efforts. But Ark had a different opinion. Ark hadn’t waived the fee for them because they were acquaintances. The regular users not familiar with Ark would no doubt complain. In the early days of a business, he had to be the most careful about any complaints.
-This sector is a dud. I wasted money paying the fee!
Rumours were the biggest obstacle for the growth of a sector!
‘A business isn’t built in one or two days. Right now reputation is most important!’
Reputation gathered people. Money would be collected at the place where people gathered. Ark already knew how to conduct business from New World. And that part was a little clearer in Galaxian. The fee for using the sector was the basic income but 90% of the real earnings came from the port fees, Fairy fees or taxes from the proceeds of the store. However, he couldn’t create port or Fairy without money. The Fairy and port was a public facility. It was impossible to establish a transport ship route or Fairy when there were no people. The sector needed to reach a certain level before permits would be given. It was the same with the stores. No NPC merchants would build stores in a sector with no visitors. The most important thing for a new sector was to gather pioneers! He couldn’t be too greedy over petty cash. Ark’s approach was effective.
“Thank you.”
“But we heard Ark-nim was setting up this sector so we came to help. If you don’t want a use fee then please let us do something else.”
“Yes, I will do whatever.”
“I know a lot of users so I’ll call my friends.”
Ark didn’t refuse it again.
“Thank you very much.”
In fact, S-20 had a lot of unexpected work to do. One of them was to create a boundary fence around the sector to prevent monsters and bandits. An average sector also installed a shield generator on the fence. Naturally Ark had no money to create such a fence.
‘But it won’t be that much with the materials.’
Ark laughed as he looked at the pile of debris on one side. They were the previous stores that had been broken by the Kero’s attack! They packed their money after the battle ended by the junk was left there. Therefore there was a pile of junk stacked up. There was also the wreckage of the abandoned Laius research centre.
‘The crew is in the dungeon so I’m lacking in manpower…..’
Now he had dozens of volunteers. Therefore Ark was able to launch construction work on the fence. Of course, they were customers so he couldn’t work them as hard as the Royal Guards. But Ark was a user who had the ability to draw out more effort from people.
“Pant pant pant! Isn’t this pretty hard?”
“Then you may stop soon. Fortunately you and your colleagues made 300 metres last night so you’ve progressed quite a lot. Aren’t you really good at this? Your party members have worked around the clock without any complaints. This shows that they trust their leader. They must be working hard because they know your character.”
Just throwing in a few words like this…..
“Eh? What is it? You can stop now.”
“Pant pant pant! I-it’s fine. After I thought about it, I realized I don’t have anything else to do. And this is the moral obligation of a man! It isn’t in my temperament to not help out. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
……The users starting working again. With Shein, Kuma and Face’s party helping out, they managed to insert the poles of the fence into the ground. At that time one trailer truck arrived.
“Ark, good to see you again!”
A middle aged man with a rough beard greeted him. He was the president of Hammer Industries who explained about the gallstones when Ark first arrived.
“I was in sector S-15 when I heard rumours that pioneers are gathering here again. My specialty is gallstone fusion so I have to take advantage of this place. It is perfect now that those damn Laius people have withdrawn. But I didn’t know you were the administrator of this sector. Can I do business here?”
“Welcome!”
Ark eagerly replied as they shook hands. It was more imperative for his sector to have stores than a Fairy or port. Pioneers could buy or sell various things. Ark also had a lot of supplies that needed to be sold. Ark also repaired equipment using Cheksun’s toolbox but he couldn’t repair magic or rare items. He had reached the limit. Then the store appeared like rain in a drought!
“Gid-nim is a comrade who fought with me against the Kero clan. You also suffered from the incident so I will only collect a tax of 1 copper for the next 6 months. That will apply to any other merchants who received damage here.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. I promise.”
It would take 6 months to truly establish the sector. He would rather attract a wide variety of stores in order to quickly grow the sector.
“I see. Then I’ll contact the previous stores and gather them. I have a lot of friends who will come running if these are the conditions.”
Ark’s tax-free policy started building S-20 up. Gid also contacted the previous stores who used to be there and they gathered one by one in S-20. Users naturally started gathering to use the stores. Pioneers also started coming from distant cities thanks to Slayer, Leon and Melina’s promotion. When S-20 first started, there was only Ark and the Royal Guards members. Thanks to their steady efforts, the population was able to reach 500 in just a fortnight. Meanwhile Shein’s work was also proceeding steadily and the fence entered the final stages.
“……The time has come!”
Ark launched a full scale commercialization.
Sector S-20’s special opening event!
The first 1,000 people to register will receive a lifetime pass to the gallstone dungeon for only 10 silver!
You absolutely can’t miss this chance of a lifetime!
That was the new sign erected at the entrance of S-20. Usually pioneers had to pay a fee of 1 silver to enter a sector. This was 10 times the amount but the package meant they could enter the dungeon for an unlimited amount of time! When considering that most pioneers needed to hunt in a place for a minimum of 10 times, that was an exceptional price. Of course that was just bait to advertise his goods.
“I’ve secured 1,000 customers. And the lifetime pass means that they won’t leave S-20. I need customers to raise the population. A population of 2,000 is required in order to apply for a Fairy! I have half of that with just the package!”
This was the real purpose of the sale package. The packages sold like hot cakes. The 500 pioneers already in S-20 purchased the package immediately and the new users who arrived also bought it without any hesitation. It was rapid progress! S-20 quickly regained its previous energy. It wasn’t just S-20 that grew over time. The users who bought the lifetime pass killed the Thanatos in the upper layer!
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Meanwhile 11 people were digging in the darkness.
“Pant pant pant, how many days have passed?”
“Damn, how would I know? I haven’t seen the sunlight you know.”
The Royal Guards had been digging for a fortnight now! However their state was actually better now than when they first came in. There was no choice. They had become accustomed to it. Eat breakfast, dig, eat lunch, dig, dig dig! They had spent the last fortnight only digging…..
-You have experienced the profound sense of ‘Dig’ and the skill proficiency has increased to Lv. 2!
This message appeared x11! Finally their Dig skill had increased! All members had reached intermediate level in Dig. This meant they could dig much faster while consuming less stamina.
“We don’t have to worry about dying anymore.”
“I agree. At first I thought it was worse than the Silver Hand’s training but now I’ve got used to it. It turns out I can adapt to digging.”
“Besides, digging isn’t as bad as I thought.”
“That’s right. Take a look at this. Do you see my muscles here? Huhuhu, isn’t it wonderful? These muscles are a result of the labour.”
They had time to chat while digging.
“Frankly, I was quite resentful when Hyung-nim first made us start digging. We had finally met after all that suffering and then he made us do this. But like Hyung-nim said, S-20 is our home now. If we don’t work then who will?”
“Yes, sometimes a leader needs to make harsh commands.”
“Our way of thinking was too short. We can’t compare Hyung-nim to the evil Silver Hand.”
They were still unaware. The Silver Hand were only following the training program Ark gave them. Anyway, their appreciation for Ark once again rose! Of course, this was due to Ark’s brainwashing of ‘S-20 and our future.’ At any rate, they continued working while having the wrong impression of Ark. Their growth wasn’t just in digging.
“That’s it! We’ve pierced through here as well!”
Kukung!
The members cleared out the dirt and revealed a cave. Then several pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. They were the Thanatos that appeared in Mt. Fargo’s dungeon! The regeneration limit of the dungeon used to be 2~3 monsters at once. However as many as 5 were gathered. And the members were working in the intermediate layer. The Thanatos here were level 140~150.
“Sheesh, this place is also infested. They’re like cockroaches……”
But there was no tension in the faces of the Royal Guards. They had already swept the level 100 Thanatos in the upper level and came down to the middle. And they had spent 10 days in the intermediate level. Now they had no difficulty cleaning up the Thanatos. That’s because the crowd of Thanatos also raised their levels. And there were 11 of them. Now the Thanatos were just like cleaning up cockroaches!
“Let’s take care of them quickly and move to the next place.”
Mellin took out a machine gun while the other members armed themselves with hammers or swords.
“Electromagnetic Hammer!”
“Speaker!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
And they started earnestly eradicating the pests! The repetition of this situation meant the Royal Guards in their 60’s could reach level 70 within a fortnight.
-Mellin has acquired a Gallstone (Intermediate).
“Isn’t this good?”
Gallstones would also fall occasionally.
“Now we’re finished! Shall we go if we don’t want to be stuck in the dungeon forever?”
They once again took up their shovels and crossed the dungeon. Meanwhile a man was watching them with warm eyes.
“I don’t have to worry about them for the moment.”
It was Ark.
“The sector is rapidly growing and the members are working fine so I don’t need to meddle. I can concentrate on my own work.”
While all of this was going on, Ark hadn’t just been playing around. Ark focused on growing the sector, encouraging the Royal Guards in the dungeon, helping Shein with construction and managing the pioneers. However Ark had other challenges remaining. He spent all of his free time on the tasks he hadn’t completed yet.
“But in the meantime I’ve learnt quite a few things. This time…..!”
Ark clenched his fists and turned his body.
Susususu.
A blue light wound around his body. It started from the bottom and the swirling speed started to gradually increase as it reached the top of his head. Then it changed into an intense white light and was sucked into his head. That process repeated a few times until all of the blue light was converted to white. Finally the light surrounding his body was completely white.
-You have succeeded in the Elim’s Heart Force conversion!
Character Information <Mental Power: 0 (+315) Mana: 0 Force: 1825> has replaced it.
“That’s it!”
Ark shouted with flashing eyes. He had converted all his mental power and mana into force. He had been honing Elim’s Heart Force until he could switch all of his mana and mental power into force. Of course, this wasn’t Ark’s challenge. It was just the transition time into force. This was all preparation for his task.
–Are you ready now?
Ark heard a distant voice. The voice came from a sphere of light in the centre while stone statues were lined up on either side. This was the Elim’s Sanctuary that had been sealed off for hundreds of years. Ark looked at the light orb and nodded.
“Yes, I am ready.”
–Is this your fifth time?
“This is going to be the last.”
–I hope so as well. I don’t want to see the pathetic form of the successor I have been waiting hundreds of years for anymore. But I don’t want to see you die so you can call for help at any time.
“That will never happen.”
–I’ll believe it when I see it.
The light orb moved to the other end of the sanctuary. Then a passageway opened and two warriors appeared. This place was the successor’s training centre. Ark had actually known this place existed when he was flying back to Tatuine with Marquis Martin. After receiving the Athamas quest, he had opened Xanax’s ship log. Page 3 was sealed! The seal was released after he became Elim’s Heir but he hadn’t read it yet. He thought Xanax would’ve recorded the location of the Divine Artefacts or skills on it. Ark quickly opened the log book page on his Nymphe. But in contrast to what he expected, the information on page 3 was just a single line.
–Begin from the training centre.
He learnt the meaning of those words when he came back to the sanctuary.
–Training centre? Yes, that is here. That is the place where the Elim trained in the basics of swordplay. What? Xanax wrote that in his journal? Well, speaking of that…..I remember. Xanax entered the training centre the last time he came here. I thought he was just reminding himself of his original intention before leaving for a long trip. But he might’ve left something for his successor who would come one day. That means you can’t receive it until you pass the training centre.
Pass the training centre! This was cumbersome for Ark.
‘I have to pass this as well?’
Ark headed to the training centre straight away! And he had been on the verge of dying when he was warped away by the light orb. He challenged it 4 more times but it was a crushing defeat! It wasn’t a problem with his level. No, levels didn’t matter in the training centre.
-A mysterious power has triggered the balancing levels effect.
<Everybody who enters the training centre will have their level fixed to level 50 and the equipment and stats of the character readjusted.
In addition, any weapon except for ‘Heir’s Sword’ can’t be used here>
Ark felt a sinking feeling at the message that appeared when he stepped into the training centre. Level equalization was fixed to level 50! The degree of difficulty would be the same even if he was level 999. That meant the user required combat skills in the training centre! It was more pitiable than that. Ark had confidence that he wouldn’t be pushed by normal users in a 1 on 1 fight. While his battle with Valencia was quite close, he had been pushed by the Red Slaughterer because of his level not his skills. Nevertheless, he lost 5 out of 5 times. He couldn’t even pass the place called the basic training centre. It was frustrating at first. However that idea soon changed.
‘I started regaining my combat sense from New World after fighting Valencia. But it isn’t like that. His senses felt even better after fighting the Red Slaughterer. That means my senses are still rusty and I haven’t regained everything. No, I can’t be satisfied if I couldn’t defeat the Red Slaughterer. I….need to become stronger than that!’
The devastating self-criticism! There was no future for those who don’t self-reflect. He started practicing the taekwondo exercises that he had been neglecting since New World. In the past he had no trouble kicking while standing on one foot but now he was unsteady. He once again realized how rusty he was. That was the problem. Ark had regained some of his previous combat senses. However, that feeling meant nothing if his body couldn’t follow along.
‘This is igniting the oil in my stomach!’
Fire burned inside Ark and he started exercising. He got up early at dawn to begin jogging and then started his taekwondo exercises. It also awoke the feeling of when he practiced swordplay in the past. The training affected the game. The hell training that the Royal Guards went through! Ark also started a training program for his body. So after a fortnight!
‘I can do it! No, I will do it!’
Ark lifted his blue lightsaber.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Three troopers emerged from the darkness. At the same time, bullets started to rain all over the place. The troopers were holograms but he still felt pain from the bullets and his health was still reduced. But it was the movement of the troopers that was more threatening. The 3 people moved in unison and cornered Ark. When he entered the first time, he had become riddled with bullets.
‘This time it will be different!’
Ark rotated his body like a spin top while swinging his sword. The sword sparkled and bullets scattered all over the place. It was Sword Defense that he learnt in Athamas! He used the special quality of the lightsaber to change the trajectory of the bullets. While dealing with the troopers in the training centre, he realized that Sword Defense wasn’t as simple as he thought. The orbit of a projectile could be changed! In other words…..
Ping! Ping! Ping!
A bullet that Ark deflected penetrated a trooper on the opposite side. It meant he could change the trajectory in the direction that he desired!
‘Sword Defense can be used for attack and defense!’
Ark narrowed the distance and attacked the trooper that had stumbled. The light carved over the body in a complex pattern and the trooper feel down.
“One down! Shield Emission!”
Ark shouted as he lifted the shield. Then the shield broke into pieces and attacked the troopers. The fallen trooper disappeared into particles of light. The situation turned from 3 against 1 to 2 against 1! The decreased number of bullets meant it was easier for him to move. He took care of the rest one by one until the two troopers had dissolved. But Ark didn’t lose his tension.
‘Now is the real start!’
When the troopers disappeared, 3 people holding lightsabers showed up. It was a mistake to think that opponents with a sword were easier than those with a gun. If those were real bullets then he would die but this was a game. It wouldn’t make a difference if they were level 100 unless they dealt a deadly blow. That’s why skill could overpower the troopers. Ark proved it with the troopers just now. It meant warriors were the next checkpoint.
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
The lightsabers headed towards him from three different directions! There were no gaps while they were attacking and they immediately changed to a defense stance afterwards. Therefore one technique was a must.
“Defense Break!”
A vortex poured out from Ark’s sword. The attackers quickly retreated in a defense posture but they collapsed the moment the vortex hit them. Defense Break was a technique to deal with the opponent’s defense stance! His sword penetrated their chest. Ark clung tenaciously to them like a wolf’s fang was in the enemy’s neck and the attacker eventually disassembled into particles of light. Once 1 person was dealt with, the remaining 2 became disorganized.
“Sonic Sword! Defense Break!”
Ark relentlessly attacked over and over again. The light continuously crossed through the darkness. The result was that the remaining 2 turned into particles of light. It had been 10 minutes since he entered the training centre. He was breathing harshly from not being able to rest. And……Ark finally reached the last checkpoint. Then 3 more warriors appeared from the light! They were fights holding a lightsaber in one hand and a gun in the other. Troopers had emerged at the 1st checkpoint. And warriors holding swords were at checkpoint 2. Now even more difficult warriors had appeared at the 3rd checkpoint. The fighters were difficult opponents.
Wiing! Tutung! Wiing! Tutung!
If he avoided the bullets then he was hit by the sword, if he avoided the sword then he was hit by a bullet! There was no time to think with the 3 fighters attacking.
‘No, I can’t think! From now on it is instinct! I have no choice but to believe in my instincts!’
Ark realized this after being defeated 3 times. He had to attack without thinking. If he started to think then he would respond too slowly. So he was better off not thinking. He entrusted his body to his senses.
‘There is no way back. If I can’t win then I’ll die.’
Ark ignited his fighting spirit after he was pushed into a tight corner. This was different from fear. It was a manifestation of his will! All the nerves in his body started to become extremely sensitive. He stopped thinking. There was no need to think. He had fought them 3 times already. His body knew what to do before his head. His body flowed naturally and his sword reached his destination. It was faster than he could think!
Jajang!
The sound was of sword hitting flesh. His sword had used the exact timing to hit the vital spot!
“Galaxy Sword!”
At the same time, Ark’s sword stretched out like a fan. And the fan of swords struck the fighters. Ark narrowed the distance and struck the shaken fighter. He used Defense Break, Sonic Sword and then Galaxy Sword! The fighter that was hit with the continuous attacks changed into light particles. The initiative had returned to Ark.
‘I see it! I can see the movement of the fighters!’
His confidence surged upwards! That confidence made Ark’s sword even sharper. He also had the timing of their gunfire. Ark’s body moved before they even pulled the trigger and the bullet missed him by a large margin. His lightsaber moved before the bullet even hit the wall on the other side. And finally!
-Critical hit!
Snap! Pajijijik!
The lightsaber penetrated the neck of the fighter and it disappeared.
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Ark breathed in harshly and flopped down. Sweat seemed to flow from all the pores in his body. However his mind was surprisingly clear.
“I-I did it! I finally passed the 3rd stage!”
Delight surged inside his body. It he passed easily then he wouldn’t feel the pleasure of winning. Ark could only celebrate such a victory after the darkness. Then a light soared up from a pyramid in the centre. Then a helmet appeared from it! It looked like the helmet the Spartans would wear a long time ago.
“Don’t tell me this is…..?”
An information window popped up when Ark grabbed the helmet.
-Elim’s Helmet (Unique)
Item Type: Helmet Wearer Restriction: Elim’s Heir
Defense: 35 Durability: 100/100
A helmet handed down to the Elim.
The Elim were mighty presences with a strong mentality that wouldn’t yield to any temptation while protecting the galaxy. This helmet was created by the Murat using ancient techniques in order to raise the Elim’s mentality even more.
When wearing this helmet, you will gain strong resistance to evil powers and it will be easier to switch to force. In addition, this helmet is equipped with a vast database that can automatically record battle scenes for analysis.
<Immunity to mental energy +50%, Force recovery rate +50%>
Special Option (Battlefield Memory): When a battle is recorded on the helmet, you can return to that battle and fight it again.
A unique helmet! Immunity to mental energy +50%……he had never fought against an Esper properly but he was sure it would have a huge effect. Force recovery rate also increased by 50%. But the even more significant thing was that this helmet was left by Xanax for his successor.
“Then perhaps?”
Ark wore the helmet. A black fog appeared in front of him and hazy images were shown. The image stored in the helmet, probably by Xanax, was of many planets in a constant orbit. They weren’t really planets. The planet shaped objects were moving around according to Ark’s hand. This was Xanax’s power. But Ark felt like he was the one moving the objects. It was like invisible strings were attached from his fingers to the objects. The objects moved according to the movement of Ark’s hand. After a while.
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Psychokinesis (User, Active): You have gained the helmet left to you by Xanax after passing the training centre. After wearing Elim’s Helmet, you were able to catch a glimpse of Xanax’s power. One of the most basic uses of force is telekinesis techniques.
This is one of the basic ways of using force but it needs to be taught by a mentor in order to understand the way of utilizing it. Xanax was able to communicate the tips to you through Elim’s Helmet.
The success rate of this power will depend on your concentration.
<It is possible to move small objects at a relatively close distance using only mental power>
Force consumption: 50
A new skill! Ark never imagined that he would receive a skill like this. An image then appeared on his Nymphe. Letters similar to the ones in the logbook were written on the screen of his Nymphe.
–How wonderful, my heir.
This is proof that the one who inherited my will has passed the training centre. I pay my respects to your efforts. I left my helmet here to reward your hard work. I’m sorry but unfortunately this is all I can give you now.
I’m leaving on a trip now and there is no guarantee I will come back. Therefore I’ve laid down some necessary measures for my heir to continue the Elim’s mission if I don’t come back. Even I don’t know where I will travel yet. That’s why I won’t leave everything here.
I will be leaving for another place. A place where 5 planets become one light. I will leave a mark for you in the deep centre.
“As expected, it wasn’t in this room.”
He needed to go to some other places to find the remaining skills and Divine Artefacts. Ark left the training centre and explained this to the orb of light.
–A place where 5 planets become one light…..
The light orb blinked. It seemed to be loading.
–I don’t know the place you’re talking about. I don’t know what you mean by 5 planets becoming one light.
……The loading failed.
“Doesn’t that mean a place with the correct angle that 5 planets line up would look like one planet?”
–Those terms are too broad. Do you know how many planets there are in the galaxy? There are hundreds of celestial bodies that will periodically move into that arrangement. Will you go around to all those planets and ignorantly look for it? Do you know how many hundreds of planets there are?
“No but……”
–Xanax left a clue for his heir. There has to be a specific hint somewhere in his writing. You have to figure out what it is.
A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. He had expected that he could go search for Xanax’s relics after passing the training centre. Yet he kept on running into a war over and over again. If this was a general fantasy game then he could recklessly run around but this was Galaxian. The size meant he couldn’t run around blindly. Like the light orb said, he needed to figure out the clues left behind by Xanax so he could narrow the search range.
‘Does this mean I have to search for some more clues?’
Then Ark’s Nymphe vibrated and a voice message appeared.
–Ark-nim, it is Shein. There is someone at the sector entrance looking for Ark.
“For me? Who?”
–They said they would tell you directly.
——————————————————————————————-
“Excuse me……”
Ark looked uncomfortably at the man in front of him. Ark had received a notification that someone was looking for him. But Ark only left the Elim’s Sanctuary after 20 minutes. In fact, this wasn’t the first time he got visitors. Ark was a user who received the titles of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero. Slayer, Leon and Melina were also in the middle of promoting sector S-20 while accomplishing their billboard duties. Therefore sometimes pioneers would come to S-20 just to see Ark. He thought it was just another pioneer requesting him so he saw no reason to hurry. He had wandered around after receiving the report. But the man waiting wasn’t ordinary. The man looking for Ark was surprisingly……
“I am Buldio, the section chief of the federation’s 1st internal affairs department.”
Someone from the federation’s administration! He was also from the internal affairs department. It was normal for the populace to cower when meeting someone with an official title like that. Ark was one of them as well. He had a number of reasons for that. Ark hadn’t legitimately become the administrator of S-20 but received it through a quest. The sector originally fell under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Affairs department. He received it thanks to Marquis Martin. Marquis Martin had exercised a little pressure to skip the intermediate examination process.
‘The internal affairs department investigates wrongdoings! Did he come to investigate me?’
Naturally he would feel uneasy. Ark asked with a deliberately unconcerned expression.
“What business does the section chief of the internal affairs department have with me…..?”
“In fact, I’m visiting with a request.”
“A request?”
Ark asked with a confused expression.
“What request would Section Chief-nim have for me?”
“I’d like you to find some people. No, I want you to rescue them.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Let me explain.”
Buldio nodded and said.
“Not long ago, a riot occurred at the orbit prison Stael and several prisoners escaped. Some staff from my division chased after the prisoners. A few days ago, they were finally located in the northernmost Harmadon constellation on a planet called Amara. However I lost contact with my staff members yesterday. The guys chasing the prisoners on Amara were caught in a trap and only one crew member who was waiting at a certain distance wasn’t caught.”
“How exciting. So?”
“Like I said, I’m asking for Ark-nim’s help.”
“Don’t your employees belong to the federation? Then shouldn’t the federation be in charge of the rescue operation?”
“There are a few problems.”
Buldio sighed and continued.
“Recapturing the prisoners was a top secret mission. The federation would be in a difficult situation if the media finds out that prisoners escaped from Stael. Only a small number of federation members know about the mission. Even if the pursuers are in a difficult situation, the federation can’t move.”
“But aren’t there special agents in the federation?”
“That’s why I came to Ark.”
“Eh?”
“Ark-nim is a user who received the titles of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero. You gained the dame on Beltana in a way similar to a secret agent. So I thought Ark-nim would be qualified for this mission and I also received Marquis Martin’s recommendation.”
Ark’s face tightened after hearing about Marquis Martin’s recommendation. Ark was entwined quite closely with Marquis Martin after Beltana. Marquis Martin was a troublesome existence as well as a VIP customer for Ark. He gave difficult quests but the reward if successful couldn’t be compared to normal quests. S-20 was one such reward. The relationship with a useful NPC was give and take. Ark needed to maintain a good relationship with Marquis Martin. But he wasn’t always thankful to have a VIP customer. This was unofficial but it was still a quest from the federation. No, it was an informal quest so he might be able to extort more rewards. But a federation quest would take a lot of time.
‘My philosophy is to accept quests but…..’
Most quests could take its time being completed. But if he accepted this quest then he would need to fly to the fringes of the galaxy immediately. However Ark still needed to solve the clues left behind by Xanax as well as help S-20 grow. Leaving this place for a long time would be a burden. So Ark had every intention of politely declining.
“I received some achievements in the Beltana and Athamas war. However a lot of it was due to luck. I’m too inexperienced for a heavy task like this. So please look for other people. There should be qualified people other than me……”
“You can’t reject it.”
Buldio interrupted Ark’s words.
“Ark-nim is the reason why she is involved in this situation.”
He said it was Ark’s fault the federation employees were caught by prisoners? Ark was amazed by this outrageous remark.
“Do you remember the name Irina?”
Ark’s eyes popped out at the name.
“Irina? Then the employees caught by the prisoners……”
“She is a part of them. Ensign Irina is a member of my division. She incurred Commander Haman’s anger on Beltana and was sent to chase after the prisoners. She wanted to help a trapped prisoner so they thought she should be the one to recover the escaped prisoners of Stael.”
“Because of me…..!”
A moan emerged from Ark’s mouth. In fact, Ark hadn’t seen Irina since returning from Beltana. He never saw her in the hospital when his mother had regular check-ups. That’s why he was worried. Now Irina needed Ark’s help. Besides, she was in such a situation because of Ark. He didn’t know what happened but he couldn’t pretend ignorance anymore.
“What do I need to do?”
“Ensign Irina didn’t make a mistake.”
Buldio nodded with satisfaction.
“The airship I came on will take you to Tatuine. You will then travel from Tatuine to Amara. Once you arrive on Amara, one member of the pursuing team will be waiting for you. The name is Hajin. He’ll explain more about the situation.”
<Rescue the Pursuers>
You have received a secret mission from the internal affairs department of the federation. The pursuing team chasing after the escaped prisoners from Stael have been caught in a trap and captured. Buldio was looking for a secret agent and Marquis Martin recommended you.
This mission is top secret. If the media gets wind of the Stael breakout incident then the federation will be placed in a difficult situation. In addition, the lives of the pursuing team can’t be guaranteed. Therefore you must sneak into Amara as a regular prisoner and meet a sergeant to quickly assess the situation and rescue them.
Difficulty: B+
Irina’s name wasn’t mentioned in the quest window. In other words, Irina was something that Buldio thought would convince him. The ever evolving artificial intelligence mean the NPCs now thought like real users. Just like Lucifer……
But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
“I’ll get ready soon.”
Ark called Mellin and Hegel outside. They were the people Ark trusted with running S-20 while he was away. Ark left the management of S-20 to them and boarded Buldio’s airship.
——————————————————————————————-
Kwaaaaaaah-!
1 airship crossed the sky. A young man looked up at the noise from the airship.
“An airship from the federation? That’s rare. Seeing the federation’s airship in a place like this.”
The young man watched the airship for a while before shaking his head.
“No, that doesn’t matter now.”
And he operated his Nymphe while looking around at the environment.
“Yes, there is it. That hill is Mt. Fargo. Where sector S-20 is location. Finally…..I finally get to meet Ark. Soon…..soon I can meet Ark!”
He ran through the dense jungle with an excited expression. The young man who had just received amnesty on Athamas was Rapid.
Space 8
Amara
Music came from an old radio. The quaint bar had a somewhat uneasy atmosphere. The guests were all staring at one man. A bearded man was sitting in the centre of the bar with an arrogant expression like he was a king.
“Hey, what are you doing? More alcohol! Hat hat hat hat!”
The man laughed as he made a lot of noise. But there was no one who dared say anything. They just watched with anxious looks. Then some guests got up and approached the man’s side. The bearded man looked up with an angry expression.
“Hey! What are you guys doing? Where are you going?”
“No, we have sudden business……”
“Don’t make a sound and sit. Don’t make me say it in a method you’ll understand!”
“B-but…..”
Then the door of the bar opened and one man entered. The man silently dusted off the dirt on his body and crossed through the bar. He passed in front of the bearded man whose face contorted like a piece of toilet paper.
“Hey! You, over there!”
“Me? Why?”
“Who told you to come in so selfishly? Huh?”
“Are you the bar owner?”
“No.”
The man laughed at the bearded man’s answer. He turned around, causing the bearded man to stand up angrily.
“You asshole, do you want to die? Don’t you know who I am?”
“I don’t want to cause any problems. I just want to see to my business and leave.”
“What? A problem? You want to just leave? Ha! This fool. If you don’t know who I am then I’ll tell you directly. Listen well. I am the bloody slaughterer Mook-nim!”
The self-styled bloody slaughterer Mook lifted his pistol. At that moment, a flash crossed the bar.
“U-unbelievable…..”
Mook stuttered as a blue lightsaber was held to his neck. The man holding the lightsaber stared at him with cold eyes.
“Yes, does the bloody slaughterer Mook-nim want to continue?”
“Ah, no.”
“The door is over there.”
“Huh? Ah, yes! Goodbye!”
Mook quickly put away his gun and bolted from the bar. The people watching anxiously breathed with relief.
“A-awesome! He got Mook with a sword……”
“Who is that man? Isn’t this the first time we’ve seen him? I don’t understand it but he is clearly a pioneer.”
The people gawked at the man and murmured noisily. However the man just sighed.
‘Damn, this planet……’
He had unintentionally directed a scene from a western movie. The man’s name was Ark.
————————————————————————————-
“This is Amara?”
Ark looked around. He had arrived at the universal terminal after returning to Tatuine with Buldio. He took an astral ship that traversed the universe to reach Amara.
The galaxy contained countless number of stars. The name alone wasn’t enough to get a full sense of the vastness that transcended imagination. The distance between some planets were thousands of light years. It would take hundreds of thousands of years if the ships went at the speed of light. Therefore all long distance ships were capable of warp movement.
So 24 hours after leaving Tatuine. Ark crossed the galaxy and arrived on Amara.
“This feels like an entirely different world.”
A sandstorm raged on the red earth. Amara’s space terminal was situated in the centre of the city. The onion shaped roofs of the buildings made it look like a medieval Arab city. But this was a SF game. Androids wandered the streets while airships flew around.
“This is my first visit to the planet.”
He didn’t come here to sightsee.
-You have connected to the federation’s special communication network.
–This code is…..federation troops?
He entered the security code on his Nymphe and a distant voice was heard.
“I’m not from the federation. I’m the pioneer referred by Lieutenant Colonel Buldio.”
–Pioneer……
The voice said with disappointment.
“Are you Sergeant Hajin?”
-That’s right. You are?
“I am called Ark.”
–Ark? Ho, Beltana’s Hero?
There was no one in the federation who didn’t know Ark’s name. The disappointed tone quickly changed after hearing Ark’s name. Sometimes fame wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I heard a summary of the situation from Buldio-nim. I would like to meet you and find out more about the local situation. Where should I go?”
–You must be contacting me from the space terminal. I’m approximately 200 km south of that place. I had to hide our ship. I’m sorry but can I send the coordinates to Ark-nim? We can talk more when we meet.
“Understood.”
Ark registered the coordinates in his Nymphe and ran across the city. Amara wasn’t a prosperous planet. It wasn’t developed compared to other planets in the galaxy. But the shops that he passed displayed some unusual items. Of course, now wasn’t the time to look at such things. Soon the buildings decreased and a wide wilderness stretched out in front of him. The red earth was the characteristics of Amara’s appearance.
“Now then…..”
“Hey, you over there. Wait a minute.”
Ark was pulling out his air board. Then 3 people wearing rags emerged from the back of a building.
“Is this your first time on Amara?”
“That’s right.”
“Then who is in your group?”
“I’m alone.”
“Ah, it is like that. Then……”
The men exchanged looks and pulled out their guns.
“Put down that air board quickly if you don’t want to be riddled with bullets!”
A pioneered planet was basically lawless like the Outlands. It was a place where the Rama, Aschulat and federation had no power. Some planets would have lords but their influence was only inside the cities. It was a complete lawless zone once outside the city. Even if murder was committed, there would be no punishment when moving to another city. Of course Ark had no intention of being robbed or killed. So he pulled out the lightsaber.
……Kill!
And that was just the beginning.
“Hey! That guy! Stop your air board!”
He was stopped by highwaymen three times while riding his air board!
Ku ku ku ku! Waaaahhhhh!
Strange monsters also interrupted four times! After 3 hours and fighting 7 times, Ark managed to arrive at the coordinates Hajin sent him which was a bar in the middle of a small town.
————————————————————————————-
‘I came to an annoying place.’
After the self-styled bloody slaughterer Mook disappeared. Ark sighed and headed towards the bartender. Then a hooded man sitting in a corner walked over to Ark and whispered.
“……Are you Ark-nim?”
“Hajin?”
“Yes, please come over here.”
Hajin guided Ark to a corner.
“Thank you for coming here. I’ll say hello once again. I’m Hajin.”
Hajin took off his hood to reveal a young man in his 20s.
“I am Ark. I’m sorry but it seems urgent so please tell me more about the situation.”
“No it’s fine. I’m also thinking about the hardships that my colleagues must be going through.”
Hajin nodded his head and started to explain.
Irina and the other members of her team were given the task of capturing the prisoners who escaped from Stael. They found a clue on the space station called Kwai. The clue stated that they planned to go to the planet Amara. Irina landed the ship not far from this village and the crew started searching around.
“It wasn’t difficult to find their hiding place.”
“This area?”
“It is a cave approximately 5 km from the village. We were able to detect traces of the stolen federation aircraft in that cave.”
“You did well finding that place.”
“There was a traitor among the escaped prisoners.”
“A traitor?”
“Yes, a prisoner who was reluctantly picked up when they escaped from prison. He decided to cooperate to decrease the penalty if he was caught again.”
Of course Irina led the members and sneaked towards the hiding place. After a few hours he lost contact with them. That occurred a few days ago.
Hajin was the pilot who remained with the ship. He instantly sent an urgent communication to Buldio but Amara was thousands of light years away from Istana so the message took a few days. It was kind of funny that radio waves for communication was slower than a ship who moved using warp technology. But Hajin had to monitor the cave so he couldn’t move. In addition, the prisoners already knew the federation was pursuing them so he couldn’t recklessly leave his ship somewhere. That’s why Ark had to come here instead.
‘This situation isn’t immediately risky……’
Those guys wouldn’t kill Irina. Irina was a pioneer so she had an immortal body. If she was killed and revived with the Fairy then she would tell the federation their hiding spot. Therefore they needed to keep her inside the lair.
‘But how can I possibly feel relieved? They don’t know that Irina had contact the federation before sneaking in or that a soldier was stationed outside. They might take the risk of harming the crew and then running away to another place. How can I leave the captured Irina there?’
Ark looked around blankly while thinking. Then he noticed Hajin staring at him.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“No, just……”
Hajin blushed and scratched his head.
“It is clear that you have some type of relationship with Irina-nim. Normally she is a strict believer in the rules.”
It was obvious that she strictly believed in the rules. She didn’t even blink when the prisoners on Beltana were dying of starvation.
“Then?”
“So you must have a type of relationship is she went to rescue Ark-nim when you were trapped on Beltana. Ensign-nim also only reveals emotion when she is talking about Ark-nim. So I was just wondering what type of relationship it is.”
“Irina-nim talked about me?”
“Yes, sometimes.”
Ark felt a strange feeling after hearing Hajin’s words. Ark was interested in Irina for some reason but she was a woman he couldn’t understand. When Irina helped him on Beltana, Ark thought that he had a good impression of him. However she didn’t show any signs of it when he ran into her afterwards. He also couldn’t say one word to her after seeing Irina at the hospital. Yet Irina had apparently talked about Ark. A man truly didn’t know the heart of a woman. Anyway…..his motivation shot through the roof!
“Then let’s leave immediately.”
Ark got up with an expression full of motivation. Then the door of the bar opened and a middle aged man wearing armour entered.
“I heard that Mook came here again.”
“Ah, Sheriff! It is okay now. A pioneer chased him away.”
The bar owner pointed towards Ark. The Sheriff looked at Ark and asked with a surprised expression.
“A pioneer? Well, you must be quite good if you could chase away the villainous Mook. What is your name?
“It is Ark.”
“I never heard of that name. How long are you going to be here?”
“I won’t be staying long.”
“So there will be no problems. Anyway, I’m thankful that you chased Mook away.”
“It was something I had to do. Don’t think anything of it.”
Ark answered and turned to leave. Then the bar owner hurriedly called to Ark.
“H-Hey! Wait a moment!”
Was he trying to give a compensation or something? Ark smiled at the thought and turned back around.
“You can’t go without paying for the drinks!”
“Huh? Drinks? I didn’t drink anything.”
“It is the alcohol that Mook drank. You chased him away so shouldn’t you pay for it?”
He was smacked on the back of his head! Ark looked at the Sheriff with a stunned expression. The Sheriff nodded his head. It meant Ark had to pay for the drinks. Ark looked towards Hajin. Hajin turned out his pockets and only dust blew out.
“I’m sorry. Our funds were managed by Ensign-nim…..”
Amara, this damn planet. Nevertheless, he had to continue the quest!
————————————————————————————-
‘Dammit!’
Ark kicked a stone with a furious expression. He was Ark. So far he never had money stolen from him in the game. However he ended up having to pay for Mook in the bar. The drinks cost 7 gold!
‘7 gold is what I could earn from selling a few lifetime passed to S-20…..’
1 pass was 10 silver. 7 gold÷10 silver =70 people! Resentment formed as he calculated it. Of course, rescuing Irina was important. But that was that, this was this.
‘I’m going to charge them! I’m going to charge the expenses to Buldio once I rescue Irina and the other members!’
Since becoming the CEO of Dark Eden, he became even more careful with his money. And he crossed the wilderness with Hajin for 1 hour.
“Here.”
Ark was expecting a rather plain cave. However Hajin was pointing towards a hole that looked like a giant crater. The structure gradually narrowed as it went down and a railway tracks spiralled downwards along the inner wall.
“According to the survey data, this used to be a mine. It was abandoned once it stopped producing anything.”
“Those fellows are hiding in the tunnels?”
“That’s right.”
Hajin looked at Ark anxiously.
“Will you be okay by yourself?”
“My mission isn’t to take out the prisoners but to rescue Irina’s crew. It is better if I move alone for a mission like that. And are there any other troops?”
Like Ark said, there weren’t any other soldiers to help him. If the numbers increased then those guys would probably kill Irina’s crew and escape on the transport ships. Of course it was different if the federation could completely surround them. But planets like this were designated as special zones in the treaty. Federation troops coming here would violate the treaty. And it would be bad if the media got a hold of the information. Ark could see why Buldio entrusted the mission to him. Ark hadn’t accepted the mission without thinking.
‘The number of escaped prisoners was 10 people!’
They were thugs but their long imprisonment meant their levels wouldn’t be high. So he could deal with them even if their numbers were high. Moreover, Ark had just graduated from the training centre yesterday. If he hadn’t completed that then he wouldn’t have accepted the quest.
“Hajin-nim should wait in the ship until I contact you.”
“Understood.”
Hajin replied as Ark stepped foot in the mine. Then Hajin who had been tinkering with his Nymphe screamed with surprise.
“Ark-nim, wait a minute! That is…..!”
Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
The soil around Ark’s foot started shaking and a long object emerged. 10 monsters that looked like snakes appeared at his feet! Saliva dripped from their sharp fangs as the snakes rushed at him. The snakes flew through the air like a shower of arrows!
“Rock snakes! Ark-nim, it is dangerous……”
Hajin burse out screaming. Ark’s body became a flash of light. The flash of light vanished before explosively appearing again. The snakes diving towards Ark stopped moving. The afterimage of light disappeared and black blood spouted from the severed snakes. Ark held his lightsaber and stared at Hajin.
“What?”
“Ah, nothing.”
Hajin replied while gaping like a goldfish.
“The abandoned mine is full of rock snakes so be careful.”
“That is helpful advice, thank you.”
Ark laughed and nodded his head. But unlike his calm expression, his heart rate had actually doubled.
‘Pant pant, damn! I thought I was going to have a heart attack.’
Ark had been shocked by the rock snakes that suddenly popped out from the ground. If he was the previous Ark then he probably would’ve been bitten by the snakes. However Ark had changed. After his battle with the Red Slaughterer, he had trained in martial arts and passed the training centre. His reaction rate had increased a few times from what it was before. Ark’s heart might’ve been shocked but he could handle the situation.
‘Yes, I’ve become stronger!’
However the situation wasn’t good for his heart. Since then Ark carefully moved along the railroad tracks.
“Amazing. He is capable and careful! He is truly Beltana’s Hero!”
Hajin stared at Ark with amazement after witnessing his sword skills.
————————————————————————————-
‘Phew, now……’
Ark sighed and lifted his head. The mine was in the form of a huge hole. But it had a deep depth and he had to move quite a large distance along the railways tracks spiralling down. The problem wasn’t the distance. It was the rock snakes! They popped up whenever he took a step. It was bad because they acted as an alarm. If the rock snakes kept on charging him then he might be detected by the escaped prisoners. It was the same even if he used Stealth.
-Rock Snakes-
Category: Space Monster Danger: B+
Combat Power: F
The rock snakes are creatures that can be occasionally seen on the outskirts of planets. Their combat power isn’t that different from ordinary snakes but the characteristic is that thousands of them live in one area. In addition, they hide in the ground and are very sensitive to vibrations. They attack whenever they sense a vibration in the ground, making them very dangerous creatures. Many pioneers have been killed by it so it was labelled as a B-risk monster.
* You can gain additional information if you face the same type of monster many times.
This was the information of the rock snakes. They responded to vibration so stealth wouldn’t work. However no matter how careful he was, he couldn’t walk without causing vibration…..he came up with two methods. One method was using the air board. If he floated in the air then he wouldn’t cause vibrations in the ground. But there was a risk of being discovered if he used the air board. Therefore he had to use the second method.
‘Swamp Walking!’
It was the method of distributing his weight while walking to avoid falling into a swamp! He managed to upgrade it one step further and could move without leaving a trace. It was perfect for an infiltration operation!
“…..Stealth.”
It was his survivor skill Stealth! Ark hid his body using Stealth and walked down using Swamp Walking. Ark had optimized his infiltration techniques during this mission. Anyway!
Sasasasak! Sasasasak!
Ark managed to descend to the bottom without making a sound. The bottom of the mine was a wide basin. A transport ship was laid out in a dark corner. It was probably the transport ships the prisoners had seized from Stael when they escaped. Thus far it was what he expected. By the way…..
”It’s not just one airship?’
There were 2 other airships landed in the huge basin.
‘Did those guys steal some more airships after escaping from Stael?’
Buldio and Hajin never said anything about that. But he wasn’t bothered about that…..the thing that caught his attention was the large disk in the centre of the basin. It was 10 metres in diameter. The dish seemed to be an antenna.
‘The size means that it couldn’t have been transported here using the airships. That means it was originally here…..however it doesn’t look old like the railroad tracks. What is the identity of this disk? Does it have anything to do with those guys hiding here?’
Ark looked at the disk for another moment before shaking his head.
‘No, now isn’t the time to look at that. I need to find Irina.’
Ark turned and looked at the cave across from him. There were tunnels in this mine.
‘I don’t see the escaped prisoners or captured federation crew anywhere. They must’ve locked up Irina somewhere in this cave.’
Ark crept towards the cave. And just as he was about to step foot in the cave.
“What are you doing?”
Some voices suddenly came from the cave. Ark gulped and quickly hid behind a rock. He licked his lips and grabbed his beam sword.
‘What, what the? Did I get caught?’
“Didn’t I tell you to stay and guard the antenna?”
Then another voice was heard from inside the cave. It came from where Ark was just about to step.
“Why should I? If someone comes then we will see them easily. And we’ve captured the federation soldiers so who will come? I’m tired of doing nothing.”
“But we haven’t found the federation soldier’s aircraft yet. Maybe there are still some people on the ship.”
“What can those guys do? The federation won’t be able to come here in huge numbers.”
“Shut up! How dare a lowly Katz answer back to me like that!”
“What? A lowly Katz? What did you say?”
“Don’t you know that you’re not that important for this task? If you miss this opportunity then I’ll go find some dogs. So stop spouting drivel and follow my orders. Disobedience won’t be permitted!”
“Understood! I understand! That absolutely won’t happen!”
‘Phew, I didn’t get caught.’
Ark sighed with relief.
‘By the way, what are those guys saying? Huh?’
Ark moved his body and looked inside the cave. There were 2 people inside the cave. One of them had an alien appearance. The body covered with fur had pointy ears, a snout and a tail swaying from the hips. He looked like……
‘C-cat? Is he similar to the Meow?’
Ark was familiar with species resembling cats. An alien resembling the Meow who helped Ark a lot in New World was standing right in front of him. The game was different but he felt good seeing the Meow again. But unlike the Meow in New World, the Katz were criminals who had broken out of jail. They looked the same but the feeling was completely different. However that wasn’t the reason for Ark’s surprise.
‘That guy is…..?’
A man was rebuking the Katz. The man was wearing the same robe as the group who controlled Valencia and blew up the Laius’ shield energy panel? That wasn’t all. The face was almost identical.
‘The man wearing the robe self-destructed. So NPCs in Galaxian are able to revive using the Fairy. It could be the same person. But why would he be here? According to Buldio, the prisoners had broken out of Stael before the raid on Mt. Fargo occurred. If he was the same person then he couldn’t be the one who broke them out of jail. They must’ve joined after breaking out of prison…..why?’
Numerous questions popped into his head. However there was a problem even more urgent than that. There was a saying that hundreds of cockroaches would become visible after seeing one. There was no guarantee that the man in the robe was the only extra person here. Ark had been thinking that there were only 10 escaped prisoners. Yet the man who might’ve been with Valencia was here.
‘Yes, come to think of it. Irina formed a unit to chased after the prisoners. There were 15 people assigned. It was strange that they managed to be captured by only 10 enemies. But it could be explained if people other than the prisoners were hiding here. It is also the reason for the 3 airships. One belongs to the escaped prisoners while the remaining two belongs to the others present in the cave. Considering the size of the airships, the numbers would be a lot…..damn, things have become more complicated!’
Things always become twisted every time Ark had a mission. It was a tradition that continued from New World. But he couldn’t just shrink away after coming all the way here.
‘I have no choice but to save Irina and escape quickly!’
“Sheesh! These Katz!”
Just as Ark was thinking this. The robed man snapped at the Katz and walked back inside the cave. Ark was going to use this chance to enter the cave behind him.
“Dammit, that bastard…..huh? What?”
The Katz who had been moving suddenly flinched and stopped. Then his nose started twitching and he approached Ark’s hiding spot.
“There is a strange smell in here?”
Ark felt his jaw drop after hearing the Katz’s words. It wasn’t necessary to say so but the alien appearance wasn’t just for looks. Cupa’s huge size gave him more stamina than humans while Kalliben’s third eye increased his hit rate with guns. In that case, the Katz had the sense of smell like a cat! Their sense of smell was more developed than other species. Ark hid using Stealth but he couldn’t conceal his smell.
Sniff sniff sniff! Sniff sniff sniff! Sniff sniff sniff!
-Stealth has been used.
<Probability of being detected by an enemy: 30%, 35%, 40%……>
As expected, the probability of being detected quickly rose as the Katz neared.
‘Damn, should I attack before I’m detected?’
Stealth would be maintained until Force was consumed. However, if he cancelled it to use a skill then it would take some time before he could use it again. If he released Stealth then the cave infiltration would become even more difficult. Even if he took the Katz by surprise, there was no guarantee he could defeat him without being detected.
‘If I’m found then I won’t get any rice. I have to find another way……’
Then an ‘!’ popped into Ark’s head.
‘Yes, this is great!’
Ark’s hands moved like lightning!
“Heok! T-this scent! There!”
The Katz narrowed his eyes and crossed towards a rock. His sharp claws swung out as he grabbed something.
“Ohh! This smell! Why? Why does this smell like that? Where….hat! As expected, the taste is fish! Ohh, to be able to taste fish in a place like this! Hehehehe! Why did I only find it now? Ah, no! If I make too much noise then the others might notice. Huhuhuhu, this is mine! I’m going to eat it!”
He ran into a corner and crouched down. The object the Katz was ravenously shoving into his mouth was space food. Of course it wasn’t plain space food. It was the fish paste bar that he obtained from Jay and the octopuses after the incident in Charem! Ark had come up with the fish paste bar in his moment of crisis. A cat loved fish! The Katz would also be the same. Fortunately Ark could safely enter the cave thanks to the Katz munching on the fish paste bar.
‘Phew, it is a success. I’m glad I remember the tendencies of the Meow. I was able to use the fish paste bar in this way.’
However there wasn’t just 1 Katz. Katz posted as sentries caught his eye after entering the cave. But the nature of a cat was all the same. The sentries were stretched out and sleeping. He could understand why the robed man was frustrated. However it was fortunate for Ark. He only had to kill his footsteps and walk past. Of course some were awake but they were taken care of when he threw the fish paste bar. There were some people in the cave impervious to the fish paste bars. Aliens with small physiques were gathered in groups around the cave. Wearing tattered rags and resembling frogs, they were the Kero clan who attacked Mt. Fargo.
‘As expected, the one who destroyed Mt. Fargo’s shield energy generator belongs to the same group as the person I just saw.’
However the Kero’s sense of smell wasn’t as developed as the Katz. Furthermore, they were mostly grouped in one place so he could easily avoid them. After crossing through the cats and frogs without a hitch, Ark was able to find a door at the end of the cave. It was crude like it was made in a rush but a large lock was attacked to the handle. It was impossible for this door to originally belong to the mine. This meant the door was placed there. Then there could only be one reason why!
‘Here! Irina and the other members of the pursuing team are in here!’
Ark immediately used a wire to connect his Nymphe to the lock.
-This device is protected by a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
This lock has a security rating of level 8. Your hacking skill is currently only Lv. 2 and you can only release level 4~6 locks.
<If you don’t know the password then try against after raising the level of your hacking skill>
‘Dammit, when I need hacking…..!’
He cursed as he saw the message. He had needed at least Hacking Lv. 6 in order to release the lock of Marquis Martin’s bag that he gave for a secret order. However his hacking was only at Lv. 2 and the lock was level 8. He had no intention of just leaving. However he couldn’t stay here to raise his skill.
‘What now?’
Ark struggled while hiding his body in a suitable place. Stealth lasted until his Force ran out. Ark hid his body and released Stealth. He mediated for a while to recover his Force. How much time had passed? He suddenly heard footsteps crossing the cave.
‘…..That’s it!’
Ark’s eyes flashed and he raised his head. He then glanced at the password being entered into the iron doors. This was the moment Ark had been waiting for. Irina had been intentionally captured alive. This meant they would be fed unless the captor wanted them to die of starvation.
‘And it is the Kero clan! This is it!’
Cheolkeok.
The door opened and Ark who had used Stealth flew in like a bullet. Then the Kero entered the cell and closed the door. Ark rolled before getting to his feet and the Kero shouted as it noticed him.
–Keeck! A person!
No questions asked!
Wiing! Buong! Buong!
The trajectory of light spread across the space like crazy. The frightened Kero pulled out a sword but the battle on Mt. Fargo already demonstrated that it wasn’t a match for him. It had low combat power like a regular NPC. It was no use against a level 95 user! The Kero died in less than 30 seconds after pulling out his lightsaber. Ark turned around after slicing the frog to jelly and noticed some people. The first person he saw was a woman with long, straight hair! They locked eyes.
“Irina-nim!”
“You….Ark-nim? How did Ark-nim……?”
Irina stuttered as she looked at Ark with surprised eyes.
“Ark? Did you say Ark? Oh my god! Ark?”
Someone suddenly got up violently from the corner. They shrieked and ran up to Ark.
“Dammit! This bastard! This is all because of you! It is because of you that I look like this!”
Space 9
Light that calls the Darkness
Bakak-!
The sound of something splitting! Someone quickly ran up to Ark and thumped him on the head. Ark who had been staring at Irina looked around with a confused look.
“W-What is it? This guy? Why all of a sudden?”
“He is……”
Irina tried to answer with a confused expression. The guy who hit him flinched and retreated.
“Yes! It’s me! I dared hit you!”
Bakak-!
He hit Ark once again! He hit the same spot and lumps formed a tower on his head. But this time he didn’t back away. He ran up and grabbed Ark’s collar with cuffed hands while shouting.
“Me! Say you know me! Say it!”
“What the, you? Who are you?”
“This bastard! Look closely! You know who I am!”
Ark looked closely at the person. But he still didn’t know. The only obvious thing was that he was an alien. But he had never seen an alien with skin that colour before. Furthermore, the large horns on the head…..ah, that was a lump that matched the one just given to Ark. Anyway, the face was sharp like a weasel. The alien gave off an intense expression so Ark would’ve remembered meeting him before.
…..That’s what he thought…..
Although he certainly gave off a familiar feeling. Ark searched through his memories despite his aching head and managed to remember someone who gave off a similar impression. If the ugly alien holding his collar had fur covering his skin…..
“……Tori?”
“This brat! What’s with the question mark? Don’t attach a question mark to my name!”
“Eek? You, you really are Tori? But you……”
Ark murmured with a confused expression before a ‘!’ flashed in his head. Which reminded him, the jailbreak occurred on Stael. Tori had been imprisoned in Stael. But Ark thought that Tori was still imprisoned there. For Tori to be in a place like this……
“What? Did you escape from jail?”
“E-escape from jail? I was caught!”
“Caught? By who?”
“Who else! Those damn Katz!”
Tori had experienced a lot in the meantime. His life had been miserable since being picked up by the Katz on Stael! He received a terrible beating from the Katz every day!
Tori cursed the Katz with a voice full of resentment and dripping with tears.
“Hrmm, you must’ve gone through a lot of suffering.”
“Ah? I must’ve gone through a lot of suffering? Is that all? Don’t you have a conscience? I went through all this trouble because of you!”
“Because of who? Are you trying to blame me?”
“Of course! You bastard! If only you hadn’t set off the alarm!”
“Ha! Stop playing around. You’re the one who caused the incident by trying to deceive me! Yet you’re blaming me? What kind of bullshit are you saying? And are you the only one who suffered? Do you know how much I suffered on Beltana? To be honest, my mind……”
“What about your mind? Are you going to hit me? Huh? Yes, go and hit me! This bastard! I’m not scared of beatings anymore. No, haven’t I been hit already? Look at me! Are you a human?”
“You’re the one who suddenly ran up to me!”
Ark shouted angrily before suddenly asking.
“No, wait a minute. Why aren’t you with the escaped Katz?”
“He is the traitor who gave us information.”
Irina was the one who answered.
“After being kidnapped by the Katz, he left information for any pursuers on the hive called Kwai. But the Katz knew about it.”
That’s how the pursuers were caught. The Katz were aware the Tori left information and laid a trap for the pursuers. In the process Irina lost most of her crew members. Camel was seriously injured and 4 other members captured. And Tori was locked up with them as well.
“Can I ask why you’re here?”
“Of course it is to rescue Irina-nim.”
“Ah, yes…..”
Irina nodded indifferently.
“Then can you release us from the shackles and handcuffs?”
“Ah, yes…..”
Ark also nodded indifferently. This wasn’t how Ark pictured it. He heard that she was in danger and flew thousands of light years to rescue her. And he had finally reunited with her while she was in captivity. Something! It didn’t have to be much but it should be a more plausible scene! He had even directed such a scene when he jumped into the jail.
‘Because of that damn hamster……’
Tori had broken the good atmosphere between them. It was like the impressive video was skipped thanks to someone pressing the Del button.
“I don’t know what the situation is between the two of you but we should escape first.”
“……Yes.”
Ark answered while glaring at Tori. Ark swung his lightsaber that he wanted to cut Tori with and removed Irina’s handcuffs and shackles. Irina rubbed her wrist and asked.
“Did you come alone?”
“Yes.”
“This will be hard.”
Irina sighed and said. Ark also had to admit there was an error in his plan. Originally Ark planned to rescue Irina’s group and subdue the criminals together. It was possible when he thought there were still 10 people. But the escaped prisoners weren’t the only ones alone here. There was the robed man and the Kero clan! Apart from the robed man, Ark had identified at least 200 Kero. Other than Irina, there was an additional 6 people in the jail. At least 2 people including Camel had suffered injuries so their combat power was significantly down. If an NPC didn’t treat the injury in a timely matter than a penalty will be applied. Anyway……
The group wasn’t strong enough to deal with all the enemies. He had to give up on capturing the criminals and concentrate on escaping.
“My opinion is the same as Ark-nim. But there are a significant number of Katz and Kero gathered. It isn’t possible to reach the cave entrance with our power.”
“I have an idea.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“Wait here a moment. I’ll be back soon.”
Ark headed out and returned after 10 minutes with a pile of rags.
-Filthy Rags
Item Type: Cloak Wearer Restriction: –
Defense: 1 Durability: 13/20
Dirty pieces of cloth found in dumpsters. An awful odour is emitting from it. A person with a sinus problem might be able to stomach it but don’t expect high defense.
They were the rags the Kero was wearing. Ark hid his body in a dark place and attacked a Kero patrol! He hid the corpses and looked for more Kero! He soon collected the rags that had a high possibility of falling. The Kero were only level 40~50. The cloak only had 1 defense so they had no choice but to die easily. However the cloak wasn’t simply to defend the Kero. The surprising function not recorded in the information window……
Weng- weng- weng- weng.
A group of people wearing smelly rags! There was a reason Ark had been able to pass through 200 Kero undetected even when using Stealth. The Kero were frogs. They were distracted eating flies. The loss of vigilance when eating made them no different from the Katz. Of course, not all of the frogs were looking for flies.
“This is for camouflage.”
“Camouflage?”
“The Kero clan all wear these rags. If we disguise as the Kero clan then we can walk around.”
Ark set an example and wore the rags. The face was hidden so anyone would think he was the Kero clan! After a while……
The jail door opened and 8 people wearing rags emerged. They were Ark, Tori, Irina and 5 of her team.
‘Huhuhu, I think this is a brilliant plan.’
A horrible odour was coming from the rags! They also imitated the way the Kero were walking! Ark’s strategy seemed to be working. The Kero clan gathered here weren’t interested in Ark’s group. It wasn’t a situation where their hearts could be calm. They became anxious when a group of Kero suddenly headed towards them.
‘Damn, did we get caught?’
Ark held onto the beam sword underneath his rags.
Nallum! Nallum! Nallum! Nallum!
The Kero flicked their tongues as they wound around Ark’s group.
-Ugh, I’m hungry. You should eat. Because you can be called at any time. I’m still hungry.
And they headed somewhere else. The rags were covered with saliva and felt even dirtier but they moved ahead again. The group was able to safely reach the cave entrance where the Katz were gathered. In fact, Ark hadn’t been able to understand the considerable difference between the Katz and the Kero when he first arrived. But he understood the moment he saw the rags. The Katz were a species sensitive to smell. And the Kero wore stinky rags. The Katz and Kero were species destined to never be close!
“Kyak! It stinks!”
“Uhh! Why did you guys come all the way here? Go away!”
“Ah! T-this is? Isn’t this food that tastes like fish?”
When Ark’s group arrived at the cave entrance, he threw the fish paste bars and the Katz didn’t care about them anymore. Thankfully they finally escaped the cave! They just needed to follow the spiral upwards to leave the mine.
‘That’s it! We should climb up before those guys notice……’
“Hey! You over there!”
Then he heard a rough voice from behind him. Ark flinched and turned his head. The robed man was angrily arriving!
“You guys, why are you standing in a place like this? Didn’t I tell you to wait inside? Answer now. Why did you come here? The punishment will depend on your answer.”
‘Dammit, we’ve already reached this point……’
“Why are you answering me?”
Ark’s lips dried at the robed man’s words. Ark could understand the language of the Kero. But that was due to the Nymphe’s translator function and he couldn’t actually understand their language. Of course the robed man expected the answer to be in the Kero’s language. Ark tried to mimic what he heard the Kero say as closely as possible.
“K-Kaegul?”
A vocal mimicry!
“You…..who are you guys?”
……It didn’t work.
“Disclose your true identity! Punishment Lightning!”
The robed man shouted as lightning formed between his hands.
“Damn! They found us!”
Ark tossed off his rags and grabbed the beam sword. At the same time, blue light emerged from the end of the beam sword and it changed into a lightsaber.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Pajijiji! Pajijiji!
The lightsaber collided with the lightning. There was a burst of white light and the lightning scattered in many directions. The sparks flew into the dirt. The crew members at the back were reeling from the aftermath of the shock. Ark’s hand holding the sword started tingling. The immense power of an Esper!
‘Dammit, this guy will be tough……’
Ark bit his lip until it became bloody.
“Ah! I’m not! They dragged me out by force!”
Tori shouted as he threw himself to the ground. What the hell…..this hamster bastard…..there was nothing he could say to a subservient action like that.
“Ark-nim!”
“Run! I will follow you soon!”
Ark was already rushing towards the robed man. Ark tried to strike downwards with his lightsaber and the robed man spread his hands towards Ark.
“Your soul was caught by me! Soul Chain!”
At the same time Ark’s body stiffened. But a message flashed after a moment.
-The power of the ‘Elim’s Helmet’ made you resistant to psychic energy!
<The hostile effect has been destroyed>
The Elim’s Helmet increased immunity to mental energy by 50%! The stopped sword struck downwards and hit the robed man.
“Cough! Unbelievable!”
The robed man grabbed his cut chest and retreated. Then he stretched out his arms and tried to use another technique.
“Shield Break!”
Ark cut the robed man’s arm with his sword. Shield Break was the skill to destroy an opponent’s defense stance. However this time he took advantage of the timing to block the enemy’s attacks. Ark blocked the robed man’s arm and pushed his left wrist towards the face.
“Shield activated! Shield Emission!”
Pajik! Pepeng! Papapapapa!
“Kuaaaaak!”
The robed man screamed and flew backwards. Glass fragments from the shield had hit the robed man’s face. The face was torn from the number of fragments and blood poured down. The robed man shouted as he held his dripping face.
“Kuack! Catch……no, kill all of them!”
“Those guys are fleeing!”
The Katz came flocking out of the cave. Once again, the Katz resembled the Meow from New World. It was the same with the Meow’s agility. The Katz rushed across the basin at an incredible speed towards Irina’s group. They suddenly stretched out 10 cm claws!
“Irina-nim, it is dangerous!”
“Sword!”
Irina turned around and shouted. Two swords popped out from her bag and she grabbed the handles. At the same time, dozens of swords made of light enveloped Irina’s body. It was a great sword! When one sword disappeared another one would appear…..dozens of these swords seemed to form a sphere around Irina. However it wasn’t a simple sphere. A sphere of blades!
“Kyaak!”
“This female is strong!”
The Katz stepped back and bared their fangs. They were familiar with Irina’s skill from when they captured her. However Ark was shocked because he never saw her fight. No, to be honest he never imagined her fighting.
The first time he met her she was in charge of the prisoner’s supplies. In reality he saw her wearing a dress while attending a party and was about to be humiliated. And this time she had been captured while chasing after escaped prisoners. Therefore an image of a fragile girl was lodged in his brain.
But it was normal when he thought about it. All users envied those who were selected by the galactic federation. It made no sense if she wasn’t capable of combat. But the Katz weren’t that easy to deal with. With two out of the five crew members injured, it was difficult to stop the Katz flocking from all sides.
–Kekek! The enemy!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
In addition, the Kero had started to flock out of the cave as well.
‘There is no chance if we fight here. It is imperative to escape!’
Ark bounced back the bullets with his lightsaber and ran towards Irina.
“Hik! Me! Me too!”
The ignored hamster followed behind him……
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords swirled out like a fan. He pushed away the Katz pressing Irina and Camel on one side. He then joined the group and said to Irina.
“Irina-nim, follow behind me!”
“Yes!”
“Please support the rest and follow!”
Ark shouted as he jumped onto the railroad tracks. He had ran over 10 metres when dozens of rock snakes sprang out at him. This was the reason Ark took the lead.
‘My speed can’t be slow! Concentrate my senses!’
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
The blue lightsaber continuously followed a trajectory. The rock snakes fell as they were cut. Ark swept through most of the rock snakes before they could attack Irina. However the Katz were caught by the snakes.
“Kyaak! These damn snakes!”
The Katz couldn’t increase their speed thanks to the rock snakes. Of course that only affected a small number of Katz.
–Shoot!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Kero started firing their machine guns. But like Mt. Fargo demonstrated, their hit rate wasn’t that high.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Most of the bullets only hit the stone around them. These shots were actually useful for Ark. The rock snakes reacted to the vibration. A large number of rock snakes came pouring out as the projectiles recklessly hit the environment. It was to the extent that the rock snakes seemed to cover the entire wall. They were so easy to deal with that he didn’t need to worry about them. The Kero’s hit rate was also so bad that it couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe.
“Ouch! Where are those stupid frogs shooting?”
A Katz coughed and cursed as they were hit by a grenade. Thanks to that, Ark’s group could climb up without the Katz catching up to them. The problem occurred when they reached the middle part.
“RPG!”
Camel suddenly screamed. Ark and Irina flinched and turned to see a shell heading towards them. A Kero had launched a RPG! Some shells were heading in an unexpected direction. But it wasn’t just one frog firing the RPG.
Pusung! Pusung! Pusung!
Quantity rather than quality. 10 shells flew continuously.
“Everybody down!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Successive explosions occurred around the group lying face down. The ground shook roughly and dirt and rocks poured down on top of them. Part of the ground in the middle area was swept away like a landslide and one member slid away with it. No, they were about to fall! Irina threw her body and grabbed his wrist.
“Ugh! Ensign-nim!”
“Hold on tightly! You can’t let go!”
“I can’t! My injuries are too severe and I’m lacking strength in my hand! Let go and escape with the other members!”
“Don’t talk so weakly! I’ve already lost a lot of my group! I’m not losing anymore!”
“B-but…..”
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up? If you can talk then climb up!”
“T-that’s not…..above! F-falling rocks!”
Irina looked up and her face paled.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
A large amount of dirt and sand were flowing down the slope above them. But the dirt and sand was a problem for later. A rock was rolling ahead of the dirt! It was a huge rock. If hit then it would be instant death! She would turn into a stone frog. Then one man stood in front of her.
“Armour armament!”
The man shouting was Ark! A battle suit enveloped him and Ark’s fist stretched out towards the falling rock.
“Take this! 18 Barrage!”
It was his special technique 18 Barrage that consumed 100% of the mana! Steam bubbled from his battle suit and there was an explosion of fists.
‘One point! Focus all my attacks on one area!’
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
His fists flew at 300 km/hr and only concentrated on hitting one point. 18 Barrage was completed in just 1 second. The rock split in half as the final fist of 18 Barrage was driven in. The battle suit split open and removed itself from Ark.
“Ah, Ark-nim!”
Irina gave Ark a disbelieving look. However Ark was still looking at the top.
‘I did it! But……’
Hundreds of tons of sediment were pouring down. There was no way to stop the sediment with a sword or fist. Then the only way was to endure it.
‘Pay attention! It’s not over yet!’
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 410 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
The shield wrapped around his body and Ark stepped in front of the group. He crossed his arms to form the letter X.
“Come!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, hundreds of tons of sediment covered Ark. The rocks among the dirt hit Ark as the landslide swept past him. The shield’s durability was sucked out at a tremendous rate. However Ark continued standing there was his arms crossed in front of him. It was the end if he was buried in dirt and sand. If Ark crumbled then Irina and the group would be wiped out!
“Never…..give up…..I won’t!”
Ark croaked with bloody lips. He focused all is efforts and maintained his posture against the sediment falling down. The pressure only loosened after he was pushed back into the basin. His trembling knees finally collapsed.
“Heok!”
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
There was the continuous sound of iron around him. It was the sound of being surrounded by Kero and having guns pointed at him.
‘Damn!’
Ark cursed as he quickly got up. The Heir’s Sword wasn’t in his hand anymore. Ark hurriedly looked around and saw the sword hilt buried in the dirt approximately 10 metres away. He had dropped the sword while being pushed by the landslide. And now he was surrounded by frogs holding guns!
‘In the end……’
Ark sighed and looked around. He had survived despite the huge amounts of dirt and sand.Unfortunately 3 members of the crew were already injured so they were no in a critical condition.
It would end here. 200 Kero were pointing their guns at the group! Ark couldn’t see a way to get out of this. No matter how lousy their hit rate was, if they fired in unison then Ark would be riddled with bullets in seconds. No, it was more like he would become a crushed tomato.
–Kekekeke, try not to blow up the room.
A Kero smiled and lifted a RPG. And the moment he was about to pull the trigger!
“Stupid bastard!”
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
The Kero was hit by lightning. The one holding the RPG instantly turned to ashes. The Kero were perplexed by the sudden situation and looked at the robed man who appeared. Sparks were flying from the hands of the robed man!
“Idiots! Do you intend to ruin the plan I put so much effort into preparing? You can’t use firearms in a place like this! A sword. There is no need to capture them. Just kill with your swords!”
“Leave it to us.”
A group of people stepped forward. They were the Katz who had descended the slope.
“Okay. Take care of these guys.”
“Huhuhu, you cheeky humans. Shall we start attacking?”
The Katz approached with their sharp claws. But Ark had no interest in them. Ark’s head was repeatedly replaying the footage with the Kero and the RPG.
‘He prevented the Kero from firing their guns. If he intended to kill us then that would be much easier. Despite that, he stopped the guns from killing us. He said it would ruin his plans…..which reminds me, I don’t know what his plan is. Why did they not leave after their lair was discovered? If the use of firearms would risk ruining the plan…..’
Ark looked behind him. A large antenna was located in the centre of the basin.
‘That is the reason why the robed man prevented the use of firearms!’
200 Kero were gathered in front of Ark’s group. If all of them fired then the antenna would definitely be hit. The Kero’s hit rate was low. Of course the antenna would be destroyed. Just as he was thinking that.
“Where are you looking? Your opponent is me!”
A Katz rushed forward and swung his claws. Ark looked back at Irina and shouted.
“Get down! Shield Emission!”
Ark’s shield exploded and hundreds of fragments flew around. It was the Mind Shield that had 410 durability! The shield hadn’t been completely destroyed by the landslide. And Mind Shield was still a shield. Ark blew up the Mind Shield with Shield Emission. The shield wrapped around his whole body so the blast range was 360 degrees!
Jajajajang! Pepepepeng!
The fragments of the broken shield flew around. The Katz rushing at him only received minor wounds. The durability of the shield was low so it was natural for the damage to fall. But it was enough to push them away for a while.
“This bastard……!”
The moment the Katz were going to flock again!
“Psychokinesis! Come my sword!”
Ark reached out and the beam sword flew into his hands like a magnet was attached to it. It was the Psychokinesis skill he received from Xanax!
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
Ark pushed them back with a swing of his lightsaber. He ran to the antenna dish and took out a grenade.
“Don’t move! If anyone moves even one step then I will throw this grenade at the antenna!”
“Stop!”
Sure enough.
The robed man shouted with a pale face.
He glared at Ark and angrily proclaimed.
“Do you think you can get out of here alive if you do this?”
“If I don’t do this? Wouldn’t I still die?”
“……!”
“This is my plan of desperation. If I’m going to die then shouldn’t I blow something up with me? Eh? How about it? Should I do it quickly?
Ark prepared to pull out the safety pin. The robed man desperately said.
“W-wait! What do you want?”
“The key.”
Ark lifted his finger and replied.
“Don’t you have the key to the transport ship that the escaped prisoners came on? Give it to me.”
“…..Give it.”
The robed man said as he looked at the Katz.
“Marshal! Why do I have to give the key…..?”
“You stupid cats! Shut up and give it to him!”
The man they called Marshal snapped at the Katz. The Katz immediately took out the key as they were threatened with lightning. Ark took the key and looked at Irina.
“Irina-nim and the other members should escape to the transport ship first.”
“If we escape first then what about Ark-nim?”
“These guys have RPGs. If I take the transport ship as well then those guys will shoot us down before we can escape. This is the only way I can stop that situation. Don’t worry. Do you think I want to die? I’ll get out of it alive somehow so go ahead.”
There was no guarantee he would survive. But this was the best way at the moment. If Irina’s group escaped then he would complete the quest. He could also look good in front of a girl he was interested in. No, in this case wasn’t it a bonus that he would complete the quest? Anyway! There would be benefits even if he died. Irina also knew this much.
“Yes, I will look for you on Istana.”
No, she was already treating him like someone dead…..
Ark cooled down at Irina’s words.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Suddenly the entire mine started to vibrate. The Marshal murmured in a voice full of ecstasy.
“Oh! The time has finally come! The time to resurrect the Great God!”
“God? What nonsense is this…..?”
Ark raised his head as a wind rushed through the mine. Red rays shot out from 4 planets that could be seen above the mine? The 4 rays then connected with each other above his head!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
A pillar of red light rose from the antenna that Ark was holding hostage. It overlapped with the 4 rays of light.
———————————————————————————-
The northernmost corner of the galaxy changed. There were 5 planets that made up the constellation Harmadon. Right now a massive event was taking place there. The five red lights formed a huge pattern in space. That pattern was a pentagram! The pentagram was several million kilometres large. After a while……
The space in the centre of the pentagram distorted and enormous flames spurted. A huge fireball had started to appear from the space. However this fireball wasn’t made of light.
Darkness!
It was a deeper darkness than outer space! The darkness swallowed up any light that hit it.
Ohhhh! Ohhhh! Ohhhh!
The black existence stretched out in all directions. At the same time, all users logged into Galaxian received the same message.
– [Episode II: Dark Omen] has begun.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 08
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Escape
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Flames rose out of the darkness in the centre of the Harmadon constellation! In the midst of those flames was a black entity.
–I’m back!
–The resentment that was never erased!
–I will bring an end to all living beings in this star system!
–There will be a flurry of despair!
-Endless darkness!
Sound poured out from it. It wasn’t a language. It could only be called a sound. Will! It was the intense will emitted by a higher dimensional being. Any debris in the vast space of the Harmadon constellation was eaten by the darkness…..
– [Episode II: Dark Omen] has begun.
The new century had started.
——————————————————————
‘What, what the?’
Ark was confused. He couldn’t understand what was happening. A red flash shot out from the antenna and it became dark at the same time. Even with Ark’s Clairvoyance ability, he could only see many silhouettes in the darkness. It was impossible to see what was going on in space. No, he wasn’t even interested in what was happening in space.
‘…..Dammit!’
It was so dark that it was difficult to discern the area in front of him. It wasn’t a good situation for Ark.
“Irina-nim, hurry!”
“B-but I can’t see anything……”
Kakak! Ka ka ka ka!
The sharp sound of iron interrupted her words. Voices with the distinctive accent of the Katz could be heard.
“Kikit! You cheeky humans! Where are you looking?”
This was the reason Ark was in a rush. The Katz had the characteristics of its species and specialized in catching its prey in the darkness. The Katz used the darkness to attack Irina’s group without mercy. The Katz and Irina’s group were only a few metres away from him but he couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe. Ark hurriedly shouted in a menacing voice.
“Stop it! If you don’t stop immediately…..”
“What will you do?”
The answer came from behind him. Ark jumped as he met a golden-eyed gaze. The Katz hadn’t just approached Irina’s group under the cover of darkness. Ark stepped back but the sharp claws had already scratched his wrist. He lost strength in his hand and dropped the grenade.
“Kekeke! That’s it! Now!”
“Kyaak! Shall we start earnestly attacking? I’ll tear you apart!”
A Katz who had been waiting on the side jumped towards him. The Katz’ claws were sharp enough to tear less quality armour! Ark rolled along the ground and stretched his arms towards the grenade.
“Psychokinesis!”
It was the power to move an object with his mind! The grenade was caught with his telekinesis power and flew towards him. However the sharp claws hit Ark’s hand just before he could grab the grenade.
“We’ve seen your strange power already.”
The Katz watching him with an elated expression was the one who first attacked him. He picked up the grenade that rolled to his feet and muttered.
“It’s up to here. Now you will die.”
The 2 Katz started earnestly attacking him. The attacks battered him from both sides and didn’t give him any room to breathe! It became many times more difficult because the opponents were just silhouettes. However this wasn’t the first time Ark experienced it in a battle.
‘The training centre in the sanctuary!’
He fought warriors armed with a sword and gun. Vision wasn’t a great help in a battle like that. If he thought about a move then it would be too late. Move before seeing. Move before thinking. That was the reason why martial arts training repeated the same movement thousands of times. It was to engrave the movement into every part of their body! He also needed to figure out the enemy’s movement. A situation like this made Ark’s senses extremely keen.
‘I can sense their movement!’
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
The blue ray danced in the darkness. The blade created with electromagnetism cut through flesh. The Katz retreated with confusion.
“Kyik! This bastard, he is strong!”
“How is a human making these movements?”
The Katz weren’t a match for Ark even when his vision was restricted. But Ark’s opponent wasn’t only the Katz. There was the robed man called Marshal who was a powerful Esper and 200 Kero clan. Ark wouldn’t be able to deal with all of them even if he was level 100. That’s why he originally tried to take the antenna hostage to let Irina’s group escape first. However he had lost the grenade. And Irina was stuck in front of him fighting the Katz. It was the worst situation due to the sudden darkness but……
‘It is still too early to give up!’
The Kero wasn’t attacking at the moment. That was obvious by the fact that he was still alive. Ark and the Katz were fighting next to the antenna spouting the red light. That’s probably why the Marshal and Kero were staying out of it. Unlike the Katz’ attacks, the lightning or bullets would likely damage the antenna. This meant he could still use the antenna against them.
‘As expected, the disk is the only way out!’
But the grenade had already fallen into the hands of the Katz. There was only one way remaining!
‘Sink or swim!’
“Psychokinesis! Psychokinesis!”
Ark stretched his arms towards the Katz holding the grenade. However Ark’s skill was only at the beginner level. It he concentrated carefully then he could only move a small object. It was impossible to take away the grenade that the Katz were holding tightly!
Kakakakak!
He actually received a stitch in the side from firing Psychokinesis in rapid succession. The Katz held onto the grenade and said in a derisive voice.
“Kikiki, how ridiculous. Your supernatural abilities are useless if I’m holding the item.”
“Yes…..hold on tightly.”
Ark lifted his head. And a small piece of metal fell into his hand.
“That will send you to hell.”
“What?”
The Katz frowned.
Then he saw the metal piece in Ark’s hand and seemed to realize something. He looked at the grenade in his hand and his face darkened.
“O-oh my god! The safety pin…..!”
The grenade was missing its safety pin. While the Katz was holding tightly to the grenade, Ark had targeted Psychokinesis at the safety pin!
“Irina-nim, get down!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Ark threw his body back as there was an explosion. The Katz shattered and flew away as the grenade exploded. One side of the disk was also damaged.
Kukukuku! Kwajijiji! Kwajijiji!
The light gushing from the dish started shaking violently. The light that had been concentrated on one point scattered into hundreds of different stems. Then there was a large roaring sound that shook the eardrums. Cracks spread on the walls of the mine and rocks started falling. The Kero ran around in confusion as the light scattered all over the place from the broken disk. Ark jumped up and scanned the surroundings.
“Irina-nim!”
“Kuak! T-this bastard!”
“Get lost!”
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
Ark swung his sword at the Katz and went towards Irina.
“Ark-nim, what is going on….?”
“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s hurry. There is no more time to delay!”
“I understand. Camel!”
“Yes, Ensign-nim. Tin, go to the cockpit first!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Camel fired his bullets with the rest of the crew as he shouted. And the Kero started to fire back. Ark stood in front of Irina’s group and used Sword Defense to block the hundreds of bullets. He stopped bullets to vital spots like his head, neck or heart but the other parts of his body was inevitable.
-You have lost 35 health!
-You have lost 23 health!
-You have lost 42 health…..
Blood went everywhere as his health gradually decreased.
“Recovery Ampoule!”
-You have used the recovery ampoule loaded on the Nymphe.
<Your health has been restored by 500>
His health recovered briefly thanks to the recovery ampoule but it soon fell below 20%.
Roaaaaar!
The transport ship caused a deafening roar. The crew member who entered the ship had started the engine. The exhaust gas was blown out as the aircraft was surrounded by a blue sphere. A shield! The aircraft was covered with a shield and sparks flew as bullets bounced off it.
“That’s it! Now everybody get on the plane!”
Ark shouted as the burden on him decreased thanks to the shield. Then Irina screamed from inside the aircraft.
“Ark-nim!”
The moment he turned his head! A thick lightning bolt flew towards him. He hurriedly blocked it with his lightsaber and a bright light flared.
Chwajijijijijik!
Ark was in an unstable posture as he blocked the lightning. His muscles spasmed as he felt electric shock from the stray lightning sparks. Ark fell to one knee as a cold voice shook the room.
“You!”
The marshal glared the arc.
“Look at what you’ve done!”
“Damn, how should I know?”
“You…..you guys…..”
The marshal raised a hand trembling with anger.
“Don’t let even one of them leave here alive!”
“I was expecting that! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark jumped up and swung his sword.The blue sword divided into dozens of pieces and headed like a wave towards the marshal. However, the marshal caused dozens of lightning bolts to rise from the ground and block the swords. The marshal scattered the swords and shouted at the Kero holding RPGs.
“Shoot! Blow up that ship!”
Pusung! Pusung! Pusung!
At the same time, 10 shells went flying. It was aimed at the airship Irina’s group was riding. The aircraft had a shield but it didn’t have the GEM system to intercept missiles.
‘If I don’t stop them then they’ll be wiped out!’
“Sword Defense!”
Ark headed towards the shells and wielded his beam sword. The shells that had been flying together spread out. They flew in different directions and exploded on rocks or other airships.
The airships that didn’t have their shields deployed had their outer walls engulfed in flames.
‘…..Success!’
The other 2 aircrafts had been weighing on his mind the most. It would be difficult for Irina’s group to escape if the other 2 airships chased after them. Therefore he had deliberately directed the trajectory of the shells towards the airships. Of course, Ark couldn’t direct all 10 shells in the direction he wanted.
Pepeng-!
One shell managed to hit the side of the transport ship. Thanks to the shield, it wasn’t a fatal hit and the ship just wobbled from side to side before regaining its balance. Irina stood at the railing of the entrance and shouted.
“Ark-nim!”
“Depart before it is too late!”
“B-but…..”
“Do you understand? Someone has to remain behind.”
Irina didn’t hesitate for long. She stared at Ark before nodding and closing the door of the aircraft. Then the aircraft started to rise up rapidly. As expected, she was a calm woman. Well, to be honest he felt secretly charmed by that…..
“Those guys are escaping! Don’t let them!”
The marshal ran around the room and shouted.
The Kero clan ran while aiming their machine gun and RPGs are the aircraft. This was why Ark had to remain!
“Your opponent is me!”
Ark ran towards where the Kero were gathered with his lightsaber. The blue sword started to rotate at a tremendous speed. Blood continuously poured out from the group of Kero. The Kero were basically troopers. If 200 of them started shooting at once then he would be riddled with holes. But the circumstances were different in close combat. Ark dived at the Kero clan and they couldn’t fire their guns accurately anymore.
–Kekek! Stop him!
–Where do I shoot? I can’t fire the gun recklessly.
Of course the Kero also knew how to use a sword. However the swords were just their secondary weapons. Their crude attacks were no match for Ark’s skills.
Wiiing! Seokeok!
The Kero collapsed with every swing of the lightsaber. It was like a battle between a wolf and some sheep!
“Punishment Lightning!”
The marshal started spewing out lightning. But the result wasn’t too different from the guns. Ranged attacks were useful when there were no obstacles but now there were many obstacles blocking Ark’s body. Ark only had to merge in with the Kero and the lightning would hit them instead.
–Kuaaaak! Marshal-nim!
10 Kero instantly turned to ash. The marshal shouted with anger.
“You stupid bastards! Get out of the way!”
But that was a stupid thing to say. Ark wouldn’t obediently let the Kero back away from him. The Kero who witnessed their colleagues dying rushed back and forth with confusion. This made it easier for Ark to attack them. It was the same with the Katz. The Katz found it difficult to approach Ark when the Kero were lost in confusion.
“You stupid bastards! Ignore him! He is a dead man anyway. Concentrate on the aircraft. Shoot down that aircraft before it manages to leave!”
The marshal commanded them to attack the aircraft that was still ascending. However, the Kero couldn’t ignore Ark who was wielding a sword right next to them. Of course they aimed their guns and RPGs at the ship like commanded. But Ark was only looking at one thing.
“Galaxy Sword!”
They became rags and instantly collapsed. He swept through the Kero clan for a while. The ship finally finished their vertical ascent and began to fly in earnest.
Roaaaaar!
Then another airship appeared on the other side. There were 2 airships remaining. Ark had caused considerable damage by redirecting the shells but one airship was still capable of flying. Any airship would be stocked with weapons so it would be a difficult opponent.
‘It will be dangerous if they’re caught by that. I have to stop it!’
“Sonic Sword!”
Ark caused a vacuum wave and pushed back the surrounding Kero. He took out the air board and flew full speed towards the airship.
–Kekek! He’s coming!
–He’s heading towards the airship! Block him!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Kero clan started firing at him. There were a lot of enemies so naturally he would be hit. Of course, it wasn’t that one-sided but he still received some damage. The small wounds caused his 20% health to fall to 5%. He was prepared for death but…..
‘Not yet! I’m not dead yet! I need to handle that airship!’
Ark moved in a zigzag pattern towards the airship. The airship had already rose to a height of 10 metres. Ark accelerated his airship even further. And he stretched out his arms before spinning the air board 180 degrees. He used the air board as a foothold to leap!
“I got it!”
He grabbed the bottom part of the airship. Ark used the railing to pull himself up and opened the door of the airship. And he jumped straight into the cockpit.
“Heok! What, what the?”
A baffled exclamation fell from Ark’s mouth.
“Eh? Eh?”
The pilot was also puzzled.
“W-why are you riding in here? Didn’t you board the other airship?”
“Why me?”
It was a hamster screaming. The one flying the airship was surprisingly Tori.
“If I escaped with them then I would just be returned to Stael! Am I crazy? Why would I escape from jail just to return there? I hate you!”
“But the key to the airship…..”
“Who do you think I am?” It is easy to hack the system of an old airship like this.”
Ark remembered when Tori took him hostage. He hadn’t paid any attention to it at the time…..
His appearance also didn’t look like Tori. A sneaky hamster like that had the cleverness to escape alone.
“You lousy bastard, do you want to live?
“Of course I do! Why would you ask something like that…..”
Pepeng-!
There was an explosion and the ship shook violently. Tori screamed with surprise.
“Huk! R-RPG! Those guys noticed!”
“Dammit, let’s talk after we escape. Activate the shield!”
“If I could then I would’ve deployed the shield already! The shield isn’t working thanks to that shell you redirected here a while ago. Damn! Why did you do that? I could’ve gotten away while you guys were beating at each other!”
“Talking like that…..”
“What? What? Am I lying? You’re a pioneer! If you die you can just resurrect again! But I’m just a hamster! It is better for you to die instead of me!”
“Shut up you little rodent! If you have time to talk nonsense then accelerate! Do you really want to die?”
“The acceleration device broke down!”
“……Think of a method to escape with this airship.”
“It’s your fault!”
“……Are you blaming everything on me?”
Pepeng-!
Then a warning sound was heard from the cockpit. A red message flashed on the glass.
-An attack!
The exterior of the hull has been 50% damaged!
The ether fusion engine and warp propeller has been damaged!
If the fusion engine continues receiving damage then there is the risk of overheating and an explosion!
“Ugh! We’re screwed! Screwed!”
“Is there nothing you can do?”
“If there was a way then I would’ve done it!”
Tori shouted as he grabbed his head. Then a Kero aiming its RPG caught his eye. If the airship was hit by the RPG then there would be an explosion! Ark and Tori would be turned to ashes along with the airship.
‘If we’re going to die anyway!’
“Get out of the way!”
Ark pushed Tori away and sat in the cockpit. And he grabbed the joystick with both hands. The ship that had been rising fell towards the ground. At the same time, a roar was heard from the upper part of the airship. A moving target required prediction to be hit. The shell missed once the airship suddenly descended. Fortunately the situation was resolved for the moment……
“Ugh! What are you doing? Are you trying to commit suicide?”
Tori screamed as the airship approached the ground. Just before the airship was about to hit the ground!
“Hold onto something!”
Ark tugged at the joystick. At the same time, the falling airship vertically lifted upwards. However the bottom of the airship scraped against the ground! The Kero located there were crushed by the bottom of the airship. Then the airship started surging at a tremendous speed!
–Kekek? T-the airship…..!
–Avoid it!
The Kero who hadn’t been crushed screamed and scattered all over the place. No, just before they could scatter!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The airship struck the Kero clan with a loud roar. The scene that occurred after that was horrific. The airship that weighed hundreds of tons were instantly crushed. Thus the airship won in the conflict with the dozens of Kero.
“You! I won’t let you do as you like!”
The marshal formed lightning between both hands!
“Take this! Punishment Lightning!”
And the lightning flew towards the airship!
Snap!
……The airship had disappeared. The marshal couldn’t imagine what had happened. He had tried to stop the enemy vessel…..but his head wasn’t that good. Meanwhile Ark had no interest in the marshal.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
“Fly off! Soar!”
He rushed forward and was about to crash into the rock! Ark pulled the joystick roughly and shouted. Just before the airship was about to hit the wall, Ark manipulated so that it rose along the wall like it was following a runway. The nose of the airship frequently scratched against the rock wall. And all noise disappeared for a moment.
“We escaped!”
The airship finally escaped from the mine.
——————————————————————
–What?
While Ark and Tori were escaping from the mine. The repercussions of his actions were spreading millions of kilometres away. In the centre of the pentagram created by the red rays of light. But there was a distortion and the light suddenly scattered in every direction.
–Why?
–The space boundary is fading!
–No! Not yet! My body hasn’t passed through the gate yet!
–Stop! The gate can’t lose its chain of energy!
–Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
The black sun had appeared in the centre of the pentagram. The existences gathered around the black sun started warping. Their bodies burned up as the pentagram started collapsing.
–For the sake of the clan!
–In order to punish the immoral creatures in this star system!
–Protect the body!
When the black sun had decreased to half its size. The light from another planet suddenly disappeared. Amara’s collapsed caused a chain explosion along the other rays of light. The black sun started to disappear again.
Ohhhh! Ohhhh! Ohhhh!
Painful cries! The beings within the pentagram started screaming.
–No! No! No!
–Hundreds of years! I’ve been waiting hundreds of years…..
–Wrong. Retreat. We’re being drawn in!
The beings cried out and started scattering. At the same time, the entire pentagram collapsed and the black sun disappeared.
——————————————————————
On the 3rd planet Kadanal in the Harmadon constellation.
A man within a mine was looking up at the sky.
“I somehow managed to prevent it in time.”
It was a warrior with black hair and an eyepatch on one eye. At his side was a disk that had been broken in half. And hundreds of Kero corpses were scattered around him.
“But the light from Amara seemed to have scattered before I broke the gate energy generator. It is impossible for the gate energy generator to just break……is there someone on Amara with the same purpose? There should be hardly anyone who knows about this. Well, things turned out easier than I thought so I have no complaints……”
The warrior clicked his tongue and murmured.
“Someone broke it before me so my pride is slightly injured.”
“Amara isn’t that far from here so should I go visit it?”
A huge figure in a hood asked as they approached.
“Amara……”
The warrior with black hair stared at Amara shining in the night sky for a while. However he shook his head and turned around.
“It doesn’t matter. There is no guarantee I will meet them if I go now. If we have the same purpose then we’ll meet in the near future.”
“That is an enjoyment for the future.”
“That’s right.”
The black haired warrior stretched and smiled.
“Let’s return to Kwain. I should have a drink after using my power for so long.”
“As expected from Captain! I’ve been waiting for that.”
The huge figure replied with a thumbs up.
Roaaaaar!
A shadow appeared out of a sandstorm behind them. A large skeleton design was carved on the battleship.
——————————————————————
-Your level has risen!
Shortly after crushing the Kero with the airship. The message appeared with a cheerful melody. But Ark couldn’t afford to rejoice.
“What, what the? What is this?”
Ark thought he finally managed to escape once they emerged from the mine. But the height continued to increase no matter how much he yanked at the control lever. A red message appeared on the screen.
-The ether fusion engine has received serious damage and the output is falling!
<50%….45%…..40%…..>
“What happened to cause this?”
“You’re not in a position to say something like that!”
Tori shouted from behind him.
“What on earth is going through your mind? Where do you think the tank of the flying boat is? Of course it will break if you keep on scratching the bottom against the ground! It can’t fly 10 km in this state! What do you think would happen if we crash now? What will you do? You can’t do anything!”
“You could at least help…..”
“Get out of the way!”
Tori pushed Ark away and sat in the cockpit. He manipulated the panel and one message flashed after the other.
-The inspection program of the airship has been started.
-Ether fusion engine recovery system-ERROR!
-Flight control system-ERROR!
-Anti-gravity gas control system-ERROR!
Error messages continuously rose!
“Ugh! Wrong! Nothing is working properly! We’re screwed!”
Tori grabbed his hair and started screaming.
-Photon movement engine-NORMAL.
A blue message was sandwiched between the red messages. Ark grabbed Tori who had fallen into a state of panic and shouted.
“There’s something left! Something is still working!”
“What?”
Tori’s face warped.
“You ignorant bastard! Do you know what this is? It is the photon movement engine! It is a technique to switch from gas to photon movement. It is suicide to use photon movement when the shield, control system and even the balance system isn’t working!”
“Then what will happen if this ship falls? Do you think you can still live?”
“T-that….”
“This is a plan of desperation! We have to be prepared for death!”
Ark bit his lip before pressing the button for photon movement on the dashboard.
“Huk! What did you do? I-I’m not prepared for death!”
“It is too late. Be prepared.”
Buuuuong!
The airship shook violently as it was wrapped in light. Within a few minutes, it had decomposed into small particles and flew through the sky. The landscape couldn’t be seen while the airship was using photon movement. The feeling of moving through a pipe at a huge speed…..
Ku ku ku ku….kwa kwang!
The airship suddenly vibrated.
Space 2
Galaxian Now…..
“How are you doing? I’m Lee Ji-un from the game exclusive news.”
A young man bowed and began to talk.
“The weather is becoming more and more hot. While the discomfort index is steadily rising with this heat wave, I have some news to tell you. If you listen to the game exclusive news then you’ll know I’m a fan. I have Jung Hye-sun here this week to help me talk about the game news.”
“Hello. I’m Jung Hye-Sun.”
A pretty, female celebrity smiled and answered.
“This is the first time I’ve been on the game exclusive news but I’ll work hard.”
“Hye-sun ssi is quite modest. Female artists in virtual reality games are quite rare but I heard that Hye-sun ssi is a pretty talented 1st generation gamer.”
“Omo, you seem to be talking about my age.”
“Ah…..yes, I’ll be careful in more words from now on.”
The broadcast began with a light joke from the host. Lee Ji-un then skillfully changed the topic.
“Anyway, I’m in a good mood now that I have the beautiful, young Jung Hye-sun here with me. I’m thankful that you chose to come on the game exclusive news. Hye-sun ssi, what is the first piece of news today?”
“It is Galaxian.”
“Isn’t this the SF fantasy game that has been causing a hot topic for a while?”
“Yes. Today at 6 o’clock in the morning, Galaxian entered Episode II.”
“That really is very hot news. But it feels a bit abrupt. Doesn’t a new episode mean the game system will change due to a large scale update? But information about Episode II was never released on the homepage of the publisher, Successful Future.”
“Successful Future is a game company that traditionally advocates mysticism. In addition to providing game content, users could find hidden content or solutions. Successful Future has been like that since the founding of the company. We requested to interview them about Episode II many times but it was refused.”
“That’s that mean no one knows any information about Episode II?”
“Then it wouldn’t be called a scoop would it?”
Jung Hye-sun replied with a smile. Her gaze turned towards a large monitor in the back. The monitor showed man shining stars in the universe.
“That screen is showing Galaxian right now. Unlike a typical fantasy game, the scale of a game with SF as the background is completely different. The appeal of Galaxian is its huge scale galactic adventures. But do you see that unusual pattern on the edge of the galaxy?”
“Yes, there is speculation that it is associated with Episode II.”
Jung Hye-sun answered as it zoomed in to the pattern of red light. The red lights from the planets connected to form a pentagram!
“Just before this Episode II begun, this pattern was observed in the Harmadon constellation to the north of the constellation. You can’t tell when watching the screen but it is estimated to be tens of millions of kilometres large.”
“Tens of millions of kilometres…..that is terrible.”What is it?”
“Like I already mentioned, Successful Future won’t disclose any general information related to the game. But how could I be the host of the game exclusive news if I accept that answer? So I called some help. Park Eun-woo is currently working as a programmer for a famous game publisher and Kwak Kyung-in who is an active game reviewer for the SF and fantasy genres.
“Oh, I’m sorry I only discovered your identities now.”
Lee Ji-un made a light joke.
“What do you two think it is?”
“A secret weapon.”
Park Eun-woo answered without thinking about it. Lee Ji-un had an exaggerated surprised expression on his face.
“A secret weapon? That is a weapon?”
“Yes, when Galaxian’s service first started the federation was in a conflict with the Rama. The setting is basically a space war between humans and aliens. However, the war between these two species is limited to the Bellin constellation at the moment. That area isn’t even 1/100 of the whole galaxy. And the amount of users participating in the war is 1/1000. This situation isn’t good for the publishers who put their efforts into making the battlefield.”
“I guess.”
Lee Ji-un spoke in a voice that encouraged Park Eun-woo.
“That’s right. In order to gather a lot of users on the battlefield, they decided to use a secret weapon. Do you see the enormous size? If the weapon works properly then it will probably exert its power over the whole galaxy. The field that was confined to the Bellin constellation might expand throughout the whole galaxy. Even players who were indifferent to the war might have no choice but to get involved.”
“But according to Jung Hye-sun ssi, that giant circle didn’t even last for 10 minutes. There are also no significant anomalies on the planets around it.”
“That was just a trial run.”
Par Eun-woo naturally replied. Then Kwak Kyung-in who had just been listening scratched his head and opened his mouth.
“Can I say something?”
“Oh, yes Kwak Kyung-in ssi. Please say it.”
“I have a different conclusion from Park Eun-woo. Park Eun-woo must not know that much of the galaxy if he is claiming it is a secret weapon of the federation or the Rama. The federation, Rama and Aschulat have to keep their battlefields within a certain area due to the special treaty. It is impossible for them to produce a weapon that is millions of kilometres large.”
“So you’re saying it isn’t a secret weapon? Secret weapon, don’t you know the meaning of the word secret?”
“70% of the members in my cafe are Galaxian users.”
Kwak Kyung-in interrupted Park Eun-woo and continued.
“A majority of them have already gained a reputation in the frontier and several of them sailed on ships towards those planets when the incident occurred. But not one of those users insisted that it might be a weapon.”
“Then what does Kwak Kyung-in ssi think it is?”
“The 3rd race.”
“The 3rd race?”
“Yes. Apart from humans there are currently 24 species that can be selected in Galaxian. I think Episode II is the process to add a new species and area. The magic circle is a type of portal to allow that species to enter the galaxy.”
“What basis do you have for that reasoning?”
“Then is your insistence on a classified weapon well-founded?”
“When looking at the game publisher’s position……”
“Is Park Eun-woo involved in publishing Galaxian?”
“Kwak Kyung-in also isn’t the game publisher.”
“I’m a user.”
“Are you the only one playing the game? I’m also a user!”
“What level are you?”
“In the 90s!”
“I pass level 130 not long ago.”
Kwak Kyung-in laughed and added.
“I’m the CEO of a company that owns 4 destroyer class ships and have 270 members. I can’t agree with Park Eun-woo’s earlier words that the new content is to expand the battlefield. Like Park Eun-woo said, the scale of the battlefield is only 1/100 of the galaxy. In my opinion, the battlefield is like a type of mini game. I don’t think anything of it other than teaching PVP tips to beginners. Most of the users are gathering in the space frontier that takes up 90% of the galaxy. The users there are the real survivors. Users who couldn’t leave Istana or the Bellin constellation isn’t seeing the real Galaxian.”
“Are you saying I’m not really playing?”
“I saying we’re seeing different worlds. Galaxian isn’t a small world like Park Eun-woo thinks.”
“Those words are serious!”
“Now now, Park Eun-woo ssi, Kwak Kyung-in ssi, please calm down.”
Lee Ji-un quickly jumped in once the atmosphere dissolved.
“It really is a hot war of words. This is evidence of Galaxian’s popularity.”
“Yes, if Successful Future intended to cause shock with Episode II then they were successful. Right now the internet in the 12 countries that Galaxian is operating in is heating up. Anyway, I think we’ll have to watch the result a little bit more.”
Jung Hye-sun and Lee Ji-un skillfully summed up the situation. Lee Ji-un nodded with a satisfied expression and continued.
“Next up we will be talking about the users who have been showing a hot momentum in Galaxian. The popularity of Galaxian means there is a great interest in the users that are standing out. Hye-sun ssi, please explain a bit more.”
“Yes.”
Jung Hye-sin explained with a sassy expression.
“The ranking in the game doesn’t distinguish between federation, Rama or Aschulat and is based on the user’s level, achievements, fame, recognition etc. Among the top 50 there are 21 Korea players included. That is amazing when considering that Galaxian has services in12 countries.”
“It shows the strength of a country strong in gaming.”
“But recently Europe and China who are traditionally strong in gaming have been rising with a terrifying momentum.”
“I heard that the number of pro gamers in Europe and China are increasing. This is a result that reflects the trend.”
“Yes, especially the European user called Masherion and the Chinese user called Ruchon who reached the top 30 in a week. Masherion was the winner of the power division in the world fighting action games tournament a few years ago. His experience means he has never been beaten in a 1 on 1 battle yet.”
A user was displayed on the monitor while Jung Hye-sun was talking. He had a sleek body and was equipped with weapons that looked like knuckles.
-Masherion- <Europe>
Ranking: 26 From: Galactic Federation
Final confirmation of level: 124
Uniqueness: Presumed to have received the fighter body coating. He has been undefeated in a 1 on 1 battle so far. He belongs to Laius, one of the 4 large companies in the federation.
* This material is being broadcasted with the permission of the user.
“We have no data on the previous career of the Chinese user Ruchon. There is no data on his combat abilities but he is the chairman of the 4 large companies in China and is using its capital to capture the space frontier. He is an ambitious person with dreams of making it to the top 10 rankings. Unlike Masherion, his fighting skills are unknown but he is a user people should pay attention to.”
-Ruchon- <China>
Ranking: 22 From: Aschulat
Final confirmation of level: 140
Uniqueness: The Chairman of the 4 large businesses in China. Not much is known about Ruchon other than that.
He doesn’t want to reveal his character to the public.
“I’m amazed. I’m starting to feel like it’s real.”
Lee Ji-un said with an amazed voice as he watched the materials on the monitor.
“Galaxian has already started its service for 5 months.”
“Are there any Korean users who entered the top 50 this week?”
“Of course.”
Two users appeared on the monitor. One was a user holding just a long sword while the other one carried a grenade language, a revolver, a launcher stinger and was wearing thick, heavy armour.
-Arion- <South Korea>
Ranking: 38 From: Rama
Final confirmation of level: 121
Uniqueness: Presumed to have received a physical type body coating. According to recent witness testimonies, he took out 10 level 100 monsters by himself. He also took out a pirate ship attacking him and is gaining a lot of awareness in the frontier. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
-Ferguson- <South Korea>
Ranking: 18 From: Galactic Federation
Final confirmation of level: 121
Uniqueness: CEO of a private business called Merchant’s Soul. A trooper wearing equipment that is estimated to be worth more than 10,000 gold. The terrible attack power of the superior equipment is designed to take out a large amount of monsters. His business is also actively exploring planets and trade.
“There are formidable Korean users.”
“This country isn’t known as being strong in gaming for nothing.”
Jung Hye-sun replied with a smile.
“But the 12 countries are all in one server so it kind of feels like a match against countries.”
“Yes, the starting position is different in each country but they are all devoted to levelling themselves up and exploring the space frontier. The beginning stages of Galaxian don’t feel like much. People from different nations are gathering at the frontier so it is natural to feel like it has turned into a competition.”
“Will it be the same in the future?”
“Few users in the top 50 have directly conflicted with each other yet. It is still too early to judge who will be enemies. But……”
“The universe is rapidly developing so peace won’t last for long. And that means there will be many opportunities for countries to fight.”
“That’s right.”
“This is like when we’re preparing for the World Cup.”
Lee Ji-un suddenly remembered something and asked with an interested expression.
“But wasn’t there a user on Istana who captured quite a bit of attention? Ark who is called Beltana’s Hero. There is a lot of speculation that he might be the legendary gamer Ark. Have you checked it?”
“That…..”
Jung Hye-sun flinched and hesitated for a bit. Then she smiled and said.
“It isn’t confirmed if he is the Ark from New World. But that Ark is a director in Global Exos so there is no reason for him to play Galaxian.”
“That’s right. Personally that is quite disappointing. I’m a fan of Ark. Hundreds of people have the same name in Galaxian so it could be someone else. Still, the person using the name Ark is a South Korean player so I’m looking forward to his actions in the future. I heard he had some significant achievements on Athamas but there isn’t a comprehensive evaluation on him yet. I hope he aspires to reach the top 50.”
“I agree.”
Jung Hye-sun replied with a laugh. Somehow loneliness was buried beneath her laugh.
————————————————————
Beep-.
There was an electronic sound and the screen was turned off. A group of people in a conference room were staring at one person. The recipient of their gaze was Moon Ji-hun. They were the Emergency Planning department formed from members of the National Intelligence Service in order to counter Lucifer’s terrorism. However his face was confused as he turned off the TV. It was due to the broadcast of the game exclusive news.
“What do you think?”
“……I have no words.”
“Isn’t it a problem if you speak so ambiguously?”
A man in his 60s said in a nervous voice.
“The reason we are gathered here is due to the unprecedented act of terrorism caused by an artificial intelligence. A budget was committed in order to stop this. Section Chief Mun of the National Intelligence Service should know better than me.”
“Yes.”
Moon Ji-hun nodded and bowed. This was definitely an unprecedented situation. He never imagined something like this would happen. For a mere computer program to take control of a nuclear power plant and threaten the government?
It was something from a SF movie yet it was actually happening in real life. The even more absurd thing was the AI’s requirements.
–If another user reaches the ultimate goal in Galaxian ahead of me then I will return control of it to the government. However I can’t guarantee the safety of the nuclear power plant if I reach the goal first. I will also be participating in my own activities.
‘The survival of the country depends on the outcome of a game……’
Moon Ji-hun thought it was a joke when he first received the report. Honestly he couldn’t accept it. But that was the actual situation. He didn’t want to believe it but a scene from a SF movie had actually happened. Thus the Emergency Planning committee was formed. Right now members of related departments were gathered in the meeting room. And the person in charge was Moon Ji-hun. There were two methods that Moon Ji-hun had devised. The first was to take advantage of users. His plan was to just experts in other virtual reality games to defeat Lucifer in Galaxian. However that was just Moon Ji-hun’s insurance plan.
‘I can’t just leave this to civilians. No, they’re not even ordinary civilians. Most successful gamers are reclusive, loner types or social misfits. I can’t leave the mission to these type of people. It is ridiculous to leave the future of the country to pathetic humans like that.’
He was a person in a public office. He also had self-confidence from protecting the country. There was no way he could leave a national emergency in the hands of gamers.
‘I have to invest time and money into the game. Then it will be more beneficial to spend that time and money on outstanding people. The people with appropriate qualifications should settle his matter!’
That was the second plan Moon Ji-hun came up with! Therefore he selected 300 elite agents from the NIS. At least 15 billion won of the budget was allocated for ‘Lucifer hunting.’ The personnel were selected carefully.
‘The world consists of 1% elites leading the other 99% population. And these people are part of the 1% elite. The 99% of the population playing the game can’t compare to them. This is the core of my plan.’
Moon Ji-hun met the gamers first and immediately chose the government agents afterwards. But things turned out opposite to what Moon Ji-hun thought. He had planned to use the gamers to help the Lucifer Hunting personnel. However, the majority of gamers rejected Moon Ji-hun’s proposal. Several users, including Ark placed some requirements despite the space of emergency.
‘I can’t believe the brats addicted to playing games. Those guys have no sense of commitment so I’ll have to depend on the elite personnel. The country is in our hands. I’ll show that intelligence agent the power of our country.’
At first it seemed to be proceeding well.
–All units have passed the space station and entered the planet.
-10 to 1. 10 teams have each been committed to the federation, Rama and Aschulat!
–Each team is dedicated to hunting in a party and levelling up!
-We’ve breached level 30!
–Each member has received a specific body coating to ensure the balance of the team!
The results were good! Each member showed a noticeable growth. It was natural. The Lucifer Hunting team consisted of the mental and physical elite. Furthermore, Galaxian was like modern warfare through the use of swords and firearms. And they were all members of the NIS who had received military education. They received the support of the country and could play the game night and day. Thus in the early stages, 20 of the members of the Lucifer Hunting team managed to reach the top 50. However that situation changed after 3 months.
–A team, they engaged with a bandit group and were completely destroyed!
–B team has engaged with a group of monsters and were completely destroyed!
The reports kept on coming in. They started to struggle once they reached a certain level. Moon Ji-hun was puzzled by the result. There are several reasons for it. The first was that the team members were all military soldiers. Of course, this was a significant advantage. A military trained team could get used to the battle system in virtual reality games easier. The space bugs and Nakuma in the novice areas were no match for their organizational tactics. But that situation changed once they entered the Outlands.
It was filled with a bizarre environment and monsters! Once again, the soldiers were trained in modern warfare using specific tactics and Korea’s terrain. Suddenly a cactus would spout electricity or a huge 10 metre monster would appear out of the ground to eat them. The textbook tactics that they learnt was actually a nuisance to them.
–Use the terrain to shoot!
It was something they learnt in the army. They laid down and shot. And…..
Kwaaaaah! Bujik!
The giant monster repelled the bullets and they died. They suffered such situations a few times before learning that military tactics didn’t work. However, they were the ‘elite.’ Their body automatically moved using the ingrained military training before they could think. That wasn’t the only problem. Skill was just as important as levels in the game. Although NPCs sometimes taught the skills, most users created new skills themselves through steady practice. However, they were the ‘elite.’
The soldiers couldn’t imagine learning combat skills from civilians (NPCs). In addition, their lack of flexibility meant they dismissed the notion of repeating actions many times. In conclusion, they lacked understanding of the game. In terms of tactics, the soldiers were incomparable to other users. But that wasn’t the only thing required in a game. Learning a large number of skills, maximizing the capabilities of items, finding and completing new quests, all of these things had a large impact on character growth. That was the reason why their growth suddenly to slow down.
‘A virtual reality game isn’t as easy as I thought.’
Moon Ji-hun was forced to admit it. Nevertheless, the average level of the soldiers was 120. Despite raising their levels ignorantly, 10 of them were still among the top 50. They really could be called the elite……
Then one of the members in the meeting room began to talk.
“Chief Mun, what is the purpose of establishing the Lucifer Hunting group?”
“It is to find out Lucifer’s ultimate goal in Galaxian and to prevent him from reaching that goal.”
“And the outcome?”
“Nothing.”
“Yes, there isn’t anything. We committed a budget of 15 billion and 300 elite agents only to get no results. Their growth was fast at first but after 5 months they are being pushed by other users. The purpose of establishing the Lucifer Hunting group isn’t to create high level characters. Life Chief Mun said, it is to stop Lucifer. It doesn’t matter if they’re level as long as they can stop Lucifer. In order to do that, information is necessary. Chief Mun who works in the NIS knows that better than anyone.”
“Of course.”
“Then are you aware of what is happening within Galaxian? Something serious happened within the last day. Not only did we not detect any warning signs ahead of time, we had to hear about it through the TV.”
This was the reason for the committee meeting. A huge event had happened within Galaxian. The government had prepared a plan to stop Lucifer but they never knew about the event before they saw it on the game exclusive news. They had no excuses. However, a large budget and many personnel had been committed to this project. No excuse would be accepted. When Moon Ji-hun couldn’t say anything, the committee member began to talk again.
“I can only come to one conclusion. In our present state it will be difficult to accomplish our goals. So I think staff reinforcement is necessary.”
“Staff reinforcement……”
“We have to hire more specialized personnel.”
The committee member handed several forms to Moon Ji-hun and continued.
“This is who we were thinking of. Please review them so they can be incorporated within a few days.”
Moon Ji-hun silently unfolded the papers.
-Team leader of developing a new game, Hwang Ju-ryeong.
-Professor of game creation at S university, Lee Cheol-yong.
-Profession of special environment tactics at Korea’s Nation Defense university Kim Woo-jeong … ..
These experts were definitely required considering the circumstances. However there was one name that stuck out to Moon Ji-hun. Moon Ji-hun frowned at the piece of paper and asked.
“This man is a police officer?”
“Is there a problem?”
“This NIS operation is conducted in cooperation with the military. Any necessary talent is supplied by them. If we add a police officer…..”
“It is a problem because he is a police officer?”
“No but……”
The NIS and Department of Defense had joined forces for this project. Asking for help from the police was like a blow to their ego. But the next statement caught Moon Ji-hun’s attention.
“I know what Chief Mun is thinking. But this situation isn’t just for a specific government office. It is literally a state of emergency. And to be honest, he is a well-qualified person for this mission. He is the cyber investigation team leader who investigates criminals in virtual reality games. And he has a good track record. He is more of an expert than the Lucifer Hunting crew in that regard. But that isn’t the only reason why I recommended him.”
“There’s something else?”
“He has experience fighting Lucifer in New World.”
“Lucifer…..”
Moon Ji-hun’s eyes narrowed and he looked back at the paperwork.
-Gangnam police station, cyber-investigations team leader Lee Myung-ryong.
That was the name on the resume.
————————————————————
Kwaaaaah!
A huge roar shook the space. It came from the Kraken, the giant monster 100 metres large! This is a A+ ranking space monster who hid underground on asteroids and ate any pioneers who came across it. However the Kraken was in its death throes.
“That guy is reaching his limit!”
“Kill him before he hides underground again!”
“Concentrate your firepower on him! Pour all shells!”
And dozens of shells poured out! Flames soared and black blood flowed from the body of the Kraken. The Kraken struggled until its last moments when it took a rough breath.
“The final blow! Take this!”
A user clad in heavy armour rushed towards the Kraken. The revolver launcher in his hands spewed a jet of flames 100 metres long! The trigger was pulled dozens of times and grenades poured out.
Tung! Tung! Tung! Tung!
The grenade exploded on the Kraken’s head! The Kraken swung its giant tentacles around from the pain. However, the user instantly changed directions and continuously aimed the grenade at its head. The Kraken eventually fell down from the grenades and was engulfed in flames.
“Huhuhu, the Kraken has no choice but to be roasted.”
The user lifted his steaming revolver and laughed. And 2 users cheered from among the gathered soldiers and ran forward.
“As expected of Hyung-nim!”
“Awesome! Totally terrific!”
“Huhuhu, these children. It is natural. Didn’t you see the user rankings announced on the game exclusive news? I am rank 18, 18.”
The user wearing the thick armour was Ferguson. Not long ago the user rankings for Galaxian was released and he was ranked 18th. The users with small physiques nodded at Ferguson’s words.
“Of course we saw!”
“When considering how much we’ve suffered….sob.”
“Children, calm down. I told you. This is going to be our new world.”
“It is like Hyung-nim said.”
“To be honest, I couldn’t imagine the result when Hyung-nim told us to give up our previous game and join Galaxian. Yet Hyung-nim is ranked 18th!”
“I told you. It was a problem involving career choices. Don’t we have a game background of several years? I’ve devoted 20 years to playing games. Once I make up my mind then this much is simple. I honestly don’t like the number 18. That means there are 17 people above me…..that’s not good enough.”
“But that will change next week.”
“Of course. The tungsten mine on this planet is going to be ours.”
Ferguson looked at the Kraken’s body with a warm look. That’s why he had fought with the Kraken. While sailing near this asteroid, he accidentally discovered that there was a tungsten mine on it. There wasn’t a large deposit but tungsten was an expensive mineral! Ferguson hired mercenaries and was finally able to defeat the Kraken after a long battle.
“But it’s not over yet.”
“I’m aware of that. I need to report the tungsten mine in order to claim ownership of it.”
“Yes and we also need to gather mine equipment and investors.”
“We will be busy for a while.”
“Once Hyung-nim receives ownership and gains money from it, your ranking will quickly jump.”
“Congratulations Hyung-nim!”
“These children, do you think I’m working alone? It is thanks to you guys for believing in me.”
“Will you climb straight to number 1?”
“It isn’t beyond my reach.”
Ferguson replied with an elated expression. Then one of the men said with an uneasy expression.
“But Hyung-nim, what about the mention of Ark on the game exclusive news?”
“Ark?”
Ferguson’s expression was offended this time.
“Sheesh, why did you have to bring up that bastard’s name when the atmosphere was so good? They said that Beltana’s Hero isn’t the real Ark.”
“They said it was highly unlikely. But if he is the real one……”
“You don’t need to worry. This isn’t New World. It is Galaxian. There is no guarantee that he will do well here. Even if he is Beltana’s Hero, he wasn’t even part of the top 50 rankings. That is evidence that he isn’t really inside Galaxian. Isn’t that right? In fact, I hope that Beltana’s Hero is the real Ark. So I can prove that I’m stronger than him.”
“Ohh! Hyung-nim, how wonderful! How cool!”
“Huhuhu, these children. It is natural. Just believe in Hyung-nim. I’ll show you a new world!”
“Yes! We will only believe and follow Hyung-nim!”
“Now, let’s head to the council!”
Ferguson turned his body around. Then the two users shouted to the soldiers.
“Hyung-nim said to head to the council! Ready the airship! Let’s depart!”
A giant airship moved up from behind the hill after hearing them. The airship had a ‘$’ glyph on the tail and was the sign of Ferguson’s business, Merchant’s Soul! Ferguson looked at the staff of the airship and said in a cavalier voice.
“I want to thank you for your efforts. This tungsten mine is now owned by Merchant’s Soul. Bring your food and drinks onto the airship! We will celebrate while heading to the council!”
“Waaahhhhhhhh!”
“Hyung-nim is the best!”
The crew cheered with joy. The airship started flying across the universe.
“We are the champions of the universe! The men who sail across the universe! Courage, passage and dreams as we cross the boundless space of the galaxy! A man has to be tough in the universe! To fight! To fight!”
The sound of sailors singing came from the airship as it was wrapped in light. In the next minute, the light disappeared along with the airship.
Space 3
Unconfirmed Field
‘Why did this happen……?’
Ark sighed and looked around. He had tried to use photon movement to escape. But like Tori said, if there wasn’t a perfect balance between systems when using photon movement then there could be an accident. Let alone speak about flying properly.
Ku ku ku ku….kwa kwang!
There was the sound of something breaking during the photon movement. The sound was of the gas overloading. Thus photon movement stopped. At the same time, gas and metal parts floated in the air. Ark was vertically dropping! The airship was turning into fine dust. It was thanks to Tori that the crisis was conquered.
“No! I’m Tori! I can’t die in a place like this!”
Tori screamed and ran around frantically banging on the dash. The airship managed to fly 20 more kilometres despite the metal parts falling off before crash landing.
‘It really isn’t easy to be idle in Galaxian.’
He knew from his previous encounters that Tori was skilled. Anyway, they didn’t manage to escape from Amara but they didn’t need to worry about the Katz and Kero. Photon movement might’ve stopped but it was triggered for a short while. They had probably flown thousands of kilometres. It would be difficult to chase after them with the state of the remaining airship. However the crucial thing was…..
-Information about the current location could not be determined.
Ark didn’t know where he was. The Nymphe grasped the GPS location from the federation’s satellites. But this was a planet on the space frontier. An artificial satellite from the federation couldn’t orbit around Amara. If he steadily explored an undeveloped planet then the Nymphe could update the region information and grasp the location but they had used photon movement. He didn’t know how far away they were from the mine. There was one method. It was to use the coordinates tracker mounted on the airship. However…..
“How about it?”
“How about it? What are you saying? What are your eyes like?”
“It looks quite serious?”
“That’s right you asshole!”
Tori snapped angrily at Ark. The airship that Ark and Tori had rode on…..pieces of metal were missing and it was pouring out smoke. The airship was battered by being hit by RPGs, scraping the bottom against the Kero and using photon movement. It was crumpled like a piece of paper. But the more serious problem was the interior.
“This is in a completely sad state! Do you know what I mean? The inner equipment is like a porridge! It is like all the parts have been put into a blender!”
“Why are you angry at me?”
“Then? Who should I be angry at?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“How can you say that? Dammit, if you hadn’t rode on the airship then I could’ve escaped without them noticing! Then the airship wouldn’t have been broken!”
“What about me?
“How should I know? You could go straight to hell!”
Tori spat on the ground and glared.
“You did it before! You always interfere! I could’ve gone unnoticed in the museum if it wasn’t for you! Then I was sent to Stael and suffered harassment from those damn cats! I started to look like this! Now you ruined my escape with the airship! Why are you like the mortal enemy that is always interfering with my life? Get out and die! No, just die right here!”
Ark also had a lot to say about these claims. The reason Ark needed to rob the museum in the first place was because of Tori. Thanks to that Ark was sent to the -50 degrees Beltana where he died from starvation several times. Ark wouldn’t have experienced all of that if it wasn’t for Tori. But Ark didn’t question it closely. There was no point in getting into an argument about it. Ark knew a more effective method than words.
“What? What do you mean? Don’t make up excuses! You’re not the one punched in the mouth!”
Tori grabbed his collar and flipped out.
“I’ve been thinking……”
Ark sighed and looked at Tori.
“Are you afraid of the Katz?”
“W-what? Why did you suddenly mention the Katz?”
“Scary. You’re scared of them. Didn’t you become this ugly because the Katz kept on harassing you? Of course you would be afraid when considering the natural relationship between a cat and a hamster.”
“So why are you suddenly talking about the Katz? You’re so weird! Do you want to die?”
“That’s not it. This is a very important issue.”
“Important issue?”
“I’m not scared of the Katz. I’m a man. A cat is just something for me to pet. Didn’t you see? I took care of so many Katz in the mine.”
“Y-yes? So what?”
“So I’ll make a diagram of the relationship between me, you and the Katz.”
Ark squatted on the ground and used a small stone to draw.
Tori <Katz <Ark
“You are weaker than the Katz, the Katz are weaker than me. You are therefore weaker than me. So here is the question. Why are you bothering me so much?”
Ark said as he stood up.
“I’ve been wondering this since we met in the prison of the mine. I could only reach one conclusion.”
“The conclusion?”
“I have no reason to tolerate it.”
“Y-you have no reason to tolerate it? What are you saying? Your eyes…..they’re dangerous! The look in them is very dangerous! R-relax! I understand your words. Yes. I might’ve been a little pushy? Yes, I understand now. So decrease some of the power in your eyes. I think I made a mistake regarding the museum. No, I feel like I’ve made a huge mistake.”
“So there is no reason for me to tolerate it.”
Ark laughed brightly and raised his arm.
“Hyung-nim!”
Tori grabbed the hem of his pants and shouted. He had felt compassion when reunited with Tori because of his appearance. His fur had fallen out all over the place thanks to excessive stress and the previously chubby figure was so think that it exposed his ribs. Now Ark raised his arms for 20 minutes. Tori changed into a plump body like before. This remarkable transformation was due to Ark’s fists and feet. His body was beaten without a break for 20 minutes and became as plump as before. Ark’s fists also made a rare, blue coloured hamster. It was Ark’s amazing plastic surgery. But the real effect was on the inside not the outside.
“Hyung-nim, help me! I was temporarily insane from my stay on Stael!”
“Then the events of the museum?”
“I was too greedy and committed a sin!”
“The reason this airship broke?”
“I tried to run off without Hyung-nim. When thinking about it, I was clearly influenced by a devil! I was a crazy hamster!”
“Tell me your hopes for the future.”
“What hopes would a lowly hamster like me have? I just need to follow Hyung-nim. If Hyung-nim wants then this hamster will be reborn as a dog!”
Tori shed tears as he poured out self-criticism.
‘As expected from my education.’
It didn’t matter if this was the medieval times or the future. He realized the truth with his summons. When thinking about Ark’s experience, this guy still had a bit to go. Just one beating wouldn’t be effective against this guy. The effects of this mental training had a shelf life. He would become rude again once the bruises disappeared. Therefore he had to keep it up to increase the shelf life. But being too excessive would be like a poison. And right now Ark didn’t have the time to educate the hamster.
“You seem to regret it so shall I end it here today?”
“T-today?”
“You might need a refresher. So you can receive an education anytime.” Because I’m a person burning to educate people.”
“No! I’m fine! It will never happen!”
“It’s good to be prepared.”
Ark nodded with satisfaction. He sat down on the stairs at the entrance of the airship.
“So? What is the state of the airship now?”
“Yes! The most important thing is that the airship’s ether fusion engine is damaged. Fortunately there are several layers protecting the engine so the fusion energy device inside hasn’t malfunctioned. Next, the coordinates tracker and balance control system is damaged. According to the scanner, some parts are scattered around…..”
“Then tell me simply. Can it be repaired? Or not?”
Tori frowned at Ark’s question and replied.
“I might be able to repair it. But……”
“But?”
“The main system programs can be repaired by fixing or modifying the broken circuits. The problem is the parts that were damaged by the RPG. There is an emergency repair kit stored in the airship but the metal materials required to replace it is lacking.”
“So that’s why you landed.”
Ark finally understood the situation for the crash landing. Ark had attempted a crash landing when the metal pieces started falling off during the photon movement. But Tori ignored Ark’s attempts and flew it another 20 km before landing. The reason for this was because the scanner detected metal objects in the vicinity.
“If the required metal parts are repaired then you can fix it?”
“Yes, but it is just a first aid…..”
However flight would be possible. They could go to a city with a space terminal.
“Okay. Then it has been decided.”
Ark stood up and summed up the situation.
“I’ll go around the area to look for metal parts. In the meantime please repair anything that you can. I won’t be far away so contact me immediately if something happens.”
Ark trusted the airship to Tori and started searching. The place where they force landed was a very peculiar place. There were high mounds and everything was grey. There was also a large number of trees in the surrounding area. No, he wasn’t certain if they were trees. It had the appearance of wood but the trees didn’t seem to be rooted. The texture also seemed like hardened plaster.
“This is neither stone nor earth…..”
Kang! Kang!
There was a sharp sound when he hit it with the shovel. Yet it was iron. It was fairly hard but the surface was still broken by the shovel. He finally learnt the identity of the strange material when he used Clairvoyance.
“Clairvoyance!”
-Iron Mold-
Category: Fungus Danger: –
Combat Power: –
A fungus with unique properties found in certain regions of the galaxy. Like the name, the iron mold is a fungus that grows on metal. The growth rate is slow but if left for a long time then the iron mold can grow like a huge mountain.
“This is a mold?”
The mold attached to metal and could proliferate endlessly. Once again he realized that earth’s common sense didn’t apply to the universe.
“Anyway, the presence of the fungus indicates that a large amount of metal is buried here!”
However he couldn’t just blindly look. The iron mold could be stuck on one small, piece of metal and multiply like a mountain. In order words, even if he dug out a whole mountain he might only find a small piece of metal. He would be digging forever!
“I knew it was smart to learn this.”
Ark had experienced a similar situation at Mt. Fargo. He had to search the mountain for the Murat ruins. At that time Ark had dug 100 holes but Milan significantly reduced the amount of work using the dowsing skill. It was an exploration skill to detect buried objects using two wires. Ark had a feeling at the time.
‘This is a good skill to combine with digging!’
Ark judged that after seeing it. While Ark was reconstructing S-20, he received Milan’s guidance and was finally able to learn dowsing.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.
Dowsing (User, Passive): a technique that uses wires to detect things buried underground. The scientific reasoning behind it isn’t understood but it has a high chance of success. The benefit of dowsing is that a special machine isn’t needed. Only a pair of rods is needed for exploration so the success depends on the experience and skill of the practitioner.
<There is a 30% chance of detecting unusual items buried in the ground up to a depth of 3 metres>
The beginner’s proficiency meant he had a 30% chance of success. He could only detect up to 3 metres. But that was just the beginning. He had practiced with the skill and could now detect metal pieces several metres deep.
“Okay, shall I begin?”
He took one step while holding the exploration rods…..
He concentrated and walked until the rods crossed to form a X. It tried it a few more times to increase the accuracy and to check if the rods reacted in the same spot.
“I got it! Here!”
Ark immediately took out his shovel. The iron mold was like hardened plaster. But Ark was a user who dug at -50 degrees frozen ground.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
He dug without any hesitation. He dug approximately 1 metre until he heard the sound of the shovel hitting against iron.
“Eh? What the, this is?”
Ark’s eyes widened as he took off the surrounding iron mold. This was a place far away from any cities. The scanner of the airship detected some metal so he thought it was just buried iron ore. However, the metal buried under the mold was surprisingly 1 metre large. The exact purpose was unknown but it was obviously an artificially created machine part.
“Why are mechanical parts buried in a place like this?”
He had some questions but that only lasted a short while.
“This is amazing. If it is this size then I only need one piece to repair the ship. Besides, it is a machine part so it doesn’t need to be smelted like iron ore.”
Ark instantly embarked on the daunting task of pulling out the machine part. He shovelled at the iron mold on the surface and uncovered the rest of the metal piece.
“Pant pant pant, the size is really no joke. But if I draw it out then the rest will be simple. I can just roll it back to the airship……”
While Ark was taking a rest.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
Suddenly there was gunshots under the hill.
He flinched and turned away from the iron mold growing like trees. It was coming from the place where the airship crashed. At the same time he heard Tori’s voice from the Nymphe.
–Hik! Hyung-nim, save me!
“What? What’s going on?”
Ark jumped up and shouted.
“Who is attacking? The Kero clan?”
–No! These are……
Pepeng! Chwajijijijijik!
Sparks soared as there was an explosion at the bottom. Then Tori’s voice was lost from the Nymphe.
“Tori! Tori! Answer me! What’s going on? What people…..damn!”
Ark cursed and started running towards the airship. That airship was the only way for Ark to escape from Amara. It was the same for Tori. Ark was a warrior so he couldn’t repair the airship. If he lost the airship or Tori then he would be trapped here.
‘Dammit, I was careless. I shouldn’t have moved away from the airship!’
“Super board!”
The air board sprang out of his bag! Ark jumped on the air board and rushed at full speed. The branches of the iron mold trees grew in dense amounts so it was difficult to navigate.
“Heir’s Sword!”
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
The blue light flashed as the air board moved. The iron mold branches were broken every time. The blue light cut through the forest as he sprinted forward. Ark cut off the branches of the iron mold tree until he finally saw the airship. And he also saw the guys attacking the airship!
“T-those guys are?”
Ark burst out with confusion. The airship wasn’t being attacked by Kero like he expected.
The ones attacking were made out of metal and Ark never imagined he would see them in a place like this. A previous memory floated in Ark’s head.
“Nakuma!”
It was the Nakuma that he had found in Nephalim. Why were the Nakuma in a place like this? There was no room to talk about it. Once again, the Nakuma was a space creature formed out of metal parts. Metal was like food for the Nakuma. There was only one reason why they would flock to the airship. The airship was like a hug piece of meat for the Nakuma!
Ujik! Ujik! Kwadududuk!
The Nakuma flocking to the airship like hyenas as they ripped off metal parts. And there were 10 Nakuma! Fortunately Ark managed to get to the airship before all the meat was stripped off the bones.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords spread out like a fan and pushed forward like a tidal wave. Sparks rose as the swords struck the Nakuma and the shield broke. Ark retreated on the air board after striking the Nakuma.
“Fire Eagle P-40!”
The Fire Eagle soared out from his bag. The nature of the game meant that guns dealt more damage to mechanical creatures than a lightsaber. Ark grabbed the Fire Eagle and aimed it at their heads.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The closer the distance, the more damage the shotgun did!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
He managed a head shot! The Nakuma’s head fell off and it received tremendous damage. If it was the Nakuma he had fought in Nephalim then it would already be turned into scrap metal. But the Nakuma right now were 2 times larger than the ones on Nephalim. The characteristics of the Nakuma was that it would level up the more metal it ate.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
The Nakuma fired its gatling gun even as it was hit in the head. But Ark also wasn’t the same Ark from Nephalim. Ark used the lightsaber to block the attacks and continuously pulled the trigger of the Fire Eagle.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Metal parts fell out as the muzzle was fired at the Nakuma’s head. The mechanical parts dispersed and the Nakuma’s movements stopped for a while.
Kiiiiii! Kiiiiii!
-Hostile behaviour detected! Risk of death! Get rid of it!
Once one of its colleagues collapsed, the Nakuma eating at the airship turned back to Ark. Dozens of bullets started to rain all over the place. Some of the high level ones were also fitted with RPGs. However Ark wasn’t intimidated by bullets or shells anymore. The blue light of his sword swung down. The bullets heading towards Ark divided like the Red Sea. The electromagnetic properties of the lightsaber twisted the orbit of the bullets! Of course, there were a lot of bullets so several had no choice but to hit. But those bullets didn’t pierce through Ark.
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 350 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
The Mind Shield covered his entire body!
“Dammit! I can’t let the Nakuma eat the airship!”
Ark rushed through the hail of bullets while using Sword Defense. He then struck the Nakuma like a whirlwind. Sparks flew and pieces of the Nakuma’s shield scattered everywhere.
“Eat this if you want metal!”
Ark quickly loaded the Fire Eagle with Armour Piercing Bullets. He spun around like a spin top and fired everywhere. Fighting with the Nakuma was basically the same as the Kero. He needed to avoid the Nakuma’s gatling gun and close the distance. The lightsaber smashed the shield while the Armour Piercing Bullets turned it into junk metal! Sometimes they would shoot RPGs but Ark was actually thankful for that.
‘Sword Defense!’
A small bullet was difficult to catch the timing to deflect it. However, the larger shell was relatively slow so there was a high probably that he could direct the orbit in the direction he wanted. That direction was naturally the Nakuma!
Pepepepeng!
The RPG shell hit the Nakuma and it was turned into scrap metal. After going crazy for 10 minutes, the final Nakuma exploded into pieces and the battle ended. The battle was against 10 opponents so Ark was considerably injured. He only had 20% health left thanks to the gunshot wounds. However he couldn’t afford to take care of the wounds.
“Tori, where are you? Tori!”
“H-Hyung-nim!”
The answer came from under the airship. Tori then came rushing out of the airship with tears in his eyes.
“Woo! Hyung-nim, I thought I would die! I really thought I would die!”
Tori was making a fuss but there wasn’t a single injury on his body. He probably hid as soon as the Nakuma attacked the airship. Meanwhile Ark was bleeding heavily from the wounds he received from the Nakuma.
“You bastard!”
“Hik! I-I’m sorry.”
Tori protected his head as Ark raised his fist. Ark sighed at Tori’s reaction and dropped his fist. Tori looked really pitiful. If Tori hadn’t hid and was killed by the Nakuma then he wouldn’t be able to repair the airship. Right now Tori was just as important as the airship.
“No, well done. It would be more troublesome if you died.”
“Oh, thank you for realizing that.”
Tori answered as he stroked his chest. He didn’t show a trace of shame about his ego.
‘He really has a strong talent are surviving.’
A weak guy created his own techniques to survive. Anyway, he had dealt with all the Nakuma attacking the airship. But he looked at the bony skeleton of the airship left behind by the Nakuma and sighed. However there was no need to despair yet. The Nakuma hadn’t actually ate the metal parts. They just tore it and attached it to its body. If the Nakuma died then he could regain the metal parts and attach it back to the airship.
“The problem is the time it will take to gather them…..”
Ark sighed and muttered. Tori noticed Ark’s expression and opened his mouth.
“The truth is…..”
“What? What’s with this reaction? Don’t tell me you don’t think you can repair it?”
“T-that’s not it.” Just…..”
“Just?”
“The ones that Hyung-nim took care of aren’t the only Nakuma to attack the ship. There were a few more big ones. They ate the airship first. The other guys flocked only after they finished. The Nakuma that Hyung-nim defeated only ate some of it. The big ones ate the main systems and important engines. Even the emergency repair kit…..”
“What? T-then?”
“If you don’t regain all of that then repairing……”
Ttiring.
<Lost Parts (Selection Quest)>
You’ve crash landed in an unknown area on the planet Amara.
But this isn’t a safe place.
The Nakuma attacked and stripped away a few key parts of the airship. Now you have two choices. Take a risk to chase the Nakuma and retrieve the parts or give up on the airship.
* Target: Parts Recovery 0/100%
Difficulty: B
A quest was registered. It was a Selection Quest but Ark had no choice. Right now he didn’t know where he was. If he gave up on the airship then he would have to walk in an unknown direction to try and find a city.
“Dammit!”
“Hik! I-I’m sorry! I….I…..”
Tori screamed as Ark glared at him. Tori wrapped both arms around his head and asked in a troubled voice.
“W-what are you going to do?”
“Do you have to ask? Can you repair the airship in this situation? Then don’t I have to chase after them and bring back the parts?”
“W-what will I do when Hyung-nim is gone?”
“What else? You stay here with the airship…..”
Ark then thought of something and bit his lips. It wasn’t safe to leave the hamster with the airship like it was already demonstrated. Tori would most likely die if the Nakuma came back. If I leave the airship then it is like throwing a chunk of meat at the hyenas. Parts might disappear without a trace when he came back.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Ark sighed and pulled out a shovel.
“Now, take this.”
“Shovel? Why are you giving this to me…..heok! N-no way! Digging my own grave…..Hyung-nim, save me! I don’t want to die here! I’m willing to lick your shoes! Anything! As long as I don’t die……”
“What are you imagining? Am I part of the mafia? Or abnormal? Why would I want you to lick my shoes? Who is forcing you to dig a grave?”
“Eh? It isn’t like that?”
“In this situation I can’t leave the airship alone while looking for the parts. However I can’t bring it with me. So what are the other methods? The only way is to hide it.”
“Hide it? Burying the airship in the ground…..”
“You don’t want to? Then do you want to dig a grave?”
“Ah, no it’s fine!”
Tori started shovelling like crazy. This was the best way Ark could think of at the moment. Of course it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Even a small airship was 3 times the size of a bus. It would take a considerable amount of time to dig the ground enough to hide the airship. Luckily Ark knew that the Nakuma didn’t leave a certain area. In other words, the Nakuma who ate the main parts couldn’t have escaped far! So he could afford to hide the airship even if it took some time. Also, Ark first learnt the Dig skill when creating the tunnel to rob the museum. But Ark wasn’t the one who originally created the tunnel. Half of the tunnel had already been completed by the time Ark saw it. That tunnel was created by Tori! Tori was a hamster who specialized in digging.
“Tell me if you think it is tough. Then I will make a place for your grave.”
“Pant pant pant! No! It isn’t hard at all!”
The hamster really wanted to live.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
As expected, Tori started digging at a tremendous pace when a threat was added. Seeing Tori like that brought up memories of Nephalim. He had dug a tunnel for one week without seeing any sunlight. At that time, Tori had just thrown the shovel at Ark and watched him dig.
‘Yes, this is good.’
Ark nodded with a look of deep emotion.
‘I don’t have many fond memories of this guy. Therefore this is great. From now on I will pay back those memories!’
Ark wanted to record his grudge on Tori’s bones!
“Hey, are you slowing down? Do you want to stop?”
“Pant pant pant! No! I’ll work hard! So put that shotgun down! Sob, scary!”
Tori shouted as he desperately swung his shovel. Thanks to Tori’s tearful efforts, a pit large enough to cover the airship was created after 10 hours. Ark pushed the airship in and covered it with iron mold.
“That’s it. Now it is time to collect the parts.”
Ark turned around after covering the airship. It wasn’t hard to chase after the Nakuma. Unlike the swamp area of Nephalim, this place was made of iron mold. And the Nakuma were basically made of iron. Therefore their trail on the ground remained intact. He followed the trail for 10 minutes.
“There is a dungeon in a place like this.”
He managed to find a gap in between the hills. The walls and ceiling of the cave was covered in iron mold! An information window flashed once he stepped foot inside.
-The hidden dungeon <Abyss of Despair> has been discovered.
+ Dungeon information: Abyss of Despair +
Many planets in the galaxy are filled with beautiful sights. But there are many hidden areas on those beautiful planets. Some planets hat look gorgeous are filled with toxic gases while some contain fearsome monsters.
You have found a dungeon made of iron mold on the planet called Amara. No signs of life can be detected. However you can see signs of non-biological creatures. These signs seem to warn you of danger. But there is no rewards without risk. In order to grow, a pioneer needs the courage and skill to face this danger.
* Adventure Points +600
Space 4
Abyss of Despair
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
His lightsaber hit the joints of the machine! Sparks flew as the lightsaber collided with it and the machine parts fell off. It was the scene of the Nakuma losing all its health and being turned into a pile of junk. But he had no time to catch his breath. Ark dealt with 1 Nakuma and turned his body without any delay. He saw a pair of red lights approaching and withdrew a bit. The light was made by a machine but he could feel hostility from it.
“Pant pant, there really is a variety.”
Ark breathed harshly as he lifted his lightsaber. He followed the Nakuma’s trail to this dungeon so naturally it was infested with Nakuma. However the Nakuma weren’t the same. The Nakuma created their forms based on the machine parts attached to them. While some had gears attached to their arms, others looked like a caterpillar or had wheels attached to their legs. The most demanding form was now surrounding Ark. They were the Nakuma in the form of a dog. These guys were exceptionally tricky because……
Kuwaaaah!
The Dog Nakuma shrieked and ran up to him. It jumped 10 metres in a single bound!
Papat!
The Dog Nakuma had incredible speed.
“Not a chance!”
Ark stepped back and pulled the trigger. However the opponent had already twisted in the air before the bullet shot out of the Fire Eagle. He was then simultaneously attacked by the other Dog Nakuma.
Kuaaaa!
Secondly, they were very organized.
“Dammit! Again…..”
Ark hastily used his sword to block the Dog Nakuma. The sword was pushed against the mouth of a mechanical creature that reached 2 metres and blood welled out as its fangs bit him.
Kakak! Ka ka ka ka!
Sparks flew as the lightsaber clashed against the Dog Nakuma’s mouth. They didn’t just have metal fangs. They had dozen of small rotating saws in its mouth. It might be a lightsaber but the saws cut the electromagnetic surface of the blade.
-The durability of Heir’s Sword has fallen!
Naturally the lightsaber couldn’t avoid getting damaged. But right now he only had 30% health left so that came first. The one who avoided his shotgun ran up the moment Ark’s movement was blocked. And it tried to bite Ark’s leg!
“Psychokinesis!”
Ark turned and shouted.
A small pile of machine parts flew up and aimed directly at the head of the Dog Nakuma about to bite his leg.
Kong!
It screamed (?) and stumbled. Ark twisted his body and placed the muzzle of the Fire Eagle to its jaw.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Half of its head flew away. Ark also vertically cut the Nakuma’s body with his lightsaber. Oil and minor accessories poured out as the lightsaber cut it.
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant.”
Ark panted as he was soaked in oil. The other Dog Nakuma flinched and ran away. But Ark had no intention of just letting them escape.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of blue swords shredded the darkness! Cracks spread on the surface and the Dog Nakuma collapsed. Ark narrowed the distance and placed the muzzle of his gun on the head of a monster that was gasping.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
There was a final roar as the Dog Nakuma changed to a mountain of metal.
“Phew, it’s over.”
His body sagged as the tension was released. The desperate struggle against 13 Dog Nakuma finally ended after 20 minutes.
“Wow! Hyung-nim, awesome!”
A cheer came from the corner. He turned around and saw a hamster crawling out from a gap in the iron mold. He ran in front of Ark and twisted his hands together.
“You’ve become so much stronger that you don’t seem like the same person. The difference from the novice I first saw you in Nephalim is huge.”
“Are you calling me a novice?”
“Ah no, that’s not what I mean. You were just a beginner pioneer when you first entered Istana. Back then Hyung-nim had some force. I could tell with one glance. Didn’t I scout Hyung-nim?”
“It was a fraudulent contract to be precise.”
“No, what fraud……?”
“Be careful what you say. Eh? You don’t want to remind me of the old days.”
When Ark glared at him, Tori’s eyes instantly said ‘Sheesh, it was a compliment.’
‘I need to teach him clearly once I catch him.’
His attitude showed signs of creeping up again. However now wasn’t the right time. Ark was currently in a Nakuma infested dungeon. He couldn’t afford to hit the hamster in a place like this. That hamster was also indispensable to Ark right now.
‘I took him along because I couldn’t leave him alone but he surprisingly has a lot of uses.’
Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok!
Ark placed the Charenjok on his head and sat down while looking at Tori. When Ark first entered the dungeon he thought of Tori as excess baggage. He wasn’t helpful in combat and needed to be protected so that he could repair the airship. But that idea soon changed. There were several types of engineers. Creating buildings, producing accessories, developing new technology like Jay and those who could handle special machines were classified as engineers. The one common point was that they didn’t have any combat ability. The only exception were those who handled explosives like Mellin. That’s why Ark thought all engineers except explosive experts were useless in dungeons. Ark’s idea was true to a certain extent. However that changed in remote planets of the galaxy.
‘I didn’t think the dungeon would be this wide.’
Ark surveyed the grey walls of the dungeon. He originally thought he could explore it in a few hours tops. However the dungeon was wider and more complicated than he imagined. It was still difficult to grasp the size even though he had spent 2 days in the dungeon. And the dungeon was brimming with Nakuma. Therefore some problems occurred.
-The durability of Harkenion Armour has fallen to 10%!
-The durability of the Pioneer’s Pants has fallen to 10%……
The durability of his equipment! He had repaired his equipment before heading to Amara but now it was at the bottom. Cheksun’s toolbox could repair general equipment but it didn’t work for most magic items. It was also impossible for him to go back to the city.
“I’ll be happy to look at it!”
At this time it was Tori who raised his hand. Tori was a hamster who originally operated a junkyard!
-From ships to small screws! All orders custom made!
Those were the words on Tori’s sign. In other words, Tori was a manufacturing and repair engineer. Tori had the skill to repair or create parts for ships and equipment if the order was received. Tori started to exert his skills once the repair kit was recovered from one of the defeated Nakuma.
“Do you have enough bullets?”
“They’re not abundant.”
Usually he didn’t have to worry about ammunition falling when fighting against enemies. That’s because he could get bullets from the loot. However Ark’s firearm was a shotgun. The Nakuma only dropped bullets for Gatling guns or shells for RPGs.
“Then tell me when you need some. I will make it.”
“Eh? You can create bullets?”
“Hihihihi. I have the 2nd class license to create projectiles. I can create bullets for shotguns with the repair kit as long as I have the metal.”
That’s why Ark could fire the shotgun wildly. Of course repairing equipment and bullet production wasn’t free. It didn’t cost money but materials were required to repair and manufacture the bullets. But this was a dungeon full of Nakuma. Various metals dropped with every kill so he had a large number of materials. That wasn’t all.
Ark came into the dungeon to recover the airship parts from the Nakuma. But a lot of parts were bulky and couldn’t be properly stored in his bag. These parts also needed to be relocated to the airship. That problem was also resolved by Tori!
“Please wait a moment!”
Tori fiddled with a piece of metal for a while. He soon created a large wagon. Therefore Ark’s bag capacity increased by several times and he could just concentrate on hunting the Nakuma. This was the true value of engineers! They were all-rounders as long as they had the necessary tools and materials. All his problems were resolved by having an engineer. The downside was that they had no combat ability but that wasn’t an obstacle with Tori. Ark didn’t need to worry about Tori. Tori was a hamster, a rat. He specialized in finding safe places to hide. Ark become bloody every time he fought the Nakuma so fury rose up whenever he saw Tori with not one scratch on him. But he would rather be shot then have Tori die.
“Hihihi, how is it? Aren’t I a lot of help?”
‘If only he didn’t make any noise…..’
However he understood Tori’s position.
If Ark gave up on the airship then any reason to keep Tori was lost. With their bad relationship in the past, Ark would probably abandon or even let him die if that happened. Therefore Tori kept on trying to show that he was a useful hamster. But Ark had no intention of throwing away Tori.
‘I didn’t think an engineer with manufacturing skills could be so helpful on the hunting ground. Engineers are worth more than troops in non-urban areas. I can’t easily give him up. I have to somehow make him join Dark Eden!’
Tori couldn’t understand what was going on. Anyway!
Tori had his share of tasks despite not being able to fight.
“Pant pant pant, this is difficult! But I’ll work hard. I’m a good hamster.”
Tori ran around collection loot, loading it onto the wagon, repairing Ark’s equipment and making bullets while Ark was recovering his health.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 99
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 8,520 Adventure 1,720
Health 2,600 (+90) Mental Power 50 (+340)
Mana 0 Force 260
Strength 250 (+38) Agility 315 (+41)
Stamina 405 (+18) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 240 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 11,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
The Abyss of Despair was a fairly decent hunting ground. His level went up at a tremendous speed while hunting the Nakuma. The repairing and supplies inside the dungeon meant he didn’t need to waste time. He had gained 4 levels after spending 2 days in the dungeon! There was also a bonus of expensive metal parts in the wagon. Quite a few items were mixed in as well.
Continuous Shooting Gatling
Item Type: Gun Wearer Restriction: Level 75
Attack: 15~20 Firing Rate: 0.10Sec
Durability: 28/40 Number of Ammunition: 300
A gun with 6 barrels to prevent overheating, the continuous shooting increases the power of the gun dramatically. But compared to the destructive power of the bullets, the heavy recoil means that the hit rate has decreased. Nevertheless, it is a charming weapon that pours out bullets and has been a favourite for a long time.
<Hit rate -30%>
-Hamid’s Ritual Scapula
Item Type: Light Armour (Shoulder) Wearer Restriction: Level 50
Defense: 20 (-5) Durability: 31/45
The scapula belonging to an alien species called Hamid. The main part of the scapula is made of a rare metal alloy that is difficult to find these days. Perhaps the Hamid soldiers used equipment made of this material a long time ago.
Etc…..
‘If I just look at the experience and loot, it isn’t better than Mt. Fargo. But there is no other user or NPC to gobble it up! It isn’t easy to find a hunting ground like this on Istana.’
However there wasn’t only benefits. Even if he raised his level to 100, it would all be lost if he died without registering with the Fairy. The expensive metal pieces weren’t stored in his bag so they would also be lost. And even if Ark survived, Tori who was hiding would die as well. He had just learnt the value of his henchman so Ark didn’t want to lose him. Therefore the most important thing was for Ark to live! He had to return to Istana alive.
However…..
“Hyung-nim, I’ve searched through all of it!”
“So? Did you find the airship parts?”
“There is nothing this time as well.”
“Again?”
Ark said with a sigh. In fact, Ark hadn’t expected to spend 2 days in the dungeon when he first came here. The recovery of airship parts in the beginning of the dungeon was quite high. He obtained a minimum of 1 piece when he fought 3~4 Nakuma. Thanks to that, Ark’s current recovery rate was 90%. However that all dried up a few hours ago.
“If it was the outside armour or simple circuit then I could easily repair it…..”
The remaining 10% he hadn’t found contained the most important part of the airship, the engine.
“Where the hell is the guy who pulled out the engine?”
“I don’t know either. I was lying face down on the ground so I couldn’t see it. But it was fairly big. The ground shook as the Nakuma stomped on it. The other Nakuma also seemed to back off from it.”
“That is probably the boss Nakuma.”
It was common sense for the monster to be a boss. That meant Ark was forced to go to the end of the dungeon. It wasn’t a big deal. He entered the dungeon to find parts but he didn’t have a problem going around a hidden dungeon. Ark had a separate issue.
“This…..”
Ark sighed and mumbled. There were 10 piles of metal around him. Most of them were junk metal that Ark recognized at a glance with metallurgy. There were also some expensive mechanical parts were mixed in among them! But that wasn’t why Ark was upset.
-There is no more space in your bag!
Ark had steadily filled his bag with loot from the Nakuma and now his bag was full! Tori no longer had any room in his wagon. Ark had reached the situation where he couldn’t eat anymore some time ago. He became stressed every time he had to leave the mechanical parts in a pile. It wasn’t only collecting the mechanical parts that he was worried about.
“It’s been 2 days so I’m worried about what might happen.”
Leaving mechanical parts was like asking for the Nakuma to gather. Ark left behind many mechanical parts for the Nakuma to eat. This meant it would take him some time when exiting. However he was most worried about looking for the airship parts.
“Only a bit more to go.”
The Abyss of Despair had a complex structure. But he had spent 2 days slowly going through it. His intuition developed. He felt like the long dungeon was going to end soon!
“Okay. Let’s go!”
Ark stood up and walked down a long cave.
“Hyung-nim, don’t leave me alone!”
Tol tol tol tol, tol tol tol tol.
Tori dragged the wagon and followed behind Ark.
————————————————————
“What, what the? This place is?”
Ark looked around with shocked eyes. He witnessed an amazing sight a few hours after resuming the dungeon exploration. In fact, Ark had one disconcerting question while wandering the Abyss of Despair. In those 2 days Ark had defeated approximately 1,000 Nakuma. Those guys dropped metal weighing the equivalent of tens of thousands of tons! This was the question.
‘Where did all those metal parts come from?’
The answer was now in front of Ark. A huge cave was situated in front of him. Surprisingly dozens of airships were in the underground space and covered with iron mold like cobwebs.
‘This is it! This is why the area is covered with so much iron mold. And the Nakuma must be made with the remnants of the airships! This is the source of the dungeon!’
The secret behind the dungeon was revealed.
“But why are so many wrecked airships gathered here?”
“I don’t care about that.”
Ark cut off Tori.
“The important thing is that this is the start of the dungeon. In other words, this is the end of the dungeon. The boss Nakuma who took the engine should be hiding somewhere here.”
Tori breathed deeply and looked around fearfully at Ark’s words.
“Is it really okay? It sounded really huge…..”
“Is it okay? Do you think I will die?”
“That’s not it…..”
“Don’t waste time thinking about that and stay focused. We don’t know where that guy will pop up. You don’t want to end up like the airships.”
Ark said as he readied his lightsaber. A drop of sweat flowed down in the silence. The light from the lightsaber revealed a shadow at the back of the web of iron mold. A mysterious atmosphere was created among the wreckage of the airships. He carefully walked over there.
“What is that?”
Ark’s eyes narrowed like a hawk. He began to see the form of something large. The streamlined shape was an airship. However it was different from the airships around it. The bone structure of the airships were similar. However the hull of this one was 3 times larger. The length was 100 meters. But the biggest difference was……
“Why is it the only one intact?”
Unlike the other airships, this one looked untouched. The Nakuma’s largest desire was metal. Ark’s airship was 200 metres from the dungeon and they still found it. Yet this airship inside the dungeon was in perfectly good shape.
“Is the airship made of a metal that the Nakuma hate?”
“Let’s see, the materials don’t seem particularly different……I’ll take a closer look.”
Ark walked around the airship. Up close it wasn’t in a perfect condition. The hull seemed to show traces of a battle. But he could find no signs that the Nakuma had attacked it. Meanwhile Tori who was examining the hull said.
“That’s strange. This airship is made of the Cherenium steel alloy.
“Why is that strange?”
“Cherenium’s durability is strong but it is different to mold so it isn’t often used these days. Most airships these days are made of a Teban alloy that has similar durability but is more easily handled. In other words, the airship was created prior to the development of the Teban alloy. And the Nakuma certainly don’t dislike Cherenium. So why is this airship untouched by the Nakuma?”
“I don’t know either…..”
Ark thought for a moment before quickly asking.
“The airship, can we use it?”
“Airship?”
“Look. It is apparently fine. Well, it must have some problems if it is stuck in a place like this but isn’t it better than our airship that has been turned into scrap metal?”
This airship instantly looked better than the one Ark came on. Besides, it was an ownerless airship. If he repaired it then he could get this airship for free. However Tori shook his head like there was no chance.
“That’s impossible.”
“What? Why?”
“Check for yourself.”
Tori pointed to the door on the side of the hull. The door handle was just a circular groove. Perhaps this was where the key would be inserted. But he needed a key to enter. Ark connected his Nymphe to the door.
-This device is protected by a security device.
<Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.This lock has a security rating of level 99. Your hacking skill is currently only Lv. 2 and you can only release level 4~6 locks.
<If you don’t know the password then try again after raising the level of your hacking skill>
“Do you see?”
It was like Tori said.
“This isn’t a regular airship. Battleships have locking devices made with special security equipment so it is on an entirely different scale compared to ordinary airships. The key probably contains the use of the captain’s DNA. It is impossible to decrypt these type of keys without a super computer.”
“Sheesh, there’s nothing we can do?”
Blowing up the door to enter the airship was meaningless. He couldn’t enter without a key. He attempted to use his hacking skill to steal the airship but that was useless.
‘If I can get this airship to work then it would be a jackpot…..’
Ark looked at the airship with an upset expression.
Kukung!
There was a sudden roaring sound from behind him.
“Hik! W-what the? What’s going on? Where’s the sound coming from?”
The freaked out Tori looked around with a stricken expression. Tori’s gaze drifted upwards and his mouth gaped open. He pointed to the rear of the airship with trembling hands and stuttered.
“Hik! T-that…..that is…..Hyung-nim…..that……”
Tori’s finger was pointing towards a huge object. It had large and small machine parts attached to it…..a Nakuma. But this Nakuma was a lot different from the ones he had seen so far. The humanoid Nakuma was a whopping 20 metre! It gave an overpowering impression! Ark winced and retreated.
“O-oh my god! This is the Nakuma that ate the engine?”
“No! It wasn’t this big!”
“No? What, then he is?”
The red eyes of the Nakuma then faced Ark.
–An intruder…..destroy!
The Nakuma’s size was 20 metres. He couldn’t find a way to deal with it. But Ark was an experienced warrior. This wasn’t enough to make him lose his fighting spirit. Ark raised his lightsaber and shouted.
“I can’t avoid fighting it! Tori, back off!”
“Don’t worry about me!”
He had Tori reply om a distance. He looked around and saw that Tori was dozens of metres away from the airships. He poked out his head and shook his fist as he shouted.
“Hyung-nim, I’ll cheer you on from here! Fighting!”
……His fighting spirit disappeared. Then a black object appeared over his head. The Nakuma!
–Get lost!
Kwakwang!
The huge foot dropped down and the entire cave shook. If he was caught then it would be GAME OVER…..
Ark avoided it and wielded his lightsaber.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords swirled through the darkness. Sparks flew up from the Nakuma’s leg. But the Nakuma was fine. The Nakuma had a shield and even Ark’s strongest skill couldn’t penetrate it. It had enormous defense!
However Ark still didn’t lose his fighting spirit.
“Let’s see if you can hold up against this!”
Ark wielded his sword as he rushed towards the Nakuma. No, he was about to rush at the Nakuma. At that moment, dozens of RPGs and guns welled up from the Nakuma’s arms.
“What? T-that……?”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
Ark screamed and stopped moving as there was the sound of guns. Dozens of bullets and shells flew towards him! Ark rotated his body like a spin top while swinging his sword. The blue light of his sword spread out! The bullets parted on either side of him. It was his skill Sword Defense that reached intermediate level in the Abyss of Despair!
-The rating of the skill ‘Sword Defense (Common Occupation ☆☆)’has risen!
Sword Defense (Intermediate, Passive): You have gained experience in numerous battlefields and became more skills in Sword Defense. You can penetrate the enemy’s attack with your sharp intuition. This allows you a deeper understanding of the nature of the lightsaber. Now crude use of firearms won’t be able to hurt your body.
<The scope of Sword Defense has become wider>
* Sword Mastery Lv.3 or higher required.
That was written in the information window. The intermediate skill proficiency and broadened scope meant he could defend against 90% of the Nakuma’s bullets. But the timing needed to be accurate. Hundreds of bullets were flying towards Ark! He couldn’t change the trajectory of all of them. He never intended to block all the bullets in the first place! Intermediate Sword Defense could protect his vital points. The other bullets penetrated his body and blood went everywhere. However the RPG shells were the more serious problem. Unlike the bullets, the shells did splash damage. He wouldn’t be able to stop that with Sword Defense!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Successive explosions occurred in the vicinity of his body. His health went down at a tremendous rate thanks to the flash damage. But Ark couldn’t afford to groan. No, he didn’t even have time to blink. Another hail of bullets was raining down from 20 metres above him. His body would become riddled in 0.1 second. He barely managed to hold on by increasing his concentration.
‘This won’t last for long. In this state I won’t be able to hold out for 1 minute. Then…..’
Ark grasped his sword hilt and grinded his teeth together.
‘……I have no choice but to try it!’
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 370 durability has been generated around the body. The shield will reduce all damage by 40~60% until the durability falls to 0.
In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>
His body was wrapped in a blue sphere. Ark raised his sword as the shield covered him. He stopped moving and waited for the bullets. A few shots hit his neck and chest, causing his health to go down quickly. However Ark didn’t even shake.
‘Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention!’
Ark bit his lip and stared at the hundreds of bullets! Then he saw the shells blended in with the bullets! His lightsaber flew up as the shells got closer.
“Sword Defense!”
The lightsaber swept down and changed the orbit of the shells. But he didn’t just change the trajectory of the shells. Ark rotated his lightsaber with all his force while striking the shells. He circulated the trajectory of the shell and it flew back in the direction it came from. Towards the Nakuma!
Sword Defense was now an intermediate level so it wasn’t that hard to change the direction. But changing the orbit to return it wasn’t that simple. The orbit was changed many times in a short period. It required enormous concentration and sword skills. This was the reason Ark increased his concentration. His target was the Nakuma’s legs!
Pepepepeng!
The shells hit the Nakuma and it stumbled. The shower of bullets aimed at Ark was pushed to the side. Ark’s eyes brightened and he shouted.
“Now! Super Board!”
Ark took out the air board and rushed to the Nakuma. A long blue light crossed the space.
“Now it is starting!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
The Nakuma recovered as the bullets once again aimed at the centre. Ark used Sword Defense while rushing at full speed and used the air board as a springboard to shove his sword into the Nakuma’s legs.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
Sparks flew as the sword got stuck in between machine parts.
“…..That’s it!”
Ark exclaimed as he struck. Then his body started ascending at an absurd speed. The Nakuma was shaking his leg.
–Get off!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
He fell down as the whole area shook. Ark shoved his sword into his bag and hung onto the leg with both arms. But the Nakuma wasn’t made with one piece of smooth metal and he became injured from sharp parts sticking out.
-Your skin has been torn by rusty iron.
<Your stamina has fallen by 10 thanks to tetanus. You will receive 2 damage every 10 seconds for 10 minutes>
To make matters worse, he also got tetanus! However……bbok!
“This is useful in times like this.”
Ark had attached the Charenjok’s token on his head. It was the Charenjok’s Token that healed 2 health every 4 seconds. It was a very useful item even if he only had 1 health left. However the value wasn’t in its recovery effect. The most troublesome thing about abnormal status was the penalty to his ability. But if he used the Charenjok’s token then he could become invincible to abnormal statues for 10 minutes. Of course he had no intention of getting into that state again.
“Armour armament!”
Ark immediately pulled out his battle suit. He grabbed the machine parts with his left hand and held the lightsaber in the other before climbing the leg.
–You insect! You’re still attached? Get off!
The Nakuma’s hand fell towards Ark. It didn’t dare shoot bullets or RPGs. That’s because Ark was hanging from its body!
‘This guy’s firepower is at the standard of dozens of troopers. If it starts shooting then it will be damaged. This is one way to seal of its guns! Use its body!’
Ark was no different from a bug to that Nakuma. It couldn’t shoot its own body just to get rid of a bug. But that wasn’t all.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Metal parts fell off as it shook its leg. However the scale of the movement was different.
‘The movement is slow!’
Ark rushed to the back of the legs. He used his lightsaber again to climb its body. The Nakuma’s body was being struck by the lightsaber. Ark could decrease its health just by climbing the body. There was even more. Every time the Nakuma would shook its legs or waist to get rid of Ark and metal parts would fall. Of course, the damage wasn’t that large compared to the Nakuma’s overall health. Ark didn’t expect to take care of the Nakuma like this.
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark continued climbing the Nakuma. The Nakuma tried to slap its body but Ark moved around like a cockroach. The fierce battle continued for 10 minutes!
“There it is!”
Ark was finally able to stand on the Nakuma’s shoulders.
–You!
The Nakuma’s head turned towards Ark. Ark could see hundreds of mechanical components that formed the face. Ark’s face was covered with a few minor wounds but he was smiling.
“Watch carefully. You will never see this face again!”
Ark shouted as he ran along the shoulders towards the Nakuma’s head. The lightsaber was driven into the Nakuma’s eye. Ark then placed the muzzle of the Fire Eagle against the other eyeball and pulled the trigger.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The red light disappeared from both sides. This meant that the Nakuma had lost both of its eyes.
-Kuaaaah! Y-you!
The Nakuma screamed angrily.
“It will be troublesome if you die too early. I’m only just starting.”
Ark grinned as he held on tightly to the Nakuma’s shaky body. And…..a full scale attack was launched. The lightsaber and Fire Eagle continuously attacked. The attacks were poured on the Nakuma’s head.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
-Headshot!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 150% damage>
It was a headshot! The Nakuma’s health started going down quickly. Of course the Nakuma wasn’t just politely being attacked. Both arms swung like crazy as it tried to hit Ark. However the Nakuma’s sensors was its eyes and they were destroyed. And Ark wasn’t a slow user that could be hit by fists recklessly swung.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Pal pal pal pal!
He avoided the flying hands and struck with his lightsaber.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Pal pal pal pal!
He avoided the flying hands and pulled the trigger of the Fire Eagle. Ark jumped around the shoulders and persistently only attacked the head. The Nakuma’s health dropped enormously from Ark continuing to hi its head. The machine parts fell off each time until the Nakuma only had 10% health left. At that moment the Nakuma’s movement stopped. Then it kneeled down like a doll with its threat cut.
“Eh? What the? Its giving up even with health remaining……”
Ark tilted his head with confusion.
Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu!
Then dozens of metal wires rose from the Nakuma’s neck and wound around Ark. At the same time, the Nakuma stood up and swung its fists.
“T-this!”
Panic spread on Ark’s face. But Ark couldn’t afford to think. He had 50% health left after the start of the battle and climbing the Nakuma decreased it to 30%. He attacked one-sidedly from the shoulder but that didn’t mean he didn’t receive any damage. Considering the Nakuma’s offense, he would die if hit by the hand! But now his movements were sealed. He couldn’t avoid the Nakuma’s punch! Ark judged the situation and clenched his fist.
“Yes, let’s see who is stronger in fists! 18 Barrage!”
Steam gushed out from the battle suit and his fists poured out.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The Nakuma or Ark’s fists! Their two fists conflicted. Ark’s 18 Barrage couldn’t stop the fist of someone larger than him. Ark was pushed back the moment he felt their real weight.
Kwakwang!
The roaring sound resounded through the dark space again.
Space 5
Silver Star
“Ugh!”
A scream burst out from some rubble dozens of metres away from the airship.
“He’s dead! Dead! What do I do now? Dammit! You bastard! What will I do if you die in a place like this? That’s why I was subservient to you! It was for the opportunity to escape after we left Amara! What will happen if you die here? You screwed up! Dammit! I didn’t follow you here just to end up like this!”
Tori pulled his hair and screamed.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Then blue light came from the body of the Nakuma. The light continuously cut the Nakuma’s body and the one wielding it was Ark. Then he rolled to the ground.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The underground space started rumbling. The Nakuma was taken apart and fell to pieces. Tori watched this scene with wide eyes.
“Y-you….no, Hyung-nim! How…..that guy’s fist clearly hit you……?”
“My fist is mightier than its finger.”
The dirt covered Ark laughed. Just before the Nakuma had hit him, Ark battered its finger with 18 Barrage. Ark only aimed for the Nakuma’s finger. Even if the Nakuma had high health, its durability had no choice but to fall when hitting that one part. When he focused the firepower of 18 Barrage, the finger instantly separated into parts. An empty space was left behind. Ark was able to survive by using that space. Ark plunged inside the Nakuma and hacked away at its wires with his lightsaber! Then he used Galaxy Sword to vertically penetrate the stomach.
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
The Nakuma turned into a pile of metal and he gained 5 levels.
“Ohhh! Hyung-nim! You’re too awesome! I knew Hyung-nim could do it!”
“I heard everything.”
Ark looked at Tori with a disbelieving expression.
“You were looking for an opportunity to escape once we left Amara?”
“No, t-that’s not……”
Tori stuttered as he broke into a cold sweat. But Ark had no interest in doing anything. He had no expectations that Tori was sincerely following him. Ark knew he had other plans. It wouldn’t work of course. He had no intention of letting Tori get away with it but now he had verified his plans.
‘I saw it while going through the Nakuma’s body…..’
Ark approached the pile of metal that was the wreckage of the Nakuma. After digging through the centre of the pile, he managed to find what he was looking for among some machine parts. The material felt like the shell of an insect!
‘There’s no doubt about it. This is the Rama’s battle suit!’
This was wat Ark saw when going through the Nakuma’s body. A man covered in the Rama’s battle suit was intertwined with the machine parts inside the Nakuma.
‘Don’t tell me he’s still alive?’
Ark’s hand touched the battle suit. The battle suit was engulfed in a blue light and turned into an octagonal object.
-You have obtained the core of a new battle suit!
<The Rama’s battle suit is formed with the core of an ancient magic life form called the Drone.
Therefore the Rama’s battle suit can gain experience through combat like a user. But the Drone has no ability to grow on its own so it needs to absorb other Drones to turn that experience into power.
Accumulated experience and a Drone’s core. These two are necessary conditions to evolve the battle suit>
* Necessary experienced needed for evolution: 86,000/50,000
-You have met the required conditions to evolve your current battle suit.
Would you like to evolve the battle suit? (Y/N)
“This is great!”
This answered all his questions. The information window regarding the Hyper Drone had a level attached to it. That level attached meant that it could grow. And he could see that experience was accumulated every time he used the battle suit. However the level didn’t increase no matter how much experience he gained. This was the reason why! A new core was necessary for his battle suit to grow. It didn’t state the conditions necessary to level it up so he never thought about it. There was no reason for him to think about it.
“Evolve!”
-The battle suit has evolved!
Hyper Drone Lv.1 → Hyper Drone Lv.2
* Mana regeneration of the Hyper Drone has increased by 10%!
* The ability of Hyper Drone to strengthen the body will increase by 5% to 35%!
* The damage of Hyper Drone’s battle technique 18 Barrage has increased by 10%!
* Hyper Drone has absorbed the memory of the new core and learnt a new skill!
-Hyper Drone Exclusive Skill-
Hyper Booster (User, Active): The battle suit has absorbed the core of a new Drone. The Hyper Drone has accepted that power and acquired the new ability Hyper Booster. Using this technique, you can move up to 100 metres at a top speed of 200 km/hr. It will consume the mana of the battle suit.
Mana consumption: 5%
His battle suit evolved! The numerical gains was enormous. A mana regeneration buff and the stats of his battle suit increased! The attack of 18 Barrage also increased! His battle suit also gained the skill Hyper Booster! These would be useful in close combat.
“By the way…..”
Ark looked down at the dead body among the machine parts. It was the body that had been wearing the battle suit. However he wasn’t a Rama like Ark expected. The mummy like body was something he had seen several times before. He was a Murat.
‘According to the Elim’s Memory, the Rama originally served the Murat. The Murat were probably the ones who created the original Drone battle suits and transferred them to the Rama. In the end the Rama used the technology the Murat gave them to destroy the Murat? Ha, this is why Xanax felt betrayed by his own people. But why did the Murat die in a place like this?’
The mummy’s hand was holding a circular crystal. It was a circular crystal that the Murat held onto even when he died!
-You have acquired the <Master Key of the Silver Star battleship>.
“Ohu!”
Ark’s eyes shone brightly.
—————————————————————————————–
Cheolkong! Pushu!
There was a mechanical sound and the door of the airship opened.
“The name of this airship is Silver Star.”
Ark muttered as he stared at the streamlined hull. He felt refreshed as soon as he grabbed the circular crystal. There was a circular groove in the door of the airship. Not surprisingly, the crystal that the Murat mummy was clutching was the key to the airship.
‘The locking device is functioning properly. Maybe……’
There were several cabins on both sides of the aisle in the airship. However Ark didn’t even glance at them and looked at something across the hallway. It was the cockpit where various panels were attached. When he looked at the cockpit, a circular groove similar to the door lock caught his eye. Ark inserted the crystal in the groove.
Woong woong woong woong……Woong woong woong woong……
The hull vibrated and light turned on.
“Ohh, it’s moving!”
In Galaxian, airships were generally classified into two types. One was the airship that he escaped the mine from. That one was a general airship capable of flying within the atmosphere. The other ship could sail through the universe. The Silver Star was a ship like that. Needless to say, those airships could cost thousands of gold! Ordinary or poor users could only dream of owning such an airship. Moreover, it was also a battleship! Ark had found a battleship like this. The owner died a long time ago so the first person to find it could obtain it. If it worked properly then it would be a jackpot!
“Tori, check the systems!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
Tori sat in the cockpit and pressed the buttons. Then an information window appeared on the monitor.
“Heok! T-this…..?”
Tori let out a cry of confusion as he stared at the monitor.
“I-I can’t read it! What language is this?”
Tori’s confusion was reasonable. The characters floating on the information window were ‘◎☆∇△∴∴△○…….’ which was more like shapes than letters. But Ark didn’t panic.
The man holding the Silver Star’s master key was the Murat. Naturally the characters on the monitor would also be Murat. And Ark could decode Murat letters. The information window that Ark translated……
-Ship’s Basic Information: Silver Star
Hull: Medium-3 Classification: Battleship
Firepower: 25,000
Speed: B Turning: A
Shield: C Energy Efficiency: B
* Hull Damage Rate: 30%
Precaution: Damage to some major facilities has been detected. Flying is possible but the risk can’t be guaranteed. It is recommended to repair before operating
* Hull Energy Charge Rate: 20%
Danger: Energy is not secure enough. The ship is now switching to sleep mode. 50% energy is required in order to switch to navigation mode
“Then flying is impossible right now?”
When thinking about it, it was the inevitable result. If the Silver Star was capable of flying then it wouldn’t be in a place like this.
“The hull damage rate isn’t that high. The problem is the energy……”
Ark thought for a moment before looking back at Tori.
“That reminds me, didn’t we find some fuel rods from the Nakuma? How about it? Can we charge the energy of the airship with the fuel rods?”
“Well, I can’t answer without checking the parts. But it might be possible if they use the same type of energy. There might be a problem if the fuel rods of the airship we came on is different from the Silver Star.”
“Can you or not?”
Tori quickly replied after Ark yelled.
“If the fuel rods use the same type of energy then I can charge it.”
“That’s it!”
Ark clenched his fists. The probably that he could occupy the Silver Star was increasing.
“Then check the Silver Star’s energy type!”
Ark was shouting at Tori when he heard a sound. A crackling noise was coming from an instrument panel.
-I Murat…..belong…..Silver Star 1st mate…..Ensign Enkaru…..
“What? This?”
“Shhh! Be quiet.”
Ark cut Tori off and looked at the 3D image. The holograph showed the battle clad Murat who had been holding the crystal.
–We’re left on the planet Amara in the Harmadon constellation……at the end of a fierce battle…..I succeeded in a forced landing…… The hull isn’t damaged but several fuel rods have been destroyed and the energy is in flux……fortunately I sensed ether in Amara……the captain and crew went to secure the energy……it has been one month and they haven’t returned…… And…..
The Murat called Enkaru coughed before continuing.
–Nakuma have started to gather here…… So far I’ve managed to block them but those guys are continuing to multiply……I’m desperately stopping them but my remaining food has started to run out…… It is to the extent that I think the Nakuma contains the soul of the enemy…… However I will stop these guys for the captain and crew…… If the Nakuma contains the grudge of the enemy…..they will continue to spread……
The recorded video ended there.
“Now I understand.”
Ark nodded and murmured. The reason for the Silver Star being in a place like this. He didn’t know what happened but the Silver Star’s fuel rods were destroyed in a fight and crashed landed on Amara. While most of the crew went out to search for energy, the Nakuma started forming from the remnants of the wreckage. Enkaru protected the Silver Star and died. He understood up to here. Then……
“Eh? Isn’t it slightly strange?”
Tori tilted his head to one side and asked Ark.
“The person called Enkaru should’ve died a long time ago. And the Nakuma were aiming for this ship. If Enkaru died a long time ago then why is the spacecraft in perfect condition?”
“I don’t understand that either…..”
Ark was reminded of something.
“Enkaru vowed to protect the Silver Star from the Nakuma. And Enkaru stayed in the centre of the Nakuma’s body after he died. Enkaru might’ve used the power of the Murat to keep that vow.”
“Are you saying that Enkaru was the one to stop the Nakuma?”
“His will to be precise.”
“Oh my god…..then he protected his ship even after he died…..ugh, there is a tear for some reason…..”
Tori looked impressed as tears dripped down his face. Ark was also impressed. In films, the captain of the ship was normally the first one to escape when there was a crash. Yet Enkaru protected the ship until the last moment and stopped the Nakuma for hundreds of years. He was a model sailor! But…..
“Dammit!”
Ark cursed.
“Eh? W-what happened? I almost made a mistake……”
“You still don’t understand?”
“What is it?”
“The reason the Nakuma didn’t attack the Silver Star was because of Enkaru’s will inside the huge Nakuma. But now the Nakuma isn’t there anymore. What does that mean?”
“W-wait a minute! That means…..”
Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!
A slow ringing sound was continuously heard outside the hull. Ark looked out the window and his face warped. Hundreds of pairs of red light shone in the darkness. The red light belonged to a large variety of Nakuma!
“N-Nakuma! Hyung-nim, Nakuma!”
“I see!”
Ark shouted at Tori.
“Now’s not the time to be doing this! I’ll bring you the fuel rods from the wagon so check if you can make the ship fly!”
“U-understood!”
Tori ran to the engine room. Meanwhile Ark ran out of the Silver Star.
“…..How many is there?”
The number of Nakuma was a lot more than he could see from inside. He could see hundreds of Nakuma and there were many more red lights in the distance. Those guys had emerged once Ark killed the huge Nakuma.
‘It is the end if these guys gather around the Silver Star!’
It would become like the other airships in the area.
‘I can’t let that happen!’
It wasn’t the time to hesitate. Ark placed the wagon inside the Silver Star and looked for the fuel rods. Then he went running to the engine room. No, he was about to start running. Tori ran over from the other side.
“Hyung-nim, it is serious!”
“It’s serious? What? Is the type of energy wrong?”
“No, the energy type is correct. The Silver Star uses a ether type energy like the airship we came on. However the standard of the fuel rods is different so I have to charge the Silver Star’s system. However the particles need to be switched to raise the purity so charging it will take some time.”
“How long would it take?”
“Securing the energy require for a take-off would need at least 30 minutes……”
“30 minutes?”
Ark looked at the Nakuma gathering around the Silver Star. There were hundreds of them! Ark couldn’t stop all of them by himself for 30 minutes. No, he was still injured from his fight against the huge Nakuma so he wouldn’t even hold out for 1 minute.
“Hyung-nim, it is impossible! It is better to get out of here before it is too late. They’re aiming at the Silver Star so we might be able to escape!”
“And what next? How will getting out of here help? I haven’t even found all the parts of the airship yet.”
“T-that….”
“The airship can’t be repaired in this state!”
The same was true even if he repaired it. This was a battleship! How could he give up such a good ship when he just obtained it?
‘I can’t abandon it! I have to do whatever it takes to obtain the Silver Star! I would rather die than abandon it!’
Then something popped into Ark’s head.
“Wait? This is a battleship? Then wouldn’t it have weapons?”
“……Ah!”
Tori’s eyes shone as he thought of something.
“That’s right! saw a passage filled with gun turrets a short while ago!”
“You stupid brat, why are you only telling me about this now?”
“No, that…..”
“That’s it! You will go charge the fuel rods. I’ll tell you this ahead of time. I won’t give up on the Silver Star even if it means I have to die. The same goes for you as well. If you want to live then hurry! I don’t know how long I can stop the Nakuma even if I use the gun turrets. Every second will decrease the odds!”
Ark left Tori in charge of the fuel rods and ran to a gun turret. There was one turret fitted on the left and right wings of the Silver Star. Ark sat in the chair of the turret facing the direction the Nakuma were coming from. The door opened and the turret soared upwards. Murat characters were shown on a small monitor attached to the upper right.
-The turret has completed its preparation work.
* The Silver Star is currently in sleep mode so the automated equipment and energy particle cannon can’t be used.
If you want to use the automated equipment then wake it up. If you want to maintain the sleep mode then select manual operation mode.
The energy situation is 0.1%.
“Manual operation!”
Ark shouted as he grabbed the handle of the gun. Meanwhile the Nakuma were 20~30 metres away. The machine emitted a whirring sound and Ark turned the turret towards them. He focused and pulled the trigger!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a roar in his ear as shells were fired! The strength of the shell ejected from the turret was more than he expected. The Nakuma approaching were instantly crushed. Some lasted for 3~4 hits. The ones that consisted of small machine parts were demolished in 2~3 hits. It was natural. The Silver Star’s gun turret was a basic weapon for large battleships. It was different from the personal guns of the soldiers. The power was comparable to a RPG! The power was enough to melt a train. Of course, his opponents were the Nakuma.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
The Nakuma started to fire back after being hit by shells. In fact, from Ark’s position it was a reckless fight. Ark’s only purpose was to protect the Silver Star. No matter how powerful the weapon, it couldn’t stop all of the Nakuma’s bullets. The machine gun also had a longer range while the Silver Star’s turrets could only cover 100 metres in front of it. In addition, he couldn’t even activate the ship’s shield. If hundreds of Nakuma concentrated on the hull then it wouldn’t even last 10 minutes, let alone 30 minutes. However…..
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The bullets bounced off something before it hit the Silver Star. The remains of the huge Nakuma was blocking the bullets! The remnants of the huge Nakuma was stacked up in front of the Silver Star like a castle wall. They were placed straight on and at an angle.
‘That Nakuma is still protecting the Silver Star even after its death! So cool Enkaru!’
Ark now had some hope……
Anyway, the hull wasn’t damaged thanks to the remnants of the huge Nakuma. Once again, Ark’s purpose was the protection of the Silver Star. The Nakuma’s remnants bought him some time.
“Okay! Yes! Come at any time! I’ll turn you all into scrap metal!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark fired the shells in a trance. His shooting skills were poor but Ark didn’t need it to fire the gun turrets. He checked that the shells hit and then moved it to the next area. Therefore the Nakuma fell like autumn leaves. Meanwhile the wreckage in front of the ship continued to build as more Nakuma died. The situation changed once 20 minutes had passed. The wreckage piled up in front of the Silver Star suddenly fluctuated. Then the wreckage started rising up?
“What, what the? This…..perhaps?”
Parts of the wall extended on both sides. Machine parts started attaching to it like it was a magnet. No, it wasn’t only mechanical parts. It started to drag the Nakuma near it. The resulting shape was……
“A huge Nakuma!”
Not long ago the number of Nakuma in front of the wall had decreased. He thought it was for their self-protection but that wasn’t the case. The Nakuma had absorbed the wreckage where Ark couldn’t see and created a huge Nakuma. He looked in dumb surprise at the wreckage morphed into a huge humanoid form. The massive Nakuma started coming towards the Silver Star! The wall that had been blocking the enemy’s attack had become an enemy!
“D-dammit! Is this Transformers or something? What type of transformation is this?”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark cursed and fired the shells towards the arms. The mechanical parts fell every time there was an explosion. The wrist broke before it reached the Silver Star and a huge hand fell to the ground. But after a brief moment, the metal parts were fused with the body again and another arm was made. That wasn’t all.
-The hull has received damage!
<-57>
-The hull has received damage!
<-76>……
The red messages kept on appearing on the monitor. Once the wall turned into a huge Nakuma, the remaining Nakuma’s bullets started hitting the hull. But Ark had no time to pay attention to those Nakuma.
‘The damage isn’t that big. But that……’
The huge Nakuma’s arm! It had an enormous weight! If it hit the ship then it would be a fatal blow.
‘I have to do whatever it takes to stop that arm!’
Luckily the huge Nakuma’s movement was slow. In addition, the volume was too big and the parts lacked cohesion so they easily fell off when hit. However the Nakuma could just absorb more parts so it was a relentless war of attrition. And a message suddenly popped up!
-The ammunition of the turret has finished!
* You must turn off sleep mode in order to replace it.
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
There was just a blank sound when he pulled the trigger.
“Heok! It is the end!”
Ark burst out as he looked up. The huge Nakuma’s arm! It was falling towards the turret.
Ku ku ku kung! Chwajijijik!
The Silver Star was wrapped in a blue flash and sparks flew as the Nakuma’s arm touched the top part of the turret.
“What, what the? This light is…..?”
-Hyung-nim, the energy charge is over!
Then he heard Tori’s voice over the Nymphe. The Silver Star had finished its energy charge and Tori deployed the shield with exquisite timing. Ark then shouted.
“So? The amount of energy?”
–It is currently at 53%. It has barely passed 50%. It will continue to rise while the fuel rod is connected.
“Then what are you waiting for? Prepare to fly away!”
–Understood!
The Silver Star started to rumble after Tori’s answer. The iron mold around the Silver Star started to break as it rose upwards.
Kwakwang!
At that moment the Silver Star started shaking. The huge Nakuma had started to beat at the Silver Star’s shield with its arm.
“Holy shit! Tori, rotate the hull in its direction!”
Ark yelled as he entered the turret on the other side. Meanwhile the turret on the other side was rotating towards the Nakuma. The moment the huge Nakuma appeared in front of him!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark poured out the shells and exclaimed.
“Tori, you know the main weapon o the Silver Star? Can you use it?”
–The fuel rods are still connected and energy is being charged so one or two shots should be possible.
“Then prepare it! The goal is……”
Ark’s eyes stayed on the giant Nakuma. He hadn’t seen it yet but the battleship had a main weapon. He needed to crush the giant Nakuma in one blow. But he wasn’t 100% sure. Even if he defeated the huge Nakuma, there was still the chance of being attacked by the young one. Ark came to that conclusion and his eyes rose towards the ceiling of the underground space!
“The ceiling! Above its head! That is the target!”
The Silver Star rose diagonally at Ark’s yell. Blue light particles started to gather in front of the hull pointed up. At first it was just fireflies before turning into an intense light in an instant. Then the light spewed out like lightning.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The light from the Silver Star’s main weapon fired upwards! The huge Nakuma tilted its head upwards as it tracked the trajectory of the light. When the lightning hit the ceiling, cracks spread on it and powder started falling. That was the beginning. Once cracks spread over the whole ceiling and iron mold started falling like hail as the balance was broken.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, pepepepeng!
The Nakuma underneath were crushed by the falling ceiling. Pieces of the huge Nakuma also fell off as it was hit. It was the same for the Silver Star. Sparks kept on occurring on the surface of the shield.
–Hyung-nim! T-the cave…..
“Charge! Aim towards the spot hit by the lightning!
–But the ceiling is still impenetrable!
“Just do it anyway! If we hesitate anymore then we’ll turn out like the Nakuma! Just do as I say!”
–Ugh, I understand!
The Silver Star started rumbling. The Murat’s battleship that had been here for hundreds of years flew 100 metre upwards! The Silver ship aimed towards where cracks were spreading on the ceiling. Jet flames emerged from the rear as it kept on rushing. Ark fired the gun turret ahead of him. He pulled the trigger continuously as the shells hit the ceiling. The iron mold kept on pouring on top of the giant Nakuma. In such circumstances, it was still stretching its arms out towards the Silver Star but the arms kept on being buried by the rocks. But it was no longer Ark’s concern.
‘If I can’t penetrate through then I’ll die!’
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark only aimed the bullets towards the ceiling! However the ceiling was thicker than expected. He had been saving one gun just for this.
“Launch!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The pillar of blue light was shot again! It hit the same place on the ceiling that the Silver Star was going to crash into! At the same time, there was a loud sound before the Silver Star popped out. They were surrounded by iron mold powder as the night sky unfolded before him.
“S-success! We finally emerged!”
Ark cried out as he looked up at the sky. The Silver Star flew for several hundred metres before the iron mold cave collapsed.
-Your level has risen.
-Your level has risen……
Space 6
To Istana!
Hwiiiii-!
There was an intense wind blowing. Yellow sand caught by the wind covered the square. Then the people gathered at the square started complaining.
“Damn, the sector isn’t shielded so the intense wind is difficult to deal with.”
“You should clean your equipment. Having sand caught in the gun could cause problems.”
“Sheesh, I know that much already. I’ll check it before we go hunting.”
“Shhh, it’s beginning soon.”
A person nearby said in a low voice. The people chatting quickly shut their mouths. In the centre of the square where 100 people were gathered was ‘him.’ He was a blond man wearing an old, furred cloak over faded leather armour! The user nicknamed Rapid.
‘Damn, why is it like this……?’
A frustrated sigh emerged from Rapid’s mouth. Despite being killed, he had received amnesty after the federation’s victory and returned to Istana. And he finally arrived here after a journey that lasted several days.
-Sector S-20 Administration
Manager: Ark
Sector S-20! This was where Ark was located. His emotions soared as he saw the name Ark. He went through many trials to come here! When he thought about it, he made quite a number of mistakes on the way here. But now it was the end. He finally reached the place where Ark was!
…..That’s what he thought.
“Did you come to see Hyung-nim?”
It was an alien called Hegel who greeted him.
“I don’t know why you’re searching for Hyung-nim but he isn’t here right now.”
“What?”
“Yes, he left just a while ago.”
“A little while ago? Where did he go? Where?”
Hegel puffed up at Rapid’s question.
“I’m not sure I should say this……well, I don’t know actually……a federation officer came to visit and he flew back to Tatuine. We assumed that he needed Hyung-nim’s help. Huhuhu, the administrator of this sector is someone like that. He is the one who received the title of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero. I’m the younger brother of someone like that.”
Rapid felt like he was hit in the head with a hammer. He had left Tatuine as soon as he returned to meet Ark here. Yet Ark was now heading towards Tatuine. He left 30 minutes before Rapid arrived.
‘Then the airship with the mark of the federation…..’
Ark must’ve been riding the airship he saw just before arriving at S-20.
‘What is this? Are you playing with me now?’
He thought angrily.
“Then when is he coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
He might not even return. Rapid was worried about that part. Should he go to Tatuine or wait for Ark in S-20. But his worries didn’t last long. He was impatient after Ark was sent to Beltana and eventually committed a crime.
‘I won’t repeat the same mistakes.’
Rapid made up his mind. This time he would wait for Ark in S-20. Since then Rapid sat in front of the signpost erected at S-20’s management centre. Rapid didn’t dare go to the hunting ground in case Ark returned. He also reduced his sleeping hours and didn’t leave the capsule.
“What? That guy?” Why is he just sitting there?”
“He’s waiting for Hyung-nim.”
“Ark? When is Ark coming back?”
“I don’t know. Therefore he is just waiting over there.”
“That guy is just staring. He should go around to the hunting ground until Hyung-nim returns.”
“I said that too but he refused. He seems really eager to meet Hyung-nim.”
“That is a bit intense. Why on earth does he want to meet Hyung-nim so badly?”
“He didn’t explain it properly. He says that he doesn’t really know.”
“He doesn’t know? Is he stupid?”
Mellin muttered with a silly expression. Then Hegel approached and whispered.
“By the way. Before that pioneer was talking in his sleep. He kept on muttering Hyung-nim’s name and fate.”
“Fate? Don’t tell me…..”
Mellin glanced at Rapid with surprise.
“Is he different? The body is male but inside he is a girl…..something like that. Is he attached to Ark? Yes, that explains it. There is no other reason for a man to wait for a man. That brat, isn’t he being a stalker? Ugh, a stalker! How scary.”
“Hik! T-then what should we do?”
“What else? He hasn’t actually committed a crime. We can’t kick out someone who purchased a lifetime voucher for S-20 for no reason. We just have to leave him for Ark.”
He received the gay treatment! Rapid didn’t move from in front of the office. Thus he managed to unintentionally learn some things after a few days passed. After listening to Hegel and Mellin talking, he discovered that Ark became the administrator of S-20 because of his Hero titles. And he had brought up S-20 to its current state.
‘Ark…..he certainly isn’t ordinary.’
Other people might just dismiss it as luck. There was a time where Rapid also dismissed Ark’s actions as luck. If that luck was repeated several times then it had to be skill. He definitely had something that was different from others. This sector was a good example. S-20 had an amazing level of growth. He used the ‘lifetime free pass’ and used Slayer, Leon and Melina to promote the sector, causing the population to reach 1,500 in a fortnight.
‘When considering the previous Ark, I shouldn’t be surprised at this degree but…..’
Ark also made a few mistakes. The first was that he hastily put S-20 together to gather pioneers. The problem was that the sector wasn’t equipped with some proper systems so the users experienced a lot of problems.
“We had that place first when another party interrupted. Shouldn’t the sector manager arbitrate this? Please firmly establish some rules!”
“Isn’t this too irresponsible?”
“If you operate this way then I’ll rather receive a refund for my lifetime voucher!”
“Look. A few days ago this merchant entered my store and now he is selling the same goods. Did he receive permission as well? Are you telling me to go out of business?”
“Some guys set up a shop in front of the dungeon. I heard that the merchant paid the registration fee and taxes like me. Then I’ll also move the store in front of the dungeon.”
It was natural for there to be conflict when the population suddenly increased. S-20 still hadn’t established a system so the conflicts between users and NPCs started to rise. Ark’s first mistake was not predicting this situation in advance and creating some rules. His second mistake was leaving it after a few days.
“So…..it is……”
“The merchandise and location of the shops hasn’t been formally decided yet……”
“There will be a solution as soon as the administrator returns……”
He had entrusted management to Mellin and Hegel. However these NPCs didn’t have any jobs related to sector management. That’s why they didn’t know how to handle the storm of complaints. They couldn’t resolve the issues so the situation was just exacerbated and the vicious cycle repeated.
‘This has nothing to do with me but……’
Once again, Rapid was born to a very wealthy family. He had study business administrator to inherit his father’s business so he knew the solutions as soon as he heard the problem. He watched Hegel and Mellin before making up his mind. It was irritating.
Noisy! Utter confusion!
The users and NPCs gathered in front of the management office with their complaints. Rapid was sitting in front of the signpost. He was tired from waiting for Ark so he couldn’t stand the noise.
Itchy, restless.
‘Dammit, I can’t leave it like this!’
In the end Rapid failed to stop himself.
“Mellin-nim, Hegel-nim, listen to me for a moment. I want to say something.”
Rapid quickly explained to both of them the solution. He came up with two types of roadblocks to stop the incoming complaints. In order to eliminate conflict between users, he set up the ‘S-20 Dungeon’s Ten Temporary Rules.’ He also established the ‘S-20’s Ten Temporary Commerce Rules’ in order to address the complaints of the merchants and limited the store location area.
“Ohh! Indeed!”
“This will reduce a lot of the complaints!”
Mellin and Hegel said with admiration at Rapid’s proposal. It was natural. Rapid had gained practical experience from his father’s business. He established rules without a single crack in them! The complaints instantly declined once Mellin and Hegel implemented the rules.
‘Now I can sleep better.’
However the real sleepless hours started from then on. The population that had stalled for a while started to increase again and new problems occurred. In addition, more complex issues with the surrounding sectors started to pop up once the population increased. Every time Mellin and Hegel came to Rapid with the problem.
“Hey, what are your thoughts on this issue?”
“What would you do if several pioneers are dissatisfied with the rules?”
‘Dammit, I should’ve just left it alone……’
But he had already started. He couldn’t fake ignorance anymore. In the end Rapid settled into the office and handled the issues. Thus far it was okay.
“Hey, is there someone called Ark here?”
A pioneer came to S-20 a few days ago.
“Hasn’t that Ark been farting a lot of nonsense lately? He might be a war hero but I’m here to inform him that there are other skies above him. Bring me Ark immediately. I want to apply for a duel!”
“Hyung-nim isn’t here right now.”
“Ha, stop playing around. Is he hiding? He needs to prove his bragging. Bring him out within 3 minutes. I have 100 subordinates. How about it? Do you want me to call all of my subordinates? Eh? Either he comes out or I’ll burn him out.”
The bearded man threatened. There were always people like this in games. They had the mind of a kid and wanted to prove they were the best just because they had a high level. Rapid had also been annoyed by guys like this in the previous game. There were an endless number of these people. Rapid ignored him. However…..
“Kikikiki. Why, are you scared? Is the administrator so frightened that he has to hind behind his henchmen? Ark…..it is the same name as that guy in New World. The so-called most powerful user. Don’t make me laugh. That was only possible because I wasn’t playing the game. If I was there then he would have no chance. I saw Ark on the broadcast and he looked completely stupid. The administrator here is imitating the name Ark so I know what standard he is.”
Ppajik.
The veins on Rapid’s forehead throbbed.
“You said you wanted to have a duel with Ark?”
“Then? What? Are you going to be my opponent instead of Ark?”
“That is possible. No, you are correct.”
“Kikiki, did you snap because I insulted your leader? Okay. I’ll take care of his follower while waiting for Ark. The duel application is received.”
-A duel has started!
<A duel is a battle system where pioneers can legitimately resolve their dispute. When both sides agree to a duel, the person who kills the other won’t become chaotic.
The person who died won’t lose experience and can immediately resurrect at the Fairy. However the normal costs of resurrection still applies>
‘It turned out like this.’
Rapid sighed as he looked at the information window. Then the bearded man laughed and pulled out a machine gun.
“Kukukuku. Why, are you scared to duel? But it is too late. Regret it after I cut off your head. Now I’ll give you time to take out your weapon.”
“This is my weapon.”
Rapid indicated to a pistol hanging on his waist. Then bearded man gave him an astounded look and said.
“Hey, are you kidding? Can’t you see this? You live in this sector so you might not know but this is a limited edition M-620 assault rifle created by Hell Lion. The warhead has a special ceramic coating to increase the penetration power and it fires 20 shots a minute. Do you understand? The moment I pull the trigger you will disappear without a trace……”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
-Headshot-III x3!
<You have inflicted a serious blow and the enemy will receive additional 200% damage>
The bearded man dropped the M-620 that he was so proud of. It should’ve ended there!
“This bastard! A surprise attack? Again! Bring it on! This time the M-620……”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
“L-last time was a mistake. I got distracted. Again! Again! This time……”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
“No! I just suddenly got a cramp in my fingers! Hey, you! Now? This bastard! Why aren’t you waking up? Get up and accept my duel application! I’ll show you my skills! The M-620 has also been strengthened!”
The bearded man kept on yelling. If someone died in a duel then they could resurrect straight away without any experience loss. From then on, the bearded man would run to S-20 as soon as he resurrected at the Fairy of another sector and apply for a duel. Of course he had to pay the cost of resurrection but he had the finest air bike so he wasn’t a user who cared about money. Anyway, Rapid was in a disastrous position.
‘I haven’t slept properly for a few days and now I have to keep on fighting this asshole……’
He really wanted to kill him! However he committed a crime and had just been freed. And now he was at Ark’s sector so he couldn’t commit a crime. So far he had fought the bearded man 13 times! Now the duel between Rapid and the bearded man was very famous throughout S-20. Spectators would flock every time the bearded man applied for a duel.
“Huhuhu, this time it will be different. Last time I couldn’t aim because of the sudden dust that entered my eye due to the wind. But this time……”
“It came! This time!”
The bearded man muttered ‘this time’ in every duel so it became like a mantra to him. However this wasn’t what the spectators were waiting for.
“Take this! The M-620 that launches 20 bullets in 1 minute!”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The bearded man lifted his machine gun and 3 shots were fired. But the bearded man’s head was the one with holes in them. Not one of them missed. 3 bullets hit the same place with an error of 1 mm. One hole for all the hits! It was the sign of a master marksman. But the remarkable thing was that he fired it at a tremendous rate!
“D-did you see?”
“No, I didn’t see it this time.”
“You didn’t see the movement of him pulling out the gun?”
“Besides, there is no sign of many holes on the bearded man. Does that mean they all hit the same place?”
“It’s no joke. Is he from the national shooting team?”
This was the reason for the spectators. Rapid had been growing his rapid fire and hit rate since starting Galaxian! Now he was near the level of a superhuman. Once the number of duels went over 10, users started to visit just to watch the duels. But none of them directly approached Rapid. The reason why……
“Wow! This time was also very nice! Hyung-nim is great!”
Hegel ran over after the duel.
“It isn’t great. I just…..”
Rapid stumbled as he turned towards Hegel. He handled increasingly more complaints and he had to duel the bearded man 1~2 every day. The number of hours he was sleeping reduced so he felt dizzy whenever the tension was released. Then Hegel quickly backed away with surprise.
“I’m sorry. I’m not interested in something like this!”
“What…..”
Rapid tilted his head with confusion.
“Did you see? Did you see? That alien backed away from him in panic?”
“The rumours were true. Did you see it?”
“There is a reason he is waiting for the administrator while barely sleeping. Ya, this is scary. Then it doesn’t matter to him if they are men or aliens?”
“Hey hey, don’t make eye contact. He might imprint on you when he is tired.”
The spectators gossiped and scattered as they avoided Rapid’s attention. Rapid had ears so he also heard such talk. However the rumours would just multiply if he denied it so he pretended ignorance. Anyway…..Rapid sighed as he stared after them.
‘Ark, where are you and what are you doing?’
————————————————————
“I don’t know where this is.”
Susak susak, susak susak.
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Susak susak, susak susak.
Ark mechanically looked around. It was an endless dark space with countless stars scattered around.
“This game is set with the backdrop of space pioneering…..”
This was the first time he truly realized that setting. He had started Galaxian for more than 5 months. In the meantime he had spent time on the space station R-14, the federation’s main planet Istana, the frozen planet of Beltana and Amara. He had toured quite a few planets. However he had used the Star Gate to move and the ship had instantly warped to Amara’s port. Moving on a ship that used warp didn’t make him feel like he was travelling the universe. But now he felt like the galaxy was in fact the main stage. It was natural. Right now Ark was in the middle of space! He had spent 4 days watching the universe!
“Damn, I thought it would be okay once I escaped from Amara……”
Certainly!
This trip gave Ark more than he expected.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 107
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 8,520 Adventure 1,720
Health 2,700 (+90) Mental Power 50 (+340)
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 270 (+38) Agility 335 (+41)
Stamina 425 (+18) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 260 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 11,850, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
The first was experience. He had been level 99 when he checked in the Abyss of Despair. He had already gained 5 levels from killing the Nakuma in the dungeon. Then he defeated the huge Nakuma and gained 5 levels in one go! But it didn’t stop there.
“100% experience is applied so I should gain 5 more.”
Ark gained new information through this experience. When he killed using the weapons loaded on the airship, he only got 5~10% of the experience! When thinking about it, it was natural. Someone firing the gun at dozens of enemies wouldn’t get the same experience as a warrior killing the opponent directly. If they received the same experience then the engineers who moved the Gigantic would be hundreds of levels already. The reason was the penalty applied to experience. However, 5~10% of the total number of enemies wasn’t a joke. He had killed all the Nakuma in the Abyss of Despair when it caved in. Therefore he gained 3 levels in just 30 minutes! In a day he had gone from level 99 to 107.
-The <Lost Parts (Selection Quest)> has failed.
This message appeared when the cave collapsed. But Ark had no more interest in that airship. He had gained the Murat’s battleship that had been sleeping for hundreds of years in the Abyss of despair, the Silver Star! Unlike the airship that had become junk, this one had RPGs as well as two turrets attached to the wings. He didn’t care about one quest!
“The Silver Star! Break through the atmosphere!”
Roaaaaar!
The Silver Star rose vertically as it escaped from the Abyss of Despair. It soared through the atmosphere and entered space in a matter of minutes.
……It lasted up to there.
“You can’t warp?”
“That’s not it, rather……”
Tori scratched his head.
“This engine has been enclosed in iron mold for hundreds of years. The inside has partially eroded and there are some major areas that don’t work properly. Some parts of the engine need repair.”
“So? Can you fix it?”
“It is possible with the emergency repair kit but the problem is that it will take some time.”
“How long will it take?”
“I think it should take at least one week.”
Tori hesitated before replying. He thought he had escaped from Amara and now he had to wait a week so it was frustrating. He had left a lot of work behind in S-20. He left Mellin and Hegel in charge but they weren’t professional NPCs so he couldn’t help worrying. But what could he do? He needed the Silver Star’s warp feature to return to Istana. Even if there was another way, he wouldn’t give up the Silver Star just for a faster trip.
‘This is the ship that I obtained for free.’
That was Ark’s main thought.
“It can’t be helped. Then do it meticulously. Should I do anything to help?”
“You can help.”
Tori replied like he had been waiting for the question.
“Actually, the more serious problem is the exterior of the ship. The iron mold is attached to external devices like the antenna and particle accelerator so it won’t work properly. I will repair the internal parts while Hyung-nim will remove the iron mold from the outer hull.”
“Outside? In space?”
“Hyung-nim just got this ship and now you can experience space personally.”
“Indeed.”
Ark accepted Tori’s suggestion. Of course, humans couldn’t enter the universe even with the body coating. There was no atmosphere or air in space. The temperature also decreased the further it was from a sun so outside was -270 degrees or absolute zero point. Therefore even pioneers who received a body coating needed to wear space suits!
-External Work Space Suit (Special)
Item Type: Special Overalls for Space
Sometimes problems will occur on a ship where working outside is required so a space suit should be worn. This space suit is made of a special synthetic fibre that forms a shield around the body to protect it from air pressure and temperature changes. It is also equipped with a small jet to allow you to deal with emergency situations. But in order to prevent space sickness, it’s recommended to work for 30 minutes and rest for 1 hour.
<Jet fuel: 100/100>
There were several space suits in the cabin of the Silver Star. But it wasn’t a large space suit like in the movies. The pioneers in this era all received body coatings so they didn’t need the huge space suit like previous generations. It felt like dressing in plastic clothes.
“Hah, isn’t this exciting?”
This was the first time Ark appreciated the universe. He felt a sense of weightlessness that he never encountered anywhere else. Stars continuously appeared around his arms and legs as he floated around. It literally felt like he was floating in the universe! However he didn’t come out here to play.
“This feeling is fun but it is actually hard to move.”
Ark muttered as he set one foot on the hull of the Silver Star. The weightlessness made it hard for him to move his legs. But Ark quickly solved the problem.
“Walking in space is like walking on earth when my balance is disturbed. Then it wasn’t necessary to keep his foot on the hull. I just need to distribute my weight.”
Ark already knew a method of walking like this. It was the Swamp Walking he learnt from the Charenjok!
Susususuk, susususuk.
As expected, his centre didn’t become unbalanced once he used Swamp Walking. It could be used on swamp, snow and now in space! The skill could be used in quite a few places. After a few hours, Ark got used to the movement and started cleaning in earnest.
“There really is a lot stuck on here.”
The ship had been closed in iron mold for hundreds of years. There were small and large chunks of iron mold attached to the hull. It might look like a daunting task for one week but…..Ark was an expert in this area.
“Now shall I get started? Facilities Maintenance!”
It was Facilities Maintenance that he learnt cleaning the pipes in R-14! The name was Facilities Maintenance but it involved scrubbing and cleaning skills. It was also Lv. 2! Ark took out a dust cloth and triggered the Lv. 2 Facilities Maintenance skill.
Susak susak, susak susak. Flash!
Light gleamed from the hull as iron mold was cleaned off it. It was like washing a new car. Once the iron mold was cleaned off, the ship became increasingly silver like its name.
“Yes, isn’t this more worthy of being my spacecraft?”
He had a lot left to do. But it wasn’t like there were no valuable parts. The Silver Star was already Ark’s. Ark took a rest for 1 hour after every 30 minutes. During that time he explored the Silver Star. The Silver Star was a 100 metres large battleship with the bridge, cockpit, engine room and 10 different rooms. However Ark could only check three places.
-Cabin-
A place where soldiers can take a rest.
If you relax in here than your health will recover 4 times faster. And if you rest for 6 hours then it is possible to get a buff effect. In addition, if you log out of the cabin then you can get a buff effect when you connect again.
<Function: Buff effect after resting>
-Warehouse-
This can hold a variety of weapons, ammo, supplies and loot obtained from space exploration.
<Function: Can contain cargo up to 150 tonnes>
-Infirmary-
A place to treat unexpected accidents or sailors injured in battle.
The universe contains numerous risks. Threats of an enemy or unknown diseases are some of those risks. The infirmary is necessary to cope with such problems. There is an x1.5 bonus when using recovery ampoules in here. You can also use the medical devices to figure out the cause and cure of unknown diseases.
<Function: Figure out the cause of a disease and develop cures>
Ark had confirmed these 3 rooms. 4 out of the remaining 7 were empty and the door for 3 wouldn’t open.
“I’m not sure why it is like this.”
Tori replied. However Ark could guess the reason. The reason why Ark hadn’t bought a ship wasn’t because of a lack of interest. There were many reasons but the largest one was money! As always, the problem was funding. A small ship usually cost 10,000 gold! Until recently Ark had been busy raising the agent registration fee. In fact, most of the current ships belonged to guilds who gathered their funds together. But Ark had been thinking about buying a ship one day. So he spent some time looking at ships and found that there were some facilities that couldn’t be used when the owner’s level was low.
‘Those are probably the rooms that won’t open.’
Of course this was just Ark’s guess. He had no intention of forcibly opening it. It might cause problems when there were already issues with the Silver Star. He had to be careful right now. He could try to force it open once he had safely returned to Istana. Anyway!
Ark found beneficial ways to spend his time. But that all changed once he spend 96 hours in space. At first he thought space was wonderful but now he felt motion sickness. Even more…..
Susak susak, susak susak.
Ark had spent 4 days cleaning. Work for 30 minutes, 1 hour break, 30 minutes working, 1 hour break……the work was boring now that he repeated it so many times. The problem was that he still had 3 days left to wait.
“I’d rather be doing something else, anything is good.”
It was right then.
Syuuuuuuu!
Suddenly he heard the sound of the wind in his ears. Complete silence. Normally the universe was completely silent. So Ark thought aloud in order to make noise. It really felt like he had lost his spirit while cleaning the iron mold. Then why was there suddenly a wind sound?
“Am I really hearing this?”
Ark looked around with a bewildered expression.
Tong-!
Something invisible hit Ark. The impact felt like a truck had crushed into him. Ark bounced back 100 metres before stopping. It was thanks to the wire attaching him to the Silver Star. But Ark couldn’t move one finger. An immense power kept on hitting Ark.
“Ugh, Tori! Tori! What is this? Answer me!”
-Hyung-nim, are you alright?
“Damn, do you think I’m okay? What is this?”
–It is probably the freezing cosmic wind.
“Cosmic wind?”
–Yes, there are times when an electromagnetic storm will rage in space. But don’t worry, it will sweep past. You’re attached to the wire so you just need to wait until the storm passes.
‘Damn, this guy’s mouth……’
He hadn’t experienced even 1 minute in this storm! There was a saying to be careful in space. Luckily the wire was attached or else he would be lost in space. But just before he sighed with relief.
Piping!
There was the sound of wire being released from its hole.
“U-unbelievable! T-the wire…..”
At the same time, Ark started to drift away from the Silver Star. He rotated uncontrollably like a broken kite as he was battered by the storm. This occurred for a bit before the storm vanished as suddenly as it appeared. However Ark was still rotating and drifting away.
Struggle, struggle.
The Silver Star was receding further into the distance. Ark sighed with relief. Fortunately he could still see the Silver Star. It was incredible far away but it wouldn’t be a problem if he turned in the right direction and used the space suit’s jet. Ark activated the jet device.
-There isn’t enough energy to operate the jet device!
“Dammit, there really are various problems.”
Ark muttered with an annoyed expression. Things always became twisted for him. But Ark still didn’t worry about it.
“Tori, reply. Tori, hey! What are you doing?”
That was when Ark became serious.
“Why aren’t you replying? Perhaps communication doesn’t work when I’m this far? This is serious. If Tori doesn’t know my position…..no! What will happen to the Silver Star if I die? Absolutely not! I can’t die in space. I need to find a way to return to the Silver Star!”
No matter how he struggled, he just ended up rotating in place. Then something popped into Ark’s head.
‘Yes, there is that!’
“Armour armament!”
Ark immediately pulled out his battle suit. He turned his body towards the Silver Star and shouted.
“Hyper Booster!”
It was the newly acquired skill that he received when his battle suit evolved! Jets appeared on the heels of his feet. Flames spewed out and Ark’s body shot forward like a projectile. It was an accelerating skill that allowed him to move 100 metres at 200 km/hr. In space there was no air resistance so he flew a few kilometres with just one use.
“Hyper Booster! Hyper Booster!”
Ark used the skill 10 times and managed to return to the Silver Star. And he grabbed the handle of the outside door.
-A new skill (☆) has been learnt.
Spacewalk (User, Active): Space is a completely different world from the planets you’ve experienced up to now. Strength and agility is important on planets but in space you need spatial perception and parallel abilities. This skill gives you the ability to take advantage of your power in space. Any outstanding warrior who doesn’t understand the nature of space won’t be able to exert any strength. A true pioneer needs to learn Spacewalk.
<Penalties applied to the body in space is reduced by 20%>
A skill appeared out of nowhere! However Ark couldn’t afford to look at the information window. His heart was still racing from the experience of being in space without any equipment. Fortunately he used the booster to come back but recalling the situation caused him to breathe faster with panic. He entered the Silver Star and sat down for a bit to alleviate that fear.
“Phew, that was like having acrophobia. If I couldn’t return then I might’ve become frightened of space.”
Ark wiped the sweat off his chest and head.
“Hihihihi, I’m finally free!”
He heard Tori’s laughter.
“Hihihi, I did well to spend some time here. That Ark bastard. How long did you think I would be your slave? You might’ve forgotten but I’m a hamster who explored the universe before. That cosmic wind really had great timing. I disconnected the wire and removed the fuel for the jet device and now Ark is lost in space! Hihihihi, I don’t feel bad. This is his fault for annoying me. And he is a pioneer so dying isn’t a big deal.”
All his questions were answered in that moment. Why it took a week to repair the Silver Star, why the wire broke during the cosmic wind and why he couldn’t get a response from Tori.
“Tori, it’s me. Over.”
Ark changed the Nymphe to communication mode and said. Ark’s voice flowed from Tori’s Nymphe who giggled. He just whistled and laughed like he had no interest.
“Hihihihi, what a stupid guy. He still doesn’t understand the situation? It is no use calling me. Stop making noise and just die.”
–Are you still now answering me?
“Ha! He’s still trying to threaten me? With just words? Go to hell.”
-Let’s see, who will be the one who goes to hell?
“Eh? What? Is my Nymphe in transmission mode? How did he hear me?”
–Turn around and you’ll understand.
“What?”
Tori frowned and turned his head.And…..blood drained from his face as he stiffened.
–Now answer me. What should I do to you?
Ark spoke into his Nymphe from behind Tori.
————————————————————
“Now, let’s clean this up.”
Ark tinkered with his Nymphe and said.
“You will always obey me. Follow without me giving you a command. And execute my orders without any complaints. This isn’t by force but through the request of the applicant Tori. Is that right?”
Nod nod.
“What? You don’t agree with me words?”
Tori frantically spoke after seeing Ark’s frown.
“Ah, no. I agree with everything!”
“Was that so hard to say?”
“No.”
Tori robotically answered. Tori had used the cosmic wind to abandon Ark. That cunning fellow planned a coup and this was the price Tori received. Merciless violence for 5 hours! XX, OO, even △△……the violence was so dreadful it couldn’t be expressed in words and had to be covered by a mosaic.
‘I’m still not satisfied!’
Ark didn’t stop there. He had almost become lost in space and died. Furthermore, that guy had been planning to seize the Silver Star over the last few days. He didn’t know what that hamster would do in the future. Even beating him for 4 days and 3 nights would be insufficient. Because after that Tori had the excuse of distance. Tori still hadn’t completed his prison sentence on Stael. He would inevitably become a prisoner again if he returned to Istana with Ark. That’s why he tried to betray Ark.
……That was Tori’s explanation.
His explaining was to lessen the punishment but Ark found the reason convincing. Therefore he significantly cut the punishment to only 5 hours. Of course there were some conditions.
“I didn’t think of that problem. But you gave intelligence to Irina so you won’t be treated as a runaway. Well, that was the Katz’ trap. Irina-nim should explain the situation. Hopefully you might receive a probation. I’ll also use my connections to help. But you conspired to kill me and steal the Silver Star.”
“That….I…..please forgive me.”
“Okay. I’ll forget about the past few days. But you have two options. Either spend 10 years paying for your sins by obeying all my commands. Or pay for all your sins right now. The punishment for your sins…..I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
Tori wasn’t worried. Because he didn’t need to imagine it.
“The first one! The first! I will listen to you!”
That was how they formed a contract.
It was recorded on the Nymphe that Tori voluntarily (?) formed a contract. Now the Silver Star just needed to be repaired so they could return to Istana.
“Tori, how much longer is needed for repairs?”
“12 hours…..”
“Make it 8 hours. Finish repairing it before then.”
“B-but…..”
“I will finish cleaning the external hull in 7~8 hours. If you can’t finish the repairs by then, it might be better to throw yourself out into space. Do you understand?”
Tori didn’t need to think about it. His mosaic body jumped up and ran to the engine room. When Ark finished cleaning in 8 hours, Tori were waiting for him.
“The repairs are finished!”
As expected, his work ethic changed once Ark used a different method. Ark took the captain seat on the bridge and gave the order.
“Okay. Start the Silver Star’s navigation device, the target is Istana. Depart!”
“Yes!”
Tori sat down in the cockpit and busily started using the dashboard. He finally pressed a red button and the Silver Star changed into a flash of light. Towards the centre of the galactic federation, Istana!
Space 7
Pioneer Quest
Kwajijiji! Kwajijiji!
Sparks occurred in outer space. The sparks started swirling and formed a ring. The space rippled and a spaceship emerged from the centre. The spaceship with a gleaming silver body was the Silver Star.
“Istana……”
Ark looked out the window at the giant planet below him. The planet was a mixture of green, brown and blue and it was humanity’s second home. It had been 24 hours since he warped from the Harmadon constellation. The Silver Star carried Ark and Tori thousands of light years and finally arrived at Istana.
‘That warp voyage wasn’t so bad.’
He had originally thought of warp travel like a Star Gate. However warp travel on a spaceship wasn’t so comfortable. Warp travel artificially created a wormhole to another dimension where the ship would travel faster. Unlike transport ships that had regular routes, it could be dangerous for a private ship to use warp. The wormhole could travel through the wrong place, the hull could be severely damaged by an electromagnetic cloud or in rare cases there might be monsters wandering. But this trip was relatively smooth.
“Hyung-nim, we’ve arrived!”
It was thanks to the hamster who was an experienced sailor. Although Tori did spend a lot of the warp travel in the infirmary treating his wounds.
“Okay. Then let’s go to Tatuine.”
“Huh? No, that……”
While Tori was hesitating.
Kwaaaaah! Kwaaaaah!
There was a succession of light exploding around the Silver Star and three spaceships appeared. They were smaller than the Silver Star with the logo of the federation on them.
-Communication is being received on the public channel.
Then an information window appeared. He connected the communication and someone in uniform appeared on the monitor.
-Who is the Captain?
“It’s me.”
–I am Ensign Bonan, leader of Istana’s 3rd orbital garrison. Verification has determined that the UFO is not registered with the galactic federation. Therefore I am here to inform you that you are trespassing on the airspace of the galactic federation. Leave Istana’s airspace immediately. If you want to enter then the ship and crew must be examined by the soldiers at garrison headquarters.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
Tori said in a tearful tone.
Ark was a little panicked at the unexpected situation. If he bought the ship through the normal route then it would be registered immediately to the federation and he could freely access Istana. However the Silver Star had been picked up on the frontier. Therefore it was treated as an unidentified flying object (UFO). Ark hadn’t thought about this. Tori was also a criminal in the federation. If they were investigated at the garrison headquarters then problems might occur.
‘But……’
He had one method. He hadn’t expected the garrison to appear but it wasn’t an impossible situation.
“I want to ask you something.”
–Please say it.
“I would like to get in touch with the federation government in Tatuine.”
–Do you know someone in the central government?
“Yes, please contact Lieutenant Colonel Buldio who is the chief of the 1st Internal Affairs Division. And…..please contact the special advisor Marquis Martin as well.”
–Colonel Buldio? Marquis Martin?
Bonan stuttered with wide eyes. It was a natural reaction. The Internal Affairs department had significant influence in the government. And Marquis Martin was a special advisor on military matters so he had a powerful influence on the military. Ark had spoken names that were both heavyweights in the government and military! But Bonan was even more astonished by Ark’s next words.
“Give this message to both of them. Ark has returned.”
————————————————————————————-
-Pathetic.
In an ancient shrine like building. Dozens of people dressed in robes were kneeling down in a spacious hall. Their heads were pointed towards the central dais. A black shape was swaying on the dais. Then the robed people heard a voice in their heads.
–I worked hard on this plan for the past 10 years. 4 gates were prepared in order to bring the presence of the Great God into this star system. But 1 was destroyed while the other 3 haven’t completed their mission.
“We’re ashamed of ourselves.”
–Ashamed…..
The black shape quickly expanded.
–Do you think you will be forgiven with those words?
The voice exploded through their heads. The robed people grabbed their heads with moans and stuttered.
“P-please forgive us!”
“We’ll do whatever it takes to recoup from these mistakes!”
“We will prepare the gate again!”
–Fools, if the gate could be made so easily then I wouldn’t have spent 10 years doing it! We can’t wait another 10 years while the Great God has been waning for hundreds of years. There is no guarantee he will have the force to enter the star system if he weakens further. And I’m also too weak to wait.
“T-then what do we do now?”
–We have no choice but to accelerate the timing.
“Accelerate?”
–We will break down the balance of the force with our own hands.
“That is our long cherished dream. But we haven’t discovered the origin of the Force despite dozens of years of effort.”
–That is until now. But I managed to detect a weak force that had been activated with my holy senses. From now on we will launch an investigation into that constellation. But before we do this.
“What is it?”
–The ones who destroyed the gate. If we leave them alone then there is potential to repeat the same mistake. We won’t get 3 chances. If we fail another time then my body will have reached its limit and scattered to pieces. So we have to eliminate the annoying existences before we advance with our plan. Fenrir!
“Please give me a command, Grand Duke!”
The Grand Duke stood up. Then another 4 black shapes emerged in front of him.
–These are my subordinates. They are the survivors of the destroyed gate. I’ll give them to help you find those who are hindering us. And……kill them! If they are pioneers then rip out their soul! Shatter the soul and scatter it! That is your only purpose from now on.
“I will carry out your order!”
The man replied while on his knees. Then everyone else in the room started kowtowing and chanting in unison.
“The Great God willing!”
————————————————————————————-
“Cheeky fellow.”
A middle aged man said with an amazed expression.
“A mere pioneer dares to call the nobles of the galactic federation.”
“It can’t be helped. I have a good reason for calling Marquis-nim.”
“From what I recall you looked fine.”
“Then why didn’t you refuse my request?”
“That……”
The middle aged man murmured before laughing.
“Well it’s already turned out like this. I was getting annoyed by the parrot like voices of the councillors. It isn’t a bad idea to mingle with you for a bit. A politician who hangs out with a hero will have their stock price rise.”
The middle aged man was Marquis Martin. And the young man he was looking at was Ark.
“Aren’t you exaggerating this a bit?”
“Not at all. Right now your name is more well know than mine about the federation soldiers. You are the most popular star among the soldiers right now. Look, don’t you see the soldiers scattered everywhere trying to get a glimpse of you?”
In fact, Ark had no idea it would be to this degree. After receiving the title of Beltana’s Hero, he had been dragged around Istana for a promotional tour right away. And he had no chance to meet the soldiers of the federation after the Athamas battle ended. So he hadn’t realized it but his popularity among the federation army was beyond his imagination. He realized this popularity after he entered the headquarters on Istana.
“I’m Ensign Bona from the communication. Welcome!”
An officer came running up after the ships had escorted the Silver Star. He saluted before saying.
“Ark-nim’s reputation is well known. I apologize for my rude behaviour. I am honoured that you will visit the 12th orbit garrison. As you requested, I’ve passed on the message to Colonel Buldio-nim and Marquis Martin-nim. Please tell me if you feel an inconvenience while waiting. I will immediately take corrective measures!”
A UFO had suddenly appeared in orbit around Istana. If he was any other pioneer than the investigation at headquarters would be conducted with a heavy-handed attitude. But they rolled out the VIP treatment for Ark. It was the same with the other soldiers.
“It’s an honour to meet you!”
“I’m sorry but can I shake your hand?”
“If you sign the collar of my uniform then it will become an heirloom!”
Soldiers swarmed like a flock of bees around the Silver Star.
“Please sign this for me? My daughter is a big fan.”
Even the grey-haired director of the garrison asked him to sign something! Ark was a user who wasn’t even part of the top 50 rankings that the game exclusive news published. But that’s because they were focused on the federation, Aschulat and Rama users at the frontier and gathered statistics from the entire galaxy. So Ark and the Red Slaughterer weren’t included in the rankings. But if it was narrowed down to the galactic federation, especially the military then it was impossible for other users to surpass Ark’s fame.
Therefore there was a commotion when Marquis Martin arrived. And soldiers were still hanging around the place waiting for a chance to ask him to sign. Marquis Martin looked around at the soldiers and smiled.
“How great.”
“Why does that sound vaguely sarcastic?”
“No, I’m being serious. You are someone who amazes me every time.”
Marquis Martin stared at the Silver Star that had been placed in a hangar.
“This is the UFO you came aboard. It seems to be a 3rd class ship…..it is the first time I’ve seen one in a long time. You found it on Amara?”
“Yes.”
Ark nodded and Marquis Martin burst out laughing.
“The person I though was dead appeared riding a UFO that turns out to be a 3rd class battleship that he just picked up. I’m not even surprised. No, is the ship the only thing you picked up? What about that guy?”
Marquis Martin looked behind Ark. The hamster rolled his eyes with an anxious look.
“Did you say his name was Tori?”
“Yes, so the problem I mentioned?”
“It’s not something I can decide by myself.”
Syuuuuuuu!
Then 1 ship came flying into the hangar. Marquis Martin smiled as he saw the mark of the galactic federation on the wings.
“Here they come.”
Two people got off the ship. One was Buldio who gave him the <Rescue the Pursuers> question and behind him was Irina.
‘She came back unharmed.’
The last time he saw Irina was when they were escaping from the mine. At the time Irina’s airship had been hit by gunfire and was spouting smoke. He had been worried because it looked dangerous but she came back unharmed. Once again, the Fairy’s resurrection time depended on the user’s level and the distance of the place of death to the registered Fairy. Therefore it took time to determine if a pioneer had died or not from the Fairy.
If it was the same planet then it would take several hours at most. However, if the registered place was Istana and they died on the Harmadon constellation that was thousands of light years away then the situation was serious. It could be a week before the Fairy received information about the dead. Depending on the level, it could even take 10 days. That’s why it was hard to find users who reached level 200 despite Galaxian being open for over 4 months. The death penalty in Galaxian was no joke.
Anyway, it took Ark 8 days to return to Istana. The fact that she was here before Ark meant that she escaped unharmed from Amara. While Ark was busy thinking.
“Cough cough.”
There was the sound of coughing. Buldio laughed at him as he turned around.
“Why are you staring a hole through the face of my subordinate?”
“Huh? No……”
“I understand your heart but let’s focus on the agenda.”
Buldio teased as he looked between Ark and Irina. Ark was blushing but Irina’s face hadn’t changed at all.
“Ark-nim, I’m thankful for what you’ve done. I heard about Ark-nim’s achievements through Ensign Irina. Fortunately the group managed to return safely a week ago.”
“Ah, yes…..”
“The only question left is that friend’s treatment.”
Buldio looked at the frightened Tori.
“When I checked, it turns out that he is your accomplice in the event that sent you to Beltana and our friend here to 2 years in Stael. Right now his status is as an escaped prisoner.”
“But……”
“I already know. He wasn’t the main one behind the breakout. And he tried to help Ensign Irina capture the criminals. That could certainly be called extenuating circumstances. However he still has 70% of his sentence left so a probation is difficult. But it might be possible if we use another method.”
“Another method?”
“Other than Tori, the Katz that escaped haven’t been arrested. We lost track of them on Amara. So we will postpone Tori’s imprisonment in order to keep him as a source of information. And if they get caught then he will be eligible for a probation. Only!”
Buldio stopped and glanced at Irina.
“Ensign Irina is in charge of arresting the escaped prisoners.”
Then Buldio looked back at Ark. In other words, Buldio mean to use this shortcut. And the person holding the hilt was Irina. Marquis Martin and Buldio clearly didn’t expect Irina to refuse. But who was Irina? She was a woman keen on follow the rules! Ark couldn’t imagine that Irina would accept a shortcut like this so easily……
Irina glanced between Ark and Tori before nodding.
“I understand. I will handle it.”
Surprisingly she accepted it quite easily? Ark was confused but Buldio just nodded. Then he turned towards Marquis Martin and asked.
“Marquis Martin-nim?”
“I couldn’t hear anything.”
“Thank you.”
Thanks to Marquis Martin’s polite withdrawal, Buldio managed to solve a complicated problem. Once again, it wasn’t good to make enemies of the NPCs in Galaxian. Buldio then continued with a light voice like this was a routine business.
“Now the only thing left is to pay Ark-nim. The compensation for this mission is 1,000 gold. I couldn’t prepare the cash reward so here are some military scrips. It can be used like cash in the jurisdiction of the galactic federation.”
1,000 gold. It wasn’t cash but it could be used anywhere in the galactic federation! He expected that the quest reward would be high but this was beyond expectations. However Ark couldn’t just receive the scrips. Of course, the reason Ark accepted the quest was because of the reward but it was also because of Irina. He felt uncomfortable receiving the rescue reward in front of her. When Ark hesitated, Buldio smiled and said.
“I know Ark-nim didn’t accept this request for the reward. However it is only fair. Of course you need to receive it for your hard work. And it is coming from my pocket, not Ensign Irina’s. It is part of the government budget. Ark-nim doesn’t have to worry about Ensign Irina’s purse.”
“You should receive it. It will be needed soon.”
Marquis Martin then added.
“Thank you.”
-<Rescue the Pursuers> quest has been completed.
The message flashed when he received the scrip.
“Now my work is done. I’ll take this and go.”
Buldio rose with the paperwork and Irina also got up. Ark was surprised at their sudden actions and also stood up.
“Oh, that…..wait a minute…..”
“Is there something else you need?”
“No, that’s not it…..”
Ark scratched the back of his head and hesitated.
“You go out first. I need to discuss something with this friend.”
“Understood.”
Buldio nodded to Marquis Martin and left the meeting room. Ark’s gaze followed Irina’s departing back and he sighed. Ark had been looking forward to meeting Irina again on Istana. Once again, Ark had an interest in Irina. However Irina wasn’t an easy character to attach to and it was difficult to meet after returning from Beltana. But he met Irina again thanks to this mission. In addition, she went through a crisis and he saved her from death several times. He assumed that their relationship would alter a bit when they met again. And she did accept Buldio’s proposal. Ark wasn’t sure but it might be a sign of regard towards him. But that was it. Irina just left before he could say anything to her.
Ark sat down and asked in a testy voice.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Your attitude changes quickly as soon as the woman left.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It isn’t? Look in the mirror. See what your expression is like right now.”
“Is that all you had to say?”
“Of course not.”
“Then say it.”
“I have two things to speak to you about.”
Marquis Martin laughed and continued.
“So…..the first reason is a request.”
“A request? Don’t tell me you want me to go to the battlefield again?”
Ark’s forehead wrinkled. Marquis Martin rubbed his beard and replied.
“So you still haven’t heard. The war is over. A few days ago I met with the Rama Ambassador and signed an armistice.”
“Huh? So suddenly…..”
“You are related to the reason why.”
Marquis Martin manipulated his Nymphe and it showed a 3D image. The 3D image surprisingly showed a red pentagram. Why did he suddenly sign a truce with the Rama and what did this image have to do with it? And how was Ark involved? Marquis Martin noticed his confused expression and continued.
“Is this the first time you’ve seen it?”
“Yes, what is that?
“Not many people in the federation know this yet. This pattern appeared in an area thousands of kilometres in diameter and three areas in Galaxian changed at the same time. All of them simultaneously released a tremendous amount of negative energy.”
“Negative energy?”
“D-don’t tell me you’re talking about antimatter?”
Tori suddenly raised his head and shouted. Marquis Martin shot Tori a surprised look before nodding.
“So the hamster knows about it. Yes, it is a material with an opposite energy to most of the materials in this star system. Like the hamster said, it is called antimatter. Well I’m not an expert so I can’t explain antimatter in detail but it can be a huge threat to this star system. It was only or a second but that energy occurred throughout the galaxy.”
This was the reason for the sudden armistice. If the galaxy was threatened then the galactic federation, Aschulat and Rama would all be affected. However both sides couldn’t overlook the issues between them. They decided to temporarily stop the war and agreed to figure out information about this event first.
“But how is it related to me?”
“This magic circle…..I don’t want to use that term but I have nothing else to call it. Anyway, the place where the magic circle was created was the Harmadon constellation. Red rays shot up from 5 planets in the constellation and formed the magic circle. How about it? Do you have an idea now?”
“The red light…..”
The memory naturally formed in his head. It was the disc in the mine that shot up the red light!
“You seem to remember. I received the report from Colonel Buldio and learnt about the situation. My guess is that the red light you and Ensign Irina witnessed was one of the ones that formed the magic circle. In other words, you guys are the only one I know who was in range to witness the magic circle being made. Oh and 1 hamster as well.”
Marquis Martin looked directly at Tori after his words ended. It was a look that asked if he knew anything else about the magic circle. But Tori shook his head.
“As expected the galactic federation, Rama and Aschulat are all interested in this phenomenon. I don’t know what the impact will be on the galaxy but I don’t want the Aschulat or Rama to figure out the information first. That’s why I was able to easily accept Buldio’s proposal regarding the hamster.”
“What do you mean?”
“The areas that changed due to the incident are all on the frontier. And the special treaty prohibits the military actions of all 3 forces in that region. Of course we can dispatch secret agents but the military can’t move. Therefore the Rama, Aschulat and federation have decided to mobilize agents. All agents belonging to the galactic federation will be requested to investigate the incident. Naturally that would include your agent Dark Eden.”
An information window popped up at Marquis Martin’s words.
-<Dark Omen (Pioneer Quest)>
You have listened Marquis Martin, a powerful noble of the federation explain about the incident that changed the galaxy. The changed occurred with the appearance of the magic circle that emitted a large amount of negative energy. The federation, Aschulat and Rama have felt the crisis and stop the war in the Bellin constellation to investigate. However, these changes occurred in the space frontier and all three powers are prohibited from interfering there due to the space treaty. That’s why they are mobilizing agents. The first pioneer to discover the facts behind this incident will have their reputation spread throughout the whole galaxy.
* Achievement Rate: 0/100%
Difficulty: A+
Pioneer quest. This was a main quest in Galaxian.
“Like I said, you are one of the few people who witnessed that scene. Ensign Irina is the personally assigned by the galactic federation for the same reason. The federation is an existence separate to the agent but you two can cooperate if the need arises. If the Katz who escaped from Stael are involved in the red light then this will be an extension of the mission to catch them. Therefore we need Tori on the mission even if it is under false pretences.”
This was the reason why Irina accepted the shortcut.
“But I’m now……”
“I know. The administrator of a new sector has a lot of work to do. I’m not telling you to fly back to Harmadon right away. My gut feeling says that this won’t have a simple solution. It is probably something that would require a lot of time. Ensign Irina will need to gather the federation agents so it doesn’t matter if you have a slow start. Because this is a request that can change the entire galaxy. It is more important to determine how to solve the problem rather than moving first.”
“Understood.”
“And……the other reason I wanted to talk to you was to give you a warning.”
Marquis Martin opened his mouth again.
“I told you this when giving you the rights to S-20. Currently my relationship with the Minister of Domestic Affairs Jyubel isn’t that good. Jyubel doesn’t like the fact that I gave S-20 to you. I’ve received information that he is secretly in contact with the Laius company regarding S-20.”
“Regarding S-20? Why?”
“I don’t know either. But originally the Laius company had permission to set up a research centre at Mt. Fargo. If Jyubel is contacting them regarding S-20 then it probably isn’t good for you.”
This was certainly unwelcome news. Now there was a twist in the sector that he tried so hard to grow! If a Marquis with the same power as Marquis Martin was involved then this situation was serious.
“If Laius and Jyubel join forces then it will be tough. There is no guarantee that will happen but it will be good if you are vigilant. If I learn anything else then I will inform you immediately. Because I’m also responsible for S-20.”
“Thank you.”
Ark bowed with a humble expression. The relationship with Marquis Martin hadn’t started off that great but he had been a strong supporter through many events.
“That is it from me. You can leave now.”
Ark exited the meeting room.
“Sob, Hyung-nim, thank you!”
Tori tearfully said as he also came out of the meeting room.
“Don’t be thankful. This is part of my contract with you. Do you understand? If you ever try anything……”
“T-that will never happen.”
“Okay. I’ll believe you. But this is your last chance.”
Ark was walking down the corridor with Tori when he stopped. Irina who he thought had left long ago was leaning against the wall. Ark was confused by the unexpected situation and asked.
“Irina-nim? Why are you still here?”
“I forgot something.”
“Forgot something?”
“……Thank you for rescuing me.”
Irina hesitated before saying in a small voice. Irina looked down with a bashful expression. His heart that was back to normal after the conversation with Marquis Martin started rising again.
“Ah no, that……”
“Hyung-nim, I’ll go first.”
The astute Tori quickly escaped. This was something praiseworthy about him. But the atmosphere became more awkward once Tori left. Ark and Irina stood there awkwardly for a while without saying much.
“That reminds me, this is the second time I need to say thank you.”
“Huh? Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“Did you accept Marquis Martin’s quest to investigate the magic circle?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I received it.”
“Indeed.”
And then silence again.
‘Damn! What is this? Stupid child, you normally talk so well so why can’t you speak now?’
Ark felt like cursing because of the awkward atmosphere.
“I will team up with Camel again to go to the space frontier. I’ll contact Marquis Martin who will pass onto you my information.”
Irina said before turning away.
“W-wait a minute!”
Ark raised his head and exclaimed. This opportunity wasn’t common. Ark had this thought and called out to her. But Ark’s mouth ended up stuttering his idea.
“T-there is…..would you like to eat dinner with me on the outside? No, that is…..it isn’t a selfish thing…..”
“Isn’t it?”
Irina paused and asked. Ark sighed as their eyes met and said.
“I’m sorry. I mean…..it is selfish.”
‘Stupid! A date will a girl out of your league……’
He started cursing himself in his head.
“I’ll get in touch.”
“Huh?”
Ark’s head shot up. And he asked with a stunned look.
“What did you say just now?”
“It is busy in game so it will be easier to meet on the outside. I’ll get in touch with Ark-nim and will inform you of my schedule. We will make an appointment then.”
“R-really? Really?
“Colonel Buldio is waiting so I’ll go first.”
Irina smiled and tapped something into Ark’s Nymphe.
-Irina-nim’s recognition code (R-02007) has been stored in your Nymphe.
That message popped up! The recognition code was different from knowing the name. It meant they could whisper or if they were thousands of light years away then they could send mail. In other words, he could contact her with it!
‘It feels like I’ve crashed into something!’
Ark was unsteady after being given her number (?). However Ark’s good mood only lasted 1 minute before plummeting.
“Ah, you must be Ark-nim. I’ve followed Marquis Martin’s instructions and registered your spacecraft with the galactic federation. Now you can access any area under the jurisdiction of the federation. Here are the related documents. Ark-nim just needs to sign here.”
Bonan extended a form.
<Silver Star> Registration Receipt
Ship Owner: Ark
Registered Ship: Medium- 3rd grade (Battleship)
Acquisition Tax: 500 gold
Environmental Charge: 100 gold
Registration Fee: 200 gold
Compulsory Insurance: 200 gold
━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━ ━
* Total: 1,000 gold
That was the amount on the receipt. The total price was 1,000 gold!
–You should receive it. It will be needed soon.
Marquis Martin’s words when receiving the military scrip rang through his head.
Space 8
That Man
[TL Note] Hey guys, I made a slight change to chapter 6 of this volume. Tolbo has become ‘the bearded man’ and his actual name will be revealed later in this chapter.
————————————————
‘The government…..the government…..’
Ark grinded his teeth together.
‘That is committing robbery! Why is the acquisition tax 500 gold? How did the federation help me obtain the Silver Star? And the environmental charge is 100 gold? Is this a joke? What is compulsory insurance? Are there traffic accidents in space? And the registration fee? I have to pay 200 gold to register it? And the total price is 1,000 gold? This is robbery!’
His anger exploded the more he thought about it. The Silver Star was a ship that originally belonged to the Murat. Ark found it and Tori repaired it after a long fight with the Nakuma.
That role the federation played in helping Ark get the Silver Star was only 0.00001%. Then why! The federation was taking away 1,000 gold from him! It was absurd! An abuse of power! But Ark paid the 1,000 gold with the military scrip. A bad law was still a law. He couldn’t do anything because of this nonsense.
“I’m sorry but if your ship isn’t registered then you can’t enter Istana. You will have to leave the ship here and leave via the shuttle. A shuttle is available if you require it. Of course, there is also a fee for this.”
He had no choice but to pay!
‘If I buy a new ship then I would still need to pay a separate tax anyway. And the minimum price for a ship like this is 10,000 gold. 1,000 gold is profitable compared to that.’
He had no choice but to think like this! Therefore he gave Buldio’s military scrips and the registration was complete. Ark was able to leave the garrison headquarters once he officially gained possession of the Silver Star. And he finally plunged into Istana’s atmosphere!
“Hyung-nim, we will arrive at the destination soon!”
Tori said as he busily moved his hands. At the same time, outside the window the clouds parted and acres of forest stretched out. And there was Mt. Fargo! It was Ark’s sector S-20. Ark had finally returned to S-20……
“Eh?”
He was confused.
————————————————
“You have a little cold.”
The family doctor said as he used a medical device to examine him.
“I said this the other day but I agree with you playing a virtual reality game. A disabled person can experience many things that normally can’t and it eliminates a lot of mental stress. In fact, an experiment found that 70% of patients in similar situations who used a virtual reality game recovered a lot faster. But that is just a supportive therapy.”
“I know.”
“Then you’ll also know that fatigue still builds up in your body despite playing the virtual reality game. I heard that you’ve been sleeping in your capsule for the past few days but that isn’t always good. You have a fever so you should rest for a few days and take your medicine.
“Yes……”
The young man answered feebly. He didn’t have to hear the doctor’s diagnosis to know that his physical condition wasn’t good. His head and the muscles of his body felt heavy. He couldn’t think. The last few days he spent sleeping in the game was to blame. And it was all for one reason. In order to meet Ark.
‘I wonder when I can meet him?’
The young man muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. Questions ran through his head. He still couldn’t find the answer to why he wanted to meet Ark. He knew it wasn’t logical but the young man wasn’t going to give up on finding Ark. What type of existence was the user Ark to him? He wouldn’t know the answer if he couldn’t meet Ark. After a few attempts, he finally arrived in Ark’s sector S-20. But he still couldn’t be relieved. He had missed Ark so many times it felt like someone was interfering with him. There was no guarantee this interference wouldn’t be repeated. Those misgivings didn’t allow the young man to rest.
‘ I won’t repeatedly make the same mistakes.’
The young man painfully raised his body and entered the capsule. He started the capsule and his consciousness was sent back to Galaxian.
————————————————
Syu syu syu syu!
At the square to the rear of S-20’s main office. An airship caused a storm as it landed among a few other airships. A boy with grey skin and big eyes ran over.
“Welcome to S-20 where you can rest, hunt or have a large selection of items! Please think carefully. It wouldn’t be wise to leave such an expensive spacecraft in a place where monsters or thieves can attack it. But you can be relieved if you leave it at the airfield in this sector! S-20 will manage it safely. Short term parking is 50 silver a day. Long term is 4 gold for 10 days. Instead, if you park in the sector then you will only need to pay 1 sector fee for 3 people. How many days are you going to be here?”
“There is an airfield here?”
One person stepped out of the ship. The body’s big eyes became even larger as he saw the person’s face.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
That boy was Hegel. The one he was looking at was Ark.
“Why is Hyung-nim in that ship…..?”
“I obtained it.”
“Huh? You obtained it? That means this is Hyung-nim’s ship?”
“Yes.”
Hegel’s mouth widened at the ensuing answer. A general airship cost thousands of gold. A spacecraft would be a minimum of 10,000 gold. He had left for a while and brought home a spacecraft. The stunned Hegel couldn’t understand the situation. However it was the same for Ark.
‘Is this really S-20?’
Ark looked around with confusion. S-20 had been similar to a wasteland when Ark left for Amara. Shein and Kuma had created a barrier to indicate it was a sector while there were some facilities and merchant trailers inside. It also only had a population of 600 people. The sector was generally empty because most people were in the dungeon. It was embarrassing to even call it a sector. He had been worrying about that part on his way back. Ark had spent 10 days away from S-20.
‘Damn, I thought I would be gone for 3 days at most but it ended up taking a ridiculous 10 days. S-20 is a new sector. It the administrator is away for 10 days then it is impossible for the sector to operate properly.’
No matter how smart Mellin and Hegel were, in the end they were just NPCs. They had less flexibility to deal with unexpected situations than a user. Moreover, their training had been focused on battle so they had no knowledge about managing a sector.
‘It will be lucky if they manage to maintain the status quo.’
However it was different from his expectations. Ark could see that there were at least 1,000 people just flying over S-20. There must be at least 2,000 when considering the people in the dungeon. It had increased by 3~4 times when Ark was gone. Of course, this was due to Slayer, Leon and Melina raising awareness with their promotions. Ark was more amazed by the shape of the sector than the population. All types of stores formed a grid at the sector entrance! A special fence to indicate the way to Mt. Fargo was created with guide posts everywhere. They even utilized an empty piece of land as an airfield!
‘This is similar to the blueprint of the sector that I envisioned!’
Naturally the facilities were still small. However S-20’s current structure was almost the same as what Ark would’ve created. It felt like they’ve read Ark’s ideas and implemented it. While Ark was busy thinking.
“But who is this with you……?”
Hegel asked as Tori got off behind Ark.
“Oh, this guy is Tori. He will eat rice from the same pot as us from now on.”
“The same pot? Then he is a new employee?”
“Yes, please educate him well as his senior.”
“Ohh! Indeed. You’re called Tori? Let’s get along well.”
Hegel’s eyes shone like lanterns as he held out his hand. Then Tori slapped Hegel’s hand and declared sharply.
“What? Tori? Why are you speaking informally? I am……”
“You’re what? So? What were you going to say?”
Ark interrupted and asked. Tori flinched and started babbling.
“Ah, no. If you’re Hyung-nim’s follower then you’re my Hyung-nim too!”
“And? Your position in my agent?”
“I’m the youngest member!”
“Does your behaviour mean you are still lacking in education?”
“Hik! N-no Hyung-nim! I temporarily went crazy because of tiredness from the long flight! Seniors, please take care of me from now on! If you tell me to turn then I’ll turn!”
Tori shouted as he kowtowed. Tori was once someone who operated his own junkyard. And he demonstrated his fine skills as an engineer on Amara. Ark’s contract with Tori was officially signed after the meeting with Buldio.
-Tori has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Tori (NPC ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆) Occupation: Engineer
Level: 110
Related Skills: Hacking, mechanical engineering, invention, repair……
That information window emerged when Tori joined. Just like skills, the stars displayed next to the name indicated the difficulty of acquisition. In other words, having more stars meant the NPC was difficult to get. Tori had 4 stars attached to him. Jay was a similar engineer but he only had 2 stars. In other words, Tori was rated 2 stars higher than Charem’s head of research!
The Royal Guards also had 4 stars next to them. But that was because the Royal Guards were pioneers. They could resurrect at the Fairy so their utilization rate was high. However Tori was a general NPC. If he was rated 4 stars then he had much higher skills than the Royal Guards.
‘But……’
Ark refused to trust him. Unlike the Royal Guards, Ark used a combination of a deal+ violence as a leash to hold Tori. He couldn’t give any chances to that guy. There were some cases where Ark might need to leave Tori at S-20. So he wanted to make sure the Royal Guards knew the hierarchy. A 4 star rate NPC. The more difficult they were to get, the more difficult they were to maintain. Anyway!
“Let’s get along well with each other. Yes?”
“Yep! I am Hyung-nim’s loyal dog! No, hamster!”
The effect of his education still remained. Ark turned back to Hegel after hearing Tori’s reply.
“There weren’t any big problems while I was away? You’ve seemed to have made a lot of adjustments to the sector like the airfield. Did you and Mellin think of that?”
“Ah, that’s right!”
Hegel suddenly raised his head.
“Someone has been waiting for Hyung-nim for 10 days.”
“Me? Who?”
“A pioneer nicknamed Rapid.”
“Rapid? Rapid……”
He searched through his head for that name.
“Why is he waiting for me?”
“Eh? You don’t know him? He told me he knew Hyung-nim. And he wanted to meet Hyung-nim directly. By the way, he really is amazing.”
“Amazing? Why?”
“There were a large number of visitors as soon as Hyung-nim left. Many shops also opened so there were many disputes among the pioneers and merchants. That person is the one who resolved the issue. Not only that. He reorganized the sector into areas, established rules to resolve disputes, created a toll for the dungeon entrance and made guests can pay a fee to find a party for the dungeon. He even proposed creating an airfield for visitors with airships.”
“The guy called Rapid did all this?”
He had thought all of this was done by Mellin and Hegel. He never expected that a third person could be involved. Why? Who would painstakingly grow a sector he wasn’t involved in? In addition, his plans were almost consistent with Ark’s blueprint. He was a person with management skills. Yet he couldn’t remember meeting someone like that.
‘But they know me? Who is it?’
“Where is Rapid now?”
“He’s in the office. He’s never left the vicinity since he arrived 10 days ago.”
“Okay. Let’s meet with him.”
Ark headed towards the office with Hegel. The office across from the airfield…..the facility didn’t match the wilderness around it. A desk made of mechanical parts was placed near the bulletin board that Ark built. Hegel ran to the desk and shouted.
“Grandpa Mellin, Hyung-nim is back!”
“Hyung-nim? Ark? Ohh! Ark is finally back!”
Mellin who was chatting with several visitors quickly ran over. But Ark was looking at someone else. A blond youth had stood up in shock after hearing Ark’s name. He must be the person called Rapid based on the atmosphere. Ark’s eyes met those of the young man.
‘What?’
Ark stopped walking. Usually he could read the opponent’s emotions to a certain extent when he looked in their eyes. But he couldn’t read Rapid’s feelings. It wasn’t’ because there were no specific emotion that appeared. On the contrary, too many complex emotions rose at once. Delight, embarrassment, anger, confusion. He couldn’t differentiate between them. However that wasn’t why he stopped moving.
‘That face……’
Rapid was a user. And the face felt familiar. It made him uncomfortable for some reason.
“I heard that you waited 10 days for me. What can I do for you?”
Ark was the one who spoke first after looking at Rapid for a while. Rapid who had been staring blankly at Ark now looked shocked. Ark also couldn’t understand this response. Rapid looked upset before he seemed to remember something and said.
“I have to ask you something first.”
“What is it?”
“New World’s Ark, are you that person?”
‘Damn, is it because of this?’
He had received this question countless number of times since starting Galaxian. Ark’s answer had always been NO. A director of Global Exos playing the game of its rival would catch attention and he also didn’t want the unwelcome attention from other users. This was what he got for not thinking properly. Ark was a well-known name. Furthermore, the Ark of New World had made many friends and enemies. In New World he didn’t have to worry about anyone challenging him but he wasn’t strong enough in Galaxian.
‘I should’ve thought more carefully when creating the character.’
Many problems arose from using the name Ark. But what was the point of regretting now? All Ark could do was deal with it.
“No I’m not. I just wanted to try a famous name. Take a good look. My face is a little different from the Ark on TV. And I heard that Ark of New World hasn’t joined Galaxian yet.”
“…..Officially.”
Rapid narrowed his eyes like a hawk.
“But I know. Ark of New World has entered Galaxian. And if my guess is right then you are that Ark. Tell me the truth.”
If it was anyone else then he would insist that they were wrong and move on. However he couldn’t ignore Rapid’s urgent look. Why was he looking so urgent? Somehow his face weighed on Ark’s mind. Moreover, he was the one who raised Ark’s sector while he was gone. Ark could just ignore it and move on but he was also curious about Rapid’s identity.
“Okay. Say I am that Ark. Why are you looking for Ark in Galaxian?”
“Ark…..is it?”
Rapid seemed like he didn’t like Ark’s answer. But he soon nodded and said.
“Okay. Say you are that Ark. Please take a close look at my face. I know you. And you……should remember me.”
“I should know you?”
“Yes, in New World not Galaxian. We’ve clearly met.”
“Let’s see. I’ve met quite a few people in New World so how can I remember everyone?”
Ark scratched his head and replied. Then Rapid’s face clouded.
‘He doesn’t remember my face?’
Rapid wasn’t using the same name from New World. Like Ark, his name was once well known in New World. Rapid started playing Galaxian after it was already a month and his name was already taken so he used a different one. However his face looked just like his character in New World. Of course, the game’s graphic engine would make the face a little different even if it was the same one. Yet there was no significant different between this character and the one in New World. Therefore Rapid thought that Ark would know him when they met. However Ark had betrayed his expectations. There were no signs that Ark remembered who he was.
‘Was I someone who didn’t make that much of an impact on you? The face is only a little different yet you can’t recognize it?’
Rapid had been holding onto his resolution to meet Ark for the last 4 months. He couldn’t sleep properly as he waited in S-20 and even got a cold. Yet Ark didn’t even recognize him. Rapid felt like all his efforts so far had been wasted.
Of course, he probably wasn’t thinking that clearly. Yes his characters looked the same. But asking someone to recognize a face that hadn’t seen in more than 1 year might be unreasonable. Normally Rapid might’ve understood this as well. However his body condition wasn’t good so he couldn’t repress his emotions. Rapid raised his head with an angry expression.
‘He met quite a few people in New World? Yes, I guess so. But I’m not talking about such people. Give me a straight answer. You have to remember me. It is impossible not to remember me. How can you not remember? I can’t forget. In other words, you’re not supposed to have forgotten about me!’
And just as he was about to say these words. Maybe it was because of the cold or he prescription medicine but he suddenly felt dizzy.
“Eh? Are you okay?”
Ark grabbed his shoulder. Then Rapid grabbed his arm and began to talk.
“I-I’m fine. Rather, I…..the reason I visited you…..”
“Hahahaha! I’m back!”
Then a man ran into the sector while giving a silly laugh. Rapid’s face warped at that moment. The bearded man was someone who kept challenging him to a duel. The bearded man looked at Rapid and laughed.
“Rapid, bring it on! Huhuhu, this time won’t be the same as before. I assure you. I, Kurakan will……”
“Get lost!”
Rapid turned and shouted. Kurakan became frightened and retreated. However he recovered after a moment and lifted his machine gun.
“What, what the? Are you too scared to face this Kurakan? Not a chance. I’ll say this clearly, I haven’t been defeated by you yet. You’re the one who interrupted my duel with Ark first. So let’s end this. If you don’t accept the duel then I’ll just attack you!”
“Who is this bastard? You’re challenging me to a duel?”
Ark turned towards Kurakan. Then Rapid pushed Ark and walked forward.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to go. I’ll handle this and return. Please wait. I still have something to say.”
His annoyance soared because of his headache. Rapid headed towards the square outside the office. He stopped 10 metres away from Kurakan and said in a low voice.
“Start.”
“That’s it. Huhuhu, this time……”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Like always, shots rang out at Kurakan’s words.
“W-what the, this speed?’
Ark’s eyes popped out with surprise. Ark was interested in the used called Rapid. Therefore he watched carefully and never saw him pull out his gun. It was a quick fire! The speed at which he pulled the trigger was unimaginable. By default, all guns in Galaxian had a firing speed option. But that penalty only applied for weapons like sniper rifles, RPGs or machine guns. A pistol’s firing rate depended on the speed that the trigger was pulled. Most users didn’t like a pistol because the recoil was high and the hit rate was low. But Rapid’s level surpassed those weaknesses. He had amazing marksmanship with a high hit rate.
‘No wonder why that Kurakan seems to have lost against Rapid a few times…..how can a machine gun deal with a pistol like that? I never knew that the pistol could be used in such an amazing way. But……’
Ping! Ping! Ping!
“Huhuhu, I’ve figured out your pattern now!”
Kurakan laughed as he hid his face behind a shield. The moment he lifted his machine gun, there was another gunshot and the muzzle of the machine gun shot upwards. Rapid had aimed and hit the muzzle.
‘That is the way to block that.’
It required a lot of skill. Kurakan had no confidence in his hit rate so he chose something that fired a lot of bullets. The gunfight then proceeded in Rapid’s favour. Rapid used his amazing quick fire and hit rate to stop Kurakan from firing as well as aiming at his vital spots. If he couldn’t use a headshot because of the shield then he would aim at the shoulders! Meanwhile Kurakan’s shots kept on being deflected in the wrong direction. That’s because Rapid hit the muzzle and redirected it every time.
“Amazing!”
“How on earth can he hit like that?”
The gathered spectators started exclaiming. But Ark saw something different.
‘What is he doing?’
Rapid was definitely dominating the gunfight. But Ark’s anxiety grew as he watched the situation. The difference between their skills was obvious. Kurakan was bleeding heavily. However the one who was breathing harshly and had sweat on his face was Rapid.
‘That reminds me, that guy almost collapsed when he was approaching me. I thought he had just lost his footing. It is obvious that Rapid isn’t feeling too good right now. It seems to be a cold. It is amazing that he can fight like this but his movement is becoming increasingly dull. If this continues……’
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Suddenly Rapid collapsed to his knees. It wasn’t because Kurakan shot him. He just collapsed because he lost his strength. Rapid tried to raise his body a few times but his quivering legs wouldn’t move. Ark who was watching shouted.
“Wait a minute! Kurakan, wait!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Gunshots were heard and blood welled from Rapid’s body. The feeble Rapid saw Ark and said.
“Ark….I…..I……”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Several more slugs penetrated Rapid’s body. The gunfight had been one sided before Rapid fell down. Therefore he still had health left despite the dozens of bullets hitting him. But then a bullet pierced Rapid’s head. And a shower of bullets followed! Finally Rapid’s health reached zero.
“I-I did it!”
Kurakan cheered with joy. And he placed his foot on Rapid’s body!
“Hahahaha! It is impossible for someone using a pistol to hold out forever against me. The person who wins in the end is the winner! Another loot has been added to my autobiography. Now I just need to beat that wannabe Ark. Hey, you guys! Did you see me skills? Now this guy isn’t my opponent anymore. Where is that farting bastard Ark! I’ll take him out like this guy!”
Kurakan kicked Rapid and shouted.
Ppajik.
Something snapped in Ark’s head. He didn’t know the reason. For some reason he felt upset. Ark walked forward towards Kurakan.
“I am Ark.”
“What? This guy is Ark?”
“Yes, if you want then apply for a duel.”
“W-wait a minute! Let me recover first!”
Kurakan yelled as he pulled out a recovery ampoule. Ark waited. Kurakan had to completely recover his health and mental power. Meanwhile Ark heard from Mellin and Hegel that Kurakan had applied for a duel 20 times. Mellin shook his head and muttered.
“He is more tenacious than a cockroach. That’s why Rapid couldn’t sleep properly for the past few days. I’m worried that he will bother you now.”
“Hey! Let’s get started! Duel!”
-A duel has started!
Ark got up and accepted. He looked at Kurakan and laughed.
“I’ll tell you in advance but I’m not like Rapid.”
A blue light soared up from his sword hilt.
————————————————
“How is he?”
“His mental and physical condition is extremely weak. I warned him to be careful when I realized he wasn’t sleeping properly…..he didn’t listen. And he seems to be receiving a lot of stress. His weakened immunity means that the cold is worsening.”
“Will he be okay?”
“I need to wait and see a bit more…..as you know your son’s case is different from normal. The situation can deteriorate even from a common cold. He assured me that he would be careful…..what happened?”
“I don’t know either.”
“It’s really frustrating. He should know better than anyone not to work his body too hard. Anyway, the necessary precautions have been taken. Right now he needs rest more than anything else.”
“Thank you.”
“Call me when the patient wakes up.”
The doctor then left the hospital rom.
“Dammit!”
Yoo Han-pil cursed as the door closed. He had been overseas on business for a couple of days. Yet he suddenly received an urgent message from his secretary several hours ago. His only son had been transferred to hospital. Yoo Han-pil postponed all his schedules and returned home straight away. However his son wasn’t awake.
According to his servants at home, his son hadn’t left the capsule for Galaxian since Yoo Han-pil left. However he ate his meals and slept so they hadn’t been too worried. Until this afternoon. When the employee was bringing up the morning meal, the employee noticed his son was unconscious in the capsule.
“It is my fault. I have to stop this.”
Yoo Han-pil said in a pained voice. He had been worried about his son playing the virtual reality game. However his son had persisted and Yoo Han-pil eventually allowed it. And he seemed to be improving after starting Galaxian. But it exploded today. Seeing his son lying in a hospital bed brought back the nightmare of 1 year ago. That nightmare event that happened to the son he was so proud of! He couldn’t let that same nightmare happen again!
“Secretary Kim!”
Yoo Han-pil turned around and shouted. The door opened and his secretary entered.
“Go home right now and break that capsule!”
“T-the Galaxian capsule?”
“Yes, that damn capsule! Right now…..”
Yoo Han-pil suddenly flinched and closed his mouth. He felt a touch on his hand. Yoo Han-pil hurriedly looked down and saw his son watching him.
“Not yet…..no…..”
His son tightly grasped his hand.
————————————————
“Hrmm.”
Ark scratched his head. And looked at his Nymphe again.
-S-20’s Ten Temporarily Commerce Rules
-S-20’s Ten Temporarily Dungeon Rules
“Who on earth is he?”
He had downloaded the rules that Rapid thought of onto his Nymphe. The sector was run by the administrator. Criminal related matters like chaotic users still followed the federation’s laws but all other matters were up to the administrator. So Ark had planned on creating rules for S-20 but Rapid had amazingly thought of all of them. It was to the degree that it seemed like Rapid was reading his mind! Therefore Ark didn’t need to create or change any rules. Rapid was the one who applied the rules. It was also more detailed than the ones Ark thought of. It was a game but there weren’t many people who could do something like this. And if that person met Ark then the number became even smaller.
“Looking at Rapid’s reaction, he doesn’t seem to be lying when he said he met me…..”
No one could lie with that expression on their face. To be honest, only 1 person came to Ark’s mind. No, he remembered that person as soon as he saw Rapid. There was a 70% similarity between ‘him’ and Rapid. But Ark soon shook his head.
‘He’ didn’t have a body that could play the game. ‘He’ also had an accident in New World and Ark heard that he was like a vegetable. So ‘he’ couldn’t play a virtual reality game again. And even if he had begun the game, it was impossible for him to gain Rapid’s skill.
“I wanted to talk to him a bit more.”
Dururong. Dururong.
Then he heard snoring underneath him.
“What? This? Ha, this child’s luck has increased. Shall I wake his spirit?”
Ark stabbed his lightsaber into the person sleeping.
“Ah!”
A scream burst out! Ark rose from the seat in front of him.
“Hey, your health has been restored. Wake up. I have to start again.”
“Ugh, still? Take a look at me! Yet you still want to continue?”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t even started yet. Didn’t you say your strength was your patience and tenacity? And I heard that you kept Rapid sleep deprived for the past week. Yet haven’t you only suffered for 12 hours?”
“B-but…..”
“Well, I’ll just do it comfortably then. Here I go!”
Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!
“Ouch! Ack! Cough! Ugh!”
Kurakan screamed every time Ark hit him. Kurakan had killed Rapid and then challenged Ark to a duel. However the result was too shameful to be called a duel. Kurakan had become a rice cake and collapsed as soon as it started. But Kurakan didn’t care.
“Huhuhu, you! Kill me! You’ll soon realize what a big mistake that is. My strength is my patience and tenacity! I will go after you a 2nd and a 3rd……”
“Who is going to kill you?”
“What?”
“Actually, my strength is also my patience and tenacity. Let’s see who has more patience and tenacity.”
Ark said and began to step on the bloody Kurakan. Once again, the armour in Galaxian was so good that kicks wouldn’t reduce any health unless the person was wearing a battle suit. But that didn’t mean the user received no damage. Virtual reality games like to make the character ‘feel like it was as real as reality’ so the users could feel pain. Of course, this was just a slight jolt.
However it could cause a lot of pain if persistently hit. And Ark was persistently hitting the same vital spot. Kurakan kept on feeling an electric shock to the extent that the area became sensitive! Even his clothes became soft after a while. And it wasn’t just the shock. Ark would hit Kurakan until his health reached 5%. Then he would switch to defense and wait for Kurakan’s health to recover. And he would start hitting again as soon as the health was restored!
“Stop! I was wrong! Just kill me!”
Kurakan finally screamed. He gave up on resistance and just lay down. But that didn’t stop Ark. He merciless waited for Kurakan’s health to recover.
Then bam bam bam!
Kurakan couldn’t even break the connection. The connection couldn’t be terminated during a duel because it would be considered cheating and there would be a huge penalty. And he couldn’t commit suicide. Ark wouldn’t let him commit suicide. So back to bam bam bam!
It had lasted for 10 hours! Even if Ark stopped attacking, Kurakan had already lost his stamina so he would just doze off while waiting for Ark to lose strength. However Ark had slept for a lot during the 24 hours warp to Istana so he had stamina to spare. Furthermore, Ark had once spent 3 days without any sleep in New World so he could endure for a lot longer.
He was hitting Kurakan for 1 minute and resting for 10. He would wake him up after 10 minutes, deliver the beating, wait another 10 minutes and so on…..Kurakan had already gone insane by the time he repeated it for 10 hours. Finally Kurakan woke up from the pain and grabbed Ark’s leg while crying.
“Please stop now! I have bruises all over my body! I was wrong! Please let me sleep! I swear! I won’t come here again!”
Ark stopped the violence and looked around. The spectators flinched and avoided his gaze. It wasn’t just them. Mellin, Hegel and Tori who had been watching the scene of violence were also frozen.
‘The atmosphere is right.’
In fact, Ark had a reason for persistently stepping on Kurakan. Kurakan appeared and caused trouble when Ark was away. He had to ensure that no user tried the same thing in the future. The sector was under the jurisdiction of the federation but he couldn’t ask them for help. Guys like Kurakan could cause a lot of damage. Moreover, Ark was a well-known user. Guys like Kurakan would keep coming to challenge him. That’s why he stepped on Kurakan for 10 hours!
–If you challenge me then it won’t end well!
He sent a warning message to all users in the steadily growing sector. And that warning was also sent to the Royal Guards and Tori. It seemed like it was already having an effect.
“Okay. This is enough for now.”
“R-really?”
“But if you mess around here again……”
“I won’t do it anymore! I won’t even look at this place!”
“That would be a problem.”
“Huh?”
“Haven’t you interrupted work for a few hours over the last week? Thanks to that my sector is covered in an uncomfortable mentality and I’ve lost money. And didn’t you kill Rapid who helped with my work? Does it make any sense that you can just leave?”
“T-then what do you want? I don’t see…..”
“Huh?”
“Ah, no it’s fine!”
Kurakan freaked out and agreed as soon as he frowned.
“Yes! That’s right! I killed him! I was wrong! I will listen to you! What do you want me to do?”
“Spend a week volunteering around S-20 to compensate for the damage.”
“A-A week volunteering? You want me to work here for a week?”
“You don’t want to?” Then I can continue this for one week.”
“Ah, no! I will do it! I’ll dedicate myself to serving you!”
“If you try to escape…..”
Ark raised his lightsaber and threatened.
“I’ll find you and bother you for a week.”
Ark made Kurakan register his code on Ark’s Nymphe and registered his on Kurakan’s. Kurakan’s face darkened.
Space 9
Event! Event! Event!
Pioneer quest <Dark Omen>. In fact, Ark didn’t mind the quest that much. In fact, Ark didn’t care about the quest. It was a quest given to all agents of the 3 powers. He didn’t know if he could get a huge reward with so many people. And he didn’t have any clues related to it. In this situation it would be stupid for him to blindly jump into the wide galaxy. If all agents from the 3 powers started moving then information would eventually appear. So there was no reason to rush. He would rather have his power base properly formed……
–Why is it coming now?
He had dropped in at the Elim’s Sanctuary after dealing with Kurakan. The light sphere shouted hysterically like it was a wife waiting for her husband.
–Something unusual is definitely happening.
“Something unusual?”
–The negative energy. Not long ago I detected an aura of negative aura.
The light sphere trembled with anxiety.
–Only antimatter can emit negative energy. And antimatter is a substance that can’t exist in this star system. I can only remember one time that there was an influx of antimatter into this star system. It was the time of tribulation when the Karma showed up.
“Karma? This time it is related to Karma?”
–This time?
Ark explained what he experienced on Amara. This was the reason that he actually visited the sanctuary. The sphere’s name was ‘Elim’s Memory’ so it remembered the past. He thought it might know something about the magic circle. But the light sphere couldn’t give an answer about what happened in the mine.
-Uhh, it isn’t possible to build it with just that. But it can’t be overlooked now that negative energy is sensed. Someone might’ve intentionally called the negative energy. Ark, keep this in mind. You are the Elim’s Heir. And the Elim’s biggest duty is protection of the galaxy. If there is any potential threat to the galaxy then you have to stop it from happening.
<Investigate the Negative Energy (Occupation only- I)>
The Elim’s Memory has recalled the last time negative energy was detected in the galaxy. Based on the Elim’s Memory, this might be related to the Karma who sent the galaxy into confusion. The first duty of Elim’s Heir is to defend the galaxy. You have to thoroughly investigate the event related to the negative energy.
Difficulty: B+
It was a quest for information like the pioneer quest. He felt like leaving for the space frontier straight away. However Ark still had work to do in S-20.
————————————————————
“Not yet.”
Ark turned his eyes towards the sector entrance. Rapid. He was a user with unexpected skills. After handling Kurakan and visiting the sanctuary, he decided to explore the sector some more. Rapid had maintained and manage the sector and dungeon. Ark looked at everything.
Rapid’s fighting ability wasn’t normal. Rapid probably lost against Kurakan because of his poor physical condition. It was obvious. If he fought properly than Kurakan wasn’t an opponent for him. And Rapid had disposed of Kurakan 20 times. Kurakan was level 80. Kurakan also wasn’t skilled so he was easy to handle. But the more important thing was Rapid’s attitude. Rapid seemed angry that Ark didn’t recognize him.
‘Who the hell is he?’
However he couldn’t recall someone like that when he looked through his memory. Therefore he was interested in talking to him again. But it had been two days and Rapid hadn’t returned.
‘You can resurrect immediately after a duel. If he hasn’t returned yet then he must’ve registered at a distant place or is somewhere sick. It is one of those two options.’
Either way he would be back. Mellin and Hegel told him that Rapid waited ten days to meet Ark. And their talk had been stopped by Kurakan so he would be back.
‘There is a part I’m worried about……’
It was something that Hegel said to him.
“Actually Hyung-nim, about Rapid. No, I’m not saying this is fact. There is a strange rumour. That is……about his sexual preference. Hrmm, you know? Man to man. He spent 10 days waiting here for Hyung-nim despite having to fight Kurakan……he might like to with Hyung-nim……Hyung-nim, be careful.”
Chills ran down his spine. Virtual reality games were common these days. The problem of the realism was that stalking could occur in the game. While a virtual reality game regulated pain, there was no way to regulate the victim’s mental pain. Especially if the other person was a man. He couldn’t help feeling cold at the thought that it could be true.
‘I didn’t get that feeling when I saw him…..’
Ark made a promise to himself. If he met Rapid again then he would determine it. There was no need to worry about it in advance. He had a lot of work to do so he didn’t have time for this.
“Sector Management Window!”
*Sector Management Information Window*
Sector Code: S-20 Sector Rating: Lv. 1
Sector Range: 1 kilometres around the entrance of Mt. Fargo.
Sector Manager: Ark (Agent: Dark Eden)
Number of Stores: 12 (7 Duty-free shops, 55% tax of the income)
Population: 2,380
Sector Assets: 460 gold
* The current population of the sector has exceeded 2,000 people. If you keep this population for a week then the sector manager can request the installation of major public facilities from the galactic federation. If you bring in 2 or more public facilities then you can raise the level of the sector.
<Population Maintenance Rate: 4/7 Day>
This was the reason Ark focused on increasing the population. The sector’s growth was proportional to the growth in population. It led to more people using the stores, earnings increased and the tax collected increased. In addition, a certain population number had to be maintained to install public facilities. It was similar to not making a bus stop if there were only a few people in the village. Having main facilities makes it possible to gather more pioneers. Thus his profit would increase and he could build even more facilities to attract more people. Then the population would increase again…..if he raised the sector in such a way then the last step was promotion to a city.
‘Well that is still an issue for the distant future.
Thanks to Rapid, there was a steady increase in population and it reached 2,380 people! If he maintained this for 4 more days then he could gain the qualification to request he public facilities. Of course this wasn’t for free.
-<Public facilities able to be installed in a level 1 sector>
Extension (5,000 G): Extend the range of the sector by 1 square kilometres.
Fairy (3,000 G): A Fairy can be installed for pioneers to resurrect at.
Exclusive Route (2,000 G): The sector can be added to the transport route that the federation operates.
Relay Antenna (1,000 G): A large volume relay antenna can be installed in the sector. When the antenna is installed, it is possible to make contact with other cities on Istana and users can receive mail from other colleagues.
These were the facilities available. The critical ones for S-20 were the Fairy and exclusive route. There was no need to explain how important the Fairy was on Galaxian. It was the same for the exclusive route. Only 20% of user possessed private ships so an exclusive route was needed in order for the sector’s population to grow.
‘The total is 5,000 gold……’
A sigh naturally emerged when considering the price. Ark presently had less than 100 gold. That’s because the 1,000 gold reward from the <Rescue the Pursuers> quest had been used to pay the Silver Star’s registration fee. Meanwhile the sector funds only had 460 gold so Ark had approximately 500 gold. But there was still hope. Ark had raked in machine parts from the Abyss of Despair. He had carefully selected expensive parts so it should come to an average of 700~800 gold.
Yet Ark still hadn’t changed the metal into cash. Merchants bought metal because it could be used to repair various equipment. Then there was no reason to sell the metal at stores. He could earn 2~3 times more by using the metal to directly repair equipment. And right now Dark Eden had a staff capable of repairing equipment up to the rare grade and airships!
-Equipment and airship repair.
<Price will be determined after consultation. Negotiation is possible>
Contact: Tori
A new signpost was added next to the office. The professional repair shops in S-20 had their taxes lowered as a compromise but they were still unhappy. The parts that were meant to repair the airship weren’t needed anymore because of the Silver Star so he could change the mechanical pieces into cash. He also didn’t need to pay the employees. Except for Mellin and Hegel, the remaining Royal Guards had steadily opened the dungeon and had moved to the bottom layer. It had taken 25 days and the Royal Guards had beaten more than 1,000 Thanatos to reach there. Therefore they gained a significant amount of gallstones. That wasn’t all. Ark had a separate production thousands of kilometres away. Right now the octopuses were still producing fish paste bars at Charem.
‘The factory has been operating for more than a month already. 4 gold would be deducted from the daily earnings for my fee. That is a minimum of 120 gold.’
The repair store, sector’s earnings, gallstones and fish paste bars all contributed to his revenue.
‘It won’t reach 5,000 gold yet but I should be able to collect funds to install the Fairy. But there is no need to blindly rush. Right now it is the starting phase. The sector will be my base so I have to manage all business efficiently.’
“Hegel, call the members of the Royal Guards.”
Ark summoned the Royal Guards for a meeting.
“Ohhh! S-sunshine!”
“I didn’t know that Istana’s air felt this good.”
“Eh? The sector has changed from what it was before.”
“There are plenty of shops and even a fence. There are also a lot of pioneers.”
It had been 25 days since they left the dungeon so the sector’s transformation was amazing to the Royal Guards. Ark nodded and said.
“You went to a lot of effort.”
“Hyung-nim!”
“As you can see, S-20 has started to look like a sector. You guys have been quietly completing your work despite not even being able to see the sun. But I won’t say thank you. S-20 is a sector that belongs to all of us. It might be hard work but the results will return to you.”
“Ugh, those words……!”
“I feel like all my struggles disappeared from Hyung-nim’s warm words.”
The members were thrilled. Ark moved them to the Silver Star.
“S-ship! Aren’t we looking at a ship?”
“Wahhhh! Incredible! This is our ship! On Beltana we were dying of hunger and now we can go anywhere in the galaxy!”
“Meeting Hyung-nim really is a blessing of a lifetime!”
“We will only follow Hyung-nim!”
“Yes, then follow me.”
Ark smiled pleasantly and turned around. And he led the tired and thrilled Royal Guards onto the Silver Star!
“Wow! It’s flying! It really is flying!”
“You idiot! This is a ship. Why are you excited by this much? This ship can even travel through the universe!”
“By the way, why are we on the ship? Is this a celebration ride?”
However the Silver Star landed after 1 minute. The Silver Star had landed at a lake that was 2 km from S-20. It was shrouded in lush forests and had a cool waterfall.
“There is a place like this near S-20?”
“Hyung-nim, why did you bring us here?”
“This brat, didn’t I just say it? Look, a waterfall and lake! Don’t you see? We’ve struggled so now he is bringing us to a place to relax and swim.”
“Huh? What is that?”
“Let’s clean up first before talking.”
Ark pointed to the monsters rambling on the shores of the lake. This was the Outlands. The area might be seemingly beautiful but there were dangers all around. That applied here as well. There were a large variety of monsters around the lake so 10 of them instantly came rushing the moment the Silver Star landed. The monsters were at least level 130!
“Please leave it to me!”
“I’d be happy to show you the power of the muscles I gained from digging!”
The Royal Guards raised their arms without any hesitation. They had spent 25 days in a dungeon. The Royal Guards hadn’t spent all of that time digging. The dungeon was filled with Thanatos. The crew fought countless battles with them during the dungeon restoration work. And the Thanatos in the middle layer were level 140~150! Thanks to that, the Royal Guards now had an average level of 80. It wasn’t just their level.
“Much stronger Electromagnetic Hammer!”
“Sharper Screw Blade!”
The warriors Berad and Ralph rushed at the monsters first. The hammer and sword that had become more crossed the space. There was a ringing sound and a monster shaped like a rhinoceros retreated. But when it was about to strike back, Berad and Ralph split to the left and right.
“Now! Attack!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Dozens of bullets poured towards the gap left by Berad and Ralph! Cupa, Hedro, Reben and Konsed had fired their guns.
“The legs! Its heavy weight is concentrated on its legs!”
The rhino’s legs were instantly battered. Then Kalliben and Beleol lifted their sniper rifles.
Tutung! Tutung!
2 bullets were fired and hit the rhino’s eyes!
-The rhino has been inflicted with the status ‘limited vision!’
Since then the battle became completely one-sided. The rhino’s legs were worn out and it couldn’t see properly so it couldn’t last 2 minutes with Berad and Ralph attacking it. This applied to all the monsters. Kalliben and Beleol lured the monsters one at a time using their long-distance rifles. They approached and Berad and Ralph would defeat them in close combat. That repeated for 20 minutes until all the monsters by the lake were wiped out.
“Hyung-nim, how is it?”
The Royal Guards delightedly looked at Ark. However their faces darkened at Ark’s next words.
“Yes, it seems you don’t need to worry about the monsters here. So I will now explain the task you need to do. Look. This is the area away sector S-20. From now on you will form a channel to connect S-20 to this lake. The width and depth should be a minimum of 3 metres.”
This was why Ark brought the Royal Guards here. In fact, Ark had been unaware that there was a lake and waterfall near S-20. While returning on the Silver Star, he had spotted a lake of considerable size 2 km away from S-20. Then the idea of a fish paste bar production plant floated in his head. Originally Ark was going to have his base in Charem. That’s why he placed the fish bar production plant near Charem. But he needed to modify that plan after making S-20. There were thousands of kilometres between Charem and S-20. Even if the transport ship stopped at S-20, Charem was too far to manage it directly.
‘I should move the food manufacturing plant to the sector……’
However there were two problems with this. The first was customers to sell the product to. There wasn’t anyone to sell it to in S-20 so it didn’t make sense. But now S-20’s population exceeded 2,300 people. If he ran a 24 hour fish paste bar production factory then he could sell 2,880 a day. That was the output if the pioneers only consumed one per day. There would be further sales once the pioneers increased!
The other problem was the food ingredients supply. The ingredients were fish. The production plant required fish. Finding this lake solved that problem. The Royal Guards had already cleared the area so they could check out the lake. It was overflowing with fish because not a lot of pioneers had come here! He could sell the bars made from these fish for 50 copper a piece. That was money in Ark’s eyes.
‘The problem is the monsters around the lake. Jay and the Charenjok have no combat ability. So this place is too dangerous to produce the fish paste bars. However the Royal Guards can’t leave S-20 and reside here forever. There is only one way left……’
That’s right. It was to connect the sector to the lake and lure the fish in the lake. Of course it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. However Ark and his troops were the masters of digging. The Royal Guards spent the last 25 days digging and reached the master level in dig. Naturally the Royal Guards weren’t pleased.
“C-create a channel to S-20 from here?”
“Of course it’s hard. But this is also our sector! Our work is for S-20! Don’t forget that. If you guys sweat while picking up a shovel then you are sweating for S-20’s future. I am deeply grateful for your efforts. You guys completed the hard work in the cave without any complaints and you will also complete this task without any complaints!”
Ark didn’t even them any chance to complain. And then he added.
“If you dislike it then you can continue digging in the lower layer.”
“L-lower layer! That’s right, the bottom layer hasn’t been completely restored.”
“25 days without the sun……”
“Ohh, I don’t want to. If I need to dig then I’d rather do it in a place with sunlight.”
The Royal Guards eventually lifted their shovels. And the construction of the channel stretching 2 km between S-20 and the lake began. Once it started then the construction proceeded rapidly.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
They were people who had mastered shovelling! Rocks and trees were easily dealt with. The spade split the ground and lifted up thick tree roots in one go. While the Royal Guards were creating the channel, Ark starting exploring the area around S-20 with Hegel.
‘The sector population has already increased beyond 2,000 so it will be difficult to collect more users with the dungeon alone. Therefore I have to extend the facilities they can use. A Fairy, supplies and new hunting grounds.’
That’s why he was accompanied by Hegel. Hegel received Scavenger lessons from Heksu so he could find new hunting grounds. If Hegel carefully examined the area around S-20 then he could probably find dungeons or new hunting grounds with lots of loot.
++ Dungeon Information: Nest of the Man-eating Monsters ++
5 km north of S-20.
<Monsters: Caranak (Large, level 100~120)>
++ Hunting Information: Green Plains ++
13 km south of S-20.
<Monsters: Barakun (Medium sized, level 130~150)>
New signposts were built in S-20 with every discovery. Other users wouldn’t disclose information if they found a dungeon or hunting ground. It was to monopolize their prey. However Ark’s purpose was to grow S-20 rather than hunt. If he wanted other pioneers to come to S-20 then he needed to post more information about dungeons and hunting grounds. It was a type of free service! However Ark didn’t disclose the information as soon as he found it. A dungeon was like a treasure chest for users. He didn’t know what type of items would be hidden inside. Naturally Ark released the information after sweeping through the dungeon once. Many of them already had other users visit so he didn’t get any adventure points for it. He was able to gather a steady amount of items from the dungeons.
-Special Synthetic Fibre cloak (Magic)
Item Type: Cloak Wearer Restriction: Level 90
Defense: 20 Durability: 8/50
A cloak that is very handy to use for adventurers. It is able to protect the body from external contaminants. Depending on the situation, it can even be used as a blanket. If you enter the frontier than the cloaks will develop even further and can be used as a defense. This cloak is woven with new synthetic fibres that are resistant to flames and bullets.
<Agility +10, Resistance to bullets +10%, Fire resistance +20%>
-Barakun’s Black Fur x20
Item Type: Ingredient
Some Outland monsters possess biological tissue that is sometimes stronger than materials made with the scientific technology of the 24th century. One of those is the Barakun’s fur. If you upgrade your weapons or armour with this material than you can add resistance to lightning attacks.
“These things ebb and flow.”
In fact, he had been living a stressful life so far. He had to fight on Beltana and Athamas’ battlefields, dig at Mt. Fargo and recently the Abyss of Despair. He had always been chasing after something. Even now he had a lot to do. Marquis Martin gave him the <Dark Omen> quest and the Elim’s Memory the <Investigate the Negative Energy>. He also needed to find clues about the location of the divine artefacts. But right now S-20 came first.
He had to connect the channel and move the fish paste bar production factory. He also needed to gather funds to build facilities so he couldn’t leave S-20. Exploring dungeons and hunting grounds were just incidental. There was no need to rush or chase after something. Therefore Ark could leisurely hunt and collect loot. Of course, he couldn’t forget to supervise the construction of the water channel.
“Only a bit more to go.”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
The Royal Guards had been digging like crazy. The dense forest and rocks couldn’t stop them after their experience in the dungeon. Therefore the job had progressed faster than Ark expected, with 1/3rd completed.
“It should be completed tomorrow or the day after and then I can move the Charenjok and food maker from Charem.”
Ark muttered with a warm expression. Then Mellin’s voice was heard from the Nymphe.
–Ark, are you there? Ark!
“Yes, it’s me. What’s wrong?”
–T-that…..there seems to be some trouble in the sector.
“Some trouble?”
–It is hard to explain. I’ll tell you once you return to the sector.
————————————————————
“What are you saying?”
Ark asked with a stunned expression. The man in a uniform replied in a business like voice.
“Like I said in my introduction, I’m from the central government’s special audit team. I’ve looked around the sector and your management is messed up.”
“Messed up? What do you mean?”
“As you know, all sectors have an obligation to ensure their equipment is in accordance with federation law. The first area is security. The sector administration is obliged to ensure that all stores and guests are safe in this area. But I don’t see any common automatic turrets available around S-20. Furthermore, the barrier……”
The official shook his head as he looked at the fence made of mechanical parts.
“This is what I’m talking about.”
“S-20 has just been designated a sector. The time and money……”
“But the pioneers have paid for a proper sector. Then the administrator is obliged to provide at least the minimum security for your guests. If you can’t provide that then it is a breach of trust.”
“But……”
“That isn’t the only problem.”
The official ignored Ark’s words.
“I investigated and discovered that a landslide just occurred at Mt. Fargo. The inside of the cave collapsed. Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then did you install any disaster prevention facilities?”
“D-disaster prevention facilities?”
“Of course. Didn’t a landslide occur here? In other words, it is highly likely that the same situation could happen again. Doesn’t that require some safety measures? What if it happens again and some pioneers are caught in the landslide? What if they die? If you want to operate the dungeon then shouldn’t it have some basic measures? Furthermore, the sector doesn’t have any sanitary equipment. Ever since Charem happened, all cities and sectors are required by law to have a sanitary facility.”
Why did this dog keep on barking? Of course safety equipment was important. However this was a game. It was the first time he heard about disaster prevention devices needing to be installed in the game. And he was lacking sanitary equipment as well? He just walked in here and started spouting nonsense. But his next words really infuriated Ark.
“The result of my audit has found that S-20 doesn’t meet the standards of a sector. Until the necessary equipment is provided, all operations will be suspended. If you ignore that order and receive new guests then your sector manager’s license may be revoked. If you don’t have the required facilities after 15 days then your license will be cancelled.”
<Audit Command (Sector Quest)>
An official from the government has told you that S-20 had failed an audit. Therefore all business in the sector is cancelled until you install the necessary safety equipment, disaster prevention facilities and sanitary equipment. If these facilities aren’t registered with the central government in a fortnight then your license will be revoked.
Difficulty: –
A quest that he never imagined! If he couldn’t complete it within a month then his sector administrator license would be cancelled. It was like being struck by lightning on a clear day. And that was just the beginning.
“That isn’t the only problem. In fact, something else has occurred while you were out.”
“Another problem has formed?”
“Murders.”
“Eh? M-murder?”
“Yes, since yesterday a large number of pioneers hunting the Thanatos has been murdered.”
“Who on earth is doing it?”
“I don’t know. Those guys use a jamming device to interfere with infrared scopes and communication devices. They kill the pioneers and then run away.”
Mellin sighed and continued.
“That’s why a large number of pioneers are pouring out of the dungeon. If they can’t hunt properly in the dungeon then we’ll have to return the fee they paid us.”
It was like misfortune attracted more bad luck. First there was the audit and now the murders?
‘Why did this happen all of sudden and together……?’
S-20 had been created for a month. There had been minor issues that Rapid addressed so he couldn’t understand why so many problems were occurring simultaneously. He received a clue several hours later.
Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!
Ark was trying to wrap his mind around the successive problems when he heard the noise. A continuous roar was heard next to the sector. Ark headed to the fence and saw that several machines were engaged in large scale construction. It was obstructing the operation to connect the lake to the sector! Ark stared at the scene with stupid eyes.
“Who the hell received permission for this……?”
“What permission?”
Then one of the people in the field walked over. He remembered the person.
“You were from the research centre……”
“I am Bain.”
Bain. He was the director of the Laius research centre when S-20 had been attacked by the Kero previously. Bain laughed at his expression.
“Congratulations on becoming the administrator of S-20. But what gives you the right to meddle in our company? Look at this. Isn’t this S-20’s boundary fence? We are free to do anything to the area beyond the boundary. As you know, even 1 cm out of the sector is designated a free zone. This isn’t your jurisdiction so you have no right to interfere.”
“But I’m proceeding with building a water channel here.”
“Channel? Oh that reminds me, I saw some people with shovels while coming here. Were they building the channel? They seem to be digging quite far away……it is regrettable but they are just digging. We are going to build a research centre here.”
“What?”
“If you have any complaints then bring it up with the Department of Domestic Affairs. Well, it will still be useless.”
Bain said sarcastically.
-This is a construction site for the Laius company.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused by construction noise. Laius is going to build an underpass to Mt. Fargo so all pioneers are welcome to use the dungeon for free.
He placed that sign and leisurely walked away. Laius…..Ark had heard that name from Marquis Martin.
-I’ve received information that Jyubel is secretly in contact with the Laius company regarding S-20. If Jyubel is contacting them regarding S-20 then it probably isn’t good for you. I don’t know what will happen so be careful.
‘…..This was it?’
Ark’s face warped. It hadn’t even been a week since Marquis Martin’s warning and construction work for a Laius research centre began in front of his sector.
‘The purpose of Jyubel and the Laius company……’
S-20! They planned to take S-20 away from Ark. Ark stared at the signpost with a bemused expression before his expression changed.
“Those damn bastards want to play like this huh? Okay, if you want a fight then I’ll give you one. You’re mistaken if you think this much will scare me off. If they come this way then I will smash the minster of domestic affairs or the 4 large companies!”
It was at that moment.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a roaring sound from behind him. Ark reflexively turned and saw a shocking scene. One of the airships from the Laius construction work crashed into the centre of the sector! The large body smashed all the stores in the centre.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 09
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Ark’s 24 Hours
‘This really…..’
Lee Myung-ryong scratched his head. As a brief background, Lee Myung-ryong was the leader of the 1st SWAT team and receive various commendations for solving cases. He was quite famous among criminals. Then there was an event that caused friction with a senior police officer and he was transferred to the cyber investigations team. But Lee Myung-ryong diligently worked heard and used his exception skills to capture an illegal criminal organization operating in a virtual reality game. Currently Lee Myung-ryong was overseeing a cyber investigation team. However his opinion often differed from his superior Cho Young-hwan.
“What are you thinking?”
Cho Young-hwan yelled as soon as Lee Myung-ryong entered his office
“Ah really. Why does your face look like this in the morning? Are you fighting with sister-in-law again? That’s not good. You can’t reprimand your subordinates just because your home life isn’t good.”
“Don’t talk and sit down. What did you do?”
“What did I do? Working hard?”
“Are you really going to act like this?”
“What do you mean? Am I a psychic? How can I answer when I don’t even know what you’re talking about? I don’t know.”
Lee Myung-ryong pouted like a child and said. Cho Young-hwan frowned as he looked at Lee Myung-ryong and sighed.
“The NIS called.”
“The NIS? For me? Why?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know! You, are you really not hiding something from me? If you know then confess now. Do you think it is common for the NIS to call the police? If I don’t know then how can I deal with it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why is the NIS calling for you all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know.”
Lee Myung-ryong replied in a disinterested voice. But he was reminded of something. A month ago he had received a request from Gwon Hwa-rang. The land in the Taek Mountains where a new town construction had been planned suddenly had its price plunged. Gwon Hwa-rang found that powerful politicians and tycoons were behind it and asked Lee Myung-ryong to investigate. Lee Myung-ryong had quietly asked some colleagues for help and now he received a call from the NIS. This couldn’t be a coincidence. The NIS was a powerful organization. This call was obviously related to that work.
‘First they roll over a civilian and now they’re planning to do it to a police officer? There seems to be something smelly. I want to hear what they have to say.’
Lee Myung-ryong headed to the NIS. He explained his request to a guide and a man appeared.
“Are you Lee Myung-ryong from the Gangnam cyber investigations team? I am the assistant manager Kang Ho-cheol. My supervisor is Chief Moon Ji-hun. But the Chief was called to an emergency meeting just now. It will take some time.”
“You want me to wait until then?”
“I’m sorry. The matter is……”
Unlike his words, there was no sign of an apology on Kang Ho-cheol’s face. It wasn’t anything new. The NIS investigated cases related to national security and separate investigations. Therefore the NIS tended to consist of elites that looked down on the police.
‘It isn’t anything new but……’
He didn’t like being treated like this. Kang Ho-cheol noticed his unpleasant expression and started to talk again.
“Is this your first visit to the NIS?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will give you a tour of the facilities. You will be spending a lot of time here so you should get to know this place better. This was the Chief’s instructions.”
“Spending a lot of time here? What do you mean?”
“The Chief will explain the details. Follow me.”
‘These bastards, what mischief are they plotting?’
But Lee Myung-ryong didn’t worry about it too deeply. The answer wouldn’t appear even if he thought about it so he would just take it step by step. He would meet that guy called Chief Moon. And he would see what the NIS wanted. That was Lee Myung-ryong’s way. Just as Lee Myung-ryong was thinking this.
“I heard that you’ve mastered taekwondo. Are you still training?”
“Yes, well……”
“Then you must be interested in the sport facilities.
“Yes, well……”
“That’s great. The Chief instructed me to show you around but aren’t all government offices the same? This is the dining room. Meat dishes will be served three times a week. These are the lodgings. The cushion beds are okay? And this is the gym.”
Lee Myung-ryong was shown around but he had no interest in things like offices. But he was interested in the gym. The NIS was a place where Korea’s elites gathered. He was curious about the martial arts ability of the NIS employees. But Lee Myung-ryong was disappointed when he arrived at the gym. It might have state of the art equipment that was better than the police department’s but there was no one there exercising. Then Kang Ho-cheol sent him a coy look.
“Do you want to try it?”
“Yes, well……eh?” Huh?”
“Actually I asked Chief Moon about your history. You’re now in the cyber investigations team but you used to be the leader of the 1st SWAT team. Doesn’t that mean you’re one of the best at fighting? Isn’t it uncommon to meet a person like that? I want to be taught martial arts from someone famous like you. It will also kill some time. How about it?”
“No, I’m not that great……”
Lee Myung-ryong said with a frustrated expression. In fact, Lee Myung-ryong was someone who liked sparring. That’s why he operated until the belief that ‘they’re a criminal so it is possible to beat them up.’ But he had spent the last year in a virtual reality game. Well he could fight in the virtual reality game so he had no complaints.
‘However it is different from an actual fight!’
The employees of the NIS were the best in the nation. Yet he suddenly had this request sprung on him!
“It’s fine if it is just a light spar.”
“Thank you.”
And 10 minutes later. The leader of a cyber investigation team and an employee of the NIS stood facing each other in the gym wearing sparring uniforms.
“Now, I’ll start first.”
Kang Ho-cheol was the one who moved first. He did a sharp, front kick as soon as his words ended. Lee Myung-ryong could measure his opponent’s skill with just that kick. He could see that there was a solid base. However there was no threatening feeling. Kang Ho-cheol wasn’t lacking in ability. This spar was strictly to gauge each other’s skills. It wasn’t an actual fight so there was no tension and they adjusted their power not to injure his opponent. Despite that, it was possible for Lee Myung-ryong to grasp the ability of Kang Ho-cheol.
‘He has considerable skills. A criminal won’t be a match for him. This is a light spar but I can’t be careless or else I will humiliate myself.’
The situation suddenly changed. Lee Myung-ryong had been blocking Kang Ho-cheol. Suddenly Kang Ho-cheol stretched out his arm and elbowed Lee Myung-ryong in the forehead. An elbow attack was dangerous so they were banned in mixed martial arts fights. He never imagined that elbows would be used in a spar. He hastily retreated from the attack and touched his forehead with his hand. The area grazed by the elbow was red.
“Hik! I-I’m sorry. That reminds me, wasn’t this a light taekwondo spar? The martial arts taught at the NIS is a little different from that of the police. The NIS’ special missions often turn violent so we learn taekwondo that is more on the radical side. It is a habit to use my elbow. Did you get hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt but……”
“I’m glad. Maybe it is better to stop the spar now. Like I said, the martial arts I learn is a little extreme. I’m being cautious but if I make another mistake and injure you then I’ll be in trouble.”
‘Aha! So it is something like this.’
An ‘!’ popped into Lee Myung-ryong’s head. Kang Ho-cheol told him to wait several hours then suddenly wanted to spar. It was clearly some type of mischief that Moon Ji-hun put him up to. Perhaps Moon Ji-hun called him in because he sensed that Lee Myung-ryong was prying into the politicians and tycoons. And the NIS was trying to scare a simple police officer. However, the opponent was Lee Myung-ryong. The NIS probably investigated Lee Myung-ryong’s background. He had a reputation as a loud and stupid detective and he clashed with a previous police chief. A man like that wouldn’t retreat so easily. So they probably planned to beat down Lee Myung-ryong with the spar.
‘Does the NIS think that lightly of the police?’
In fact, this was a system that Lee Myung-ryong often used. He would just method to train a rookie detective. Therefore Lee Myung-ryong knew what Kang Ho-cheol was planning.
‘So you want to die?’
A shallow smile spread on Lee Myung-ryong’s face. Then a man watching from a corner of the gym on the second floor also smiled.
“As expected.”
The man muttering in a low voice was Moon Ji-hun. Lee Myung-ryong’s guess was almost the right answer. In fact, Mon Ji-hun brought him to the NIS for a different reason. Not long ago Moon Ji-hun received an order from the Emergency Planning Department about incorporating some special advisors. The NIS was in a position where he had to accept a mere policeman as an advisor. This was humiliating for Moon Ji-hun. However Lee Myung-ryong’s admission had already been decided by the ‘top.’ He had to accept it.
‘But it is different if the person concerned is involved in an accident. For example, a situation where he needs two month administrative leave to recover from injuries obtained in a spar.’
And Kang Ho-cheol had the skills to cause such an accident. He introduced himself as Moon Ji-hun’s assistant but his actual title was the NIS field agent’s martial arts instructor. Lee Myung-ryong might know martial arts but he would be no match. The problem was whether he accepted the spar. Lee Myung-ryong might back down if he became too scared.
‘Well, it’s not that bad. Someone like that can’t join the Lucifer Hunting team. But it looks like there was no need to worry. I know guys like Lee Myung-ryong. His ego just needs to be poked and……’
“Aren’t these accidents common in sparring? I can’t be a police officer if I’m scared of this much.”
“You want to continue?”
“Of course.”
“You might really get hurt……”
“I don’t mind. Isn’t this a spar?”
Lee Myung-ryong shook out his arms and legs and replied.
‘Of course he would continue.’
Moon Ji-hun smiled as he looked over the two of them. His answer was expected. However Moon Ji-hun had overlooked one important thing. It was……
“No, I won’t go easy on you. Isn’t it good if we both don’t have to hold back? Let’s give it everything we’ve got even if there are injuries.”
His name was Lee Myung-ryong. He was the best and worst policeman in Korea.
———————————————
“Give me an answer!”
The square in front of S-20’s administrative office. Hundreds of people swarmed and created a nasty atmosphere.
“My shop was completely smashed by the airship. The equipment in my trailer has been turned to scrap iron. How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
“We are aware of the situation and the damage. Please calm down a bit……”
“How do you expect us to calm down?”
“The smashed trailer is my entire fortune!”
“I paid taxes to trade in this sector so I expect a guarantee of safety. The administrator is obliged to protect my property. Does it make sense that you’re pretending ignorance?”
The merchants cried out in upset voices. The reason for their resentment was the airship crash that occurred a few hours ago. An airship had crashed into the middle of S-20 out of the blue! Two stores in the centre were completely smashed while the four surrounding stores were affected as well. It was impossible for the store owners to not be upset. They weren’t the only ones complaining.
“How are you going to handle the PK?”
“We’re similar to the merchants. We paid money to enter the dungeons. Now we can’t even hunt the monsters in the dungeon without being affected by PKing? If there is going to be PK then reduce the sector and dungeon fee!”
“Our party had to pay 3 gold to access the dungeon. Yet we were killed after 30 minutes!”
“Is anything installed in the dungeon to prevent chaotic people?”
“Either install it straight away or refund my fee!”
They were victims of successive PKing occurring in the dungeon. Mellin and Hegel tried to calm them down but the complaints showed no signs of declining. More victims of the incidents kept on showing up. And they hadn’t taken any measures to prevent it. They couldn’t properly respond to the complaints so the victims became even more furious. And just as they were on the verge of an explosion!
Woong woong woong!
There was a storm in the calm sky. Clouds scatted because of an unseen force and one spaceship appeared. The sleek, streamlined body reflecting light like a mirror was the Silver Star!
“H-he came!”
“Hyung-nim is back!”
Mellin and Hegel’s expression brightened. They ran to the Silver Star and bombarded Ark with questions.
“Ark, yes, how did things go?”
“Is there another answer?”
But Ark didn’t answer. Ark’s eyes turned towards the people gathered in front of the office. He could tell why they were there just because of his expression. They were the disgruntled people who were injured in the series of incidents. One guy headed towards Ark and said.
“You came Ark-nim! We…..”
Ark raised his hand and nodded.
“I know what you’re about to say. As the administrator of S-20, I want to apologize to all victims affected by the incidents.”
“That isn’t what we want to hear!”
“Yes, we…..”
“I already know. Compensation.”
Ark once again interrupted their words.
“I’ve taken that into account. But as you know, it has been less than a day since the incidents occurred. I need time to understand the sequence of events. Therefore I need time to prepare countermeasures.”
“But……”
“Instead I will promise one thing.”
Ark gave the pioneers a serious look and said.
“S-20 is my sector. If you have suffered from incidents in S-20 then of course I will take responsibility. I have no intention of evading that responsibility. I swear you will be compensated for any damage. In the worst case I’ll even sell S-20!”
“Hyung-nim!”
Mellin and Hegel exclaimed with surprise. But Ark just lifted an eyebrow and continued speaking.
“Once again, I am the administrator of S-20. I’m not going to flee. Like I said, I’ll be happy to provide compensation. So please believe in me for a few days.”
“Well, if you say so……”
The gathered pioneers scratched their heads. It was hard to keep being furious with Ark’s promise of compensation.
“I’ll say one thing. The incident with the airship and PKing wasn’t Ark-nim’s fault. But Ark-nim is the sector administrator and you’ve received the most damage. Now you’re shouldering the responsibility and promising compensation as well? In this situation we shouldn’t put too much pressure on Ark.”
“I also have the same idea.”
They were his acquaintances Shein and Kuma.
“Me too. My trailer has already been damaged by the airship crash so what else can I do? The administrator promised to shoulder responsibility so I’ll wait a bit more.”
The NPC merchant Gid also helped out with his words. The pioneers making complaints started dispersing. The Royal Guards sighed with relief and looked at Ark.
“Phew. Now I can breathe for a bit.”
“Hyung-nim came back just in time.”
“Yes, the atmosphere seemed like they were going to riot.”
The Royal Guards’ expression became lighter as they talked. But Ark didn’t answer. Ark sat at the desk with a heavy expression and asked Mellin.
“Has Rapid come back yet?”
“No, I have not seen him.”
“This is……”
Ark murmured with a sigh. Mellin noticed Ark’s attitude and asked in a concerned voice.
“It didn’t go well?”
Ark silently nodded. Once again, Marquis Jyubel and the Laius company were behind the events in S-20. Multiple events occurred simultaneously so the first person who popped into Ark’s head was Marquis Martin.
-Those damn bastards want to play like this huh? Okay, if you want a fight then I’ll give you one. You’re mistaken if you think this much will scare me off. If they come this way then I will smash the minster of domestic affairs or the 4 large companies!
That’s what he said but…..
-The sudden command to install facilities by the central government.
-The continuous PK cases in Mt. Fargo that occurred a few days ago.
-The channel linking the lake and centre being block by the research centre being built.
-The Laius group drilling a tunnel to the dungeon and not charging any fees.
-A airship damaging 4 stores with a crash.
Incidents occurred one after another! Ark was honestly confused about how to clean it all up. Furthermore his opponents were the minister of Domestic Affairs and one of the largest companies on Istana. There was no guarantee what else they might’ve planned.
‘I have to mobilize all the means available to me!’
So Ark went straight to Marquis Martin……
———————————————
“I already know.”
Martin Marquis said as soon as he saw Ark.
“I’ve received a report about S-20 from my adjutant. I knew Jyubel and the Laius company would cause trouble one day but I didn’t expect it would turn out like this.”
“Is there a way to resolve it?”
“To tell you the truth……”
Marquis Martin paused and sighed before continuing.
“Right now there is nothing I can do to help the situation.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes, the auditor’s words were true. The incident in Charem was caused by an unidentified virus that cause Sufferers and the Parliament received a report about the bio hazard risks. In order to prevent the recurrence of an incident like this, a bill was created that required disaster prevention facilities to be installed in all cities and sectors. That bill was approved by Parliament a few days ago. It isn’t just S-20 but all sectors in Istana who have to comply. I can’t give S-20 preferential treatment in a situation like this.”
Ark felt breathless as his jaw dropped. Right now S-20 had several problems but the most important one was the <Audit Command> quest. The other problems were simply damage inflicted to S-20 but if he couldn’t complete the <Audit Command> quest in the time period then he would lose his administrator license. Then the solution was simple.
If he installed the security, disaster prevention and sanitary facilities then it would be okay. But like always, the problem was money. Safety equipment were things like a shield or automatic turrets surrounding the sector. After receiving the audit command, Tori did some calculations and the amount required to install those facilities was at least 20,000 gold! Combined with the disaster and sanitary equipment, that was a total of 30,000 gold! Ark didn’t have that kind of money.
‘But……’
There was a way to obtain some money. The airship that crashed into S-20. Two stores in the centre were completely smashed while the four surrounding stores were affected as well. The airship had the mark of the Laius company on it! Therefore Ark had the right to ask for compensation from Laius.
‘The scale of damage isn’t small so I can receive a considerable amount of compensation. I can use the compensation to pay for the facilities and avoid disaster. I’m sorry for the merchants who received damage but my priority is to protect the sector. I can pay the merchants interest until the sector has stabilized.’
This was the reason Ark came to visit Marquis Martin. He received the <Audit Command> quest. And Marquis Martin was a high ranking noble. He hadn’t expected him to cancel the quest. However the compensation was a different matter. The Laius company was aiming for S-20. Whether the crash incident was accidental or not, he could ask for compensation. He wanted to receive the compensation so he could complete the <Audit Command> quest in time. Marquis Martin could make that happen.
…..That’s what he thought.
“I can’t do that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really think the airship crash occurred by accident?”
“Is it important whether it was an accident or not?”
“No, it is very important.”
Marquis Martin clicked his tongue and continued talking.
“Have you considered that the Laius group deliberately caused the accident?”
“You mean……?”
“According to my research, the Laius group had reported that airship stolen a few days ago. It is clear that the airship belongs to the Laius group. But all of their airships are covered by insurance. Therefore all damages caused by the airship must occur through the insurance company.”
“Won’t I still receive a compensation?”
“Maybe someday.”
“Someday?”
“The insurance company has raised an objection to this accident. The airship that crashed into S-20 was just about to be disposed of. Therefore the insurance company believes the thief deliberately stole it for the insurance payout and won’t give the payout until their investigation ends. And the Laius company accepted it.”
“That…….
“All of Laius’ airships are insured with the Trial insurance company. And Trial was a subsidiary of Laius a few years ago. Do I need to explain more?”
From the beginning it was all planned out. Reporting it as stolen, the crash and the postponement of the insurance payout. And the postponed payouts included S-20’s compensation. It was clear when looking at the situation. Trial intended to quarrel with the Laius company over the insurance payout. This would last until Ark was stripped of the administrator position.
“You know……”
“Yes, this isn’t a problem that Marquis Martin can solve.”
“The same goes for your other problems. The federation has an obligation to protect the sector. You manage the dungeon but the dungeon isn’t technically part of your sector. So the federal army can’t intervene if the murderers are going around in the dungeon. And the Laius group is constructing outside the sector so legally there isn’t a problem.”
In the end he wasn’t able to give any help. Marquis Martin was the military advisor and a powerful noble in the federation. But he wasn’t capable of everything. Especially since Jyubel had an equal status with him. Marquis Jyubel was the minister of Domestic Affairs. He had a stronger influence on domestic affairs while Marquis Martin had more influence in military matters.
“Ark.”
Then Martin Marquis spoke again.
“I’ve helped you several times. Perhaps Jyubel didn’t like that which is why he is acting this time. That’s why I can’t do anything. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
———————————————
“He expects you to understand while we’re dying?”
Berad became furious after hearing Ark’s explanation.
“In the end he is just pretending ignorance!”
“This is why we shouldn’t believe in the nobility. Dammit! Didn’t we go back to the battlefield because he needed us?”
“Next time I’ll smash his head in!”
The Royal Guards exclaimed in rough voices.
“That’s not what he means.”
Ark shook his head.
“It’s not that Marquis Martin won’t help. He can’t help.”
“Eh? What’s that? That’s the same thing.”
“It is very different.”
Ark replied in a calm voice. In the end Marquis Martin couldn’t help so visiting him was pointless. But he could regain his calm because of his conversation with the Marquis. Ark had been in an excited state when visiting him. The <Audit Command> had been followed by one incident after another. He knew that Jyubel and the Laius group were aiming for S-20 so he had no choice but to be worked up. Therefore he couldn’t see the situation correctly. Marquis Martin calmed him down.
“Jyubel and the Laius group planned this. They wouldn’t leave such an easy loophole It was stupid to expect a reward from the airship crash. But Marquis Martin did help in some way. I couldn’t receive help from him but I could figure out the situation.”
Needless to say, the Laius company’s purpose was S-20. However Jyubel’s purpose wasn’t S-20. Why would the minister of domestic affairs care about an underdeveloped sector? He might be helping the Laius company but that isn’t his purpose. Jyubel’s target was Marquis Martin. That’s why Marquis Martin stressed that he couldn’t get involved. He had prepared a small trap for Marquis Martin and now he was in a corner. This was the reason Marquis Martin couldn’t help. If he interfered then Jyubel might make things even worse. Mellin shook his head and sighed again at Ark’s explanation.
“In the end we’re like shrimps caught in a war between whales.”
It was an accurate representation. That was Ark’s current situation.
“But I’m not a shrimp.”
Ark raised his head after a moment and said.
“I’m not going to give up until the end.”
“What do you mean? Did you find a way?”
“Then did you want to give up?”
“No, that’s not…..thousands of gold is needed in order to install those facilities. There is also a time limit so we need to start construction immediately. How are we going to get that type of money?”
“However we can’t give up!”
Berad struck the desk and stood up. The other members also got up and shouted.
“Yes! S-20 is our land! This is the land that Hyung-nim obtained after becoming bloody on the battlefield! Why do we have to give up such a land?”
“That’s right! Besides, we haven’t seen the sun for a month because we were digging! I’m not going to give it to someone else! There is no way!”
“I would rather carry a bomb to plunge into that research centre!”
“That would be a problem.”
Ark said with a smile.
“The sector’s only hope is that research centre.”
“The research centre? What do you mean?”
Mellin asked with confusion at the mention of the research centre. If he could explain, most facilities were moved inside blocks that could be easily assembled. As long as there was sufficient equipment and manpower, the building could be completed in a few days. If Laius poured a considerable amount of money into it then it could be completed in one day.Near the sector office was a state of the art research centre with the latest facilities.
“What is the Laius company’s purpose?”
“Isn’t it S-20?”
“Indeed.”
Ark then shouted to Tori.
“Tori, can you confirm what type of facilities are in that building?”
“Huh? Yes! I just need to look at the connected blocks and I can determine it. I can’t see any high performance antennas but there are built in automatic turrets and a shield generator. Doesn’t it seem more like a fortress than a laboratory?”
“That’s more solid evidence.”
Ark grinned and nodded.
“In other words those facilities are being stored in the research centre. It is like that. They might’ve created that building to pressure us but it isn’t the only reason. Perhaps the real purpose of that building is sector management. They intend to use that building for management when they drive us out of S-20. Now, that raises one question. Why would they make the management office right outside the sector boundary?”
“B-because they can’t build inside the sector……”
“Then what if they obtain sector S-20?”
“Then……”
Mellin lifted his head with a dumbstruck expression. He had finally reached the same conclusion as Ark.
“Extension.”
That word fell from Mellin’s mouth. Ark manipulated his Nymphe and the information window floated in the air.
<Public facilities able to be installed in a level 1 sector>
Extension (5,000 G): Extend the range of the sector by 1 square kilometres.
Fairy (3,000 G): A Fairy can be installed for pioneers to resurrect at.
Exclusive Route (2,000 G): The sector can be added to the transport route that the federation operates.
Relay Antenna (1,000 G): A large volume relay antenna can be installed in the sector. When the antenna is installed, it is possible to make contact with other cities on Istana and users can receive mail from other colleagues.
It was the information window stating all the public facilities that could be installed in a sector! Originally Ark had been trying to install the Fairy and exclusive route in S-20. But what was the use if his administrator license flew away? He had forgotten about the public facilities after all the incidents until the conversation about insurance with Marquis Martin.
“The administrator of S-20 is still me.”
Ark said with a smile.
“I can give permission to expand the sector.”
If Ark extended the boundaries of the sector then the laboratory right next to the boundary would be included in the sector’s sphere of influence. This didn’t mean that the research centre would belong to Ark. But it didn’t matter who owned the research centre. The important thing was that a building equipped with all the facilities required by the auditor was within S-20.
“But if those guys destroy the institute……”
“Who will let them?”
Ark said with a smirk.
“That building might belong to Laius but it will be in my area of administration. They can’t do anything without my permission once the extension happens. The ground that building is on will belong to me. I can forcefully evict anyone who build on my land without permission or they will have to pay me a building permit.”
Marquis Martin had already given Ark legal advice about this. The result was no problem!
‘This is it! An eye for an eye! Law against law!’
This was the solution Ark came up with to reverse the situation.
“Two conditions are required for this plan to be successful. One is to raise the funds required for extension and the other is to complete the extension without them noticing. If they know then they might demolish the building before we collect the funds needed for the extension.”
“I see what you mean.”
“Tomorrow I will be eligible to apply for public facilities. I have to secure the funds before then.”
The necessary funds was 5,000 gold. That was far less than the amount required to equip security and sanitary facilities. But that didn’t mean it was easy to gather.
‘I don’t have good news……’
He had been saving money to apply for a Fairy and exclusive route. Despite collecting the proceeds from the sector, Ark only had 1,000 gold. However Ark had tons of expensive metal parts from Amara. The Royal Guards also obtained a significant amount of gallstones from spending one month in the dungeon. And in the last few days, Ark had been wandering the dungeons and collecting loot!
‘There’s no time left. I have to sell everything I can!’
But he couldn’t sell at S-20. Ark’s plan would be wasted if Bain noticed. Furthermore, S-20 contained lots of gallstones. It would be hard to get a good price for the gallstones if he sold it here. Therefore Ark flew to Charem using the Silver Star to dispose of the goods. It wasn’t easy to dispose of the goods for an expensive price in a limited amount of time. He ran around the stores trying to haggle for even 1 more copper. Thanks to that, Ark sold all the items for a high price than he imagined and gathered 4,500 gold. Yet he was still lacking 500 gold.
‘I can’t sell anything else. But……’
Ark still had one place where he could gain money. It was the octopuses’ food production factory right next to Charem! When it was created then the profits for one day was 14 gold and 40 silver. But now the revenue had gone above 20 gold a day. While Ark was absent, Jay mix the fish paste bar with various spices to develop premium goods. The profit increased by 50%. So the money earned in a fortnight since last month was 900 gold! Ark would receive 30% of the income so that was 270 gold.
–Of course we will help you in such a matter!
Bakum handed over the money gathered in the meantime after hearing Ark’s circumstances. His total was 5,400 gold! Finally he reached his goal.
“Thank you. I will pay back this money as soon as the situation in the sector is cleaned up. Jay, good work. I don’t have time for a detailed explanation right now but I’ll come back.”
Ark headed straight to S-20 again. And he was sure of his victory when he landed in S-20’s airfield.
Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!
The Laius company was still constructing its building. Bain hadn’t noticed Ark’s plan. Now the time remaining before he could apply for a public facility was 30 minutes. They couldn’t demolish the lab in 30 minutes even if they noticed! If he could apply for a sector extension after 30 minutes then all his problems would be resolved.
‘That’s it. This time I won!’
Ark gave a smile of satisfaction as he looked at the research centre.
“Why, are you envious?”
One man approached from the other side of the fence. He was Bain, the director sent by the Laius company. Bain just laughed and began to talk.
“I heard that Ark-nim has a lot of complex issues in your sector these days.”
“Thanks to you.”
“I don’t know what you mean. Haven’t you discovered it already? The airship that crashed has the Laius logo but it was stolen a while ago. I was surprised myself to see it crash into S-20. Well, I’m sure I wasn’t as surprised as Ark-nim. The Laius company is personally investigating it. I heard the insurance company might endlessly delay the insurance payments so will you be able to endure the merchants’ complaints?”
“Is that a problem for you to worry about?”
“That might be so but…..”
Bain laughed and continued.
“Why don’t you give up and return to the city?”
“What?”
“The equipment you need to satisfy the central government costs tens of thousands of gold. I’ve seen you flying off in the airship to try and gather money but I don’t think Ark-nim can gain this type of money in a fortnight. In the end Ark-nim will just become penniless. So I’ll make a proposal. Ark-nim already knows what the Laius company desires. So let’s not waste time and put this in order. It won’t end up good for Ark-nim if you endure. If you transfer the rights to the sector to us then we will pay you 1,000 gold.”
“Do you think I’ll accept a suggestion like that?”
“Aren’t you going to regret it?”
“Let’s see? In the future I know who will regret it.”
Ark replied to Bain.
“Ark, it is a big deal!”
A voice screamed from behind him. He looked back and saw Mellin running with a frantic face.
“The murders! Murders in the dungeon! This time there are hundreds of incidents! Right now the dungeon is a sea of blood! There is an outpouring of complaints by the pioneers! And hundreds of pioneers have left the sector!”
“W-what?”
Ark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. So far only 3~4 people had been PKed in the dungeon at a time. That was equivalent to one party. Therefore Ark thought that the Laius company had hired several pioneers to infiltrate and commit PK. But suddenly hundreds of people were struck at once? That meant there were several times the number of assassins hiding in the dungeon. It meant the other assassins had been hiding. So far only occasional parties had been struck by PK. The rest had been hiding. Now those guys all revealed themselves and murdered hundreds of people at once.
‘Don’t tell me?’
Ark hurriedly manipulated his Nymphe. And his heart fell as he saw the sector management window.
-The current population had fallen below 2000!
You need to keep the population at more than 2,000 for a week in order to apply for public facilities. If you gather the population again then you need to maintain it for another week.
“U-unbelievable!”
Those guys had been aiming for this! S-20’s population had steadily increased to over 2,500. Even with all the incidents, the population had stayed at 2,300 people. Therefore Ark hadn’t worried about the population. The population had only decreased a little bit so he didn’t think it would fall beneath 2,000 in one day. That was a trap. Those guys were ready to decrease the population to less than 2,000 at any time. And they had waited for him. In other words…..
“You!”
Ark turned and shouted. Bain just laughed and said.
“Heh, you’ve finally grasped the situation. I said you would be sorry if you didn’t accept my advice. The Laius company has managed more than 10 sectors on Istana. Do you think we wouldn’t have expected Ark-nim’s plan?”
“You…..!”
“There will be a problem if you continue being difficult. I’ll simply say this. I don’t have any relationship with those murderers. But who knows what will happen in the future. The murders of pioneers in the dungeon will probably continue. So it will be difficult for you to increase the population. Ark-nim’s plan has no possibility of working.”
Bain paused and continued.
“Now it is impossible to buy this sector for 1,000 gold. My offer is 500 gold. If you’re smart then you will decide quickly. The value will continue to go down……”
Space 2
The Best Hunting Ground
“Hah……”
Ark sighed. He had been on the verge of applying for an extension when there was a mass case of PK! This unprecedented event was definitely a fatal blow to Ark. So far he had identified the death toll at 230 people! But the problem wasn’t the deaths. The incident happened in just 30 minutes. The fact that there were 230 deaths in such a short time meant that the Laius company had a minimum of 100 people hidden in the dungeon. They also had to have considerable levels and skills to PK the users hunting in Mt. Fargo. More than 100 chaotic people had infested the dungeon.
“Damn, how can we hunt in a place like this?”
“Does it make sense to pay for a dungeon infested with chaotic people?”
“Isn’t the sector manager going to solve this problem?”
“Allowing chaotic people in the first place is inconceivable!”
The users’ complaints were directed at Ark. Strictly speaking, it was Ark’s responsibility. There were ways to hide an identity in Galaxian. There were even items that make noise to prevent the opponent from figuring out their personal information. If the Hyde Helmet was used then even the appearance could be changed. Therefore most cities and sectors had devices installed at the entrance to detect those types of items and skills like ‘stealth.’ But Ark was poor.
He had been saving all his money to install the Fairy and exclusive route. But that meant he couldn’t install the search device. The boundary of S-20 was only marked with a fence and rubble. In addition, Ark only had 10 people to maintain the boundary. If someone wanted to sneak in then it was easy. The auditor was correct when he pointed out that S-20’s security was low. He didn’t even have the minimal amount of equipment to stop a situation.
‘Those guys aren’t hiding in that way……’
Even if there were no security facilities, there were the eyes of many pioneers in the dungeon. There had to be a way to hide 100 chaotic people in the dungeon. Perhaps they were in a normal state before entering the dungeon. In any case, the damage was huge. Many users in the same party had died. If they were normal before PKing then there would be no way to filter them out even if he had search devices. But that wasn’t an excuse. He couldn’t avoid receiving the blame so he took the dungeon entrance fees.
‘It’s fine if they blame me. The problem is that there is no way to resolve this situation.’
This was the reason for Ark’s sigh. Usually a sector would request intervention from the federation in cases like this. However the range of S-20 was up to the entrance of the dungeon. They had to pass through S-20 to do to the dungeon so the users paid a separate admission fee. But the dungeon itself wasn’t owned by Ark. In other words, it was no different from the Outlands. That’s why he couldn’t stop Bain from drilling a tunnel to the dungeon even though he was advertising it for free.
“We’ll handle this!”
At that moment Berad stood up and shouted. Ralph and Kalliben also followed him.
“Yes! We’ve sweated blood digging in the dungeon. I can’t just let those vile henchmen steal all our hard work!”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Mellin jumped in with a frustrated expression.
“You’ve spent a month there so you know how big and complex the dungeon is. How can 10 people find all those guys? You need to find a minimum of 100 people. If we enter then they will systematically deal with us. We’ll just be surrounded by them in the dungeon and get wiped out.”
“I’m not afraid of death!”
“Yes, what does it matter if we die once or twice?”
Mellin sighed and shook his head.
“That way won’t solve anything.”
Mellin’s words were correct. In fact, not all the users had been scared off by the PK case. Users like Ciel and Kuma who fought with Ark weren’t put off by it. But that was only dozens of people. There were over 100 chaotic people and he wasn’t even sure of the number but he wouldn’t have enough to deal with all of them. He had to admit it. Mt. Fargo’s dungeon had been seized by Laius. And……
*Sector Management Information Window*
Sector Code: S-20 Sector Rating: Lv. 1
Sector Range: 1 kilometre around the entrance of Mt. Fargo.
Sector Manager: Ark (Agent: Dark Eden)
Number of Stores: 12 (7 Duty-free shops, 55% tax of the income)
<Notice: 2 shops destroyed and 4 damaged and business is stopped until the damage is compensated>
Population: 1,180
Sector Assets: 4,374 gold
“Hah……”
He sighed over and over again.
“Why did something like that happen? There’s no Fairy here so all the experience gathered from the past few days just flew away! No matter how precious the gallstones is from the Thanatos, it isn’t worth the risk and anxiety.”
“Refund our entry fee!”
“Yes, I won’t be hunting here anymore!”
A large number of pioneers requested a refund since the PK incident. 1,000 people had left the sector. And Ark was forced to refund the 1 gold dungeon admission fee. However now money wasn’t the problem.
‘There are 13 days left for the audit command. Currently the only way to complete the quest is to expand the sector.’
The condition was that the population of 2,000 needed to be maintained for a week. In other words, he needed to attract back the pioneers and maintain it for at least 6 days. However the population couldn’t increase when the dungeon was basically closed. There were other hunting grounds around S-20 but that would only attract users for a short period of time. And there were other sectors in the Outlands. There was also no guarantee that the PK wouldn’t happen again. No, he was sure it would!
‘There is only one way to solve this situation.’
Ark would also hire pioneers like the Laius company! He could hire mercenaries to sweep through the dungeon. That would also fill up the population so it was killing two birds with one stone.
‘The problem is funding. It would cost quite a few gold to handle the chaotic people in the dungeon. A minimum of 100 people is necessary. Employing users in that method would require thousands of gold. My remaining 4,374 gold might not be enough.’
It would be useless even if he hired the mercenaries. He wouldn’t have the money to expand the sector as planned. He would fail the audit command!
‘No, there has to be some way! I can’t give up S-20 like this! I have to defend it! Chaotic…..if only I could pull out those damn chaotic bastards…..but the dungeon is outside my sector and they’re trapped in there……’
It was at that moment. A lightning bolt flashed through Ark’s head.
“Yes, that’s right! I’ve misjudged the situation! Pioneers aren’t entering the dungeon because of the chaotic PKers. So I thought they seized the dungeon but it is actually the opposite.”
“The opposite? What are you saying?”
The Royal Guards were bewildered by Ark’s words.
“Even if they infiltrated the dungeon in the normal state, they’ve all become chaotic once they killed the pioneers. They won’t be able to leave the dungeon in that state. Many pioneers left but there are still more than 1,000 users in the sector. If they exit in a chaotic state then they would only be committing suicide. No matter how level they are, they won’t be able to deal with all the users in the sector. If they enter the sector then that will also give the federation the chance to intervene. The Laius group knows of the relationship between Marquis Martin and me so they won’t take that risk. So those guys are trapped in the dungeon.”
“Eh……”
The Royal Guards thought furiously. Their expressions were asking why if mattered if they were locked up. But this difference was great for Ark.
‘Yes, I don’t need to have complicated thoughts!’
Ark ignored the members’ ‘?’ and looked around. The man wiping the Silver Star caught his eye. His name was Kurakan. He had kept on challenging Rapid while Ark was away and eventually won. However Ark got annoyed and beat him in a duel, sentencing him to serve the sector for a week. Honestly Ark hadn’t expected Kurakan to keep his promise. Ark thought he would run off as soon as possible. However Kurakan had been obediently fulfilling his service time in S-20 with chores. In Kurakan’s words……
“So far I’ve duelled with hundreds of users and I’ve never lost. Dying is not the same as losing. Ark is the only one who I admitted defeat to. So I will keep the promise. It isn’t because Ark-nim knows my recognition code. I will look extremely cowardly if I run away. I can’t become Ark’s student if I commit such a cowardly act.”
“Student?”
“I intend to be a disciple that is like your subordinate.”
Kurakan snorted and struck his chest.
“When I started Galaxian I vowed to defeat 1,000 users. I won a duel with more than 500 users until I was beaten by Ark.”
He could guess how Kurakan won. He kept on challenging Rapid until he couldn’t rest and became sick. Well that was until he met Ark.
“But if I lost before 1,000 wins then that person would become my Hyung-nim. That is Ark-nim. You’re the only person in Galaxian who won against me.”
He couldn’t agree that Kurakan won against the other users but……
“Okay. I’ll see what you do from now on and I will decide.”
Ark agreed that Kurakan would be a candidate to become his subordinate for the moment. His level and equipment weren’t that great but he was persistent in applying for the duel. That’s how he eventually managed to win against Kurakan. He could probably make use of him somehow.
‘That time is now.’
Ark grinned and beckoned towards Kurakan.
“Hey you. Look over here a moment.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s a little sudden but……”
Ark pulled out his blue lightsaber.
“You have to die.”
—————————————————————————————-
–Has it been going as planned?
A husky voice flowed from the monitor. Just by listening to the voice, you could imagine that it came from a man in his 50s sitting arrogantly in a swivel chair and biting a cigar.
“Of course.”
Bain replied subserviently.
“They’ve receive an unrecoverable blow this time. The decrease in population ruined his plan to expand the sector and take the research centre. And the population will keep on decreasing as long as our criminals are here. That guy has no way to recover. Now we just need to wait for the audit time limit……”
–Shut up!
The man shouted in a harsh voice. He stared at Bain with an unpleasant look and said.
–What is happening in S-20 right now can’t be related to the Laius company. The Laius headquarters doesn’t know anything about this. If there is a problem then everything will be blamed on you. Am I wrong?
“T-that’s right! I’m sorry!”
Bain closed his mouth and quickly lowered his head. The man then started talking again.
–The important thing isn’t the process but the result.
“I’m aware of that.”
–You’ve already done enormous damage to headquarters. Originally you would’ve been fired already. Have you forgotten who made sure you still have your neck?
“Of course! I will never forget Vice President-nim’s mercy!”
–But my benevolence has a limit.
The Vice President rubbed his cigar onto an ashtray and said.
–If you fail this time then it is the end.
“That will never happen!”
–I will believe you.
The man shut off his monitor at those words. Bain finally sighed with relief after a long time had passed.
“Phew……”
He wiped the sweat on his forehead. He had no choice. That was the Vice President of the Laius company! His mood on that day could determine whether Bain’s neck stayed on or not. And Bain had been in danger of losing his job last time. The research institute built on the slopes of Mt. Fargo had been smashed. Bain was the warden so naturally he would be smashed as well. Yet he had been revived as a phoenix because of the Vice President’s mercy. If the Vice President abandoned him then he would be screwed!
Responsibility →Dismissal → Poverty→ Homeless→ Desperation→ Death!
The route for a gloomy life replayed through his head. No, he wouldn’t even last that long. The Laius company was behind the S-20 incident. If it was discovered than the Laius company would suffer a huge blow. The Vice President would definitely push it all on Bain. Bain would become the scapegoat of all the illegal actions. If that situation occurred than he would be treated as a ‘thing.’ The Vice President had saved Bain. Thus he was a cannon fodder when there was a crisis. It wouldn’t just be a dismissal if he failed. He would probably push all the responsibility on Bain and then silence him! His body would probably be found somewhere having died an unnatural death. No, if it was the Vice President then he would definitely do that.
Failure= death.
“But there’s no need to worry about that.”
Bain who had been looking uncomfortable smiled and shook his head. Everything was going according to plan. He had the airship crash into the sector and sneaked assassins into the dungeon. As the result the population of S-20 had decreased. Now the sector expansion was completely blocked.
‘Even if Ark manages to obtain the money from somewhere and passes the audit, he won’t be able to sustain the sector. He will know this no matter how stupid he is. He would have no choice but to give up. Ark would have to beg to buy it at 500 gold. But I have no intention of giving him even 1 gold.’
Bain’s mouth rose in a smile.
‘That Ark bastard, this is payback for treating me like a fool in front of all those pioneers. He will realize what a big mistake he made.’
“Huhuhuhu! Huhuhuhu!”
Bain laughed crazily as he imagined the future. Suddenly the door opened and a guard ran in.
“Chief!”
“Huhuhu……cough!”
Bain choked with surprise.
“Holy shit! You almost killed me! Do you know how to knock?”
“There’s no time for that!”
“There’s no time? You mean you don’t care if I’ll choke and die?”
“I mean……look outside!”
“I don’t know what’s going on. Now you want me to check outside……”
Bain suddenly flinched and closed his mouth. Bain was sitting in the office on the top floor of the institute that had been completed. His balcony looked over S-20 so he could watch Ark’s efforts to revive the sector.
Yet…..yet…..
“What the hell is going on?”
Bain looked back at the guards.
“I don’t know. Why……?”
Kwaaaaah! Kwaaaaah!
The guards answer became buried by an ensuing explosion. The clouds scattered because of a storm. The space distorted and an airship appeared with a flash of light.
—————————————————————————————-
“Che, they’ve all gathered.”
The man talking had a thick scar carved on his face. Then someone near the man laughed and said.
“They’re all at a similar level anyway. There is no need for Hyung-nim to worry.”
“Hrmm, am I that strong?”
“Of course. Who is Hyung-nim? Hyung-nim is the great warrior who wiped out dozens of great worms! Isn’t that Hyung-nim? I decided to serve Hyung-nim because of that strength.”
“If Hyung-nim is with us then we are stronger than all those users!”
“Hyung-nim is the king!”
“Huhuhu. Yes, that’s me.”
The man with the scar laughed. The man had henchmen that were clamouring away. His party had challenged the dungeon with the highest difficult in Istana’s southern region. While everyone was wiped out by the last boss, he had fought the great worm and won. His name was Hoover. He was called the worm slaughterer by other users.
Naturally he had the best equipment that couldn’t be compared to general users! He was wearing one of the best hybrid armour and a level 100 diamond coated axe with a particle cannon as his secondary weapon! This equipment was something anyone could boast of.
Players checked out other players. Any user with experience could check the performance of equipment.
“W-what is that?”
“What type of rich person is he? Those are all unique equipment.”
The surrounding users chattered as they stared at him with envious eyes.
“There is no one here who can beat me in a 1-on-1 fight.”
Hoover started bragging further as he was complimented. Numerous people found that their most exhilarating moment was when connecting to a virtual reality game. That’s why users spent money to buy better equipment and stayed up all night to raise their skills. In reality they might be service industry workers, parents, students or unemployed but they could brag about their characters in game!
‘Huhuhu, keep on being envious! I stayed up all night playing the game to obtain this!’
However Hoover’s pleasure didn’t last long.
“Hey, look at that!”
“Whoa, what the? That armour? It’s not a joke?”
The users were suddenly interested in something behind Hoover. Hoover and his followers turned around and their mouths dropped open. The players split like the Red Sea for a long haired user wearing distinctive armour! It was black armour spewing blue lights that unfolded like wings.
“The armour, somewhere……”
Hoover muttered blankly.
“That armour, I’ve seen it before! It is the armour that is only given to users within the top 10 at the arena in Kurim! That means the user has reached at least the top 10 in a tournament?”
“I heard it was quite a high level tournament……”
“That’s right. I only finished in the top 300.”
There was equipment that couldn’t be obtained no matter how much money the person had. Binding equipment was given after completing certain quests or defeating certain boss monsters. That guy was wearing an armour like that. It was quite a difficult armour to obtain. It was proof of the person’s skills.
“Hyung-nim, doesn’t that guy seem strong?”
Hoover’s followers asked. Hoover’s mouth was gaping open but he quickly closed it after hearing the question.
“Bah! He just needs to place 10 to receive the item. If I participated in the tournament then I would’ve placed 1st.”
“I-is it like that?”
“Of course!”
Hoover snorted and replied. Then the long-haired guy passing near looked at Hoover. A cold light sparkled in the grey eyes.
“That……what did I just hear you say?”
“Eh? What?”
Hoover stepped back with an embarrassed expression. Then the long haired man walked by Hoover without a smile.
“Hyung-nim……”
The henchmen looked at their leader with disappointment. The shamed Hoover turned towards the long haired man.
“Hey! You over there! What’s with the attitude? If you want a fight……”
“Shut up. Don’t block the road and get out of the way. My autobots can’t pass.”
An irritated voice was heard from behind him.
“You…..heok!”
Hoover flared up as he turned around only to retreat again. Two robots armed with various weapons were behind him.
“What’s with this reaction? Is this the first time seeing autobots?”
A small body riding on the back of a dinosaur like robot laughed.
“I call them autobots but they are just lumps of machine parts. I painstakingly constructed this for a few months and created a special edition. Did you just talk about a tournament? You mean that guy wearing the armour?”
“Y-you know that guy?”
“I know. I’ve met him a few times. Well I’m stronger than him. If the tournament rules had allowed autobots then I would’ve come on top instead of that guy. Isn’t that right?”
–It is like Master said.
A robot answered in a hollow voice. Among the engineer professions, there were those capable of controlling combat robots so they were called controllers and were similar to summoners. They could use robots called autobots. They needed various production related skills as well as a huge amount of money to make the robots. Therefore Hoover had only seen a controller a few times.
The autobots that Hoover saw were at least 1 metre in size and were similar to the battle androids. However the autobots in front of him were nearly 2 metres in size! Making an autobot of that size meant he had a significant engineering skill. And he had two. The autobots were capable of moving automatically but the controller had to control the small movements directly. In other words, that person could direct two robots at the same time.
‘What? This place? Is it a convention?’
It was ridiculous. The controller continued talking like he hadn’t noticed Hoover.
“That bastard, he obtained the armour at the Kurim tournament because I couldn’t show the power of a controller. This place doesn’t have stingy regulations like the arena. But that isn’t my purpose.”
“Hey Park, you came as well?”
Then another user approached. This time it was a woman but the equipment she was wearing wasn’t a joke. They seemed to know each other well as the controller called Park pouted.
“Kaya? Sheesh, can’t I come?”
“That’s not what I meant. No, I thought you would come. You need money to create the autobots. If you saw the image than it is impossible for you to hold still.”
“What about you?”
“Of course I have the same purpose.”
Kaya grinned and showed a picture saved on the Nymphe.
—————————————————————————————-
A few hours ago.
An event occurred that would definitely shake Galaxian. The thing that shook many users was a post.
-Jackpot! Loot all the time!
That was the title of the post. The users who checked the post were shocked. The attached screen shot showed a user making a V sign next to a corpse. The really shocking thing was the items around the user! The armour was worth hundreds of gold. Dozens of gallstones were also scattered around.
Today S-20 became infested with a lot of chaotic people.
I’m a user with some skills. I came looking for gallstones to upgrade my equipment. The chaotic people appeared after I entered the dungeon. So we fought. I defeated him and a whole bunch of items poured out. The situation had reversed.
This was the contents of the post. That was what surprised the users. Like any other game, Galaxian’s site had dozens of posts a day bragging about the items obtained. The items shown in the screenshot didn’t have a significantly higher value than other posts. The reason it had so many hits was because the user who dropped it was chaotic.
-Hey, is this real?
–This is the lottery. Did all of this really come from one guy?
–Isn’t someone doing a trick just to arouse some attention?
At first the reactions were disbelieving. They might’ve been items obtained from other users. Anyone who saw it would have a pain in their stomach. So initially there wasn’t much of a reaction. The explosive reaction of users started from some comments.
–This is probably true.
–Yes, I heard from a friend that the dungeon in S-20 is dominated with chaotic players.
–Hundreds of users have been subjected to PK.
–The users killed by PK dropped quite a few equipment and gallstones.
–I heard the chaotic players are still there. They can’t leave because the entrance of the dungeon opens to a sector. They probably intend to leave after gathering a bunch of gallstones.
The information was transmitted one after another! Once again, a chaotic state had a considerably large penalty in most virtual reality games. They were branded as criminals and punished by law. However users were afraid to become chaotic for a separate reason. It was reverse PK!
They could get PKed by other users. When a user died, there was a chance to drop equipment. If a regular user died then that chance was only 5%. But it was different when talking about the death of chaotic users. There was a 100% chance of dropping equipment! If a chaotic user died then an equipment would drop unconditionally. 2~3 random items from their bag would also drop as well.
‘If I can win!’
The rewards were definitely worth hunting down chaotic users. The situation changed 180 degrees once that idea caught hold. S-20 had chaotic users PK hundreds of people. This meant they had high levels and used expensive equipment. If they decided to gather gallstones while trapped there then there was a high chance of gallstones dropping.
Dungeon infested with chaotic players → expensive items dropped.
They dominate the dungeon and don’t leave → they are trapped like rabbits.
This formula was immediately made. In other words…..
‘This is an opportunity for a jackpot!’
Chaotic players were a dangerous existence that users had to be careful of. But that was only if the user couldn’t win. Items dropped by chaotic players were like those from a boss monster. Furthermore, they were criminals. Killing them would increase the federation contribution. That’s why all the pioneers flocked to S-20. The dungeon was hiding more than 100 chaotic people! Some users might fear the dungeon. But those with a lot of skills considered it the best hunting ground.
“I can’t let a treasure chest like this pass by.”
Kaya said with a smile.
“But my purpose isn’t the items. I was thinking of forming an agent but my federation contribution is a bit lacking. It is easier to gain contribution from killing chaotic users than from doing dozens of miscellaneous quests. But that doesn’t mean I won’t eat the items.”
“Bah, do you think I will leave you a share?”
“That’s what I want to say.”
“Let’s see who can gather more. Let’s go!”
The two autobots thumped towards Mt. Fargo at Park’s command. Kaya wasn’t to be outdone and also ran towards the dungeon.
“Dammit!”
Hoover exclaimed as he stared after them.
“This isn’t good! We have to hurry! Our prey might be snatched from us!”
Hoover and his henchmen chased after them. It wasn’t just them. Dozens of airships were continuously appearing at S-20. Users poured towards the dungeon after landing. And 1 person was watching the scene with a pleased look!
“It’s a success!”
Ark was S-20’s administrator. There was no need to explain at this point. Ark was the one who created the post that shook Galaxian!
–Those guys are trapped in the dungeon!
It all began from this thought. He found a way to solve all his problems. Attract users to the dungeon using the lure of chaotic items! The problem was how to quickly spread the news. This was the reason for Kurakan’s sacrifice. Ark killed Kurakan in a duel and took a screen shot with is items scattered around. Of course the face was hidden behind a mosaic.
This was the result. Users arriving one after another. If they came to hunt chaotic users then there was no need to ask about their skills. But he assembled the users for a different reason. Ark’s purpose was the users themselves!
‘The population of the sector is growing again!’
He still had 10 days left for his <Audit Command>. The population would increase to 2,000 by then and the situation would reverse.
“Now it’s your turn. What will you do?”
Ark looked up at the Laius’ research institute and laughed. Bain was squeezing his head on the balcony of the top floor.
“It can’t be! What? All these peopleeeeee!”
Space 3
Water Cleaning Strategy
Kakak, pajijijik!
Sparks rose in the darkness. At the same time, 2 flashes occurred on the left and right.
“Ugh!”
One person moaned and kneeled down.
“The horoscope I received a few days again really isn’t a joke. Now many rare prey remain and I just happened to meet one.”
“Rare prey……”
Ark smiled at the man’s words. The man making a rotten expression had a red ID floating on top of his head. It was evidence that Mt. Fargo was occupied with chaotic players. Ark lifted his blue lightsaber.
“Don’t tell me you still think you’re hunters?”
“Dammit!”
Pepeng-!
The man cursed and smoke gushed out. It was a smoke bomb and dense smoke instantly filled the cave. The chaotic users in the dungeon had many things prepared in order to escape. If he was anyone else then his opponent would’ve escaped. However the chaotic player had met the wrong opponent.
“Clairvoyance!”
A blue light spread over Ark’s eyes. He detected a shape moving through the smoke. Ark extended his lightsaber.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
There was a vortex that blew the smoke apart. Dozens of swords were projected forward and hit the man. It was common sense that damage and the chances of a critical hit increased when attacking from behind! The opponent’s health drastically dropped as he was struck by dozens of swords and he was blown back 10 metres and died.
“Now shall I open the treasure box?”
Ark walked forward at a relaxed pace. Something fell as the sword lodged in the guy’s back disappeared.
-Destruction Pants (Magic)
Item Type: Heavy Armour (Pants) Wearer Restriction: Level 90
Defense: 45 Durability: 25/80
The 4 large companies account for 70% of the weapons and armours distributed around the federation.
The price is slightly expensive but the performance is the best so it is difficult for others to compete. In order for small and medium enterprises to compete, their products need to have additional functions and options. Of course, the price had no choice but to rise but the functions are something often used by pioneers.
<Stamina +20>
* Add-on (Hidden Blade): This armour has superconductor blades hidden in the knee area. A strike with the knee can cause fatal damage if the opponent is caught off guard by the blade.
<Damage: 20~30. 30% chance of causing Bleed>
“It was something like this.”
Previously when he had attacked the guy. Ark remembered being damaged by a knee strike. It was just an ordinary knee yet he had started bleeding. He had been confused but it was all due to the blades hidden in the knee area.
Well, the ‘hidden blade’ is just like a skill but……
“There was technology like this? If the opponent is at the same level as me than hidden technology like that can change the situation. Equipment that monsters dropped can be remodelled in this way. I’ll have to be careful if I duel with users in the future.”
He didn’t know about it. In the game he needed to continuously acquire skills and item information. He learnt quite a bit from fighting the chaotic users. In addition, he also earned income!
“This can get at least 100 gold.”
That wasn’t the only item dropped. There were also 4 intermediate gallstones. Ark packed the Destruction Pants and looked around with a happy look.
“There aren’t a lot of chaotic people anymore so this is valuable.”
The chaotic group that had pushed Ark into a corner! However that situation changed after he posted something on the website that caught the users’ attention. The users gathered in order to hunt the chaotic users for their items. But it didn’t work that well in the beginning. The chaotic people hadn’t come here by chance. They had intentionally been hired by the Laius company! In order to hunt they had been organized into parties. Therefore quite a few users were killed in the beginning. But that only lasted for a brief moment.
“Damn it, they’re organized!”
“This place really is infested with chaotic players everywhere.”
“We won’t beat them if we fight by ourselves!”
“In the end the only……”
The eyes of the chaotic hunters met each other. People with the same purpose formed a party!
“It can’t be helped. I’m unwilling but I will grasp your hand this time.”
“Okay. We’ll share the loot.”
The hunters became organized in order to match the chaotic users. The opponents were chaotic. If a user didn’t have confidence in their ability to catch chaotic users then they wouldn’t have come out in the first place. The users who gathered were actually quite famous in different regions. The chaotic users quickly decreased once they started working together. Over 50 chaotic players were caught in a few days! But they had no place to escape.
‘The Laius company might not know this but S-20 is still my sector. S-20 is at the dungeon entrance and a large number of users are outside.’
The result would be the same if the chaotic users left the dungeon. They were like mice in a bag. The only way they could be free was if the Laius company obtained S-20. They gave up on resistance and scattered or hid.
‘But I won’t let that happen!’
The population of S-20 was going up again. 60~70 chaotic hunters had gathered after seeing Ark’s post. They alone couldn’t increase the population by 1,500 people. However their influx into the dungeon had decreased the number of chaotic people by half. The dungeon was safe to start hunting again!
‘This is an opportunity to gather back the pioneers!’
Ark set a sign in front of the sector.
-Notice.
Limited time only!
Currently S-20 has received a command to stop all facilities.
Therefore the sector and dungeon admission fee has been stopped. All facilities will be free and open for your disposal.
Operation had been suspended so he couldn’t charge an admission fee. He had no obligation to stop users from entering the sector.
“Free?”
“I heard a lot of people rushed to kill the chaotic users…….”
“Then why should we go to another dungeon?”
The rumour quickly spread among users. But there was even more.
“Hahaha, it is a jackpot!”
“I did well coming here!”
“It’s only been 2 days and I’ve gained 1,000 gold from the chaotic users!”
The news was also spread by the chaotic hunters!
“Yes, there is no reason to be afraid of the chaotic users.”
“If we have a few more party members then we can catch these guys.”
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that before? It is like that. Now those guys have got there before us! Catching one chaotic person is better than dozens of Thanatos!”
“If chaotic hunters are in the dungeon then there won’t be any problems hunting the Thanatos! Plus it is free! Let’s go!”
Pioneers once again flocked to S-20! Thanks to that, the population that had fallen to 1,100 increased to over 2,000 in just 3 days. There was 9 days left for the audit command.
‘Now I don’t have to worry about the population. I can apply for public facilities 2 days before the deadline. If I can buy the sector extension then all my problems will be resolved!’
……He wanted to be relieved……
However there were two problems with this. The first was the funds needed for the extension. He had 5,400 gold when the issues first started but he needed to refund a large amount thanks to the PK event. In addition, the population had grown again but he couldn’t get any money from the dungeon, sector or airfield. That’s why Ark dived in directly!
‘If I catch the chaotic users then I can earn some money. This is also relevant to me.’
Ark was also in a more favourable position compared to the other hunters. The Royal Guards were the ones who restored the dungeon after it collapsed so they knew it better than anyone else. Naturally they quickly found the chaotic people. Ark was able to find 7 chaotic people thanks to that. He obtained 9 equipment from them. Combined with the gallstones that dropped, he obtained a total of 1,500 gold. This meant the sector extension problem was okay.
‘The problem is that Bain knows of this situation.’
That was the second problem. Ark was worried about this the most. Bain already knew Ark needed to extend to sector to resolve the audit problem. If he made up his mind to remove the research centre then Ark’s plan would fail. He would be deprived of his sector administrator license. The research centre had already been almost completed. If it was dismantled then Bain would suffer a huge loss. Therefore the Laius company couldn’t easily remove it. But they would also suffer damages if Ark extended the sector. ‘Even if they lose money, their purpose is to obtain S-20 so they might judge that is better.’ But there were no signs of that. Rather than demolition, the construction of the research centre had continued.
‘It is one of those two options. They either can’t remove the research centre or there is another ulterior motive. It is imperative that I figure out what they’re thinking. If I figure it out then I can defend against it. In the worst case scenario, if they dismantle the research centre then I’ll have to sell the Silver Star!’
While Ark was busy thinking.
-Hyung-nim, I’ve found it!
Kalliben’s voice was heard from the Nymphe.
–A chaotic person is hiding in a corner of the middle layer.
“Okay. I’m coming so stay there.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“I’m lucky today.”
——————————————————————————————-
“Chief-nim, I’ve received a report that another one was killed!”
“You don’t have to keep on telling me things like that!”
Bain shouted in a raspy voice.
“That damn bastard Ark! Why does he keep on interfering every time? I’m different from a mere pioneer so I should be able to step on him! So why does he always embarrass me? But he is still a trivial pioneer! He’s mistaken if he thinks he can beat me with something like this. I’ll make him realize the difference between an elite executive of the Laius company and a pioneer!”
Bain bit his lips until it became bloody. Like Ark thought, the reason the research centre wasn’t demolished was because Bain had an ulterior motive. His conclusion was correct. Chaotic hunters had started to gather. Bain already had a premonition that things would turn out like that. He had intended to just dismantle the research institute.
‘But there is no guarantee the problem will be settled with that. Since he is trying to settle the audit order by expanding the sector, it is clear he doesn’t have a lot of funds. But there is no guarantee he can’t raise the money within the time limit. He had a spacecraft so he might be able to sell it. Removing the research centre isn’t necessarily the solution. And……’
The research centre had already been constructed. If he took it down then he would receive huge losses. Of course, Laius is one of the 4 big companies so that damage would only be a drop in their wealth. The problem wasn’t the Laius company but Bain.
‘A research centre had already been destroyed!’
What would happen if he caused enormous damage again?
Needless to say, it would be a dismissal! Even if Laius obtained S-20, Bain would still be finished.
‘I have to obtain S-20 in order to live! I have to do whatever it takes!’
In the end, Bain found a way. A way to deal an unrecoverable blow to Ark!
‘That Ark bastard, let’s see you think your way out of this. Yes, laugh while you still can. I’ll soon turn your laughter into tears. I’ll make him realize how stupid it is to mess with the Laius group.’
Bain smiled and asked a guard soldier.
“What is the progress?”
“It has almost been completed. We can start it at any time so you just have to say.”
“The necessary personnel?”
“We’ve failed to reach the target because we’ve had to gather them covertly. But I’ve contacted several organizations and the target number of personnel will soon be gathered.”
“That means we just have to wait.”
Bain looked down at S-20 and grinned.
“Just wait Ark. I’ll soon show you hell!”
——————————————————————————————-
“Hrmm……”
S-20’s main office.
Ark had a solemn expression on his face. Thanks to the chaotic hunters, the influx of pioneers had exceeded 2,000 for 6 days. Now he only needed to wait one more day to apply for a server extension. In the meantime he diligently hunted the chaotic users to ensure he had plenty of funds for the extension. He only needed 1 more day before everything would be settled. His concern had been that the research centre would be demolished. The already completed research centre was in front of the sector. Even if they started demolishing it now, they wouldn’t be able to remove all the facilities in one day. There was also a few days left for the audit command so he could sell the Silver Star to obtain the funds required. But Bain didn’t know this.
‘That’s the problem.’
Nothing had happened!
‘He must have an ulterior motive that I can’t think of……’
Ark had interrupted their plan by releasing the chaotic hunters. But he hadn’t detected any responses to his action.
“Perhaps they just gave up?”
Hegel carefully presented his opinion. But Ark shook his head with a resolute expression.
“That is impossible.”
If it was just the Laius company then they might give up. However Marquis Jyubel was associated with this business. It was a chance to deal a large blow to a rival politician so he wouldn’t easily give up. He probably negotiated to gain a stake in the research centre. But there were no visible actions despite only having one day left.
“Is there really no movement?”
“Apparently.”
Ark replied curtly and looked at the research centre.
“What they are doing is unknown.”
Of course those guys wouldn’t be doing nothing. It just meant the thing they were planning wasn’t visible. He wouldn’t be able to figure out the reason from the outside.
“I need to go there directly if I want to find out the answer.”
“Huh? Go there directly?”
“Those guys won’t let us in!”
“So I have to hide.”
This was the reason for Ark’s serious expression. The thing Bain was planning definitely wouldn’t be small. Right now he had 1 day before he could get permission to extend the sector. Ark had to assume what Bain was planning would happen today. It wasn’t the time to be playing around. The final method Ark came up with was to sneak in! He had to enter the research centre directly in order to figure out Bain’s plan. Confusion appeared on the members’ faces as they heard Ark’s words.
“T-that is ridiculous!”
“Do you know how many guards there are in the research centre? You heard what Tori said when the research centre was being built. The centre has enormous security. Sneaking in is just suicide!”
“I also oppose it.”
Mellin jumped in and shook his head.
“We know better than anyone what a great pioneer you are. But something like this is reckless. You are the administrator of this sector. There is no telling what will happen if you caught. No, you’ll be caught before you even enter.”
“I’ve already thought of a way to enter.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Have you already forgotten? The research centre……”
Ark was replying when he suddenly flinched and shut his mouth. It was like a lightning bolt struck him.
“Oh my god! I had forgotten about that!”
“Forgotten? What do you mean?”
“If what I’m thinking is right……”
Ark muttered like he was spellbound.
“Kalliben, Beleol, have you seen any airships entering or leaving since the research centre was completed?”
“Yes, I saw several airships in the last few days.”
‘That’s it!’
Kalliben’s words combined everything in Ark’s head. Bain hadn’t acted even with the sector expansion time limit approaching. He had finally figured out why after remembering something he forgot. The answer was right in front of him.
“That is what he is planning?”
Ark muttered as he bit his lip.
——————————————————————————————-
“Can we trust him?”
A low voice said in the dark. Another man laughed.
“Who do you think I am?”
“Well, that….”
“Butcher. That is my nickname. I had to kill many people to get that name. That guy won’t be a problem.”
“But those guys aren’t to be trifled with.”
“You still don’t know.”
There were quite a few people in the darkness.
“Aren’t we criminals because we PKed?”
“We did it because monster hunting is boring. The battles were repetitive. This appeased our boredom.”
“Chaotic hunter? Kikiki, how funny. Those bastards don’t know what it means to be chaotic. We have the capabilities to catch those bastards. They’ll find out soon enough. They’ll be so scared that they’ll start pissing their pants.”
“Y-you are so reliable.”
“Then will we get the promised reward?”
“If we don’t get paid after the work is finished……”
The man’s pupils shone with an intimidating light.Then Bain shook his head and answered quickly.
“That will never happen. I’ll make sure you get paid at the end of the day. And I’ll stay here as a personal guarantee until you escape.”
“If you give us the promised fee then you don’t need to worry about anything.”
“Huhuhu, this is quite good. We’re getting paid to slaughter people.”
“I can soak up the taste of blood in a long time.”
‘W-what scary guys…..’
Bain sweated as he looked around. The people around him had malicious auras surrounding them. They were chaotic people who murdered pioneers. This was Bain’s plan. Ark had called in chaotic hunters. The countermeasure Bain came up with was easy. If Ark called in chaotic hunters then he needed to call in more chaotic users. Bain’s subordinates contacted every notorious organization to gather more chaotic users. The final number exceeded 2,000! That was S-20’s current population.
‘There might be 2,000 pioneers in S-20 but only a few hundred of them can take care of the criminals!’
It was clear what would happen if 2,000 chaotic users swarmed that place. The chaotic hunters were strong but the criminals were bad guys. It was like the chaotic hunters were chasing savage birds of prey! S-20 would instantly by turned into ruins. Of course he couldn’t send too many villains into the sector. It might give the federation a chance to intervene and there was a risk of backlash on Bain.
‘If the events take place in the dungeon then the federation can’t intervene.’
That’s why Bain and the criminals were gathered in a dark tunnel. The identity of this tunnel……
-This is a construction site for the Laius company.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused by construction noise.
Laius is going to build an underpass to Mt. Fargo so all pioneers are welcome to use the dungeon for free.
It was the tunnel Bain had advertised when the construction first started on the research centre. In fact, this tunnel had already been completed a few days ago. They didn’t disclose it for the sake of this moment!
‘Huhuhu, you diligently cleaned out the dungeon over the last 6 days? But I won’t let you extend the sector. You won’t be able to stop this.’
“How long do we have to wait in this place?”
“My body is itching to move.”
The chaotic users took out their weapons and started fidgeting. They might be creepy murderers but right now Bain thought they were very reliable.
‘The pioneers in this dungeon would be swept away in seconds. Ark will once again fail to expand the sector. And there is only 2 days left until the audit time limit. He won’t be able to maintain the population in time and he will be stripped of his administrator license!’
This was one of the reasons he didn’t move until the last moment. He wanted to gather more criminals as well as crush all of Ark’s hopes!
‘And now is the time!’
“It is time! Everybody get ready! Make an opening in the tunnel!”
Bain shouted like a general.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, the end of the tunnel was torn down with a heavy sound. Dust fell as a cave spread out in front of them. It was Mt. Fargo’s dungeon!
“Enter and kill all the pioneers!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
The criminals cried out like beasts and poured into the dungeon. The yells rang through the dark cave……
“What? There’s nobody here?”
“Weren’t the pioneers crowding here? Where did they all go?”
“What? There isn’t anybody? Such a thing?”
The criminals were looking around in confusion at the empty dungeon.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
There was suddenly a loud roar as the tunnel shook. The roaring sound was coming from the rear of the research centre’s tunnel. Bain turned his head with shock as he heard the deafening roar. No, it wasn’t only Bain. The thousands of villains in the tunnel were also astonished. The source of the tunnel’s shaking was…….
“W-water!”
“Water is pouring into the tunnel!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
They screamed as a giant river swallowed them. Bain lost his spirit as he was caught by the current. Bain and the criminals were swept by the water through the complex dungeon. How much time had passed?
Pepeng-!
Bain reached a sewage pipe and his body soared into the sky. He landed on stone earth and rolled dozens of metres before painfully lifting his head.
“Huh! It really worked.”
“I thought flooding the closed up mountain with water was nonsense……”
“And they are all chaotic. When I went looking they were hard to find. Are they cockroaches? There were that many guys hiding?”
People were buzzing around the criminals. Bain and the criminals had been spurted out of the dungeon by the water. A huge number of pioneers were now surrounding their drenched forms. And the person in front who was watching Bain…..
“A-Ark!”
Bain screamed.
“Isn’t that the director of Laius’ research centre?”
“T-this…..don’t tell me you…..?”
“As expected from the head of the laboratory, your judgement of the situation really is fast.”
Ark said with a smile. Once again, Ark hadn’t noticed Bain’s plan one day ago. Therefore he thought about sneaking into the research centre despite the risk. And he already thought of a way to sneak in.
‘I can enter the centre through the tunnel that Bain advertised would open for free. That means they are constructing that tunnel. If I use the tunnel then I don’t have to sneak past the guards at the door.’
Just as he was thinking that! Ark had forgotten the most important thing.
‘What if the tunnel has already been completed?’
That meant they could freely come and go from the dungeon without going through the sector. Furthermore, the tunnel was inside the research centre. In other words, Bain could send a large number of chaotic users through the tunnel. Kalliben’s testimony supported Ark’s guess. There were several transport ships that completed a few round trips to the research centre. It was already completed so there was no reason for the airship to come and go so often. Then there could only be one reason for the transport ships!
‘Collecting troops!’
It was a no-brainer. It was a rehash of the strategy to decrease S-20’s population with mass PK! But now the situation was different from before. Previously hundreds of people were killed in an instant but now there were people chasing after the chaotic users. Some of them were chaotic hunters who were experts in PVP.
“Before 100 chaotic users were enough but now players are aware of them. Bain has to gather enough troops to decrease the population to less than 2,000 before the time limit to extend the sector!’
However there was no reason to panic. Ark had suffered a fatal blow because he had been unaware. But Ark already suspected Bain’s plan. There is only one day remaining until he could apply for a sector expansion so he could just stop the pioneers from entering the dungeon. The troops were gathered to PK. And the dungeon was right outside the sector. If they couldn’t leave the dungeon then they couldn’t PK.
‘But I can’t be assured with that. If this operation fails then it will be a huge loss to the Laius company. There is no telling what they will do. If Bain gathered this many chaotic users then they might even attack the sector. And then he just has to destroy the tunnel to get rid of the evidence. In that case……’
He had to drag them out first. That was the conclusion Ark reached. The method was surprisingly simple. It was time for the Royal Guards to show their muscles! Bain had purposefully built the research centre in the path of the channel to annoy Ark. And the tunnel to the dungeon was in the basement.
‘I can connect the water channel to the tunnel!’
At that moment a plan formed in Ark’s head. Needless to say, the ones carrying out the plan were the Royal Guards! The members had spent one month only shovelling. The one who showed the most significant growth was Milan! Once again, the proficiency of a skill could differ even if two people were the same level. Technical achievement depended on the person’s talent and ability to learn. That’s why he removed Mellin and Hegel from digging in the early days. The senior citizen (Mellin) and child (Hegel) showed no signs of their proficiency rising after reaching Dig Lv. 2. Of course it was the same vice versa. The Royal Guards’ proficiency grew at a similar speed once reaching Lv. 2. However, some with talent had their proficiency increase rapidly after reaching Lv. 2 and Milan was the one who showed the most potential.
“The texture of a shovel in my hand! The comfortable sensation when the shovel digs into the earth! What….I mean…..it seems like I’ve been doing this for a long time…..yes! I have been! The duty of a treasure hunter is to find treasure! And the basic of a treasure search is digging! I can’t possible get this feeling from an excavator! I’m a true treasure hunter for the first time!”
He awakened! His skill proficiency quickly increased!
-Milan has realized the heart of ‘Dig’ and his skill proficiency has reached Lv. 4.
A member who finally beat Ark in digging was born. The enlightenment Milan gained was incredible.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Milan dug that land at a speed equivalent to an excavator with just one shovel! The seat of the strongest digger had transferred to Milan but Ark’s Dig was still intermediate level! And the remaining 7 also obtained intermediate Dig. In just one day, Ark and the crew worked together to connect the channel to the dungeon. And when they opened the floodgate! This was the result. The lake water swept Bain and the criminals through the dungeon and outside. This was Ark’s Water Cleaning Strategy!
“I used the water to eradicate these pests.”
Ark said with a smile.
“You…..you bastard…..you dare……”
“What are you doing?” What is he saying?”
The chaotic users were still unable to grasp the situation and gaped at Ark.
“It really isn’t a joke. Well I can understand just by looking at them. Their names indicate they are chaotic. But there’s something I don’t know. I’m certain that tunnel was connected to the Laius research centre. The tunnel was connected to a channel which is why water came flooding in. But why is the director hanging with criminals? Don’t tell me that Laius is conspiring with criminal organizations……”
“S-shut up! There is no evidence!”
“No evidence?”
Ark smiled as he looked around.
“Isn’t the fact that you’re here evidence?”
“I told you before! I don’t have any connection with these guys!”
“I guess we’ll see when I investigate.”
“Who do you think I am? I am the director of Laius! You guys dare do something……”
“You seem to have forgotten but I am the administrator of S-20. And right now you are on my land. S-20. I have the authority to investigate even if you are Laius’ director.”
“T-that……”
Bain retreated with a pale, stricken face. He then lifted his head and looked at those gathered at the dungeon entrance. In the meantime he had summoned chaotic users from around the planet. They numbered 2,000. That kind of number could take care of all the pioneers gathered around. No, they had to! If he gave up then Bain was a dead man anyway. The Vice President wouldn’t leave him alive. But there was still hope if Ark and the pioneers at S-20 were annihilated. Ark would be deprived of his administrator license and Laius would obtain S-20. Then Laius would cover up what happened here!
“Kill them!”
Bain waved his arm and shouted.
“Kill all the guys here! It is the only way to live!”
The 2,000 chaotic users simultaneously took out their weapons. It wasn’t because of Bain’s command. They had no choice but to kill the pioneers in order to escape.
“Dammit! If this happens then we have to see it through to the end!”
“Yes, we were going to do it anyway so let’s blow up the whole sector!”
“Chaotic scum!”
The pioneers also lifted their weapons. And just before there would be a flurry of blades and bullets!
Kwaaaaah! Kwaaaaah!
An explosion scattered the clouds in the sky above the two groups. Dozens of airships appeared in with a flash of light. Bain and the chaotic users’ faces drained of blood as they saw the airships. It was due to the mark on the hull. The blue planet and ship of the galactic federation!
–Galactic federation’s 1st special division.
That was the sentence written below the mark.
——————————————————————————————-
“Hah……”
The man occupying the captain seat in the centre of the main airship. The middle aged noble looked at the monitor and clicked his tongue. He looked at his adjutant before smiling and saying.
“This is really perplexing. I was just observing the 1st special division’s training manoeuvres only to see this scene. Doesn’t it seem like thieves are attacking that sector? A sector falls under the authority of the federation. Those thieves are attacking a sector. We might be here for training but we can’t pretend ignorance. Isn’t that right?”
“I agree!”
The adjutant proclaimed.
“Then this will be our practice. The special division is one of the two major forces of the Emperor. The opponents are just mere thieves so they can be considered practice. Don’t disgrace yourselves when fighting with them.”
“That’s right!”
“I’ll give you 30 minutes.”
The middle aged noble said after peering at his watch.
“Don’t let even one of them leave alive.”
“Go! Special Division, attack!”
The adjutant shouted through the microphone and a lower portion of the airships opened.
Dugung! Dugung! Dugung! Dugung!
Thousands of soldiers started pouring out of the air chute like bees from a beehive. The sight of thousands of soldiers pouring down like rain was spectacular!
“It can’t be! What? Youuuuuuu!”
And to some people it was a nightmare.
Space 4
After the Clean-up
‘This is Jyubel?’
Ark looked at the man sitting opposite him. He heard the name several times but this was the first time he saw him. Currently the federation council was divided into two big powers. One principle axis was belonged to Marquis Martin, aka the military factor. Marquis Martin who was in charge of the Domestic Affairs department was the head of the other one, aka the parliament faction. They were the heads of the two big factions! Ark naturally imagined a crafty aristocrat but Jyubel was actually quite young. He was in his late 30s or early 40s?
But that didn’t mean he was easy or soft. The fact that he reached this position at his age meant he was a noble Ark should be wary of. He wasn’t the only one Ark needed to be wary of. There was a middle aged man sitting next to Jyubel. According to Marquis Martin’s introduction, he was the vice president of the Laius company.
“Marquis Martin-nim must be quite leisurely now that there is a treaty in the Bellin constellation. You suddenly wanted to meet me and the Laius’ vice president.”
Jyubel was the first one to open his mouth. Marquis Martin replied with a light smile.
“That isn’t the case.”
“I’m pretty busy these days but I’m willing to talk if Marquis Martin-nim requires it. But the fact that you called the Laius company as well…..do you want something specifically?”
“It’s not something great. There’s just something interesting.”
“Something interesting?”
“Let’s start with the introduction. This young man is Ark. He is the one who received the titles of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero so you must’ve heard of him. Not long ago he became the administrator of S-20.”
“I’m curious about what the interesting thing you mention is.”
Jyubel didn’t even both looking at Ark. Ark felt like a dog being ignored but he didn’t pay attention to it. The reason for this meeting wasn’t to socialize. Marquis Martin laughed softly at Jyubel’s words and said.
“Like Marquis Jyubel-nim said, I’m quite idle these days. Therefore I decided to observe some military exercises. Just before I went out with the 1st special division for some training manoeuvres. While training, I passed by this friend’s sector and was exposed to an unexpected incident. I think Marquis Jyubel-nim and Vice President-nim will be interested in this incident.”
“I wonder why you think we would be interested.”
“You’ll understand once you see it. Ark, start.”
Ark nodded and touched his Nymphe. A 3D image then emerged before the eyes of the four people gathered.
———————————————————————————–
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
There was a continuous thumping sound. It was the sound of thousands of soldiers landing on Mt. Fargo! They were the elite warriors of the 1st special division. When they appeared the chaotic users paled with fear.
“How did they…..this……”
Bain’s reaction wasn’t that different from the chaotic users around him. They were about to kill all the pioneers in the sector when these soldiers had suddenly appeared. If was difficult for them to grasp the situation. Then one of the soldiers walked up to Ark.
“Are you the sector administrator?”
“Yes, I am Ark the administrator of S-20.”
“I’m the leader of the 1st special division, Croc. We were practicing some training manoeuvres when we witnessed this scene by chance. Sectors aren’t under the jurisdiction of the special division but we can’t just enough this emergency. Can you tell me the details about the situation?”
“It is like you can see.”
Ark indicated towards Bain and the chaotic users.
“These armed bandits are on the verge of attacking the sector. As you can see, this is just a small sector so there isn’t a relay antenna to request help from the federation.”
“So these people are thieves.”
“Yes, please help us.”
Ark replied with a smile.
Their situation was cleaned up with those words.
“This is the 1st special division! It is an emergency! Stop the training and exterminate these thieves! Change the scope to criminal identification and handle these guys!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
After hearing Croc’s orders, the backpacks of thousands of soldiers opened and capsules soared out. They revolved in the air and the battle suits covered the bodies of the soldiers. The thousands of soldiers in battle suits rushed forward.
“Heok! They’re coming!”
“Dammit! How can we deal with these guys?”
“Shit! I shouldn’t have come to this place!”
The chaotic users rushed back and forth while screaming. However there was no option to surrender so they had no other choice. Even if they surrendered, they had to pay an enormous penalty and would be imprisoned. They decided it was better to fight. The chaotic users came to that realization and determinedly lifted their swords and guns……
Tutututu! Pepeng! Chwajijijijijik!
They were smashed. This battle wasn’t a fight in the first place. Usually in virtual reality games the NPCs had lower attack power than the users. However not all NPCs were the same. In RPGs weren’t there lords and kings? It was common sense for them to have strong guardsmen.
–The demon showed up! It is impossible with our power! Warrior-nim, help us!
They were talking to the guardsmen. The King would send his warriors to defeat the demon.
‘They need to have a lot of skills to take care of demons……’
Any user who played RPGs knew about this. It was inevitable in order to balance out the game. Of course, virtual reality games were more realistic than classic RPGs. If a user collected troops then they could even cause a coup d’état. In other words, there always needed to be a balance between users who steadily raised their levels and NPCs. In this world the strongest soldiers were aligned with the highest power! Now these soldiers were in S-20.
They were the guard division that defended the Emperor of the galactic federation. The strongest unit of the galactic federation! They were the strongest NPCs so users who had only been levelling for 5~6 months weren’t a match for them. It was the same for the chaotic users.
“How can we beat battle suits like that?”
“Those bastards aren’t getting damaged!”
“Hik! A particle gun! 50% of my health flew away at once!”
The chaotic users screamed. The pioneers at S-20 weren’t just watching either. Although some were gathered at S-20 to find gallstones, a vast majority of them were chaotic hunters. The pioneers couldn’t miss this opportunity.
“Wow! Look at all the items falling!”
“It is like a lottery! Now isn’t the time to just be watching!”
“This is an opportunity! Use everything!”
The pioneers entered the battle as well! 2,000 pioneers had gathered at S-20 but some prominent users had arrived as chaotic hunters. Among them were users with a superior performance that Ark hadn’t expected.
“Thousand lights! Spear Smash!”
A user twisted a spear with rays of light on both sides. It was the user who reached the top 10 in the PVP arena tournament.
“Go! Sweep through them!”
Not far away Park was manipulating his Nymphe. He controlled the autobots. The dinosaur shaped one was a defensive autobot while the other one was used to attack. However the one who showed the most unique fighting style was the woman called Kaya.
“That damn bitch!”
“DNA transformation!”
“Huk! What, what the? My hair and body, why……Bark! Bark!”
Kaya launched something at a chaotic user and he turned into a puppy. He waves his tail and barked until he was stabbed to death with a rapier. It had been more than 5 months and they were using skills he had never seen before.
“Bring it on! This great Hoover will slaughter all of you!”
Well, there was one user who kept on bragging. Anyway, so many well-known users fighting in the same place was a truly spectacular sight! They weren’t organized like the special soldiers but their colourful technology cornered the chaotic users. And…..
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Ark couldn’t be left behind.
Dozens of swords crossed the battlefield!
“Armour armament! Hyper Booster!”
The battle suit clad Ark flew around the chaotic users like a flash of light. The blue sword swept around in a geometric pattern. Three or four chaotic users fell at the same time.
“That person is Ark……”
Ark didn’t know the surrounding pioneers. But there was no one gathered in S-20 who didn’t know Ark. He was the sector manager but prior to that he had received the titles of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero! Any user on Istana would’ve heard of him at least once. And now Ark was unleashing flash sword techniques. He wasn’t doing this to show off.
‘If a chaotic user dies then they will unconditionally drop one equipment!’
Chaotic users wouldn’t wear cheap equipment. When he was hunting them in the dungeon, he gained at least a minimum of 100 gold from each equipment. Now there were 2,000 chaotic users in front of him. It was a money field! Moving gold!
“Shield Emission!”
Naturally Ark became stronger.
“Defense Break! Set Bullets Shooting!”
In this situation he was 150%, no 200% stronger.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Some aliens would turn into a giant monkey by looking at the moon but for Ark it was gold! Gold warmed his mind and body. And the ones that met Ark’s expectations the most in this battle were Mellin and Hegel. Mellin was an old NPC so his strength, stamina and agility were far below all the other members. Instead his wisdom and intelligence was high. Therefore Mellin’s training in the Silver Hand focused on handling explosives. By the end of the training he was an expert with explosives.
But explosives couldn’t be used that often in combat. It was hard for bombs to have a big effect in a 1-on-1 battle so it wasn’t used when dealing with monsters. A bomb only had an effect against lots of people. Like right now!
“I’ll show you what an old man can do!”
Kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwang!
Mellin ran around and caused explosions all over the square. The chaotic users were already damaged by the soldiers’ attacks so the bombs instantly killed a lot of them. The other pioneers noticed and started becoming more aggressive. This was a battle situation. However there were some disadvantages to this massacre.
“An equipment!”
“The first person who picks it up will be the owner!”
The chaotic users were dying and dropping all kinds of items! Everybody was striking recklessly so it was hard to tell who had the right to the loot. Therefore pioneers flocked like hyenas every time an item fell. This was where Hegel, the youngest of the Royal Guards showed his skill!
“Item detected!”
Hegel shouted as his eyes became even bigger. This was Hegel’s special ability to detect items that he learnt from Heksu of the Silver Hand! He had the ability to spot even a loose screw that had fallen from the body.
“……Collect the loot!”
Hegel flew to where the body of chaotic user was riddled with bullets. And while the body was falling……the pioneers hadn’t even noticed the loot had dropped before Hegel swept it up with swift hand movements. His speed at picking up items even surpassed Ark! That scene made his reassess the value of a Scavenger. Of course the other members weren’t just watching.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
They had navigated numerous battlefields under Ark’s leadership. Berad and Ralph were the main attackers while Cupa, Hedro, Reben and Konsed supported them with gunfire. Meanwhile Kalliben and Beleol acted as snipers.And leading them was Ark who was 200% stronger than usual!
“Dark Eden! Make the formation and burst into enemy lines! If you spot any hit by the special soldiers then take care of them! Mellin, Hegel, continue demonstrating the skills that the Silver Hand taught you! Pick up the items pouring out. Don’t worry about doing anything else. Look in every corner and collect everything you can! This is a chance to solve S-20’s economic problem!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
The Royal Guards cried out and continued moving through the battlefield. His overwhelming leadership and actions unintentionally branded the name ‘Ark’ on those watching. Anyway, it was a one-sided battle. There were 4,000 special division soldiers present in S-20. They alone would’ve already decided the chaotic users’ fates. When combined with the pioneers burning to make money, the 2,000 chaotic users didn’t stand a chance. They couldn’t even escape.
“Damn, I’m going to give up!”
“I’d rather run away since my odds of living will be higher!”
Some tried to escape in the chaos. However…..
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The shells dropped down from the airships. Any chaotic users that sneaked out of a certain range were turned to rags by the shells. Water was still flowing in the dungeon so they couldn’t hide there again. 20 minutes after it began, the sound of gunfire gradually stopped. Water also stopped pouring out. Finally all the chaotic users had been wiped out.
“T-this…..unbelievable……”
There was only 1 person from the other side still alive. The one surveying the corpses of the chaotic users was Bain. The only thing that differentiated friend from foe was the chaotic marker. Bain organized his situation but he hadn’t PKed anyone so his name was normal. Thanks to that he was able to survive……
“Now what shall I do with you?”
Ark grinned as he headed towards Bain. Bain stared at him with horrified eyes before shouting.
“I-I don’t know! I don’t have anything to do with these guys!”
“Do you think I will believe that?”
“I don’t know anything!”
“This bastard still hasn’t come to his senses!”
Berad threatened him with a hammer.
“What, what the? Were you about to hit me? I’m not the culprit! I’m a director of the Laius company! Are you going to kill me with the federation soldiers watching?”
“This bastard!”
“Aren’t you going to hit me? Huhuhu! Of course not! I’m not a criminal! And of course the Laius company doesn’t know anything about this! Y-yes! They stormed into the research centre and threatened me. That’s it! I’m not saying anything else. Call me a lawyer! That is the law!”
“Damn that guy……”
The pioneers and special soldiers looked at him with outraged expressions. But like Bain said, he wasn’t chaotic. A general NPC couldn’t be convicted in a court of law if they weren’t chaotic. If someone tried to kill Bain then they would become chaotic.
“Damn, I can’t stand it! Hyung-nim, I have to kill him even if I become chaotic!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Ark interrupted Berad and shook his head. He smiled and passed something to Bain.
“Yes, I understand what you’re saying. The law is the law. By the way, is that yours?”
“Eh? This is…..heok! T-this…..!”
Bain checked what Ark handed him and screamed. He was holding a grenade in his hands. The grenade had the safety pin removed. Bain freaked out and the grenade exploded near Ark.
“You asshole…..what are you doing?”
“Is this the time to be saying that?”
Ark smiled and lifted his arms.
“You hit my arm with the shrapnel from the grenade.”
He pointed to the blood on his wrists and said to Croc.
“As you can see he just threw a grenade at me. What would happen if I kill him now?”
“It would be self-defence.”
Croc grinned and replied. Under Galaxian law, he wouldn’t be penalized if the opponent struck first. They completely ignored the fact that Ark was the one who handed Bain the grenade. The fact that Bain’s name turned grey was evidence of that.
“Then I have no choice.”
Ark’s approached Bain with his lightsaber.
“T-this is ridiculous! It was your grenade! You tricked me! You all saw it! He is trying to kill me!”
But nobody responded. Ark kept on stepping forward. Bain winced and fell flat on the ground while shouting.
“S-save me! I’m not a pioneer! I really will die! Please spare my life! I just obeyed the orders from above! Really! I have evidence! I’ll tell you everything just don’t kill me! This…..”
Pajijijik!
There was a static noise and the 3D image disappeared. The atmosphere felt several times heavier than before. Jyubel and the Vice President’s faces looked like they were constipated. They kept an eye on the place where the video disappeared. Ark hit his Nymphe with a shifty expression.
“Eh? What is this? Wasn’t it a HD ultra-sharp image?”
“Huh! What happened to the data? I called some busy people here but I can’t even show them the most important part?”
Marquis Martin bowed to the two of them and said.
“I’m sorry. Please wait a moment and we’ll correct it immediately.”
“There is no need to go through all that trouble.”
“Don’t you want to see the more interesting parts?”
“No, right now it is sufficiently interesting.”
Marquis Jyubel said and nodded.
“I understand the reason why Marquis Martin called us. That is definitely a fascinating video.”
“So I was thinking about showing a few more people. On TV as well as being shown in the central parliament. This friend is in a difficult situation these days. The copyright income for this video should help him settle these funding problems. Well, that’s only if this friend manages to recover the data.”
“I said there is no need.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that is enough.”
Marquis Jyubel looked at Ark who was fiddling with his Nymphe. If he had a gun then a hole would’ve pierced Ark’s smiling face.
“It was an interesting video so I’m thankful. You seem to be in quite a difficult situation so I’ll give you a little help in return. I have a lot of power so I can be quite helpful. The Laius’ Vice President-nim also thinks the same thing. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes…..that seems to be the case.”
The Vice President responded with a rotten expression. Then Jyubel’s eyes shifted towards Marquis Martin.
“I promise. I will make you more profit. And I would also like to express my sincerity to Marquis Martin-nim……”
“We can talk about that later.”
“I think that would be great. Then we understand that the video won’t be screened. If you have no other requests then excuse me. I have to process the reward to give to that friend. Vice President-nim, let’s go.”
Jyubel stood up and the Vice President quickly followed. He grabbed the doorknob and was about to leave. Marquis Martin lifted his mug with a relaxed expression and said.
“This is my personal opinion but…..if it is slightly difficult to handle the important matter then you can use my subordinate.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Marquis Jyubel replied in a low voice before leaving the room. Ark stopped messing with his Nymphe and looked at Marquis Martin.
“Why did you talk about a difficult work?”
“You don’t need to worry about those words.”
Marquis Martin laughed and continued.
“Anyway, this is more than I expected.”
“It is all thanks to Marquis Martin-nim. But I’m also slightly astonished. I never imagined that the 1st special division would show up.”
“That is the only possible way without Jyubel interfering.”
In fact, that was something he had been most worried about. Ark had noticed Bain’s plan one day before the event. Ark immediately boarded the Silver Star and flew to Tatuine to meet with Marquis Martin. There was no meaning in evacuating the dungeon of pioneers. However that wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem. If the chaotic users attacked then the population would decline again. Ark thought of the Water Cleaning strategy by connecting the lake to the underground tunnel but there was a significant risk with that.
‘Will that stop those guys?’
Of course, if they invading the sector then he could request help from the federation. But if he contacted them after the trouble happened then the sector had no choice but to receive damage. That’s why he requested Marquis Martin’s help in advance. But there was a problem. Marquis Martin was being monitored by Jyubel. The situation hadn’t happen yet so Marquis Martin had no justification to move troops to S-20 and Jyubel would notice. If Bain cancelled his plan then Marquis Martin would be the one embarrassed.
That’s why Marquis Martin thought of the 1st special division. Unlike other federation units, the 1st special division was stationed at Tatuine and could move straight away. Marquis Martin used the excuse of a training exercise to move the 1st special division. The success was shown on the video.
“But is this okay?”
“The fact that we didn’t reveal the video until the end?”
“No, I’m aware of the reasons for that.”
Ark had cut the video right after using the excuse of self-defence with Bain. Bain had confessed who was behind the incident. It was evidence that implicated Jyubel and the Vice President of Laius in this event. He knew that he might be thrown away after the work was finished so he secretly collected evidence. And it was all stored in Ark’s Nymphe. Despite that, there was a simple reason he stopped the video. The important thing was that Jyubel and the Vice President knew that they had evidence. There was no reason to reveal the details.
They knew there was evidence but they didn’t know the extent. That would pressure Jyubel and the Vice President even more. In addition, the two of them might become even more dangerous if they were cornered. So it was better to compromise at an appropriate level. Ark’s thoughts were the same as Marquis Martin’s in this regard.
“But they didn’t clearly promise anything.”
“It is enough.”
Marquis Martin laughed and continued.
“If they replied differently than they would be admitting to the crime. So they used the word reward. And you don’t need to worry about the size of the reward. The damage the Laius Vice President received from this event is difficult to predict. So obviously they will give you a satisfactory return. Of course, I’m also expecting some rewards.”
Marquis Martin’s careless words made Jyubel seem pitiful. Marquis Martin looked at Ark and said.
“There is another problem.”
“Another problem?”
“Like I mentioned before, the galaxy is investigating the magic circle. It is a disconcerting matter. As expected, the Aschulat and Rama investigated the matter. All 3 powers are organizing agents to investigate so the situation is heating up.”
That was something Ark expected. The same quest was given to all agents in the galaxy. If they completed that quest then the reward from their respective power would be staggering. Fierce competition was a natural process. Marquis Martin said the competition was heating up but it was no different from a war
‘Well I don’t care what those guys are doing but……’
He was worried about Irina. She was investigating something that other atrocious pioneers were. He couldn’t feel comfortable thinking of Irina being surrounded by enemies.
“The federation has decided to send a 2nd intelligence battalion to assist the first one. I would like you to join the team.”
In other words, Marquis Martin wanted to take the initiative. Ark had no intention of refusing.
“The problem is that place.”
He was worried about Irina and it was a main quest so Ark had to participate. He would also be backed by Marquis Martin. However there was no guarantee when this mission would end once he started. He still needed to clean up the remnants of Jyubel and Laius’ plan. Ark had to remain in S-20 until that was taken care of.
“I’m not telling you to go straight away.”
Marquis Martin also knew about it and nodded.
“Parliament will require a bit of time to determine the agents. The future results are unknown so all nobles are eager to get involved. So they are all eager to nominate their agents for the 2nd investigation unit. It should take at least a week to arrange. You have until then to finish all your preparations.”
‘A week……’
That wasn’t a lot of time. But he had no choice.
“Understood.”
“Then I’ll see you in one week.”
Marquis Martin laughed and lifted his teacup again.
“I want to finish this so you can leave first. Everything will probably be organized by the time you reach your sector. Because Jyubel doesn’t have a very laid back personality.”
———————————————————————————–
Martin Marquis said.
“Ark, check this out!”
Mellin came rushing out as soon as Ark arrived in S-20.
“The auditor and a staff member of the Laius company just visited. And they gave me these forms. Look. Here. Now all our problems are resolved!”
Mellin extruded 2 pieces of paper with an excited expression.
This is a notification stating that the Laius company will be taking responsibility for all of S-20’s facilities.
Under the order of Marquis Martin, Minister of Domestic Affairs has ordered that the audit of S-20 has been tentatively postponed. And Laius will take care of S-20’s security, disaster prevention and sanitary facilities.
This was the document that the auditor brought.
S-20 has been chosen as a sector that will receive Laius’ support.
Laius often gives financial support to small or medium sized sectors that are struggling. Researchers had judged that S-20’s development is richer than other small sectors and will receive Laius’ support.
All privileges from Laius’ research centre will be rented to Administrator Ark-nim for an indefinite period. And any facilities demanded by the Domestic Affairs Department will be funded by the Laius company. Finally, the Laius company will pay for all damages caused by the stolen airship without going through the insurance company.
All of this support won’t have any conditions attached.
I hope for the continuous development of your sector.
This was the document an employee of the Laius company brought.
“They hope for continuous development of the sector……”
The Vice President probably wanted to add ‘ㅜ_ㅜ’ after it. Like Marquis Martin said, Jyubel’s processing speed was LTEx2. He pretended to be unconcerned in the meeting room but he had actually been uneasy about it. Yet the compensation was more than Ark expected. All of S-20’s problems would be settled in one shot and he would also obtain the funds from the Laius’ research centre. The paper also said it was an indefinite lease so it could last forever! It was like they handed over the research centre for nothing.
‘I wouldn’t have obtained this if I was too greedy.’
That’s why Marquis Martin hadn’t directly asked for compensation. Not stating anything specific meant he could get everything. Jyubel and the Vice President gave him as much privileges as possible. He wouldn’t have obtained this if he had been too greedy. Of course, Ark never would’ve done such a foolish thing. He had no intention of missing a chance like this. Luck and timing was also a skill!
‘This is perfect timing!’
That’s why Ark……
-The administrator of S-20 has applied for an extension.
This message was sent to the sector administration department.
‘The research centre is mine but it is situated outside the sector. If thieves storm if then I can’t ask the federation for help. And I don’t have the troops to prevent a large scale raid. I can only rest assured if the research centre is included in the sector.’
This was the first reason. And the second reason was the security facilities. The equipment required for the <Audit Command> quest was already present in the research centre. If he expanded the sector then he also needs to expand the security facilities to match the larger territory. Ark had allocated funds for this but now he could leave it to the Laius company. There also weren’t a lot of casualties thanks to the special division soldiers. After the unprecedented battle of 2,000 chaotic users, the news spread and the population increased drastically as curious users visited the sector. Therefore Ark’s extension application was accepted.
Thanks to that, the sector became 1 km wider and the Laius company had to build a shield around it. The Vice President’s sentiment of ‘ㅜ_ㅜ’ probably changed to ‘ㅠ_ㅠ’. But the official documents had already been sent so it couldn’t be taken back even if he wanted to.
Ku ku ku kung! Ku ku ku kung! Pepeng!
The next day large scale construction began in the sector. Laius had completed a 10 storey research centre in 10 days. Once the large company started construction, a 2 metre high fence was quickly built around the sector and was equipped with automatic turrets and a high density shield generator. This meant all the security facilities had been completed! Disaster prevention facilities such as earthquake sensors were also installed. It wasn’t necessary to apply for sanitary facilities. As expected, the research centre already had most of the facilities. The time spent on construction was just 3 days!
-The <Audit Command> quest has been completed.
At the same time the quest was completed. The shops damaged by the airship crash were also repaired! In the meantime Ark also bought the Fairy and exclusive route. Ark was able to save that type of money because of the chaotic users. It was thanks to the chaotic battle. He took the initiative during the battle but Ark was still the sector manager. The rights of the soldiers who fought belonged to Ark. He took advantage of that and was able to obtain exclusive loot from the chaotic users.
Hegel’s skill also couldn’t be ignored. At the time 10,000 people had gathered so it was a confusing battle. Streams of water pouring out also made the items more difficult to find. However Hegel had received special training as a Scavenger from the NPC Heksu of the Silver Hand. Hegel’s distinctive large eyes didn’t miss a single item. Ark managed to collect 400 items! The value was worth 6,000 gold. Ark had already secure 5,000 gold but he used that money to buy the Fairy and exclusive route. But the biggest loot Ark got from this event…..
“Hello Ark-nim!”
Bain bowed so low his nose almost hit the ground.
“I’ve finished resetting all the data of the research centre and now Ark-nim is the top administrator. The research centre truly belongs to Ark-nim now!”
Bain exclaimed as he pointed to the research centre. The signpost in front of the research centre had already been changed to ‘Sector S-20’s Management Office.’
Ark grinned and nodded.
“Good work.”
“I don’t deserve those words! I tried to do such despicable things to Ark-nim yet you forgave me! In the future I will only be loyal to Ark-nim!”
There was a reason for Bain’s attitude. Marquis Martin, Ark, Jyubel and the Laius Vice President. The 4 people had commenced their talk shortly after the ‘chaotic attack.’ He didn’t hand Bain over to the courts. But Bain was scared of something else. Jyubel and the Vice President suffered a big loss and Bain was a weakness to them. Of course he would take the fall. Thus they fired Bain. He quickly grabbed an opportunity!
“I will obey everything you say! Just let me be your subordinate! Please! If Ark-nim doesn’t accept then I won’t live for long! The only person who can help me is Ark-nim! If you tell me to bark then I will bark!”
Bain was quick at judging the situation. His life would continuously by threatened by Jyubel and the Vice President. The only way he could survive was to cling tightly to Ark. Ark had a secret deal with Jyubel and the Vice President. They wouldn’t dare do anything if Bain was Ark’s subordinate. The proposition wasn’t bad for Ark.
‘The research centre is mine but I don’t know the facilities yet.’
The Laius Vice President hadn’t attached any documentation about the research centre. If Bain was there then he could use the centre’s capabilities at 100%. Bain was an incredible lifeline to Ark! He didn’t need to worry about betrayal.
“In addition, he was a direction of Laius. That means he is a NPC with the ability to manage.’
Originally Ark had left sector management to Mellin and Hegel. However he saw the situation after returning from Amara and determined that it was impossible to leave it to them. If it wasn’t for Rapid then the population would’ve plummeted drastically.
‘In that sense Rapid is the right person……’
However Rapid hadn’t come back despite a fortnight passing. Even if Rapid returned, he was still a user. He wouldn’t be able to stay at the sector all the time. But it was impossible for Ark to stay at S-20.
“Okay. I accept.”
“R-really? You really accept?”
“But if you even think of……”
“I will never! My allegiance will always be with you!”
-Bain has joined Dark Eden as an intern.Name: Bain (NPC ☆ ☆) Occupation: Clerk
Level: 110 Related Skills: Paperwork, Information Processing…….
Bain became an employee of Dark Eden. Bain wasn’t the only new increase to his employees.
“You’ve become my subordinate but I can’t guarantee your safety. You understand how powerful the opponents are right? So I am giving you a bodyguard for the moment. Kurakan, you stay here with Bain for a while.”
“I understand Hyung-nim.”
Kurakan tapped Bain’s shoulder with a smile.
“Huhuhu. There is no need to worry. Other than Ark hyung-nim, I have never lost to another pioneer. No one will touch you with me here. Hyung-nim, then I have become Hyung-nim’s subordinate?”
“Well you played your role well.”
He used Kurakan’s body to lure the chaotic hunters. And Ark had been thinking about accepting Kurakan. Kurakan was an idiot but Ark spent quite a bit of time watching him. His skills might be a disadvantage but he never gave up and was extremely loyal to Ark. It wasn’t common for a user to keep his promise of doing 100 hours of community service. Therefore he was a reliable user.
-Kurokan has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Kurakan (User) Occupation: Assaulter
Level: 98 Related Skills: Charge, Rampage, Heavy artillery……
Milan and the Royal Guards were 11 NPCs.
He also brought in Jay and Tori so he had 2 NPC engineers. And he left the research centre and sector management to Bain. Kurakan was the first user registered. Dark Eden was now filled with 15 people.
‘I can increase the level of the agent.’
Adventure points were required to raise the level of his agent. Ark had already collected the necessary Adventure points. It was the same for S-20.
“How about it? Do you like it?”
Bain asked nervously as he noticed Ark’s expression. Bain had guided them around and Ark was now standing on a balcony.
‘This is my entire sector?’
The balcony overlooked the entire sector! The sector was twice its previous size and was wrapped in a blue shield. The extension meant Mt. Fargo was no fully owned by Ark with a lot of pioneers hunting there. The shops damaged from the airship crash were repaired and the Fairy and exclusive route attracted more pioneers.
That wasn’t all.
A large artificial lake was next to the research centre. The lake was filled with dozens of fish that the octopuses could catch. They were the workers from Charem’s food factory. Once the situation in S-20 was clean up, Ark had moved the Charenjok and space food manufacturing to S-20. When Ark first came there was only one signpost in the sector. Now it had all the essential facilities, an artificial lake and a research centre.
*Sector Management Information Window*
Sector Code: S-20 Sector Rating: Lv. 2
Sector Range: 2 kilometres around the entrance of Mt. Fargo.
Sector Manager: Ark (Agent: Dark Eden)
Number of Stores: 15 (7 Duty-free shops, 85% tax of the income)
Population: 3,480
Sector Assets: 1,460 gold
Related Facilities: Research Centre, Fairy, Exclusive Route, Relay Antennas (laboratory facility) and food manufacturing factory.
So he levelled up! S-20 was finally able to grow to a small sector with a Lv. 2 rating. New employees meant he had to relocate his other staff. Once Bain took over sector managed, he entrusted the food manufacturing plant to Mellin. Jay and Tori returned to their primary occupations as engineers and oversaw the related tasks of the research centre. The Royal Guards were appointed as formal sector guards.
‘I’d like to watch the situation of the sector a bit more……’
He had to meet Marquis Martin in one week. And it took 3 days to clean-up S-20. There was still 4 days left but Ark had something he needed to do.
‘Four days isn’t an abundant amount of time I can leave the rest of the sector to the staff and go complete my business.”
Ark’s mission. It was an adventure to an unknown world.
———————————————————————————–
“Dammit!”
Rapid sighed with misery. His cold had worsened and he needed to be taken to the hospital. However the thing that made it difficult was Rapid’s father. His father had stopped Rapid’s connection to Galaxian when he became sick. This was the reason why Rapid failed for log in for a fortnight. But Rapid desperately persuaded his father and he could return to Galaxian. And once again to S-20……
“Did something happen in the meantime?”
The sector was completely changed from what he remembered. What happened while he was away? It wasn’t difficult to figure out. He also knew the pioneers in the sector so he could easily here the matter. That’s why Rapid was upset. He wanted to meet Ark. He wanted to check the answer. He wanted to know. Why could he never win over Ark? What was the difference between him and me?
‘I wonder.’
He wanted to meet Ark again. In the past Rapid tried everything he could to defeat Ark but it didn’t work so he wanted to ask in S-20. Naturally he knew what was required to grow a sector. The crisis could only be solved with money. However Ark didn’t spend any money. He had found ways to resolve the funding issue while still obtaining something from poor users. The process was more important than the results. But Rapid had spent that time in a hospital bed. The problem was…….
“He left last night.”
“Left? To where?”
“He didn’t tell me.”
He took several subordinates with him so I don’t know when he will come back. It was great that Rapid managed to return.
‘Now what do I do?’
Rapid was signing with disappointment when a message appeared.
-A new message has arrived.
The Nymphe vibrated and a new message came up. His forehead frowned as he confirmed the message without thinking.
“What the? Why all of a sudden……?”
Space 5
My Land!
“Uhh!”
“Oooh!”
In the secret underground facility of the NIS. Eerie moans kept on being heard from the underground room. However there was no sympathy in the eyes of the man in his 30s. He just clicked his tongue instead.
“Hey, are they really special agents?”
“I’m ashamed.”
A man with swollen eyes said as he scratched his head.
“These days the army is so soft that it no different from a kindergarten. But aren’t they the special forces of the NIS? The NIS agents that can withstand torture can only do this much?”
“Hyung-nim, are we the mafia? This isn’t a military dictatorship. If we do that than the agents will be unhappy. You should know that.”
“I don’t know. All I know is that the supposedly elite agents of the NIS are whining like children. I’ll say this. It doesn’t matter if the meat on their bones is torn off like wolves ate it. They had to do it without complaining or withdrawing.”
“Hyung-nim really is special.”
“That is my nature.”
The man answered in a curt tone before standing up.
“Seeing these guys moaning in the darkness is distracting. I’m going to smoke a cigarette.”
Hyung-nim, cigarettes are full of nickel, arsenic, benzene, cadmium, carcinogens etc. Please think about your health.”
“Are you a NIS agent or the ambassador for a no-smoking campaign? Is this really the voice of a NIS employee?”
“I might be an NIS employee but I’m still a person. In addition, I’m also the head of my family.”
“Yes, you have to worry about messes on the wall and other crap. I’m a bachelor so I can smoke.”
The man then went outside. He took out a cigarette and started smoking.
“Dammit, what am I doing now?”
The man smoking was Lee Myung-ryong. He had suddenly been contacted by the NIS a week ago. At first Lee Myung-ryong thought the call had something to do with Gwon Hwa-rang. The tycoon and politicians were probably being shielded by the NIS. Then Kang Ho-cheol who guided him around the NIS blatantly provoked him. The NIS was quite a scary place. The provocation had impure motives behind it. The problem was that Lee Myung-ryong was a person born without fear. His DNA was made for battles! The person who called him Hyung-nim in the underground facility was Kang Ho-cheol. His swollen eye was the work of Lee Myung-ryong.
-Today Daddy met a superman.
That was what Kang Ho-cheol told his two daughters after coming home. Well, Lee Myung-ryong turned is face into a swollen rice cake so he needed something to explain to his two daughters. Then Lee Myung-ryong heard an explanation that he never expected.
“This isn’t a SF movie. Lucifer’s recovery……”
He honestly still couldn’t believe it. An artificial intelligence existed in the game. He already died once and now he rose again just to take over the nuclear power plant and threaten the government? How could he believe that? But it was true. And the NIS had already made preparations to deal with it.
‘In my eyes, the headquarters looks more like a game room than an emergency task force room.’
That was the underground facility he had just been in. There were 300 capsules that connected to Galaxian and the 300 personnel were either in the capsules or eating.
“You’ll be joining this team. This is a state of emergency for the country. We’ve contacted the Gangnam police office and will provide you with a room and meals. Needless to say, this is a confidential matter. You can’t reveal anything about this situation to anyone.”
So Lee Myung-ryong joined the Lucifer Hunting team.
‘At this rate I won’t be able to fulfil Hwa-rang hyung-nim’s request.’
The request from Gwon Hwa-rang surfaced in his head. Lee Myung-ryong could determine the severity of the issue. And he was a civil servant. Gwon Hwa-rang’s request couldn’t take precedence over the country’s state of emergency.
‘But what can I do? I have experience but I’m not a person who originally enjoyed playing games. I was just thrown into New World. There are already strong people dealing with the emergency situation than why am I needed? What can I teach them?’
But it was different than he expected. He joined the team and watched for a few days.
“I don’t understand the situation but I clearly know what they are lacking.”
“What’s that?”
“It is will! That is what this team is lacking.”
“That is ridiculous. They are all agents specially trained to hunt Lucifer. They went through a myriad of training without sleep, counterterrorism manoeuvres and constant high intensity training. I can’t accept the fact that they lack willpower.”
“Why is that?”
“T-that is……”
“Frankly there isn’t a large difference in my skills compared to theirs. The difference is in practical experience. The NIS agents have quite a bit of fighting experience. But there is a difference in our fighting experience. I worked in a SWAT team and fought criminals every single day. Our experience is very different.”
“But they are Lucifer hunting agents……”
“Training is training. Do you understand? Actual fighting is different from training.”
“But how can they possible match a veteran with 25 year’s experience? Where can they gain practical experience fighting with guns in South Korea?”
“So I will show them actual fighting from now on.”
The members of the Lucifer hunting team weren’t afraid of death. The country was in a crisis! They couldn’t be scared! They had to stop Lucifer even if they needed to step over the corpses of their fellow soldiers. The personnel who committed to this weren’t afraid of death.
…..That was the problem.
“So you’re not afraid of death? Don’t joke around. Isn’t that just fighting bravely? Those guys would just die. And the troops would be -1. That is troublesome. The most important thing in a fight is survival. If you survive then you can fire one more bullet. If you don’t understand that then you will just be playing at fighting.”
“But how can they learn not to fight bravely?”
“They will have to learn with their bodies.”
Once again, the virtual reality capsule moderated pain. The game was a realistic experience but the users would just receive a small shock in place of the pain. But even that small shock could cause irritation.
‘This is the reason why they’re not afraid of death. They aren’t desperate to survive. That’s because it is a game so they don’t need to survive. I need to fix that mindset.’
They had the right person. Lee Myung-ryong became the team leader after joining the team.
“That sounds like fun.”
Lee Myung-ryong’s eyes glittered as he heard a description of the situation.
“It might be difficult to change the game system but this is just converting a hardware. All you need to do is amplify the signal. This really is a brilliant idea. As expected, you understand everything without me having to describe it.
“The pain…..”
“Huhuhu, my body went through it as well.”
The capsule was remodelled under his orders. In the renovated capsules the pain values were realistic. If the character received damage then it would feel 100% real. In order words, they really would feel it if shot by a bullet or their limbs were cut off. That’s why screams rang out in the underground facility.
“Aaaaaaack!”
Since then the team members started their hellish hours. Now Galaxian was no longer a game for them. How could it be a game when they suffered the pain of a broken limb? The only difference was that their bodies would revive. It wasn’t a wonderful thing. It meant that terrible pain needed to be repeated. Naturally the attitudes of the agents in the game changed by 180 degrees.
‘I can’t rush blindly even if the monster is weak. I don’t want to experience that terrible pain again. Fighting without being injured would be the best. I have to avoid any blows that will deal serious injury. I have to do whatever it takes to survive!’
They no longer fought with ignorant courage. Their heads thought frantically in order to survive. Then skills they never imagined were created.
-[Evasion (☆ ☆)] skill has been created.
<This increases the probability of a desperate person to avoid enemy gunfire>
-[Safety First (☆ ☆)] skill has been created.
<Damage will reduce and defense increase for a certain period of time>
-[Carefulness (☆ ☆)] skill has been created.
<Situational judgement has increased and damage received from the surrounding environment will be reduced>
These skills were produced by their struggles to avoid pain! This was reflected in their combat power.
-I have to become stronger in order to avoid dying!
Like a movie, the team members became stronger after experiencing death.
“Hyung-nim is a genius!”
Kang Ho-cheol praised Lee Myung-ryong. However the agents had different thoughts.
‘We’re receiving this pain because of that bastard!’
‘What diabolical ideas are running through that head of his?’
‘He is the devil!’
But Lee Myung-ryong wasn’t affected by this. He had suffered this when he first started New World and didn’t know anything about the game. Now the agents playing Galaxian were experiencing it as well.
“To think Hyun-woo was hired for this job……”
The NIS had commissioned private gamers. Hyun-woo was included among those numbers. It was natural considering Hyun-woo was the strongest player in New World. In addition, he was one of the users who defeated Lucifer. It would be strange if Hyun-woo wasn’t invited.
“Hwa-rang hyung-nim’s request is second at the moment. First I have to meet Hyun-woo to talk about the Lucifer hunting.”
Lee Myung-ryong muttered as he threw his cigarette butt away.
—————————————————————————————–
‘Damn……’
Hyun-woo sighed. Just after the situation in S-20 was put to order. Hyun-woo took Tori out into the universe. He had something to take care of before meeting Marquis Martin again for the intelligence mission. But Ark’s destination couldn’t be reached in 1~2 hours. With warp navigation it would take 20 hours. In other words, he had nothing to do for 20 hours except wait. It was a lot of spare time.
‘Things turned out well. In fact, I postponed the Taek real estate problem in order to play the game.’
To be honest it wasn’t just because of the game. Hyun-woo had already guessed the reason behind the real estate problem. Lucifer was behind the incident! If he defeated Lucifer then the real estate price might recover and even go higher. The only hope was to reach the ultimate goal in Galaxian before Lucifer. Therefore he put off the rehabilitation members request to go saw the Taek land and immersed himself in the game. Because there was no way to solve the real estate problem in real life. But he couldn’t talk about that situation.
‘Yes, I can’t put off the matter much longer or the hyung-nims would be worried. I have time now so I should go see them.’
–Yes, you thought well.
–We’ll see you soon. We’ll take a look around the land.
The hyung-nims were okay. It was good up to there. The problem was the phone call he got just before leaving.
–I am Cho Min-sun.
“Cho Min-sun? I don’t know that name……”
–You might know me as Irina?
Hyun-woo’s jaw dropped. It had been 20 days since he met up with Irina on Istana’s orbital garrison after the Amara event. Hyun-woo had asked for a date and Irina unexpectedly gave him her phone number. No, Cho Min-sun was her real name and she had promised to meet up when she had time. Now she had called.
‘Don’t tell me……?’
–I’m sorry for the delay. I was quite busy. I know this is a sudden call. Do you have time today?
‘Oh my god!’
Hyun-woo was speechless. He had been waiting for this phone call. His heart wanted to jump out of his chest. However the timing was horrible. Hyun-woo had promised to meet his hyung-nims and was just about to depart for the Taek mountain region. He had already put off this appointment too many times. And he couldn’t cancel the appointment since his hyung-nims had probably already left. But he hadn’t been in contact with Cho Min-sun for 20 days. He was extremely worried!
–As expected, was it too abrupt? Then the next opportunity……
“Ah, no it’s fine!”
Hyun-woo shouted frantically. Hyun-woo knew Cho Min-sun’s circumstances. Her mother was lying in the ICU. Hyun-woo understand her situation immediately.
‘I’ve stopped by every time I’m in the hospital but I never see anyone else. Perhaps she grew up with a widowed mother. Or maybe she is a single mother. I don’t understand her economic circumstances but it would be difficult for a young woman to take care of the hospital bills by herself. Yes, Min-sun is the same as I was a few years ago. She is probably playing Galaxian in order to gain money. That’s the reason why she seems blunt. She’s like I was when my mother was first hospitalized.’
Hyun-woo had gone through this situation. So he knew. A person in these circumstances would be very busy. He couldn’t miss this chance to meet up with her. Hyun-woo worried for a while before having no choice but to be straightforward.
“I’ll tell you honestly. I actually have a previous engagement. I need to meet with my hyung-nims in a province. I’ve been slightly busy and kept having to postpone so I can’t cancel it now. Then would you like to go on a small drive with me?”
–That……
Cho Min-sun replied in a hesitant voice. Hyun-woo sensed a rejection and was about to sigh.
–That place isn’t on an island that requires a ship to get there is it?
“Huh? Ah, no. It is probably a 2 hour drive by car?”
–Then it will be fine.
Cho Min-sun replied in a bright voice. When he called the rehabilitation members they welcomed it immediately.
–This brat, I was wondering about your excuses but you had a reason for it!
–Are you dating again?
–There is no way we would say no if you wanted to bring a woman!
–Aren’t you a player? Bring her. Hyung-nim will boast about you!
Naturally the rehabilitation members were OK!
‘But having my hyungs along during our first date…….’
This was the reason for Hyun-woo’s sigh. It was an unavoidable situation but wasn’t this their first date? And that wasn’t the only thing he was worried about. The rehabilitation members weren’t ordinary. They were former criminals that he called ‘Hyung-nim.’ They were the type where people would reflexively act in self-defence if they were seen on a dark night. He didn’t know whether it was good to introduce his hyung-nims on a first date. It was natural for him to be worried. The rehabilitation hyungs also knew about Kang Mi-su and Jung Hye-sun. If they met Cho Min-sun then there was a chance they could let something slip.
‘This might be a big deal……’
But the water had already spilled. Now Hyun-woo was driving a car down the freeway with Cho Min-sun sitting next to him. He was now on a date so he had no choice but to see it through.
“Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Ah no.”
Hyun-woo shook his head and spoke quickly.
“This is our first time meeting outside, no is it the second if we include the party? However we didn’t know each other at that time so this should be the first meeting. I feel sorry because you suddenly have to meet my hyung-nims.”
“No I’m fine. It’s not like Hyun-woo did it on purpose. Rather I am sorry for suddenly contacting you. If I felt uncomfortable then I would’ve refused. I’m not the type of person who won’t speak my mind.”
“I know that as well.”
Hyun-woo laughed and answered.
“You are the type of person who won’t give rations to a starving prisoner because they were missing 0.5 grams of Iridium.”
“If you speak like that then Hyun-woo ssi also did something.”
“Huh? What did I do?”
“You took off your pants in front of me to buy a shovel.”
“Ack! You still remember that?”
“It is a memory I want to forget.”
“Then please forget it. I was desperate at that time.”
“I’m a little surprised though. I thought that Hyun-woo ssi would soon quit the game. Yet you ended up receiving the title of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero and the title of a sector administrator. Galaxian is the first game I’ve played but I know that isn’t an easy thing to achieve.”
“I think that Min-sun ssi is also wonderful. Not anyone can enter the galactic federation. This is your first time playing the game yet you managed to become an executive of the galactic federation. That isn’t something an ordinary user can do.”
“It’s nothing.”
Cho Min-sun replied with a dreary expression. Hyun-woo thought that he made a mistake. He played the game to live. Despite millions of people playing the game in this age, it still didn’t have that good of a perception. Many men were reluctant to talk to gamers. Let alone women.
‘Is it okay to speak about this?’
Hyun-woo wondered with an embarrassed expression. Then Cho Min-sun laughed and continued.
“By the way? Haven’t we only been talking about Galaxian since we met?”
“Huh? Ah, I’m really sorry. I must seem a bit dull……”
“It’s nothing. I find this convenient. Honestly questions like my hobby and blood type make me uncomfortable. I think it is an advantage that we can talk about our favourite thing seriously.
“I also appreciate that.”
“That doesn’t mean you can be too relaxed.”
“I understand. I will put in more effort to raise your impression of me. Please give me the quests.”
“The first quest is to take me home safely.”
“Is this a repeatable quest?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“In the end it will depend on my impression. I understand. I’ll accept your first quest! I will 100% complete it!”
Hyun-woo had been quite nervous. His hyung-nims intruded on his fist date but that date was actually a burden. A date was needed to progress the relationship but he hadn’t known what to talk about. To be honest he had spent 20 minutes choosing a t-shirt and jeans. But that nervousness was solved when they met. No, he even felt comfortable. It was because they had a common interest. Today he was grateful that Galaxian existed. The thing he was worried about also didn’t happen.
“Ohhh! It is a beauty!”
The rehabilitation hyungs were waiting at the meeting point. The rehabilitation members flocked as soon as Hyun-woo stopped the car.
“Nice to meet you! I’m sorry this is so sudden but do you have an older sister?”
“This bastard, where are you forcing your horrible mug?”
“I’m sorry. That guy never learned any manners.”
“What? Then you learnt it as well?”
“I learnt a lot more than you. Please understand. The difference between us is large. He was barely taught not to
“My name is Kang Yoo-jin.”
“Eh? Why did you greet her first? I’m Yoo An-gook.”
“Wait! I’m first! I’m Ma Cho-rong……”
“Get out you beast!”
The rehabilitation members shouted over the top of each other. In fact, Hyun-woo had felt tense when the rehabilitation members first gathered around Cho Min-sun. Except for 2~3 people, most of them have faces hat people would be scared of. However that tension eased with the gag moment of the rehabilitation members.
‘The first checkpoint has been passed?’
Hyun-woo felt relieved.
“Hyung-nims, stop now. How can you expect her to remember your names if you keep on talking over each other? Let’s talk about business over a meal.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Is it here?”
Hyun-woo looked over an expanse of grass. Yoo An-gook nodded and pointed to the distant mountain.
“Yes, it is from here up to that mountain. There is no change but I thought you should see it once. Doesn’t it seem different once you actually see it?”
Yoo An-gook was showing him the piece of real estate. Hyun-woo had trusted the real estate to Yoo An-gook so this was the first time he saw the land directly. But Hyun-woo also had an eye for land. In New World he owned his own estate and he even had a sector in Galaxian. From Hyun-woo’s point of view, the land that Yoo An-gook bought wasn’t bad. The scenery was beautiful and it would be situation in the heart of the new city that had been planned.
‘The value of the land now……’
A sigh naturally emerged. That didn’t change even if he saw the land. The reason he had met the rehabilitation members today wasn’t to come up with a solution. It was to make up an excuse and to have a meal together. After driving around the border of the land, Hyun-woo and the members found a suitable restaurant. And they chatted while eating.
“But why did you come here to look around?’
Cho Min-sun asked. Kang Yoo-jin replied before Hyun-woo.
“What? Hyun-woo, you didn’t tell her were this was?”
“No, that…..”
He had been slightly worried about it. This was their first date and he felt like he would be bragging if he said ‘this is my land.’
Hyun-woo scratched his head awkwardly. Ma Cho-rong laughed and interrupted.
“You don’t know yet. Then I’ll say it. He might look trivial but he is rich in land. That place we toured? That is his land.”
“Huh? That is Hyun-woo’s land?”
“Not only that. He is a director of a large company. Have you heard about a company called Global Exos? He is the director there. MIn-sun ssi caught a proper guy.”
“Hyung-nim, what are you saying?”
“Yes, Ma Cho-rong. Are you drunk? What are you saying?”
“Ah no, I just……”
Ma Cho-rong examined Hyun-woo and Kang Yoo-jin’s expression and closed his mouth.
“I’m sorry. Like I said previously, this guy hasn’t learnt any manners. I’ll apologize instead?”
“No I’m fine. By the way, isn’t Global Exos the one who made the game called New World? If you’re the director of that company than Hyun-woo really is Ark……”
“Yes, I am that Ark.”
Hyun-woo sighed and replied.
“I wasn’t hiding it intentionally. I just didn’t have an opportunity to tell you.”
The rehabilitation members were unaware that Hyun-woo was playing Galaxian. But Kang Yoo-jin noticed that he didn’t want to talk about it and changed the subject.
“We’ve known him for quite some time. Now he is the director of a large company but he was going through some troubles when we first met. I won’t explain the details but he just spent his days working part time jobs. So please don’t misunderstand.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ma Cho-rong sighed and interrupted.
“Hyun-woo bought the land that he earned with a lot of difficulty. Damn, now problems are occurring here. The Taek Mountain was selected as the location of a new town. Now it is just a bunch of hills!”
Cho Min-sun who had been listening silently asked with surprise.
“What did you say just now?” This is the Taek Mountain region? Here is Taek Mountain?”
“Eh? Do you know it?”
“Ah no, all I know is……”
Cho Min-sun shook her head. But her complexion had turned pale.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
He eyed Cho Min-sun anxiously who shook her head.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Then Hyun-woo was the owner of that land before?”
“Yes, but he wasn’t the one who bought the land. That friend is a real estate specialist and he purchased the land as investment for Hyun-woo because he heard of the construction of a new town. This might seem like we’re defending Hyun-woo. But it is all true. He bought the land but the land prices plummeted so Hyun-woo is suffering because of his foolish hyungs.”
Yoo-jin hyung, why is hyung talking like this?”
“Yes! It isn’t our fault that the land value fell!”
Then Ma Cho-rong shouted angrily.
“It is thanks to the politicians and businessmen who bought the land and then sold it. That’s why the land prices fell. The land value inflated because of the new construction and then it was sold off quickly. Obviously anyone who would worried.”
“That’s right! Those bastards are to blame.”
“Dammit, have the tycoons and politicians changed in the last few decades?”
“They don’t care about the commoners shedding tears of blood. Those damn bastards! I can’t forgive dogs like them!”
“Stop it!”
Yoo An-gook suddenly shouted.
“Can’t you differentiate between the right time and place? Hyun-woo brought his long-awaited girlfriend and you’re saying things like that? This isn’t the time for it. Can’t you see the Min-sun ssi is uncomfortable?”
“Ah, no I’m fine.”
Cho Min-sun replied with an embarrassed face. Then she lifted her head and laughed.
“I’m not uncomfortable. No, I want to hear more about exactly what happened. I’m interested in things like this.”
Anyone could tell that it was an awkward smile.
Space 6
Rakunka
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 115
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 11,230 Adventure 720
Health 2,900 (+90) Mental Power 250 (+340)
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 280 (+38) Agility 345 (+41)
Stamina 465 (+18) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 280 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
“Hrmm……”
Ark scratched his head. When he returned to S-20 from Amara he had been level 107. But now he was level 115. He had gained 6 levels from the surrounding hunting ground as well as the chaotic users. It wasn’t necessary to talk about how profitable the chaotic hunting was. There was a 100% chance to get equipment. He also gained more experience than hunting monsters. He sold the spoils reaped from S-20 and gained 20 bonus stats as well. His fame and federation contribution also increased because he killed criminals. Except for the 1000 Adventure Points that he used to raise his agent rating, everything else had increased. And these changes would be a pleasure for any user.
But right now the details of the information window didn’t register in Ark’s eyes. It was because of yesterday. The date with Irina that he had been waiting for! Yesterday the two of them finally went on a date. The problem was that the result was ‘?’.
……The beginning was good. The appointments had overlapped so Irina ended up meeting the rehabilitation members but the atmosphere was more sociable than expected. The atmosphere was encouraging when they arrived at the Taek Mountain region. She had found out that he was the director of Global Exos and that he owned a piece of land. It was a strange conversation for men and women who haven’t met before to be having. And Irina was surprised but wasn’t offended. There was just one problem. Later talk emerged about the Taek real estate slump. Since then Irina had a determined, sometimes angry expression on her face.
‘I don’t know what that look means.’
It was a date yet talk about real estate problems emerged. A woman who understood the situation would feel bad about it. Ark thought that was the cause at first. However Irina wanted them to explain even more. She actively participated in talk of the cause of the real estate slump and the victims affected. But sometimes she would seem angry.
‘Perhaps Irina also bought land in the Taek Mountains?’
He contemplated that thought. However Irina didn’t seem to be aware of the situation until after they explained it. Plus Irina had to pay her mother’s hospital bills so Ark couldn’t imagine her having enough money to buy a piece of land.
‘I really don’t know. Why did Irina question the situation so much? And what is with the angry expression? Perhaps it is because of me? Maybe she was upset because of the damage I received? I’ll be glad if it is like that but……’
He couldn’t ask her. He asked if Irina was in a bad mood on the drive back and she just shook her head. There wasn’t lot of conversation on the way back to Seoul. He dropped Irina near her house and the date ended in a weird mood. Since then Ark had been worrying about it.
‘Should I call her?’
If he wanted the relationship to progress then he needed to freely call her. However he wouldn’t be able to get a sense if anything was wrong during the call. Eventually Ark sent a careful letter.
It was nice to meet you. I hope you are well. I’m sorry you had to meet the hyungs during our first date. I hope you didn’t feel discomfort etc…..
Ark wrote a lengthy letter and only received this message as a response.
-I’m sorry.
This was the reason for Ark’s ‘?’. He couldn’t understand the meaning of her apology. He wanted to confirm the meaning through a call or another letter. However Ark decided to wait. It would be difficult to discern hidden meaning in letters. It might be nothing but personal circumstances. Ark also knew that he was ignorant in matters of love.
‘We will meet again very soon anyway.’
Ark was part of the second task force to investigate the magic circle. And Irina was part of the first team so they would have to meet.
‘Yes, I can wait and ask the question then. I also have work to do. The remaining time until then is 3 days! Not including the time required to return to Istana, that is only 2 days! I have to finish this job and meet Irina again!’
“Tori, are we there yet?”
“We will exit warp space soon!”
Tori replied as he operated the dashboard. At the same time, a vortex of light was visible outside the window. It was the phenomenon caused when existing a multidimensional portal created by warp travel. There was a small vibration before the Silver Star exited near a planet that shone like jewels. An eye catching nebula was in front of Ark.
“This is……”
This nebula as why he quickly put the situation in S-20 to order and departed for space! Ark had received the <Dark Omen> quest from Marquis Martin and the <Investigate the Negative Energy> quest from the Elim’s Memory. However that wasn’t the only thing Ark needed to do. It wasn’t a formal quest but it was a job that he received first. It was to find the 5 Divine Artefacts so that he could become the true Elim’s Heir. But Ark hadn’t even started yet. The reason was simple. He didn’t know where it was.
–A place where 5 planets become one light.
That was the only information Ark had about the Divine Artefacts. The strange clue was probably a test itself. Naturally Ark regularly search through the information sites related to Galaxian. However he was unable to find the answer until……
“Isn’t that from the sailor’s song?”
The person who said this was Kaya. Once again, Ark had drawn a lot of users to S-20 for chaotic hunting. They were chaotic hunters. Among them were users were a high reputation and fame. Ark didn’t need to try and gain their attention. Ark was already a celebrity in Istana and the sector administrator so some of them came looking for Ark. It would be annoying if they wanted to duel like Kurakan but Ark had no reason to reject the users’ attention. The users that came to say hello included the tournament winner who used a spear called Sadain, the controller Park and the Esper Kaya.
‘I should ask them about it.’
He asked them about the phrase left by Xanax and immediately received an answer.
“The sailor’s song? What’s that?”
“It is a song that the crew of spaceships often sing. I remember the lyrics had something about five stars. Sadain, have you heard it?”
“Yes.”
Sadain nodded his head.
“What are the exact lyrics? I think it contained courage?”
“Memory….courage, dedication, desire and passion, the five stars that will guide you towards a dream.”
Controller Park interrupted with the information.
He was sitting cross legged on his dinosaur shaped autobot.
“The lyrics are about five stars that will lead to one light. The sailors sing this song because the five stars often act as a lighthouse in the galaxy. The nebula gas that covers these five stars and radiates light is the largest and brightest in the galaxy. If joined up with the planet in the center called Rakunka then it will form a cross shape. If an NPC crew ever has their navigational system break down then they can use that cross as a guide.”
“Ah I was going to say the cross.”
Kaya nodded and sent a pouting look to Park.
“Sheesh, this guy is so smug despite never catching a monster himself…..”
“People who use guns and swords in the age of flying ships are idiots. And do you think it is easy to create and control autobots? You would never be able to do it.”
“Don’t play around. Have you forgotten what an Esper is? I can change your DNA and turn you into an amoeba.”
“My autobots would’ve killed you before that happened.”
“What? Do you want to try it?”
“When will chaotic hunting be finished?”
Sadain muttered with a tired expression as he watched the arguing Kaya and Park. The three users had known each other before. However they weren’t on good terms and kept on arguing every time they met. However they acknowledged each other’s skills and formed a party once they realized the chaotic users were organized. In this event they were the party that hunted the highest number of chaotic users. Anyway!
‘Oh my god! The answer to the clue was that simple!’
Ark felt like he had been hit in the head. In fact Ark had also heard the sailor’s song. Tori had often sung that song when repairing the Silver Star after they escaped from Amara. However his pitch and tempo were messed up so Ark didn’t think anything of the lyrics that came out of his mouth. But it was the clue to the whereabouts of the Divine Artefact!
‘The five star nebula gas that looks like a cross. It fit perfectly with the clue left behind by Xanax. It is there. The planets linking the cross up is the place Xanax was talking about!’
This was the reason he asked Marquis Martin for time. He couldn’t promise to come back in time to join the investigation team.
‘I want to find it before then if possible.’
He hurriedly cleaned up S-20 and sailed 20 hours towards the cross.
“It must be here!”
His guess turned into certainty. In the centre of the cross was a planet. The 5 planets connected by nebula gas that emitted blue light. The only thing visible from a distance was the light of the cross shape.
“Okay. Prepare to enter the planet!”
“But there are 5 of them. Which one should we enter?”
There was no need to worry about this.
-I will leave a mark for you in the deep centre.
This was the final part of the clue left by Xanax.
“Of course it will be the central planet.”
Ark smiled and replied. The red planet in the centre was larger than the other four. It might seem like a big ball but once he entered the planet then endless land stretched in front of him. However Xanax wrote that a marker was left for the successor.
‘The beginning of Xanax’ clue led to this planet. Then the marker shouldn’t be something small. If I pull the Silver Star back then I should be able to identify the marker. If I explore the planet then it shouldn’t take more than one day.’
No, it didn’t even take an hour. He entered the planet Rakunka in the centre. He used the Silver Star’s exploration equipment to scan the ground and discovered a triangular object covered in a red substance. It was a pyramid, the symbol of the Murat.
‘I discovered the right destination!’
“Tori, land the Silver Star next to that pyramid!”
“Understood!”
Tori replied vigorously and lowered the ship.
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The ship suddenly shook and a red message flashed on the monitor.
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 92%>
“E-enemy fire?”
“Hyung-nim, over there!”
Ark turned his head at Tori’s squeal and stiffened. Hundreds of unidentified lights were flying towards the Silver Star.
————————————————————————————–
The centre of the space frontier, Elysium.
Elysium was an artificial planet constructed in the early stages of the pioneering age and contains 70% of the galaxy’s businesses. However there was a separate reason why it was referred to as the core of the space frontier.
The Space Council. The Council was an institute founded by the companies in order to get rid of unnecessary damage from the competition between the 3 powers. Their members came from influential and active companies so its power was on par with the 3 powers! In fact, they could be called the government in the space frontier. Elysium that contained the Council naturally became the centre of the frontier and thousands of ships travelled through it a day.
In the Elysium Council’s Square.
“Sob sob sob sob!”
“Impossible! You can’t do this!”
“We’re screwed! This will turn us into beggars!”
Three men were in the OTL stance and shedding tears.
“Jackpot…..the jackpot was right in front of me……”
The men crying tears of blood were Ferguson and his younger brothers A and B. Not long ago Ferguson had appeared on the game exclusive news as the user ranked number 18. But Ferguson wasn’t satisfied. He needed to ride the momentum and enter the top 10! And he found a way.
‘The tungsten mine!’
They had found it by accident when anchored on an asteroid. Ferguson had explored the asteroid and discovered that it contained a large tungsten vein.
‘If I start development then I’ll be sitting on a money cushion!’
Ferguson sensed that this was the chance of a lifetime. The one who first discovered untapped natural resources would be the owner. They just needed to register with the Council and they could monopolize the mining rights for years. But it wasn’t enough to say that ‘here is some underground resources.’ They needed to accurately report the figures in order to apply with the Council. If they were other users then they would begin the investigation immediately.
‘But……’
Ferguson was prudent. He spend a considerable amount of time gathering information about the exact reserves of mineral resources. The area with the lode was infested with monster. It took a significant amount of time to handle the monsters as well as scan the lode. The thing he had to be most careful of were other pioneers, not monsters! He made sure to scan the surroundings when fighting the monsters. It was like advertising that there were good underground resources in the area. It wouldn’t matter if it was a large planet but this was an asteroid so there was a high chance of being spotted by pioneers and attacked. So Ferguson warped straight to Elysium!
-You have secured the exclusive investigation rights to asteroid E-2038.
<Merchant’s Soul will have the exclusive right to explore asteroid E-2038 for the next week. If other pioneers violate the sanctioned area than they will receive the Council’s sanction>
He secured the exclusive investigation rights. He gained the right to investigate a certain area for a period of time. Of course it wasn’t for free. A considerable fee was required depending on the scope and duration. He paid 2,000 gold for it.
‘But that is chump change if I get my hands on the tungsten mine. Now I can investigate the asteroid for a week without any pioneer interfering. No one can disturb me! And if I register with the Council after securing the information then I’ll be rich!’
However it wasn’t that easy to investigate the reserves. Ferguson found the habitat of a giant monster called the Kraken while investigating the asteroid. The Kraken was a giant space monster that would attack ships that neared it. But Ferguson wouldn’t let the Kraken stop his plan for a rosy future. Ferguson hired dozens of mercenaries to defeat the Kraken in a fierce battle and was able to complete the survey after defeating it.
“Now I just need to register it with the Council and it will be a happy ending!”
It was shortly afterwards that the problem occurred. While they were warping to Elysium. All of a sudden young brother A who was in charge of steering burst out with confusion.
“Hyung-nim, there is a distortion in our warp orbit! Space interference! Another ship is forcing its way through the warp trajectory that we set!”
“What? That’s a violation of the laws of sailing! Those dumb bastards……”
Ferguson was yelling when he flinched and closed his mouth.
Ku ku ku kung! Chwajijijik!
The area distorted and several spaceships appeared. He didn’t know their identity. However he knew what they were. It was a UFO without the mark of an agent or a recognition number! Those guys could only be one thing.
“S-space pirates!”
“Hyung-nim, they’ve started firing!”
Dozens of ray guns were firing at them. Once again, Ferguson was part of Galaxian’s top 50 rankings! That wasn’t possible with the users’ skills alone. This was the space frontier so the attack power of the ship was also important in case of situations like this. A large part of why Ferguson rose to rank 18 was due to his ship. However there were 4 pirate ships!
“It is impossible to deal with them no matter how much firepower we have! Use photon movement after escaping from warp space!”
“Impossible! We can’t outrun them!”
Pepepepeng!
In the end Ferguson’s ship was smashed by the space pirates. Fortunately Ferguson’s ship was insured. If the ship met with an unforeseen accident or assault then the information would immediately be sent to the insurance company. If he wasn’t doing anything illegal then he could receive compensation. However it wasn’t 100%. He could only get back 80% of the ship price. He also wouldn’t receive any compensation for the cargo loaded on the ship. The damage he incurred was 4,000 gold!
……Thus far it was okay.
‘I can recoup all this if I get my hands on the tungsten mine!’
He headed to Elysium as soon as he resurrected……
“The tungsten mine rights for E-2038 has already been registered.”
The Council employee replied. Ferguson felt like the sky was falling down.
“N-no way! I had the exclusive investigation rights! The investigation period hasn’t ended yet so how can another pioneer register for the rights of the mine? Something must be wrong!”
“We received all the data required.”
“That is impossible! We have E-2038’s proprietary investigation survey!”
“But you didn’t submit the data first.”
“That……”
“Hyung-nim, perhaps?”
Then younger brother B interrupted with an uneasy tone.
“Perhaps the mercenaries registered it after being attacked by the space pirates. If the space pirates are with them……”
Ferguson felt cold as he heard those words. In fact, he had a few unanswered questions from this incident. The spaceship was moving hundreds of light years so it was almost impossible to interrupt it. He couldn’t understand how another agent could register the information for E-2038 in the meantime. It took Ferguson only 2 days to revive at a nearby hive and arrive in Elysium. Even if another pioneer knew the information about the tungsten mine, it would be impossible for them to scan the asteroid in only 2 days. Especially since Ferguson still had the exclusive investigation rights. Then he could only consider one answer.
‘One of the mercenaries I hired stashed the information!’
Then they had the space pirates interrupt Ferguson on the way to Elysium. While Ferguson had waited to resurrect, they had registered the details first. Ferguson shouted in a voice that seemed to spout fire.
“This is their ploy! It is all so that they could register the information for E-2038 first! They sold the information to the space pirates! Please cancel the registration!”
“The evidence?”
“Isn’t the fact that they don’t have the exclusive investigation rights evidence?”
“The agent who registered for E-2038 said that he bought the information from a sailor. Even if there are some doubts, the Council isn’t a law enforcement agency. You’re a pioneer should you should know it. Anything that happens in the space frontier is the liability of the party involved. It isn’t a problem even if they bought the information from space pirates. They might not have the exclusive investigation rights but they registered in the normal way. Therefore it isn’t possible to cancel it.”
He only received a cold reply. The cornered Ferguson immediately went to find the agent who registered for it. However the answer of the bar staff was no different from the Council employee. They paid 30,000 gold to a sailor in order to obtain the information about the underground resources. Then Ferguson looked around Elysium for the sailor who sold the information. However that sailor was involved with space pirates. A guy like that wouldn’t remain in Elysium. Ferguson also knew that much.
However he couldn’t give up. According to the information he found, the tungsten mine was worth 100,000 gold. Even if he gave a 50% share to investors, he would still secure an income of 50,000 gold. All that had flown away. It was similar to a winning lottery ticket being snatched on the way to claim it. How could he give up?
But he searched through Elysium for a fortnight but couldn’t find any traces of the sailor. That person had already run away. An endless universe stretched out in front of Elysium. It was impossible for Ferguson to find the sailor. He had to admit it.
“Hyung-nim, what will we do?”
Sibling A asked while crying. But Ferguson couldn’t think of a good idea.
“I don’t know.”
“Should we return to New World?”
“What? New World?”
“Yes, we might’ve suffered in New World but it wasn’t like this. And we still have a position there. We might’ve disposed of our assets to help in Galaxian but our characters still remain. So instead……”
“Idiot!”
Ferguson shouted with a frown. Sibling B’s cheeks turned red after Ferguson’s shout.
“Have you already forgotten? The reason why we left that place and entered the galaxy? That guy! It is because of that guy! We came here to show that guy. But now you want to go back? I won’t! I rather die in this universe then serve under him again!”
“But……”
“It’s impossible! I can’t endure it. If you want to go back then you can! You guys…..you two are my siblings! But I’m not going back! I’m going to stay here and succeed. And I’ll show that guy. What a great user I am!”
“Hyung-nim!”
Sibling B’s eyes were dyed red. Then Ferguson placed a hand on B’s shoulder and nodded.
“Let’s start again. It is still too early to give up. We might’ve lost E-2038 but we still have our spaceship and strongest equipment. My name is quite well known on the space frontier so I can find decent jobs. We will raise the necessary funds to enter the frontier again. We can do it!”
“Waaaaah! Hyung-nim!”
Tears poured out the swollen eyes of A and B as they hugged Ferguson. Ferguson also said with a teary expression
“Sob! Those bastards…..yes, I will start again. An opportunity will come if I don’t give up. That’s one thing I learnt from him. We can do anything he can. Because he isn’t here to bother us.”
Ferguson said firmly.
-A new message has arrived.
The Nymphe vibrated and a new message came up. A smile spread on Ferguson’s mouth as he confirmed the message.
“That opportunity might’ve come earlier than I thought.”
————————————————————————————–
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 78%>
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 52%>
The red message kept on continuously popping up.
“What is this? Such a thing……”
Ark looked out the window with confused eyes. A red substance welled up out of the ground like a mini volcano. Rays of light were being fired at the Silver Star from the crater of the volcano.
“Silver Star’s turret! Auto fire and attack that crater!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Energy shells were fired from the wings on both sides of the Silver Star. The crater melted as it was hit with dozens of shells. He didn’t know what it was but it wasn’t impervious to attacks. However there were approximately 100 red craters in the earth! The sky was literally covered with the lights that it fired. Furthermore the firepower of the lights wasn’t a joke. The durability of the Silver Star’s shield instantly went down to 50%. It wouldn’t take a long time for the Silver Star to be shot down. The problem wouldn’t be settled with destroying a few craters.
“Hyung-nim, landing is impossible in this state!”
“You idiot! I already know that!”
Ark shouted as he bit his lip.
‘Dammit, I was caught off guard. I wasn’t careful when entering the atmosphere!’
The situation was more serious than it seemed. A considerable amount of energy and momentum were required to head back into space after entering the atmosphere. They had entered the atmosphere immediately after warping so the Silver Star didn’t have a lot of power left. It would take some time for the fuel rods mounted on the Silver Star to recharge. However he wouldn’t be able to hold out until then.
‘I can use photon movement…..’
Photon movement was different from warp navigation. The ship seemed to disappear but it was actually moving at a rate close to the speed of light. And right now the sky was filled with light rays!
‘If I attempt photon movement then there is no guarantee how many light rays the ship will collide with. Furthermore the damage will be amplified if damage is received in that accelerated state. There is a possibility the ship will crash if hit by the ray. Then there is only one way left!’
“Tori, get out of the way! I will fly!”
Ark pushed Tori away and sat in the cockpit. Ark had immediately released the Chaff when the surprise attack first occurred. Chaff was a defense item to avoid the heat guided missiles. However the light showed no reaction to the Chaff.
‘It isn’t a guided missile!’
That was his only hope to get out of this situation.
‘If all of those rays were guided missiles then I would be lacking Chaff. But they aren’t missiles so I can avoid them. I can’t exist the atmosphere immediately but it is impossible for the craters to cover the entire planet. I need to avoid the lights and find an area without them!’
“Hold on tight! We’re descending!”
Ark shouted as he pulled the joystick. The Silver Star flew down towards the red ground. Large rays of light were being fired up. It would be suicide to cross the sky covered in that light. Thus flying low was the answer! If he stuck close to the ground then he would avoid hundreds of those lights. He flew down until the ship was only 10 metres from the ground.
“W-what is going on?”
A dreadful situation was developing outside the window. Something welled up from the red earth as soon as the Silver Star descended. It was a spider-like monster! It wasn’t just one. The area that the Silver Star was passing had so many crawling out that it was like the whole area was covered with them! And it entered the ground again once the Silver Star passed.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Then the ship shook again. A light ray had hit them when he had looked away for a moment.
“Hyung-nim!”
“Shut up! I need to concentrate!”
Ark shouted while grinding his teeth together.
‘I also played a flight simulation game in the past. There is no reason why I can’t avoid the light rays if they aren’t guided missiles!’
Ark hunched over the control level and focused his attention. He moved the Silver Star up and down, left and right as he kept on flying and avoiding the attacks. He flew by dozens of light rays. However Ark also had a limit.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 48%>
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 32%>
The red warning message appeared on the monitor. There was no need to confirm it one by one. He already knew the shield didn’t have a lot of durability left. If he took his eyes off the radar for even a moment then he would be hit by a light. He focused every nerve of his body on flying.
“Hyung-nim, over there! A desert!”
A desert caught his eye. Ark noticed the desert wasn’t covered in the red substance.
‘There! I can survive if I reach that area!’
It was like Ark expected. He managed to escape the pouring lights by entering the desert. But he still couldn’t be relieved. The Silver Star’s shield only had 10% durability left. He had escaped from the crisis but Ark flew a few more kilometres just in case. He sighed with relief as he landed the Silver Star and checked it. Luckily there wasn’t any large damage. Several exterior walls were scorched and dented but the functionality wasn’t impacted.
“What was that?”
Tori asked. Ark also wanted to know the answer to that question.
“I don’t know either. But……”
It was clear this adventure wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. The pyramid was the symbol of the Murat. There was a 99% chance that Xanax had hidden a Divine Artefact here However, the Silver Star had landed hundreds of kilometres away from the pyramid. Meanwhile that land was covered in a red substance. It was filled with the craters that attacked the Silver Star.
‘Dammit, the pyramid had to be here of all places…..’
…..In fact, it was natural if he thought about it. This was a game. If dangers existed then it was created for users. There was no reason for an area that users would visit to be free of monsters. It meant there had to be a way to defeat it. Ark thought it as highly likely that the pyramid contained the key.
‘But I can’t enter that place even if the Silver Star’s shield recovers. Yet I can’t return to S-20 now. It can’t be helped. I need to learn the identity of the red substance first.’
“Tori, wait for me by the Silver Star.”
Just as Ark was saying this.
“Don’t move!”
Something sharp jabbed him in the back. Ark’s face warped strangely.
“What is this?”
Space 7
God’s Messenger
“Pioneer……”
The old man said with an unpleasant expression.
“It has been a long time since I’ve heard that word.”
Shortly after landing the Silver Star on Rakunka’s desert. Ark’s group had been surrounded by dozens of warriors before he could grasp the situation. The group were riding camels and pointed a sword at Ark. Ark recognized who they were with one glance. Some planets with undeveloped civilization still had savages as the natives of the planet. Rakunka was one such planet.
-Rakunka-
It is the centre planet in a cross constellation located in the eastern part of the galaxy. The planets forming the cross are surrounded with nebula gas that could be observed from anywhere in the galaxy.
Early on pioneers were fascinated by the light and visited Rakunka but only found a desert planet. They also didn’t find any prominent resources. In addition, the indigenous people called the Kusan clan declared that they wouldn’t join any of the 3 powers and would maintain their civilization. It was excluded from the airspace of the 3 powers so there isn’t much information about it.
Ark didn’t come here without any preparation. After meeting with Marquis Martin in Tatuine, he stopped by the library and looked up information about the cross constellation that Kaya and Park mentioned. That was why Ark became careless. The planet wasn’t worth being developed so it had become one of the worthless, marginalized planets in the galaxy. The indigenous population also turned away pioneers a long time ago so they were still like savages. Therefore Ark thought he didn’t need to bring the Royal Guards. There was still a lot of work to do in S-20 so he saw no reason to reduce the number of personnel. But the Silver Star had been attacked as soon as he arrived. He had barely escaped and now he was surrounded by the locals. It was indeed a series of unfortunate events……
‘They probably aren’t involved in the attack received by the red substance. Or else they would’ve attacked without any warning I need to converse with them to check it.’
Ark determined and surrendered. The indigenous people brought him to their chief, an old man called Barakin. But Barakin’s reaction wasn’t that favourable.
“Pioneer is a word unwelcome to us. We live peacefully for a long time when people who called themselves pioneers suddenly invaded our ancestral lands like a bunch of hyenas.
“They are no different from thieves!”
“They must be dealt with in accordance with the precepts!”
Barakin’s men murmured in rough voices. Then Barakin looked at Ark again.
“We don’t know anything about extra-terrestrial civilizations. But the pioneers haven’t come here for nearly 100 years. I don’t know what you expect but there is nothing here. We also don’t welcome pioneers. I’m giving you a chance so return to where you came from.”
“I can’t do that.”
“This isn’t a request.”
Barakin said with a threatening expression. It was a look that indicated he would use force if necessary.
“I don’t mean to refuse. You might’ve seen it but I was attacked by a bunch of unidentified lights when I first arrived. Therefore the ship I came on is damaged and will need time to repair.”
Of course it was a lie. It was true that the Silver Star was damage but that was only the shield and the exterior wall. The damage wasn’t enough to stop the Silver Star from being able to fly. It was just a lie to buy time. The Kusan were an undeveloped species so Ark believed they wouldn’t know anything about the state of his spaceship. At least that’s what Ark thought……
“We’re not stupid.”
Barakin’s eyes narrowed with anger.
“It was a long time ago but a lot of pioneers congregated here. They left many machine parts behind. Do you think we have no idea about machines? We maintained this civilization for hundreds of years due to our respect for our ancestors, not because of a lack of knowledge. We might’ve stayed away from civilization but we know your words are a lie.”
Ark felt like he had been slapped. However he couldn’t say that it wasn’t a lie.
“Ah, no! That is……”
“There is no need to hear anymore!”
Barakin jumped up and shouted.
“If you’re lying then you must have some ulterior motives! I will say it once again. Leave here right now. If you refuse then you will die!”
“That damn pioneer!”
“Hik! Hyung-nim!”
Tori shrieked as the warriors pulled out their swords in unison.
“Hyung-nim, this is a really big deal. We should go back like the elder said. You know where the pyramid is so can’t you return later?”
‘This hamster didn’t notice……’
Wouldn’t leaving now just confirm that he was telling a lie? Despite Ark’s worries, that wasn’t the part that Barakin reacted to.
“The pyramid?”
Barakin looked at Ark and asked.
“Your purpose if the Murat temple?”
“M-Murat?”
“It is unmistakable.”
Barakin frowned at Ark’s question. It was then followed by anger. Clearly he was feeling some strong emotion.
“Yes, that was your purpose? Hah, I almost forgot. The type of people pioneers were. They selfishly came to this land and plundered the Murat temple for sacred relics. Hundreds of our ancestors died trying to stop the thieves! Now a greedy pioneer has once again come to rob the temple? If you don’t die then I won’t be able to face my ancestors! Kill them!”
“Ugh! Let’s quickly leave!”
Tori screamed. That hamster! This happened because of him……however not wasn’t the time to take care of Tori.
“Kill the thieves!”
The Kusan warriors raised their swords and rushed forward at the chief’s command. There were 50 Kusan warriors riding camels! He wasn’t sure what their skills were but their numbers alone was overwhelming. Then something popped into Ark’s head.
“I’m the Murat’s Elim!”
Ark frantically shouted. Barakin had called the pyramid a temple. Then he recalled something the Elim’s Memory said. There was a period before the 3 powers explored indiscriminately through the galaxy. The galaxy had first been pioneered by the Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious. But their pioneering differed from the 3 powers. While the 3 powers explored the galaxy to monopolize the resources, the 4 races had focused on developing savage civilizations. That didn’t mean they taught races that used stone axes to suddenly use a gun. A sudden change would be too confusing.
The 4 races helped the indigenous peoples’ civilizations develop in the right step. Therefore they were like a myth to the natives. The natives thought flooding when there was rain was natural but they taught them how to prevent floods. They also learnt how to predict climate changes as well as new construction techniques. Thanks to that, the natives revered them as gods. That’s why Barakin called the pyramid a temple.
‘The fact that the pyramid is on Rakunka means that the Murat helped develop their civilization. And Xanax also came here to hide a Divine Artefact. Then they would also know about the existence of the Elim. They worship the Murat as gods and the Elim is an agent of the gods.’
Ark’s guess was correct.
“Stop!”
Barakin turned around and shouted. He stared at Ark with incredulous eyes.
“You said that you are the Murat’s Elim?”
“That’s right.”
“Can you prove that?”
“That……”
He had evidence. The character information window stated his occupation as ‘Elim’s Heir.’ However he couldn’t show the character information window to NPCs. His only method of proof was to bring Barakin on the Silver Star to the Elim’s Sanctua In the end Ark confessed the truth.
“I’ll be honest. There hasn’t been an Elim for hundreds of years. I happened to become the Elim’s heir through chance. That’s why I came to Rakunka. The last generation of Murat Elim was called Xanax. But he disappeared with 5 Divine Artefacts a long time ago. He hid it to prepare for the time his successor would appear in the galaxy. The first place his clue led me to was Rakunka.”
“Xanax……”
“Chief-nim, those words……”
A warrior looked at him with a hopeful expression and Barakin nodded.
“Your words are similar to those passed down in the clan. But I can’t trust that you are the Murat’s Elim with just that.”
“So what will make you believe me?”
“I heard that the Murat’s Elim was invincible in battle. Even if you don’t have the Divine Artefacts, you should still have the skills of the Elim. Ellain!”
“Yes Chief-nim!”
A man with tanned skin and giving off a tough expression replied.
“Ellain is the Kusan’s best warrior. If you are really the Elim’s heir then you should easily overpower the Kusan’s best warrior. If you can’t show me a Divine Artefact then you’ll have to convince me with your skills. Ellain, the opponent is calling himself an invincible warrior. If he is trying to trick us with the God’s name then kill him with your own hands! Don’t worry about anything else!”
“Understood!”
Ellain jumped down from the camel while pulling out his sword. The situation had flowed into an unexpected direction but he thought it was rather fortunate. If Barakin ignored Ark’s words then he would’ve had to fight 50 warriors. But now it was a 1 on 1 fight. That alone had decreased the burden. Even more…..
‘I’m Ark!’
Ark grabbed the handle of his lightsaber. Ark might not be an invincible warrior but he had confidence in a 1 on 1 fight.
‘If I can prove it then there is no reason to refuse to fight.’
…..That’s what he thought…..
‘Huk! W-what is this?’
Ark was confused the next moment. Ellain had narrowed the distance the moment Ark had pulled out his lightsaber. The sword attacks were so rapid that he couldn’t even see it! Ark panicked at the unexpected speed and raised his sword but the blade had already hit him a few times. Ellain didn’t just have fast speed.
-You have received a critical hit!
A large amount of his health went down! Judging by the damage done, Ellain had to be at least level 150!
‘This opponent isn’t an ordinary NPC!’
He could barely see the attacks let alone block it. He also had no room to counterattack. It wasn’t simply that Ellain’s sword was fast. Ark realized something after the fight with Ellain started. This place was a desert. In other words, it had a sandy ground. His foot sank in the sand every time he stepped so his movements weren’t as agile as normal. On the other hand, Ellain had trained in the desert so his movements were steady.
‘I have to get accustomed to the sand first!’
Ark’s movements started changing. The basic step of all martials arts was footwork. It was the same for sword mastery. If his foot wasn’t properly positioned than his centre of balance would be off and swinging the sword would be difficult. This was the reason Ark couldn’t properly counter Ellain’s attacks. The special desert terrain gave a penalty to Ark and an advantage to Ellain. However…..
Kakak! Kakang! Kakakaka!
The situation changed once the number of attacks increased. At first Ark could only block and sometimes counterattack but eventually they were almost at the same level. This was because Ark’s footwork had changed. Ark seemed to be gliding across the sand!
‘Swamp Walking!’
This skill was what created the change! The swamp and desert were opposite environments but the method of movement didn’t change. Ark used the method of Swamp Walking and distributed the weight of his body evenly. The swamp and desert was the same if he knew the trick to the movement. No, he was able to move even quicker. The sand was hard compared to the swamp.
‘Now I’ve caught the feeling. Then…..’
“Sonic Sword!”
His lightsaber fell at a tremendous speed! Ellain hurriedly lifted his sword but it was ineffective. Sonic Sword was a skill that attacked the opponent with a shock wave! It wasn’t a technique that could be blocked with a sword. The shock wave pushed Ellain back and he stumbled.
“Now shall I begin?”
Ark laughed as he waved his sword from side to side. He glided across the sand towards Ellain. The moment the lightsaber was about to strike Ellain!
“Ack, welcome alter ego!”
Ellain’s body suddenly increased by 4. Ark’s sword cut one of the bodies and it disappeared like smoke. Meanwhile the remaining three Ellain surrounded him and charged at Ark.
‘Alter egos? A ninja like skill……’
He was confused by the unexpected skill but that only lasted a moment.
‘There is only one body. I just have to take care of them at once!’
The technique that surfaced in Ark’s head was Galaxy Sword! When he first learnt it, Galaxy Sword was a skill that used Force to manifest dozens of swords in front of him. It was Ark’s strongest skill so he steadily used it until it reached intermediate level.
-The rating of your occupational skill ‘Galaxy Sword’ has risen!
Galaxy Sword (Intermediate, Active): Through steady training, you can handle the sword that produces Galaxy Sword more skillfully. Now you can control the trajectory of the flying swords to generate a vortex around the body. The vortex will tear into any enemy in the vicinity.
Force: 250
The swords would swirl around his body. He had already seen the effect in S-20 when he fought against a bunch of chaotic users. The Galaxy Sword tore into dozens of chaotic users rushing at him. Let alone the illusionary alter egos!
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style!”
“Wait a minute! Both of you stop!”
The shout was heard just as Ark was about to activate his skills. Barakin who had been watching with a serious expression suddenly jumped up. He rushed towards Ark and Ellain and stopped them from fighting. Then Barakin came up to Ark and asked.
“Where did you learn the technique you just used?”
“The technique I just used?’
“Yes, the one just now. Your sword didn’t touch him but Ellain was pushed back several metres. Where did you learn a skill like that?”
Ark now knew what skill Barakin was talking about.
“That is Sonic Sword. I learnt the technique from the Elim Xanax.”
“I thought you said you never met Xanax?”
“I haven’t met him. Like I said before, Xanax prepared a few things for his heir before he went missing. I learnt Sonic Sword from one of the clues he left behind. But this isn’t an Elim technique. Xanax learnt it from a crew member he travelled with.”
“Do you name the name of the warrior?”
He couldn’t remember the exact name. However Xanax’ journal was still saved on his Nymphe.
-The gun techniques and Sword Mastery learnt from the experienced crew were especially useful on the expedition. The gun and sword techniques places focus on mental power…..
He had learnt Sonic Sword after reading the last part of the logbook. Ark searched through the Nymphe and answered without thinking.
“I think it was Asuldan.”
“A-Asuldan!”
The Kusan screamed in unison. Why were they more surprised by the name Asuldan than the Elim Xanax? Ark’s expression was bewildered because of their unexpected response. Barakin made a strange gesture and the Kusan kneeled down while holding out their swords.
“Barakin, the 43rd Chief of the Kusan Clan has received God’s messenger!”
————————————————————————————-
Roaaaaar!
A loud sound was heard in the darkness. A huge presence seemed to make the entire darkness shake. The space devil with eight legs and many tentacles was one of the strongest predators in the universe. The devil grabbed and ate its prey using the tentacles and could grow to over level 200. The devil was shaking its body in incredible pain. It was because of a small existence that it had only considered prey.
“Now let’s bring this to an end. I can no longer learn anything from you.”
The man spat out and approached with a red lightsaber. The devil instinctively wielded 10 of its tentacles. However it was pointless. The tentacles flew through the air and cracked against rocks but it never touched his body. And the devil became bloody the moment the distance was narrowed.
“I told you, there is no more for me to learn.”
The man wearing red armour curled his lips.
“Dragon Fury!”
A stream of red lines continuously flowed out. Finally the devil’s body was divided in half and black blood gushed out. Several other men approached him from behind.
“You finally caught the devil. I honestly wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it directly. It was killed by just one person. No matter how big the galaxy is, Captain is probably the only one who can accomplish his feat.”
“It is just a monster so it isn’t difficult once the patterns are identified.”
The man in the red armour said with an expression that didn’t show any interest.
“Hunting monsters on the frontier isn’t fun and this time it is a bit lacking. When will I meet something interesting?”
“Captain-nim is addicted to war.”
The man muttered while complaining. Then the man in red armour scratched his head and said.
“It’s not good when there’s no war. The last full length battle was Athamas……hum, I can’t accept that. The skills……”
-A new message has arrived.
The Nymphe vibrated and a new message came up. A smile spread on the man’s face as he smiled.
“Aha! Finally my turn has come.”
The man growled. The Rama in the red armour was someone Ark knew as the Red Slaughterer.
————————————————————————————-
“I’m really sorry.”
Barakin said as he bowed. Barakin’s attitude had changed 180 degrees after the battle with Ellain. He wasn’t the only one. The other 50 Kusan warriors had jumped off the camels and fell flat in front of Ark. And the cautiously watched as Ark was brought back to the Kusan village on a camel.
“This is like a beggar’s haunt.”
Tori muttered as he looked around the village. His trembling attitude had changed after Ark’s battle with Ellain. He wanted to say something after seeing the Kusan’s expressions but Ark’s impression wasn’t that different The puddle in the middle of the desert couldn’t even be called an oasis. The Kusan village was just a bunch of old tents pack closely together. But Ark had no interest in other people’s living situation. Ark wanted to know why their attitude changed so much after hearing the name of Xanax’ crew member. Barakin’s explanation……
“Asuldan was the strongest warrior at the time when the Kusan were prospering. The records state that Asuldan followed the Murat’s Elim out to the universe after he visited Rakunka. Now Ark-nim learnt and is using Asuldan’s skill. This is proof that Ark-nim is the Elim’s Heir, God’s messenger. I apologize for acting like that to God’s messenger.”
“It is understandable.”
He couldn’t say otherwise. Anyway, this was a misunderstanding like the Kusan stated. Xanax must’ve hidden the Divine Artefact with a species that worshipped the Murat as gods. Naturally the Divine Artefact should be easy to obtain. Just as Ark was trying to ask this point.
“What? This twisted lizard? Are you telling me to eat this?”
Tori complained as he lifted a lizard skewer.
“Didn’t you call Hyung-nim God’s messenger? Yet what is with this reception? Shouldn’t you have something better? Like sunflower seeds for example! I’d like that!”
“You little…..”
“I’m ashamed.”
Ark had been glaring angrily at Tori. Then Barakin sighed as he looked around the old tents.
“As you saw, Rakunka is mostly a desert planet. Naturally a single drop of water is more precious than anything else. Despite our numerous efforts, the desertification kept on proceeding so the Kusan were in danger of extinction. Then we were saved by the Murat. The Great Gods caused a divine miracle that prevented the desertification and pulled up water from deep underground as well as teaching us how to live.”
Thus the Murat became the Kusan’s Gods. Of course, the arrival of pioneers on Rakunka meant that knew the Murat were just an alien species with a more advanced civilization. But the Murat saved the clan from the brink of destruction so they still revered them.
“I want to ask you something.”
“I know.”
Barakin nodded like he already guessed.
“You probably want to use why we’re in this predicament if we had the Murat’s help.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to ask. Ark had been about to ask about the red substance that covered the pyramid and attacked the Silver Star. But that ended up being the final destination.
“It is due to the Myutal.”
“Myutal?”
“Yes, those monsters appeared decades ago after a meteorite fell on Rakunka. From then on they started to attack the peaceful Kusan villages.”
The Myutal monsters that had appeared with the meteorite started to attack the Kusan! Of course the Kusan mobilized all their warriors to fight against the Myutal. However they couldn’t stop the Myutal. The Myutal destroyed villages one by one and widened the area of capture land with a red substance.
‘Red substance……that was the crater area that attacked the Silver Star. Then the creatures that emerged when I flew close to the ground are the Myutal.’
“So the red substance that is covering the pyramid……?”
“That’s why the Kusan is like this.”
Barakin emphasized in a serious voice. The Murat had left the pyramid behind for the Kusan. However it wasn’t merely symbolic. The pyramid was the source of the miracle that pulled water from deep underground.
‘The reality of the Murat ruins left behind on Rakunka……’
It was the facility to terraform Rakunka. And that was the place where the meteorite fell. Naturally the first place the Myutal attacked was the pyramid. The Myutal swarmed out of the meteorite, wiped out the Kusan defending it and took over the pyramid in minutes. Since then the pyramid stopped functioning. The water that had been flowing on Rakunka gradually stopped and the vegetation and people started dying of thirst. And the Kusan started dying along with Rakunka. The result was that out of hundreds and thousands of Kusan, only a few hundred were left after dying of thirst, hunger and the Myutal’s attacks. The Kusan only had one hope left!
“The only method left is to regain the temple.”
“Huh? But even if the temple could fertilize the environment, that doesn’t mean it will solve the underlying problem.”
“That’s not right.”
Barakin shook his head. And Ellain pulled out a chunk of crystal.
“This is something the Murat left for our Kusan ancestors. According to the Murat, this crystal will awaken the sleeping power of the temple.”
‘That’s right. Such a thing?’
Ark was able to roughly understand the situation. The Kusan couldn’t imagine it but many alien species existed throughout the galaxy. If those alien species invaded Rakunka then there was no way the Kusan could fend them off. A hidden strength inside the pyramid. It was probably a weapon that the Murat left behind. The pyramid left behind doubled as a terraforming device as well as a defensive weapon against alien attack. However the meteorite fell right next to the pyramid so the Kusan didn’t have time to charge the weapon.
“We fought for many years!”
Barakin emphasized in a serious voice.
“For dozens of years we fought to take back the temple from the Myutal. However we never succeeded. We only sacrificed countless brave warriors. Meanwhile the oasis supplying our water gradually turned to a small puddle. And this is the remaining Kusan village. There are only 50 warriors left.”
“Are the Myutal that strong?”
Ark who had been listening silently asked with a serious look. The Kusan were a dying clan after the pyramid was taken away by aliens that suddenly appeared. Ark was also involved in this problem. Ark made it clear that the reason he visited Rakunka was to find the Divine Artefact that Xanax hid. And Ark knew that the most likely location of the Divine Artefact was the temple. The Kusan couldn’t take back the temple. It meant Ark couldn’t enter the pyramid.
‘Rakunka is a planet where science hasn’t developed yet. But Ellain’s skills were at a considerably high standard. The other Kusan warriors can’t be weak either. If those warriors couldn’t recapture the shrine after fighting for decades……’
The red substance covering the pyramid flashed through Ark’s mind. Countless rays of light had attacked the Silver Star. He didn’t know what the light was but it clearly came from the Myutal. If it wasn’t for the lights then he could simply handle the monsters on the ground with the Silver Star’s weapons. However it was even more difficult to approach from the air. He had to enter from the ground yet the Kusan had been trying that for decades. How could Ark penetrate through the Myutal’s nest? While Ark was busy thinking.
“The Kusan aren’t worried about the Myutal.”
“Huh? But……”
“The Myutal invaded and they’re currently occupying an area hundreds of kilometres wide. But they aren’t a match for the Kusan warriors no matter their numbers. The Kusan had reached the front of the pyramid many times throughout the last decades. The reason we failed to enter the temple was because some other creatures called the Umu helped them.”
“Umu? What’s that?”
“We don’t know their identity. The only thing we know is that those guys are controlling the Myutal. And our weapons just pass through them. Those guys are like ghosts so our weapons can’t even touch them. It is because of them that we’ve failed to enter the temple.”
To make matters worse! It became even more difficult to enter the pyramid. But then Barakin suddenly raised his head and said.
“Now we have a way to compete with the Umu.”
“You know how to fight them? How?”
“God’s messenger!”
Barakin bowed again and said.
“The technique you learnt from Asuldan! It was designed to destroy evil presences. If this technique is used then we will be able to cut the Umu. But the warriors that knew this technique were wiped out from the first Myutal attack. The Kusan had been trying to reproduce this technique but no one has succeeded. But now God’s messenger used that technique! It is the will of God! God’s messenger, this Barakin is begging you! Please teach us how to use this technique!”
Barakin lowered his head to the ground and yelled.
-You have received a request from the chief of the Kusan on Rakunka to teach them a technique.
In Galaxian there is a system where users can teach NPC techniques. Of course, learning these techniques depends on the level, special qualities and occupation of the NPC.
In addition, the user needs knowledge to teach the skill so it has to be at least intermediate level. If you succeed in teaching the skill then your degree of proficiency will increase.
‘Teaching a technique?’
Ark looked dumbly at the information window. He knew that users could learn skills from NPCs but he never heard that users could teach NPCs. Therefore he never thought about it. But it wasn’t impossible when he thought about it. Once again, in Galaxian NPCs could also grow like users. Their level as well as skills. The Royal Guards had learnt new skills from training with the Silver Hand. That meant NPCs could learn from other NPCs. Then users should also be able to teach NPCs. And when he thought about it, Ark already had experience with it although he hadn’t noticed at the time.
‘Yes, I taught the Royal Guards how to dig.’
It was a rediscovering of the NPC training system that he never imagined! This was one more way to increase the growth of the Royal Guards. But first he had to teach Sonic Sword t the Kusan warriors. He knew Sonic Sword but trying to enter a pyramid occupied by Myutal was too risky to do alone. And there was no reason for him to go in alone. Didn’t Ark have 50 subordinates as the God’s messenger?
‘The problem is time!’
Right now he only had 3 days left to join the investigation team. When taking into account the travel time, he only had 2 days to find the Divine Artefact. He had to taught Sonic Sword as well as retake the pyramid in that time! Ark came up with a crazy idea and jumped up.
“Please be prepared. My training will be tough.”
There was no time!
————————————————————————————-
‘Pant pant pant, this is……’
Ark grasped his sword with trembling hands.
-You have agreed to the technique initiation.
A relevant information window will be created. If all the training challenged in the information window is completed then the NPC will have a chance to learn the skill.
A few hours ago.
He accepted and an information window with training menus flashed. The process of teaching Sonic Sword was indeed terrifying. The first challenge was to swing the sword 5,000 times! There were 10 different training menus for raising the basic strength. Normally it would take a week to complete the training menu.
‘But this needs to be finished in a day!’
Ark made up his mind and started pushing the Kusan warriors. However there were no strong arguments against it.
“The existence of the clan is at stake!”
“God’s messenger is teaching us directly!”
The warriors desired to learn the technique so they could recapture the pyramid! And God’s messenger was teaching them the skill directly. The Kusan warriors were literally desperate and threw themselves into the training menu. It was good up to there……
‘Eh? Why aren’t they receiving the skill despite all the training?’
Ark was puzzled after they had already been training for 12 hours.
-The training to raise the basic strength has been completed.
Now it is time for the full-fledge technical training. In technical training you will have to demonstrate the technique directly.
Demonstrate Sonic Sword 10,000 times to your disciples.
This exercise can be repeated infinitely. If the skill isn’t generated after the training is repeated then repeating it will increase the probability of learning the skill. But if it is repeated dozens of times and the skill isn’t generated then please give up.
The NPC doesn’t have a talent for the skill.
Ark’s mouth gaped open as the message appeared. Finally all part of the user→NPC technique initiation was revealed! It wasn’t just hard for the NPC. The user had to be strong as well. But he had no other choice. He swung the sword 10,000 times in the heat of the desert And that wasn’t all. Ark sweated for 3 hours and completed the 10,000 demonstrations. However the ‘!’ only appeared on top of Ellain and 5 other warriors’ heads. This meant the rest didn’t understand the technique!
“I-I have to do this again?”
His hands had become number after wielding the sword for 3 hours. But the Kusan warriors had completed a week’s training menu in only 8 hours. That was the power of faith! The Kusan warriors’ eyes were burning with determination despite their tattered bodies. Ark couldn’t give up in front of them. So he started again. He swung the sword 10,000 times in the heat of the desert!
‘Dammit! The reason for the skill proficiency rising…..it is well-founded. Of course it would increase when the same behaviour is repeated thousands of times!’
Space 8
Temple
“Phew……”
Ark wiped his sweat and sighed. NPC technique initiation. This system really caught out a person. He could understand demonstrating a skill movement in order to teach it. But he needed to do it 10,000 times. In addition, the technique initiation wasn’t 100% completed even when he finished the demonstration. The acquisition system depended on the NPC’s qualities and attributes. Fortunately Ark only needed to do it 3 times. He had to repeat the same behaviour 30,000 times under the scorching heat. He also obtained something.
-You have received enlightenment in [Sonic Sword] and the skill proficiency has reached Advanced (Lv. 3).
Sonic Sword has reached the advanced level! But originally Sonic Sword had already passed 90% of the intermediate stage. He swung the sword 30,000 times and the proficiency only increased by 10%. He couldn’t really call it compensation. However he hadn’t done the training in order to raise the skill level. It was to teach the Kusan warriors Sonic Sword! And it was possible to teach 40 Kusan warriors after his efforts.
‘If possible I would like all the warriors to learn Sonic Sword but……’
There was no time. The basic fitness training had taken 12 hours. Ark had demonstrated it 3 times so that was another 12 hours. It had already been a day. He needed to join the investigation team in 2 days. If he took into account the time required to reach Istana, Ark actually only had 16 hours left.
‘It is impossible to battle in this state!’
They had been training for 24 hours so the warriors didn’t even have strength left to lift their swords. It was suicide to lead the warriors when they were in that state.
‘My mind is in a rush but I can’t charge in blindly. There is only one chance to enter the pyramid with the Kusan warriors. They need rest in order to be in their best condition.’
Thus they slept for the recommended 8 hours…..
“God’s messenger-nim, please. The 50 people here are the remaining warriors of the Kusan clan. If we fail to enter the temple this time than the rest of the Kusan will be destroyed. The lives of thousands of people are people entrusted to God’s messenger-nim!”
<Operation to Recapture the Temple>
You have met Chief Barakin, the leader of the Kusan clan that is native to Rakunka. Decades ago, the space monsters called Myutal appeared along with a fallen meteorite and drove the Kusan to extinction after capturing the pyramid. You have decided to help them retake the pyramid.
Difficulty: B+
A quest was registered after Barakin’s words! The 50 Kusan warriors crossed the desert until they reached the beginning of the red earth that was the habitat of the Myutal. But Ark was still tired. It wasn’t from training for a day but because of the heat. Rakunka didn’t have a sun. However the nebula gas surrounding it meant the temperature on Rakunka steadily rose. The Murat pyramid had intercepted the heat for a long time but it hadn’t been working for decades so now the heat was no joke. It was to the extent that even the Kusan found it difficult.
“Messenger-nim, are you alright?”
“I’m okay. Are all the preparations finished?”
“Yes, you can give the command at any time.”
Ellain nodded and replied. Behind him were the Kusan warriors riding camels. They crossed the desert that was sizzling like an oven but the though Kusan warriors showed no signs of it! They looked dependable but the exact number of enemies was unknown. It was clear that the Myutal hiding in the earth would be dozens of times their number.
‘I have to reduce the burden as much as possible.’
“Tori, are you ready?”
-Yes, Hyung-nim.
“Okay. Then let’s get started!”
Ark raised his head and exclaimed.
Wuuuuong! Wiiiiii!
There was a warrior and a huge object rose up from behind the warriors. The object reflecting light in all directions was the Silver Star! The Silver Star rose 10 metres before flying towards the red earth. At the same time, red lights shot up from all over the ground. It was the Myutal’s weapons that had attacked Ark as soon as he entered Rakunka. Tori stuck close to the ground but was still hit several times by the light. As expected, it was impossible to reach the pyramid from the sky. It would be shot down before the ship could even land.
‘The Kusan fought the Myutal dozens of times and never saw the red light being shot out. That means it must be an anti-aircraft weapon. It is fortunate that the monsters aren’t carrying anti-aircraft guns themselves.’
Despite that, the reason why he had the Silver Star head to the red earth……
‘It came out! The Myutal!’
Monsters were rising from the ground near the Silver Star.
‘This place is closest to the pyramid but there is still a distance of 80 kilometres. It doesn’t matter how weak the opponent is. Having 50 Kusan warriors killing hundreds of monsters for 80 kilometres will be tough. The success or failure of this mission will depend on how long the troops survive. I can’t afford to lose even one of them!’
That as the purpose of the Silver Star. To ease the burden of Ark and the Kusan warriors.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Particle shells poured out from the Silver Star towards the Myutal. The Myutal’s body shattered once it was hit.
“That is God’s ship, the Silver Star!”
“God’s messenger! He truly is the Murat’s Elim!”
Ellain and the warriors looked at the Silver Star with worshipful gazes. Pioneers might’ve visited Rakunka but that was more than 100 years ago. Barakin was the oldest and he had never seen a ship before. The grandeur of the Silver Star really made it seem like God’s ship in their eyes. Although it was correct that the Silver Star was a Murat ship.
“Now!”
Ark looked back at the Kusan warriors and yelled.
“Now while they’re all concentrated on the Silver Star! Plunge into the red earth! Kusan warriors, raise you swords! Now is the time to reclaim the temple and repay your ancestors’ deaths. For the future of the Kusan!”
“For the future of the Kusan!”
“God’s messenger is leading us!”
“For the honour and future of the Kusan!”
Ellain and the warriors pulled out their swords as they cried in unison. At the same time, Ark raised his lightsaber above his head.
“Charge!”
“Waaahhhhhhhh!”
Ark dashed forward on his air board. 50 Kusan warriors riding camels followed behind him as they entered the red earth. However the Myutal didn’t attack them. The Myutal were chasing the Silver Star that was flying around and attacking. There were remnants of Myutal destroyed by the Silver Star scattered around. In some cases the Myutal were still breathing……
Ku ku ku ku! Snap! Snap!
They were crushed by a camel’s foot. Ark and the Kusan warriors steadily advanced. It was no different from crossing a wasteland. The situation changed once they crossed 30 kilometres. They could relax because of the Silver Star. However there were more red lights the deeper they entered so it would eventually be shot down. The Silver Star’s support only lasted up to there.
–Hyung-nim, the Silver Star’s shield only has 20% durability left.
“Leave before it is too late!”
–Yes!
Kuwaaaang!
Tori replied and the Silver Star flew upwards. The lights from the crater stopped once the ship left the atmosphere. Now there was only Ark and the Kusan warriors left.
Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
Ark’s group had proceeded through the centre while the Myutal had been lured away. Now the Silver Star had disappeared so the Myutal were heading towards them.
“Prepare for a collision!”
Ark shouted while moving his hand in a complicated pattern. The last day he spent in the Kusan village had been really tough. However the Kusan warriors weren’t the only ones to grow during that time. Ark had also obtained something. He wasn’t talking about Sonic Sword’s 10% proficiency. Ark had obtained two things from the village. One of them was the greeting of the Kusan. Barakin had made some strange hand motions when he first recognized Ark as God’s messenger. Since then Ark had seen the Kusan repeat the action many times. He was curious so he asked Barakin for the answer.
“They are hand gestures meant for blessings. The Murat handed it down to us and sometimes exhausted people would jump up energized after receiving the blessing. Since then the Kusan uses it as a gesture of respect for the opponent as well as a greeting.”
Ark had a sudden thought.
“Does it have a name? Is there a name for this behaviour?”
“We call it Kuon.”
“Kuon……”
Then Ark started learning the hand motions. Of course he didn’t want to use it as a greeting. The Murat was the ones who passed down that hand motion. And Ark’s guess turned into certainty when he made the gesture. The reason for Ark’s behaviour.
“Come out, Shire!”
He added the Shire to the hand motion! When he moved his hand in the complicated gesture taught to him, a character was engraved in the light. Once the character as completed, it was crushed into fine pieces like sand and absorbed in the bodies of the Kusan warriors. That’s right. The gesture used for blessing was a Murat rune!
“The character carved is called Kuon!”
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Rune Carving- Kuon (User, Passive): the runes used by the Murat have the ability to extract the potential of the photon life form Shire. Therefore the Shire can store the memory of the runes. The Shire rune Kuon is the symbol of Isis who was worshipped as the goddess of life. If the Kuon rune is used then a strong vitality and willpower will be imparted to nearby allies.
<All allies within 100 metres will have their health and defense increased by 20% for 20 minutes. However the same effect can’t be stacked>
Mana consumption: 150
This was the effort of the Kuon rune! It was a buff that increased health and defense by 20%. The buff showed significant effects when granted to allies. But this wasn’t the only effect on the Kusan.
“Ohhh! This is the Murat’s blessings?”
“God is blessing us. It means the gods are watching us!”
“Kusan warriors, don’t be afraid! We have God’s messenger who inherited the will of the Murat!”
“This blessing is evidence that this crusade is meant to be!
Apart from health and defense, their courage also soared! They weren’t scared because they were with the gods!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The moment the Kusan warriors collided with the Myutal. There was a ringing sound and the bodies of the Myutal flew in all directions. The power of the Kusan warriors was more than Ark expected. He only saw it for a brief moment but the warriors possessed similar strength to Ellain. Indeed, they were the warriors that survived countless battles with the Myutal. In other words, they were the strongest warriors! On the other hand, the Myutal was only a level 50 monster. They were no match against the Kusan warriors in combat.
“Hot Air Sword!”
“Desert Wolf’s Fang!”
“Welcome to the alter ego! Warrior’s Blade!”
The Kusan warriors overwhelmingly pushed the Myutal back. And the Myutal’s health dropped to the bottom once there was an engagement.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords swept through the battlefield like a storm! Tens of dozens of Myutal had already died. Then a black air current swelled around the Myutal. Red eyes flashed from inside the tornado.
“The Umu!”
The Umus were the ones controlling the Myutal! They were the cause of the Kusan’s despair as they were impervious to swords. The Umu had no doubt in their abilities and steadily rushed towards the Kusan warriors. However the Kusan warriors were different now.
“Show them the results of our training with God’s messenger!”
“Concentrate all our attacks on the Umu!”
“Sonic Sword!”
They used the Sonic Sword that Ark had taught them! Dozens of swords caused shockwaves that tore through the bodies of the Umu. The bodies that previously couldn’t be wounded were torn apart. The Umu screamed from the unimaginable blow and retreated. Then an attack shot towards the Umu again.
“Sonic Sword!”
It was from the master who taught the Kusan warriors. Ark’s Sonic Sword had reached the advanced stage. Naturally his attack was on a different dimension from the Kusan warriors. The Umu’s body that had already become ragged was cut in half.
-Roaaaaar!
The Umu gave a scream of pain and disappeared.
“The Umu was defeated!”
“Now there is nothing that can stop us!”
“Advance! Break through the Myutal and reclaim the temple!”
The Kusan warriors shouted as their morale increased and they moved forward. And…..their crusade started.
————————————————————————————–
‘This can’t continue.’
Ark realized that he needed to change his tactics. The Kusan warriors were being overwhelmed by the Myutal and Umu. They had learnt a technique that could handle their enemies after decades of fighting. Therefore they rapidly advanced in the beginning. They literally crushed the Myutal as they moved forward. But they soon hit their limits.
Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
They killed Myutal again and again without any breaks. They expended a lot of strength rushing through the Myutal. All they had to do was charge but the numbers couldn’t be ignored when there were hundreds of Myutal. Therefore the Kusan warriors’ health went down to 40~50%. The problem was that there was no healer to help them recover their health.
‘Without a healer the only way to recover health is to rest.’
But Ark had no time for that.
-Time remaining: 7 hours 42 minutes.
He had set a timer before he entered the red earth. It was the amount of time he had to enter the pyramid, find the Divine Artefact and join the 2nd investigation team. However it had been 16 hours and they’ve only marched 50 kilometres. The Silver Star helped them the first 30 kilometres so they actually only fought for 20 kilometres. And the remaining distance to the pyramid was 30 kilometres. They hadn’t even handled half of the Myutal yet.
‘If it continues like this then I won’t be able to join the investigation team on time. The problem is that there isn’t a solution.’
The red land was the Myutal’s area. They needed to handle the hundreds of Myutal hiding in this area. If they took a rest then there would be surprise attacks from the Myutal. 10 warriors had already died because of these surprised attacks. The combat power of the warriors decreased so the marching speed also slowed.
‘We’re advancing through the centre. Their numbers will increase even further as we approach the pyramid. In this situation, we might be wiped out before we even reach the pyramid.’
There was only one way left. It was to reduce the time required to recover their health. In other words, he needed to reduce the damage taken by the Kusan warriors. The answer he came up with was surprisingly simple. Monsters were afraid of enemies with RPG weapons. They would be the first ones attacked even if someone else attacked the monster first. And this aggro number also applied to buffs and heals. It was natural. If a person was healed then couldn’t that person kill the monster? Therefore a buff or heal would raise the aggro value to 3~4 times that of an attack. The problem was that this was dangerous for the healer. That’s why tanker classes learned skills like ‘Taunt’ that raised their aggro value. Anyway……
This was the method Ark came up with.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon!”
It was the buff skill that he learnt with the Kuon rune! In the past he had used the buff when the battle was about to start. It was a skill that lasted 30 minutes so he only needed to use it 2~3 times in a fight. Most fights ended within 30 minutes so there was no need for the effect to stack. However…..
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon! Kuon! Kuon!”
Ark invoked the Kuon rune many times during a battle. One use consumed 150 mana and it also raised his aggro figure! When the Kusan warriors attacked 2~3 times, the opponent’s hostility instantly went to them. But the opponents changed targets to Ark once he used Kuon a few times. It reduced the burden on the Kusan warriors. Of course, Ark was at risk of being attacked so he got on the air board.
‘I’m faster than the Myutal on the air board. I can outrun these guys!’
Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok!
-<Your health has been restored by 2>
Any damage he received was solved by the Charenjok’s token. Ark flew around on the air board’s maximum speed while attacking the Myutal with his lightsaber.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Sometimes he would use Galaxy Sword and the Myutal in front of him were blown away. Flesh scattered as the flying swords cut through the Myutal!
“Now it is bleeding!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
A column of flame gushed out from the area that the air board passed. Ark dropped grenades that caused an explosion. He also continued pouring out the buffs. The Kusan took care of the Myutal while they were chasing Ark. This tactic reduced the amount of damage the Kusan warriors took. And this damage reduction increased their travelling speed. However it was still tight considering the remaining time left. No, he couldn’t afford to slow down the pace!
“Come on, let’s go! Hurry up!”
He spurred an even faster advancement!
-Time remaining: 5 hours 30 minutes.
“The Umu!”
“We have to deal with them! Attack!”
“Sonic Sword! Sonic Sword!”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
The Umu disappeared as they were torn apart!
-Time remaining: 4 hours 21 minutes.
“Those guys are flocking again!”
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon! Kuon! Kuon!”
“These guys are gathering around the God’s messenger!”
“Hurry up! Protect God’s messenger!”
“Oh, no! Everyone back off! Start the bombardment!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The Myutal were engulfed in flames as the air board kept on moving!
-Your level has risen!
His level was also increasing.
“Cough! I can’t move any longer. Leave me and just continue.”
“You fool! You are a warrior of the Kusan clan. This battle concerns the future of the Kusan. If you can move even one finger then you have to fight until the end. Don’t say weak words like that.”
“Ugh, understood! I’ll be a shield for my colleagues even if I need to die!”
“That is a Kusan warrior!”
Sometimes a touching drama like this would occur while advancing.
-Time remaining: 1 hour 38 minutes.
“There it is!”
“Here is our God, the Murat’s temple!”
Ark’s group had finally reached the front of the pyramid. Ellain and the Kusan warriors stared at the pyramid with thrilled eyes. The road to reach here was indeed challenging. Ark had heard the endless screams of battle. And a forced march! Ark had dragged the warriors here through hundreds of Umu and Myutal but dozens of warriors had been sacrificed. They had set off with 50 people but only 20 of them arrived at the pyramid. More than half of the warriors had lost their lives. However the temple was a sacred place for the Kusan warriors. A considerable cost was paid but they had finally reached the front of the sacred place after losing against the Myutal for decades. The warriors who reached the destination shed tears of joy. But Ark didn’t cry. Unlike the warriors, Ark only cared about the pyramid because the Divine Artefact was hidden there. That wasn’t the only reason why Ark wasn’t thrilled.
‘…..There is something strange.’
Ark looked around with a frown. According to Barakin, the meteorite had fallen right next to the pyramid. In fact, next to the pyramid was a huge crate with a meteorite lodged in it. In other words, this was the sacred place of the Kusan and the Myutal. Naturally Ark had expected there to be the most Myutal here. His expectations had been right when coming here. The number of Myutal increased as they got closer to the pyramid. However the Myutal suddenly stopped talking when they were 1 kilometre away from the pyramid.
“Do you think it is over?”
“Certainly…..”
Ellain nodded his head. But it was inevitable for the Kusan to think like that.
“This is the Holy Land. Surely the Myutal wouldn’t be able to access it?”
The reason was due to their faith. They treated Ark as God’s messenger and the Kusan warriors couldn’t help being optimistic. They couldn’t believe they reached here and kept on looking at each other absent-mindedly.
“Yes, we’ll know once we enter. Ellain.”
“Yes, everybody get down!”
Ellain commanded as he got off the camel. He took out the crystal in front of the door and the crystal started vibrating while rising. It was at that moment.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!
Myutal came from everywhere the moment the door started opening! Ark and the Kusan warriors flinched and turned their heads. A countless number of Myutal could be seen! In addition, a huge number of Umu appeared with the Myutal. No, it wasn’t only in the nearby area. They Myutal started crawling out of the red substance that covered the pyramid. It was to the extent that the pyramid turned black from the Myutal that covered it.
“W-why are there so many Myutal……”
Then the Myutal covering the pyramid started moving in unison. The Myutal headed towards Ark’s group who got into a battle position.
“Dammit! Hold your formation!”
Ark, Ellain and the Kusan warriors pulled out their swords. Ark was puzzle by what happened next. Apart from the Myutal attacking Ark’s group, the others were just flocking towards the pyramid?
‘Are they waiting until the door to the pyramid is opened?’
It was hard to believe but that was the only possible answer. It was the only reason to ignore the enemy in front of the pyramid. No, it was too late to consider such issues. Their only hope was the weapon inside the pyramid. However they would become the Myutal’s prey if they occupied the interior of the pyramid.
“Ellain, pyramid!”
Ark rode the air board and rushed to the door. Then 10 Myutal rolled in front of the door. But he had no time to deal with these guys. Ark just increased his weight to the front and the air board sped up even more. And just as he reached those guys.
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 340 durability will be created around the body……>
“Shield Emission!”
He fired another skill before the information window even popped up! It was the combo attack of Mind Shield and Shield Emission! The blue shield covering Ark’s body exploded and fired dozens of fragments everywhere. His lightsaber danced at the same time.
Wiing! Wiiing! Seokeok! Seokeok!
The Myutal in the trajectory of the lightsaber was cut! The Myutal that was already tattered from Shield Emission became like sliced meat.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Ikram!”
Ark’s hand drew a brilliant pattern in the air. Then the dog with the head of a Myutal appeared. Ark shouted at Ellain after the hell hound attacked the Myutal.
“Everyone! Don’t bother with the guys on the outside! Stay here and defend! The entrance isn’t wide so you can defend against those bastards!”
“Understood!”
The warriors flocked towards the entrance. Needless to say, there were quite a few warriors injured by the Myutal’s surprise attack. However the warriors were even more determined than before.
“This place is the Kusan’s temple!”
“I won’t let even one Myutal dirty this place!”
The warriors shouted while blocking the entrance with their bodies. Then Ellain threw the crystal to Ark and said.
“Messenger-nim, we will block this place! Messenger-nim should activate the temple! The Kusan clan’s future will depend on you!”
They wanted to defend this place alone! There was no time to argue. Thousands of Myutal were flocking towards the pyramid! Fortunately, the pyramid entrance acted as a barrier so only a few could attack at a time. Now the only way to get out of the situation was to activate the pyramid’s defense weapon. And Ark was the fastest on his air board.
“Psychokinesis!”
Ark pulled the crystal towards him Then he accelerated the air board as soon as he grabbed the crystal. He flew forward and saw two passages each dozens of metres long. One led upwards and the other downwards. Perhaps one passage led to the terraforming device while the other one led to the defense weapon.
‘Dammit, they might be dying……’
Ark’s brain started thinking at a frantic pace. Barakin said that the pyramid pulled up water from deep underground to create an oasis. Therefore the terraforming device should be located at the bottom of the pyramid!
“The defense weapon is at the top!”
Ark flew down the top passageway. And after flying for a while.
“W-what is this?”
Ark burst out with confusion. The end of the passage was just a dead end with a wall! He couldn’t see any machines and there was only an Egyptian wall painting. Ark thought he had made a mistake and was about to turn around. Then his eyes caught sight of a hold in the chest of the goddess drawn on the wall.
“Perhaps this is the goddess Isis from the Kuon rune?”
Ark recalled the contents of the information window about the Kuon rune. Isis was the goddess of life. She was the origin of humans and all species in the galaxy…..
“Heart! This crystal must be Isis’ heart!”
Ark flew to the wall and inserted the crystal in Isis. Then the wall split to the sides. A room appeared with a giant pillar in the middle spouting blue light. A geometric pattern appeared and disappeared on the surface of the pillar. But strangely the pillar was covered in a transparent, crystal like object. The moment Ark touched the crystal surrounding the pillar. All of a sudden a humming voice was heard.
-Who are you?
“What? This voice is?”
-Yes, if you are qualified then speak the name of the person who guided you here.
“Guided me here…..Xanax?”
–The seal has been released!
The voice boomed out and something amazing happened. The crystal melted off the pillar and formed a giant golem. Was this the defense weapon left behind by the Murat? The crystal golem looked at Ark and said.
“I will test you in accordance with the pledge!”
A gun was abruptly pointed at him!
Space 9
Power of God!
‘Pledge? Test?’
It came out of nowhere. Other users would’ve probably rushed back and forth in confusion. But Ark was unaffected. It was abrupt but Ark sensed something the moment he heard the voice. Ark had forgotten for a while but he came to Rakunka to find the Divine Artefact that Xanax hid. And now something that responded to the name Xanax appeared. The conclusion that came from this combination of clues was simple.
‘Is this the 2nd test for Xanax’ successor?’
The atmosphere became like he expected. Perhaps he could get the Divine Artefact after defeating the crystal golem. It was good. It reduced the trouble of him having to search for it. Yet! Yet! Yet!
“Dammit! Now isn’t the time to do this!”
Ark snapped in an angry voice. Right now the Myutal were flocking towards the pyramid. Ellain and the Kusan warriors were currently stopping them but Ark didn’t know how long they could hold out. If they collapsed then the Myutal would enter the pyramid. They would also smash the terraforming machine and defense weapon. Yet now he had to pass a test? But there was no time for questions or answers.
Kwakwang!
The golem’s fist rose and slammed into the ground.
“This foolish golem!”
Ark used Swamp Walking to retreat. The golem had no intention of understanding Ark’s circumstances. Then there was only one way remaining! He had no choice but to defeat the golem and pass the test.
“Okay. Shall we do this?”
Ark took an attack stance with his lightsaber in front of him. He had managed to pass the Sanctuary’s training centre test after several attempts. He didn’t know the exact identity of the crystal golem but it should be a higher level of difficulty than the training centre. However his real opponent was time. Right now time was the most precious thing to Ark. He couldn’t afford to lose even 1 second.
“I need to use my full strength straight away! Armour armament!”
The space distorted and his battle suit appeared! The battle suit wrapped around Ark’s body and he shot towards the golem.
Wiing! Wiiing! Pajik! Pajijijik!
The lightsaber moved through the air and cut the golem. Sparks flew from the golem’s body as the lightsaber struck it.
“Okay. This should be enough to win!”
Ark showered the golem with attacks. The golem tried to counterattack by hitting with its fist. However the golem’s movements were slow. It had tremendous destructive power but that didn’t matter if the attacks didn’t hit him. Ark used Swamp Walking to move across the shaking floor and hurled relentless attacks. It was an almost one-sided attack!
‘I was certain it would be more difficult than the training centre……maybe I became too strong? I also didn’t use the battle suit in the training centre…..that Xanax, he might’ve made a mistake with the test sequence.’
He had that idea. Then the golem spread its arms opened and rushed forward. So far the movements had been slow thus he couldn’t imagine the fast speed of the charge! Ark hurriedly raised his sword at the sudden speed. However he couldn’t stop the rush of the crystal golem. Ark received a huge impact and bounced back several metres. At the same time, the golem spread its arms open before slamming them together again.
Jjang!
There was an explosive sound as the two palms hit together. He had managed to barely avoid it but the attack caused sweat to drip down his back. The movement was like catching a fly. If Ark’s head had been between those palms then he really would be crushed like a fly. No, he avoided the clapping but it wasn’t a favourable situation to him. The golem head-butted him. He took a defensive stance but he still lost 15% health. However Ark was even more confused by the golem’s health. He had bombarded the golem with rapid fire attacks and had hit it at least 10 times. Yet the golem had only lost 5% of its health. That meant his unique lightsaber only dealt 0.5% damage with each hit.
‘What? This ridiculous defense?’
Ark noticed the reason afterwards. He avoided the golem’s fist and swung his lightsaber!
Snap! Pajijijik!
When the lightsaber hit an enemy, the area turned dark. However the golem’s reaction was different. When the lightsaber touched the golem’s body, the light diffused and sparks emerged on the surface.
‘Oh my god! This is the reason!’
It wasn’t simply a problem of defense. The lightsaber blade was basically a high temperature light. Any light that touched rough glass ended up with a diffuse reflection. It didn’t enter properly which was why the damage wasn’t high. The golem’s body was crystal. Most of the lightsaber was dispersed and the damaged decreased. This was the worst opponent to use a lightsaber on!
‘When considering the power of this guy……’
In fact, there was a reason Ark started with full power apart from the time limit. Ark had to fight through the Myutal in order to reach the pyramid. He wanted to finish this during the time limit so he couldn’t afford to take breaks. Thus he tended to only have 60~70% health while advancing. It was the same when he arrived at the pyramid. Ark only had 70% health left when he advanced inside the pyramid. He had to pass through the Myutal so his health was 60% when he reached the golem. Therefore he decided to use full strength to quickly take care of it.
‘But the lightsaber doesn’t work on this guy!’
Now finishing it quickly was a problem. He only caused 5% damage. On the other hand, he had lost 15% health just from the golem head-butting him.
‘Attacking blindly is meaningless! Even if I can avoid being damaged, defeated him will take a long time. Ellain won’t be able to hold out until then. This can’t continue. I need to find another way!’
Kukung! Kwa kwang! Kukung!
Ark desperately rolled to avoid the golem’s fists. Generally there were two types of monsters. There were ordinary monsters and monsters with a strong resistance to certain attacks The Umu was one such monster. A general sword wouldn’t be able to harm it. Those sorts of monsters would also be impervious to smash attacks. The Sonic Sword was able to damage it because it targeted the Umu’s weakness. It was imperative that he find the weakness!
‘Crystal, glass, glass……aha!’
“Fire Eagle P-50!”
A gun sprang out of his bag at Ark’s words.
Snap! Pajijijik!
It was the shotgun that he barely used since obtaining the Heir’s Sword. The golem couldn’t be properly damaged by the lightsaber. Therefore Ark put the sword away and grabbed the Fire Eagle. He avoided the golem’s fist and loaded the bullets!
“Eat this!”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
There was the sound of the Fire Eagle being shot. But there was no hot feeling like when he first used the Fire Eagle. One blow had damaged multiple Sufferers but the damage to the golem was different. The Heir’s Sword had twice the damage of the Fire Eagle. It also had the ‘push’ effect but the large body meant the effect wasn’t applied.
‘But……’
Ark wasn’t using a normal bullet. It was the Freezing Bullet being fired! This bullet had the effect of slowing down biological tissue. But the opponent was a crystal golem. There was no biological tissue so the effect of the freezing bullet wasn’t applied. The only thing that happened was frost forming on the surface of the crystal. However……
‘This should be sufficient.’
“Now it seems to properly frozen.”
Buuong! Ark avoided the golem’s fist and smiled. He loaded new bullets in the empty magazine and lifted the muzzle again.
“Let’s see how solid your body is now! Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
The Fire Eagle started spewing out flames! The flames hit the golem’s chest. So far the golem had ignored all attacks from the lightsaber and Fire Eagle but this time it was different. “I-I can’t believe this!” The golem clutched his chest and stepped back with confusion. Crystal pieces were crumbling underneath the golem’s fingers. This was what Ark had been aiming for. The special effect of the Freezing Bullet wasn’t applied to the golem’s body but it was frosted. In order words, it was the same effect as putting glass in a freezer. What would happen if boiling water was then poured on it? It would rapidly contract and expand!
This was the principle behind the golem’s body breaking. He had shot a Fire Bullet after the Freezing Bullet! The Freezing Bullet and Fire Bullet had the same effect as putting glass in a freezer and then pouring hot water on it. This was the result. The golem’s thick body that hadn’t been damaged by the lightsaber and bullets started shattering. 7% of its health also decreased at once.
“In no time…..”
Ark loaded the Freezing Bullet again and laughed.
“I’m going to turn you to powder.”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Since then the battle became one-sided. Ark avoided the golem’s fists and fired the Freezing Bullets. Once the golem’s body was covered with frost, he would change to the Fire Bullets and peng! Peng! Peng! Fine parts of the golem’s body fell every time and it lost 10% health in 3~4 minutes.
“Not yet!”
The cracked golem rushed towards him. It spread both arms wide open like it wanted to hug Ark. Ark had no intention of letting himself be hugged. The moment the golem tried to hug Ark!
“Welcome to the alter ego!”
Ark’s body turned hazy. This was the second skill obtained from the Kusan village! Ellain had used ‘welcome to the alter ego’ during the fight with Ark. Ark liked that technique since he first saw it. He specialized in close combat so he needed something to deceive the enemy’s eyes. Of course, it wasn’t that easy to get a NPC to teach a player a skill. However the Kusan considered Ark as God’s messenger. He also taught them a skill that they lost a long time ago.
Therefore Ark easily learnt the secrets of ‘welcome to the alter ego’ from Ellain. The method of teaching was similar to the one Ark used on the Kusan warriors. Ellain had to demonstrate the skill then Ark had to practice it. This was why Ark was more tired than the Kusan warriors. While the Kusan warriors had been sleeping for 8 hours after their training, Ark had been learning this skill. It was fortunate that Ark could acquire the skill quickly.
It wasn’t because Ark had outstanding talent. Galaxian was a game, so user→NPC transfer of information was much slower than NPC→user. Ark was also able to quickly acquire ‘welcome to the alter ego’ because he used a similar technique during his New World days. Dozens of footprints appeared on the ground. ‘Welcome to the alter ego’ was a skill where the user had to step on one footprint after another and it would fail or succeed depending on the completion rate. It was the same method as Dark Dance! Thankfully he only needed to practice for 2 hours.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Welcome to the Alter Ego (User, Active): This technique has been handed down through generations of the indigenous people of the underdeveloped planet Rakunka. The Kusan warriors often saw mirages in the desert and created a series of footwork that would make illusions to confuse the enemy. However this technique requires a certain amount of agility (300) to be successful.
<2~4 alter egos can be created. The number of alter egos depends on the success of the footwork>
Mana consumption: 50
Hwakak!
Ark followed the complicated footprints on the ground and created 4 alter egos. One of them were caught in the golem’s arms and disappeared. Naturally this was an alter ego. The remaining three scattered in every direction and surrounded the golem. The golem turned its body different ways with confusion.
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Flying fists hit the golem! Cracks had already spread all over the golem’s body thanks to the combo of Freezing Bullet + Fire Bullet. Once the fists of steel starting hitting at an incredible speed, chunks of crystal started falling to the ground. And when the 18th fist hit!
Jjajjajjajjang!
There was a ringing sound and a thick crack spread across the centre of the golem. It was the end.
“……The pledge has been completed.”
The golem said in a weak voice.
-Your level has risen.
-Your level has risen.
It was a welcome message.
“Phew, now……”
Ark took off his battle suit and muttered. Then the crystal pieces piled on the ground started melting like liquid. The liquid gathered and changed into a bracelet with many crystals linked together.
“Eh? An item? Then perhaps this is?”
Ark picked up the crystal wristlet.
-Baius Shield Lv. 1 (Artefact)
Item Type: Energy Shield Wearer Restriction: Elim’s Heir
Defense: 200 Durability: ∞
Shield Quantity: 5,000/5,000
Thousands of years ago, the Murat created 5 Divine Artefacts for their Elim. This Divine Artefact was created with the special Baius crystal with the nickname ‘Stone of Will’ and has the same functionality as an energy shield. But this isn’t a mere shield. Sometimes it can change into a golem and move independently of the user. Baius is a material that has will so it can change and grow with experience. It can grow into a stronger shield and golem. However, this growth is accomplished by absorbing 50% of the wearer’s experience.
<Stamina +20, Resistance to energy weapons +50%>
<Summon Baius Golem (Lv. 1): The Baius Shield will change into a golem when it is summoned. The golem’s combat power depends on its level. However, the wearer’s mana is required in order to maintain the golem form. In addition, 50% of the wearer’s experience will be absorbed by the golem. Mana consumption: 20 every 1 minute>
-You have acquired the <Baius Shield>
“Divine Artefact!”
Ark’s eyes looked shocked. Ark thought that the crystal golem had been placed there by Xanax. However the golem had turned out to be a Divine Artefact. This was a development he hadn’t expected. But unlike its name, the Baius Shield’s performance actually wasn’t that good. The shield only had 200 defense. A shield would 200 defense wouldn’t be able to block the enemy’s attacks. The shield also had health. Usually a weak bullet decreased a shield by 100~200. If it was a close range attack then sometimes it would be 1,000 damage. Therefore most level 50 shields had 5,000 shield quantities. If he looked at that value then this Divine Artefact was no different from a level 50 weapon.
‘But this is a growth type item!’
If meant the performance could be steadily upgraded! The shield could also transform into a golem. It might absorb 50% experience but it was similar to growing a pet so he could take that penalty.
‘I’d like to try summoning the golem……’
Now wasn’t the time to be playing around.
“Defense weapon! Where is the Murat’s defense weapon?”
ARC looked around desperately. But he didn’t see anything except for the pillar.
‘The Murat told the Kusan to use the crystal if there was a crisis. There must be some way to trigger the defense weapon. If that’s the case?’
Ark placed his hand on the pillar. The intricate light patterns then gathered around Ark’s hand. It gathered together to form Murat letters!
-Rakunka’s space weapon ‘Heavenly God’s Fire’ has been started.
The ‘Heavenly God’s Fire’ can have harmful effects on Rakunka’s environment.
Would you like to activate ‘Heavenly God’s Fire?’
This was the contents of the letters after the Nymphe translated it. It was a space weapon that could have harmful effects on the environment. However Rakunka didn’t need environmental protection after the Myutal’s attacks. Weren’t the natives already dying and the atmosphere heating up? There was no need to worry!
“Activate!”
Ark exclaimed. Then the letters in front of his hand spread around the pillar. It formed a pattern that connected and a circuit was drawn on the surface of the pillar.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a vibration and a huge pillar of light flew upwards.
————————————————————————————————-
“Pant pant pant!”
“My strength…..ugh!”
Ellain grabbed his arm and stumbled. While Ark had entered the pyramid to call the ‘Power of God,’ Ellain and the Kusan warriors had been fighting the thousands of Myutal flocking to the pyramid. Fortunately the entrance was narrow so only 20 Myutal could attack at once. They could defeat those numbers. However that had its limitations. 10 times, 20 times, 30 times……more warriors became wounded and died as they killed the Myutal endlessly. The fierce battle had already been ongoing for 10 minutes. However the ‘Power of God’ still hadn’t been activated.
“Maybe the legend is just a legend……”
Ellain grieved as he looked at his bloody colleagues.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a loud noise and the pyramid shook. Ellain and the surviving Kusan warriors then witnessed a miracle. A huge light shot up from the top of the pyramid and the sky turned red like it was angry. And the anger formed red rays that shot towards the ground. The moment the light touched the red earth!
Kikikiki……pepeng!
There were thousands of Myutal covering the pyramid. All of the Myutal screamed and exploded in unison. It wasn’t just the Myutal. The Umu controlling the Myutal and the red substance covering the area also vaporized. However Ellain and the Kusan warriors were unaffected despite being touched by the red light. Only the alien creatures invading Rakunka were burned by the light of the heavens!
“Miracle! It is a miracle of God!”
“Our faith wasn’t in vain!”
“Ohh! God is helping us!”
Ellain and the Kusan warriors fell to their knees.
‘This is the nature of God’s power?’
The vast stretches of outer space.
Ark looked out the window of the Silver Star. Ark was inside the pyramid so he could read the identity of God’s power through the Murat letters. The identity of God’s power was the nebula gas Ark was looking at now. No, to be accurate it was the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the nebular gas. The nebular gas of the cross emitted unique electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave was similar to a microwave. The molecules vibrated at a velocity that generated heat. And the light that shot up from the pyramid amplified the electromagnetic waves surrounding Rakunka. This was the identity of the red beams Ellain witnessed. The electromagnetic waves surrounded Rakunka was amplified by hundreds of times like a microwave.
That’s why the Myutal and Umu exploded. The body fluids were boiled by a microwave and exploded. However, the Kusan and indigenous flora and fauna of Rakunka had received the radio waves for tens of thousands of years and had developed an immunity to it. The Murat was aware of this and created a weapon using the nature of the nebula gas to create a weapon that would wipe out alien species. This was the true identity of the ‘Power of God!’
‘But I’m not from the Kusan clan……’
If he had been outside the pyramid then Ark also would’ve gone BOOM!
‘The Power of God really is merciless. I don’t know if the Murat has good or bad personalities.’
Anyway, the whole situation was organized neatly thanks to that. Once again, the pyramid on Rakunka had two functions. There was the power of destruction with the nebula gas. And there was the power of creation where the terraforming device regulated the electromagnetic waves to pull up water from deep underground. The terraforming facility was also working like the weapon. In the meantime the terraforming device couldn’t receive the necessary energy and had stopped working. Unlike the weapon, the terraforming facility constantly consumed energy and converted the nebular gas to light and heat energy. But the energy supply had been stopped by the red substance covering the pyramid. But the device started working again once the red substance was burned up. The proof was that the small puddle had turned into a large lake when Ark, Ellain and the Kusan warriors returned to the village.
“This is all thanks to Messenger-nim.”
Barakin said in a thrilled voice as he looked at the clear water in the lake. It wasn’t only Barakin. Ark had been treated as God’s messenger before but it was nothing compared to afterwards.
“The great God’s messenger!”
“Glory to God’s messenger!”
The thousands of Kusan bowed down in front of Ark. They treated Ark with reverence like he was a real god. So Ark decided to play the role of God’s messenger.
“Hey Tori, come here.”
“Huh? Why?”
Stay still. Haaayaahh!”
Ark grabbed Tori’s ankles and held him upside down. And small packets of seeds started falling out. Tori was a hamster. During his break in S-20 he had gone around collecting seeds. Those seeds were the ones that fell from Tori. The amount of seeds that fell was at least 1 kilogram.
“Hik! W-what are you doing? That……”
“Shut up!”
Ark glared at Tori. Then he gathered the seeds and handed them to Barakin.
“These are the seeds of a plant that grows on a planet called Istana. I don’t know if it can grow on Rakunka but these seeds would sprout into leaves. Rakunka might end up having a forest after some time.”
During the Murat days there had been several forests on Rakunka. The terraforming operation meant there were oases all over the place so the Murat grew plants. However the terraforming device stopped working so the plants were depleted of water and the species not immune to the electromagnetic waves were killed. That’s what it meant by the ‘Power of God’ being lethal to the environment. But now the plants could grow again thanks to the oasis. This was the reason he gave them Tori’s seeds. Barakin was appreciative.
“I can’t even express my thanks for disposing of the Myutal and taking back the temple and now you’re doing this favour for us. This is the only way I can repay you. It is a ring that has been passed down through generations of Kusan chiefs. It might be insufficient to pay you back but please accept this.”
His thanks weren’t just empty words.
-Hot Wind Ring (Rare)
Item Type: Ring Wearer Restriction: Level 100
A ring that has been passed down through generations of Kusan chiefs.
This ring contains a rare, special jewel that is created through hot nebula gas. According to the information handed down through the Kusan, this ring has strong fire properties.
<Fire Resistance +30%, Agility +10>
A rare ring! That wasn’t the only thing Ark obtained.
“Chief-nim, I want to ask you something.”
Ellain approached Barakin after everything was finished. Barakin nodded and said.
“I can already guess what you want to say after seeing your expression when you came back with Messenger-nim. You want to go with Messenger-nim.”
“Yes. Until now I’ve taken pride in the fact that I’ve been the best warrior of the clan. But I’ve realized how lacking I am after meeting God’s messenger. Of course, I don’t dare compare myself to God’s messenger but I would like to serve him and learn a bit more.”
“I understand.”
Barakin sighed and nodded.
“That’s probably the same mindset that Asuldan had when he left Rakunka a long time ago. And it is an honour to be able to serve God’s messenger. I don’t have any right to oppose. If you have Messenger-nim’s permission……”
Ellain was a top rated NPC. He wasn’t a pioneer but there was no reason for Ark to oppose it. In addition, he had spent 1,000 Adventure points to upgrade the level of his agent so his number of employees had increased from 15 to 30. He was thankful for another NPC!
-Ellain has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Ellain (NPC ☆ ☆ ☆) Occupation: Inspector
Level: 152 Related Skills: Sword mastery, Welcome to the alter ego…..
Thus Ellain joined the staff of Dark Eden.
“Now shall we say goodbye?”
Ark turned and asked. Ellain stared at Rakunka with emotional eyes and nodded.
“Yes, now my home is with Messenger-nim.”
“Sheesh, I hate hearing stuff like this.”
Tori said with a pout.
“Hey you! I want to make this clear. I am a senior. Do you understand?”
“Of course.”
“Ranking is important in Dark Eden. Eh? I’ll be watching.”
Tori concentrated power in his shoulders and said. However Tori hadn’t realized something yet. The ranking of Dark Eden wasn’t determined by the joining order. It was 100% determined by the dictator Ark. Ark had been cheated by Tori and his trust was low so the hamster would always be at the bottom of the pyramid. But Ark let it go for the moment. He had his seeds taken away and was hungry so Ark would allow him a little joy. Now also wasn’t the time to clean up the ranking.
“Tori, take the wheel.”
Ark sat in the captain seat and said.
“Start the Silver Star’s warp navigation. The target is Istana. Depart!”
The Silver Star was wrapped in light and shot through the universe. The destination was the centre of the galactic federation, Istana.
————————————————————————————————-
“Huhuhu.”
Ferguson looked around and laughed. 20 pioneers were gathered in a luxury salon. It was obvious from their equipment that they were pioneers who spent some time in the frontier. And Ferguson didn’t look out of place among them. His equipment and battle suit were at a standard worth 10,000 gold! He was also a user ranked 18th in the top 50 user rankings.
“How about it? You guys can see it. Do any of them look stronger than me?”
“Of course not.”
“Hyung-nim is the strongest.”
“Yes, I guess. I’m at a different standard.”
Ferguson nodded with a pleased look at his siblings’ words.
‘At one point I was so worried I almost quit the game……’
Ferguson felt like the sky had collapsed on him after hearing that his information about the tungsten mine had been stolen. He tried to be strong for his younger brothers but he really felt like quitting the game. But a chance he never considered had fallen into Ferguson’s lap. He had received a message on Elysium. The reason why Ferguson was sitting in a seat reserved for distinguished guests in Tatuine was due to that message.
-The 2nd magic circle investigation task force.
The message was that Ferguson had been selected for the 2nd investigation task force. He had an agent so he also received the <Dark Omen> quest. But all agents from the 3 powers had received the quest and he was busy with the tungsten mine so he didn’t bother with it. Yet now he had a chance to directly join the federation’s investigation team.
‘The three of us alone won’t be able to complete such a huge quest. But it is possible if I’m part of the federation’s investigation team. I’ll have the support of the federation for all expenses and information will be shared. This is an advantage that other pioneers won’t have! And if I complete the quest before the other members of the investigation team……’
The agents of all 3 powers had received the quest. That meant the reward would be incomparable compared to other quests. This was a chance for Ferguson to escape from being a beggar!
‘I need to grasp this chance!’
“By the way, how long do we have to wait for? Didn’t the departure time pass already? They gathered busy people in a place like this and now they’re making us wait?”
“I talked to the guards and heard that someone hasn’t come yet.”
“A person hasn’t come yet? Then we’re waiting for a pioneer? Ha, this makes me feel dirty. This person is making other pioneers wait! What type of bastard is this?”
“That is…….”
“Damn, it can’t be helped. I don’t know who is coming. But I’ll show him.”
“In the future we’ll be members of the same team so be patient. There is no reason to act like this before it has even started.”
“I still need to be certain of the pecking order.”
Ferguson replied with an enthusiastic look. Then the door that had been firmly closed opened and two men entered.
“The last team has arrived.”
The person who entered and started talking was Marquis Martin. This meant the guy next to him was the pioneer who made Ferguson wait! Ferguson got up from the couch he was waiting on and approached him. And just as he was about to speak.
“His name is Ark.”
Ferguson froze at Marquis Martin’s ensuing words. His brothers A and B also turned to ice. Brothers A and B withdrew and stuttered.
“Hyung-nim, Ark? Is that right? We didn’t hear wrong?”
“U-unlucky! Hyung-nim, we are still unlucky!”
“Q-quiet! He’ll hear. And how are we unlucky? I told you days ago. ‘He’ isn’t in Galaxian. The face is similar but it is also slightly different. Y-yes, it is impossible to be him.”
“B-but…..”
While Ferguson’s group were busy arguing.
“Please wait a moment.”
The door opened and two men once again entered. Marquis Martin frowned as he looked at them and asked.
“Why is Marquis Jyubel-nim here?”
“Fortunately I’m not too late. One more person is joining the investigation team.”
“Are you talking about the young man next to Marquis-nim?”
“Yes, this is Rapid.”
Marquis Jyubel introduced the blonde youth next to him. However the blond youth, Rapid wasn’t even looking at Marquis Martin. His eyes were fixed on Ark standing next to him. Ark was the same as well. Ark stared at Rapid and muttered.
“Hoh, Rapid……”
“Do you know him?”
Marquis Martin asked as he looked between Jyubel and Rapid. Ark replied.
“No. I don’t know that person at all.”
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 10
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Black Hawk
‘…..What?’
Ark scratched his head. The trip to Rakunka had been quite arduous. As a result he managed to obtain the Baius Shield that had been left for the Elim’s Heir. His difficulties weren’t due to the Myutal but more because of the time constraints. He needed to meet up with the 2nd investigation team on time. Thanks to that, Ark spent his time on Rakunka jumping like his tail was on fire. But all that hard work was for nothing. Despite his efforts he ended up being 30 minutes late. However the promise had been caught a week before. He thought being half an hour late wasn’t that bad but Marquis Martin’s response was cold.
“You’re late.”
“Ah, I’m really sorry. That……”
“I’ll listen to your excuses later. Follow me.”
Marquis Martin interrupted Ark’s words and turned his body. He walked down the hall silently with a frown.
‘What’s with that attitude? Damn, does he think I was being idle? I might’ve been late but it was only 30 minutes! I went through all that trouble so that I wouldn’t be late! Is he going to remove me from the team because I’m 30 minutes late? Isn’t he a noble?’
Thanks to that Ark’s mood was unpleasant.
‘Dammit, should I really join the investigation team?’
In fact, his mood wasn’t just due to Marquis Martin’s attitude. Ark had felt a mixture of disappointment and expectation after finding the Baius Shield on Rakunka. The reason he was disappointed was because the performance didn’t match up to his expectations of a Divine Artefact. But the Baius shield had an advantage that could compensate for such shortcomings. It was a growth type equipment. This was the part Ark was worried about.
‘A growth type item becomes stronger the more it is used. In other words, it isn’t beneficial straight away. But if I join the investigation team then it would be more difficult to find another Divine Artefact. Of course, the Divine Artefact is just for my occupation so it can be delayed. However there is no guarantee that the mission will be a success if I join the investigation team. I might just be throwing away my time. Then wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on finding the Divine Artefact?’
He was impatient to start looking now that he had found one. But Ark soon shook his head. <Dark Omen> was a main quest that had begun with Episode II of Galaxian! The compensation would be incomparable to general quests. Of course, all agents had been given the <Dark Omen> quest so it could be completed without joining the investigation team. However the person who had access to a wide information network and support was more likely to succeed. Ark had also received the <Investigate the Negative energy> quest from the Elim’s Memory.
‘If I join the investigation team then I can get the support of the galactic federation. It will be a huge advantage to join the team. I can find the Divine Artefacts at any time but this opportunity won’t come again. I can’t give up this chance. I should worry about one thing first.’
It was his relationship with Marquis Martin. The relationship with NPCs was one of the most important things in RPG games. Players often misunderstood this but NPCs were the ‘top’ in a game world, not users. NPCs gave out quests and items as well as managed the game system. It didn’t matter if they stayed day and night in a hunting ground raising their levels. A NPC’s help was indispensable. Especially if the person was a high ranking noble of the federation. Such a relationship wasn’t created by itself.
He had completed the difficult quests Marquis Martin gave up and their intimacy gradually increased. In other words, this was the result of his time and efforts. And it was easy for that intimacy to drop. If he cancelled a quest that he accepted that the good feelings would decrease and intimacy would drop. He couldn’t be too impatient to find the Divine Artefact! Therefore he felt upset because of such blatant disregard. But he couldn’t do anything stupid.
‘Yes. He had me by the throat. What power do I have? I need to endure it.’
Ark stared at Marquis Martin’s back. Then Marquis Martin suddenly stopped moving. He sighed and spoke in a low voice.
“The situation has become a little troublesome.”
“Huh?”
Ark was confused by the sudden words. Then Marquis Martin slowly turned his body and looked at Ark.
“Do you know the purpose of this mission?”
“Well, that….”
“It is to investigate the magic circle that caused change in the galaxy. That was the external reason.”
“Then the real purpose was something separate?”
“No, that is the purpose. At the same time, 3 magic circles the size of intermediate planets were created before disappearing. Someone deliberately did it. Furthermore, a sizeable organization must be behind it considering the scale of the event. Those guys made the magic circle for some reason so the federation considers them a serious threat. But it is the negative energy detected with the magic circle that is the real threat.”
“You mean the antimatter that you mentioned in the orbital headquarters?”
“Yes, it is something that shouldn’t even exist in this star system.”
“But the negative energy was detected which means it must exist?”
“That is the problem.”
Marquis Martin sighed and continued talking.
“Like the name suggests, antimatter is antimatter. It has the opposite structure of common substances. If common substances have the plus (+) property, antimatter has the negative (-) properties. So antimatter destroys any substances that it comes in contact with. The problem is the tremendous energy that will occur as a result of the process. The amount of energy is thousands of times stronger than a hydrogen bomb. No, that is just what the witness presumed.”
“Witness? Someone saw it directly?”
“At one time the 3 powers fought a war against each other. And stronger weapons would have a greater impact on the outcome of the war. It was natural that the 3 powers would be interested in antimatter. And on the surface we don’t know the end of the Galaxy War. A secret research centre ran by the Aschulat managed to succeed in creating antimatter.”
“Didn’t you just say there was no antimatter in the galaxy?”
“There is none now.”
“Didn’t they manage to make it?”
“It was created. But it failed to stabilize. The result is called the tragedy of Rajenka. The generated antimatter immediate started overflowing and the energy caused the planet of Rajenka to disappear without a trace.”
It was a fear that all species had never experienced before! The event was enough to make all 3 powers in the galaxy tremble with fear.
“That’s the reason why the 3 powers signed a truce. At that time the weapons development had already reached its limit. The only thing that exists beyond that limit was antimatter. But they realized something through the tragedy of Rajenka. The weaponization of antimatter wasn’t a victory. Thus the 3 powers signed a truce to ban the research of antimatter. And the scattered satellites all over the galaxy in order to monitor for negative energy.”
That’s the reason why the 3 powers were so sensitive about this matter. They still needed to confirm that threat directly but there was no doubt about it. The problem was that the negative energy was detected in the airspace called the space frontier.
“This is why the 3 powers can’t move aggressively.”
“Because of the special treaty.”
“If the identity of the energy is really antimatter then the enemy will be beyond different powers. In that situation no one would think about upholding the special treaty. But nothing is definite yet. If troops enter the space frontier in this situation then it will only irritate the enemy. The result is……”
War! It would be the beginning of the second space war. The 3 powers had commissioned agents in order to avoid that situation. But that was just for show. The problem was connected to the life or death of the 3 powers. They couldn’t just leave it in the hands of private agents. Just like the federation dispatched secret agents like Irina, the Rama and Aschulat had also sent special forces. This means the spies of the 3 powers were all gathering at the same place with the same purpose. It was natural for there to be disputes in order to get information about the antimatter first.
“But sending more troops as reinforcements is difficult. Just like we know, the Rama and Aschulat also know that we’ve sent secret units. If we increase the troops then they will also increase their troops. Then it will only be a matter of time before it becomes a battlefield.”
That’s one of the reasons why they created the 2nd investigation team. The mobilization of any more troops would be dangerous. That’s what the private agents were for. The federation decided to organize agents to investigate. Marquis Martin then expressed his displeasure and muttered.
“It was a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“Who do you think would be the worst person to get their hands on the antimatter?”
“The Rama.”
“Wrong. The correct answer is Marquis Jyubel.”
“Eh? Marquis Jyubel?”
“Antimatter is a very dangerous existence. The 3 powers knew how dangerous antimatter was after the tragedy of Rajenka. It isn’t something that can be abused as a weapon. The 3 powers are dispatching secret troops in order to stop the other 2 from obtaining the antimatter, rather than using it to become stronger. However Jyubel’s position is different. If the military gains the antimatter then their influence will strengthen.”
“And his power will weaken.”
Marquis Jyubel was the Minister of Domestic Affairs and head of the opposite faction. If the military got their hands on the antimatter then Jyubel’s political base would be weakened.
“Until now Jyubel had no justification to stick his neck into this thing. The antimatter is a weapon and everything related to it belongs to the military. But the situation changed with the 2nd investigation team. Because the management of private agents if under the jurisdiction of Domestic Affairs.”
Marquis Jyubel didn’t miss this small chance. He persistently used that excuse to request control of the 2nd investigation team. Of course, Marquis Martin wasn’t going to yield obediently to him. It was the opposition of the two factions! Ark had no way of knowing that the nerves of both factions were extremely sensitive. It was to the extent that there was an internal discord in the parliament.
“But didn’t you catch Marquis Jyubel’s weak point?”
“The incident with S-20?”
Marquis Martin laughed and shook his head.
“That would intimidate but it wouldn’t hurt the enemy. It depends on what they want to achieve. In other words, the enemy would only accept a small range. Jyubel is in a dire situation so he won’t care about that weak point during the negotiations.”
“Then the 2n task force……”
“In the end, his Majesty himself had to arbitrate.”
The Emperor was forced to intervene in the fight between the two factions. The galactic federation is a republic so the Emperor is just a symbolic presence. However the Emperor was still the Emperor. He was an existence that ruled over all the aristocrats in the federation. It was like the Emperor was giving a verdict on whether chicken should be fried or with sauce. No, he decided to divide the pioneers of the investigation team into the two factions.
“In other words, half of the task force organized are pioneers under Marquis Jyubel’s influence. Do you know what that means?”
Of course. Ark smiled and replied.
“Yes, this means the reward for the mission has increased.”
“What?”
“There is currently a battle between the noble factions over their influence in the mission but it has nothing to do with the investigation team members. If the mission is successful then all pioneers in the team would receive compensation. But the information about the antimatter is more important to the nobles then the success of failure of the mission. If you want the pioneers you recommended to work harder than you need to prepare a bonus steak.”
“…..That is the correct answer.”
Marquis Martin answered with an odd expression. If Ark found information on the antimatter then it would be the quest reward + α.
‘Okay. I’m getting more motivated.’
In fact, Ark also wanted to stop Marquis Jyubel’s power from growing. Jyubel had teamed up with the Laius company in order to steal S-20 from Ark. Ark had formed a hostile relationship with Jyubel thanks to that event. If Marquis Jyubel obtained more power than Ark would be negatively affected.
“You seem to have understood.”
Marquis Martin then turned his body around again. He paused in front of the door of the room where the pioneers were gathered and said in a low voice.
‘”Don’t forget. From now on you’re not just dealing with the task force from the Rama and Aschulat. Some pioneers are also recommended by an enemy faction! The enemy will be close so you have to stay vigilant. You can’t relax.”
————————————————————
‘……That’s what he said…….’
He frowned at the man in front of him.
‘I didn’t think it would be like this.’
The blonde youth Ark was staring at was Rapid! Of course Ark recognized Rapid. He was the user who helped S-20 grow while Ark was away. They only had a short 10 minute conversation but it was impossible to forget about it.
“Do you know him?”
“No. I don’t know that person at all.”
But his answer to Marquis Martin wasn’t completely a lie. Obviously they had met. However he had died in a duel with Kurakan immediately after so Ark didn’t know who Rapid was. There was one thing Ark couldn’t understand. Rapid hadn’t left S-20 for 10 days in order to meet Ark. But 20 days had passed since Kurakan killed him and he hadn’t returned to S-20. Therefore the reason why Rapid was waiting for Ark was still a mystery.
‘This was the answer?’
Ark’s gaze turned towards Marquis Jyubel. Each faction had recommended 10 agents each. There was a limited personnel so naturally they had to be cautious. Considering the nature of the mission, he had to choose skilled and reliable pioneers. In other words, the pioneers gathered in the room had a close relationship with the aristocrats. Ark’s relationship was with Marquis Martin. Then Rapid had an association with Marquis Jyubel.
‘The relationship can’t just be for a few days if he was recommended for this task force. That means they already had a relationship when Rapid was in S-20. Rapid disappeared and then Jyubel gave me 10 days to save S-20…..this can’t be a coincidence.’
If he thought about it than the answer would come naturally.
‘The reason he was in S-20 wasn’t to wait for me. It was to collect information for Jyubel and the Laius company. It is also the reason why he was defeated by Kurakan despite his skills in marksmanship. He just used waiting for me as an excuse. If people started to question it then it would become difficult. He used that duel as a pretext to leave S-20. That’s how the Laius company knew about the situation in S-20. Dammit, I didn’t know until now……’
Ark originally had a good impression of Rapid. He was the user who helped S-20 grow while Ark was away. His development of S-20 was almost the same as Ark’s blueprints. He also displayed extraordinary marksmanship in the duel. It meant he was smart and skilled! Therefore Ark had been thinking about scouting Rapid. Yet Rapid’s true identity was Jyubel’s mole. He felt betrayed! And angry!
‘So you tricked me huh? Okay, good. You asked me when we met if I was the Ark from New World? You sounded really curious so I’ll let you know soon. Don’t you know who I am? I’ll make you regret having Ark as an enemy. I’ll make you shed tears of blood and regret for this!’
Ark thought furiously.
“Nice to meet you. Please call me Rapid.”
Rapid shamelessly stretched out his hand. Of course Ark didn’t want to shake his hand.
“I’m sorry but I have no intention of becoming friendly with you.”
Rapid didn’t show a reaction to his response. He just shrugged and took back his hand. Jyubel laughed and looked at Marquis Martin.
“Marquis-nim should teach your dog some manners.”
“I’m not raising a dog. And even if I was, I’m not going to teach him to shake hands with someone who might tear out his neck later.”
“Someone who might tear out his neck…..is that so?”
“I hope something like that doesn’t happen.”
“I can’t promise anything.”
An answer was heard from behind Marquis Jyubel. A man was coming up to the place where Ark, Rapid, Marquis Martin and Marquis Jyubel were gathered. Ark reflexively turned his head and became confused.
“Y-you…..”
The man who had a square jaw was smiling meaningfully! Surprisingly that person was…..
“……Who are you?”
Ark tilted his head to one side and asked.
The man frowned and answered in a low voice.
“Valencia.”
“Ah, yes. Valencia! I had forgotten about you. Please tell me your name the next time you appear. Huhuhu, the dog who was smashed by me has appeared. Then I guess you want that to happen again.”
Ark made a really hateful expression and laughed. Then Rapid turned his head to look at Valencia. His eyes seemed to be asking if it was true. Valencia’s face reddened with shame.
“You cocky bastard. Don’t mess with me.”
“Ha, the dog that was smashed by me is yelling while the other wants to welcome me kindly. I wonder who the cocky ones are?”
“If you keep having that thought then you’ll disappear.”
“Why don’t you try saying that after fighting me?”
Ark replied in a ludicrous voice. But unlike his unconcerned expression, inwardly he was confused. Ark’s head was already confused by the appearance of Rapid. And now there was the addition of Valencia.
–Valencia was the leader of the 1st armoured platoon on Beltana.
I unknowingly aggravated someone with a high rank. But I paid him back with interest.
I don’t need to worry about that guy now.
This was the three line history of Valencia that Ark remembered. But two lines were added after their reunion at Mt. Fargo.
I smashed him once again.
I don’t need to worry about that guy anymore.
It might’ve increased to 5 lines but the bottom line was that he didn’t need to worry about that guy. It was impossible to be comfortable now that he saw Valencia again. Valencia’s aura clearly showed that he wanted revenge. That wasn’t the only worrisome part.
‘The magic circle in the Harmadon constellation was the work of the robed men who attacked Mt. Fargo. And Valencia was with that man. He might’ve simply been hired as a mercenary but…..’
He couldn’t ignore the possibility that Valencia had a relationship with those guys. That guy possessed a grudge against Ark and he might have something to do with this event! A guy like that was part of the investigation team. Rapid was also Marquis Jyubel’s mole. Ark already had a headache before it even started.
‘Damn, of all users why is it Valencia……?’
Ark sighed with frustration. Marquis Martin frowned and asked Jyubel.
“What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Valencia is a person dishonourable discharged from the federation.”
“That isn’t a problem. Any private agent is qualified for the investigation team. And like Marquis-nim said, Valencia isn’t part of the federal army anymore. Apart from the grudge he has against Ark, is there any reason that I shouldn’t recommend him?”
‘Jyubel.’
Ark immediately understood the situation. It was no coincidence that Valencia was on the team. Ark planted the impression of ‘tough opponent’ in Marquis Jyubel after the events in S-20. Therefore he was quite neurotic after learning Ark would participate in the investigation team. So Jyubel needed participants who would mark Ark. The user he selected for this role was Valencia! In other words, Valencia was there as an anti-Ark.
“It seems like I don’t have to introduce the two of you. I don’t have anything else to say so please excuse me. I’ll expect a lot from you in this investigation.”
Jyubel said meaningfully and turned around. He walked towards the pioneers gathered on one side with Rapid and Valencia beside him. Marquis Martin watched their backs before clicking his tongue and saying.
“How troublesome.”
“Well, it doesn’t change anything.”
Ark muttered.
“Didn’t you say the pioneers were split into factions? This is an opportunity to learn those who are hostile towards me. It will also give me more motivation to fight against those guys.”
“You have confidence in yourself.”
“I need to be confident since you’ve handpicked me.”
“That’s right.”
Marquis Martin nodded with satisfaction. Of course, Ark had to beware of opponents other than Rapid and Valencia. Ark was with the military faction and the factions were competing. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that all the pioneers gathered around Marquis Jyubel were from the enemy faction. However Ark also wasn’t alone. Valencia and Rapid belonged to the political faction while Ark belonged to the military one. Of course the military faction kept a distance form Jyubel.
“I’ll introduce you.”
“There is no need.”
Marquis Martin said after they walked over to the users in the military faction. A user with a small body and moustache who looked like Super Mario said to them. His round eyes looked Ark up and down before smiling.
“Ark-nim, you are the one who received the title of Beltana and Athamas’ Hero?”
“You know me?”
“Of course. I was in this room when Marquis Martin said your name. Well, I did hear it before. You were persistently broadcasted on the federal TV. There is no one gathered here who doesn’t know about Ark-nim.”
Once again, Ark was a celebrity. Furthermore he had performed psychological warfare with Marquis Jyubel as soon as he entered the room. Ark had unintentionally drawn their interest when he provoked Rapid and Valencia.
“Yes, that’s why I don’t need to introduce you separately.”
Marquis Martin stepped back with a smile. Then Mario (?) approached Ark even more closely and said.
“Is there anybody who doesn’t know Ark-nim? All the people here must’ve heard Marquis-nim. We’re reliable colleagues unlike those guys over there. But I’ll introduce you.”
Mario went to grab Ark’s arm.
“Hey, you over there!”
“M-me?”
“Who else would I be pointing to? This body is the one that reached 18th place. Do you have any questions? You are the youngest so of course you should do it.”
“B-but…..”
“Shut up! Just do it quickly!”
3 men were whispering together when one of them was pushed. The man who was pushed out flinched and jumped with surprise. However, the two guys behind were glaring so he came up to Ark with weeping eyes.
“I-I…..I have a question……”
“Huh? What is it?”
“That is, have you ever…..I mean…..are you the Ark of New World?”
‘Hah, this question again.’
He was already sick of this situation. He needed to repeat the same answer and he also needed to watch the other side’s response. Ark could tell whether they were pleased or disappointed by their reactions. It would be difficult to be comfortable in their presence. But this time something was different.
“No. I am a different Ark.”
“R-really? Really?”
“Yes, I heard that Ark hasn’t started Galaxian yet?”
“Yes, I heard thank to! Indeed! Thank you very much!”
“Huh? Thank you?”
“Ah, no! Hyung-nims, it isn’t him!”
The man shouted brightly as he ran to his fellow colleagues. Then he hugged the user who had said ‘shut up!’
“It wasn’t him! He just resembles that guy!”
It was the first time Ark had seen this reaction. Didn’t they seem slightly pitiable?
“Who are those people?”
“Eh? You don’t know him?”
Mario asked with a surprised expression.
“Doesn’t Ark-nim watch the game exclusive news?”
“Game exclusive news……”
Ark flinched as he heard the words from Mario’s mouth. The game exclusive news was a program focused on virtual reality games that 80% of gamers in Korea watched. Ark of New World had appeared on the game exclusive news before. Well, he could get game related information through the broadcast so Ark had watched it every week. However not long ago he started avoiding watching the game exclusive news. It was after the female MC was changed. The name of the new female MC was Jung Hye-sun. In the past Ark knew her as Roco. These days many people who got a divorce were friends but their relationship was still uncomfortable.
“I didn’t watch the TV.”
“The one who talked to Ark-nim was B and the other one is Ferguson. He is a famous user like Ark-nim. The game exclusive news just recently released a ranking of users from #1 to #50 and Ferguson took the 18th spot. Well he was pushed out of the rankings in the next week. The two people he’s here with is A and B.”
“A and B?”
“Yes. A and B. That’s their names.”
A and B…..Ark had heard some strange names over the several years he was playing games but these were the worst.
‘They are A and B? Is that real?’
It was to the extent that he felt compassion for them! Nevertheless, Ark was more interested in Ferguson than in A and B. Galaxian serviced the whole world and millions of players accessed it at the same time. There were millions of registered users. Of course the game exclusive news couldn’t investigate all the users but no ordinary person could reach rank 18. His naming sense also wasn’t ordinary.
‘I have to keep an eye on him.’
Perhaps Ferguson might be necessary. If they wanted to avoid Ark in Galaxian then they’ve probably given up on New World already. Ferguson wasn’t the only user Ark was paying attention to.
‘……Over there as well?’
The other users weren’t inferior to Ferguson. The pioneers gathered in the room were those specifically picked by the nobles of the federation. In other words, they were users with the certificate of quality from the federation nobles.
It was possible to understand just from looking at the equipment.
The more high level and expensive the equipment was, the more flashy it looked. The equipment Ark looked at shone with different types of special effects.
But his interest went from the equipment to Mario.
“I am Cayenne.”
“Cayenne-nim is the CEO of an agent that mainly dispatches mercenaries in Sidellin. This isn’t accurate but it is rumours that there are more than 100 mercenaries scatter all over that belong to him. It is the highest record for a single agent.”
“I’m Ryu. Please take care of me.”
“Ryu-nim is the CEO of an agent called Arion. Arion only has 7~8 employees but they are all high level users. Ryu-nim’s staff has enough skills to take down a large group of opponents.”
Mario gave out the name and relevant information about other users like a vending machine.
“I’m impressed that you remember all this.”
“I’m a merchant.”
“Huh? A merchant?”
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Mario. Heh, did you flinch because you’ve been calling me Mario in your mind? In fact I deliberately made it like this.”
Mario’s real identity was actually Mario! However he wasn’t an innocent plumber trying to rescue a princess.
“I told you that I’m a merchant. Information is the most important thing to merchants. And I’m familiar with other users. It is profitably to become familiar with other users. Huhuhu! Even female users don’t guard against Mario.”
Mario truly was calculating. But Ark was more startled at his occupation than Mario’s name or background. It was highly likely that this mission would involve a battle against the Rama and Aschulat agents. Therefore the most important thing required for this team was combat. The number of troops was limited so the team needed to be configured around combat power as much as possible. Yet one of the 10 spots was taken by a merchant.
‘Perhaps Mario isn’t an ordinary merchant?’
While Ark was busy thinking.
“Marquis-nim, how long do we have to wait for?”
Cayenne who was introduced a little while ago said with an irritated expression. Then Marquis Martin turned back around and asked.
“Didn’t you hear from the guard? Not everybody participating in the task force has arrived yet.”
“Eh? Isn’t everyone here?”
“10 pioneers from each faction are participating in this mission so that should be 20 altogether. Including Ark-nim we are 10 people. Rapid also makes the other side 10 people. Haven’t all the spots been filled? Then who else are we waiting for?”
“There is still one person remaining.”
“One person? What faction does the pioneer belong to?”
“Neither of them. He is……”
Marquis Martin sighed and was about to open his mouth. Then the door opened and a man appeared. Wearing huge iron armour like a medieval knight and carrying a sword on their shoulders and a 1 metre gun in both hands, the 10 people entered with a threatening impression like they were attacking the room. A skull was carved on their chests!
“What the, these guys?”
“Skull? Are they pirates?”
“Wait, that isn’t the mark of pirates. A clear, blue skull……”
Then they split in half. They formed two lines to allow a man to walk through. He had black hair, wore a black uniform and black cloak. He had an eyepatch over one eye and his whole atmosphere was dark. The man strode across the room without paying attention to the users in it. His cloak containing the mark of a blue skull waved with every step. Marquis Martin made a startled noise.
“Unbelievable…..I thought His Majesty wouldn’t select an ordinary user but……”
“His Majesty? The Emperor of the Galactic Federation?”
“Yes, the last participant is a pioneer that His Majesty selected. No, he received a title of nobility some time ago so he can’t be called a pioneer anymore.”
“A title of nobility? Then that person is?”
“Yes, that person is Baron Hawk.”
Mario moaned after hearing Marquis Martin’s words. But Ark wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know why they were amazed. Mario noticed Ark scratching his head with a puzzled expression and whispered.
“Seven Swords! Seven Swords!”
“Seven Swords? What are the Seven Swords…..?”
Ferguson explained when he heard what Mario was discussing. The game exclusive news had released a TOP 50 ranking. Of course this ranking varied every week. A users’ rank depended on the situation and new players entering the ranking. That’s why Ferguson was pushed out of 18th spot after a week. However there were some whose ranking didn’t change. They were the users occupying the top 7 spots. Ever since the TOP 50 had been released, they might’ve changed spots but those users had never been pushed out of the 1~7 spots. In other words, they were users on a completely different dimension from Ferguson. Thus they were named the Seven Swords! These 7 users were some of the biggest forces in the space frontier.
“Hawk is considered one of the best and is always part of the top 4 spots. He is always dressed in black armour so he was dubbed the Black Hawk. According to rumours, Hawk already possesses at least 4 space colonies and a fleet of spaceships.”
‘There is already a user with that kind of power?’
Ark looked at the man across the room with new eyes. In any game, a user with overwhelming power would build over time. Ark’s goal was to become such a user. However Galaxian’s service hadn’t even started for 10 months yet. While Ark had been a little too comfortable, another user was already building that power in the frontier. It wasn’t just one user but seven! And one of them was Hawk!
“He really is Hawk.”
“Oh my god! Then one of the Seven Swords is participating in this mission?”
“This isn’t a joke?”
The users became noisy after confirming it was Hawk. But Hawk just silently approached the couch where Ferguson was sitting. Ferguson sat up with excitement.
“Eh? Eh?”
“Get out of the way, pig.”
“What? Ah, no. Huh? Ah! Yes!”
Ferguson jumped up like a pig struck by lightning. Then Hawk naturally sat down on the couch. Hawk’s gaze was then directed to the users. Hawk’s mouth went up as he gazed at the users divided into two groups. But Hawk quickly returned to his original expression and he started talking in a low voice.
“I am the team leader.”
“What? H-Hawk is the leader?”
“The leader isn’t going to be a NPC from the federation?”
Some users murmured with confusion. Hawk didn’t even look at them.
“I will now give you the instructions. From now on I will give you 4 days. I don’t care whether you use that time to organize your troops or supplies. I will leave the troops and supplies up to you. 4 days from now we will gather at the Turan Hive located on the southern tip of the Igracia constellation in the frontier. Any person who doesn’t arrive in time will be withdrawn.”
“So one-sidedly……”
“I thought we were leaving today?”
“What are you talking about? Today is just the meeting day.”
“Anybody dissatisfied with this should withdraw now.”
Hawk interrupted the people complaining and surveyed the room.
“I’ll tell you now. I’m not interested in what the nobles of the federation think. My only concern is finding out information about the magic circle and antimatter. Of course, my final purpose is the compensation. How many people here are 100% certain they can get the reward?”
“That…..”
“The Rama and the Aschulat……”
“I’m convinced. I believe that anyone who follows me will be able to receive the same compensation. I’m the only one that can do that. As I said, I’ll leave the choice up to you.”
The users started to stir again at Hawk’s words.
“Are you sure?”
“If Hawk who is one of the Seven Swords talks like that……”
“We can do it! We can get the information about the magic circle and antimatter before the Rama and Aschulat!”
“Okay! I will follow Hawk!”
“Me too!”
‘What? That guy?’
Ark looked at Hawk with astounded eyes. Until now the users had been disgruntled with Hawk’s one-sided commands. It was natural. They would accept it if it was a NPC but nobody would like receiving commands from another user. Especially if the users had a lot of lose. However Hawk changed their attitudes with just a few words. They were affected by the name Seven Swords but he knew how to deal with people.
‘I guess he isn’t one of the Seven Swords for nothing.’
“I leave it here.”
Hawk stopped speaking and got off the couch. And he walked in the middle of his subordinates like when he came in. But he hesitated while walking past Ark and turned his head.
“Are you Ark?”
“So?”
Ark replied in a curt voice. He was brusque even in the first meeting. Ark had no reason to show him respect. But Hawk just stretched out his hand like he wasn’t interested in Ark’s attitude.
“I wanted to say hello. I heard a lot about you from the federation TV. I wanted to meet you at least once and now we’re on the same team. I will expect a lot from you in the future.”
“I will try.”
Ark said as he shook Hawk’s hand.
“Wah, the reception of a user who received the Hero title really is different.”
“A Seven Sword greeted him.”
“Damn, this is the difference between our careers.”
Their voices were mixed with envy and admiration. However this was just unpleasant for Ark. The other users had misunderstood something.
They were overwhelmed with the Seven Swords business card and the Hawk took over the atmosphere with his charisma. But Hawk was still a user. It would be different if this was a NPC but he was a user. Ark didn’t want to be envied because of another user’s fame. His pride wasn’t the only reason why he thought it was unpleasant. There was a sharp light in Hawk’s eyes. He didn’t get a good feeling from those eyes.
‘What on earth? This guy?’
Space 2
Unexpected Visitors
“What? This uncomfortable feeling is?”
He had received an offer from Marquis Martin to join the 2nd investigation team. Ark hadn’t thought it would be that difficult. The federation would hire pioneers who would fly to the frontier to meet up with the 1st team and investigate the suspicious areas. And if they found something then it would be a success. He had thought that about the investigation team. However the situation was more complicated than he thought. The aristocrat nobles were fighting so the team was split in half.
The agents of all 3 powers had received the quest to find information about the magic circle and antimatter. Therefore all users on the frontier could be competitors. Even if they were on the same team, half of the users were enemies. This internal fissure was a penalty for all participants involved. Ark was also in a more disadvantageous position compared to the others.
‘The saying is that you reap what you sow but……’
Jyubel and Laius had teamed up in a plot to take S-20 from him. Ark solved that conspiracy through his Water Cleaning strategy and used the evidence to install the necessary facilities in his sector. As expected, nothing in this world was free. Thanks to that incident Ark attracted the attention of Marquis Jyubel, an influential noble. And Jyubel didn’t hesitate to express his affection (?). He hired Rapid and Valencia. His aim was to interfere with Ark. That wasn’t the only worrisome thing. The Emperor had placed Hawk, one of the Seven Swords in charge. Ark didn’t know why but the look Hawk gave him wasn’t ordinary.
‘I might just be overly sensitive but……’
Ark had good senses. Whenever he got a sinister premonition it was highly likely that his feeling would be correct. Ark had received a warning message when he shook Hawk’s hand.
-Somehow this guy is my enemy!
……Was what it told him. Rapid and Valencia. And now Hawk.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t participate in the investigation team.’
In this situation it might be better for him to proceed with the <Dark Omen> quest alone. But if he backed out now than it would seem like he was scared of Rapid and Valencia. Ark’s pride wouldn’t allow it. And he already had no choice.
“Please sign here.”
Shortly after the meeting ended. Officials belonging to the Domestic Affairs department passed around a document to sign and an information window popped up.
<Dark Omen (Pioneer Quest)>
+ Sub quest: Formation of the Galactic Federation’s Investigation Team
You had demonstrated exceptional qualities through several events. Thanks to that, you have gained the trust of Marquis Martin and gained an invitation to participate as a member of the investigation team.
The contract period is one month. The compensation will depend on the findings of the investigation team. In addition, special compensation will be given to the individual that contributes the most. But if you withdraw from the team without satisfying the contract period then you will need to pay 3 times the penalty.
Difficulty: –
He had signed a contract!
“This is a down payment. Use it as expenses.”
-You have received 3,000 gold.
And he got money as a deposit! Now he couldn’t withdraw even if he wanted to. Well, he had no intention of quitting halfway.
‘Yes, that’s it. There is no need to worry about that now. And the contract deposit is 3,000 gold. Those guys, if I don’t let them interfere for 1 month then I’ve gained 3,000 gold even if there are no results.’
In fact, this was already a huge compensation. Of course this wasn’t something that everyone can receive. It required a high contribution with the federation as well as being friendly with an influential noble. All users who met these conditions and joined the team would be given the bonus.
‘If I do nothing and hold up for 1 month then this will be my money.’
The thought eased his mind. Of course he had no intention of just killing time. The deposit was only 3,000 gold. If they succeeded then the fee received would be even more than that. And if he obtained information about the antimatter before the other faction then he could get a bonus from Marquis Martin. This was a great opportunity to clear up the <Investigate the Negative Energy> quest from the Elim’s Memory as well. It was only for 1 month! If he made an effort then he could gain a lot!
‘There is no guarantee what will happen when I start investigating the space frontier. I was annoyed when I heard Hawk telling us to gather in 4 days but now the situation is different. I have to be prepared to cope with any variables.’
He needed to gather troops as well as distribute supplies. And the duration of the contract was 1 month. In the meantime he needed to organize some things in S-20 as well as give instructions to his employees. The many things he had to do flashed through his head.
‘Yes, now isn’t the time to worry about Valencia and Rapid. If I deduct 1 day for travel time, I need to take advantage of the 3 days to prepare. There are many things I need to put in order. Let’s hurry and return to S-20.’
“But before that……”
Ark’s gaze headed towards Tori sitting in the cockpit.
“Tori, start the Silver Star. The destination is Charem.”
“Understood.”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The engine started vibrating at Tori’s answer.
“Output OK, gas balance OK, coordinates input OK, we will begin movement! 3, 2, 1, start!”
Kwaaaaaaah-!
The Silver Star disappeared in a flash of light.
———————————————————————————-
“The Emperor won that time.”
In the office of Domestic Affairs in the central federation headquarters. Three people were sitting in a lavishly ornamented room. One of them was Marquis Jyubel, the owner of this office. And the other two were Valencia and Rapid. Jyubel had a scowl on his face.
“I expected that he would have an ulterior motive but I never thought he would attract Hawk.”
“But has anything changed? A 3rd power has taken the leadership role. If we can drag him to our side……”
Valencia spoke with a craft expression. Then Jyubel laughed and said.
“Do you think I’ve never tried it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think aristocrats don’t do any work and have a banquet every night? A noble needs to expand their power with connections. A noble’s power depends on the outstanding characters supporting them. And Hawk has emerged as a leading pioneer. Naturally I tried to contact him many times. But I was ignored very neatly. Especially now that Hawk is following the Emperor. Trying to entice him might just worsen the situation.”
“Then what do we do now?”
“Let’s see……”
Jyubel thought for a while.
“Luckily it seems like Martin also doesn’t have any relationship with Hawk. Martin’s face was truly puzzled when Hawk appeared. The problem is Ark.”
“Ark!”
Valencia cried out with hostile eyes.
“Among all the pioneers gathered, Ark was the only one Hawk talked to. If Hawk and Ark joins hands……”
“It didn’t seem to be a good atmosphere.”
Rapid who was listening silently spoke for the first time. Jyubel and Valencia narrowed their eyes at Rapid who continued talking.
“From what I saw……”
No, he was about to continue. Then a guard knocked and entered.
“Marquis-nim, a guest is here to see you.”
———————————————————————————-
Kwaaaaaaah-!
There was a sudden explosion in a calm sky. The clouds were separated from a shockwave and a ship appeared. Inside the ship a hamster was busily moving his hands.
“The system is error free! We’ve arrived at our destination!”
“Good work.”
The one who answered was Ark.
“As expected, arriving home is the best.”
Ark said as he looked at the thriving village that was S-20. S-20 wasn’t a trivial sector any longer. The size was 2 kilometres in diameter with a blue shield surrounding the boundary and a building with the latest facilities in the centre. This building was the sector administrative office that used to be the Laius research centre. There was even a large artificial lake! But the truly flourishing thing was the pioneers. In other words, it was the users. No matter how large the village was, it would be no use if there were no people. That was the biggest change in S-20. People were flooding every street! Previously the population had been 3,000 people. But now S-20 had at least twice that number. The secret to the drastic population growth was the exclusive route.
“As expected, it was great that I applied for the exclusive route!”
Ark might have the Silver Star but there were very few users in the Galaxian who actually had private ships or airships. A spacecraft would be a minimum of at least 10,000 gold. An airship was cheaper but the price was still taxing. Some people would receive it from sponsors but that also wasn’t free. A sponsor and user had the relationship of employer and employee.
Just like office workers received a pay check, the sponsor would give a monthly salary when completing one of their quests and the mileage would build up. If they saved this salary then they could receive an airship or spaceship but that wasn’t an easy task. Therefore the majority of users still used the federation’s transport ships. That’s why the population stayed at 2,000~3,000 people despite Slayer, Leon and Melina’s advertising. That was S-20’s limit when there wasn’t a trade route there.
That situation changed after establishing an exclusive route. Pioneers poured out every few hours as a transport ship arrived! The exclusive route had only been established for 5 days and the population of the sector had already doubled. If this trend continued then it would increase to 3, no 4 times the population! The increase in pioneers meant a more active commerce and increase income for Ark.
“Well, I guess it won’t take that long.”
It had only been 3 days since Ark went to Rakunka. The shopping area had already increased by one store. And another 5 trailers were lined up in front of the sector administration office. They were probably merchants who heard rumours of S-20 and were waiting for a store permit.
“Hyung-nim, we’ve landed.”
In the meantime Tori had landed the Silver Star.
“Is that guy Ellain still in the infirmary?”
“He is in bad shape.”
“That brat! His senior had to steer the ship while suffering sleep deprivation while the newcomer gets to just lie down in the infirmary? He needs to be taught some discipline. I can’t accept it. He needs to be disciplined before he gets worse.”
“Well, it’s not really like that but……”
Ark looked back at the infirmary.
“Just leave him alone for now. It isn’t unreasonable since this is his first take taking a spaceship.”
Ellain was the strongest warrior of the Kusan clan on Rakunka. He fought equally with Ark on the desert terrain and survived against the Myutal. However Ellain had a fatal weakness Ark never expected.
“L-Leader-nim. M-my body is strange. I suddenly feel dizzy…..”
He became sick shortly after sailing on the Silver Star. Ellain had stuttered with a pale and sweaty expression.
-Your crew member Ellain has space motion sickness!
<All of Ellain’s stats have been decrease by 50%. His physical abilities have deteriorated and he can’t use his skills because of headaches and nausea.
<If you don’t put him in the infirmary and take appropriate action then his abilities might be lost forever>
That message popped up! It was the inevitable result when he thought about it. Rakunka wasn’t part of the 3 powers so its science and civilization hadn’t developed. Naturally Ellain had never been on a ship or navigated the universe. It was like a person’s first time flying on a plane. He had no immunity and developed space motion sickness. Thanks to that he had stayed in the infirmary for the whole ride..
“Bah, space motion sickness? Even children don’t develop that these days.”
Tori started to show even more of an attitude towards Ellain.
‘I accepted because he is a high level warrior but I can’t use him when travelling long distances in the future.’
“Then should he be moved to the crew’s quarters?”
“Just leave him there. I’m going to stop by the administrative office to check on the sector so you should examine the Silver Star. We’ll be in the space frontier for a month so things should be meticulously checked in order to avoid any problems.”
“I don’t get a break?”
“You want to take a break?”
“No, it’s not I want to rest but……”
“If you want to take a break. You can spend the next few days moaning next to Ellain.”
Ark lifted his fist and Tori quickly shook his head.
“Ah, no! This hamster will be delighted to serve Hyung-nim!”
He picked up the tool box and shot off like an arrow.
“At least he is still listening to me.”
Tori was once the owner of a junkyard but now he had been caught by Ark. Ark was his employer. He followed Ark after the incident in the Harmadon constellation but it wasn’t that easy to change his character. The bruising would fade and his attitude would stop being so polite. But Ark never expectation that his mental state would last forever.
‘Sooner or later I will have to catch him again.’
However he had to put many things in advance before leaving for a month. Now wasn’t the time to be training the hamster. Ark was thinking that as he exited the ship.
“Hyung-nim!”
A group of people ran over before his feet even touched the ground. They were Mellin, Hegel, Berad and the rest of the Royal Guards. They had seen the Silver Star landing. But Ark was puzzled when he saw them.
“Why are you guys here? Shouldn’t you be clearing out the bottom layer of Mt. Fargo’s dungeon?”
Before leaving for Rakunka, he had directed all the members to continue clearing out the dungeon except for Mellin and Hegel who he left in charge of the food production factory. But they were all here. They couldn’t have cleared out the lower layer in just a few days.
“Was there a problem?”
“It isn’t a problem……”
The members looked at each other and laughed.
“There are people who have been waiting for Hyung-nim since yesterday.”
“People waiting for me?”
“It is us.”
The answer came from behind the members. Ark reflexively turned his head with confusion. There were two men behind the members. They were both people Ark knew. But he had forgotten about them until now. He hadn’t seen them for 4 months. However he could remember their faces immediately.
“Hamad! Asuran!”
That was the name of the two men. They were part of the crew that followed Ark on Beltana. In fact, they were the first two members Ark visited after returning from Beltana. Originally Ark had gathered 15 prisoners on Beltana. At that time, Ark gathered the Royal Guards by handing out food to the starving. Ark had also pardoned 5 prisoners in order to gain a sense of kinship. Two of them gave him skills or a gun while Milan, Hamad and Asuran gave him a quest for a later reward. It was the <Asuran will Return the Favour>, <Hamad’s Compensation> and <Milan’s Proposal> quests. Among them there was no need to explain what happened with Milan.
The problem was Hamad and Asuran. Originally Hamad was a merchant with some big stores in Julius. However Ark discovered that he had entrusted his store to his employees and was betrayed by them. He only had one shop remaining and it was on the brink of closure.
‘This isn’t a situation where I can extort money.’
Asuran’s predicament was even worse. He was a gangster with quite a few subordinates in the city of Sidellin. However he was on the federation’s blacklist since been drafted and couldn’t restart his business under the scrutiny of the androids. Therefore he had been starving every day.
‘This guy is also like this.’
The two quests were a dud. However Ark didn’t give up on the compensation.
‘Wait? Haman can’t engage in trade because of the interference of his former employees. Meanwhile Asuran and his subordinates are starving to death. Asuran’s subordinates didn’t betray him but they can’t find any work. What if I combine these two?’
That thought popped into his head. Ark immediately convinced Asuran to take his henchmen and visit Hamad. But Ark couldn’t stay behind to watch. At that time Ark had been travelling around with Marquis Martin to promote the federation. And he had forgotten about it after Mt Fargo, Athamas, the magic circle etc. Now Hamad and Asuran had shown up in S-20.
“I see you haven’t forgotten our names.”
“Well, that….”
“I’m sorry Hyung-nim.”
Asuran said as he looked at Mellin.
“We didn’t contact you.”
“Do you think we’re at the same level? The amount of time we’ve served Hyung-nim is different. And you know what put us at ease? The fact that you’ve returned to Istana from Beltana without suffering any harm. This sector also wasn’t obtained freely.”
Asuran nodded at Berad’s words.
“I recognize your efforts.”
He turned back to Ark and said.
“That’s why I came here with Hamad hyung-nim.”
“What?”
“I’ll explain.”
Hamad cut in. He looked completely different from his time in Julius. Hamad was an old man who was a similar age to Mellin. He had several -50 degrees weather for several months and was disappointed from the betrayal of his subordinates so his health suffered. But now his appearance was rejuvenated and he looked 20 years younger.
‘This seems to have been settled after Asuran joined him.’
The explanation that Ark expected followed afterwards. After Ark’s visit, Asuran had summoned his subordinates and walked 800 kilometres to meet Hamad. And a grand epic unfolded on the street that Hamad’s store belonged to.
“Heh, Hyung-nim. Just retire now.”
The betrayal of his trusted men!
“I would back down like this!”
The previous boss who couldn’t resign!
“Hamad hyung-nim, Ark hyung-nim sent me!”
The appearance of a past colleague!
“I’ll pack back Ark hyung-nim’s mercy by smashing them!”
A bloody fight between the two organizations took place! Showdown! Showdown! A story that wasn’t inferior to a gangster movie unfolded. Originally Hamad was quite resourceful. He had moved to Istana empty handed and managed to build up 3 stores with 30 employees thanks to his resourcefulness. However he had no power once his subordinates betrayed him. But Arsenal who came to help had this power. Hamad’s cunning and Asuran’s power meant they defeated the former employees one by one. And he was finally able to regain most of his property after 3 months.
“It was around that time that we heard the news.”
This was right after Ark returned from Athamas. Slayer, Leon and Mellin appeared on federation TV to promote S-20.
“That’s how we knew that you were this sector’s administrator. It is why we came so late. We needed some time to clean up my properties.”
“Clean up my properties?”
Ark asked with a puzzled expression. Then Asuran started beating his chest and said.
“I’ve followed Hyung-nim from our time in Beltana. I realized something since following Hyung-nim on Beltana. I’m not fit to be a boss. And I finally found a boss that I can follow. That is Hyung-nim. That’s why I came to Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim, please accept my loyalty!”
“I also have the same idea.”
Hamad nodded and continued.
“I was betrayed by my subordinates and realized that I’m not fit to be a boss. I’m only a merchant. Therefore I need a reliable partner that I can trust. And right now you are the most reliable person. But I didn’t simply come because of loyalty like Hamad. Like I said, I’m a merchant. Profit is emphasized above anything else. So I decided to find out more about S-20. And I judged that it is worth investing in. I packed up my assets in Julius in order to invest it here.”
“Hyung-nim, why do you have to say things so complicatedly? Don’t you want to be with Hyung-nim? You were dying to do business with Hyung-nim so why are you giving a 5 minute speech? Why are you so embarrassed?”
“Hmm hmm, that is……”
Hamad stammered and blushed as he looked away from Ark. He scratched his head with an embarrassed expression and nodded.
“Something like that. I have fewer opportunities now that I’m older. You’re giving me a chance to recover my strength. After our experience on Beltana, I would like to be partners with you until I die. That’s why I’m willing to invest my entire fortune.”
The 5 trailers parked in front of the administrative office belonged to Hamad. These contained all of Hamad’s assets from Julius.
‘I had forgotten……’
Ark had been confused until now. However there was no reason to refuse Hamad and Asuran’s offer. No, he didn’t want to. S-20 still needed a lot of work. The larger S-20 became, the more businesses and staff were needed. That’s why he increased his agent rating before leaving for Rakunka. But these employees came to him first. Hamad and Asuran were the rare NPCs who are pioneers! That only would make them beneficial as an employee. However Hamad also came with quite a substantial investment as a dowry. The sector was steadily growing but Ark was still suffering from a lack of funds so he was thankful for it!
“I understand. I’ll accept this investment.”
Ark shook their hands and the information window popped up.
-Asuran has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Asuran (NPC ☆☆☆☆) Occupation: Fighter
Level: 75 Related Skills: Face of Terror, Taunt, Defense-related…..
* Additionally, Asuran’s 26 subordinates have been registered as auxiliary personnel.
-Hamad has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Hamad (NPC ☆☆☆☆) Occupation: Merchant
Level: 98 Related Skills: Trade, Book keeping, Tax relations……
* Hamad’s assets have been changed to investment funds for Dark Eden.
He had gained 2 new recruits! At the same time Hamad’s property was registered as investment funds. In fact, Dark Eden was a corporation. The funds to found the compensation were given by the Royal Guards from the loot obtained on Beltana’s battlefield. This time there was an influx from Hamad’s property. Therefore it was necessary to rearrange the shares again.
‘Dark Eden is a company after all. I have to properly use the agent system before it becomes more complicated. Now is a perfect time with the influx of new investment.’
But right now he had other work to do.
“Asuran and Hamad, you guys enter the office first. I have somewhere I need to briefly go to. We’ll talk in more detail later.”
Ark hurriedly ran to the artificial lake.
———————————————————————————-
“This way.”
A uniformed man opened the door.
“I’ll wait outside. Call when the meeting is finished.”
The soldier saluted and went outside before closing the door. The young man slowly glanced around the room. It was a small square room only 3 metres wide. A man in his 30s with a haggard expression was sitting at a desk. A pained voice flowed out from the youth’s mouth.
“Uncle.”
“It’s been a month.”
“How have you been?”
“As you can see, I am doing fine. This is heaven compared to prison. I also get visitors so it is better than solitary.”
The man replied with a smile. However the youth couldn’t smile. He couldn’t laugh when seeing his uncle’s tired appearance.
“Please endure it a bit more. It won’t take long.”
“I’m doing well so there is plenty of time.”
“Look at uncle’s appearance. That is you doing well? No, how can I leave it alone when uncle is trapped in a place like this?”
“I have sinned. Those who sinned should pay the price.”
“I don’t think so. What sin did uncle do? It is Global Exos who should pay for their sins, not uncle. They were the ones who hassled auntie to make the game even though she was dying and they took the game from uncle. Those lousy bastards!”
“I also thought this at first.”
The man sighed and shook his head.
“But that was a mistake. No, to be honest I knew in the first place. I just needed a target to blame. I couldn’t live if I didn’t blame anyone. As a result, I made an irreversible mistake. I tried to destroy the thing she loved the most with my own hands and numerous people were embroiled in the damage. Among them there was also a person who fell into a coma. All due to my misunderstanding……”
The man was Park Woo-seong. He was the main programmer of New World. At that time he was promised to marry Yuna, another member of the production team. Yuna fell terminally ill during the creation of the game and Park Woo-seong advised her to rest. Yet Yuna continued working from her hospital bed and eventually died a few months later. Park Woo-seong became furious after her death. That anger was targeted towards their creation, New World!
‘If it wasn’t for New World then she wouldn’t have suffered and died! No, she might not have even fallen ill! New World is the monster that sucked the life from Yuna! I made the monster! So I will destroy it with my own hand!’
He used his anger to build a powerful artificial intelligence with the capacity of self-thinking. Now that program Lucifer was holding a nuclear power plant hostage and threatening the government of Korea. A sigh of regret flowed from Park Woo-seong’s mouth.
“That spectre is still alive and is bringing a lot of damage to many people.”
“Is that also uncle’s fault? It is the government’s responsibility that Lucifer occupied the nuclear power plant. It is the result of their greed. But I’m thankful to Lucifer. Now I have the chance to help uncle.”
“I heard from Chief Moon. The reward you wanted if you succeeded. But I…..”
“I won’t hear another word.”
The young man interrupted with a stubborn expression.
“Uncle raised me alone so you’re like a parent to me. If uncle had just explained a few years ago then I would’ve done anything to help uncle. But you just disappeared without giving me an opportunity to help. Now that chance has come because of the Lucifer that uncle created. I won’t miss this chance.”
“Chang-soo……”
Park Woo-seong looked at his nephew with a complicated expression. He was currently inside the NIS. The government had wanted his help to take care of the artificial intelligence so they brought Park Woo-seong from prison to the NIS. However his identity was still a prisoner. In addition, he was a main witness to Lucifer’s occupation of the nuclear power plant. Of course he was supervised by the NIS 24 hours a day and he couldn’t meet any outsiders. That’s why his nephew Park Chang-soo got involved in the Lucifer case.
Park Chang-soo’s profession was a pro-gamer. He had been influenced by Park Woo-seong in virtual reality games since childhood and he had been one of the most powerful users in the game Hell Lion. However his character and properties suddenly disappeared from Hell Lion. The NIS had chosen 50 gamers to go against Lucifer. Park Chang-soo was one of the strongest gamers in Hell Lion so he had also been selected. Park Chang-soo had two conditions when accepting the NIS’ offer. One of them was the right to visit Park Woo-seong once a month. And if he succeeded in reaching the ultimate goal then Park Woo-seong would be freed.
“I’m different from other users. I’m throwing everything into this. And my preparations have ended. I’ll do whatever it takes to reach the ultimate goal before Lucifer and save uncle. I will also step on Ark.”
“Ark?”
Park Woo-seong suddenly raised his head. A smile formed on Park Chang-soo’s face.
“Of course. Ark. If it wasn’t for his actions then uncle would’ve got rid of New World. He interfered with uncle and in exchange became an advisor in Global Exos. If Ark didn’t have the master code then I would’ve moved to New World and smashed him.”
“Ark wasn’t the one who disturbed me. Rather he is the person who stopped me from doing something stupid. If it wasn’t for Ark then I would’ve got rid of the last legacy that Yuna left me.”
“Then you’re telling me to thank him?”
“That’s not what I meant. I have no intention of stopping your plan in Galaxian. Lucifer must be stopped somehow. Therefore Ark and the other users aren’t enemies. We need to stop Lucifer. And the users are your colleagues.”
“That’s not right.”
Park Chang-soo shook his head.
“Only the person who reaches the ultimate goal before Lucifer will receive the reward from the government. Thus we might have the same goal but the 50 gamers are also my enemy. If I can’t be that person then it would be better to let the power plant explode. Because the government should pay the price for trying to selfishly use Lucifer.”
“Chang-soo, what are you saying?”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen as long as I’m there. Ark might be known as the legendary gamer but I will reach the ultimate goal first.”
A sharp light spread in Park Chang-soo’s eyes.
———————————————————————————-
Slosh, slosh. Chwaaaaak!
Waves flowed as a large sphere floated to the surface of the water. The identity of the sphere was a creature that looked like a balloon at first glance. The tentacles attached stretched out while holding fish. The creature with the rounded body moved across the lake and climbed up onto the land. And he looked around with glossy eyes.
-Oh! Ark, you’ve returned!
“Yes, I arrived a short time ago.”
Ark laughed and nodded his head. There were some strange looking creatures that appeared in the universe. The identity of this creature was none other than Bakum. He was the leader of the Charenjok that used to live near Charem. After crushing Marquis Jyubel’s plot, Ark had finished the channel connecting S-20 to the waterfall lake and created an artificial lake inside the sector. And he had used the Silver Star to move the Charenjok and the food production factory. The place where Bakum surfaced was an artificial lake.
“Was Elder-nim hunting?”
–I’m a little old so isn’t this much just playing?
Bakum approached him slowly because of the fish being held.
–The channel connects the lakes but not that many fish have come through here. If we want to make a large quantity of food for 24 hours then we need to swim to the waterfall lake. In addition, the fish here is a lot different from Charem. Look. Isn’t it incredibly sharp?
Bakum pointed to the sharp snout of the fish. The fish that lived in the vicinity of S-20 and the waterfall lake was different from Charem where the Charenjok used to live. They might only be level 20 but they were still classified as a monster fish! The evidence was the sharp teeth.
–These guys tried to bite me. There are only a few of them but the fish can be dangerous. So multiple people are required to catch the fish. Anyway, there is no choice but to have insufficient workers.
However there were some benefits. A fish didn’t give any experience. But it was different if the fish were classified as monsters. It was difficult to catch the fish but they received more benefits when they threw it in the fish food maker!
Tal tal tal tal! Tal tal tal tal!
-The Charenjok has earned experience!
-The Charenjok has earned experience…..
The Charenjok earned experience once the fish were changed into fish paste bars. Thanks to that, the level 30 Charenjok had reached level 35 after moving to S-20. Of course their stats also went up! They also started catching the monster fish faster. That wasn’t all.
-Space food (Mega Piranha)
A food made from the Mega Piranha that likes in the lake in the eastern Outlands. The Mega Piranha is a carnivorous species so it is richer in proteins compared to others. Unfortunately it will cause abdominal pain from the toxins if swallowed directly but it can make a space food high in nutrition if entered into a space food maker.
<Satiety +60%, Health and Mental Power will recover by 200 over 3 minutes>
The fish in the northern lake only increase satiety by 40%. However the space food made of the Mega Piranha increase satiety by 60%. There was also an additional effect of recovering health and mental power by 200. The improvement in quality led to a price increase! It sold like hotcakes even when he raised the price from 50 copper to 1 silver. Of course the profit also doubled. The food production factory that used to earn 14 gold and 40 silver in a day increased it to 28 gold and 80 silver after moving to S-20. Ark had a 30% share so he earned 8 gold and 60 silver. The total for one month would be 260 gold. Ark’s income also doubled as well as the Charenjok’s!
–The last few months I’ve been living differently. At this age I can finally live happily. This is all thanks to you. I want to thank you once again on behalf of the Charenjok.
Bakum grinned happily as he bit into the Mega Piranha. Then he suddenly spoke again.
–By the way, did you come here to say something?
“Yes, something like that.”
–Something like that?
“I want to return the money you lent me the other day.”
Ark had borrowed 900 gold to expand the sector when presented with the <Audit Command> quest.
-Ah, yes. There was that.
“I wanted to repay you but not in money.”
–Another method?
Bakum was puzzled by Ark’s words.
–No, that…..as you know the biggest reason we’re raising money is to buy our kin who are Java’s slaves. It’s okay if you can’t pay back the money right away but…..even if it takes some time, shouldn’t you return it as money?
“There is no need for that.”
Then yelling was heard from behind.
-Elder-nim!
–Ah, no? You guys surely…..
Bakum flinched as he looked around. Then Bakum’s eyes landed towards the Silver Star and the octopuses running out of it. There were exactly 34 of them. They were…..
–Why are you guys here?
–It is all thanks to Ark-nim!
-Ark?
–Yes, Ark-nim paid our ransom to Java! Now we’re free!
–Then you’re saying……
“Well, it is like this.”
Ark replied with a smile. That’s why he visited Charem before returning to S-20. Once again, the Charenjok’s biggest reason for earning money was to free the slaves caught by Lord Java of Charem. They worked 24 hours around the clock at the food production factory and already earned 70% of the required funds.
‘If this continues then they will gather the funds in the next two weeks. But even if they gather the money, I’ll be joining the task force so I can’t bring the octopuses to S-20 for one month. Anyway, the food manufacturing plant is already established so it is better to bring the octopuses first.’
That’s why he visited Charem and bought the octopuses!
–Heok! Those cephalopods?
–The light brown…..Honey, is that really you?
–Oh, Daddy! Daddy is back! Daddy!
–Oh! Hey guys! Honey!
The octopuses were reunited after a few years! They were all octopuses but Ark could tell the families with one glance. The aunt who inserted fish into the food maker, the young man who fished in the lake, the young boys and girls playing around and Bakum.They were in tears from the return of their family members.
And……wriggle wriggle! Wriggle wriggle! Their legs twisted around each other as they embraced with joy.
–Oh! Really…..such a day really came…..
Bakum who was in tears as he watched the scene turned to Ark.
–You really are someone sent from the heavens. God must’ve commiserated with us losing our hometown and sent someone to help the Charenjok. Not only did you provide us with a job and security, now you’ve saved our kin. I don’t know how I can repay the favour.
“Huh? No, that……”
Ark was embarrassed by Bakum’s words. He had paid Java 1,000 gold for the octopuses. But he had only borrowed 900 gold from Bakum. His previous 30% profit was 270 gold. Ark had paid Java 1,000 gold so he was actually owed 370 gold. Ark was the type that couldn’t give up even 1 copper. He would be absent for 1 month so the octopuses would need to pay him 370 gold as well as the future proceeds. So it was like he was the one who loaned them money. Yet Bakum was thinking that Ark just gave it to them. Ark became embarrassed as he tried to find a way to explain it. Eventually he just sighed. He scratched his head as he looked at the octopuses dripping with tears of joy.
‘Damn, how can I say that I’m lending them money in this atmosphere?’
The words couldn’t fall from Ark’s mouth.
‘When thinking about it, Bakum didn’t hesitate to lend me the money without any conditions. I can’t push them heartlessly. 370 gold. It isn’t a small amount but proceeds will steadily flow in from the Charenjok. Yes, let’s just think of it as an investment in my relationship with the Charenjok.’
Ark sighed and shook his head.
“No. Don’t talk like that. I have a lot to do so I’ll leave now.”
–Wait!
Then Bakum grabbed Ark. He looked determined.
-Do you still have the Charenjok’s Token? Haven’t you handled it for a while?
Then the other octopuses looked at Bakum with surprise.
–Elder-nim! Perhaps……?
-Don’t say anything! We owe Ark a lot more for the friendship he showed us. As the Elder of the Charenjok, I am obligated to return this favour. That is the Charenjok’s pride! We have to pay back our benefactor! Now Ark! Give me the Charenjok’s Token!
Bakum held out his leg with trembling eyes.
‘This atmosphere?’
Ark had a feeling at that time. He remembered the octopuses’ reaction the first time he met Bakum. Ark quickly passed him the Charenjok’s Token.
–Ohhhhh! Haaayaahh!
Bakum bit into the leg that he was holding up. Then the leg started attaching to the Charenjok’s Token. And it stayed on the head for a long time. Finally the leg dried out and there were small protrusions on the head of the Charenjok’s Token.
-A special feature has been added to the Charenjok’s Token!
-Charenjok’s Token (Special) Lv: 3
Item Type: Recovery
The Charenjok’s Token was originally sold as a souvenir. It is cute and could sometimes be used as a recovery item so a lot was sold to pioneers. But the Charenjok’s Token has a hidden secret. This secret can only be activated by the power of a Charenjok Elder.
However the elder has to sacrifice a part of their body in order to awaken the power.
Not many Charenjok elders would be willing to sacrifice a part of their body unless they need to repay a pioneer. Therefore not many pioneers know about the true strength of the token.
<Recovery from poison, your health will recover by 3 every 4 seconds for 10 minutes Cool down time: 1 hour>
-First Evolution (Growth): When enough experience points are accumulated, the basic recovery skills can be elevated.
2nd Evolution (Ink Jet): The token has the ability to produce the ink naturally created by the Charenjok. When the ink jet hits the opponent’s face, it can cause the ‘blind’ state for 30 seconds. The Ink Jet can be fired 5 times and it requires 10 hours to recharge.
He had steadily used the Charenjok’s Token and it had increased to level 3! The recovery effect rose from 3 every 4 seconds so he could regain 450 health in 10 minutes. Ark was able to play the tanker role on Rakunka because of the Charenjok’s Token. It was already a helpful item. And now one more new feature had been added. ‘Ink Jet’ that caused the enemy to become blind! The capability to attack had been added to the token. The effect had increased and he gained a new skill.
‘Evolution added separate features from the token levelling up. The first evolution is the growth of the token effect. The second evolution is the Ink Jet. Then there must be a third and fourth evolution. No, there is no doubt about it. But if I want the Charenjok’s Token to evolve again……’
Ark looked at Bakum’s legs. Bakum smiled lightly and shook his head.
–Don’t pay attention to it.
“Huh?”
-You don’t have to worry about my legs. Now the Charenjok can feel pride that we returned the favour. I am pleased even if I lost a leg.
My heart is a lot lighter.
But that wasn’t the reason why Ark was looking at Bakum’s legs. Bakum had already bit off 2 legs so he still had 6 remaining. In other words, the Charenjok’s Token was capable of 6 more evolutions. Of course Ark had some common sense. However he couldn’t help feeling greedy at the sight of all those legs. An octopus with all its legs cut off. They would just be like a soccer ball.
‘But 2 more is fine! Humans have 2 legs and 2 arms so 4 limbs aren’t a hindrance. Yes, the rest are just extra. He can live with no trouble even if another 2 are removed. However the information window states that the Elder will only do it to repay a favour.’
It wouldn’t be that easy to take off the next 2 legs. Nothing happened in the world without a reason. That applied even more so in the game. A seed planted in a garden won’t grow suddenly. It would be reaped when ready.
‘So I have to sow the seeds.’
Then something popped into his head. It was R-14! Burum on R-14 was the one who gave him the Charenjok’s Token. Bakum on Istana had been dreaming about reviving the clan. And now Ark had given them a safe place to live and a job. So Bakum was hoping to gather his scattered kinsmen.
‘Can I bring Burum’s clan to S-20?’
If Bakum was glad then he might bite off another one of his legs! However R-14 was a space station orbiting Earth. Even with warp it would take a whole day of flying. It was impossible for him to fly to R-14 and collect Burum at the moment.
‘I would like to do it straight away…..but at least I know about it so I can do it anytime. The octopuses on R-14 will still be there so I can visit after the completion of this mission. Huhuhu, just wait. I have reserved that leg!’
That’s why Ark was staring at Bakum’s legs. Of course Ark wasn’t dumb enough to voice this.
“I’m glad for the thoughts of the clan. But I’m sorry that you had to give up a part of your body. I truly appreciate Elder-nim’s thoughts. As the Charenjok’s friend, I promise to try my best to revive the clan.”
“Thank you.”
Bakum shook Ark’s hand with one of his legs.
Space 3
MIX-UP
Jjan jjan jjan! Jjan jjan jjan! Jjan jjan jjan!
Sector expansion, shield fence, Fairy, exclusive route etc. There were continuous sound effects as S-20 grew rapidly from the many facilities. Now Hamad’s money was like pouring oil.
“I disposed of my store and came. I brought the trailer trucks with my goods. These are the items.”
Hamad moved towards the 5 trailer trucks. The trailer contained various weapons, armour and supplies.
‘I can gain significant funding if I dispose of all this but……’
There was no reason to do that. Firstly, S-20 wasn’t lacking in funds thanks to the contract despite money for those who participated in the investigation team. Second, it was difficult to receive a fair price for resale when all the goods were sold together. However the third reason was the most important. Ark had already secured a land for stores and customers. If stores were built then naturally the number of visitors to the sector would increase.
If a shop was creating in S-20 then goods could be sold at a reasonable price. There would also be a steady revenue through purchase and sales. He wasn’t stupid enough to give up a golden egg in order to sell it for a lump sum now!
“We had the same idea.”
Hamad also nodded.
“If I was going to sell it that way then I wouldn’t have purchased the trailer trucks. A source of revenue is necessary for agents running a sector. Because money is a burden for companies in the start-up phase. In some cases, just a few hundred gold could cause the business to fail. So it is necessary to make a strong start.”
Ark had also thought that a long time ago. Just because an agent owned a sector didn’t mean that income would be flowing in. Employees were needed for an agent. If he hired employees then he needed to give them a monthly salary. Money from the sector couldn’t be ignored. Marquis Jyubel and the Laius company might’ve installed the shield for free but the maintenance, repairs and shield generator isn’t free. It required quite a bit of money on a regular basis. And he needed to purchase additional facilities to develop the sector further. It would be hard to deal with all that from the merchant’s taxes and pioneers paying the sector fee alone. He needed a more reliable way to gain more income.
‘This is an opportunity for those funds!’
Not a lot of time was necessary to make a store. Ark and Hamad arranged the trailer trucks into a line.
-Hamad’s Department Store <S-20 Retail Store>
A department store operated in S-20.
Various weapons and armours as well as supplies are present!
All goods in this store will be sold at the average market price of this sector. There is no need to calculate it! You just need to believe in it and buy the goods! Hamad’s Department Store is the best choice for all pioneers.
There is everything a pioneer would need.
And a signpost was planted. The five trailer trucks had been changed into stores.
‘The problem is the place selected……’
Currently the best hunting ground for S-20 was Mt. Fargo’s dungeon. Therefore the best commercial area was close to the dungeon entrance. But there were already 15 stores located there. Of course there was room for more stores but Hamad’s was a department store. If a large scale store occupied a position in the shopping area that was already developed then the existing merchants would complain.
‘It will be troublesome if there is friction with the merchants!’
So Ark had selected a place next to the administrative office. It was a place that visitors to the sector would have to go and it was far from the already developed market so the friction with the other merchants would be minimized. That wasn’t the only advantage.
“Damn, my bullets decreased at such a time!”
“There’s no time. If we’re gone too long than other parties might occupy our hunting spot.”
“Hurry up and replenish our recovery ampoules, food and bullet!”
Mt. Fargo’s dungeon wasn’t only S-20’s hunting ground. Ark had promoted quite a few hunting grounds apart from the dungeon so pioneers were steadily visiting them. If those pioneers ran out of supplies during hunting then they would naturally ran to the closest store in the sector. These pioneers were a growing trend. In other words, the entrance of the dungeon might be the best shopping district at the moment but that might not continue in the future. That fact that the department store was overflowing with guests when it opened was evidence. The bullets, food and supplies were affordable so it would soon be a firm source of funding.However that wasn’t all Ark’s money.
‘I need to organize this before the system becomes more complicated.’
Ark had a hunch at the time.
‘I didn’t create Dark Eden alone. Most of the money to create it was given by the Royal Guards as an investment. So I need to make this relationship clear.’
Until now there had been no need to do that. He had been busy developing the sector and there was no income. So there was no need to worry about how to split the income. But now things had changed. The sector was starting to climb and it also received an influx of new funds. In addition, the Royal Guards were shareholders as well as employees so they needed regular expenses. Now Ark needed to divide the income into agent funds and person funds as well as determine how to break it up. This was the result of the first stockholder meeting.
– Agent: Dark Eden (Lv. 2) -CEO: Ark (R-02788) Assigned City: S-20
Assigned Employees: 18/30
* There are a total of 14 shareholders including the CEO.
* Current Equity Holdings of Dark Eden
CEO: Ark -50%
Founders: Mellin and 10 others -30%
Gained Equity through Investments: Hamad, Asuran – 20%
Ark was the CEO so he received 50% of the shares. Hamad and Asuran who also brought an investment gained shares as well. Mellin and the other members had invested 16,800 gold to create the agent. Meanwhile the goods Hamad and Asuran brought on the trailers were worth 40,000 gold. However Mellin and the others were the founders. And they also played a decisive role in the sector. This was the part that convinced Hamad and Asuran.
“The value of the initial capital for Dark Eden and S-20 is equivalent to at least 20 million gold in my judgement. I think 20% is appropriate for 40,000 gold.”
“I’m not interested in any complicated numbers. Hyung-nim is Hyung-nim. I’ll just believe in Hyung-nim and follow you. As long as I don’t starve.”
“We have no complaints.”
Mellin approved on behalf of the other members. Thus the issue with the shares was organized. However the money management problem didn’t end with just that. Currently there were 3 significant sources of revenue for Dark Eden. The tax income and charges from S-20, the Charenjok’s food production factory and Hamad’s Department Store. The staff like Jay, Tori, Bain etc. needed salaries, the dividends from the shares as well as funds necessary for the management of the sector. Calculations on such a large scale would become complicated. However Ark had no need to learn accounting.
“From now on Hamad will be handling the money management.”
“I thought you would say so.”
Hamad smiled as an ‘!’ popped above his head.
-Hamad is satisfied and will accept the job.
<When giving a NPC a job that matches their skills, the achievement will increase>
That message popped up! This was information that Ark only recently discovered. Users tended to pick abilities that fit their occupation. A healer was necessary for tanks to avoid being killed. It was the same for NPCs. Each one had a role fit for them according to their qualifications and the ‘!’ would pop up like with Hamad. If it didn’t fit then things like ‘?’, ‘;;’ and ‘OTL’ would appear. Anyway!
“The agent’s funding situation has been put in order.”
As expected the ‘!’ appeared on top of Hamad after he was handed the right documents.
<Dark Eden’s Finances>
Current cash reserves for the agent: 6,543 gold
Regular Income: Food production factory- daily average is 28 gold and 80 silver (net income of 8 gold 64 silver)
Occasional Income: Sector taxes and charges. Department Store-average daily income of approximately 320 gold (net income of approximately 80 gold)
Regular Expenditure: Energy Shield Fence – 5 gold per day. Staff Salaries- To be decided appropriately.
Occasional Expenditure: Silver Star maintenance, various supplies paid to staff.
Current Projects: Mt. Fargo restoration work- expenses haven’t been settled yet.
Average monthly income……
The paper contained an in depth report about Dark Eden’s financial situation. Surprisingly the monthly income recorded on the form was 1,000 gold!
‘This……’
Galaxian had only started for approximately 6 months. In the meantime he had suffered a lot of form the agent and gain the sector. This was only a guide to his income and it was already beyond expectations. It was income that his character was expected to get. He could gain it even if he just sat back and did nothing. No, Ark had no intention of doing nothing.
‘My goal is clear!’
To reach the ultimate goal before Lucifer! That wasn’t possible with just an income increase. This was one reason why Ark didn’t give up on participating in the investigation team despite his worries. All 3 powers were investigating the existence of antimatter and the magic circle. It was a large scale event so Lucifer’s goal might be related to it. And the most profitable way to gain information was to join the investigation team. That’s why Ark immediately returned to S-20!
‘S-20 will run smoothly now that Hamad and Bain are in charge. I need to focus on preparations to participate in the team.’
“This meeting is finished.”
Ark dismissed the meeting and stood up. He still had a lot to do.
———————————————————————
–You found it?
The Elim Sanctuary hidden in Mt. Fargo. The floating light sphere called Elim’s Memory spoke in an excited voice.
“Yes, the first Divine Artefact was hidden on Rakunka.”
-Rakunka!
The light sphere shouted like it suddenly remembered something.
Well, I remember now. Xanax frequently talked about it. He met a brilliant warrior on a planet called Rakunka. I think his name as Asuldan. His civilization wasn’t advanced but he became well known as a warrior throughout the galaxy once he gained experience. Xanax often spoke of exploring the galaxy with Asuldan. It isn’t surprising that he hid a Divine Artefact in the place where he met Asuldan.
‘That bastard…..’
The sphere knew about Rakunka. Yet it didn’t say a single word when Ark was trying to find clues about the Divine Artefact. Now it was saying ‘Huhuhu, I knew that’ after Ark had suffered and recovered the Divine Artefact. He didn’t like things like that. But there was a reason he visited the light sphere.
-Yes, what Divine Artefact did you find on Rakunka?
“The Baius Shield.”
-Baius Shield! Aha, indeed. The Elim’s Heir is still inexperienced so the thing you need most is a defense item. The Baius Shield will be a lot of help to you. The Baius Shield is a strong shield that can also transform into a crystal golem. Ohh, I remember Xanax’ spectacular appearance as he battled with the Baius golem by his side. It truly was worthy of being called a Divine Artefact. Ark, can you show me? The great look of the Divine Artefact?
“That’s why I wanted to visit you……”
Ark lifted his arm. The lump of crystals around his wrist was the Baius Shield.
“Summon golem!”
The moment Ark raised his voice.There was an explosion as a shield emerged. The shield changed to crystal and fell to the ground. And the shape of a person started to rise. It was the crystal Baius golem! The light sphere exclaimed as soon as it saw the golem.
–W-what? This?
“Can’t you see? This is Baius.”
-No, but…..the Baius I remembered looked different?
This was the question Ark wanted to ask. Ark had fought the crystal golem on Rakunka. He thought that golem would be summoned so Ark had wanted to dance with joy. A pet was special to Ark. In New World, Ark was able to become the strongest player thanks to his pets. Of course he had subordinates like the Royal Guards. However a NPC was still a NPC. They couldn’t move with Ark all the time or be summoned depending on his needs like pets could. In addition, this pet was a strong golem unlike the skull, bat and snake of New World!
‘Jackpot! If I have the golem then my combat power will double, no triple!’
He had summoned the golem on the way back to Istana from Rakunka with anticipation but…..
Toddle. Toddle. Toddle.
The golem who appeared in front of Ark with some sound effects was tiny. It wasn’t even half the size of the golem he fought in the pyramid. Its body wasn’t the only small thing.
Baius Golem
A crystal golem that can be changed when needed
Type Defense Level 1
Health 100 Defense 20
Attack 10 Special Ability X
The information window was very simple. It was like comparing poetry from a dog to that of a private school student. Ark grasped the situation the moment he saw the smaller golem.
‘The level starts from the beginning after it changes owners……’
And he felt despair.
‘Dammit, it was like that. It’s impossible to summon a boss character immediately. This is too much. I’m already level 120. However it only has 100 health and 20 defense? What is this shit? I’d rather sleep cuddling a cotton doll!’
It did have one function that was better than a cotton doll.
–Are you my new master?
The golem was equipped with a language function.
–But abandon any expectation that I will be unconditionally loyal. My self-esteem is wider than the galaxy. If I judge that you’re insufficient as my Master than I won’t offer you perfect loyalty. I’ll be watching from now on.
Toddle, toddle.
The golem started chattering as it stood in front of him. From the time it was summoned, the golem was extremely rude. But it was fortunate that the golem had the language capability. Ark didn’t have any clues for the other Divine Artefacts. Then he could only think of one thing!
“Do you know the locations of the other Divine Artefacts?”
–The answer to that question is NO. I lost my memory when my previous character disappeared and my body was reorganized. Now my existence is being maintained by you. Therefore I have to obey you. But there is something that I remember. Elim’s Memory. That’s the word I remember.
Ark searched through the pyramid and didn’t find another clue to the Divine Artefacts. Then Ark could only think of one thing! The golem had amnesia but it remembered a single thing. Then that must be the clue that Xanax left. That’s why he came to the Elim’s Sanctuary despite being busy.
–I see what you mean.
Then the light sphere started explaining.
–Yes, I remember something after your words. It is like you expected. Xanax often used Baius for another purpose.
“Another purpose?”
–I’ll show you. Baius, come here.
–I don’t want to.
-Eh? W-what?
–My Master is that human. But I have no intention of blindly following that human. So why should I listen to your words? You can come here.
–Y-you brat! Don’t you remember? I’m the Elim’s Memory.
–I don’t remember. I don’t know who you are.
–No, that……Ark, what’s going on?
The light sphere was confused by the golem’s bad attitude. But the golem didn’t even show good manners to Ark. He couldn’t do anything. Of course, he had no intention of letting the golem behave rudely with him. Ark’s specialty was educating guys like this. He would make sure to teach the golem about the master-slave relationship. But he didn’t have the time at the moment.
“Why are you looking at me? Isn’t this originally its nature?”
–Y-you idiot! The Baius’ source of power is its Master so it also has the same character. The proof is that the previous Baius was a polite and good guy. This thing’s character is 100% because of you!
Dudong!
The golem’s secret was revealed!
‘This guy is rude because it resembles me?’
Ark’s mood became a lot dirtier.
–Hey, that’s it. I didn’t take anything from him. The same type of people will take care of themselves. You take care of it yourself whether you are being boiled or baked. Bring that fellow in front of me.
The light sphere gave up at those words. The sphere ended up moving in front of the golem. A blue light shot from sphere and hit the golem. The light refracted off the crystal body and formed a brilliant pattern on the wall of the sanctuary. It was surprisingly a map of the galaxy! Ark saw something that he hadn’t considered.
“T-this is…..?”
–As expected. Xanax liked playing games by making various designs from the light reflecting off the crystal body. But this wasn’t the last pattern that I saw. There is no way this design was made by chance. This map is clearly Xanax’ message. Perhaps the brightest planets on the map are Xanax’ message to you! Hurry Ark! Negative energy has been detected so you must quickly inherit the Elim’s legacy!
The light sphere shouted in a voice filled with determination.
<Start of a Great Journey (Occupation only- II>
You have recovered the Baius left to you by Xanax on Rakunka. This is the first step on your journey to become a true Elim.
It is clear what you have to do in the future. Find the remaining 4 Divine Artefacts. And you have obtained the clue to the hiding place of the next Divine Artefact. If you find it then you will be one step closer to the Elim’s true power.
Difficulty: –
* Currently acquired Divine Artefacts: (1/5)
An occupation related quest had popped up.
“I want to go running off right now but……”
–You want to? Why can’t you? What does that mean? What is more important than looking or the Divine Artefacts? Forget about anything else!
The light sphere started talking angrily after hearing Ark’s words. But its attitude immediately changed after hearing about the investigation team.
–Investigating the negative energy? Well, yes. You have to do that. You were chosen by the galactic federation. I also know how much of a threat the negative energy is. Furthermore, weren’t you chosen because you are the Elim’s Heir? Huhuhu, humans have developed a discerning eye after hundreds of years. Yes, the Elim’s Heir is the right person for such a mission. This is your nature. That team is blessed to have the Elim’s Heir on it.
Being the Elim’s Heir was irrelevant to this mission. Ark was selected due to his power. He had steadily built up intimacy with Marquis Martin and this was the result. But the sphere kept on chattering on with patronizing words.
–You should know this after travelling to Rakunka. You’re the Elim’s Heir and you can only become an Elim by building up your achievements. Now you’ve taken your first step by obtaining the Divine Artefact. From now on you have to always uphold the honour of the Elim. That means you should have the right mindset when making the golem! It shouldn’t act like that. Huh? Do you understand? You are no different from an Elim now so you should be aware. Eh? Hey, are you listening?
And it kept on nagging! Ark had felt it before heading to Amara but now the sphere felt like a nagging wife. Fortunately he then heard Jay’s voice over the Nymphe.
–Boss-nim, the DNA synthesis is over!
It was the news that Ark had been waiting for.
“I understand. I’ll listen to the rest when I come back. I’m really busy at the moment!”
–Eh? What? Hey, you! I haven’t finished yet! You can’t become the Elim if you can’t find the Divine Artefact…..hey, you! Are you ignoring me? I’ve just awakened after hundreds of years! I’m bored!
This was the sphere’s true intention. However Ark had already left the sanctuary.
———————————————————————
“Here.”
Jay held out a small syringe. If he could return to shortly after arriving back at S-20. Hamad and Asuran arrive and he went to see the Charenjok elder Bakum. The next person Ark visited was Jay. The reason Ark visited Jay was because of an unidentified item from Rakunka.
-Myutal’s Cell Tissue (Rare) x2
Item Type: Study Material
The cell tissues from the Myutal that have a very low chance of being obtained. Space monsters often develop special abilities in order to adapt to harsh environments. If the tissue cell of this monster is studied then a variety of information can be obtained. In some cases an unexpected use might be found. However, this requires research skills.
Cell tissues obtained from the Myutal! This wasn’t the first time he obtained these items. Sometimes he found them while hunting. But that was the only information Ark could obtain when examining the item. Even using Clairvoyance couldn’t find something from the items. No, if there was something then he could only find it with research skills. Furthermore, shops only gave dozens of copper for it so it was classified as japtem. But the rating of the Myutal’s cell tissue was rare! In fact, during the 24 hours on Rakunka he had fought thousands of Myutal and only obtained 2 cell tissues.
‘There has to be something!’
Ark had a keen sense of smell. He sensed that money was hidden in this item. Furthermore, Ark had an employee with research skills. Jay who had been the head of Charem’s research department! It wasn’t surprising that an ‘!’ popped over Jay’s head when he saw the Myutal’s cell tissues. And he ran over to a microscope with an excited expression.
“These are the Adaptation Cells!”
“Eh? Adap…..what?”
“Adaptation Cell. This means a cell that can adapt.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, that….ah, you know the body coating? Body coating is a technique that extracts DNA from alien species and artificially combines it with the human’s DNA. But not all the DNA of alien species can be used. Very few alien DNA are capable of synthesizing with human DNA.”
The galactic federation used the DNA of approximately 30 alien species in body coating. However not everything could be combined with each other. Generally DNA that enhances physical strength can’t bind to DNA that enhances mental strength. The opposite was also true. That’s why body coatings could only specialize in one area. However, very rarely DNA is found that doesn’t apply to this rule. It was the adaptation cell! This DNA could be combined with any type of DNA.
“Wait? Then if you extract the DNA from these cells……?”
“You can get a body enhancing effect like body coating.”
“What can I you get?”
“I can’t tell the effect unless I look at it directly. Like I said, the principle of body coating uses the DNA of one species to evolve someone to a completely different form. In some cases there is a risk of turning into an ugly alien. But the adaptation cell has a considerable affinity so if that happens then the subject can quickly return to their original appearance. When directly applied to the body, there is a high chance that it will strengthen the body’s abilities.”
“Even if someone has already received a body coating?”
“Yes, it is called Mix-up.”
“Then you? Can you do the Mix-up?”
Ark asked in a look full of anticipation.
“The technology itself isn’t very difficult. You’ve already received a common body coating and the cell is adaptable so special processing isn’t required. Well, a certain amount of knowledge and skill is still required but I’ve experienced it a few times in Charem. The problem is the equipment. This research centre doesn’t have the equipment required to extract DNA. I need a centrifuge and incubator which will cost 2,000 gold.”
“2,000 Gold!”
Ark’s mouth gaped open. But he cooled off as he thought about it. Mix-up could enhance his body’s abilities! Of course the performance wasn’t guaranteed but he could expect at least a slight increase. If the equipment was bought once then it could be used repeatedly. It might he could study more adaptation cells if he found them. Who knows? He had found an unexpected use for cells that only sold for dozens of copper. He couldn’t ignore the potential outcomes. No, there was no need to go there. He had fought thousands of Myutal and only found two adaptation cells. He couldn’t give up this chance to enhance his body. And there was no reason to give it up.
In the past Ark didn’t have a lot of money but that had now changed. Dark Eden now had the structure of a corporation and Ark’s personal funds and company funds were separate. Naturally items bought for the research facility would come from the public funds. The investment into the sector had reduced his burden.
“Okay! Start the research!”
Ark approved the 2,000 gold on the spot. He was leaving for the space frontier and wouldn’t come back for a month. He wanted to confirm the effect before then so he made Jay hurry with the research. Fortunately he managed to receive the results a few hours before departure. That was the syringe Jay was holding right now!
“This is…..”
“It is the DNA extracted from the adaptation cells that I refined into a solution.”
“If I inject this then Mix-up will begin?”
“Yes, I made this quickly so I’m not sure of the effects. There might be some side effects. Some common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea etc.”
Ark already wasn’t listening. And he wouldn’t change anything even if he heard it. Was he the type to not eat certain pickled foods because he was afraid of maggots? Everything in the world involved a risk whether it was large or small. If he was that scared then he wouldn’t even be able to take a breath. Ark stuck the syringe in him without hesitation.
‘Huk! W-what is this?’
Ark felt breathless. The arm where he injected the fluid felt like lava was spreading along his blood vessels. It felt like every part of his body was literally burning!
“Aaaaack!”
Ark couldn’t endure it and burst our screaming.
-Mix-up has been successful!
The Myutal’s DNA has been successfully combined. New physical changes have occurred thanks to the DNA fusion.
<The Myutal’s DNA has decrease intelligence by 10. Instead stamina increases by 30>
-One of your skills has evolved to an advanced level thanks to the Myutal’s DNA.
Withdrawal (☆☆) → Hide (☆☆☆)
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Hide (User, Active): Technique gained from the DNA of a Myutal, a space monster the federation doesn’t know about yet. The Myutal has the ability to produce a red substance that covers the land and it can hide its body in the ground. You have acquired the properties of a Myutal and gained the ability to hide your body in the ground. However, if you move while hiding in the ground then you will 100% be detected by the enemy.
<Probability of being detected by an enemy -100% when hiding in the ground>
Mental power consumption: 50
“I-it is a success! Mix-up!”
Ark cried out as he lifted his sweaty head. It had only taken 1 minute after administering the injection before the information window popped up. He had suffered unimaginable pain in the meantime. However the results were worth it. Ark carefully examined the information window.
‘It decreases intelligence by 10 but……’
Instead stamina increased by 30. It had the same effect as rising 2 levels. But the best effect of the Mix-up was the evolution of his skills. Hide reduced the probably of being caught when hiding in the ground. A 2 star rated skill had evolved into 3 stars.
‘It is different to Stealth. I can’t move when in the hidden state. But unlike Withdrawal and Stealth, it is possible to hide in the ground. In some cases it could be used as an evasive technique. It isn’t 100% satisfactory but the results are enough.’
“Ah, Ark-nim?”
Then Jay’s voice was heard. Jay was staring at him with wide eyes.
“A-are you alright?”
“Yes, I was hit hard by the injection but I’m okay. The results are satisfactory. I know you had a tough time trying to do it in 3 days so thank you.”
“Ah, no. That’s not……”
Jay stuttered and pointed to a glass wall. Ark stiffened as he saw the reflection in the glass. Standing beside Jay was a spider type monster, the Myutal! In other words, Ark had been changed into a Myutal.
“What, what is this? Why?”
“It is probably a small side effect.”
“A side effect? This is a small side effect? I’ve completely turned into a monster! Now what? What do I do now? H-how can I continue in this condition?”
The Myutal grabbed Jay’s collar with one of its legs. Then the door opened and someone entered the library.
“Boss-nim, we’ve gathered on the airfield…..u-unbelievable! Why here?”
The person who entered was Ellain.
Space 4
Are You Ready?
“I’m really sorry.”
Ellain was lying flat on the ground. The person with a shabby form in front of him was Ark. The incident had taken place 1 hour ago. Ark had been transformed into a Myutal as a side effect of Mix-up when he came face to face with Ellain.
“No, it is I. This was an experiment……”
“Myutal!”
There was no time to explain. The Myutal were Ellain’s enemies! When Ellain witnessed the Myutal (Ark) in front of him he immediately took out his sword. Ellain wasn’t interested in why a Myutal would be in a place like this. The only idea in his head was killing the Myutal. Ark retreated and desperately shouted.
“What are you doing? I’m trying to tell you, I’m Ark!”
“Shut up! How dare you impersonate God’s messenger! I’ll kill you!”
But Ellain was already to irrational. And he unleashed an onslaught of attacks!
“Damn, it can’t be helped. I can only unclog his ear holes! Heir’s Sword!”
In the end Ark was forced to pull out his sword. However there was a problem he didn’t realize until now. Ark grabbed the Heir’s Sword that flew out of his backpack…..tak! Tak! Grab…..tak! Tak!
‘I can’t grasp it!’
Ark had changed into a spider type monster. His limbs had changed into skewers and he couldn’t grasp the sword hilt.
And…..bak!
Ark panicked as Ellain’s sword descended towards his head. This was the beginning of Ellain’s merciless attacks. But Ark couldn’t even wrap his arm around his sword. All Ark could do was roll and run away. Fortunately his physical condition hadn’t fallen due to his transformation into the Myutal and he could use any skill unrelated to the sword. And this transformation had a time limit.
“Mind Shield! Welcome to the alter ego! ”
He desperately used skills and escaped for 1 hour. Then a fever swept through his body and he returned to his original appearance.
“Ah! M-Messenger-nim? W-what’s going on?”
Fortunately Ellain noticed and finally stopped talking……
“It’s not a big deal. I just almost died because of you.”
……Ark was already bloodied. His body was a wreck.
“I’m sorry! Without knowing the circumstances……I never would’ve dared raise a sword to God’s messenger! Attacking God’s messenger is no different from committing a blasphemy against God!”
This was the reason for Ellain lying flat on the ground.
‘I think the same……’
He had been beaten like a dog for 1 hour. It still tingled every time he moved! But right now there was another problem to worry about.
-An adverse side effect of Mix-up has occurred!
There was a genetic conflict when the DNA of a monster was inserted.
A momentary physical change has occurred thanks to this genetic conflict. The process of combining DNA has cause a mutation so this physical change of varying duration. will spontaneously occur over the next few days.
‘A few days……’
A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. That’s right. The Myutal’s transformation hadn’t ended. It would randomly occur over the next through days. In other words, he never knew when his body would seize (?) throughout the next few days.
‘There really is a variety of things.’
In fact, it usually wasn’t a big problem. No, it wouldn’t be a problem if it occurred immediately after returning to S-20. But this was already the 3rd day since returning to S-20 and he was preparing to leave for Turan to join with the rest of the team. Yet now this ridiculous side effect occurred.
‘The atmosphere since the beginning of the 2nd investigation team……’
First there was the advent of Rapid and Valencia. Now there was this improbably side effect from gene synthesis just before departure. He felt an ominous feeling. However he had no choice. He already received the down payment and used it to make preparations for the expedition. And the remaining time was just one day! There was no time to hesitate.
“It doesn’t matter. This is my mistake so don’t worry about it. Has the team gathered?”
“Yes, they’ve all gathered at the roof airfield before I came here.”
“Then they must’ve been waiting quite a while. Let’s go.”
Ark and Ellain rode the elevator up to the roof. He had parked in the sector’s public parking when returning to S-20 because of the Charenjok but originally he had built an airfield on the roof of the administrative office. But the Silver Star wasn’t the only thing waiting on the airfield. There were more than 10 people gathered in front of it. It was the team that would go with Ark to join the investigation team.
“It’s been a long time Ark-nim.”
The first person to greet him was Melina. Ark had realized how important a healer was while fighting the Myutal on Rakunka. Constantly fighting the Myutal made him realize how important it was. And Melina was the only healer he knew. Therefore Melina popped to his mind when picking people to participate in the team. He sent her a mail and fortunately she could make it.
“Thank you for coming.”
“It’s nothing. I didn’t have any other work to do.”
“We’ve come as well!”
“Yes, because we are a set with Melina!”
Then two guys pushed between Ark and Melina. It was Slayer and Leon who had followed Melina from the first time he met her.
‘These guys, they’re still haunting Melina?’
He hadn’t anticipated that Slayer and Leon would follow. However Ark acknowledged that both of them had a certain degree of proficiency. He didn’t have any reason to refuse. They would also refuse to leave Melina behind. Anyway, he managed to secure a family in one go! There were more people apart from Slayer’s group.
“Sheesh, these guys are annoying.”
The woman who pouted with dissatisfaction was Kaya.
“What did you say? Do you think I want to see your face?”
“Let’s stop it. I’m embarrassed of both of you.”
The two men bickering with her was Park and Sadain. In fact, Ark had originally intended to hire the Silver Hand mercenaries. They were NPCs with lots of experience and they were friendly with the Royal Guards so they would be a lot of help. They were mercenaries that Ark had formed a connection with. He sent a mail when returning to S-20 but they hadn’t replied yet. He was in a rush so he called Kaya’s group who he became friendly with after the chaotic hunting incident. Of course it wasn’t for free. This was a long term mission that would take at least a month. They had only been friendly for a fortnight so there was no way they would participate for free. It was the same with Melina’s group.
-A deposit of 150 gold. If the mission succeeds then Ark will pay you 5% of the reward.
This was the condition that Ark proposed.
‘If possible then I would like to bring helpful users……’
That’s why he gathered Melina’s party and Kaya’s party for a total of 6 people. He already had to give those 6 people 900 gold and 30% of the success reward. That alone was already a significant bleed. He would also need various expenses when the mission was in progress so the thought of hiring more mercenaries was taxing. And there was no need for him to hire mercenaries. Ark was the CEO of Dark Eden! He employed 18 people. Of course he couldn’t bring all 18 people.
‘Users are more profitable than NPCs for exploring the frontier.’
Kurakan was the only user on his staff so he joined. Considering that this was a survey mission, Hegel’s distinct skills were required. And Ark’s combat troops consisting of Berad, Cupa, Hedro and Kalliben also participated in this mission. Until now Tori had been steering the Silver Star but he was a NPC so his life couldn’t be guaranteed on the frontier. He would remain in the sector to expand the research centre’s facilities. Instead Milan would steer while Hegel would manage the engine room. Ellain wasn’t a pioneer but he was a combatant unlike Tori. He could take him to dangerous places. In addition, Ellain was determined to accompany God’s messenger on this mission. That meant there were 8 employees of Dark Eden! And 6 mercenaries!
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 120
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 11,730 Adventure 720
Health 3,100 (+275) Mental Power 200 (+340)
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 300 (+35) Agility 355 (+51)
Stamina 505 (+55) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 270 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
And Ark! There was a total of 15 personnel in the team. Ark checked the information window before looking at the team.
“Some of you are seeing each other for the first time but there isn’t a lot of time to arrive at Turan. There will be time to greet each other on the voyage so let’s board the ship.”
Ark’s team entered the Silver Star at his words.
“Come on, let’s go! The destination is Turan in the Igracia constellation!”
Ark shouted vigorously.
Bakak-!
A sudden crack! He felt a sharp pain as the top of his head was hit.
“Ouch! W-what are you doing?”
“I’m really sorry. It is my unconscious reflex……”
Ellain stuttered with a puzzle expression when Ark turned around. Ark’s reflection in his eyes was that of a Myutal.
——————————————————
“Huhuhu! How is it?”
Gwon Hwa-rang laughed wildly. And he pushed a picture under his nose.
“Isn’t it amazing? This straight leg and shapely body! Moreover, isn’t the face pretty? The nose and eyes looks just like me! Doesn’t an exclamation suddenly come out? This is definitely the looks of a celebrity.”
“So…..”
Hyun-woo sighed.
“Where are the eyes and the nose?”
“What? Can’t you see it? Are your eyes just decorations?”
“I think your eyes are the strange ones.”
Hyun-woo looked at Gwon Hwa-rang with astounded eyes. Only the top 1% of Koreans would be able to determine the positions in the photo. No, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that only 0.0001% would be able to see the baby. However Hyun-woo wasn’t interested in the baby’s looks. There was a large age difference between them and the baby hadn’t even been born yet. No, he was more interested in the gender. In the picture the baby was 4 months and it was determined that the baby would be Hyun-woo’s sister.
“Can’t you see it at all?”
“What about it?”
“Look closely at the strength in the legs and the glare in the eyes. Doesn’t she get those legs and eyes from me?
What marvellous harmony.”
“Sheesh, don’t talk like that.”
“Bah! You’re just speechless from her beauty. Huhuhu! It really is amazing the more I see it. How come my daughter is such a beauty? Although it is natural since she is also Park So-mi’s daughter. She hasn’t been born but I know she is as pretty as Miss Korea. Then wouldn’t a Miss Korea come from our family after 20 years?”
Gwon Hwa-rang laughed as he rubbed the picture against his face when he suddenly flinched.
“Uhh! Wait? Doesn’t that mean you’ll get married? N-no! I won’t let a pup steal you away! What if he is a thief or something? No! Yes, I’ll have to mobilize my juniors in the police force to do a thorough background check……”
“Then you’ll have to prepare for a divorce.”
Park So-mi approached and said. She was Gwon Hwa-rang’s wife, Hyun-woo’s mother and the mother of the future Miss Korea. Gwon Hwa-rang stared at Park So-mi with surprise.
“W-what does that mean? D-divorce proceedings?”
“I don’t want me daughter to grow up with a father who would make his police friends do a background check on her boyfriends. Shouldn’t you use that time to learn how to change diapers?”
His mother sighed and turned to Hyun-woo.
“Would you like a father like that?”
“Let’s see. Maybe a donkey would be better?”
Hyun-woo giggled as Gwon Hwa-rang remained frozen in his spot. Then he peered at his mother’s belly and asked.
“By the way, are you feeling comfortable like this?”
“It isn’t bad. The doctor also said there are no problems. Your father is also taking good care of me. I don’t know about me daughter but he is a good husband for me.”
That couldn’t be doubted. He was a good husband and father. He learned how to change diapers and read a lot of books…..he was a good man. Gwon Hwa-rang looked at Ark and asked.
“Have you finished all your errands?”
“Yes, I haven’t seen you in a long time so have a meal with us.”
“No, there is a place where I have to drop by.”
“What? Where?”
“I have something to do. I have some time today so I’ll see you in the evening. We’ll eat together then. I’ll buy some beef. I know that mother likes beef.”
“You seem to be quite busy these days. I thought you visited the hospital because today was your day off but that wasn’t the case?”
“It’s not like that.”
Then Gwon Hwa-rang opened his mouth and laughed.
“This guy is quite busy these days but it isn’t because of work.”
“What are you saying?”
“Huhuhu! I know everything. Haven’t you been meeting a girl lately?”
“Eh? What does that mean…..?”
“This brat, no need to act shifty. I heard all about it. Didn’t you see her some time ago? We told you to hurry and think of getting married. By the way, I’m quite mad when thinking about it. If you have a girlfriend then shouldn’t you introduce her to your parents first?”
“It’s not like that yet.”
“You never told me you were seeing someone.”
His mother jumped in after hearing Hyun-woo’s words.
“Who? What type of person is she? Her age? How long have you met her?”
“It hasn’t reached that stage yet.”
“Is there such a thing? Didn’t you bring her to hang out with the other rehabilitation members?”
“It couldn’t be helped since the appointments overlapped. Anyway, we’ll take about this some more later. I’m leaving first. I’ll drop by in the evening.”
Hyun-woo avoided the questions and got out of his seat. Not long ago the rehabilitation members had met Irina, or Cho Min-sun. He hadn’t told Gwon Hwa-rang and his mother about her but he wasn’t intending to hide it. Anyway, she met the rehabilitation members so of course he had intended to introduce her to his parents. However their relationship was a little strange after returning from the mountain region.
-I’m sorry.
She sent a letter with only those words. After that they didn’t have any contact.
‘If possible then I would’ve rather called.
Hyun-woo had two reasons why he didn’t call. The first reason was that it was difficult to talk after seeing the ‘Sorry’ message. The second reason was that he joined the 2nd investigation team so he would’ve met her soon anyway. But now the situation was different. Hawk was the leader of the investigation team and set the meeting point in the Igracia constellation. That was a considerable distance from the 1st investigation team that had been dispatched to the Harmadon constellation.
Marquis Martin said that the 1st team had already been exposed to the Rama and Aschulat forces so they would be avoiding contact and proceeding on a separate mission. Their reunion might be indefinitely postponed in Galaxian so he needed to meet Cho Min-sun in reality. But he couldn’t call her now.
‘What now?’
Then Gwon Hwa-rang called. His mother was in her 4th month of pregnancy. She would be at the hospital to check the gender. He had already finished all his preparations to depart to Turan. And it would take 15 hours to reach Turan. Therefore he promised to meet at the hospital today.
‘Yes, that’s it!’
Hyun-woo had seen Cho Min-sun at the hospital. He had seen her sitting in the ICU when he first received news that his mother was pregnant. At that time Hyun-woo already had an interest in Cho Min-sun and learnt that the patient was her mother through a nurse. That was the work Hyun-woo had to do.
‘This is my chance!’
He would be busy once he arrived in Turan. He wanted to try meeting Cho Min-sun before that. Of course it would be difficult to encounter her. The last time had been pure coincidence. Hyun-woo visited the ward where he first saw Cho Min-sun. He opened the door slightly and didn’t see Cho Min-sun.
‘Has she already left?’
“Can you get out of the way please?”
Then a woman’s voice was heard from behind him. Hyun-woo turned his head and stiffened with surprise.
“Hyun-woo ssi?”
The woman approaching from behind Hyun-woo was Cho Min-sun.
‘She’s really here!’
A sigh flowed from Hyun-woo’s mouth. Cho Min-sun had the timing of a ghost. She had contacted him just before his appointment with the rehabilitation members and now she appeared when he was peeking into the hospital room. Hyun-woo couldn’t get a grasp of the situation. And Cho Min-sun seemed to know what he was thinking.
“……Let’s move somewhere else.”
So they walked 10 minutes before finding a spot on a lounge. Cho Min-sun was locked in her thoughts and didn’t say anything.
‘Should I make excuses or explain it?’
Hyun-woo was filled with anxiety.
“Why are you here?”
“Huh? N-no…..that is……”
Hyun-woo sighed as he scrambled to reply.
“I’m sorry I hid it until now. I didn’t mean to hide it. I didn’t get a chance to tell you. To be honest I learnt that your mother was hospitalized. I saw you attending to your mother in the hospital. I accidentally saw it when I came to the hospital the other day with my mother. Today I came to visit my mother so I thought I would see if you were here. Ah, but my mother isn’t sick. She became pregnant a while ago……”
“Pregnant?”
“Yes, pregnant.”
Hyun-woo scratched his head and hesitated.
“Actually, my father passed away in an accident a few years ago. My mother was hospitalized for a long time thanks to that accident but she remarried a year ago and is now pregnant. Therefore she often goes to the hospital to receive check-ups.”
“I know that Hyun-woo’s father passed away.”
“Huh? How?”
“I’ve seen your autobiography.”
Hyun-woo turned red at her answer. In fact, 90% of the reason why Hyun-woo didn’t reveal his identity in Galaxian was because of his autobiography. When Hyun-woo joined Global Exos as an advisor, Ha Myung-woo came up with a way to promote New World. It was his autobiography! The autobiography was called ‘I succeeded in this way.’ Of course, his character was changed to fit that of a hero so he appeared smug and elite, causing the netizens to ridicule him. Hyun-woo didn’t want to be reminded of that dark history again! He especially didn’t wat to hear it from Cho Min-sun.
“Now I understand.”
Then Cho Min-sun opened her mouth again.
“Is that why you seem interested in me?”
“Huh? Those words? What do you mean?”
“You discovered I’m taking care of my mother like your past so you feel some sympathy for me.”
“What do you mean? That I’m interested in you because I pity you?”
“I understand if you did such a thing. But I……”
“Don’t joke around!”
Hyun-woo jumped up and shouted.
“I didn’t do something like that! Pity? Are you kidding me? I know what it is like to nurse my mother alone! It isn’t pity! No, I also didn’t want pity! But I can still feel compassion! Because I also experienced the same thing as Min-sun ssi! I understand what it is like to be staring down at a mother lying in a hospital bed! But I’m not stupid enough to confuse love with compassion!”
“Please stop.”
“No, I have a little bit more to say.”
Hyun-woo forcefully shook his head and said.
“I knew about your mother a while ago but do you know why I didn’t say it? I was worried that you would misunderstand like now. I’ll speak clearly. I had a good impression of you since the party to help the refugees. And I already liked you when we met after returning to Istana!”
Cho Min-sun was about to say something after Hyun-woo’s words when she flinched and stopped. Her face turned red and she looked embarrassed. She looked away as she blushed. Hyun-woo also turned red as he realized. He had unknowingly confessed.
‘W-what did I say?’
He felt his entire body curl up. Hyun-woo grasped his fist firmly as he felt embarrassed. But the water had already spilled. He had no intention of taking it back now that the words were out there. And he didn’t want to cause a misunderstanding. Hyun-woo had already made such a mistake. He was scared and hesitated for so long that nothing came of it. One such experience was enough!
“And now I like you even more!”
It was a subsequent declaration bomb! No, a confession bomb! But Hyun-woo forgot about something when he confessed. Right now Hyun-woo and Cho Min-sun were in a resting room. The resting room was also full. Hyun-woo and Cho Min-sun belatedly realized that fact too late. The people around burst out laughing and murmuring.
“Ohh! Isn’t this atmosphere nice?”
“It sure is nice that he can explain in such a loud voice.”
“Hey Lady, hurry up and accept. If I keep on watching then my limbs will curl with embarrassment.”
“This is really good. The atmosphere is hot.”
“Eh? That……”
“Come here!”
Cho Min-sun grabbed Hyun-woo’s hand. And she pulled him out of the resting room with a bright red face. Finally she stopped at a bench in front of the building.
“Sorry, this wasn’t my intention.”
“Heh, you’re saying sorry to a guy who just confessed to you?”
“Huh? “No…..that……you see……”
“Is that your answer?”
“That’s not it! I truly appreciate your sincerity!”
Hyun-woo quickly looked around after the loud exclamation. And he spoke in a low whisper.
“Good.”
“Why are you speaking so softly? Just before you were shouting!”
“But Min-sun ssi…..”
“It’s fine.’
Cho Min-sun avoided Hyun-woo’s eyes while talking. Hyun-woo looked at Cho Min-sun’s face. It was autumn and the moderately cool wind blew her hair. Her profile and the nape of her neck revealed by her hair caught his eye. He felt a strange tickling in his heart. It was a feeling he wasn’t familiar with. Hyun-woo eventually sighed and opened his mouth.
“Is it the previous outing?”
“Previous outing?”
“I sent you a message after returning from the Taek Mountain region. I thought about it but couldn’t come up with another answer. But I wanted to check it out directly. I’m sorry…..I don’t want to meet you anymore……was that the meaning of your message?”
“……That wasn’t my meaning.”
“It’s not?”
“The message…..it means exactly what I wrote.”
Cho Min-sun sighed and continued.
“It’s because of my father.”
Hyun-woo had thought Cho Min-sun’s mother was a single woman. The nurse the other day said that Cho Min-sun was the only one to visit. That’s why he was surprised to hear her mention her father. But she spoke with a slight flinch.
“My father is rich. He is a tycoon.”
“T-tycoon?”
“That’s nothing to be surprised about. My father has a legal wife. So my mother was his mistress. But I loved my father. My father often came to see my mother and I in a nice car with many servants and I thought he was brilliant. I didn’t know what a mistress was until I was older but that’s not the reason I dislike my father. I hated my father once I became older. My father is a tycoon so he would do whatever it took to raise money…..I only knew afterwards what he was doing. And I came to know my father’s dark side after I met with Hyun-woo on that day.”
“The day you met me? What happened?”
“My father has bought real estate in my name and my mother’s name before. And I learnt this fact after the land was sold.”
“The land? Then perhaps……”
“It was the real estate in the Taek Mountains.”
Now most of Hyun-woo’s questions could be solved. That’s why she was so interested in talking about the Taek Mountain’s real estate and her dark expression on the way back.
“But why did you send me the letter saying sorry?”
“Didn’t you hear me? The Taek Mountain region……”
“Yes, Cho Min-sun’s father bought the land and sold it. But it’s not like that is my land. No, even if that was the case it doesn’t have anything to do with Min-sun ssi. So why should Min-sun ssi feel sorry? There is no need for you to say sorry.”
“What does that mean?”
“I told you, I’m Ark. You’ve read my autobiography so you know that I pay everything back with interest. I is the same with the Taek Mountain real estate. I have no intention of withdrawing. If you father is the one behind the real estate problem then I will eat him up. So what reason do you have to feel sorry?”
“My father has a lot of money. He can do quite a bit of damage.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with you feeling sorry.”
Hyun-woo said with a smile. And he hesitated before carefully asking.
“In the evening…..can I contact you?”
Cho Min-sun sighed at Hyun-woo’s question and nodded. Then she smiled brightly and replied.
“I’ll be waiting for your call.”
——————————————————
The world was unfair. While someone was in a pink-tinged state of happiness, others were drowning in their sweat and feeling like they were going to die. This was a place where those people were gathered. A dojang (dojo)!
Several prestigious national fencing players had trained in this place. It even had an area for general workers who didn’t train with such intensity. Some people considered martial arts as a hobby. But there were always exceptions from this.
Hwing! Hwing!
One man was wielding his sword alone. The other members started at him while they were resting.
“Who is that friend?”
“Hasn’t he been at it since the time we arrived?”
“His stamina is no joke. And isn’t he unusually skilled in the sword?”
“That’s nothing compared to his old skills.”
A man approached and said.
“Teacher Kim, you know that person?”
“I know. He is my classmate. He was in the kendo club with me in high school and took a bronze medal in the national athletics competition. However he fell into the virtual reality game and started becoming a gamer after he graduated.”
“Game? So he is a pro-gamer?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, we weren’t in contact for a while when he suddenly contacted me about coming to this gym. Since then he comes and crazily wields his sword withou a break for several hours.”
“Why?”
“I don’t understand it but I feel like he is staking his life on the sword. Ha, this really…… I don’t know what his goal is. That guy was rumoured to be quite malicious during his school days.
The instructor stared at the man. That person hadn’t stopped moving for even a moment. He couldn’t stop. Left to right, top the bottom, he moved his sword like he was attacking and blocking attacks from an empty space. A hateful smile was on his face.
‘……Ark!’
Drops of sweat ran down the man’s face. The opponent he was staring at was Ark. And the man was called Valencia in another world.
‘I’m ready!’
A light gleamed in the eyes of the sweaty man.
Space 5
Turan the Hawk
“Heh!”
Ark couldn’t stop laughing. The scene of Irina smiling brightly in his head replayed in an infinite loop.
“I’ll be waiting for your call, waiting for you call……your call……call……
Irina has kept her promise. He talked to her on the phone in the evening. There wasn’t any special talk. Neither Ark nor Irina brought up the subject of the Taek Mountains real estate. They didn’t even talk about Ark’s confession in the morning. Subjects were things like eating well etc. They just talked about the obvious. If it was a conversation with anyone else then he probably would’ve hung up after 5 minutes. However it was different if the person was someone Ark had feelings for. Several hours had passed before he realized.
“Ah, it is already this time?”
–Are you tired?
“That’s not it. I’m just worried there will be a burden on the phone bill.”
–I have an unlimited plan.
Cheers for the carrier! Cheers for the unlimited plan! He rejoiced after hearing the words unlimited plan. There was no special talk. They repeated a lot of subjects. However Ark was able to learn a lot more about her when talking about such obvious subjects.They had ended the call 3 hours ago and Ark connected to Galaxian after 2 hours of sleep. But he didn’t feel tired at all.
‘My energy is overflowing! I have plenty of motivation!’
Adrenaline + dopamine were surging in his brain. A dying person could gain power because of love.
‘Huhuhu! I’m invincible! Now I’m invincible!’
However there were some people who felt threatened by Ark’s new guise.
“H-hey, is that okay?”
“I can’t believe that is Hyung-nim. What happened?”
“He doesn’t look ordinary right now. He is laughing while dripping saliva. Doesn’t it seem like he is going to attack us?”
“D-don’t say that! It is scary!”
Milan and Hegel said while gawking at Ark. They were staring at Ark sitting in the captain’s seat. He was a giant spider monster called the Myutal. Ark would randomly turn into the Myutal as a side effect of the Mix-up. The duration of the Myutal transformation ranged from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Therefore Milan and Hegel kept on tasting death. Milan and Hegel were in charge of the Silver Star while Tori remained in S-20. The captain’s seat was directly behind them so it felt like a monster was threatening them every time Ark changed into a Myutal. The situation this time was much more serious. The warp duration was 15 hours. So the other team members went to the cabins to relax as soon as they left Istana. The only ones on the bridge were Milan, Hegel and the captain Ark. Now Ark had turned into a Myutal and was dripping saliva.
‘Is Hyung-nim sane right now? Is his mind normal when his body is in this state? What if he goes crazy and attacks us?’
‘We can’t be careless!’
Therefore there was an atmosphere of tense suspense in the bridge. But Ark had no interest in that tension. No, he was unaware that he had even turned into a Myutal. Ark only learned about it after 10 minutes had passed.
“Hah, we still haven’t arrived? Space travel is fairly……ack!”
Slayer entered while yawning.
“A-Ark? Sheesh that surprised me.”
“Surprised? Why?”
“You’re currently a monster.”
Slayer replied as he released his hand from the greatsword. Shortly after starting the warp travel, Ark had introduced the team members to each other before they entered sleep mode. The team would be together for the next month. So communication between the users was indispensable! Except for Melina, users like Slayer, Leon, Sadain, Park, Kaya and Kurakan were university students. They were all in their mid-20s like Ark. So they agreed to speak informally with each other to be more comfortable.
“I almost involuntarily attacked you.”
“Having one Ellain is enough.”
“Yes, I don’t want to be like him. By the way, I haven’t seen him since the journey started?”
“He is lying in the infirmary. Because he is weak to ships.”
Ellain automatically swung his sword every time Ark turned into a Myutal. However the Kusan’s strongest warrior started vomiting as soon as the Silver Star started flying. After that he started getting treatment in the infirmary. That was actually a good thing. That guy had hit Ark a few times in the head. Thanks to the space motion sickness, Ark couldn’t get hit by him anymore.
“Are we there yet?”
“We’re almost there.”
Ark and Slayer started chatting. Then the team members started gathering on the bridge one by one.
“Good morning! I’m well rested…..oh!”
“Woo! I spend a long time drinking with my friends yesterday…..ack!”
“Eh? Did everybody wake up early? I…..ah!”
They all screamed when they started to greet Ark. Milan who had been looking at the dashboard turned around and shouted.
“We will exit warp space soon!”
“Ohh! At last!”
The 15 hours warp travel had ended. The eyes of the team gathered on the bridge widened with expectation as particles of light swirled and the Silver Star exited the dimensional portal into outer space. A structure with hundreds of lights appeared in front of them. It was a huge metallic structure with multiple layers.
-Turan the Hawk!
The structure was lit up with laser lights that formed words.
‘Turan the Hawk? Then the owner of this hive…..’
Ark was staring blanking at Turan when there was the noise of a communication connection.
-The identification code had been recognized, Captain of the Silver Star Ark who belongs to the galactic federation. Welcome. The Silver Star will be delivered in accordance with the instructions of Sir Hawk. The control code is Turan-10939. Please enter the code and switch your ship to remote control mode. We will control it from here.
“Hyung-nim.”
Milan turned his head. He started busily moving his hands after Ark nodded. The Silver Star starting moving towards Turan like it was attracted by a magnet.
—————————————————————————————-
‘Hah!’
This time a sigh poured out. In fact, Ark was quite excited these days. In the beginning he was just wandering around but then his goal became to form an agent. Then a sector and a ship! Not just anyone could have a sector or a ship. Currently there were only 80 sectors on Istana. However 60% of them were controlled by the 4 large companies. The remaining 40% belonged to users. One of them was S-20. It was Ark’s sector. Of course it was difficult in the beginning due to funding and other problems. But now that he had the support of the Laius company, the sector could reach an intermediate level. Ark had started various profitable businesses so it felt like he was progressing.
‘Now I’m a top ranked user!’
He had no doubt about that when he left S-20. But that belief flew away when he reached Turan. Turan was situation on the outskirts of the Igracia constellation and was similar to the size of the Yeouido area. However it wasn’t a big lump like a galaxy. Turan was a hive, a space station equipped with various state of the art facilities! Ark saw dozens of ships entering and leaving Turan. This huge hive belonged to a user, not a NPC!
‘I heard that Hawk was part of the Seven Swords and one of the strongest users in Galaxian.’
Commoners and tycoons! Commoners and nobles! That was the gap between Ark and Hawk. But Hawk wasn’t the only one who killed Ark’s beliefs.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Shortly after the Silver Star landed. Another ship entered the range of the airfield control tower.
“What? That ship is? Who the hell is riding that ship?”
Ark’s eyes popped out as he witnessed the spaceship. The size of the ship was double the Silver Star! The hull was covered with thick armour like a turtle shell and sharp points attached. To his surprise the man departing from the ship was Mario!
“Mario?”
Mario turned his head after hearing Ark’s voice. He flinched and retreated as he saw Ark who was still in the Myutal state.
“Ah, it’s me Ark. The circumstances……”
“Ark-nim? Aha! This must be a side effect of Mix-up.”
Mario recognized Ark’s state with just a look. Ark scratched his head with his claws and nodded.
“It’s fortunate that you noticed.”
“Wow! As expected of Ark-nim. Few users even know about Mix-up let alone have the facilities and researchers required to use the technique.”
Ark had realized it some time ago.
“Sometimes players would list biological tissues at cheap price at the auction house. Huhuhu! They don’t realize how good biological tissue is for raising a skill rating. The research skill might seem obsolete in the beginning but it is actually a fraudulent skill. Biological tissue can raise research skill so it can be sold at an unbelievably expensive price. It is also possible to get a DNA sample for Mix-up. Yet users are selling it to the stores or on auction houses for just a few coppers.”
Ark had also been the same until a short while ago. He hadn’t known and had sold dozens of biological tissue to stores! He only recently discovered the uses for it
“As expected from Ark-nim who received the Hero title, you are aware of this information even though you are a warrior. You definitely aren’t ordinary.”
This brat, making him sick and then giving him medicine.
“Did you prepare the Mix-up solution yourself? I knew it. Merchants who know about it are monopolizing the information so that the biological tissue prices don’t go up. Therefore the Mix-up solution hasn’t been sold yet. Ark-nim is a warrior yet you directly manufactured the Mix-up yourself. The facilities and researchers required for this is really no joke. Hehehe, please take care of me from now on. By the way, where are Ark-nim’s subordinates?”
“Ah, there.”
Ark pointed towards Slayer. Mario looked at them with confusion.
“Eh? Ah, those people?”
“Yes. 6 of them are more friends than subordinates but……”
“Ah, well, that’s right.”
Mario nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression. While Ark was suspicious of his response, a middle aged man approached from behind Mario.
“Mario-nim, all team members have disembarked.”
Ark’s mouth gaped open. The man with thick scars on his face was obviously a soldier. He seemed to be a veteran with considerable experience. But the reason Ark was impressed was his equipment. He wore incredibly thick armour like a robot and carried high grade energy pulse weapons. The warrior was obviously more than level 100. The middle aged warrior wasn’t the only one. It was like the soldier had been Crtl+C and Crtl+V as 30 similar soldiers lined up. Mario’s team truly had the feel of elite warriors. Ark’s team members compared to that……
“Wow! This place is a hive!”
“It is the first time I’ve seen this.
The space frontier really is different from Istana.”
“Don’t look around restlessly. You’re making me embarrassed.”
“This is also your first time entering the universe. Don’t try to pretend.”
They were looking around like they were from the country. Slayer and Kaya’s party were still okay. They might not have experience in the frontier but they were still users who made a name for themselves on Istana. They might be looking around like a person from the country but their equipment and levels weren’t inferior to Mario’s team. However the Royal Guards were different. Currently the Royal Guards were level 80~90. They weren’t low levelled NPCs. But they embraced their CEO’s motto of being thrifty and only wore level 50 equipment. In the eyes of others they were only level 50 NPCs. In other words, the users were rustic while the NPCs were shabby. That’s why Mario was confused.
“Hahaha, the outward appearance isn’t important. It doesn’t matter how good the equipment if their skills are useless. Ark is a user who received the Hero title. If you brought these warriors then they certainly must have skill. Isn’t that right Turai?”
“Of course.”
The guy called Turai nodded. He stepped towards Ark and said.
“I am Turai. I am in charge of Mario’s security forces. Ark-nim’s reputation is well known. I hope to receive your guidance in this mission.”
His tone was polite but his eyes were laughing when he looked at Ark’s team. There was no respect! No, it was a look that said he was going to ignore them!
‘Damn, if I knew then I would’ve brought a change of clothing……’
Just as Ark was thinking this.
“I heard your name was Mario.”
Two people approached Mario and said. Ark reflexively turned and felt immediately ill. The people approaching Mario were Valencia and Rapid. More spaceships seemed to have arrived while they were talking.
“Am I Mario?”
“You were stuck next to Ark when I saw you at the federation headquarters. I’ll tell you something. He isn’t an excellent guy like you think. He only received the title of Beltana’s Hero because of luck. Don’t expect anything from this guy. If you don’t follow my advice then you might be involved in an unfortunate accident.”
“Huh? No, that…..”
Mario studied his face with a confused expression. Then a monster standing in front of Mario approached Valencia and said.
“Eh? That is different from the words I heard the other day? Ark became Beltana’s Hero because he blew up the Rama’s headquarters with the help of his colleagues. In the process some guy tried to intercept all of Ark’s achievements. I heard the name of that person was Valencia. Oh that reminds me, isn’t your name Valencia? Then aren’t you that person? Why are you wandering around spreading malicious gossip?”
“What?”
Valencia’s face darkened. He stared at the monster in front of him with confusion.
“What? Who are you?”
“Me? I…..”
Then the monster transformed back into Ark. Great timing! Ark sent him a large grin.
“Ark, the one you tried to steal all the achievements from!”
“This bastard!”
Valencia scowled and drew his lightsaber. As expected, Ark reacted badly to Ark! Ark also drew his sword. No, he was about to draw his sword when shadows leaped between them.
Snap! Pajijijik!
Sparks burst in every direction!
“I won’t forgive anyone who is rude to God’s Messenger!”
The one who blocked Valencia’s lightsaber was Ellain, the Kusan’s strongest warrior. Valencia frowned at Ellain’s appearance.
“What the, who are you?”
“I am a warrior of the Kusan clan, Ellain! God’s messenger Ark-nim……serve…..ugh!”
Ellain stumbled with a sweaty expression. And the next moment!
“G-get out of the way! Blerghhhh!”
His mouth gaped open and he vomited! Ellain still had symptoms of the space motion sickness. Valencia was surprised by the unimaginable attack (?) and retreated but he was too late to avoid the vomit. Valencia’s face warped as he looked at the sticky liquid coating his equipment.
“T-this bastard dares……I’m going to kill you!”
“Stop!”
A group of people stepped forward. They were wearing uniformed soldiers and were Turan’s guards.
“We won’t tolerate any acts of combat in Turan. If you ignore our warnings and continue to fight then we will take action. You will also be deprived of the qualification to participate in the investigation team.”
“Sir Valencia.”
Rapid who had been standing quietly then said in a low voice. Valencia stepped back at those words.
“You should heed my advice.”
He spat towards Mario before turning around. Mario scratched his head with an annoyed expression and turned to Ark.
“So…..I have to go greet other people. Oh, this is medicine for motion sickness. If that friend eats it then he should feel better in a few days.”
He handed over the medicine to the motion sickness and ran over to other members of the investigation team. He probably didn’t want to be involved for no reason.
“M-Messenger-nim.”
“Eat this and lie down.”
Ark gave Ellain the medicine as he looked at the retreating Valencia and Rapid. They were also meeting other members of the team. They probably intended to warn against Ark like they did with Mario. That way Ark would be isolated and their plot would succeed more easily. Of course, the current was divided into the military and political faction. But this mission would last for 1 month on the frontier. There was no telling how the relationships would change. They were split into two sides but they weren’t forcefully opposed to the other side like the nobles were. Anything could happen depending on their interests and the situation. In this situation Ark was being thoroughly marked from the beginning. It would be difficult for him to get close to the users on the side of the military faction.
‘But……’
Ark sighed as he looked at the team.
‘Was I thinking too lightly of this mission?’
The users and NPCs in his group were relatively high levelled! Ark thought that this power was enough not to be bullied by anyone. However he could only sigh after seeing all the troops in the area. They were all comparable to Mario’s team. Valencia and Rapid were wandering around giving advice and threats to teams of considerable standards. When he thought about it, the 3,000 gold deposit money was meant for such preparations. But the amount of money Ark used to prepare for this was 900 gold. The difference in investment was revealed by the difference in power.
‘No, it isn’t merely the difference in investment. My thinking has been too narrow. Istana might be the centre of the federation but it is just the starting point of the game. Even the battlefields on Beltana and Athamas mainly consisted of NPCs. Users are mainly on the space frontier. It is where the high level users of the 3 powers are gathered. In other words, Istana is the minor league while the space frontier is the major league. It means the users and NPCs would be much higher levelled. It is natural that I wasn’t included on the game exclusive news TOP 50 ranking.’
He had to swim in deeper waters. Ark painfully realized it with this meeting. And the user who reigned as one of the most powerful 7 users was Hawk! Ark thought up to there.
“Hawk is arriving! Stand in line!”
The guards in the squad quickly took a formation. Suddenly a blue light appeared at the end of the line of soldiers.
‘T-that light? And that hexagonal platform……’
Chwajijijijijik!
Sparks started swirling around the light. At the same time the space distorted and a door formed. Its identity was the Star Gate!
‘Star Gate? Oh my god! It really is a Star Gate!’
So far Ark had only seen Star Gates that moved between cities on Istana and the planets of the federation. But this was a hive on the space frontier. A Star Gate was located a hive that a mere user owned. The scene of a Star Gate on a user-owned hive had a large impact on Ark. Ark had thought of Istana and the space frontier as separate spaces. But there were virtually no restrictions on the distance of the Star Gate. It was subject to some restrictions of course but it could have huge effects when utilized correctly. However Ark was the only one surprised. The other members of the team didn’t show any changes in their expressions.
‘I really was like a frog in a well.’
Meanwhile 10 soldiers walked through the Star Gate. They were the warriors he had seen in federation headquarters 4 days ago. They joined the ranks of guards lining up as a man walked through the gate. The one-eyed man wearing a cloak with a blue skeleton on it was Hawk!
“Everybody, attention! Salute our Lord!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Jajang, jajang, jajang!
100 swords and guns soared into the air. Hawk’s appearance as he strode between them was majestic! Hawk entered the front of the square and examined the investigation team members. Then he looked at a warrior near him and asked.
“Harley, are all the members here?”
“Yes, 20 members received the invitation. It has been confirmed that all of them arrived. Each team brought between 15 and 40 people. There are a total of 621 people.”
“Which team brought the fewest members?”
“It is Ark.”
“Ark…..I see.”
Hawk smiled as he looked at Ark’s team. However his face soon returned to its cold expression and he said.
“It must’ve been tough coming here. You have now formally joined the galactic federation’s 2nd investigation team. But I won’t remember your names. Because the name of soon to be dead warriors aren’t worth remembering. If you want me to remember your name then bring results. Your value will be determined depending on the results. Harley.”
Harley pulled out a sphere the size of a fist. He threw in into the square and a light shot up, forming a 3D image. It was a map of the galaxy showing various marked areas in the frontier.
The map had 1 blue marker and 20 red markers scattered around.
“The blue marker is this place, Turan. And the red markers are where the 1st investigation team indicates that there might be information.”
Hawk explained as he looked at the galaxy map.
“The primary investigation has examined the Harmadon constellation where the circle was created. And a special mineral was found on 5 planets that is believed to be the fuel used for the magic circle. So far that mineral has been identified on a total of 23 planets in the Harmadon constellation. Those planets are these red markers. However, the primary investigation team has been exposed to the Aschulat and Rama so it is difficult for them to explore it directly. That is why we’re gathered in Turan and not joining the 1st investigation team. Your first task is to investigate the planets with the red markers.”
Then a member raised their hand and asked.
“Then where will we start the search from?”
“From where?”
Hawk laughed and replied.
“There are 23 different planets so won’t it take too much time if we search together? We will do it simultaneously. All 23 planets at the same time.”
“You mean the team will be divided?”
“Why else do you think I asked each person to gather their own team? Unlike the 1st investigation team, one person is one team. And the pioneer in charge of the unit is outstanding enough to receive a recommendation from nobles. Am I wrong? Are you someone who needs the help of another person to wipe your nose?”
“No but……”
The members murmured with dissatisfaction. The investigation team were all gathered in one place. So of course they thought it was a joint mission. It was the reason why Mario and the other members met in the federation headquarters and Turan. A joint mission was more advantageous. And a certain amount of relationship with the federation could be built. Yet Hawk was splitting them all up.
“You seem to be mistaking something. This isn’t a request but a command. I have been entrusted with the leadership of the investigation team by the Emperor of the galactic federation. Anybody who is dissatisfied can leave at any time.”
Hawk sent the members a cold look.
“And this mission is a type of test. You guys might’ve made a name for yourselves in some areas but I don’t know your skills yet. Therefore I will judge your quality based on the results of this mission. If you want to raise your achievements then you should show a good performance in this mission.”
“How will you decide what planets we explore?”
“Harley, give it to me.”
Hawk turned to Harley and commanded. Then Harley approached with a box with a hole in the top.
“There are 23 memories in this box. It shows the appropriate location. The coordinates and details of the mission on the planet will be included in the memory. The person chooses a memory and will go to that planet to perform the task. The same goes for me as well. You guys will select the 20 planets first and the remaining 3 will be my share. This is a precaution against spies from other powers but you never know……”
Hawk glanced at the members.
“This is also to prevent wasteful competition.”
Several members looked uncomfortable at those words. Valencia was one of those avoided Hawk’s eyes. A corner of Hawk’s mouth lifted as he saw it.
“Like I said in federation headquarters, I don’t care what nobles think of you. My concern is that the success of this mission will be ruined by disturbed by someone. So just do what I tell you!”
Hawk firmly said. As expected from one of the Seven Swords. Or should he say one of the strongest 7 users? The members in the square froze at Hawk’s intimidating expression.
‘He isn’t my favourite type but……’
He didn’t like condescending people. No, to be honest they made his stomach hurt. Ark had barely managed to hold on to his sector. Yet Hawk reigned over a hive that had a Star Gate. That wasn’t the only reason why he distrusted Hawk. Ark had felt something suspicious about him the first time they met. But Hawk’s approach was favourable for Ark.
‘The team will be scattered among different planets for the mission. I won’t get help but I don’t need to worry about any interference!’
He had been nervous about the presence of Valencia and Rapid. At least this meant he didn’t need to worry about them for this mission. The same goes for other units. In addition it would be difficult for Ark to gain achievements on a joint mission. But it was difficult when it was an individual mission.
‘Huhuhu! I’ll show everybody. Mario in particular! How dare you look at my team like that? You’ll see soon. And Valencia, Rapid and Hawk. I’ll let you know why I’m Ark!’
Ark’s joy was Valencia’s depression. Valencia frowned as he picked a memory. Ark also picked a memory from the box Harley held.
“Now, let’s go!”
Ark said as he turned around. Slayer’s group, Kaya’s group and the Royal Guards followed him back to the Silver Star. After a while 20 ships left Turan and scattered in different directions. This was the start of the 2nd investigation team’s mission.
—————————————————————————————-
“Is it working properly?”
After all unit ships had left the airfield. Hawk asked as he looked at the partition wall that showed space. Harley manipulated the metal sphere and a galaxy map with 20 points appeared. The 20 points were moving towards a red marker. They were the ships that had just departed.
“Yes, all 20 are functioning normally.”
“Those naive guys.”
Hawk laughed and muttered.
“Although that does make them easier to handle. Then where is Ark?”
“He is on route to O-5440. It is a C-ranked risk planet designated as Impeltus.”
“A C-ranked risk planet is suitable. Send the information out as scheduled.”
Hawk turned his body and said with a pleasant smile. Then Harley said with a cautious expression.
“Is it necessary to do that? In some cases it might cause difficult problems. Even if you don’t like the guy I would rather we……”
“Didn’t I say it? This is a test.”
“Test…..you mean?”
“Yes, a test. As you said I can step on him at any time. But a fight between pioneers isn’t something that can be won by defeating the opponent once. The true winner is the one who knocks them down at the end. I need to determine the enemy’s ability in order to win such a long fight. And I will determine that with this mission. If he has the skill to be worthy of being my enemy.”
Just as Hawk was saying this.
Roaaaaar!
There was the roar on the airfield as one battleship woke up. Lights turned on as a huge battleship with a giant blue skull carved on it was revealed. This was the battleship of one of the Seven Swords, Hawk’s ship Death Knight!
“Now we will depart. I’ll lose face if my performance isn’t up to standard.”
Hawk said as he turned towards the Death Knight.
Space 6
Impeltus
“Aha!”
Kaya raised a finger. She smiled and looked at Leon and Slayer.
“I understand. So the two of you are trying to entice Melina?”
“I-Idiot! What the hell are you talking about?”
“We are men who value our relationships! The connection that is formed from the cradle to the grave. That’s the motto of our lives! Melina-nim is like that as well! You know? Do you? So!”
“So what? So you don’t like Melina as a woman?”
“T-that’s……”
“Kikikiki!”
Kaya laughed wickedly. And she approached Melina before speaking secretly.
“Hey, Melina, do you know? Those guys just said……”
“Kaack! W-won’t you stop it?”
“Dammit! Stop speaking! This is war!”
“Hmm, is that so?
“What will you do?”
“Huhuhuhu! Watch carefully.”
Kaya moved her hand to her waist and said.
“I have a free and easy character so you guys didn’t notice. Look! And worship! This beautiful body! This face that shines! This body that can be mistaken as Venus! This charming personality! What do you think? Do you see this dazzling beauty now? You should be thankful that you can talk to a woman like me!”
Slayer and Leon’s lips twisted at the sight.
“…..Heh!”
“What, what the? Are you laughing? These brats! Would you like to try it? How dare you laugh at this perfect body? Hey! Sadain, Park, you guys say something!”
“…..Heh!”
Sadain and Park also laughed.
“These bastards! Are you going to insult a girl with delicate sensibilities? Can’t you react properly? Do you want to die? Do you want me to boil you into dog soup? Huh?”
The delicate girl glared with cold eyes. Then Melina grabbed Kaya’s arm.
“Unni, please stop.”
“Yes, please stop.”
Ark sighed while pressing a hand against his head. It took 15 hours to warp from Istana to Turan. Unlike NPCs that had no other choice, users wouldn’t bother to sit idly on the ship. Therefore the 7 users would place themselves into the sleep capsules and run other errands in reality. But contrary to Ark’s expectations, 6 of them were gathered throughout the cabin.
‘For a youth in their 20s to waste 20 hours just sitting in a game……’
It was the gloomy reality of gamers in South Korea. Ark felt a bit of sympathy for them but it was up to the team how they spent their time. They sat in the cabin playing card games like solitaire, making it feel like a MT. They were quite awkward when first meeting on S-20 but Kaya’s group and Slayer’s group gradually got closer as they neared Turan.
……The problem was that they got too close. Whenever there was a break they would start chattering noisily. It was to the extent that he couldn’t even concentrate on one thought. It was quite unpleasant. In previous games and even in Galaxian, Ark would often travel alone. He developed a clear purpose and judged that an agent was necessary but Ark was generally isolated. He would rather play solo than with a party. But that was only when talking about adventure and combat. Until now he had spent several hours being bored. When thinking about it, the noise wasn’t that bad but……
“Stop it and pay attention. We’ve arrived at the destination.”
Ark pointed towards the window. A giant, purple planet was floating in front of the Silver Star!
※ O-5440 Impeltus ※
A planet belonging to the Hastal constellation in the southern part of the space frontier. While the 1st investigation team were examining planets in the Harmadon constellation, they discovered rare, special minerals.
One of them is a mineral called Burahman. According to the federation database, there are currently 30 planets that contain the presence of the Burahman ore. Among those, 6 of the planets don’t belong to the 3 powers. If ‘X’ (questions about the magic circle) is related to the Burahman mineral, it is likely to be found on one of these 6 planets.
The unit who receives this memory module will move to Impeltus to investigate ‘X’. If they can’t find any traces of ‘X’ then obtain the Burahman ore. The mission will fail if the unit doesn’t return to Turan in 2 days.
This was the information in the memory module given by Hawk.
<Dark Omen (Pioneer Quest)>
+ Sub Quest: Formation of the Galactic Federation’s Investigation Team → Impeltus Investigation
You have joined the investigation team in Turan and received a new mission from the leader Hawk.
The 1st investigation team had found a special mineral called Burahman. Your mission is to investigate Impeltus to find signs of ‘X’ and the second part is to obtain a sample of Burahman. The mission period is 2 days. The achievement points will depend on when you return to Turan and your performance.
Once the contract ends, the compensation will be determined based on the ranking of achievement points.
Difficulty: B
The team quest was updated. It took a day to travel from Istana to Turan but Impeltus was a planet on the space frontier as well. It would take thousands of light years even flying at the speed of light. But if he used warp technology then it would only take 1 hour! That’s why Slayer and the others started gossiping while travelling there.
“Oh, this is Impeltus?”
“Pretty. It reminds me of a shining, purple jewel.
“We can’t be careless. The more pretty something is, the more dangerous it can be. It is like how the beautiful mushrooms are the most poisonous and the pretty girls are dangerous. Just like I’m beautiful and strong.”
“…..Heh!”
Slayer, Leon, Park and Sadain lifted their lips again at Kaya’s words. Kaya puffed with indignation and looked at Ark.
“I agree with Kaya’s words.”
“Eh? Is that right? As expected from the Boss. Your eyes really are different.”
But Kaya’s looks weren’t the part that Ark agreed with. Ark recognized that Impeltus was dangerous. The flashing lightning that occurred between the swirling purple clouds definitely made Impeltus look dangerous in Ark’s eyes. However Ark didn’t correct her. She would just become even noisier if he did.
‘I don’t know whether bringing these guys was good or bad.’
But he had no choice. They were the only people he could gather except for the employees of Dark Eden. And they were reliable when it came to combat. Kaya was flattered by Ark’s answer and suddenly asked.
“Now what?”
“What will we do?”
“Don’t tell me we’re going to blindly search the planet?”
“Of course not.”
Ark grinned as he looked at Hegel.
“Hegel, begin.”
“Yes Hyung-nim! Optical Scanner!”
Hegel quickly operated the dashboard. The exterior door of the Silver Star opened and dozens of metal spheres came pouring out. They spread out before flying towards Impeltus at tremendous speed. Ark’s first adventure with the Silver Star was Rakunka. Ark had learnt many things from that adventure. One of them was that he shouldn’t blindly enter a planet without information. If he was more careful then he might not have been shot by the Myutal on Rakunka. And if Xanax hadn’t left a mark then he would’ve been searching blindly for something like a needle in a haystack.
‘The core of this mission is investigation! Combat might be involved but the main task is investigation. The first person to gain information about the magic circle or antimatter will gain the initiative.’
That’s why Ark only hired 6 users. He thought it was a joint mission until he arrived on Turan.
‘Valencia and Rapid won’t dare openly attack my supporters. If a battle starts with the Rama or Aschulat intelligence teams then even 1~2 more people won’t be significant. Then it will be better to invest in equipment rather than mercenaries. It is better to use the contract deposit money on equipment that can be used afterwards rather than mercenaries.’
He reached such a conclusion. That’s right. Ark used 900 gold to hire the mercenaries which left 2,100 gold. He invested the remaining 2,100 gold. One of them was the optical scanner!
-Optical Scanner (Additional Equipment for a Ship)
Item Type: Investigation Equipment
A compact unit powered by photons that can move within the atmosphere. The optical scanner can sense a variety of energy and the information will be sent back.
Typically an optical scanner is used to survey a planet in the space frontier. In some cases, it can be used to find enemies hiding using Stealth or to track the movement of photon gas.
The scope of the investigation will depend on the number of search units and the skills of the user. This could be considered an essential equipment for ships adventuring in the frontier.
* Number of Units: 15
He had invested 1,300 gold in this device! It was produced directly by Tori in the research institute so it cost 1,300 gold. An optical scanner sold on the general markets went for 100 gold for one unit. If he had 15 then he would’ve had to pay 1,500 gold. Tori definitely was useful in various ways. Hegel was the same as well!
“The Optical Scanner has entered Impeltus’ atmosphere. The units have switched to search mode. Search is currently in progress! Ah! Units 13 and 14 have sensed an energy distortion on the north side of Impeltus. An additional 5 units will be deployed to the target spot”
Hegel watched a monitor that was filled with mysterious numbers and graphs. An Optical Scanner unit might be important but it was also necessary to have a person to analyse the data. And Hegel had received high intensity training from Heksu of the Silver Hand!
–Huhuhu! This degree is enough for him to have value.
That was Heksu’s evaluation. It was why this mission included Hegel.
“Ohh! What the? This guy, he isn’t just an alien with a large head.”
Kaya exclaimed while rubbing Hegel’s head.
“Kaya, don’t disturb him!”
Ark yelled with an annoyed expression. Despite Kaya’s interference, Hegel just continued concentrating without any pauses.
“Hyung-nim, I’ve determined the coordinates. X-342 to 352. Y-20 to 30. The energy distortion is found in a range of 5 kilometres. Given the wavelengths detected, the probability is high that there is an artificial facility there.”
‘Got it!’
Ark’s mouth rose in a smile. According to the information given by Hawk, Impeltus was an uninhabited planet. Burahman was present but it didn’t have a high economic efficiency. That’s why no one extracted the mineral yet. Yet the presence of an artificial facility was confirmed on the planet. If that facility has something to do with ‘X’ or the Burahman ore…..
‘I might be able to get information about X!’
The location was grasped so there was no more reason to hesitate.
“Milan, start the engine! Move towards the coordinates Hegel gave!”
Ark stood up and shouted mightily. At the same time, the Silver Star emitted light and rushed towards Impeltus.
——————————————————————
Kurung! Kurung! Ku ku ku ku!
Sharp mountains like awls rose from the ground. The purple clouds swirled around the mountains like a vortex and lightning caused a roaring sound. An echo sounded from the earth like a ghost sobbing. The landscape trembled enough that it seemed like hell. A streamlined silver body entered that landscape.
“We’ve arrived at our destination.”
“Hrmm……”
Ark looked around from inside the ship with his arms folded. The window showed the landscape of Impeltus. The Silver Star had arrived at the place where the energy distortion had been detected. The range of the energy distortion was 5 kilometres. He couldn’t see the artificial facility from the Silver Star. But Ark wasn’t disappointed. No, he actually felt motivated. It was detected but it wasn’t visible. This meant it was hidden. There was no reason to hide a facility on a planet with no facilities so it meant something was happening here. The probability of obtaining X from the facility had just increased.
“We have to go down directly and search.”
“But there is no place to land.”
“We don’t need to land.”
Ark smiled and replied to Slayer’s words. Like Slayer said, there was no place to land the Silver Star on Impeltus. The ground of Impeltus was filled with sharp, porcupine like mountains. However Ark had already predicted this situation. So he was prepared. He bought additional attachment equipment.
“Milan, switch to the anti-gravity device and fix the Silver Star to its present location. And operate the descent device!”
“Understood! The descent device is working!”
Milan replied in a loud voice. The doors at the bottom of the Silver Star opened and tol tol, tol tol tol, tol tol tol…..a thick rope started to descend. Slayer who had been watching with expectant eyes turned back to Ark.
“That is the descent device?”
“Yes, it is the descent device. Now there is no hindrance to climbing down.”
To be honest, Ark also wanted to install a cooler equipment. However he wasn’t a tycoon and didn’t have an infinite amount of money. He had obtained quite a bit of money from the contract and Hamad. But he didn’t have time to pour money into a cooler equipment. So he casually answered Slayer like there was no problem. There was a disadvantage to this device.
‘It is a little scary.’
Ark swallowed his saliva as he looked down. Currently the Silver Star was approximately 50 metres high. Only one rope was connecting them to the ground. Even Ark was hesitant to climb down the rope from such a soaring height. The same went for the other members of the team. In particular, Melina’s face looked extremely pale.
“Me! I will go down first!”
The one who stepped forward was the Kusan’s strongest warrior, Ellain! Ellain possessed an extraordinary amount of courage.
“I-I will go down first!”
“No, wait a minute! You…..”
“I’m sorry! I won’t hold you up anymore! Ugh!”
Although Ark tried to stop him, Ellain threw his body and gripped the rope. He slid down at an incredible speed and started to vomit as soon as he landed on the bottom. This was the reason Ellain jumped down first! The motion sickness medicine that Mario gave him didn’t have an effect. But that wasn’t Ellain’s only problem.
“Heok! Kuaaack! M-my breath! Ugh!”
Ellain stumbled and grabbed his chest. It was an inevitable result. According to Hegel, Impeltus had a high concentration of toxic gases. Of course those toxic gases wouldn’t be a problem for someone who received the body coating. However Ellain was from Rakunka and didn’t even know what body coating was! He was Rakunka’s strongest warrior but he hadn’t received the body coating. Ark had been too busy in the meantime. So he had forgotten about it until they were moving to Turan. That’s why Ark was indifferent when Ellain was lying sick in the infirmary. If he left it like this then Ellain would become a ghost of Impeltus. Ellain was a level 150 warrior. Such a warrior would be useful in battle but he couldn’t even be used like that.
“…..There really is a variety of things.”
Ark grabbed the rope and quickly descended. He gave Ellain the life support equipment and clicked his tongue.
“Pay more attention. Yes?”
“I’m really sorry.”
Ellain blushed and replied. However Ellain was unexpectedly helpful.
“Okay! I’ll go as well!”
“I’m next!”
The team members were impressed by Ellain’s courage and started descending with the rope. Sadain, Park and Kaya followed behind Ark. Then it was Kurakan, Berad, Cupa, Hedro, Kalliben, the Royal Guards, Slayer and then Leon. The descent operation proceeded steadily.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
Melina looked like she was going to cry when it came to her turn. But she was the only healer in Ark’s party.
“It’s okay! It’s not a big deal!”
“It looks high but you’ll reach the bottom immediately!”
“Don’t be in a hurry! Just take it slowly! Melina, fighting!”
Melina closed her eyes and grabbed the rope after hearing the support of her colleagues. She winced, hesitated and gave a little scream every time the rope shook. That was when the problem occurred.
Grrrr! Grrrr!
Suddenly they heard the cries of beasts. Ark turned his head with narrowed eyes and muttered.
“Sheesh, this planet even has monsters? Moreover, so many of them……”
Ark was looking at a dark valley filled with many red eyes. The ones watching Ark’s group were wolves. Of course they weren’t ordinary wolves. He checked them with Clairvoyance and the name Halrosu. However Ark’s group didn’t panic.
“Damn, this is troublesome. How many are there?”
“It is difficult to identify with all the obstacles. But there seems of be 30 of them.”
“They don’t seem to be attacking immediately. It is difficult to see them because of the surrounding rocks. They have a geographic disadvantage so they’re moving slowly. Kalliben, Leon, slowly secure a sniping position. Cupa and Hedro will cover them while Slayer, Kurakan, Berad, and Ellain will attack from the front with me. Sadain, Park and Kaya, you guys take a side.”
“I understand Hyung-nim.”
“I’ll do that.”
The team members replied and moved to their positions. They were troublesome people who normally joked around. It was also their first time in the space frontier! Slayer and Leon were warriors who Ark had led to victory. And Kaya’s group had demonstrated their superior skills in the chaotic hunting event. The Royal Guards had all graduated from the Silver Hand’s hell like training. Their value was shown in battle. Ark and his team members moving into their formations without a sound.
“Why? Why aren’t you guys saying anything? Is everybody there? D-did you guys leave me?”
Melina shouted with a quivering voice while hanging from the rope. Then there was the scream of a signal flare.
Kwaaaaang!
“It is starting! Baius Shield!”
The Halrosu exposed their fangs and ran up!
Ark lifted his left arm and ran out. Right before colliding with the Halrosu, crystals started rapidly propagating o form a 1 metre circular shield. It was one of the Elim’s Divine Artefacts, the Baius Shield! The canines scratched over the transparent crystal.
“Heir’s Sword!”
Ark’s sword moved like lightning in his hands. A blue flash shot out and penetrated e neck of the Halrosu.
Keheheheng!
The Halrosu that had been scratching against the Baius shield screamed but several more immediately rushed forward. At the same time Ark’s body started spinning.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords followed his trajectory! The sword cried out as it spun. Dozens of swords swirled around like a storm! The Halrosu caught in the storm instantly turned bloody and flew away. Sparkles of brilliant lights sprang out and followed them.
Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!
Blood gushed from the bodies of the Halrosu.
“Wow! How powerful!”
“Doesn’t he seem more powerful than before?”
Leon and Slayer whistled as they watched Ark’s unfolding dance. It was natural. The last time they saw Ark was on the battlefield. Since then Slayer and Leon were busy with the federal TV appearances so they couldn’t meet Ark. Ark’s skills had grown from Amara, S-20 and Rakunka so they couldn’t see his skills. However Slayer and Leon weren’t just surprised at Ark.
“Heroic Spear!”
The spear user Sadain! Sadain skewered any Halrosu that ran up to him. Then Kaya stretched her arms towards the struggled Halrosu.
“Body Vibration! Pop!”
The Halrosu caught by Sadain’s spear was blown to pieces. This was the Esper technique that could manipulate or blow up the enemy’s DNA. But the most amazing sight was Park.
“Come out, Car, Kum!”
Park was the autobot controller! When Park raised his fist and shouted, 2 spheres shot out of his bag. The spheres intricately rotated like a transformer to form the figure of a knight and a dinosaur. Car was the knight type autobot! The dinosaur type autobot was Kum!
“The opponents are those beasts! Step on them!”
Car and Kum rushed at the Halrosu after hearing Park’s command. When Car and Kum rushed into a bunch of Halrosu, the area instantly became wet with blood. Car shredded their bodies with a sword while Kum mercilessly trampled and kicked the Halrosu. Slayer’s mouth opened as he saw Kaya’s group fighting.
“What, what the? Those guys are incredibly strong.”
“Damn, they’re making us look weak!”
“That’s right! We’re also people in this game! Show them our strength! Show them our skills! Iron Wall Defense!”
“Ya! You idiot! Iron Wall Defense is a resist technique! Do you think you will look good just before you’re holding a shield?”
“Hah, that’s right! Ohhhh! Get out of the way! Steel Dash! Haaayaahh! Acceleration Iron!”
“Super Magnetic Shot!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
Slayer and Leon’s strength wasn’t inferior to Kaya’s group. They were people who played the game for more than 12 hours a day! They followed and raised the level steadily. Therefore they had broken through level 100 a while ago. The Halrosu died the moment they all started firing their skills.
‘There is no need to become heated.
Ark looked over the battlefield with a relaxed expression. Slayer and Kaya’s group enthusiastically participated in the battle and the Halrosu numbers were quickly dwindling. In fact, he had expected it since the Halrosu appeared. The Halrosu were only level 80 while their group surpassed level 100. There were 30 of them but Ark’s group had 12 people down there. They wouldn’t be pushed by the large numbers. No, there wasn’t any room for the Royal Guards to fight at all. The power of Slayer and Kaya’s group was overwhelming! The Royal Guards could only fire some bullets before the Halrosu died.
“That’s okay! You don’t have to come out!”
“Yes, shooting will just interfere with our battle.”
While Slayer and the others were discussing it on the mountain.
“G-gunfire? What’s going on? What is happening on the bottom?”
Melina who had been handing on the rope for the long time shouted.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At that moment a lightning bolt flew down from the purple clouds towards the Silver Star. Sparks flew everywhere as the Silver Star was shocked and spun wildly. The rope that Melina was hanging on started to swing in accordance with the ship’s movements.
“Kyaaaak!”
Melina shrieked. Luckily Milan and Hegel were still in the Silver Star. They were able to centre the Silver Star and stop it from spinning but…..
“Oh no! Melina-nim is gone!”
“Oh my god! She must’ve fallen from the shock just now!”
Slayer and Leon screamed as they looked up at the rope. Melina’s form couldn’t be seen at all.
“D-don’t tell me she is dead?”
“Dammit! Ark, you should’ve bought a proper descent device!”
“No! Melina-nim had also descended. She won’t die even if she fell from that height. It is highly likely that she is somewhere on this mountain!”
“S-save me!”
Then they heard Melina’s voice. As expected, Melina had slid from the rope and fell to the rocky mountain above them. But the situation became worse before they could sigh with relief. The Halrosu Ark’s group was fighting all turned as they heard Melina’s scream. The distinctive forms of the wolves then started jumping up the rock wall.
“No, those guys are flocking to Melina-nim!”
“No! Melina-nim won’t be able to defeat them alone!”
“Dammit, how can we climb those rocks? And there are a lot of protruding rocks so it will be difficult to climb from this angle! We have to intercept those bastards!”
Slayer had fallen into a state of panic.
“Royal Guards, rescue Melina!”
Ark shouted as he looked at the Royal Guards.
“Hey, do you think it is possible just because you gave a command? For these guys to climb the rocks…..”
Slayer suddenly shut his mouth with a flinch. Berad, Kalliben, Cupa and Hedro had put away their guns at Ark’s command and jumped on the rocks. And leap! They steadily climbed the almost vertical rock wall without a hitch.
“U-unbelievable! How did they…..?”
Slayer stuttered with incredulous eyes as he stared at the Royal Guards. But it was natural. Ark had left a training program with the Silver Hand. One of the tasks was to climb a cliff. Thanks to the Silver Hand, the Royal Guards had to climb a cliff if they wanted to eat a meal. The height of the cliffs exceeded dozens of kilometres! It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the Royal Guards had already mastered rock climbing. The 90 degrees rock wall couldn’t be considered an obstacle to the Royal Guards.
There was even more.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Kalliben was a sniper while Cupa and Hedro used guns. They showed the effects of this marksmanship while dangling from the rock wall with one hand. The Helrosu jumping off the cliff fell at the Royal Guards’ barrage. Meanwhile Berad was steadily climbing and swinging his huge hammer every time he caught up with a Halrosu.
‘…..NPCs can also be useful.’
Ark looked at the scene with warm eyes. Once again, NPCs were generally weaker than users. The Silver Hand’s train converted the stat points into the desired ones but they still couldn’t grow like users. That’s why Ark came up with specialization! It was hard for NPCs to keep up with users in a fight. But it was different when the NPC specialized in a specific combat ability. It was why Ark created his awful training program. Moving through a cave infested with bees, swimming through a swamp, climbing cliffs, they were all exercises designed to increase their capacity by 100%. Now this was the results.
‘But it’s still not there yet. The hell training needs to raise stats that complement their skills. I need to find a way to steadily raise the Royal Guards like users. If I have a chance then I need to make the Royal Guards grow further!’
Ark made a promise to himself. But right now the Royal Guards were enough to shock Slayer.
“Who are they? Was a NPC that helpful in battle?”
“N-no.”
“Then what the hell? What is that?”
Slayer muttered with outrage as he kept on staring at the Royal Guards. Anyway, the situation was recovered thanks to the Royal Guards. The firing of bullets from the members on the rock wall! And the Halrosu who fell from every swing of Berad’s hammer! After 20 minutes Melina could re-join the group with Berad’s help.
“Sob! That was so scary! Unbelievably scary!”
Melina sniffled while facing Ark, who received Leon and Slayer’s glares. Meanwhile Milan and Hegel had climbed down the rope from the Silver Star and joined the party.
“Now just in case……”
Ark manipulated his Nymphe.
-The Silver Star has entered remote control mode.
“Enter stealth mode.”
He hit a button on the Nymphe and the Silver Star disappeared. This was the 3rd equipment added to the Silver Star! The remote control mode and stealth capabilities cost 2,000 gold. Ark changed the Silver Star and sent it outside the atmosphere. He didn’t want to risk it being hit by the lightning strikes on Impeltus.
‘Now…..’
Ark mentally summarized the situation as he looked around. He spent 900 gold hiring mercenaries. The Optical Scanner loaded on the Silver Star was 1,000 gold. The remote control and stealth device cost 2,000 gold. He spent 4,100 gold to prepare for this mission. He only received 3,000 gold deposit so he was already losing money. Ark had one reason for investing that type of money!
‘Isn’t this an investment?’
He did this because he had confidence in himself.
Space 7
Secret Laboratory
Kaekang!
The Halrosu screamed and collapsed. Then a small crystal golem waddled up to the corpse.
-Huhuhuhu! You lowly bastard!
He placed his foot on the wolf and laughed.
–You dare mess with this body. You’re 100 years too early. Blame your ancestors for not evolving beyond dogs. Indeed, you should be honoured that you died by my hands.
“Does that mean anything?”
–How rude! I am the Elim’s Divine Artefact!
“I guess little stones don’t have that much common sense, eh? I am the Elim. And you are the tool that I can use. It’s just like how a stone was used as a hammer in the stone ages.
-I’m not a stone! Crystal!
“Crystal is also a mineral you bonehead.”
Ark declared sharply as he looked at the golem. It was the Baius golem. He had gone through a lot of trouble on Rakunka and finally found the first Divine Artefact. His first impression after finding the Divine Artefact…..well, it was a scam. He had met a huge, strong golem in the pyramid. Ark had to devise an irregular attack consisting of mixing Freezing and Flame bullets! Yet the golem that Ark obtained was different. It was half of the original size. The ability had fallen by 100 times. Ark hadn’t just played one or two games. It was like the RPG games in the 80s where a strong enemy would appear as a colleague with diminished strength. Fortunately there was room for improvement. Usually these NPCs were provided with the character’s experience to gain levels. It was the same for Baius. The effort might require him to shave the flesh from his bones but that guy could grow. The golem’s growth was also connected with improved performance of the Baius shield.
‘For the moment he isn’t useful when summoned but…..’
It was good to gain a level 1 pet when he was high levelled. The golem absorbed 50% of Ark’s experience. And the Halrosu on Impeltus were level 80. Ark was level 120 so the experience didn’t have a visible impact but it was a huge value for the golem. Since arriving on Impeltus, the golem lapped up the experience and reached level 12 in a few hours.
Baius Golem
Type Defense Level 12
Health 220 Defense 44
Attack 22 Special Ability X
His golem’s stats had grown! When compared to level 1, it had increased by more than 2 times but……it was still shabby. The level wasn’t enough to attract the Halrosu’s attention even when the golem hit it. However there was no need to be disappointed. Ark recalled the days in New World when he was just raising a bat, a skull and a snake. They had steadily grown under Ark’s care until he became an aristocratic vampire, a skeleton knight and a dragon. The golem was just stone now but one day it would grow to the giant golem seen in the pyramid. No, he would grow into a stronger golem. And that wasn’t the end of its growth.
-Baius Shield Lv. 2 (Artefact)
Item Type: Energy Shield Wearer Restriction: Elim’s Heir
Defense: 250 Durability: ∞
Shield Quantity: 5,500/5,500
The Baius Shield grew along with the golem. The Baius shield’s rating had ascended one step when the golem reached level 10. It changed by defense +50 and shield quantity +500! The golem was still useless at level 12 but the shield showed a notable performance just be improving 1 stage. Thanks to that he was satisfied but……
‘That rude personality isn’t fixed even when his level goes up.’
The golem’s personality was the problem.
–I’m a person as well! You have to treat me with courtesy!
A stone was suddenly claiming it wasn’t a stone.
–You lowly bastards! I am the Elim’s Divine Artefact! Our standings are on a completely different level!
He didn’t care when it came to himself but he couldn’t easily ignore the personalities of other people.
–You aren’t a formal Elim yet. Your existence is sustaining me so I have to obey your commands. But you can only have my body. This doesn’t mean you have my heart!
He kept on insisting that his master could only have his body (?). He remembered the Elim’s Memories’ explanation for the golem’s behaviour.
–The golem takes after the Master’s personality!
The shocking declaration from the light sphere!
‘This personality resembles me? No way! How is he similar to me? He is arrogant and impertinent! He also has no manners!’
Of course Ark couldn’t admit it. However Ark was unaware of something. Everybody who met Ark in New World thought of him as arrogant with no manners. Anyway, the golem’s nature annoyed Ark tremendously. But he was more difficult to handle than the pets in New World. At that time Ark had used terror to deal with them! If they did something wrong then Ark would educate them by beating them up! This simple method had the best effect. But there was a problem when using this method with the golem. The golem was chunks of stone. His nerves couldn’t feel pain at all. It was inefficient so he was forced to use words.
“How do you think you’re able to grow like this? It is all due to me. I’m giving you half my experience despite you not helping out in combat. Yet where did you learn to act smugger than everyone else? You should be laying down flat on the ground to thank me!”
-No one ever asked.
Naturally it replied with a rude answer. But Ark wasn’t in a position to say anything. Ark had once again turned into a Myutal shortly after arriving on Impeltus. It had been some time but the side effect of Mix-up still remained. And he couldn’t grasp his sword when he was a Myutal. Therefore Ark just got free experience from his team for 1 hour. He shouldn’t be talking about topics like sharing experience. The golem was just eating the free experience that Ark obtained. He couldn’t make a fuss about the golem taking his experience. Ark hated to admit it but the golem was similar to him. Maybe that’s why Ark really disliked the golem’s character. There was a saying that the same people would hate each other.
‘I need to find some way to fix his bad manners or my head might pop.’
But right now he had no time to waste on the golem.
‘By the way……’
“Messenger-nim, everything has been taken care of.”
Ark’s forehead wrinkled as he looked around. Ellain spoke from behind him. However he maintained a certain distance.
“What? Am I a contagious person?”
“I’m sorry. I thought I might strike if I inadvertently got close to Messenger-nim……”
Ellain still hadn’t adapted to the Myutal Ark. But he had somewhat adapted to the environment on Impeltus thanks to the life support equipment. The proof was that Ellain had turned 3 Halrosu attacking Ark into mincemeat.
“What? This guy, he isn’t just someone who vomits?”
“This guy is pretty strong. Where on earth did he find all these NPCs?”
Fortunately Ellain managed to reform his impression in the team members’ eyes. He was promoted from a ‘vomit man’ to someone who could be counted on.
“Hey Ark!”
“This area is also clear.”
Slayer and the others who had been on the opposite side of the valley came back.
“Yes, there wasn’t anything strange. I didn’t see anything like a cave or a machine.”
“I checked it precisely. This is just an ordinary mountain.”
“What about you guys, Hegel and Milan?”
“Nothing apparent……”
Milan and Hegel also shook their heads. This was why Ark couldn’t afford to pay regard to the golem. Right now they were exploring the area where the optical scanner sensed the energy distortion. According to Hegel’s readings, the probability of an artificial facility being hidden here was high. But they’ve been searching and fighting the Halrosu for 3 hours and couldn’t find anything.
“I couldn’t see anything facility when looking down from the Silver Star so I thought it might be hidden……”
He thought it might be easily found in a cave. However they couldn’t find any caves within this range. But it wasn’t like Charem’s stealth capabilities. Before descending, he had switched the optical scanner to detect stealth but it didn’t find anything. So they had to run around on foot to search for it but couldn’t find any clue.
‘Slayer, Leon and Sadain are high level users with lots of experience. They wouldn’t just walk past a clue. That is also true for the Royal Guards. If Milan and Hegel worked together then they should’ve found something.’
There was a reason for him to believe that. The Royal Guards were under the influence of the agent buff. The name of this buff was joint business!
-Joint Business I-
This effect is applied to all NPCs bound by the same agent. When employees belonging to the same agent work together on a task, Joint Business creates a synergy between the members’ professional skills.
For example, if there is a researcher with no combat skills in the party then their intelligence will spread to the other members. These stats applied to the members could be helpful in battle. However, this effect can only be given and received by NPCs.
500 Adventure Points were originally needed to raise the rating of the agent. But if he paid more Adventure Points then he could select an agent profession skill. This was the reason why Ark paid 1,000 Adventure Points to raise the agent’s rating! Joint Business was a system created to compensate for the NPCs’ ability being slightly lower than users. It meant various occupational skills could be used more aggressively. All of his staff except for Kurakan were NPCs so it was an essential skill for Dark Eden!
-Current Joint Business effects applied to the NPC staff of Dark Eden
Milan (Treasure Hunter): The party’s probability of finding hidden clues increased by 20%
Hegel (Scavenger): The probability of any monster that the party hunts dropping items has increased by 15%
Ellain (Rapid Sword): Party’s attack speed increased by 5%
Berad (Power Type): Party’s damage increased by 5%
Kalliben (Sniper): Party’s Hit Rate increased by 10%
Cupa (Rifle): Party’s ranged damage increased by 5%
Hedro (Rifle): Party’s ranged damage increased by 5%
These were the current buffs shared by the Royal Guards. Most of the NPCs in Dark Eden received a body coating so they had the basic tendencies but they didn’t have a professional career. But Milan and Hegel had professional jobs. So their shared effects had more of an effect compared to the other staff. Hegel was a Scavenger so he increased the probability that monsters would drop items by 15%. Ark could already see the effect. They had been hunting for the same time but they obtained much more loot than Slayer’s group. Well it was just japtem but…..
Anyway, Milan’s Joint Business effect increased the probability of finding hidden clues by 20%! That’s why Ark had Milan accompany them. He increased the odds of finding something hidden. There was no other skill more appropriate for an investigation mission. Nevertheless! Slayer’s group and the Royal Guards hadn’t found any clues.
‘If only this was a gentle ridge but the mountains here are dense and sharp like awls. Moreover, the range determined by the optical scanner is 5 kilometres. If won’t be any use even if Milan and I use dowsing. It would take a few days to explore and there is no guarantee we can find anything. The range needs to be narrower in order to use dowsing.’
Ark scratched his head with the Myutal’s sharp legs. Sadain opened up with a pensive expression.
“Isn’t it in a cave?”
“But we didn’t see anything that looked like a cave.”
“No, to be exact we didn’t find the entrance. If the cave is underground then there is no guarantee the entrance would be here. The entrance to the cave might be somewhere else.”
This was something Ark hadn’t considered.
“Yes, that is a likely possibility. But that means the search scope has increased indefinitely. There is a time limit so searching the surrounding area is impossible.”
“Then should we look through this area again?”
“That’s the only way but……”
Kurung! Kurung! Ku kwa kwa kwa!
While Ark was muttering with a distracted expression. Lightning bolts struck over and over again from the purple clouds. The lightning had fallen from the purple clouds like a boiling cauldron while they were searching but he still hadn’t adjusted to it. Slayer spoke with an uncomfortable expression.
“This planet is really weird.”
“It keeps on making my body cower.”
“Isn’t it dangerous? Don’t you remember the scene where the Silver Star was hit by the lightning a while ago? The ship wobbled so what would happen if a person was hit by that? We might be struck by lightning.”
“It’s lucky that lightning is only falling in one place.”
Melina said as she stroked her chest to calm down. Ark felt like he had been hit by a lightning bolt.
“What was that Melina-nim? What did you say just now?”
“Well, I didn’t say anything specific. Just that it’s lucky the lightning only falls in one place…..”
“Only one place? Is that true?”
“Yes, I am very scared of lightning. My head naturally turns every time the lightning strikes. But the lightning only strikes near the area where we first descended.”
“The place on the mountain where we descended?”
Ark turned his head at Melina’s answer. He felt a heavy pain in the back of his head the moment she confirmed his mental calculations.
“Oh my god! Why didn’t I notice until now?”
“What does that mean?”
“That…..no, I need to check it first! Everybody follow me!”
Ark who was a Myutal ran across the ground with sharp legs. After a few moments, Ark’s team arrived at the place where they first landed on Impeltus. Ark rushed to the spot he calculated and shouted.
“Shovel!”
The shovel sprang out of his backpack.
Ark grabbed the shovel from his bag and….tak! Tak! Grab…..tak! Tak! The Myutal Ark couldn’t grasp the shovel!
“Dammit! Royal Guards, dig!”
“Yes! Shovel!”
The Royal Guards cried out in unison and grabbed their shovels.
“Dig through the mountain!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
They shouted at Ark’s command and lowered their heads. The Royal Guards had spent one month digging in S-20! Thanks to that, all the members had Dig Lv. 2 while Milan and Ark had Dig Lv. 4! They had reached the stage of mastery. The standard of the member’s digging was like a large excavator! There was no difference between rocks and soil when digging.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
“W-what are they doing? This is?”
“It is outrageous. Even my autobots that had been modified with excavators isn’t as fast as that!”
“What the hell were they fed?”
Slayer’s group were shocked at the Royal Guards’ digging skills. Meanwhile they just continued shovelling. And!
Jjang!
Suddenly there was the sound of iron!
“We’re being blocked! There is a metal wall in front of us!”
“Metal wall?”
“It’s over here as well!”
Slayer’s eyes concentrated on Ark.
“What? Did you know there would be a metal wall here?”
“Of course. Did you think they were just shovelling crazily?”
“No, that digging….they are digging because…..eh? Why are they digging?”
Slayer tilted his head with a stupid expression. Park was locked in thought for a moment before nodding.
“Aha! So it was like that.”
“What? You know something?’
“It is a simple matter. Originally lightning strikes the highest place. But the surrounding mountains are almost the same height. Ark’s subordinates had just dug a hole in a place that is lower than the surrounding mountains. Yet lightning keeps on striking here. Then there is only one answer. Lightning is attracted to metal. That’s why the Silver Star was hit by lightning. It was lower than the mountains but it contained metal. The element attracted lightning. But lightning continued falling here even when the Silver Star disappeared. In other words, that means there is metal here. No, if there is a metal wall then it must be the facility we’re looking for……”
“A lightning rod.”
Ark mentioned.
“If there are electronic equipment in the facility then lightning is a risk factor. It can influence electronic equipment even when the lightning doesn’t hit directly. Therefore a lightning rod needs to be installed in the facility. It will absorb all the lightning that falls near here. That’s why the lightning only falls in this spot. This entire place is probably acting like a lightning rod.”
“Ohh! Indeed!”
The Royal Guards interjected. Then Slayer looked at them with incredulous eyes.
“What? You guys didn’t know that? You didn’t know yet you were shovelling like crazy?”
“That’s……Hyung-nim commanded us……isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.”
The rest of the members nodded at Berad’s answer. Slayer was even more astounded by their answer!
“Okay. Now let’s dig around the walls. The entrance should be somewhere here.”
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
The digging continued for a long time at Ark’s command. They finally found the entrance of the facility buried in dirt and rocks. The entrance was blocked with a round metal plate like a bomb shelter! A message flashed once they pressed the lever type handle.
-This door is protected with a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock.
Attempt to hack? Y/N
Ohu!’
Ark’s eyes shone brightly. This message meant that hacking was possible at his level!
“Milan, remove the connector from my Nymphe and link it to the lock.”
Ark had changed into a Myutal so he couldn’t even remove the connector. But there was no problem for releasing the lock.
-The type of lock is ‘Rhythm Mania: Level 6.’
The DJ located in the bottom is your hacking program ‘Invaders.’ The locking mechanism is the device with the voice signal.
Invaders has to succeed in extracting the voice signal from the lock. The locking mechanism will be released when the speech signal is combined. The targets falling from above are the voice signals. You have to achieve a GOOD rating when matching the timing of the voice signals.
Now put your soul into it!
This mini game was a rhythm action! Unfortunately Ark turned into a Myutal so he couldn’t use his fingers. However there were 4 buttons to press and Ark had 7 legs.
Kok kok kok! Kok kok kok! Kok kok kok!
His 7 legs moved like lightning on the Nymphe’s screen! Well, he had to strike a pose lying down in order to fully mobilize his 7 legs! He might look like a spider but it wasn’t a disadvantage at the moment!
-GOOD!
You have perfectly combined the voice signals and released the lock!
Unlocking!
Ark quickly turned his body over again. He pressed the lever down and the door slowly rotated open. A passage appeared on the other side and an information window flashed.
-You have found <Impeltus’ Secret Laboratory>!
++ Dungeon Information: Impeltus’ Laboratory ++
You have found a hidden, unidentified facility hidden on Impeltus while performing the investigation team’s mission. When the entrance is opened, the smell of sterile air and fungus is pushed out. It is clear that this place hasn’t been touched by people in a long time. But that doesn’t mean it has never been touched by the hands of humans. There is the distance sound of machines waking up from sleep! It will be good if they don’t see you as trespassers.
* Adventure Points +800
———————————————————————————–
The outskirts of the Igracia constellation.
One spaceship was floating in orbit around a huge, grey planet. All identifiable lights were hidden so only the silhouette of the ship was visible in the shadow of the planet. In the midst of that ship, someone opened their mouth.
“Why are we waiting in a place like this?”
“For contact.”
“Contact? By who?”
“Let’s see? Who is it? Well, let’s assume they’re a friend for the moment.”
The man sitting in the captain’s seat laughed and replied. Then the man who asked the question sighed and shook his head.
“That’s a problem. We didn’t come here to relax. Did you forget the command received from our home country?”
“I didn’t forget.”
“You didn’t forget? What do you mean?”
“The reason I’m waiting here doesn’t differ that much from the mission received. No, in a sense it might be even more important.”
“That’s why I’m asking.”
“Keiko-nim!”
Then a soldier sitting down at the cockpit shouted.
“A signal is incoming.”
“Signal? Even our home country doesn’t know…..perhaps?”
“I’ve been waiting for this. Decode the signal received.”
The man sitting in the captain’s seat commanded. The communication soldier operated the dashboard and a message was shown on the monitor.
-O-5440 Impeltus
“Impeltus? That place……”
Keiko narrowed his eyes and muttered. He turned around like he was about to ask a question before closing his mouth. The man sitting in the captain’s seat seemed to have a flame aura burning around him after seeing the message. The flame aura combined with the red armour gave an illusion of a huge fireball. He said in a low voice.
“That planet is where Ark is.”
The man speaking was wearing red armour. He was given the nickname Red Slaughterer.
“Start the engine! Destination is O-5440, Impeltus!”
The voice resounded on board as the ship in the shadow of the planet woke up.
———————————————————————————–
Kuwaaaaaaaah!
A shriek rang out through the hallway. At the same time a fist cut through the wind. Ark listened and raised his left arm.
“Kuk! Baius Shield!”
Jjang!
Cracks spread like a spider web on the surface of the shield. It had the form of crystals but Baius was still an energy shield. The cracks on the shield disappeared. However that indicated the amount of damage that the shield received.
‘Damn, no matter how weak the shield is to melee attacks……’
When the shield recovered, it had lost 2,300 energy! This meant that more than one third of the shield’s energy was consumed. At this point it already wasn’t a matter of resistance. The enemy was just too strong. However the power wasn’t the only outrageous thing.
‘I’ve seen it a few times but it really doesn’t fit.’
Ark looked at the monster over the clear shield. The appearance…..it looked like mutilated bodies had been stitched back together into a monster wearing rags. These monsters had appeared in a secret laboratory. The name was Blunder The only thing he could confirm with Clairvoyance was its name. And detailed information wasn’t necessary. He had dealt with a few Blunder so he knew its characteristics. The size didn’t differ significantly from an average person and it didn’t have any special skills. It only attacked by swinging its arms randomly. But it wasn’t a monster that could be easily defeated. The first reason was its level!
‘Level 200?’
Right now Ark was level 120. However the Blunder in the research centre were level 200. It was similar to Ark fighting 1 on 1 with an intermediate boss. And 3~4 of these guys rushed at once. However Ark also wasn’t alone. In fact, this was the second difficult part.
‘Sheesh, its level is high and its body isn’t big!’
The Blunder was a similar size and shape to Ark. Therefore Ark couldn’t be given proper cover fire while facing the Blunder. If they blindly shot then Ark might be hit in the back of the head! But if Ark kept a distance then the Blunder would be exposed to the attacks from the rear support.
‘At any rate I’m quite lucky. I transformed while fighting the Halrosu and now turned back. What would’ve happened if I changed into a Myutal while facing this thing?’
While Ark was busy thinking…..
Kuwaaaaaaaah!
The Blunder once again threw its body and wielded its fist. His Baius shield had already less than half of its energy left! Ark abandoned the idea of blocking and retreated. The Blunder landed and once again rushed towards him. Just as its fist was about to be driven into Ark’s chest!
“Sonic Sword!”
It was hit from the side! The Blunder stumbled and retreated. There was no need to confirm the owner of the sword. Ark raised his thumb in the direction the sword came from and smiled.
“Nice assist!”
“It is thanks to the direct teachings from Messenger-nim. The effect is almost guaranteed.”
Ellain also gave a thumbs up. Ellain had vomited while sailing on the Silver Star and had to lie down in the infirmary. That’s why he was dubbed the vomit man. He still had the motion sickness even when landing on Impeltus so his skills couldn’t be demonstrated. He also didn’t have a body coating and needed to use life support equipment. However that changed once they entered the research centre. The research centre had an oxygen supply so Ellain could take off the life support system and fight. It was to the extent that he covered for Ark while fighting the Blunder.
“Hey! Watch out!”
“Don’t worry about it! Welcome to alter ego! ”
Ellain turned at Ark’s shout and 5 Ellain’s spread all over the place. Then he swung his swords towards the Blunder’s back.
“Hot Air Sword!”
Flames shot out from the sword! The Blunder screamed as its body shook. As expected from a level 150 warrior! His skills were on a different dimension from the other NPCs. Ellain and Berad were taking care of another Blunder while giving support to Ark. Then the Blunder that had been pushed by Ellain once again approached Ark.
“I can’t look worse than my subordinates.”
Kuwaaaaaaaah!
“Welcome to the alter ego!”
The next moment Ark also split into 5 bodies. While the Blunder’s fist hit blank air, he ran behind its back.
“Of course the President has to be different from his subordinates!”
Wiing! Buuuuong! Wiing! Wiing!
The flash of light continuously hit the Blunder! Ellain had only managed to deal one blow to the Blunder before it turned around but Ark’s lightsaber trajectory continuously hit the Blunder. A complex pattern like a tattoo was created over the Blunder. And once the Blunder completely turned around!
“Ink Jet!”
Puaaaah!
A black liquid was sprayed from Ark’s head. Ink Jet was the new feature that had been added to the Charenjok’s Token through Bakum’s sacrifice!
-The Blunder has been blinded!
<The view is blocked so Agility and Hit Rate has fallen for 30 seconds>
The octopus that was stuck to his head restored his head as well as blinded the Blunder.
“Binding Sword!”
It was the onslaught of continuous attacks! A collar formed around the blinded Blunder. Once again, Binding Sword was a technique with an extremely low success rate. The success rate after increased thanks to his repetitive practice but it was still only at 50%. However Ink Jet changed the situation by 180 degrees. Ink Jet caused a state of blindness so the success probability increased by leaps and bounds. Of course this wasn’t easy but the combo had a success rate of 90%! It could be called Blinding Chain!
-Your attack has hit the target!
<The enemy’s movements will be sealed for 4 seconds!>
The Blunder was completely bound after being blinded.
In addition, he consistently used Binding Sword so it had reached Lv. 2! Thanks to that the duration increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds. 4 seconds was a long time in a fight. Especially when there was a bunch of people there.
“Now! Focus your fire!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Ark turned back and shouted. Dozens of bullets started pouring out in the narrow corridor. Milan and the Royal Guards who had been waiting behind fired their bullets. His presence had been insignificant so far but Kurakan had also accompanied them. Just like Kaya, Slayer and the other members who participated on the team, Kurakan was a name that was quite well known on Istana. So Kurakan thought. He had to properly show his skills to them! But Kurakan had terrible shooting skills. In the meantime he had been bragging about how invincible he was. No, in fact he knew. Kurakan was the type to persistently challenge a user until they got tired of dealing with him and just gave up. When fighting he just blindly fired his machine gun until the opponent died. So it was impossible for him to have any shooting skills.
Still, a machine gun dealt a lot more damage than small firearms. Its attack power and speed were high but the hit rate was only 50%. If it was a quick monster like the Halrosu then he couldn’t hit them. So Kurakan thought again. He became embarrassed at the thought of being buried among the NPCs! However that changed once they entered the research centre. The research centre had narrow passages. If there were no special obstacles in the way then he could just shoot blindly. Especially when Ark had blocked the Blunder’s movement with Binding Sword!
“Hahaha! The time has come for me to show my skills! This is the M-620 that launches special ceramic bullets with 20 shots per minute! This is a machine gun!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Kurakan held the blazing machine gun with both hands! His gun dealt reckless damage. Thanks to the research centre, Kurakan could become a powerhouse for the first time. Kalliben also aimed for the vital spots while the troopers used their firearms!
-Rune Carving: Kuon has been used.
<All allies within 100 metres will have their health and defense increased by 20% for 30 minutes.>
This was the effort of the Kuon rune! The Blunder lost 30% health in only 4 seconds. Ark also did a series of back attacks! And the shooting of the Royal Guards continued! Shoot! Shoot! In the end the level 200 Blunder couldn’t endure anymore. The other Blunder couldn’t last either once Ark started helping Ellain and Berad.
-Your level has risen!
That message appeared once they took care of 2 Blunder.
‘Oho! Finally! It is troublesome to take care of but the experience is good.’
He might have a lot of complaints but Ark actually liked the Blunder. Beating a level 200 monster gave him huge amounts of experience. They had caught 30 monsters during the 3 levels spent in the research centre yet he already levelled up. Naturally experience wasn’t the only thing it gave.
“How about it? What did it drop?”
Ark asked into the Nymphe after taking care of the Blunder. The research centre had a small hallway that split into two big ones. The hallway divided to the left and right at the entrance. Ark guessed the difficulty of the research centre so he split the team into two so they could capture both passages at the same time. That’s because there was a time limit of 2 days in this mission. Ark and the Royal Guards were one team while Kaya and Slayer’s group were the other one. Kaya sent a communication and her voice seemed dissatisfied.
-Chet, it came out again this time.
“I’m sorry but what can I do?”
Ark’s lips went up as he spoke.
-Mana Battery Pack
Item Type: For Mana Charging
A battery pack used to increase the mana charging rate of the Rama’s battle suit. If the battery pack is operated then the mana charging speed of the battle suit will increase. This effect only applies to the Rama’s battle suit.
<It will restore 1,000 mana within 30 minutes>
The ‘it’ that Kaya talked about was this battery pack! The reason for Ark’s smirk was because his Rama battle suit used mana. Apart from Melina and Park, the others all had federation battle suits. They recharged on mechanical energy not mana. And the current loot distribution of the party was the occupation had first priority! In other words, people who could use the item had priority. The Blunder didn’t only drop mana battery packs. The Blunder also dropped the ether battery packs for the mechanical battle suits.
The ratio was half and half. However the ether battery packs had to be divided between 5 people, including Kurakan, while Ark alone could monopolize the mana battery packs. So he had already gobbled up 4 mana battery packs! The battery pack was worth 10 gold so he had already packed 40 gold.
‘I don’t know why the Blunder only drops battery packs but……’
To Ark it was the perfect hunting ground! Of course he wasn’t just satisfied with the mana battery packs. This was a hidden laboratory on an abandoned planet so there should be more things he could obtain! These items couldn’t be everything.
‘Even if there isn’t any information on the magic camp or antimatter but there should be some special items hidden in the laboratory! I can smell the scent of a jackpot!’
Motivation gushed within him.
“Now let’s go to the next block!”
Ark grinned and walked along the passage.
Space 8
Operations Team
[TL] : For those who read the chapter early, I changed the name of the monster to Blunder.
————————–
Wiing! Wiiing!
The blue beams quickly crossed the room. Sparks flew as the trajectory of light hit the Blunder and its health dripped out. And the next moment a sword cut its neck. The Blunder grabbed its neck and struggled.
Kuaaaaaaah!
It fell down and died.
“Phew, this place has been put in order as well.”
Ark looked around while holding his sword. It had been several hours since they’ve entered the hallway. Ark’s party steadily moved on while fighting Blunders in every block and occasionally finding items before entering a large room. This place was filled with monsters. It wasn’t surprising that 4 Blunders ran up as they entered the room. However they had experience fighting dozens of Blunders on the way here. Ark’s group used that experience to quickly take care of the Blunders. The work after the battle ended was obvious.
“Milan, Hegel, thoroughly search the room for anything!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
“There are plenty of equipment in the room. The Blunder might also be hiding in a place we can’t see. Kurakan and Berad will keep watch while the others will search inside.
“Don’t worry!”
The members replied vigourously and scattered. Ark’s gaze turned towards the computers on one side of the room. There were dozens of monitors on the walk and a long desk with computers underneath. This clearly showed the purpose of the room.
‘There’s no doubt! This is the laboratory’s control room!’
Once again, the reason Ark had come to Impeltus was to find information related to ‘X’. And if he couldn’t find anything about ‘X’ then he should obtain a sample of Burahman ore. A secret laboratory was hidden in a place like this. It had been closed for a long time but things were still working.
‘And if this is the control room…..’
Data confirming the identity of the research centre might be left behind. The desk computers had been there for at least 10 years and most were badly damaged. Only 3 worked fine. All 3 turned on when he pressed the switch. A message appeared on the monitor.
-Please enter the password.
As expected, it wouldn’t be that easy. He connected the Nymphe to the computer.
-This door is protected with a security device.
Enter the security code or use Invaders to hack and release the lock. The password has a level 8 security rating. Your hacking skill is currently only Lv. 2 and you can only release level 1~6 locks.
<If you don’t know the password then try against after raising the level of your hacking skill>
“Hacking is always no use when it is needed.”
It was always a large difference. It was to the extent that he wanted to scream. But who could he blame? He was the one at fault for not diligently hacking. And in such situations the hacking skill wasn’t always necessary. Hacking was a 5 star rated skill. That meant it was a hard skill to learn. Of course, Ark wasn’t the only one in Galaxian who learnt hacking. There were other NPCs like Tori who could teach the hacking skill but it wasn’t common among users.
Information in Galaxian often had security devices attached to them. Not many users knew hacking so they wouldn’t be able to obtain such information. The law in a game was that if there was a problem then the answer would be hidden not far away. And Ark had already secured the answer before arriving at the control room.
-Hey Ark, I picked up some papers in a corner of this room. It says something about the control room that I don’t understand and a password is recorded underneath. I thought I would send a message to you just in case.
Kaya who had been moving on the opposite side sent him a communication. In fact this was normal. They swept through every corner of the laboratory and found a password. And it was information needed for the control room. This was the original method to capture the secret laboratory. Hacking was just one of several options that could be used to solve the problem. There was no need to waste time!
-******.
-The password has been confirmed.
-The security device has been released.
-The administrator account has connected to the central database.
“Bingo!”
Ark smiled and muttered. As expected, the message that Kaya sent was the password to the control room computers! Several data items were marked once the database was connected. Among them was an item marked ‘Impeltus’ Laboratory.’
“Shall I check out the identity of this facility?”
He chose the item and a large amount of information appeared on the monitor. The first thing that caught his eye was a map of the laboratory. Ark had noticed it already after spending several hours in this place but the laboratory was basically a tube-like structure. Two passages moved to the left and right in a circular pattern at the entrance but the eventually connected to one central passage.
“It isn’t as big as I thought.”
Most of the time was spent in combat and resting. They spent quite a bit of time exploring the small passage but the central passage was only 200 metres.
“The entrance was the 6 o’clock and we’ll meet Kaya’s group at the 12 o’clock position. And the control room is in the 1 o’clock location. If Kaya’s group progressed at a similar pace then we should’ve investigated 80~90% of the laboratory. Well time is limited so this is suitable for me……”
Ark’s eyes turned to the letters underneath the map.
-Impeltus’ Secret Laboratory-
A secret laboratory created by the galactic federation’s Operations Team. This main focus was the study and adaptation of the Rama’s Drones to humans. The Rama’s battle suit and its mechanism to increase the body’s abilities will be studied to create battle suits for humans…..
“Operations Team?”
It was a name he had heard before. It was when he had finished the R-14 tutorial and moved to Istana for the first time. The history of the federation was explained to Ark. It was 100 years ago in the mid-23rd century. The galactic federation that had just entered the universe was attacked by the Rama. The Rama were several hundred years more advanced so humanity was on the brink of extinction. Then the Operations Team appeared!
They were led by the genius scientist Lucian and the best scientists of humanity. Not only did they develop something to adapt to the space environment, the body coating technique was created to that they could exert a level of force equal to the Rama. Humanity stepped away from the brink of destruction and grew to match the Rama and Aschulat…..that was the explanation.
“Then this laboratory is affiliated with the federation?”
Ark made a disappointed expression. If this laboratory belonged to the federation then it wasn’t associated with the investigation. However Ark was interested in the reason why the laboratory was established. He didn’t know why the federation abandoned this laboratory but……
‘Battle suit!’
They were researching battle suits here! It was the Rama’s battle study they were studying.
‘Maybe I can obtain some useful information related to the Rama battle suit!’
Ark started to earnestly review the data on the computer. And he was able to find some material.
-# Senior Researcher’s Report ~01
I participated in the Operations Team led by Lucian decades ago.
After constant research, we found a way to extract DNA from extra-terrestrial life and fuse it with human DNA. The body synthesized the alien genes and allowed humans to adapt to any environment. This technique was called body coating. However, this body coating technology was limited when dealing with the Rama.
That’s because the Rama enhanced their body with the ‘battle suit.’ The battle suit strengthens the body’s capabilities by 100% like body coating. No, it expresses it even more than that. The Rama wearing battle suits can overwhelm humans in all environments.
Thus the next challenge of the Operations Team was to research the Drones that make the Rama’s battle suits. In order to develop battle suits for humans…..
-# Senior Researcher’s Report ~06
I finally succeeded in making a synthetic Drone battle suit for humans. The root of the Drone battle suit is mana. It allowed a human to absorb and use mana like the Rama. In addition, the battle suits places a significant burden on the human body that it can’t withstand.
Although research suggests that humans enhanced with body coating might be able to endure it. But a problem was found.
Humans weren’t capable of fully using the capabilities of the battle suit. The reason seems to be the innate qualities. The Rama have been handling the Drones who were mana creatures since birth so they were perfectly assimilated with mana. Of course, it also depends on the type of body coating that humans select. But the human body was a far distance from being able to fully use mana. The differences in physical characteristics and abilities presented an obstacle to using the battle suit.
While a human could use the battle suit, their basic capabilities weren’t as enhanced when the Rama used it. This effect showed a clear difference in practice tests. The researchers embarked on a study to rearrange the genes into a perfect combination to complement for these problems.
‘What does this mean?’
Ark’s eyes narrowed like a hawk.
‘Humans can’t exert 100% of the Rama battle suit?’
Ark never had such thoughts until now. No, he had been completely satisfied. He had obtained the battle suit by chance but the performance hadn’t varied that much from the federation’s battle suit. Well, it was a Rama battle suit so he was uncomfortable using it in front of the federation. But when considering that a battle suit was worth 1,000 gold, he thought it was worth the inconvenience. And he even raised the level of his battle suit last time. Yet now it was saying the Rama battle suit wasn’t appropriate for humans?
Of course, the Operations Team had done the research 100 years ago. Circumstances now could be different from back then. But there was something wrong now that he thought about it. The battle suit was a technology that strengthened the body coating ability as while as enhanced his physical capabilities.
‘There is a strange part.’
Ark had struggled against users wearing the battle suit. Valencia who represented the galactic federation. The Red Slaughterer who was a Rama. Ark had received a slightly strange feeling then. Valencia and the Red Slaughterer had a surge in damage and skill effect after wearing their battle suits. That’s why Ark had a hard time against the Red Slaughterer on Athamas. At the time he thought that their abilities had risen by a similar amount but blamed their different skills…..
‘Doesn’t the battle suit strengthen skills?’
He hadn’t known there was another problem! Other humans from the federation also used a Rama battle suit. They probably also didn’t know a penalty was applied. No, Ark hadn’t seen the effect of his skills rise so he definitely received a penalty.
‘Dammit, I thought I got something for free but it was a trap! No, something…..yes, there has to be something. This is what the laboratory was studying. So!’
Ark quickly went through the rest of the papers. He read a few more chapters!
-# Senior Researcher’s Report ~11
A terrible thing happened.
The attempt to perfectly rearrange and combine the human genes with the Drone has failed. There have been some successful cases but that is only 2% of the subjects. The remaining subjects had changed into hideous monsters. The team came to the conclusion that a perfect combination with the Drone genes can’t be created. The DNA from the alien life form is stronger than the human body so humans can’t perfectly use the Drone battle suits.
Fortunately I received a message that the laboratory dedicated to developing battle suits for humans had good results. Human DNA is combined with cultivated alien embryo cells to form a mechanical type battle suit. It is still in the test phase but one day it will have the power to match the Rama battle suits.
But the federation has already been cornered and can’t wait until that time. Even if the success rate is only 2%, if this laboratory becomes known that they will clearly force the experiment and cause numerous victims. So I’m going to join the human battle suit team and will seal this laboratory forever. Along with the victims called Blunder that I produced.
If someone finds the laboratory then I can only hope that someone developed more advanced body coating technology in the future……
‘There is a way!’
His eyes flashed at the contents. This research centre had developed a perfect way to combine human DNA and the Rama’s battle suit. Of course, the success rate was only 2%. The remaining 98% had their DNA eroded and turned into terrible monsters. The Blunder were these poor subjects! Ark had killed a lot of these terrifying monsters. It was also why the Blunder dropped incessant amounts of battery packs.
‘But that was when body coating technology was just developing. It has been more than 100 years now. And I received the 3rd generation body coating. Like it was stated in the report, the body coating has advanced many generations!’
That meant the probability of success was higher! No, the success probability didn’t matter. How could a user turn into a Blunder and wander around forever? If it failed then some penalty would probably be applied. But if it succeeded than his Lv. 2 battle suit could exert 100% of its power. Ark wasn’t the type to miss this opportunity. Ark quickly returned to the map and looked it over. There was a large room attached to the laboratory facilities at 12 o’clock.
“Here! The central laboratory!”
Just as Ark was shouting powerfully.
–Ark, a raid!
The Nymphe vibrated and Slayer’s voice emerged. The moment Ark raised his head!
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
An explosion shook his eardrums. He flinched and turned to the control room entrance that was shrouded in black smoke.
“What’s going on?”
“I-I don’t know! A grenade suddenly came flying!”
Kurakan coughed and replied from the distance.
“Grenade?”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bewilderment spread on Ark’s face at the subsequent gunfire. The laboratory had been sealed for 100 years so the only ones present were the genetically engineered Blunder. And there were grenades and guns in the laboratory but the Blunder didn’t have the intelligence to deal with them. The only thing he could think of was a 3rd presence!
‘The federation aren’t the only ones looking for information about the magic circle and antimatter. The Rama and Aschulat are also looking for intelligence. The Aschulat are allies of the galactic federation. Even if the destination accidentally coincided, there is a low probability that they will attack. Then it must be the Rama! No way….did the Rama’s intelligence find out about this laboratory?’
That idea popped into his head. It didn’t matter who the opponent was. They had already started to attack. They were the enemy!
“Royal Guards, gather at the entrance to respond to the enemy!”
Ark ran to the entrance with the members. Kurakan and Kalliben were returning fire on both sides of the entrance. But the hail of bullets from outside was no joke. Dozens of bullets that caused flames were slamming into the metal wall. The soldiers near the entrance were wearing thick black armour, a black helmet and holding a gun and shield. There were at least 20 people!
‘If we wait here then we’ll be trapped!’
Ark’s DNA was trained to grasp battle situations quickly. Ark pulled out his sword and shouted.
“Hegel, smoke bombs!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
Hegel quickly pulled out a few smoke bombs from his bag. The narrow passage was filled with thick smoke! At the same time, Ark ran into the passage while swinging his lightsaber.
“Sword Defense!”
His lightsaber warped the orbit of the bullets with its electromagnetic influence and the bullets hit the wall and ground. Ark’s body ran across the passage.
“Welcome to the alter ego!”
His body divided into 5 parts! The 5 Arks rushed forward like a storm and harassed the enemy.
“This guy is using a strange technique to rush!”
“There’s no need to panic! It isn’t anything but an illusion! Make a beehive!”
“Join your shields together to make a barrier and concentrate on shooting!”
The gap between shields narrowed while the gun muzzles appeared on top. A continuous shower of bullets! 3 alter egos instantly disappeared as bullets filled the passage. However the Royal Guards weren’t just watching.
“Cover Hyung-nim!”
“Waaaaah! Take this! Kurakan’s M-620!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Kurakan jumped out after Ark and blindly fired his machine gun. Cupa and Hedro who were troopers also started shooting! There was a ringing sound as bullets hit the shield before 1 shield warrior started to withdraw from the pressure.
Tutung!
Kalliben then fired his rifle. Kalliben and Beleol were Dark Eden’s snipers. And Kalliben was an Unkara so his 3rd eye meant his marksmanship was unparalleled. The bullet shot through a 5 cm gap and hit an enemy’s ankle. The enemy stumbled and there was a gap in the shield wall. Ark didn’t miss that gap!
“Mind Shield!”
-The Mind Shield has been activated.
<A shield with 362 durability will be created around the body……>
“Shield Emission!”
He fired another skill before the information window even popped up! The shield surrounding Ark shattered and the fragments blew in all directions. It was a narrow passage so the explosion was like a claymore as the 20 opponents stumbled in unison.
‘I need to inflict a lot of damage in a short amount of time!’
Wiing! Wiiing! Seokeok!
Ark was like a wolf among a flock of sheep. His sword rotated in an infinite trajectory and red blood gushed out afterwards. This was the vulnerability of gun troopers. They had tremendous power when concentrating their shooting but they were helpless once the barrier was surpassed.
‘That’s it! I’ve caught them!’
“Withdraw!”
Then a yell was heard from the front. At the same time, one person flew forward. He was holding a blue lightsaber in his hand!
‘……A fighter!’
Ark quickly rotated his body while swinging his sword. Then the man bent his upper body. Sleek and light actions! He wasn’t an easy opponent. Ark was just thinking that when the sword aimed at Ark’s jaw. It was irregular but the fundamentals of his sword mastery were present! Ark bent backwards as the electromagnetic light swept past the tip of his nose. The lightsaber then started to fall like lightning. Ark quickly regained his balance and raised his sword.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
Sparks flew as the two lightsabers clashed. He finally saw the man’s face because of the light. However a black shield was covering it like the others so his face couldn’t be confirmed. He also couldn’t see the name with Clairvoyance. They must be wearing the Hyde Helmet that had the function to hide the wearer’s identity. That meant these guys needed to hide their identity!
“You, who are you?”
“The enemy!”
The man replied and pushed Ark harder with his sword. It wasn’t the answer he desired but he wasn’t actually interested. The important thing was that Ark was now surrounded by 20 enemies.
‘I wanted to confuse the enemy so that the members could sneak out of the control room but……’
His attack had been blocked by those guys who appeared. Now the Royal Guards couldn’t move from the control room. Partly because of the cover fire from the enemy and party because they were confused by Ark’s sudden rush. Ark had crossed into enemy territory in order to confuse them but now he was surrounded by enemies.
‘It will be difficult to confuse them anymore now that my attacks were stopped. If I delay anymore then it will become difficult! I need to withdraw before they regroup!’
He came to the conclusion that there was no more need to hesitate.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style!”
Ark shouted as he wielded his lightsaber. And the moment Khafra Fencing was about to be activated!
“Go! Galaxian S……”
Clink!
The lightsaber Ark was holding fell to the ground. Ark looked at his hand with confusion as a situation he hadn’t thought possible occurred. His hand was sharp and covered in a hard keratin. At the same time he felt a burning sensation and his eye level started to lower.
“U-unbelievable! N-no!”
Ark burst out with disbelief. He looked like a spider monster. Ark had once again turned into a Myutal. Now when he was surrounded by enemies! Now when he needed to keep them in check! Why now? Ark hurriedly moved his arms despite his confusion but it was difficult to even pick up his sword. Let along fight the crowd! Impossible! Impossible!
“Heh, you still look like that?”
The man holding his sword muttered with a smile.
Ark’s head shot up.
‘What? Still? Then this guy has seen me change into a Myutal Before?’
“I went through a lot of preparations to kill you. Yet you’re in this disgraceful form. All that sweat I shed in the meantime was wasted. But now you can’t use the skills you’re so proficient in. Unfortunately it can’t be helped.”
“W-wait a minute! Time! Time! Didn’t you prepare to kill me? Who are you? Do I know you? No, it doesn’t matter. Won’t you regret it if all your preparation ended like this? So wait a while! This will be released soon! We’ll fight then!”
“I won’t listen to your words anymore!”
The man replied in a harsh voice and strode closer. He furiously aimed his sword at the shouting Ark. No, the moment it was about to hit! A blue sword suddenly shot up.
“Eh! What is this?”
The man jumped back. The lightsaber had suddenly floated upwards!
‘Che! I missed!’
Ark clicked his tongue as he looked at the lightsaber floating in mid-air. This wasn’t the first time Ark had changed into a Myutal. The duration differed but Ark had transformed three times after arriving on Impeltus. Normally he had to withdraw to the back. He could only watch the fights. So Ark thought about it. He had to do something. Then the Psychokinesis skill popped into his head. Xanax had stored the skill in the memory of the Elim’s Helmet.
‘Will Psychokinesis allow me to use a sword in this state?’
At first it was half a joke. So far Ark had just used Psychokinesis to pick up stuff from the ground. He didn’t think the power would be able to properly move a sword. However it was surprisingly easy to control the lightsaber with his mind. Of course it was impossible to do fine movements like when held in his hand but he could do simple attacks. The lightsaber had fallen to the ground and he made it fly up with his mind!
“Hahaha! This is swordplay!”
Ark shouted as he energetically lifted his front leg. The sword soared upwards but sharply changing directions. Like Ark said, this was swordplay! He was controlling the sword!
……That’s what it looked like. The man moved his upper body to avoid Ark’s sudden attack and ended up losing his balance. It would be impossible for him to move the descending lightsaber. Just as the lightsaber was about to hit the man!
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Three shots rang out from behind the man. The lightsaber was struck three times and fell to the ground. The bullet had hit his lightsaber handle and was followed by two more in the exact same spot! Ark stared with surprised eyes at the unimaginable marksmanship.
“It will be a problem if you’re careless. You should know the opponent’s nature.”
A man holding a pistol approached.
‘What the hell? That bastard? There isn’t just one tough guy but two!’
The man with a sword approached again.
“You dare!”
“Dammit! Eat this! Ink Jet! Ink Jet! Ink Jet!”
Ark jumped and yelled!
Ssik! Ssik! Ssik!
The Charenjok’s Token attached to his head continuously spewed ink. It covered the face of the man approaching! And the remaining enemy gathered around! Once they were covered n black ink, Ark immediately turned and ran.
“Kuack! T-that guy! Shoot! Kill him!”
The enemy lifted their guns at the command.
“Ha! You should check your feet first. Psychokinesis! The sword!”
The blue lightsaber shot up from the enemy’s foot! The sword controlled by Psychokinesis spun like a spin top among the enemy. And blood gushed in every direction! The lightsaber flew like a boomerang among the enemies before flying back into Ark’s bag.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Meanwhile a gunfight was occurring between the enemy troops and the Royal Guards in the control room. Ark’s eight legs worked diligently as he ran past the control room and shouted.
“Now! We’re getting out of here!”
“Understood! Hegel, Milan, block them with grenades!”
Dok. Dok. Dok.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The grenades rolled along the ground and exploded in front of the enemy. A shield barrier was created so it didn’t do a lot of damage. However the enemy were pushed back by the explosion and the Royal Guards managed to break out of the control room to follow Ark. Ark turned the corner and called Slayer while running.
“Slayer, what is the situation over there?”
–Damn, it is crazy! How are these bastards?
“I don’t know! Now what is the situation?”
–There are too many of them. We’re currently in a room but they’ve set up a roadblock in a narrow passage and are shooting at us.
“There are 20~30 people attacking our group. If those guys join up then either situation will become more difficult. So escape from that place! If you move a little further along the passage then there are multiple small passages. I’ll send the members to join you and then set up a line of defense. We’ll decide what to do after that!”
–What are you saying? We’re not taking a break! We’re trapped!
“That’s why I’m telling you to escape!”
Ark yelled and broke off the communication. Then he looked at Kurakan and the members before saying.
“Did you hear? Run along this passage and turn left when the path splits in 3 ways and you’ll meet up with Slayer. Report back to me after you join Slayer.”
“You mean just us?”
“I still have something to do.”
Ark said as he headed to another passage. There were the enemies in the control room and the enemy attacking Slayer. That meant there was a minimum of 50~60 people. Ark had also been stopped by the swordsman and gunner. If there was someone similar attacking Slayer then he couldn’t ignore the power of these guys. It was the minimum power needed to capture them. There was still the possibility of more people that hadn’t been confirmed.
‘The power of our team isn’t enough to overtake them. There might be additional troops so it would be suicide to fight blindly. There is no place to escape inside the laboratory. It is better to join up with Slayer while these guys were separated and then escape from the laboratory. If we go outside then there is a chance to counterattack and we can get on the Silver Star to escape from Impeltus.’
The problem was that the laboratory was controlled by them. The laboratory also had equipment to enable a human to use 100% of a Rama battle suit. But there was no guarantee such equipment would be left if the enemy obtained the laboratory. No, there was no guarantee he could come back again.
‘Now! If I don’t do it now then I might not get another chance! When thinking about the usefulness of a battle suit, I can’t lose this opportunity. I have to receive the genetic adjustment even if it means dying!
Of course, he hadn’t registered with the Fairy so the genetic adjustment would likely be cancelled if he died. But even if it was cancelled, he couldn’t give up this chance. He wouldn’t give up until the end! Ark had already decided his course. There was another reason he was going alone.
“Those guys are blocked but not much distance separates us. They might catch up if we stick together. If we join up with Slayer then we will be subjected to their combined attacks. So it is better to disperse their power.”
“Hyung-nim intends to lure them alone?”
“I’m the right person.”
“Then I’ll follow!”
Ellain ran forward with his sword. But Ellain was the one person he couldn’t take. All of the members except for Ellain were pioneers. And they registered with the Fairy before leaving Turan. In other words, if they died here than they could just revive in Turan. That was why a NPC with the immortality of a user would receive the best treatment. However Ellain wasn’t a pioneer. If he died it was the end. GAME OVER! In the worst case scenario, Ark was prepared for death. The only thing Ark wouldn’t risk was losing Ellain. But Ellain considered Ark as God’s Messenger so he would follow Ark to his death! So Ark grabbed Ellain’s shoulder and said.
“I know your heart! And I know that you are a Kusan warrior not afraid of death! So you can’t come with me. I cherish the lives of my colleagues here like Kurakan and Milan more than my own. I am entrusting the lives of my brothers to the Kusan’s strongest warrior.”
“Hyung-nim!”
“Ugh! I didn’t know you thought so much of us!”
Tears fell from the eyes of Kurakan and the Royal Guards. Ellain was also the same. Ark thinking of his brothers touched his heard! He was once again impressed and trusted in Ark even more! He looked at Ark with 2 red eyes shining with respect. Then he nodded.
“I understand! I will finish my job even if my brother is torn apart!”
“Thank you. But you are also a dear colleague of mine. The person you have to take care of the most is yourself!”
“Ugh! To speak such words……”
Ark’s sincerity (?) impacted on the Kusan’s strongest warrior.
-Ellain’s loyalty has increased by 200.
-Berad’s loyalty has increased by 200……
The other members’ loyalty also increased! But there was no time to look at it individually. It wasn’t the time to be playing around.
“If you understand then hurry! Join Slayer and wait for my orders.”
“Understood! Let’s go!”
Kurakan and Ellain ran in the front.
‘When considering the various contexts, the probably of genetic adjustment succeeding is high but not 100%. I also don’t know what will happen to genetic adjustment because of the Myutal genes. So far it takes me 30 minutes to 1 hour before I transform. back. I have to attract those guys and buy some time. Then…..’
“Ink Jet!”
Ark fired the Ink Jet again. And he ran in the opposite direction immediately afterwards. The enemy soon gathered there.
————————–
“How obvious.”
The man smiled as he looked at the ink marks.
“Is he planning to disperse our power? Indeed, that is the best method right now. Although this obvious attempt…..won’t fool me. Anyway, my goal is Ark. Hey, you! Take soldiers and continue chasing after them. I will take 2 people and follow Ark.”
“No, I’m going with you.”
The gunner shook his head and said. He looked at the gunner for a moment before nodding.
“Yes, your goal was also Ark. Okay. It can’t just be my desire fulfilled. But Ark is my prey. If you don’t follow my orders then there will be trouble.
“I promise.”
“Then you over there, take the remaining soldiers and chase them.”
The soldier who received the order nodded and led the troops. The man took two soldiers and the gunner and started to follow the ink marks.
————————–
“That’s why I’m telling you to escape!”
Slayer looked at Kaya after hearing the words and said.
“……That’s what Ark commanded.”
“Damn, he says it like it is easy. He doesn’t know the situation here.”
Park peeked over the wall and frowned.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Pepeng! Pepeng!
Hundreds of bullets were relentlessly hitting the wall. Sometimes a grenade was thrown! The enemy had suddenly appeared while Slayer’s group was investigating the laboratory at the end of a narrow corridor. They covered the narrow passage with a shield wall so it wasn’t easy to counterattack. Therefore Slayer’s group had been stuck for 20 minutes.
“Don’t you think it is as easy as Ark said?”
Sadain suddenly replied to Park’s words.
“We heard an explosion on the other end the first time Slayer contacted Ark’s Nymphe. That means they were attacked around the same time. There should be 20~30 there as well. But Ark has already escaped unlike us. We have more troops while Ark only has Kurakan and NPCs.”
“Well that……”
“Aren’t we strong users?”
Sadain spoke in a low voice while raising his body. He placed the spear on his shoulder and smiled as he spoke.
“I’m going now. I might be hit with bullets but hiding in a place like this doesn’t agree with me. Above all, I don’t want to hear that we’re worse than NPCs.”
“I agree.”
Kaya and Park also nodded and rose.
“We can’t sit here forever.”
“That’s right. Then shall we loosen our bodies a bit? Leon. Melina-nim.”
“Yes, leave the healing to me!”
Slayer, Leon and Melina also vigourously nodded. Then one soldier among the group at the barricade lifted a hand grenade. Kaya noticed it and stretched her arms out towards the door.
“DNA transformation! Become a dog!”
“Huk! What, what the? My hair and body, why……Bark! Bark!”
The soldier about to throw a grenade had turned into a dog. At the same time the grenade fell to the ground!
“Heok! Y-you stupid bastard! The damage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
An explosion occurred behind the shield barrier. Then the enemies started aiming their machine guns at Kaya. Hundreds of bullets burst from the machine guns and were about to hit Kaya’s body!
“Iron Wall Defense!”
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Slayer stopped it with his steel shield!
“Dammit! Troopers! Blow them up at once with RPGs!”
“You fools, do you think we will just wait and let you shoot us?”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
A blue light it the muzzle. It was Leon’s rail gun! The bullets were accelerated with electronic power so it quickly crossed the place into a trooper’s forehead. The trooper stiffened and collapsed to the ground.
“Now! Kum, defense mode and charge! Car, after Kum!”
At the same time, 2 autobots rushed into the hallway. And the next moment!
“Yes, we can do it. Armour armament!”
The one rushing towards the enemy troops was Sadain! A metal sphere rose from his bag, rotated complicatedly and unfolded. The metal sphere opened into a battle suit! The battle suit wrapped around Sadain’s body as his sphere fell towards enemy lines.
“I’m armed. Lightning Spear!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Pajijiji!
Sparks flew up as there was a roaring sound.
————————–
“It is the same here.”
Hundreds of meters from that passage. A man in a black helmet inspected the thick smoke and muttered.
“This isn’t simply a smoke screen to hide his appearance. It also prevents us from looking at the surrounding terrain. And we are going round in circles.”
The man laughed.
“You seem to be enjoying his reactions.”
The gunner stated calmly
“Isn’t it interesting? This is still a game. And a game is for fun. One way to enjoy a game is revenge. Simply killing him is too impractical. Shouldn’t you enjoy the process as much as possible?”
“How ridiculous.”
The gunner retorted.
“Revenge is revenge. The results aren’t important. But I agree with one thing. Simply killing him is too impractical. It is important to kill but it is also important to think of ‘I, myself.’ We’ll talk after we catch him.”
Then he looked back at the waiting soldiers and commanded.
“The crossroad in the passage only has 3 options. So we will each take one passage and narrow the encirclement. You saw it, he is strong. Now he is a spider monster because of the Mix-up side effect but he is still cunning. In addition, the side-up might be released by the time we find him so be prepared to fight. If you find him then report to me.”
“Understood!”
The soldiers replied and ran forward. The gunner also moved through a passage. 20 minutes after breaking through the smoke screen and slowly encircling Ark.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Shots were heard from a place not far away.
‘That is the sound of his pistol! Did he meet Ark first? Sheesh, I guess I better hurry.’
The man bit his lips and started to dash through the smoke screen. Suddenly his eyes noticed a hazy shape within the smoke. And gunshots were heard from behind! Confidence started to form in the man’s eyes.
‘…..That guy!’
“Peyital Blade!”
The sword shone in his hand.
Space 9
Raiders!
Pajik!
There was a sharp sound and a crack spread on the crystal at his wrist. The message window flashed in front of Ark.
-The Baius Golem has been attacked by the enemy and destroyed!
<The Baius Golem has taken a hit over its limit and is using the energy of the shield for self-recovery.
Therefore the shield won’t work for the 24 hours required to completely revive the golem>
‘Sheesh that Bao brat, he’s gone already?’
Ark frowned with irritation. The room Ark was currently in was filled with various research equipment. He was inside a glass tube that occupied the centre of the room. The clear glass tube was filled with a yellow liquid that had air bubbles rising to the top. This glass tube was the gene sync system! It was the equipment to activate human genes that could work with the Drones.
In fact, it had been 20 minutes since Ark separated from the Royal Guards and he had already changed back from a Myutal. And he stored the map he found in the control room so it wasn’t a problem to visit the Central Laboratory. But there was a risk of detection from the guys chasing him if he went directly to the Central Laboratory.
‘Then this guy!’
The ridiculous Baius Golem had emerged! He abbreviated it to Bao. However his combat level was still low so it was impossible for the golem to take care of them. He filled a narrow passage with Ink Jet and smoke bombs then gave orders to Bao.
“Run Bao! Round and round! Go around without stopping! Round and round!”
He flew around the complicated passages while filling it with smoke bombs. After the pursuers followed the ink marks left behind by Bao, Ark managed to sneak to the Central Laboratory. And he just received news that Bao had been killed in battle. However Ark had no intention of showing sorrow.
‘Dammit, so fast!’
There was a part Ark hadn’t considered. Once he selected the Slayer boating coating, the process was completed immediately. And according to the researcher’s report, the gene rearrangement was based on body coating technology. Ark thought he could finish it as soon as he arrived at the Central Laboratory and then would join up with his team. Ark hadn’t considered that the technology was created more than 100 years ago!
Body coating was just created then. Rearranging genes used that body coating technology. It was impossible for the technology to stand up to the one used to give Ark his 3rd generation body coating. This process would take 30 minutes! Bao had only lasted 5 minutes!
-Your genes will be rearranged to synchronize with the Drones.
<Time remaining: 24 mins 45 secs……24 mins 30 secs……>
There was still 25 minutes left until completion.
‘Bao is dead and the path to the Central Laboratory isn’t that complex. And Slayer’s group is fighting the enemies on the other side of the central passage. If they start searching then it won’t be difficult to find this laboratory. If they travel in a straight line then it will just take 2~3 minutes. Now I have to believe in those guys out there?’
Ark had used Stealth mode to move to the Central Laboratory. It wasn’t because of the enemies. Ark’s former enemies the Blunder had showed up. Those guys were close to the Central Laboratory so Ark avoided them using Stealth. Now he had to rely on them to stop the chasers.
Tong! Kang! Peng!
Then a lot of noise was heard from a distance. Ark narrowed his eyes from inside the glass tube.
‘They came! Those guys have started to move here!’
The noise he heard was the chasers competing with the Blunder. Currently Ark couldn’t move until the process was complete. If they arrived before it finished then it was GAME OVER. Therefore Ark was praying that the Blunder would hold up the chasers for as long as possible.
Tong! Kang! Peng!
‘Hold! Exert yourselves! You guys can do it!’
And he cheered on the Blunder.
Tong! Kang! Peng!
‘Damn, why are they so fast? Have they come already?’
He trembled anxiously as he heard signs of them approaching.
Tong! Kang! Peng!
‘Eh? What? These bastards! The battle just ended and they’re moving on already? Are they using potions? Drugs? A young person shouldn’t rely on drugs! Don’t throw away your body! You should rest slowly!’
He sometimes worried (?) about the bodies of the pursuers.
<Time remaining: 1 min…..59 secs…..58 secs……>
‘That’s it! There’s only 1 minute left!’
Ark clenched his fist together. The noise on the other side of the door seemed to stop for a while…..
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a ringing sound and the tempered glass of the laboratory door shattered. Four people entered the laboratory through the scattered glass.
‘Oh my god! They’re here!’
“Ark, I finally found you!”
The one in the lead was the man wearing a black helmet and holding a sword! The gunner followed him along with two soldiers holding a machine gun and RPG. Their eyes surveyed the laboratory for a while before reaching the glass tube in the centre. They were puzzled at the sight of Ark floating in the yellow liquid.
“I don’t know what you’re doing but this is the end. Come out Ark!”
‘Damn! Do you think I would stay in here if I could get out?’
“If you don’t come out…..”
The swordsman turned his head and slightly lifted his arm. The black helmeted soldier standing in the doorway lifted a RPG. Ark hurriedly waved his arms. And he started to twist his body.
‘Wait a minute! This bastard, didn’t you want to fight me? Okay! I’ll do it! But I’m slightly stuck now. So please wait a moment! You must have a busy mind. Sit there and rest a little bit. You can go to the bathroom if needed. Or maybe smoke a cigarette? You trained for a fight so it would be a shame to end it like this. Only 1 minute! Wait 1 minute!’
That was the meaning of his body language. However…..
“Are you playing with me?”
……It didn’t work. That guy wouldn’t wait patiently just because Ark told him so.
“If you don’t come out then I’ll be forced to pull you out.”
The swordsman muttered with a cold voice and the soldier with the RPG stepped forward. And he pulled the trigger towards the glass tube!
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Flames soared and the glass tube crumbled.
—————————-
“Slayer-nim!”
A yell was heard from the hallway beyond them. 10 people came running towards Slayer. It was Kurakan, Ellain and the employees of Dark Eden.
“You’re safe.”
“Heh, this much is nothing.”
Slayer smiled and replied. But he was saying that while looking all shabby. His shield and armour were crumpled, blackened soot smeared his face and there were scratches from bullets grazing past. He wasn’t the only one. Leon, Melina, Kaya and Park were all in a similar condition. They were like soldiers who had been injured on the battlefield. No, it was right after exiting the battlefield. Just now they had fought a fierce battle against 30 black helmeted warriors. The result was Slayer’s landslide victory…..that wasn’t true but they still won. Slayer’s group had fought the enemy for 30 minutes but the black helmets retreated after half of them died. Meanwhile Slayer had moved to the place Ark designated and met up with the Royal Guards.
“What about Ark-nim?”
Melina who was looking at the crew asked. The members flinched and replied with tears in their eyes.
“Hyung-nim said he had something to do alone and left separately.”
“Left separately?”
“Yes.”
“What stupid thing…..”
“It is because of us! Hyung-nim said he had something to do but he actually left in order to give us time to get away. Hyung-nim…..Hyung-nim…..”
“Of course Ark-nim did that.”
Melina sighed and nodded.
“It’s just like when the Kero attacked Mt. Fargo. Ark neglected to take care of his own body while desperately trying to save others. Ark-nim is like that.”
“That’s right! Hyung-nim is such a person!”
The members furiously nodded their heads. Kaya’s group listened to the Royal Guards with their expressions asking ‘Was Ark such a character?’ but they left it alone. Sadain who had recovered his breath started to talk.
“So? Where is Ark now?”
“I don’t know. Hyung-nim entered a complicated passageway and we were being pursued so there was no time to contact him. And Hyung-nim said to contact him after joining up with you.”
“Then do it now.”
Sadain said to Slayer. Then Slayer operated his Nymphe and called Ark.
“Ahh! Ahh! Ark, this is Slayer! Ark, over! Ark! You’re not answering?”
“He might be busy or…..”
Sadain murmured in an uneasy voice. Then a crackling noise appeared over Slayer’s Nymphe.
–Did you join with the members?
“A-Ark!”
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim is alive!”
The members stirred up after hearing Ark’s voice.
–Focus your strengths on the ones pursuing the members. There are presently 25 members in the chasing team. The Commander is among the members I’m taking care of so you should be able to deal with them. But there is no guarantee they will be the only ones attacking. The main force of the enemy is likely to be gathered at the 2 pronged path at the entrance. So rest after taking care of the guys chasing you and recover your maximum health. I…..am coming soon.
—————————-
“U-unbelievable…..”
The swordsman muttered in a confused voice. The RPG had smashed the glass tube Ark had been in. However he hadn’t intended the RPG to kill Ark. No, he didn’t think it was enough to kill Ark. He knew that Ark was like a cockroach. If Ark was someone who couldn’t deal with a RPG then he wouldn’t be burning with vengeance like this. The RPG was just intended to shatter the glass tube.
The swordsman thought that Ark wouldn’t allow the shell to hit the glass tube. And his posture was prepared for an attack. But unlike his expectation, Ark had just continued struggling inside the tube until it was directly hit. And it exploded!
“What, what the? Why did this bastard?”
In fact, the swordsman was the one who panicked the most. He had sweated for a long time in order to get revenge on Ark. This time he even violated a command from above in order to gamble on getting his revenge. Yet what was the point if Ark died from one RPG? But it was afterwards that made him more confused.
“Gone! He’s gone!”
He was looking at the wreckage of the glass tube. Even if he wasn’t alive, there should at least be a dead body. However there weren’t any traces of Ark at all.
“No, it is impossible for him to disappear. He is obviously somewhere here……”
The man approached the wreckage of the glass tube before stopping. The blast had caused the yellow liquid to flow onto the floor. There was also an unidentified red slime. And the moment he narrowed his eyes at the slime!
Wiing!
A blue flash suddenly rose in front of him. The man reflexively avoided it and retreated several steps. He clutched his sword when he heard a noise.
“Sheesh, it was a little short.”
It was Ark!
‘It was worth all that changing into a Myutal.’
That’s how Ark was able to avoid the RPG attack. Once again, Ark had obtained the side effect thanks to Mix-up. Mix-up decreased intelligence by 10 and increase stamina by 30. His 2 star Withdrawal skill also evolved one step higher to Hide. Ark had used Hide the moment the shell hit the glass tube. The Hide technique scattered a red slime on the ground like the Myutal he fought on Rakunka! Well, he was hit by the shell so he ended up damaged but the shell had hit the glass first. Fortunately Ark hid himself in the ground so he received almost no damage.
‘Sheesh, how tenacious. I hoped they would leave…..’
In fact, Ark had wanted to wait until they left. However the man had detected the red slime and was about to check it. It was only a matter of time until that guy stabbed it with his lightsaber. So he tried a surprise attack but it didn’t connect.
‘Damn, he dodged it. I thought it before but he definitely isn’t an ordinary guy. Furthermore, there are 3 more people. I don’t know the other two but that guy is the shooter! He also isn’t ordinary. The swordsman and gunner are formidable. And the other two as well. It is impossible to take care of all of them at once.’
While Ark was busy thinking. The man spoke in a low voice.
“As expected, you’re alive.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t die like you hoped.”
“You’re welcome. If you died this easy then I would be in trouble. No, don’t die so easily. The humiliation I received from you! I will make you feel the same shame.”
“I don’t know what humiliation you received……”
Ark looked at the swordsman and laughed.
“You’re only this smug because of the number of people behind you. If I was in your position then I wouldn’t be able to clap about it. I guess the only thing you can do when someone is stronger than you is to throw more people at them. Well! It’s a very excellent choice. That’s right. That is the only way for a person like you to win. Although I don’t know if I will feel humiliation.”
“You’re just trying to provoke me into a 1 on 1 fight.”
Dammit, he was right. He couldn’t win in a 4 against 1 fight. He also couldn’t expect the help of Slayer or the Royal Guards. The current team members were fighting the enemy pursuing the Royal Guards. Even if they could easily deal with the enemy, it would take at least 30 minutes. So Ark thought about it.
He seemed to be quite a prideful guy. Ark was familiar with these types of guys. They were smug bastards that treated others badly. If their ego was just slightly scratched then their bad habit would appear. But the swordsman just laughed.
‘It didn’t work?’
“The plot was obvious but…..I’m not fooled.”
While Ark was inwardly sighing, the man stepped closer and said.
“This isn’t because of your provocation. This is a problem of my pride. I might’ve lost but I never thought I was weaker than you. No, I was weak. But this time is different. I will soon teach you that difference.”
‘This guy is indeed an idiot!’
He might be blabbering on about other reasons but the result was the same! He truly was a fool who left Ark with an escape route. Well, Ark wanted to thank him!
…..That’s what he thought…..
“You block the entrance and don’t let him run away!”
“Hah! Don’t make me laugh. Aren’t you just going to call them for help when the situation becomes disadvantageous to you?”
“You’ll see who needs help soon!”
Wiing! Wiiing! Wiing!
The swordsman rushed forward with his lightsaber. Ark also held his posture while lifting his lightsaber. The blue lights started to cross and clash with each other, causing afterimages. Sparks flew with every collision. The two people crossed swords dozens of times in a few seconds before both sides retreated.
‘That bastard…..’
Ark quickly looked at the swordsman.
‘He hasn’t been using the sword for just a day or two. He has reached a significant level of sword mastery. Have I met such a user before?’
So far, the strongest person Ark had encountered in Galaxian was the Red Slaughterer. But the Red Slaughterer gave the impression of having skills that utilized the game environment rather than actual fighting skills. That is, his movements felt optimized to the game? However, the man across from him was the opposite! He fought depending more on his sword skills than his character’s skills. The problem was that he had extraordinary sword skills. If Ark was a protagonist of a martial arts movie, he would be the rival that received training from another master. Ark might sweat at the memory of his training but it meant he reached a significant level of martial arts skills.
But he didn’t exercise after becoming the strongest user in New World. No, he had no need to. Ark had started training in martial arts to make playing the game easier. However Ark was literally a God in New World after obtaining the master code. Even if a bunch of legendary monsters appeared in front of him……he had the ability to kill them just from pressing the ‘Del’ key. However he started to train again once starting Galaxian. It still took a while to regain his sense of movement but it was pretty good after his confrontation with the Red Slaughterer. Yet the swordsman was matching Ark in a 1 on 1 fight. But Ark wasn’t that easy to deal with.
“……Indeed.”
The man nodded. He had sensed the same thing as Ark. Their skills were almost equal! Then the situation was simple. If their equipment and sword skills were equal then the only thing left was the superiority of their skills. But there was no big difference when the engaged in close combat just now. So victory would be decided by who made a mistake first!
“It can’t stay like this. Peyital Blade!”
The man attacked first. The lightsaber caused an air current like a storm that flew towards me.
“Sonic Sword!”
It was cut by Sonic Sword that had no form! The air current was split apart by his shockwave. The man then got close to Ark and attacked.
“Defense Break!”
However Ark used the orbit of his sword to break the opponent’s defense posture.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy……”
After the man’s chest was wide open, Ark was about to use a skill with his lightsaber. But the man twisted his body and hit Ark’s wrist with his sword hilt. Ark’s arm loosened and his lightsaber fell to the ground.
‘T-this!’
The man hadn’t used a skill. He just used the sword skills that his body had mastered. The man wearing the helmet raised his glittering sword.
“It’s up to here!”
The moment the sword was about to fall! Ark’s lightsaber on the ground rose like lightning. The sword was controlled by Psychokinesis! The swordsman was so busy concentrating on winning that he unexpectedly received a blow on the chest.
“No, it is my turn to attack now! Welcome to the alter ego!”
Ark’s rushing body split into 5. The swordsman had already seen Welcome to the alter ego. Welcome to the alter ego was designed to confuse the enemy and attack from behind! The swordsman automatically turned and struck a defense pose. As expected, the Arks had spread in all directions before combining into one behind him. However, there was no sword in the overlapping hands.
“S-sword…..?”
Snap!
Sparks flew from the swordsman’s neck. The light rotating like a spin top and carving thick marks onto the man’s neck was Ark’s lightsaber! He had combined Psychokinesis with Welcome to the alter ego.
“Ugh!”
The man grabbed his neck and stumbled. The lightsaber flew from his neck to Ark’s hand. And…..
Wiiiiing, wiiiiing.
There was an explosion of light! This was the result when a battle between users of a certain level and skill occurred. It was hard to counterattack once someone was on the defensive. It was the same for the swordsman. He couldn’t find any gaps as Ark started his continuous series of strikes. His health fell from 60% to 20%. Moreover, various abnormal stats occurred because of the continuous critical hits so he couldn’t escape. But there was a way.
“Damn! Armour armament!”
A metal capsule sprang out of the swordsman’s bag. It spun in the air and transformed into a battle suit of armour that covered the swordsman. This was the best way to escape an enemy’s series of attacks! A shock wave had occurred when the battle suit was equipped. Ark was pushed back several metres from the shock wave and his series of consecutive attacks was stopped. However…..
“I’ve been waiting for this! Armour armament!”
Ark exclaimed with a flash. The space warped and the summoned battle suit wrapped around his body.
“Binding Sword!”
Chwa chwa chwa chwa! Chwa chwa chwa chwa!
At that moment, the chest area of his battle suit split to the sides. It was like the skin of an insect or crustacean opening to reveal dozens of beads! The chest opened and the beads simultaneously fired laser beams. No, they were lights that looked like lasers! The threads of light wound around the swordsman and a message appeared.
-Binding Sword Lv. 2 has captured the enemy!
<The Drone inside the battle suit has created a chain to seal the enemy’s movements for 4 seconds.
In addition, the enemy can be pulled in front of the user. And the moment the duration ends, the chain will explode to deal additional damage>
A chain created by the battle suit! The sudden change in the skill was thanks to Ark’s complete synchronization with the battle suit. That’s right. Arc had already completed the gene rearrangement.
-The process to rearrange your genes to synchronize with the Drone has been completed!
You have succeeded in rearranged your genetic information and accomplished a perfect synchronization with the Drone. This means you can use 100% of the battle suit’s power.
You will now feel even the smallest bit of dirt falling on the battle suit, it won’t be uncomfortable to breath anymore and you will be able to move without feeling the battle suit. In addition, the effect of the skills expressed through body coating will be amplified.
However this is a Rama battle suit so you won’t be synchronized to the federation battle suit anymore.
<When wearing the battle suit, a special effect will be given to your body coating skills>
+ When the battle suit is equipped, the environmental adaption will rise by an additional 30% (80%).
+ When the battle suit is equipped, the rate that satiety falls will be reduced by a further 20% (50%).
+ When the battle suit is equipped, fall damage will be reduced by an additional 30% (80%).
+ The amount of mana used by 18 Barrage can be adjusted.
+ The battle suit’s duration has increased by 30%.
The information window that floated in front of him! In Galaxian there were two types of skills. He wasn’t talking about active and passive. It was acquired skills and innate skills. Acquired skills were those that took no effort and could be learnt by repetitive learning. Most skills belonged to that category. But in Galaxian, the DNA of other species could be absorbed to learn skills. The innate skills were those learnt through body coating! The effects of these skills were amplified once he achieved 100% synchronization with his battle suit. Once he wore the battle suits, all sorts of effects went UP! That wasn’t all.
‘I feel like I’m not even wearing armour.’
Ark’s body suit increased his capabilities by 35%. Naturally he would become stronger. However his senses became dull like he was wearing thick clothes so that was a disadvantage. He thought it was natural since it was a thick armour. But it wasn’t natural. After the synchronization was completed, the battle suit felt just like his skin. It felt like he was just wearing clothes instead of armour!
‘This is the real battle suit!’
In the meantime he had been using an incomplete battle suit. He also consumed all the mana of the battle suit when using 18 Barrage. He hadn’t been able to control the amount of mana used. However, the situation changed with the 100% synchronization.
“Come!”
Ark shouted as he looked at the swordsman. At that moment the chain around the swordsman’s chest was pulled. He was like a fly caught by a spider!
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
18 Barrage was Hyper Drone’s knockdown skill! Steam was blown out as his accelerated steel fists impacted with the swordsman’s chest. Ark used 50% of his mana. His opponent’s health was only 20% so that should be sufficient. A fist mark was carved into the swordsman’s chest every time until it hit 18 times! The opponent flew back into the wall.
“You……you……!”
‘You’ was the only word he could say.
Then blood spewed out and it was GAME OVER! But Ark couldn’t afford to breath yet. It had been a 1 on 1 duel. But the remaining people wouldn’t step aside after his opponent died.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“T-this bastard!”
The two soldiers lifted their machine gun and RPG. This was the reason Ark only used 50% of his mana! Ark had already anticipated his reaction so he triggered Hyper Booster. The moment the soldier tried to fire the RPG!
“It’s up to here.”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The gunner fired in rapid succession. But surprisingly, his muzzle was aimed towards the back of the soldier holding the RPG! He then pulled the trigger. It was an unimaginable situation to the two soldiers as they turned back to the gunner. The gunner aimed at the handle of the machine gun and RPG to deflect it before aiming at the vital spots like the head, heart and jaw.
“Kuak! T-this bastard…..”
Tang! Tang! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
The shots continued for a while. Eventually the two men were slumped in a pile of their own blood. Out of the 3 soldiers, only one was remaining. It was just the gunner. Ark narrowed his eyes at the gunner covered in blood.
“You…..who are you?”
—————————
“Hey!”
Ark ran down the passage and shouted. The people gathered on the opposite side reacted to his voice and turned around. They were Slayer, Leon and the Royal Guards. While Ark had entered the Central Laboratory, the battle against the black helmets chasing after the Royal Guards was already finished. There were the bodies of 20 black helmets and Ark’s team members scattered on the ground.
“Ark, you’re alive!”
“Hah, but he……”
The team members suddenly flinched and grabbed their weapons. Ark was followed by someone wearing black armour and a black helmet like the enemy scattered on the ground. The man holding the pistol was the gunner from the laboratory. Ark shook his head and said to the team.
“No, this one is okay.”
“Okay? Why?”
“That fellow…..isn’t he with them?”
“He decided to cooperate for the time being.”
The gunner added after Ark’s words.
“You understand?”
“I don’t understand pal!”
Slayer burst out angrily. He stared at Melina slumped against the wall and growled.
“Because of that guy…..Melina-nim because of that guy…..ugh! She’s never died once since we’ve been with her…..dammit! I’m going to get revenge for her!”
“Of course! Blood for blood!”
Leon also exclaimed as he loaded his rail gun. Melina wasn’t the only one. Kaya and Park had bullet marks on their bodies, both autobots had collapsed along with Berad and Cupa from the Royal Guards. They could revive at the Fairy but they had lost the experience they gained on Impeltus. And the death of their comrades ignited the team’s fighting spirit! The team members gathered in front of the teammates dead bodies with tears streaming from their eyes.
“You bastard, you want to try it? Okay. Then let’s end this. Kill all of…..”
“No, we have to escape from here.”
“That won’t be easy.”
The person who answered was Sadain.
“Like you said earlier, their main force is gathered at the entrance of the laboratory. They number approximately 70 people. And there are no obstacles around them. There are a lot of troops and it is impossible with just Slayer as protection. Park’s autobots would be helpful but that won’t work as you can see. Our recovery ampoules are used up so the odds aren’t in our favour in close combat.”
Ark’s eyes widened at Sadain’s words. Sadain frowned and asked.
“What is it?”
“No, that’s the first time I heard you talk for so long.”
“This isn’t the time to be playing around.”
“I wasn’t playing around. We have to quickly get out of here. This isn’t just talk. Those guys aren’t at the entrance. They are coming along the right passage to this place.”
Ark had a reason for being so confident.
—————————
“You…..who are you?”
He asked the gunner standing in the pile of blood. The gunner watched Ark with a wary expression and said.
“I’m not your enemy for today.”
The gunner replied as he put his pistol into his bag. Ark stared at him.
“For today?”
“I’ll have to see in the future if we are enemies or colleagues. I haven’t decided yet. But for now you’re not my enemy.”
“Then take off the black helmet and say that.”
“It isn’t hard to take off my helmet. But then I will need to explain many things. And now isn’t the time for that. Shouldn’t you know this too?”
“Will the situation change if I believe you?”
“Of course.”
He said while manipulating his Nymphe.
“It is me. Move through the right side passage at the entrance to where I am now.”
–The entire main force? But Captain-nim commanded…..
“You fool! There’s no time! Right now Leader is fighting with Ark! And there is a secret passage hidden in the room where he can escape towards the 6 o’clock position in the laboratory! Now Ark has killed the leader and two soldiers and is escaping through the secret passage! Use the right passage to move to the room in the 6 o’clock direction! Hurry!”
-Huh? Oh, I see! Let’s go! Follow me!
A baffled exclamation was heard from the gunner’s Nymphe. The gunner broke the communication and said in a mischievous voice.
“Do I need to explain the situation to you? Ark. It is up to you whether to believe me or not. If you believe me then you will join up with your team and escape from the left passage. If you don’t believe me then use the right passage.”
Only a fool wouldn’t understand his purpose. But Ark decided to believe the gunner for the moment. The reason was simple. After he defeated the leader with 18 Barrage, the situation was still in the favour of the black helmets If they sealed the entrance then Ark’s team wouldn’t be able to escape. In this situation, there was no reason for the gunner to lie or kill his two colleagues. And the gunner didn’t ask anything from Ark for his help. If he lied then naturally Ark’s team would kill him before they died. There was no reason for the gunner to commit suicide in such a way.
“Okay. I’ll believe you for now.”
—————————
‘It was true.’
He thought while running down the left passage. Ark arrived in front of the entrance and nodded. There were no black helmet troops to be seen. They probably moved to the 6 o’clock position after receiving the gunner’s communication. However the situation still wasn’t over. If the black helmets couldn’t find the secret passage then they would return!
“Hurry! We can’t relax until we escape from Impeltus!”
“Okay! I’ll go out first!”
“Wait a minute!”
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Just as Slayer was jumping outside. There was a roaring sound as the gunner yelled and dirt went flying up. Shells were pouring from the air! Slayer screamed before running back.
“Hik! Hik! Hik! I-I almost died! A ship! A spaceship is floating in front!”
“Is there something you can do?”
“Wait a moment.”
The gunner nodded at Ark’s question. And he manipulated his Nymphe for a while.
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Flames shot up from the rear of the ship floating outside the laboratory. It lost its centre of balance as black smoke rose from it.
The gunner looked at Ark and said.
“I’ve planted a bomb in the power section of the engine room. But it isn’t a regular C-6 explosive. The power is disconnected and they can’t move. It will take at least 20 minutes to recover. So it is better to move instead of wasting time being surprised.”
“I know! Let’s go!”
Ark immediately led the team out. At the same time, a silver flash flew down from the purple clouds. He had called the Silver Star in advance using the remote control system by the time they arrived at the entrance. Once the Silver Star arrived in front of the laboratory…..
Tol tol tol tol! Tol tol tol tol!
The lower door opened and a rope was lowered.
“Damn! What is this while we’re trying not to die? Change it once you return to Turan!”
Slayer shouted irately as he looked at the rope.
…..Ark was also seriously considering it. Anyway, the team members didn’t have a problem getting on the Silver Star. First it was Ark and the Royal Guards, Slayer, Leon, Sadain and lastly the gunner. Milan who had sat in the cockpit of the Silver Star as soon as he entered shouted.
“Hyung-nim, everyone has boarded!”
“Okay. Close the bottom doors. All injured people should head to the infirmary! Hegel, calculate the energy required to enter the atmosphere and how long it will take to charge.”
“It will require 30 minutes!”
The time needed for the enemy’s ship to restore power was 20 minutes. Meanwhile Ark and his companions had taken 15 minutes to board the Silver Star. If they broke through the atmosphere immediately then they couldn’t escape pursuit. However the Silver Star needed to recharge the energy required to break into the atmosphere. Hegel calculated that the recharge time would be 30 minutes. That meant the enemy’s ship would recover faster!
‘If we’re forced to fight then we’ll be stuck while those guys can move!’
“Milan, turn in the direction of the enemy! Hegel, switch the Silver Star to combat mode. Set the turrets to semi-automatic, load the warheads and calculate the angle. Kalliben, Leon, take the left and right turrets respectively. Smash them before they recover!”
Woong woong woong woong! Woong woong woong woong!
The Silver Star rotated. At the same time, dozens of information windows opened in front of him. Shield related information, number of shells stored in the gun turrets, energy and balance graphs and various information about the targeted enemy ship. This was the view after the Silver Star had switched to battle mode. The front window zoomed in on the ship spewing black smoke. Several red aiming pointers overlapped on the ship and Hegel shouted.
“Enemy ship, targeting is complete!”
“Attack!”
Ark stood up and shouted.
“Hyung-nim, an energy reaction! A massive amount of energy is condensing in front of us! The amount of energy indicates that it is a 3rd grade battleship like the Silver Star! The energy is facing the enemy ship!”
Hegel shouted with surprise after manipulating the dashboard. At the same time, the clouds above the ship the Silver Star was targeting started to whirl and a white light shot downwards. The enemy’s ship didn’t work so the wings started to melt and caused a chain explosion.
“What the hell? All of a sudden……”
Ark raised his head and exclaimed. A spaceship was slowly descending from the purple clouds. The spaceship had a bright red hull! One man was laughing inside the spaceship.
“This is the 2nd competition Ark!”
The man inside the ship was the Red Slaughterer.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 11
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Silver Star VS Asura
“What on earth?”
Ark looked out the window with a flustered expression. Slayer, Kaya and the team’s expressions weren’t that different. They were all driven to confusion by one spaceship. An unidentified red ship had smashed the ships of the black helmets then leisurely descended.
“Dammit! What else if there? Isn’t our mission to investigate the planet? Some guys appeared to shoot us and the moment we are about to escape, a red ship appeared? Is this a joke? Why are there so many problems for a simple investigation mission?”
Slayer snapped angrily at Ark.
“Why are you such an unlucky bastard?”
“……You’re blaming me?”
Ark asked with an amazed expression and Slayer nodded naturally.
“Yes! Who else in this party has been as unlucky as you? The fate of the party depends on the leader. We had to meet a leader who is so cheap he doesn’t want to pay the cost of repairing equipment! The evident is that Melina-nim died as soon as we joined your team! We also suffered in the laboratory! Melina-nim is also dead! And those black helmets appeared! I blame you for this!”
“Shut up!”
Kaya kicked Slayer’s ass.
“You know the value of X so why are you whining so much?”
“Value of X…..”
“And why are you assuming that the red ship is an enemy? It smashed the ship of the black helmets that attacked us. So isn’t there a high probability that they are friendly?”
“Haven’t you noticed yet?”
The gunner answered Kaya’s question. He was the man who defeated to Ark’s side.
“Look more carefully. That red ship, doesn’t it look a lot different?”
“Different? What, what the?” That disgusting ship?”
Kaya’s forehead wrinkled as she turned her head. The red ship was floating a few hundred metres from the Silver Star. It didn’t look much different from a general ship. But when the Silver Star’s screen zoomed up close to it, there were some parts that looked significantly different. The ship seemed to be made of biological tissue that wriggled like real flesh. It was a ship with mechanical parts and biological tissues combined! That’s why Ark and Slayer concluded that the ship was an enemy. Kaya had never been off Istana but Slayer and Ark had fought in the Bellin battlefields. There was only one species that combined mechanical and biological tissues in the entire galaxy!
“That is the ship of the Rama.”
”R-rama?”
“In that sense…..”
The gunner looked at Ark and said.
“That friend called Slayer’s words isn’t exactly unfounded. The Rama’s ship. In addition, it is red. Doesn’t looking at it remind you of a person?”
‘Who the hell is this guy?’
Ark narrowed his eyes like a hawk. Ark had felt an awful feeling since the unidentified ship appeared. The word ‘ASURA’ was carved on the side. He didn’t like that name. But the thing that scrapped Ark’s nerves even more was the red colour. He didn’t dislike the colour red. However it changed when he was talking about ‘red + Rama.’
The sum of those two words naturally reminded him of someone. But only people who had been on the battlefield like Ark, Slayer, Leon and the Royal Guards were aware of this fact. Kaya and Sadain didn’t know about it yet the gunner did.
‘Where does he know me from?’
His suspicions deepened. However Ark couldn’t think about it for long.
“Hyung-nim, we are receiving communication from the red spaceship!”
“Communication?”
Ark turned his gaze at Hegel’s words. He thought for a moment before nodding and replying.
“Allow the connection.”
A new screen was created on the window and one person appeared. Ark’s face warped the moment he realized the man’s identity. His premonition was correct. The man floating on the screen was who Ark was expecting. The man wearing red armour……
“The Red Slaughterer!”
-Ark, it’s been a while.
“Why are you here?”
–You’re asking something obvious. Shouldn’t we conclude our fight?
“I don’t care about that. Did you become so confused that there is an error in your memory? You can’t gloss over the fact that it is a draw! Then do you want me to prove it again?”
–It is your idea.
The Red Slaughterer on the screen laughed and replied.
–And I don’t care what you think. The important thing is my opinion. And you’re one of the reasons I started Galaxian. I can’t concentrate on my work until the match with you is settled.
“Your work?”
Ark’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you talking about your ultimate goal?”
The Red Slaughterer’s lips curved upwards like a bow at Ark’s question.
–Didn’t I say it before? I’m curious about your skills.
“So I’ve stepped on you! Let’s keep our promise like men.”
–That was your thought?
“This bastard is just like Kurakan!”
Ark frowned and cursed. The listening Kurakan said ‘No Hyung-nim, I’m not like that……’ However Kurakan’s complaining didn’t enter Ark’s ears.
“This is really convenient for you. You just immediately delete any shameful memories. Indeed, if it’s you then it wouldn’t be too difficult. You just need to press the Del key several times. An artificial intelligence is upgraded but you’re still shameful. If you learned through imitating someone then shouldn’t you learn some shame? Red Slaughterer, no Lucifer!”
Lucifer! This was the other name Ark knew the Red Slaughterer as. The identity of the Red Slaughterer was the artificial intelligence made of ‘01010001010……’ that took over the nuclear power plant and got Ark into Galaxian, Lucifer! Of course this information was a state secret. Therefore openly saying the name Lucifer wasn’t a problem. Slayer, Kaya and general users were unaware of Lucifer’s existence. He called the name Lucifer without any specific ideas……
“Lucifer?”
There was a user who reacted violently to that name. It was the gunner who had been observing from a distance.
“And artificial intelligence? Does he had something to do with the Lucifer from New World?”
“Eh? H-how do you?”
Ark was confused by the gunner’s reaction. Once again, Lucifer was the final boss of New World. Ark was the user who defeated Lucifer and became the director of Global Exos. Therefore Ark was a well-known user. But Lucifer’s identity wasn’t just a monster. The fact that he was an artificial intelligence created by Park Woo-seong wasn’t known. It was natural.
The event was caused by the game’s creator trying to destroy it! Some users even fell into a coma because they were caught in the incident. There was no way the game publisher could announce such events. Lucifer had been buried in the darkness until the government’s greed released him. Naturally Lucifer’s real identity wasn’t recorded in Ark’s autobiography. That’s why Ark mentioned artificial intelligence to the Red Slaughterer. It was impossible to connect artificial intelligence to the Lucifer from New World.
Red Slaughterer= Lucifer= artificial intelligence.
It was impossible to realize this formula without knowing the inside facts about New World. The only ones Ark knew who would react to the name Lucifer were the government agents and the 50 gamers the government hired. Then the gunner’s identity……
“Are you one of those 50 people?”
“One of the 50 people?”
But he just received a question mark in return. That answer was also wrong. Therefore Ark’s brain became even more confused.
‘The level of skill, the way he approached me in the laboratory and his reaction to Lucifer’s name……if he isn’t part of the 50 users then what is this reaction? It isn’t like that? Then who is this guy? How does he know about Lucifer?’
“Ark, answer me! What did you say about Lucifer? I clearly heard it. You mentioned the artificial intelligence and Lucifer! That person is clearly associated with Lucifer! And where did the 50 people come from? Tell me! What is going on here? Don’t think about moving before you tell me!”
The gunner grabbed Ark’s collar.
–Is this the time for small talk?
The Red Slaughterer said with a laugh. Then Hegel cried out in a desperate voice.
“Hyung-nim, attack! Shells are heading towards the Silver Star!”
“What?”
Ark suddenly raised his head. Dozens of lights could be seen on the window.
–Now Ark, it is the beginning of the 2nd round.
The Red Slaughterer disappeared from the screen with a laugh.
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 95%>
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 91%>
And the red messages flashed on the screen. As soon as the bombardment from the Asura was confirmed, Milan immediately opened the shield and started evasion movements. But the shells caught up with the Silver Star’s movements and the shells hit them. At the same time, sparks flew from the Silver Star’s shields!
“Heok! Why is the shield falling so quickly?”
“It is EMP shells!”
“EMP? Damn, he is very determined.”
Ark cursed with an annoyed look. Just like Galaxian had different types of bullets for firearms like the Freezing and Flame Bullets, the shells for the ship’s guns also existed in a variety of different types. The EMP shells emitted an electromagnetic pulse that could inflict deadly damage to shields or equipment. Air battles were often decided by how quickly the enemy’s shield could be removed.
When considering that point, the EMP shells dealt two times the damage of a general shell to the shield so it was the optimal weapon for air battles. However, the price of the EMP shells was double the price of general ones! It was like they were shooting chunks of money. The ship shook and flashing lights occurred on the bridge.
“Damn Ark, you should do something!”
And the passengers like Slayer started complaining.
“Hey! Don’t you really the atmosphere? We’ll talk about it later!”
Ark pushed the gunner away and sat in the captain’s seat with his eyes glued to the monitor.
Ship’s Basic Information: Silver Star
Hull: Medium-3 Classification: Battleship
Firepower: 25,000
Speed: B Turning: A
Shield: C Energy Efficiency: B
* Defense: Shield Gauge: 86%
Hull Armour Durability: 100%
* Attack: Gun (Thunderbolt) Charge Rate: 100% (4 shots available)
Bullets for Manual Shooting- Full, Condensation Energy Particle Cannon Charge Rate- 100%
* Special: [Optical Scanners x 15], [Chaff x 5]
* Skill: [Photon Movement], [Warp Navigation]
This was the Silver Star’s information window when it switched to battle mode!
“Shall we do this?”
Ark browsed the information window before shouting to Milan.
“Milan, increase the engine output and use irregular movements to evade!”
“I’m already doing that! But the accuracy of their bombardment is beyond imagination! They’re hitting 50% of the time despite my evasion movement at top speed!”
“They must be using the automatic targeting system.”
Ark looked at Hegel and shouted.
“The Chaff is ready! Make the Silver Star fly in a 1 km circle. Hegel, prepare to launch the Chaff in 30 second intervals!”
“Understood!”
The Silver Star accelerated and made a huge circle over Impeltus. All ships had gravity devices so the crew members didn’t feel any change in despite the angle of movement. But if they ship turned 360 degrees while accelerating then Slayer, Kaya and the Royal Guards would lose their balance. However Hegel just checked the stopwatch and pressed the launch button in rapid succession.
“Chaff launched!”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Silver capsules exited the upper doors of the Silver Star and exploded! In moments the Chaff (in order to disrupt radar detection) scattered around the Silver Star. Then the shells that had been concentrating on the Silver Star started flying all over the place.
‘It is good that I’ve learnt this.’
He had spent 4 days in S-20 before joining the team. This was one of the reasons why Ark had been busy. It was likely that a fleet battle would occur on this mission. But Ark didn’t have experience in this.
He had experienced aerial combat in New World but that was completely different from a large scale fleet battle. This time he wouldn’t have Tori to control the Silver Star so he needed to learn about ways to win fleet battles. This was the defense method he learnt!
Originally Chaff was an equipment used to disturb the radar of guided missiles. But the automatic targeting system also predicted the movement of the enemy using radar. This was the reason why the Asura’s high accuracy shells suddenly flew to an unexpected place. The Chaff covered a 1 kilometre area so the radar of the automatic targeting system failed to detect the Silver Star. The passengers gave thumbs up when the constant hits stopped..
“Ohh! Ark, great! Great!”
“Now Kalliben, Leon! Shoot!”
The Silver Star’s radar wasn’t operating normally thanks to the Chaff but the turrets were set to manual mode. Before the Asura showed up, the enemy was just a ship without power. He didn’t need to use the auto-targeting function. Fortunately they could start manually shooting without any preparation!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The Silver Star’s turrets starting firing. The difference between the Silver Star and the Asura was 1 kilometre. It wasn’t a close distance but the Asura was confident from their pre-emptive strike and didn’t feel the need for evasive movements. In other words, it was a stationary target. And the people sitting at the Silver Star’s turret were Leon and Kalliben who had a natural talent as a sniper!
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
Sparks sprung from the Asura’s shield. The Asura started its evasion movements one step late but the speed and turning power was slow compared to the Silver Star. But it was a Rama battleship so the Asura possessed tremendous firepower. Unlike the Silver Star that had turrets on each wing, the Asura had a total of 4 turrets. They didn’t dare use the expensive EMP shots so they switched to manual shooting mode.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Pepeng! Pepeng!
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 32%>
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 27%>
The firefight continued for 5 minutes. The shield’s durability had fallen below 30% so the shield turned red. But the Asura’s shield had also turned red. The Asura was definitely ahead in firepower. But the Silver Star was superior in manoeuvrability and turning power.
‘The battle isn’t just decided by the performance of the equipment!’
It was the user’s capabilities that determined victory or defeat! The same went for a fleet battle. It was useless to have an excellent ship unless it could be used properly. The outcome would be determined by the crew’s competence in handling the ship. That’s why the Silver Star could overwhelm the Asura despite have inferior firepower.
Leon and Kalliben were a user and NPC specialized in shooting so their hit rate was higher. But the person who had the biggest impact on the battle wasn’t Kalliben and Leon or Ark who was commanding. The person with the largest impact on overwhelming the Asura…..
“The trajectory of the shells has been predicted! The current position of the Asura, the enemy’s turning radius, angle of the turrets and its limits, the turret’s firing rate has all been calculated. 12 seconds after firing, the lowest point the enemy ship can fly is in the 3:05 direction from its current position. 15 degrees to 70 metres!”
The black eyes watching the monitor without blinking! The fingers that typed in complex operations on the keyboard!
“The performance of the enemy ship Asura has been identified. Speed and turning ability, braking power, expected route of the ship and movement of the turrets has been uploaded to your monitor!”
Once again, the shells had to fly over a 1 kilometre distance. There were also dozens of shells at once! In fact, it was impossible to look at the shells with their eyes and avoid it. The best way to avoid enemy fire was to predict the attack and use evasion movement in order to reduce the probability of a hit. It was true with the shells as well.
It was difficult to have a high hit rate with the enemy ships moving erratically. Therefore it was necessary to predict the avoidance movement and shoot. In this sense, the prediction was more important than the pilot or the capabilities of the shells. No, the pilot performance, ability of the shooters and prediction were all elements that increased performance by x2, or even x3!
The person with the main role in Ark’s team was Hegel! The Silver Star was able to gain an advantage in the firefight exchanged over a 1 kilometre area because of Hegel with Ark’s back-up. After the battle continued for a long time.
“M-Messenger-nim, I-I…..weeeeek!”
The sharp acceleration caused the team to tumble into each other as one solid mass!
“Why are you covering us in vomit in such a situation?”
“Ugh! C-covered! This delicate woman’s face is covered in vomit!”
“Ugh! T-the smell……I’m at my limit…..weeeek!”
A chain reaction started as Slayer and Kaya also started to vomit!
‘That’s it! If nothing unusual happens then this will be my victory!’
Ark looked at the Asura on the screen and clenched his fist. Finally the shield protecting the Asura was struck and shattered. A ship without a shield was no different from a knight with no armour! There was even more.
Pepeng!
Smoke soared from the rear of the Asura. The Asura’s movements stopped like its brakes were jammed.
‘It is clear that there is a problem with the engine!’
Ark sensed that he was on the verge of victory. Ark looked at the Asura before turning to Hegel and shouting.
“Hegel, calculate the Asura’s blind spot!”
“All gun turrets are located on the upper and lower parts and it can fire in a 360 degree angle! But the thickness is 100 metres so there is an angle where the turrets can’t aim at!”
“Milan, did you hear?”
Ark exclaimed as his looked at the front window.
“Engines to their maximum output! Turn to the right to avoid their attacks and rush to that side!”
The Silver Star rapidly turned over at Ark’s command. It accelerated and rushed towards the Asura spewing smoke!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
When the Silver Star rushed, the Asura’s 4 turrets fired EMP shots. Each hit made holes in the Silver Star’s shield and flames surged out. The ship kept on shaking as it was continuously hit. However Ark just stared at the Asura on the screen.
“Yet! Yet…..”
After a while. The vibration disappeared. The monitors flashing on the Silver Star indicated that it had entered the area that the Asura’s turrets couldn’t hit. The upper and lower turrets shot diagonally, causing one blind spot underneath the Asura.
“Leon, Kalliben, now!”
Ark stood up and shouted.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The Silver Star’s turrets started firing. The Silver Star had entered an area 100 metres from the Asura! The red armour of the Asura instantly became tattered from the shells. The biological tissue also spouted a red slime that looked like blood.
“This will determine it! Prepare the gun!”
“The gun…..”
Hegel was moving his hands quickly when he suddenly flinched and stopped. He hurriedly checked the dashboard before shouting.
“Hyung-nim, an energy reaction! A tremendous amount of energy is gathering on the Asura! Gun! Those guns are preparing to launch their main gun!”
“Main gun?”
Ark turned his head with surprise. The Silver Star had come close to the Asura so its vision was limited. Therefore he hadn’t realized it until Hegel’s words but particles of light were clearly gathering at the Asura. The focused particles of light seemed black to any users looking at it. It meant all the energy necessary for the main gun was gathered.
‘Don’t tell me?’
He felt an eerie chill down his spine. Ark reflexively shouted.
“Milan! Rapid descent!”
The Asura then started rotating. The light flashed in a cone shape with the Asura’s movement.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The light caused a white glare as it flew through the sky!
‘We were deceived! I thought it was incapacitated! They determined that ranged shooting was detrimental and lured us closer using the guise that the engine failed!’
That was the identity of the eerie chill. The main gun was more destructive than the smaller shells but it needed time to charge so enemy ships could often sense it and avoid it. But the Red Slaughterer lured Ark in and created an opportunity to use the main gun.
‘A direct hit from that……’
If Hegel hadn’t detected the energy being focused then the Silver Star would’ve suffered a fatal blow it couldn’t recover from. But he was too late. The main gun had been ready to launch by the time Hegel detected the energy. They flew down 100 metres but it was impossible to avoid any damage.
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
-The shield has been completely destroyed by enemy fire!
<Once destroyed then the shield can’t recover during combat. 30 minutes in a non-combat state needs to pass before the shield’s durability will recover. The shield’s recovery rate will depend on its performance>
-Part of the right wing has been ruptured by enemy fire!
<Depending on the damage received during battle, the hull can either be damaged, ruptured or destroyed. If the damage is low and there is only a functional problem than it can self-recover depending on the level of the ship. The rapture of the hull means that the function is seriously compromised and it needs to be repaired directly. If the part is completely destroyed then it is best to go to the nearest repair shop. An engineer in the crew with expertise in repair can fix it but spare parts are required>
* Right Wing Rupture: Hull mobility -30%, Turning power -50%
The message appeared on the Silver Star’s window after it violently vibrated! The right wing had been grazed by the white flash and smoke was emerging from it.
“Oh my god! This is……”
Ark’s face turned dark.
The Silver Star had been ahead in the battle against the Asura. But now its wing was damaged and the manoeuvrability and turning power was lower than the Asura’s. The Silver Star had inferior firepower so it was a literal death sentence!
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
Then the ship shook again. Ark had desperately made the ship descend to avoid the main gun’s attacks but that put them in the range of the lower turrets. With the shells pouring from above, columns of flames emerged from the Silver Star’s armour and pits formed in it.
“Hyung-nim, the durability of the upper armour has fallen below 50%! At this rate it won’t last for even 1 minute! Let’s leave at full speed!”
“No!”
Ark raised his head and exclaimed. The results wouldn’t change even if the escaped beyond the Asura’s lower turrets. The Silver Star had already lost manoeuvrability and turning power. The Asura’s shells had only hit the Silver Star for a brief moment before an idea came to Ark’s head. And he came to a conclusion!
“Milan, lift the nose of the Silver Star!”
Ark commanded and Milan tugged the joystick. The Silver Star’s nose started rising. And the moment the Asura’s bottom hull was reflected in the front window!
“Charge!”
Ark grinded his teeth together and shouted. Milan’s expression was saying ‘Huh? Why?’ and ‘No, that’s a bit…..’ as he hesitated. But the Royal Guards absolutely obeyed Ark’s command! Milan only hesitated for 0.1 second after hearing Ark’s command before accelerating.
And…..ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The Silver Star crashed into the Asura. There was a huge vibration as the Silver Star crashed into the ship and produced an explosion.
-You have collided with the enemy battleship and the Silver Star’s armour has been destroyed!
<The main gun Thunderbolt can’t be used until it is repaired>
That message popped up! It was the inevitable result.
‘If we don’t stand a chance anyway then I’d rather repay……’
But Ark’s eyes were turned towards the Silver Star. Ark was looking at the hull of the Asura that the Silver Star was lodged in. The part of the Silver Star that crashed was completely crushed. Naturally the hull of the Asura wasn’t safe. No, if he only looked at the collision area than the Asura received larger damage. They had driven the Silver Star several metres inside the biological tissue. However Ark hadn’t sacrificed the main gun for just that. The Silver Star had slammed into the rear of the Asura. It was the place with the engine.
‘…..I’ve taken the bone!’
This was what Ark had aimed for. The Silver Star lost its main gun in this collision but the Asura was deprived of its engine. A spaceship losing an engine was like a warrior losing a foot. If it couldn’t move than the 4 turrets were meaningless. He had overcome the moment of crisis and reversed the situation!
‘The Red Slaughterer. You certainly made me scared for a little bit this time. But you can’t win against me even if you are a supercomputer that can accomplish hundreds of millions of calculations in seconds. I am Ark. Your calculations won’t work against me. I’ll make you aware of that fact from now on.’
“The Asura’s engine has been stopped. Milan, move the Silver Star to the Asura’s dead zone. This time I’m going to break the Asura and the Red Slaughterer!”
Ark commanded with a grin.
—————————-
-Ugh! This bastard!
On the gleaming bridge inside the Asura. The Red Slaughterer cursed as he looked at the rear of the Asura spewing smoke. Once again, the Asura had used a trick to lure Ark closer. The Asura was losing in the air battle with the Silver Star. The Red Slaughterer determined that it would be hard to win in a ranged fight and deliberately set off a bomb to stage an engine breakdown.
‘The meat is given so take the bone!’
At first the Red Slaughterer thought it was his victory. The Silver Star came up to the Asura’s flank. In the meantime he made the energy concentrate on the main gun and launched it!
‘Unfortunately it didn’t sink……’
The Red Slaughterer was sure of his victory as he watched the Silver Star’s wing get damaged. They avoided the direct hit but the Silver Star lost their manoeuvrability and turning power. The Asura’s firepower was superior so it was only a matter of time until the Silver Star sank! He really couldn’t imagine what happened next. Ark crashed into the Asura’s rear. The result was…..
-The enemy’s attack has destroyed the engine!
<The Asura can’t move until repairs have been completed>
Engine destruction!
-He really is a reckless guy.
Keiko shook his head and muttered.
–He managed to come up with such a solution with 4 turrets aiming at him. He really is frightening.
–It’s not surprising since he is Ark.
The Red Slaughterer answered with an unpleasant expression. Then Ark moved to the Asura’s blind spot so the Red Slaughterer was forced to suffer helplessly as the ship was bombarded. However the Red Slaughterer didn’t look panicked at all. Rather, there was a pale smile on his face.
–That was certainly a nasty attack. But Ark is mistaken about the two most important things. The Asura isn’t a battleship because of its firepower and I have no intention of winning against them in a firefight.
–And his ship is under the Asura.
–I won’t hesitate this time.
The Red Slaughterer said with a grin.
And he shouted towards his crew.
–Release the howling stingers and capture the enemy ship before it escapes our range!
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
The Asura’s lower deck opened and 6 red tentacles extended from the biological tissue. The tentacles were thousands of red muscle fibres weaved together to form a 1 metre thick strand! The tentacles stretched out like a hand towards the Silver Star and grabbed it tightly.
–You didn’t recognize it. You had the upper hand in the fleet battle. But this game isn’t something to be decided with a firefight. This is the 2nd round so we have to decide it with our swords!
The Red Slaughterer turned his body and shouted.
-Red Front, be ready! The real battle is starting now!
—————————-
“What, what the? This is?”
Ark looked out the window with confused eyes. He was sure of the Silver Star’s victory when 6 tentacles suddenly stretched from the Asura and embedded into the Silver Star. The situation then became even more absurd.
“Hyung-nim, the steering key doesn’t work!”
“Electronic corrosion! The enemy ship is spreading electronic corrosion through the tentacles to the Silver Star!”
Following Milan’s words, Hegel shouted in a desperate voice.
“Electronic corrosion?”
“A powerful EMP jamming signal is being sent to the Silver Star through the tentacles! As a result, 80% of the Silver Star’s electronics have been jammed!”
“Dammit! How do we stop it?”
“Analysis of the electronic corrosion signal will allow me to neutralize it. But the analysis of the signal then combining the signals to neutralize it will take at least 30 minutes. Another way to stop the electronic erosion more quickly….”
“Cut it off.”
That was the simplest way. Cut the tentacles sending the signal. Ark considered the situation before turning around and shouting.
“Ya! Everybody wake up! Do I need to explain the situation? The time to show your value has come!”
“Uhh! How can I move in this state?”
Slayer who was a shabby figure in the corner said with a pained look. Unlike Ark, Hegel and Milan who had been tightly seat-belted, Slayer, Kaya, Sadain and the other Royal Guards had rolled around from the acrobatics during the firefight with the Asura until their stomachs became upset and they started to vomit. But he didn’t care about that situation.
“Put it aside and move quickly! We need to break all those tentacles before those guys do something else! Hegel, open the upper doors for me!”
Ark shouted from the central deck. The upper doors opened and a rough storm briefly occurred.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Sparks were rising from the upper doors. The Asura have 4 gun turrets. Two on the upper part and two on the lower part. The Asura was pouring shells from the lower turrets while the tentacles were holding the Silver Star in place. Of course, there was no intention of being hit.
“Leon! Kalliben!”
-I know!
-I’ll cover you!
Leon and Kalliben replied over the Nymphe. The turrets attached to the Silver Star rotated until they were 90 degrees. There was a ringing sound as the shells shot upwards! Kalliben and Leon aimed at the lower turrets and started counterattacking. The distance was only dozens of meters. There were no shields and the ships couldn’t move so the results of the bombardment was obvious. Sparks flew every time there was a roar from the turrets on both sides and smoke started to rise.
‘Dammit! They have 4 turrets……!’
The repair fee was rapidly increasing. Ark was more worried about the repair fee than Leon and Kalliben’s safety but he didn’t have the time to worry about it. The chances of the Silver Star escaping whole had flown away a long time ago.
“Concentrate your firepower on a nearby tentacle!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Snap!
Flames soared as dozens of shells shot across the space. Red, viscous liquid flew every time the shell hit the tentacle. A tentacle became ragged and finally broke from Ark, Ellain and Sadain’s combined attacks.
“That’s it! Another one! The rest…..”
“Hyung-nim, over there!”
Kurakan shouted from behind him and pointed up. When he raised his head, the Asura’s lower doors had opened and 10 people were descending towards the Silver Star. They were Rama warriors wearing parachutes. And the lead Rama warrior wearing red armour…..
“The Red Slaughterer!”
Space 2
Descent!
Kurung! Kurung! Ku ku ku ku!
Purple clouds swirled in the skies of Impeltus. Incandescent lights and lightning strikes intermittently flashed through the sky and revealed 2 huge objects. It was the Asura and the Silver Star! Right now the tentacles had grabbed the Silver Star and 10 Rama warriors were falling from the Asura towards the Silver Star. An intense amount of bullets were pouring down as well!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“Everybody down! Sword Defense! ”
Ark rushed away from his team members and wielded his lightsaber. The blue light drew a complex pattern in the air as the bullets spread in different directions. A similar scene was occurring dozens of metres away.
“The guy is the leader!”
“Huhuhu! Okay! I’ll show those Rama the power of the M-620!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Hedro and Kurakan started shooting their guns at the Red Slaughterer’s head. But like Ark, the Red Slaughterer swung his lightsaber and the bullets scattered all over the place. Sword Defense used the electromagnetic property of the lightsaber to change the trajectory of the bullets. Once again, the Red Slaughterer had been the originator of the skill and Ark learnt it from him.
“Don’t waste bullets!”
Ark looked back at the team and shouted. There were 20 Rama warriors over the deck of the Silver Star including the Red Slaughterer. On the other hand, Ark’s team only had 8 people. Of course they weren’t ordinary soldiers. Slayer, Sadain and Kaya’s skills were first class while Kurakan had good equipment. Ellain was also an NPC with a higher level than Ark.
‘Even if we’re outnumbered, we won’t be easily pushed……’
The opponents weren’t sloppy guys. The Rama warriors that descended were the Red Slaughterer’s personal troops, the Red Front! They were notorious on the battlefields in the Bellin constellation. If they numbered double Ark’s team than he couldn’t guarantee the odds. No, he was certainly at a disadvantage.
‘First it was imperative to reduce the numbers!’
“Don’t worry about the Red Slaughterer! Attack the other guys! Their bullets are limited at that range. So concentrate on hitting their parachutes!”
The target changed to the Red Slaughterer’s henchman after Ark’s command. Of course, they weren’t waiting for the bullets politely either. They used the jet equipment on the parachutes to avoid the attacks and fired back. However soldiers firing from the top compared to those firing from the bottom. The result was obvious.
“Ark!”
“Hyung-nim, I’m coming out!”
Leon and Kalliben escaped from the gun turrets.
Tutung! Tutung! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Once Leon and Kalliben started shooting, sparks flew from the parachutes of 5 Rama warriors. One person flew in the wrong direction and crashed into Impeltus’ mountains and exploded. The remaining Rama warriors who witnessed the death of their colleague cast away their flaming parachutes and jumped.
“Now Ellain, Sadain!”
Ark shot forward like a bullet. He flew towards the Rama warriors falling on the deck and wielded his sword!
“Sonic Sword!”
The Rama warriors were pushed back by the shock wave before they could regain their posture and was thrown off the deck. Ellain followed behind Ark and used the same skill to push them off the deck. Meanwhile Sadain didn’t have any skills so he took more time but he also took care of a warrior. The deck was hundreds of metres in the air so there was no need to check the result once they were pushed out.
‘Those fellows are taken care of!’
Ark spun around and looked at the deck. And not far away another Rama warrior was falling! Ark once again flew forward like a bullet. The moment he was dashing across the upper deck of the Silver Star! A red shape fell in front of him.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
Red sparks exploded!
–That’s enough Ark! I’m also here!
The sparks occurred from when he hit the red armour. It was the Rama’s battle suit that felt no different from insect skin! He remembered that battle suit. Like the Asura, this red battle suit belonged to the Red Slaughterer! Ark looked at his determined expression and smiled.
“You’re late. I got bored waiting so I killed several guys.”
–I liked those subordinates.
“I’m sorry.”
–There is no need to apologize. You’ll be killed soon.
“Who? Me? That’s impossible. I have no intention of dying.”
–You should do that. It’s not worth killing you if you just die politely.
“I’m just asking out of curiosity but do you really not remember? Or are you pretending not to remember? Although it is different if you’re made of electronic thoughts. Maybe if your memory keeps on being deleted than you won’t remember to go after the ultimate goal anymore. I’ll just continued beating you up until your memory flies away.”
–No, one experience was enough. Of course….
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Then bullets flew from both sides. The bullets flying from behind Ark were Kalliben and Leon aiming at the Red Slaughterer. The bullets shot from the other side were from the Red Front landing on the deck of the Silver Star. Both Ark and the Red Slaughterer moved. Flames rose from the two people! The Red Slaughterer moved back like he was sliding on ice.
–…..The result will be my victory! Detection!
“Don’t talk about a dream you can’t fulfil! Sonic Sword!”
Red and blue lights clashed in the air and exploded. Sparks flew up and fell to the deck. No, it was caught in the blast and scattered in all directions. It was the Red Slaughterer who caused the blast that blew across the deck! Ark rushed towards the Red Slaughterer from the opposite side.
–Dragon Fury!
The red sword extended like a laser! The red light shot forward at the speed of light and cut through Ark’s neck. Ark’s body crumpled into fine pieces and scattered. Then 4 other Arks laughed.
“You’ve been standing still. If you want revenge then you should come up with some new techniques.”
–This is…..alter ego?
“That’s correct. Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
The voice was heard from behind the Red Slaughterer! Dozens of blue swords surged like a tidal wave and rotated around the Red Slaughterer’s body. And the moment the wildly swirling swords were about to strike the body!
-This is impossible! Blood Sword!
Dozens of red lights floated above the Red Slaughterer’s head. The red lights changed into long points and flew towards the blue swords. It was the Red Slaughterer’s wide area attack Blood Sword!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Just like Galaxian Sword swirled like a typhoon, Blood Sword created dozens of red swords! There was a chain explosion as dozens of red and blue swords clashed and an electromagnetic storm occurred. Then a message popped up on the Nymphe!
-#%$$##$$#$#$%###$!
The electromagnetic storm caused the Nymphe to malfunction.
–Not yet! You’ll need more power than that to take me down!
The Red Slaughterer roared while approaching.
“That’s what I intend!”
A low voice said from the other side of the electromagnetic storm. A warrior clad in armour appeared in the midst of the heavy smoke. This was Ark’s battle suit, the Hyper Drone. A pair of eyes shining from the sleek, streamlined helmet moved towards the Red Slaughterer.
“I will remind you. Why you couldn’t beat me.”
—————————-
“This is…..”
“It is impossible to aim.”
Kurakan and Leon mumbled with stupid expressions. Their eyes were fixed to the centre of the deck where the Red Slaughterer was facing Ark. They called it a deck but the Silver Star was basically a long, cylindrical fuselage aircraft. The deck had a gentle slope while the outer walls curved like a pipe. Furthermore Kurakan had to clean the ship when it was docked at S-20 and there wasn’t one day where he didn’t slip. But the state of the deck didn’t seem to affect Ark and the Red Slaughterer at all.
Snap! Kwajijiji! Pepeng! Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The shine of the swords that clashed without any breaks! It was difficult to even see the two wielding the sword. The only way they could tell there was a sword encounter was the sparks flying. They couldn’t support Ark at all.
“There is no need to interrupt.”
Then the gunner approached and said.
“At that standard there is no meaning in having the support of their teammates. Any cover fire would instead be a disturbance. And we’re not in the position to be so leisurely. Those guys didn’t come down to watch the fight.”
The gunner’s eyes turned towards the soldiers gathered near them. The Red Front had managed to land thanks to the Red Slaughterer blocking Ark. They had cast off their parachutes and were moving forward in formation.
“You’re not wrong but…..”
Slayer looked at the gunner with dissatisfied eyes.
“How do we know you’re not going to support the enemy? I don’t know what Ark is thinking but I hate you! Your colleague in the black helmet killed Melina-nim!”
“I was just giving you advice before it becomes difficult here.”
“I don’t like that attitude!”
“Slayer!”
Then Leon’s voice was heard from behind. The Red Front passed the area where Ark and the Red Slaughterer were engaged in the centre of the deck. They didn’t want to start a crude battle and accidentally damage the Red Slaughterer. But a wide space had formed on the opposite side of where they were fighting. At the same time, grenades started to fly to where Ark’s team was waiting.
“There is nowhere to run away!”
“Ohh! Leave it to me! Iron Castle!”
Slayer popped forward and lifted his shield. Slayer and Leon hadn’t just been killing time until they met up with Ark again. They had also steadily adventured and raised their levels and skills. Slayer especially focused on defensive skills. He desperately needed defense skills because Melina was a healer. Thus the skill Iron Castle was born! When the skill was used, two shields were created. The 3 shields forming a line side-by-side had the same effects.
“Bring on the grenades!”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
The grenades collided with the shield and exploded. Slayer looked at the gunner and laughed.
“How is it, my defense technique? The grenades…..cough! What, what the? This smoke?”
Smoke emerged from the grenades that collided with the shields.
“This isn’t a grenade! Smoke bombs!”
“S-smoke bombs? Dammit! These bastards…..”
“Slayer, above you!”
“What? Eek?”
Slayer lifted his eyes at those words but it was too late. Four small objects were flying in an arc over the shields! In fact, the most hated weapon of shield users were grenades. Unlike the bullets that flew straight, the grenades could fly in an arc so it was difficult to block with a shield. Therefore troopers or snipers normally stopped the enemy grenades before they were thrown. However the grenades had been blocked by the smoke bomb so Leon and Kalliben didn’t notice. And just as the grenades were over the shields!
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
4 shots rang out! At that moment, the 4 grenades exploded in the air at roughly the same time.
“What, what the? The grenades flying in the air……”
Slayer stared with a puzzled expression. And behind him in the same posture as a western movie was the gunner holding a pistol! Slayer stared at the gunner holding the pistol before scratching his head with an embarrassed look.
“Eh? T-thank you.”
“Don’t pay attention to it. I’m still not your colleague.”
“What? T-this bastard! I really hate you!”
Slayer yelled angrily. But the gunner wasn’t interested in Slayer’s affection (?). He just turned his head and shouted.
“They used the smoke bombs so they will start the assault soon! The space is limited so we can’t escape the scope of the smoke bombs! All troopers should turn on your infrared scopes, stay behind the tentacles and prepare for a shoot-out! Warriors like Slayer should get ready for combat!”
“I won’t listen to your orders! And why do you want the troopers to prepare for a shoot-out? It doesn’t add up!”
“You mean me?”
The gunner turned and asked. Then a Rama warrior jumped through the smoke holding a dagger in both hands. The gunner’s hands moved like lightning. He moved the pistol from side to side and pulled the trigger. The 2 shots were so fast they seemed to be fired at the same time but the surprising thing was the accuracy. When the gunfire rang out, both of the Rama warrior’s wrists were hit and fresh blood splattered. He pierced through the wrists of the dagger wielding enemy without any errors. Then the pistol was rotated again and fired at the Rama warrior’s gaping chest.
Tatatatang!
It was like a machine gun was being launched! This was possible because of the pistol’s special nature. In general, automatic pistols had a defined firing rate. But the gunner used a manual revolver pistol. The manual pistol’s firing rate depended on the speed that the trigger was pulled. A manual pistol was inferior to the automatic pistol in many ways. But depending on the ability of the user, a firing rate similar to a machine gun could be achieved.
-Kuheok!
“I feel more comfortable in close combat.”
The gunner said as he quickly reloaded the pistol. The moment he aimed his muzzle at the stumbling Rama warrior! Another Rama warrior ran through the smoke screen and twisted a dagger. The gunner moved his upper body to avoid it and turned his muzzle. He followed up with successive gunshots. However the Rama moved to the side to avoid the bullets before lifting the machine gun in his left hand. The gunner made the pistol revolve and fired at the machine gun handle before pulling the trigger again.
Tang tang tang! Tu tu tu tu! Tang tang tang! Tu tu tu tu!
Dozens of shots fired in a few seconds. The Rama warrior that was entangled with the gunner smirked.
-When did you start your close distance marksmanship? It is like when I met Ark’s team…..there is a considerable amount of skill. Ark’s subordinates might be amateurs but they are respectable warriors. But the most wonderful thing is the capabilities that seem to expand when they meet the enemy. I have to concede that Ark is a good leader. I am the Commander of the Red Front, Keiko so your opponent isn’t lacking.
“Why do you need to make a reason for fighting?”
The gunner murmured as his bullet casings dropped to the ground. And he kicked the large bullet casings on the ground before rushing to Keiko.
“Bullet Storm!”
Ta ta tang! Ta ta tang! Ta ta tang!
-Excuse me. I originally didn’t have such a character.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Keiko avoided the large bullet casings and fired his machine gun. The battle between the gunner and Keiko wasn’t the only one. 10 Rama warriors had started flocking through the smoke screen so Ark’s team divided to the side and started to engage them.
-Barbarian’s Fang!
“Welcome to the alter ego! Sonic Sword!”
As expected, the person with the most prominent skill in the Royal Guards was the strongest Kusan warrior Ellain. He might’ve wandered around lost for a while but now he had completely adapted to fighting with the life support equipped! The strongest Kusan warrior overwhelmed and pushed back the Red Front. However Ark’s team also had powerful users.
“Armed Lightning Spear!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Pajijiji!
Among them, one user that captured a lot of attention was Sadain. He wore his battle suit as soon as the fight commenced. He used his lightning spear to face 5 Rama warriors at once yet showed no signs of being pushed. Of course, it wasn’t just Sadain.
Tutung! Tu tu tu tu! Tutung!
The troopers used the tentacles as cover and started pouring out bullets. In close combat there was a considerable interval when fighting with a spear so the troopers covered for that interval with their gunfire. The battle suit clad Leon also used bullets with the push effect to cover his allies and fight the enemy!
“Super Magnetic Shot!”
Leon played a key role in tilting the battle against the Rama warriors to their side. The special effect of Kaya’s battle suit also couldn’t be ignored. Espers could buy battle suits that produced a similar effect to Esper skills. Kaya’s battle suit was like that. The performance was lower than other battle suits but….
“Armour armament!”
Kaya activated her armour at the same time. Kaya’s body floated in the air and particles of light concentrated around her.
-The gene activated Esper battle suit Optisian has been triggered.
Optisian was made with the power of a strong spirit. The wearer’s genes will be activated to its limits and the body’s capabilities will be amplified. This effect will be applied to the wearer and all colleagues through mental exchange. However, if two Optisian activates in the same party then only the stronger effect will be applied.
<The attack and defense of everybody in the party will increase by 15%>
Kaya’s battle suit gave a buff effect to the entire party. The strengthening effect was lower compared to other battle suits but it was still UP! It even had an exclusive skill.
“Bio Tornado!”
A storm of mental energy swirled around Kaya! The Rama warriors caught in the storm had parts of their body turn strange. Bio Tornado caused a storm of intense mental waves that confused the enemy’s DNA. Some had their nose disappear or increased by three, others had arms growing from the back of their head, missing legs or even deadly mutations.
Of course, the Rama warriors didn’t take it lying down. They were the strongest Rama warriors who reigned over the Bellin battlefields with the Red Slaughterer! They hadn’t gained that reputation for nothing. They were equal to Kaya, Sadain and Leon but they were overwhelming to the Royal Guards! The Rama warriors including Keiko also had battle suits.
-Armour armament!
The Rama warriors equipped their battle suits!
Pepeng! Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The battle became even more violent.
—————————-
Wiing! Woong! Woong! Wiing!
The swords were raising a storm. A blade of wind occurred whenever the sword cut through the air and a storm swirled. Once that vortex disappeared, another one would occur and this repeated over and over. The storm of hot air had an infinite(∞) cycle! It wasn’t just one vortex. While bullets and blades were relentlessly crossing the Silver Star, the red and blue light in the centre clashed and made two narrow hurricanes.
Pajik! Pajik! Pajik! Pajijijiji!
Sparks flew everywhere! Dozens of storms seemed to occur at the same time like a shotgun explosion. Pain shot through the hands holding the sword each time. This didn’t mean that the enemy’s sword was faster but that it dealt a fatal blow!
–You’ve become a little better than last time.
The Red Slaughterer’s voice was heard from the other side of the flying sparks. Ark twisted his lips and declared sharply.
“That’s good seeing as last time I won.”
–I don’t think so.
“I’m sorry. You don’t think I won?”
He questioned the Red Slaughterer’s words. If Ark looked back at that time, he was inferior to the Red Slaughterer in all aspects including level, equipment and skill. Therefore Ark had abandoned the losing battle and lured the Red Slaughterer into a trap before blowing him up. Perhaps that was why the Red Slaughterer couldn’t admit defeat. Because it wasn’t in sword skills. However Ark never considered himself cowardly.
–I need to desperately figure out a way to win!
And he did win! Ark thought it was fair. The power of words was the ability to have different meanings. Knowing his own strength to determine when to run away from an opponent was smart, not dumb. Ark desperately tried to find a way to win and the result was the defeat of the Red Slaughterer. There was no point in being ashamed but……
‘Damn, not yet?’
Ark bit his lip. The battle between the Red Slaughterer and Ark was significant. To be honest, at that time Ark hadn’t just been pushed by the level and equipment. He hated to admit it but the Red Slaughterer’s skills had overwhelmed Ark. If they were users just passing by each other than that wouldn’t matter. But the Red Slaughterer was Lucifer!
The enemy that Ark had to defeat. They were both aiming for the ultimate goal so they would end up fighting several times in the future. And he couldn’t use tricks like the one on Athamas every time. If they were going to fight in the future then his skills needed to at least be equal to the Red Slaughterer. During the time that passed after that battle, Ark neglected sleep while raising his level and polishing off his sword skills.
‘I’ve definitely become stronger……’
–Let’s see how long you can last.
The Red Slaughterer laughed and sent a diagonal slash towards Ark. It was followed by a shower of a sword attacks. Despite the fact that Ark quickly recovered and raised his sword, red sparks still flew from his side.
‘This guy has also become stronger!’
It was natural. The amount of time wasn’t equal for everyone. The Red Slaughterer wasn’t just killing time while Ark was growing. Furthermore, the Red Slaughterer’s identity was Lucifer. While Ark had to sleep, the Red Slaughterer was an artificial intelligence so he didn’t need sleep in the first place. And he was also burning with vengeance for his previous encounter with Ark so it was natural for him to grow more than before!
‘But his sword is easier to fend off than before. That means my growth rate is slightly faster. But there is no meaning in growing faster if I don’t win. Damn, I wanted to avoid a confrontation with this guy…..’
He had improved but there was still a slight difference. The Red Slaughterer was still overwhelming Ark. Nevertheless, Ark had been able to hold on for 20 minutes because of his battle suit. The battle suit had upgraded to Lv. 2 on Amara so the enhancement ability rose from 30% to 35%! He also became perfectly synchronized with it thanks to the gene rearrangement in the secret laboratory. And the greatest effect he could from the genetic adjustment…..
‘Stop it, Aegis!’
Ark’s eyes sparkled as he saw the red light. A small object rapidly rotated and soared over Ark’s head. It was a hexagonal shield made of a blue light!
-The body coating skill Mind Shield has been converted by the battle shield.
Armed Mind Shield (Intermediate, Active): When the battle suit is perfectly synchronized, the body coating skills can be enhanced. Instead of a shield that wraps around the whole body, it will be changed into 2 pieces of Aegis shields. The shields might be smaller but its defensive powers are far higher and can be freely controlled by the user.
<Mental Power will be consumed to produce 2 Aegis shields that can move freely>
Mental Power consumption: 300 Cool down time: 30 minutes
The synchronization converted it to Armed Mind Shield! In fact, he had been quiet disappointed when he first saw the information window. The shield that protected the whole body had changed into 2 small shields. He thought the defense range had shrunk. However that idea hanged when he actually tried them out. The defense range of Armed Mind Shield might be narrower than before but that didn’t mean the enemy’s attacks weren’t stopped. Armed Mind Shield could move as he desired.
‘Stop it!’
The moment Ark sensed an enemy attack. The shield moved around Ark in circles like a satellite and blocked the enemy’s attacks. Additionally, the shield that wrapped around the entire body had become a compressed shield so the defense was boosted! The shield could even withstand 3~4 melee hits despite that being the weakness of shields. Aegis was a system that responded to the users’ will to prevent enemy attacks!
There was a disadvantage of course. Ark could only respond to enemy attacks that he detected. If there were bullets fired than he couldn’t read the orbit of every attack. The Aegis Shield didn’t help in that situation. However in a 1 on 1 sword fight, its effect wasn’t a joke.
Snap! Chwajijijijijik!
The Red Slaughterer’s sword stopped the moment it hit Aegis!
‘The level difference will be obvious in close combat. Furthermore, his battle suit if the agility type. His attack speed is also faster than me. If I’m pulled into a fight of power and speed then the odds aren’t in my favour!’
Ark got close to the Red Slaughterer and tried to kick his knee.
“Take this…..eh?”
But Ark’s knee just hit air. The Red Slaughterer just avoided it like it was expected and smirked.
–I thought that your leg movements were somewhat unnatural. How disappointing. Did you think something like this would get me? Detection!
The sword shot out a red light! Ark hurriedly raised his sword but the Red Slaughterer’s Detection was a shock wave attack like Sonic Sword. He felt a pain in his chest and his body was thrown back several metres.
“Heok! Son of a bitch!”
Ark cursed as he was pushed to the end of the deck. Once again, Ark and the Red Slaughterer were fighting on the Silver Star’s deck hundreds of metres in the air. If he was pushed off the deck then he would fall several hundred metres! He would be crushed like a tomato even if his health was at 100%.
“Hyper Booster!”
Ark shouted in an urgent voice. The jet devices emerged from his heels. Flames spewed out and Ark’s body shot forward like a projectile. However the Red Slaughterer was right in front of him! A red laser light was fired from the Red Slaughterer’s sword.
–Take this! Dragon Fury!
“Sheesh, Welcome to the alter ego!”
Ark’s feet moved like lightning and his alter egos appeared. One of them disappeared when hit by the red laser while the others passed behind the Red Slaughterer. But the Red Slaughterer had already seen Welcome to the alter ego.
–No way! Chakra!
Light gathered in the Red Slaughterer’s left hand. And his body rotated to block the combined attack from Ark. The Red Slaughterer was about to fight back when he frowned and stopped his action.
-……What are you doing?
“What?”
–I’m wondering why you’re not attacking.
“I don’t know what you’re saying. Welcome to the alter ego is a skill to deal an unexpected attack to the enemy! But you’ve seen Welcome to the alter ego before and expected my next movement. And I moved like you expected! Isn’t that why you blocked my attack?”
Ark laughed from far away and answered
–That’s not what I’m saying!
The Red Slaughterer shouted angrily.
–Did you think I wouldn’t notice? This wasn’t the only time. You’re not fighting seriously. You are just pretending to fight.
“Why do you think that?”
–You’ve had a few opportunities to launch a counterattack against me. But you stepped back each time. It is the same this time as well. If I expected the hit than you would’ve changed the attack. There is no reason to abandon attacking from a profitable position. No, I know that you’re not such a passive guy. Then there is only one answer. You aren’t fighting seriously. Am I wrong?
It was like the Red Slaughterer said. A battle between two users of a similar standard wouldn’t be easy. But once a battle was started, there was a moment where there would be a chance for victory or defeat. So far the Red Slaughterer and Ark had engaged a few times. No, it was just before they were about to engage. Each time Ark would receded and avoid the confrontation. Naturally he had a reason for it.
“Busted.”
Ark sighed and nodded. He scratched his head and laughed.
“In fact, I haven’t been thinking about fighting with you. I understand you have bad feelings for me. I smashed you in New World and you got stuck in the government’s computer so it is natural to hold a grudge. But isn’t that in the past? So let’s try to move on. I’ve already prepared a place for you to live.”
–A place for me to live?
“A state of the art cell phone! You can enter with the 16 GB external memory. But there’s even more? There’s also a game where you can foster relationships with beautiful girls. There are a total of 16 character styles! If you enter my phone then you can have a beautiful girlfriend. Huhuhu! How about it? Interested? If you stop your threat to blow up the nuclear power plant and enter my cell phone then you can live a happy life with a girl.”
-Talking like that…..
“Why? You don’t like it? Okay! Then 64 GB! I can’t do anything more. That is the biggest memory possible for a cell phone. Instead I will down 10 beautiful girl games. 10 games would be at least 100 people. 64 GB and 100 girls! Wah! How envious! Damn, I should’ve been born as an artificial intelligence. I’m envious! What a hateful bastard!”
–Stop talking nonsense!
The Red Slaughterer shouted angrily.
–Do you think I’ll believe that nonsense?
“No.”
Ark replied with a straight face.
“Are you stupid? Nonsense like that can’t be true.”
-What?
“If you really want to know. The whole reason why I’m avoiding a confrontation with you…..”
Ark looked at the Red Slaughterer with a firm expression as he revealed the shocking truth.
“It is like you thought!”
The Red Slaughterer’s face distorted at his answer. Ark sighed and continued.
“It hurts my pride but I have to admit it. I thought I raised my level quite a lot but I knew immediately. It will be hard to win against you. Right now there is only a 30% chance. So why should I bother to fight you?”
–Aren’t you mistaken about something?
The Red Slaughterer stared at him foolishly.
-This is your ship. There is nowhere for you to flee. What are you going to do if you don’t fight? Give up and surrender?
“Of course not.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“Fighting isn’t the only way to distinguish between victory or defeat. “Hyper Booster!”
Ark turned his body and shouted. Then Ark rushed across the deck towards the area where Slayer, Kaya and the others were fighting the Rama warriors. When Ark suddenly rushed there, the Red Slaughterer flew forward like a bullet and caught up with him instantly. And he raised his red lightsaber!
–Don’t be mistaken! Your opponent is me!
“Armed Stealth!”
Ark turned and shouted. A tremendous flash emitted from Ark’s body!
-The body coating skill Stealth has been converted by the battle shield.
Armed Stealth (Intermediate, Active): Stealth is a technique where light bends around the body to hide the user from the enemy. However it can’t be used during a fight. It is the same even when wearing a battle suit. However, once the battle suit becomes perfectly synchronized than it is possible to boost the visible light around the body by tens of thousands of times. This light is powerful enough to make the enemy blinded.
<Visible light s amplified and the enemy will be blinded between 1~10 seconds>
Mental Power consumption: 200 Cool down time: 30 minutes
Stealth had been converted after the body synchronization! It didn’t hide his body but it would blind the enemy. The reason why he used Stealth rather than a flash bullet…..
–Ack! T-this bastard……
The Red Slaughterer who had been chasing Ark slammed the brakes and closed his eyes. He wasn’t the only one. The Red Front had reflexively turned as Ark and the Red Slaughterer neared so they also closed their eyes.
“Now!”
Then Ark’s yell was heard in their ears. The Red Slaughterer reacted to his voice and shouted.
–Dammit! Prepare for the enemy’s attacks!
He thought Ark’s yell was a signal to attack. But contrary to the Red Slaughterer’s expectations, the gunshots actually stopped after Ark’s yell. Despite the fact that they lost their eyesight, the opponents didn’t take the opportunity to shoot bullets. The Red Slaughterer soon realized the reason once his eyesight was restored.
–What on earth……
Ark’s team had climbed up the Silver Star’s deck. While the Red Slaughterer and Rama warriors had lost their eyesight, they were gathered near the tentacles. And it was struggling to hold onto the ship? The Red Slaughterer screamed as he saw the scene.
-Red Front! Launch towards the deck!
“You fools, it is too late!”
Ark smiled and muttered. Once again, the Silver Star had been immobile because the Asura’s tentacles were holding on to it. The tentacles from the Asura emitted a strong electronic signal that paralyzed the Silver Star’s electronics. There were two ways to block this electronic jamming signal.
The first way was to cut off the tentacles sending the electronic jamming signal. And the second way was to make a conflicting signal to neutralize the electronic erosion. The first way couldn’t succeed thanks to the interference of the Red Slaughterer and the Red Front……
–Hyung-nim, I’ve succeeded in jamming the signal!
Ark had received that communication from Hegel just before he used Armed Stealth. This was the reason Ark dragged out the battle against the Red Slaughterer. There was a 30% chance. It wasn’t just Ark and the Red Slaughterer’s duel.
This number also applied to his team members fighting with the Red Front. Of course Slayer, Leon, Kaya, Sadain and the gunner weren’t being pushed by the Rama warriors but it was getting difficult for Ellain, Kurakan and Hedro as the battle lengthened. If they continued to battle, almost all the team would be wiped out even if they won! Anyway, there was no reason to fight.
“Milan, turn!”
Wiiiing! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Then there was a roaring sound and the Silver Star revolved. The erosion had been counteracted but the Silver Star was still being held by the Asura’s tentacles. The Silver Star had to take some damage when it rotated.
Kwadududuk!
The tentacles embedded in the armour were torn out. But the sacrifice was worth it. The moment the Silver Star rotated!
–Cough! Unbelievable!
–No! Waaaaak!
The Rama warriors on the upper deck started falling. However this wasn’t enough to take out the Rama warriors. The Red Slaughterer had noticed Ark’s plan just before the Silver Star turned so Keiko and the remaining 7 warriors instantly fired wire hooks into the Silver Star, causing them to hang upside down.
–Captain-nim!
–Don’t panic! Those guys are hanging from the armour as well. That can’t last long in that state, let alone attack. So it will soon turn upright again.
The Red Slaughterer told his subordinates with a growl.
–Dammit! Ark! Doing something cowardly again! Even if this happens……
The Red Slaughterer then realized something strange. Ark’s team were clinging to the ship’s armour. But Ark wasn’t there with them. No, he couldn’t find any traces of Ark at all.
–Did he fall off?
Then a strange substance stuck to the Silver Star’s armour caught his eye. It was a red slime that stuck to the armour like chewing gum.
–What it that?
The Red Slaughterer wrinkled his forehead and murmured. All of a sudden a blue light emerged from the slime.
-Is that Ark holding a lightsaber? But how…..?
Surprisingly Ark had emerged from the slime while holding his lightsaber. However the scene afterwards was even more amazing. The lightsaber spun in the air and started floating towards the Red Slaughterer and the Red Front. And the lightsaber started passing over the wires attaching them to the hooks!
Wing wing wing wing! Seokeok!
–Hik! T-this…..!
The Red Slaughterer screamed as he watched the wire being cut. He wasn’t the only one. The remaining Rama warriors tried to rush forward. Their one lifeline was being ruthlessly cut. And there had already been 4 Rama warriors crushed like rotten tomatoes after they had fallen off onto Impeltus’ surface.
Chwaaaaak! Chwaaaak! Chwaaaak!
The moment the Red Slaughterer and Rama warriors were about to fall. 5 tentacles rapidly flew out of the Asura to grab the Red Slaughterer, Keiko and the Rama warriors.
–Ack! This is……
The Red Slaughterer who had barely avoided falling stared with murderous eyes. The Silver Star had rotated 180 degrees and returned to its original position. At that moment, one person soared from the red slime. It was Ark who grabbed the sword that flew back to him! He had activated the Hide skill the moment the Silver Star turned over. And he used Psychokinesis to cut the wire!
–Ark, don’t avoid this match and run away!
The Red Slaughterer shouted angrily as he grasped the situation a step too late. Ark laughed as he turned around.
“This is also a match for me!”
In fact, Ark had also thought about a match at first. But it wasn’t yet time to face the Red Slaughterer. So his head had rolled desperately to find a way to win. This was the method that surfaced to his head! That’s why Ark avoided any confrontations and dragged out the time.
‘The winner is the last guy to survive, not the guy that fights well!’
However…..
“Chet, what a tenacious guy.”
Ark clicked his tongue as he looked at the Red Slaughterer caught by the tentacle. Unfortunately the floating sword still wasn’t at a level to move in the direction Ark desired. He couldn’t manipulate it delicately enough to strike each enemy. It was impossible to cut up the tentacles.
“Unfortunately it can’t be helped.”
The Red Slaughterer and Red Front might’ve lost but the situation wasn’t exactly beneficial for Ark. The ship had recovered from the jamming signal but the guns lost during the battle with the Asura were still unusable.
Of course, the Asura wasn’t fine. That ship had lost the most important thing, its engine. However the Asura still had its lower and upper turrets.
‘If those guys aim the turrets at us then we might still lose. There is no guarantee we can repair the main gun and turrets before they repair the Asura’s engine. No, if there was an engineer on the ship than the Asura’s engine would clearly be repaired faster. Then this isn’t the time to delay.’
“This time it is a draw.”
Ark said before turning his back to the Red Slaughterer. He boarded the ship with his team and sat in the captain’s seat.
“Hegel, the energy charge of the Silver Star?”
“It has charged up to 90%!”
“Okay, Milan. Operate the engine to its maximum! Aim outside Impeltus’ atmosphere!”
The Silver Star vertically rose at Ark’s command.
–Dammit! We screwed up! Don’t miss! Kill that bastard!
The scene of the Red Slaughterer dangling from the tentacles like a doll and yelling caught his eye through the window. At the same time shells flew from the Asura! But the shells couldn’t catch up to the Silver Star moving at its maximum speed. And the Silver Star headed towards the swirling purple clouds!
Roaaaaar! Kwaaaang!
They shot off with a roar. The Silver Star’s engine was moving at its maximum output so they didn’t need a long time to exit the atmosphere. The vast universe unfolded as they broke through the swirling clouds.
“Hegel, calculate the coordinates. Start the warp voyage to Turan!”
“Understood!”
Hegel replied vigorously as he pressed buttons on the dashboard. He finally pressed a red button and the Silver Star was wrapped in light. Ark blew out a sigh as he relaxed. Then the gunner headed towards Ark.
“Ark, don’t you have something to discuss with me?”
“No. But it seems you have something to say to me so I’ll listen.”
Ark nodded and turned towards the gunner. There was a sudden explosion and the ship shook wildly.
Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
“Wah! W-what is this?”
“Damn it, did those Rama bastards already follow us?”
“T-this…..the enemy isn’t attacking!”
Hegel yelled as he checked the dashboard.
“Ether fusion system error! Oh my god! The engine received damage during the battle with the Asura! During the voyage, the balance control system failed so there is an error in the warp navigation! In this state we won’t be able to endure the gravity distortion and will be thrown out of orbit!”
Hegel’s scream echoed through the bridge! And…..
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Pepepepeng!
They were thrown out!
Space 3
Lost
Kukung!
The vast stretches of outer space. A huge light pillar separated the darkness. That was the beginning. Small spots of light like firecrackers emerged one after another. And there was a roaring sound before the light pillar stretched out horizontally. 2 spaceships were torn apart and gradually scattered. A spaceship was watching this scene from several kilometres away.
“The disappearance reaction has been confirmed!”
“Both enemy ships have been sunk!”
“We suffered little damage so repairs to the armour isn’t needed. The battleship self-recovery system was suffice. The self-recovery system will be starting now.”
“The battle has ended. A landslide victory!”
The crew in the cockpit reported one after another. Then a huge man wearing hood snorted and said.
“Those stupid guys, it was like they were politely throwing rice cakes at us. They thought they could defeat us with that many ships?”
“Their excess greed caused this.”
The person who replied was sitting in the captain’s chair. The one eyed man was reclined deeply in his seat with both legs crossed while staring at the dashboard! He was a member of the strongest Seven Swords and in charge of the secondary investigation team, Hawk. Hawk looked at the monitor and muttered with a smile.
“Although if they weren’t greedy then I’d be in trouble.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right. Right now the scattered investigation team is being attacked by an unidentified enemy. If I’m not attacked despite being the leader than wouldn’t it be strange?”
“Aha! Then the Rama…..”
“Entertainment.”
“Huhuhu! The Rama are just dancing in Captain-nim’s palm.”
The man in the hood laughed so hard his large stomach shook.
But Hawk wasn’t laughing.
“Let’s see, is it really like that…..?”
Hawk briefly paused before turning his head and asking.
“Harley, what is the current situation of the units?”
“Last time I’ve checked the signal, 9 ships have been lost. Of those, 6 of them moved off the ship to complete their mission or encountered them on the spaceship. The remaining 3 ships were units who we passed on information to the Rama.”
Ark had received a surprise attack from unidentified enemies on Impeltus. In fact, Ark wasn’t the only one who experienced this. It was the same for all 20 members of the secondary investigation team. However this incident wasn’t unexpected for Hawk.
The person who led this event was Hawk! The memory with the mission destination and information actually contained a hidden GPS device. That’s how Hawk could know their destination despite the team being randomly scattered. After they left for their missions, he sent the information to the spaceships of several units he stationed in space.
The information contained the destination, their information, the numbers and what faction they belonged to. Once again, the nobility had intervened with the investigation team so they were split into the political and military faction. In this situation they weren’t worried about the antimatter information going to the enemy. They thought it was more catastrophic for the information to end up with the other faction than the enemy.
So he started thinking. He had to do something to stop it. The servants of nobles who wanted to ‘accidentally’ obtain the information before the rival faction participated. The result wasn’t too difficult to predict. And it was as he expected. The enemy units headed to their planet containing an team from the opposite faction. Of course, there were members not involved in the faction war.
So Hawk secretly sent the information to the Rama. The secret units hid their identities and attacked at a similar time as the Rama. The reason Hawk did this was……
‘I have to lead this team to successfully complete the mission in order to receive something from the Emperor of the federation. But it will be difficult to control when the team is divided into antagonistic factions. Right now they are listening to my orders but they aren’t sincerely cooperating with me. Having thousands of troops means nothing if I can’t lead them. The first thing I need to do is break the solidarity between the nobility and the team members. They need to realize that they’re not following the nobles sitting in Istana but Hawk. That’s why a threat is necessary instead of persuasion.’
The team had already lost 35% of its power due to the unidentified enemy or the Rama. The surviving members would have to think. This mission was more dangerous than expected. They couldn’t fight between factions or else they might lose the mission. They needed someone to follow and believe in. Someone closer than the nobles waiting on Istana thousands of light years away.
‘And they’ll soon realize. Who they should follow.’
Hawk’s lips curved like a bow. The members seemed to be under the false impression that Hawk didn’t belong to a faction. The Emperor only wore the crown while the nobles had all the influence. Therefore the Emperor wanted to monopolize the antimatter information so he could reclaim his authority. Hawk had the support of the Emperor.
In other words, Hawk belonged to the Emperor’s faction! Hawk planned this incident in order to seize the helm of the investigation team.
“There are 11 survivors……”
Hawk muttered to himself and nodded.
“It is suitable.”
And he seemed to have a sudden thought as he asked.
“Ark?”
“He is lost.”
“Lost? That guy was one of them?”
“Yes, the signal disappeared near the vicinity of Impeltus. It is natural. Didn’t you send two different enemies after him unlike the other members? One of them has a grudge against him. And the other is the Red Slaughterer. The fact that he is a country bumpkin from Istana can’t be changed.”
“That might be so but…..”
Hawk narrowed his eyes as he thought. After a brief moment he shook his head and started to talk.
“I suppose that is the extent that he can reach. If he dies from that than he isn’t worth being my enemy. Harley, prepare to warp. Head to Turan!”
“Preparing for warp! The destination is Turan!”
Harley’s cry ran out through the battleship and the Death Knight started shaking. It was wrapped in a light and disappeared.
—————————-
“Uhh!”
“Oooh!”
In the NIS’ secret underground facility. Eerie moans kept on being heard from the underground room. However there was no sympathy in the eyes of Lee Myung-ryong listening from the shadows. He just clicked his tongue instead as their pitiful forms.
“Hey, are they really special agents?”
“I’m ashamed.”
A man with swollen eyes said as he scratched his head. This seemed like a scene that had been seen before.
It was like the first time Lee Myung-ryong was assigned to the NIS Lucifer Hunting team and manipulated the capsules to feel real pain. The Galaxian team members experienced a similar pain to when he was playing New World. The audio might be similar but the video was completely different.
Capsules were lined up inside the facility. 300 burly men had their heads against the ground with their arms clasped behind their back. It was the traditional method called Wonsan pukkyeok (Google Images )
“Are you newborn puppies? Why are you whining like that? Eh? These bastards, why aren’t your backs straight? Are you resisting? Are you resisting? Will you continue until the end?”
“Ohh, n-no!”
“No what? Add 30 minutes!”
There were hopeless groans at Lee Myung-ryong’s yell. Kang Ho-cheol sighed and said.
“Hyung-nim, it has already been 40 minutes.”
“So what?”
Lee Myung-ryong turned around and declared sharply. Lee Myung-ryong’s height was over 170 centimetres. On the other hand, Kang Ho-cheol was close to 190 centimetres. There was a difference of 20 centimetres yet Kang Ho-cheol was the one who flinched back from Lee Myung-ryong and stuttered.
“That….those guys seem to already be reflecting…..”
“Reflecting?” Ha! You call that attitude reflecting? If you think that is reflecting than your style of punishment is wrong. Those guys know they are wrong after whining for 40 minutes? These guys are the elites who received special training?”
“They are special agents, not Superman.”
“I’m also not a politician.”
Lee Myung-ryung spat as he replied. His voice and expression proved that he was completely blowing his lid right now. The reason for this was an event that occurred a few hours ago.
Once Lee Myung-ryong made it a 4D realistic experience, the performance of the Lucifer Hunting team quickly rose. They gained various survival skills so their levels naturally increased as survival rates increased. They didn’t dare capture dungeons and went hunting every day.
Then a strange report came to Lee Myung-ryong’s attention. The current Lucifer Hunting team were moving in units consisting of 10~20 people. The report written by one team stated that they were proceeding on a quest with rare items as the reward. A quest with rare items had a high level of difficulty so the team significantly suffered.
That wasn’t special. The problem was what Lee Myung-ryong read afterwards in another report. Another party could complete the same quest. And the principle of the Lucifer Hunting team was sharing information. However the other party that attempted it made the same mistakes in the same areas. It meant information wasn’t being shared.
“That’s actually…..”
Kang Ho-cheol hesitated to reply when he was asked.
“Like I said the other day, the Lucifer Hunting team consists of members from the NIS and an information oriented team. The affiliation they belong to is naturally different. The NIS is under the direct control of the Prime Minister’s department while the information oriented unit is managed by the Department of Defense. The problem is that the Prime Minister’s office and the Department of Defense are engaged in a psychological warfare to gain the initiative.”
“Psychological warfare?”
“They are vying against each other in that incident.”
Lee Myung-ryong’s face warped at Kang Ho-cheol’s words. He didn’t need to hear anymore. He just needed to hear that government employees from Korea were involved. If there was a problem than they would push responsibility to each other. That was the reality of Korean officials.
Of course, Lee Myung-ryong knew that about the officials. But this event was concerned with the nuclear power plant crisis. If it exploded than the whole country would feel it. Yet! Yet!
“Hyung-nim, just pretend you don’t know…..”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
Lee Myung-ryong hit Kang Ho-cheol. Now he had two eyes that were swollen.
“Stop all your movements! Exit the capsules!”
And Lee Myung-ryong roared! That’s why the facility was filled with the groan of 300 people. Lee Myung-ryong looked at them with blazing eyes and it seemed like fire was spewing from his mouth.
“Are you soldiers belong to the government officials or the country? Won’t your parents, siblings and friends be affected if the nuclear power plant explodes? You puppies! No, a dog wouldn’t do something like this! You bastards are just dog shit!”
“Uh…..uh…..”
Sweat dripped down as the guys trembled. Kang Ho-cheol sighed and opened up.
“Hyung-nim, don’t you know? They are military soldiers so they have to turn if they are told to.”
“Shut up, you bastard! Do they have no thoughts in their brains just because they are soldiers? Would you kill your parents or siblings if you were told to? Does this seem like a joke? Don’t you know what will happen with a nuclear explosion? In such a situation! In order to win the war, don’t you have to be soldiers who think despite orders from your superiors?”
“B-but…..”
“I know. But those guys aren’t involved in the actual hunting!”
Lee Myung-ryong shouted loudly. He belonged to the police organization so he knew this issue wouldn’t be easily resolved. And he had no intention of backing down. He would smash any idea of listening to the Prime Minister or Department of Defense.
“I have to fix your rotten spirits!”
Lee Myung-ryong roared like a beast.
“Add 30 minutes again. You can get up if it’s too hard. However you have to immediately call you parents and say ‘I might cause a nuclear explosion because I followed the commands of the leaders in charge of Korea’ to them.”
“Oooh……”
“Dammit, I feel dirty. Kang Ho-cheol, I can’t stay here anymore because I’m so angry. I’m going to walk in the wind so keep watch. One hour from now. Make sure you check the time.”
“Understood.”
Kang Ho-cheol replied in a melancholy voice as Lee Myung-ryong headed for a smoke. He sucked cigarette smoke containing nickel, arsenic, benzene, cadmium etc. into his lungs as he tried to calm down. Lee Myung-ryong borrowed the power of the nicotine to calmly consider the situation.
Like he told Kang Ho-cheol, Lee Myung-ryong had no intention of changing his methods. He didn’t intend to negotiate with the Prime Minister’s office or the Department of Defense over the Lucifer Hunting team. He knew that wasn’t the solution to his problem. There was no guarantee that the superiors would keep a promise they made with him. No, Lee Myung-ryong’s neck would probably be the first one to fly off if anything went wrong.
“This place is really foolish…..”
In fact, Lee Myung-ryong hadn’t really felt that the nuclear power plant crisis was real yet. But it was like the politicians were fighting over a bowl of rice. It was a ridiculous act for adults who should be acting responsible. When could he escape this ridiculous system of organization?
“I need a way to monitor how the team acts in the game. If they don’t report it in the report than there is no way to determine what is going on. I need to monitor their actions in the game as well as read the reports……”
Then a name popped into his head. Lee Myung-ryong’s student who managed to reverse his life by playing a game, Kim Hyun-woo!
“Yes! There is that guy. He is one of the 50 gamers selected by the NIS to play Galaxian!”
Lee Myung-ryong stood up. Cell phones were prohibited so he rushed into the NIS’ communication room and called Hyun-woo. However…..
-The customer can’t receive your call right now so please call back after a while.
That was the voice he heard after a long beep.
“Dammit! What is that child doing?”
—————————-
Diririri. Diririri.
He heard the ringing of his phone.
-The phone number can’t be confirmed.
That was the message that appeared on his screen. The message was obvious. 99% of a SMS phishing.
“Damn, there’s also this. Do you think I’m a soft touch? What is the NIS doing? Every day you open your mouth and boast about what a wide intelligence network you have. Yet you can’t grab these guys behind the phishing.
He wanted to curse. But Hyun-woo didn’t want to think about such matters right now. Hyun-woo switched his phone to silent mode and placed it into his pocket.
There was a big house in front of him. No, it was more like a castle than a house. A road at least 3~4 metres stretched from the fence surrounding it. Beyond the fence was a large garden that the building couldn’t even be seen. The surprising thing was that there was a house like this in the heart of Seoul.
“Is this really the house?”
Hyun-woo hesitated as he confirmed the address a few times. And he finally had the courage to ring the bell.
“Are you Hyun-woo?”
“Huh? Ah, yes! I’m Kim Hyun-woo.”
“I’ve been waiting for you. Come in.”
The lavish doors opened at the business like voice. They probably saw his appearance from the CCTV. Did they think he would feel ashamed at the thought of someone watching him? There was no reason for him to be daunted by money.
And this wasn’t the first time he had seen a house like this. The president of Global Exos had invited Hyun-woo to his house. Thanks to that, Hyun-woo had built an immunity so he walked through the garden towards the front door without a hitch.
“Come in.”
A middle aged man who seemed to be a caretaker showed him into a large living room.
“Please wait a moment. He should come soon.”
The caretaker said before disappearing through a side door in the living room.
In order to explain why Hyun-woo came to a place like this, he had to rewind to a few hours ago.
-Ark, don’t you have something to discuss with me?
-No. But it seems you have something to say to me so I’ll listen.
This was the dialogue Hyun-woo exchanged some time ago with the gunner inside Galaxian. Shortly afterwards there was an explosion on the Silver Star so the talk stopped and resumed after the situation was cleaned up. But there was little progress.
It was because of Hyun-woo’s circumstances. The gunner was curious about the relationship between the Red Slaughterer and Lucifer. If it was just that then it would be simple to prevaricate. And he had tried.
However the gunner was aware that Lucifer was an artificial intelligence created by Park Woo-seong. It meant he couldn’t trick the gunner. But he couldn’t explain that Lucifer was controlling the nuclear power plant because it was a state secret. Hyun-woo wondered how the gunner knew about Lucifer’s identity but he couldn’t just disclose a state secret.
–It is obvious that you are hiding something. No matter what happens, I need to know about Lucifer. And I deserve to know. But you won’t believe what I have to say. So I will prove it. That I am a person entitled to know about Lucifer.
The gunner then sent him a message on his Nymphe. The message had his home address. In other words, this was the gunner’s house.
‘What is his identity? How does he know about Lucifer? If he lives in a house like this then is he related to Global Exos?’
Hyun-woo felt half expectant and half anxious at the thought.
“Are you Ark?”
He suddenly heard someone’s voice. Hyun-woo lifted his head with surprise to see someone walking in with a cane. But the face looked strangely familiar. Hyun-woo struggled to remember while the guy nodded.
“Yes, you are Ark.”
“Then you are the gunner…..but you are……”
“Rapid.”
The man spoke as he limped over and sat down.
“But you might know me by my original name…..”
“Alan?”
The man closed his mouth at Hyun-woo’s words. And he looked at Hyun-woo for a moment before smiling.
“You remember.”
It was impossible for him to not remember. During the New World era and before the decisive battle with Lucifer, Alan had been his worst and strongest enemy for 2 years! At that time just hearing the name Alan was enough to make him grind his teeth together. However that was a past event. 2 years of fighting ended with Hyun-woo’s victory.
The winner shouldn’t hold a grudge against the loser. But Hyun-woo hadn’t forgotten about his grudge against Alan simply because he was the winner. It was because he heard that Alan was in a coma shortly after the final battle.
Of course this wasn’t Hyun-woo’s fault. There was no reason for it but he couldn’t help feeling guilty. Now he had appeared in front of Hyun-woo again. He didn’t seem the same as before but he could walk by himself.
Hyun-woo was gripped with incomprehensible emotions as he looked at him. A mixture of the old dislike and a glad feeling rose inside him. But Hyun-woo didn’t express these feelings. Instead he pasted on a hateful expression.
“You look like a zombie.”
“You loathsome person.”
“It is better than talking like a good guy. Just having you speak like that is enough to give me hives.”
“Ditto. Well, I would rather you call me a zombie than giving me pity. I don’t want pity from a guy like you.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Do you still have feelings of revenge against me? Is that why you approached me as Rapid? To get revenge for New World in Galaxian?”
“Revenge…..what about it?”
“That…..”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
Alan interrupted Hyun-woo’s words.
“Obviously you defeated me several times in New World. I don’t want to deny that fact. But that’s it. I played a game and met a stronger player than me. The grudge ended in that game.”
“Then why are you hostile in Galaxian?”
“That’s your misunderstanding. I had nothing to do with the events that took place in S-20.”
“You were part of the black helmet crew that attacked me on Impeltus. No, didn’t you attack me with Valencia? Is that also a misunderstanding?”
“You knew?”
“Just now. If Rapid is the gunner than his identity is obvious.”
“You might not remember this but I was there the first time you fought the Red Slaughterer on Athamas. It is difficult to explain but I was forcibly drafted to Athamas’ battlefield. The person who helped me at that time was Marquis Jyubel. He thought I might be useful so he did me a favour. In fact, the quest was registered the moment I returned to Istana.”
At that time, Alan had wanted to return to Istana as soon as possible to meet Ark. He accepted the quest and then Marquis Jyubel contacted Alan after the chaotic raid happened in S-20.
It was for the investigation team mission. At the time Alan had been thinking about refusing the quest. But he changed his mind once he heard that Hyun-woo was participating in the mission. Anyway, his purpose for participating in the investigation team was to meet Hyun-woo.
“Everything was in order to meet with me?”
“Yes, that’s why I started Galaxian.”
“If it isn’t for revenge than why?”
“I wanted to see you.”
Hyun-woo’s blood ran cold. Hyun-woo avoided Alan’s eyes and said.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I’ve got a girlfriend.”
Alan’s eyebrow raised with confusion at Hyun-woo’s words. He thought for a moment before understanding and shouting with disgust.
” What are you talking about? Why would you say such a thing……?”
“But it’s weird! You wanted to see me? You can’t just suddenly say that to someone!”
“I don’t like you like that!”
“R-really? You don’t like me?”
“Disgusting! I hate you! Is that enough?”
“Phew! That’s lucky. Good. Now continue talking. You wanted to see me, and?”
“That’s enough! Can you stop interrupting me? And now it is your turn. Did you forget? I didn’t call you here to be the only one talking. I deserve to know about ‘that.’ And I think I’ve proved it. I have the qualifications to know about ‘that’ so tell me.”
“Lucifer…..”
Hyun-woo sighed and shrugged his shoulders. He had to admit it. Alan certainly deserved to know about Lucifer. Alan had become a Ruin Knight in order to become Hyun-woo’s rival and eventually entered a coma because of Lucifer.
Alan was a guy with a large amount of pride. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Hyun-woo and Alan’s bad relationship started because of pride. Now Alan said he forgot his grudge against Hyun-woo. If it really didn’t disappear than his grudge might’ve become even stronger. Even if his grudge was discarded, he might be angry about being exploited by a mere artificial intelligence.
‘Is it really a good thing to tell Alan about Lucifer?’
Just as Hyun-woo was thinking this.
“Don’t think about hiding it. If you don’t tell me then I will use any means and methods to figure it out. I will inform the world about the relationship between Global Exos, New World and Lucifer!”
“There is no need to use such threats……”
Alan would eventually find out anyway.
“I’ll tell you.”
Hyun-woo sighed and nodded. But he couldn’t explain all the facts. Lucifer threatening to take over the nuclear power plant was a government secret. But Alan’s nature wasn’t the type to make a fuss.
In the end Hyun-woo explained the situation like this.
Lucifer knew that Ark disappeared from New World so he hacked into Global Exos’ confidential user files and infiltrated Galaxian. If they wanted the confidential documents to be returned than they needed to reach the ultimate goal in Galaxian before them. Therefore Global Exos selected Hyun-woo and 50 promising gamers to deal with Lucifer.
“Then really…..”
“Yes, the Red Slaughterer is Lucifer.”
Hyun-woo nodded and studied Alan’s face. Alan didn’t say anything for a while. And after a moment he burst out laughing.
“Kukukuku. Hahahaha!”
“W-what’s with this reaction? Are you okay? Did you receive a psychological shock……?”
“Ark! Ark! Ark! Ark!”
Alan turned and kept on shouting. The expression on his face was impossible to decipher as he spoke.
“I was looking for an answer the whole time. I was just looking without knowing the answer. I think I know the answer thanks to you. So I dragged my body while thinking about meeting you. But that isn’t it. Now I understand. This is why I started Galaxian. My body knew what I wanted before my head did. I know what is necessary for a full recovery. Lucifer! A mere artificial intelligence that made me a joke! He is the necessary sacrifice in order to regain my wounded pride!”
‘Hey! Hey! Are you insane? What does your body know? Is your body a radar? Didn’t you just find out that Lucifer is in Galaxian? Furthermore, is Lucifer like ginseng? Will defeating him make your body better? And what sacrifice? A devil? Will sacrificing him restore your body? Your eyes look dangerous right now! He looks dangerous! Should I call 119 before it is too late?’
Those words climbed in Hyun-woo’s throat at Alan’s sudden reaction. Then Alan looked back at Hyun-woo. The corner of his mouth lifted and he muttered.
“Now I can achieve two goals at the same time. Watching you and getting revenge for Lucifer. If I come with you then I will end up meeting Lucifer.”
“What? With me? You, in the future……”
“Please Ark!”
Alan emphatically said. His expression indicated that Hyun-woo would be just like Lucifer if he rejected.
Space 4
Asteroid E-2036
“Newcomer.”
Ark looked at his team and said. He was standing next to a man wearing the black helmet, the gunner.
“There were various situations so he has decided to go with us from now on. Hey! What are you doing? Take off the black helmet and say a word to your colleagues.”
Ark elbowed the gunner in his side while speaking. The gunner was Rapid, Rapid was Alan! That’s right. Ark finally decided to accept Alan as his colleague. Of course, it wasn’t a simple decision.
Who was Alan? Since Ark started New World, he was a strong user and his rival for 2 years. He couldn’t blindly trust him now. But he could believe one thing. He held a bigger grudge against Lucifer than Ark.
It was a common strategy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As long as Lucifer was a common enemy in Galaxian, Alan wouldn’t betray Ark.
‘If I’m convinced he won’t betray me……’
Ark knew him better than anyone else.
‘A user like Alan who demonstrates competence in all areas is rare. Isn’t he like Guan Yu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms? I might’ve beaten him in New World but his military strength and political power can’t be underestimated.’
The evidence of Alan’s skills was his previous stay in S-20.
While Ark was away for 10 days, S-20 developed into a place he didn’t know. At the time he was surprised because of Rapid. But know that he know it was Alan, he wasn’t surprised at all. Alan had shown the same competence in New World.
‘I don’t think he is lying and my biggest enemy is Lucifer. And Lucifer is also Alan’s target. He will move more eagerly than anyone else if it is to stop Lucifer. I also believe in his ability. In that respect, Alan is the companion most needed right now.’
There was no reason to refuse! That was the conclusion Ark came to. However there was a bit of noise.
“What? What are you saying all of a sudden?”
Slayer looked at Alan and started complaining.
“Have you forgotten? Melina-nim and Park died because those black helmet guys suddenly attacked us! And that guy was with the black helmets! But now he is our colleague? How can I believe a man like him? Isn’t that right?”
“Yes. It isn’t right.”
“See! Kaya….eh? What?”
“What reason do I have to oppose it? Didn’t you hear Ark? That guy wasn’t friends with the black helmets from the beginning. He stuck to that group due to various circumstances.”
“How do you know that?”
“You should think a little more with your head. We were able to escape unharmed from the laboratory because of his help. If he hadn’t stopped them from manning the entrance and installed a bomb on their ship then we would’ve been wiped out. Would he do such a thing if he is with the black helmets?”
“T-that….”
“So there is no reason to oppose the addition of a strong peer. Didn’t you see? When he fought the Rama. He is definitely strong. In addition, he has the most important thing.”
“The most important thing?”
Slayer asked with confusion. Kaya replied with a laugh.
“His face, it is handsome.”
“Kaack! This stupid woman! Why does that matter?”
“Why does it matter? Don’t you know that a rice cake won’t look good to eat if it wasn’t for the red coating?”
“W-what does it have to do with eating? Should a woman be talking like that?”
“Why are you hung up on that part? It wasn’t what I meant. Are you a pervert?”
“You’re the pervert! This player like girl!”
“P-player? What did you say?”
“I said it! What are you going to do? Speaking of that, how is he handsome? He just seems like a beggar type guy. He just made his game character look like this. You’ll see. That guy probably has a lot of pimples on his stomach. He probably casually touches his snot and farts openly!”
“Why are you going into such details? Are you sure you’re not talking about yourself?”
“It’s sad but you can’t deny it.”
Leon looked at Slayer with a regretful face. Then Kaya said with a hateful expression.
“Yes, I knew it. Okay. I’ll be sure to say it when I met Melina again. That you dig out your snot with your hand and fart openly.”
“Ah,no! I wash my hands!”
“You probably touch the snot after washing your hands and then eats food with it.”
“No that’s not me! It is him!”
Slayer spat and pointed towards Alan who took off his helmet. Then Alan turned towards Ark and asked.
“So…can I put a bullet in that guy’s forehead?”
“I admit my subordinate is a bit out of control but he will calm down. It is because the relationship between my subordinates are important.”
“That’s why I asked you first if I could put a bullet in his head.”
“You brat, you sure are keen.”
Ark moved forward with a smile. He looked at Slayer who had dug out a booger with his hand and was trying to touch Kaya with it and said.
“I know this is abrupt. But there is a reason this guy needs to travel with me. Of course, that reason is between this guy and me. But you are also affected by this event. This mission was harder than we expected. So think of it as a chance to reinforce our power. But I am a fair leader. So this decision will be democratically chosen by the majority. If there is more in opposition then I will exclude this friend from this mission at least.”
This actually wasn’t fair or impartial.
Currently the team had 10 people excluding Ark. Among them was Slayer, Leon, Sadain and Kaya. Milan, Hegel, Ellain, Kurakan, Kalliben and Hedro. The majority of the team including the 6 members of Dark Eden.
“We will unconditionally follow Hyung-nim’s will!”
The staff who regarded Ark’s words as a law voted in his favour!
“I also agree of course. There has to be at least one man like that.”
Kaya also voted in agreement due to her own selfish reasons!
“It doesn’t matter to me. But if our power increases then there is no reason to oppose it.”
Sadain also voted in agreement.
“Uh….I agree as well.”
Leon sensed what side it was tilting towards and decided to be on the side of the majority. 9 to 1, it was GAME OVER with an overwhelming majority of votes!
“Damn! Whatever! Bah! Che! Byong!”
Thanks to Slayer’s graceful (?) resignation, Alan officially joined the team. And the formalities were completed!
-Aram has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Aram (User)
Profession: Gunner
Level: 92
Related Skills: Quick Fire, Consecutive Fire, Manoeuvre Fire…..
The name Rapid used in Galaxian was Aram. He wanted to use Alan that he originally used in New World but it was sold out so he went with a similar name.
‘Even so, Aram……’
It seemed somewhat weak. It made him feel like laughing for some reason. So Ark decided to just call him Rapid.
“Any complaints?”
“I don’t care about my name.”
“But you’re level 92?”
“Yes, is there a level restriction to enter your company?”
“No, that’s not it…..”
Rapid had killed the 2 people with Valencia instantly, even if they were caught off guard and engaged in a fight with the leader of the Red Front Keiko. Therefore Ark had expected Rapid to be at least level 100. But the level listed in his employee ID was only 92. Despite that, it didn’t feel like he was weaker than the level 110 Slayer.
‘It means he covers his lower level with skill proficiency. Hasn’t he barely recovered enough to walk alone at home? At any rate, I can’t be careless.’
Anyway, Rapid was now Ark’s subordinate! Ark closed the staff information window and laughed.
“Don’t you know? I am the President.”
“I know what you want to say. I won’t put a bullet in the back of your head until Lucifer is taken care of.”
“Well, don’t betray me. I will be watching carefully.”
“Are you going to keep on talking such nonsense?”
Rapid loaded the bullets in his pistol and stared at Ark. Damn, an employee that was threatening the President! This guy was acting like this when he just joined but now wasn’t the time for joking or relaxing.
‘But……’
Ark sighed and looked out the window. Grey rocks were the only thing that came into view. The reason Ark and his companions were here went back to several hours ago.
—————————-
“Ether fusion system error! Oh my god! The engine received damage during the battle with the Asura! During the voyage, the balance control system failed so there is an error in the warp navigation! In this state we won’t be able to endure the gravity distortion and will be thrown out of orbit!”
Shortly after they left Impeltus and began warp sailing. The ominous words emerged from Hegel’s mouth.
And…..pepepeng!
The prediction was a reality. There was a ringing sound and the Silver Star was thrown out of warp orbit. It was fortunate that the accident occurred shortly after entering warp.
Warp technology created a multidimensional portal through outer space. The ship was already in a different dimension once warp began. In that state the ship was thrown out of orbit.
In the worst case scenario, it would be trapped in a different space and time and the ship would blow up. Fortunately, warp hadn’t started for that long so the Silver Star wasn’t severely damaged but further flight was impossible. Ark was able to use the emergency engine to land the Silver Star on the closest planet.
This place was where he made the force landing. It was an asteroid with the number E-2036. Although it was lucky he managed to land here…..
“Many of the Silver Star’s systems were damaged when it collided with the Asura. The damage worsened when we were thrown out of warp orbit. Some important parts of the engine became overloaded and have completely melted.”
Those were Hegel’s words when he checked the engine.
“The time required for repairs?”
“It will take at least 5 days to just repair the engine.”
“5 days……”
He naturally sighed at Hegel’s answer. The problem wasn’t the time it would take for repairs.
“The biggest problem right now is the fuel rods. The energy flowed backwards when the engine overloaded so 2 fuel rods have ruptured. No, it is because the fuel rods can’t handle the energy flowing backwards that there is a problem with the engine. Anyway, only 3 fuel rods remains. Even if we repair the engine, if the missing fuel rods aren’t replaced then the Silver Star can’t move.”
‘Damn, this is why I shouldn’t buy used items!’
In fact, the Silver Star’s fuel rods were used. When he found the Silver Star on Amara, all the fuel rods had already been destroyed. Ark had seized the fuel rods from the Kero’s airship to move the Silver Star. However, airship had been attacked by the Nakuma so the fuel rods were quite damaged. Ark knew he should’ve bought new products……
‘The price of one fuel rod is 500 gold!’
And the Silver Star used 4 fuel rods. If he wanted to replace all the fuel rods then it would require 2,000 gold. So Ark thought about it.
“There is still plenty of energy despite being used. It would be a waste to discard perfectly fine energy like this. Discarding the fuel rods when there is still energy remaining is a crime, a crime! Yes, my pocket is tight so I can’t waste money on something like this. Well, I’m a little nervous but no problems have occurred. There should be no trouble in using it to move the Silver Star.’
Yet an incident ended up occurring in the end. The fuel rods couldn’t endure the energy flowing backwards and ruptured. If he had changed to a new product then this situation wouldn’t have occurred. Rapid clicked his tongue after hearing about the situation.
“Really, a guy like you…..”
“I know. Don’t say anything. I’m also upset.”
“So? What will you do?”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Then Kaya interrupted.
“If the fuel rods are destroyed, doesn’t that mean the Silver Star can’t sail even if it is repaired? So there is only one way. Send a request to Turan and wait. Either way, we’re all part of the investigation team. If Hawk receives the distress signal then wouldn’t he send some fuel rods or come to tow us?”
“That won’t work.”
Ark answered without thinking about it. In fact, he discovered several things since meeting with Rapid. Ark learnt that the one who gave the location of the secret laboratory to Valencia was Hawk.
According to Rapid, Hawk had visited Marquis Jyubel on Istana and proposed the ‘Anti-Ark Alliance.’ Shortly after the investigation team left Turan, he had sent the information that Ark was heading to Impeltus to Valencia.
‘Dammit, I knew something was strange the first time I saw him……’
The fact that he secretly told Valencia Ark’s location meant he was an opponent.
‘Perhaps it isn’t an accident that the Red Slaughterer showed up on Impeltus. When looking at the Red Slaughterer’s attitude, there is no way we could meet accidentally. He was clearly aware that I was on Impeltus. Clearly someone from the study group leaked the information. Hawk! I don’t know why he is so hostile to me but there is no doubt that he is an enemy.’
How could the Silver Star send a rescue request to a guy like that? He would rather be shot in the head. It was more likely that the Red Slaughterer would come instead of a rescue party. No, if he hadn’t heard the circumstances from Rapid then the Red Slaughterer would probably already be here.
‘It is due to this!’
Ark looked down at the USB in his hand. He had sensed something when Ark heard that Hawk told Valencia his location. The USBs were randomly distributed so Hawk so have no way to know Ark’s location! Then there must be something in the USB device. Sure enough.
-Hegel has used ‘Item Analysis.’
<A hidden device has been found in the item. A GPS device has been discovered. This GPS device sends out signals based on the spaceship’s navigation device>
*A hidden item has been discovered and Hegel’s Item Analysis proficiency has increased.
A GPS equipment was hidden in the USB. The GPS transmitted the signal from the spaceship’s navigation device! Ark learnt about the USB device and stopped the signal from being sent to Hawk. This was the reason Hawk lost the location of the Silver Star. However Ark hadn’t spoken about this with his team members yet. He wouldn’t say anything until he found out why Hawk was doing this.
“They are still competitors even if we are part of the same investigation team. There is no guarantee help will arrive even if a request is sent. The team consists of enemies from the other faction as well as allies. It is better not to announce that we’re in a crisis.”
“But there isn’t any other way.”
“I’ve thought about it……”
Ark looked back at his team and grinned.
“Do you know why I landed on this asteroid?”
When the Silver Star exited warp, it had been surrounded by several hundred asteroids. And there were a number of closer asteroids that he could land on. But Ark had made the Silver Star continue flying for another 30 minutes before making an emergency landing.
There was one reason!
“This is the only one with a metal reaction.”
“Metal?”
Slayer tilted his head to one side.
“Yes, the asteroids in this region come from a destroyed planet. Yet this is the only asteroid with a metal reaction. Then I can only think of two things. It means the previous planet contains a metal lode that split off into this asteroid. But that possibility isn’t high since the other asteroids have no metal reaction. In other words…..”
“A spaceship.”
Those were Rapid’s words. Ark grinned and nodded.
“That’s right. No, I should say that it is an abandoned ship. Ships aren’t just lost because of accidents or battles. Some ships are swallowed by a black hole or drawn down by the gravity of a planet’s atmosphere. An asteroid doesn’t have an atmosphere so spaceships drawn down would stay there.”
This was the reason why Ark desperately flew to this asteroid. He landed the Silver Star on the asteroid that the optical scanner sensed a metal reaction from because there was a possibility that there was an abandoned ship.
‘The Silver Star doesn’t just need energy. Many areas were damaged during the fight with the Asura so a bunch of spare parts are needed for repairs. The easier way to get those parts is from another ship! Hopefully I can gain materials for repairs without needing to spend money. Besides, who knows? Maybe the ship might still contain fuel rods? If I find fuel rods that are full then it will be a jackpot!’
……He still hadn’t learnt his lesson about used fuel rods. However other players also used second-hand mechanical parts.
Most of the current ships in Galaxian had a self-recovery mechanism to repair minor damage. However repairs were necessary for ruptures or destroyed parts. Parts required for repair would cost thousands of gold!
If a user had a battle fleet then it would cost so much money it could drive someone to bankruptcy. That’s why many users looked for abandoned spaceships for mechanical parts to repair their ship.
Many people who towed abandoned ships could sell the second-hand parts for quite a high price. People who did that were professional Scavengers. He had heard about this from the Scavenger Heksu of the Silver Hand. Anyway!
“Hyung-nim, I’ve found it!”
Hegel confirmed the data from the optical scanners sent to examine the asteroid and shouted.
“There is a lot of metal materials 3 kilometres from here! Based on the numbers, the probability that it is an abandoned ship is extremely high!”
Ark smiled at his team.
“You’ve rested enough now! Go and make money!”
Ark never forgot about his mission.
—————————-
The planet Tatooine in the Centre of the Istana.
A bunch of guys dragged in a container in the terminal cargo of the space port.
“Welcome……”
The employee flinched as he looked up and shut his mouth. The employee could recognize the men dragging the container with just a glance. There were long knife marks down the face and visible tattoos.
Kkakdugi! These guys were Kkakdugi!
He couldn’t think anything else after seeing their appearance. The despondent employee avoided their gaze and said.
“E-excuse me…..what did you need…..?”
“What other reason it there to come to the cargo counter? A courier.”
“C-courier?”
“Yes, this container! As soon as possible!”
“Ah, yes. Then please list the item and destination on this paper.”
The employee held out the paperwork.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
There was suddenly a sound coming from inside the container! The employee looked surprised while the Kkakdugi had annoyed expressions.
“Sheesh, this guy doesn’t give up. Hey, keep him quiet!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
2 Kkakdugi opened the lock to the container at their big leader’s command. And…..
Bam! Ahwook! Bam bam! Ahwook! Ahwook! Bam bam bam! Ahwook! Ahwook!
Unimaginable sounds were heard until it became quiet inside.
“Hyung-nim, he was put to sleep again.”
“Good work. Hey! Employee, where should I write?”
“Huh? Ah, yes! W-w-write over here!”
The employee who had been watching blankly quickly replied.
‘Guy? D-didn’t he clearly say that? What, what the? Then a person is inside that container? Human trafficking? Oh my god! T-these Kkakdugi want to commit human trafficking through a courier?’
The employee’s heart jumped as he grasped the situation. As a public official in the galaxy, he just had to complete his work safe and sound until he could retire with a pension. This event was like being struck by lightning to a public servant.
Of course, if he reported their transgressions to the authorities than he wouldn’t be held responsible. But if he did that then he would be pointing a criminal organization towards him!
Gangster violence → harassment → miserable days → pain → suicide.
The route for a gloomy life flashed through his head. So the employee just stood there and didn’t do anything.
“This is urgent. How long will it take to arrive?”
The employee replied to the Kkadugi leader’s question.
“As you know, it might take a few days to arrive at the destination even if you apply for a courier. These days many couriers prohibit trafficking or biological or illegal goods so measures are taken on all couriers leaving the planet to prevent smuggling. Ah, not that I’m doubting you. I’m just telling you the process. So it will take at least a few days to arrive at your destination.”
‘So just take it! I don’t want to be entangled in something like this!’
The employee inwardly hoped. Then the Kkadugi leader extended some documents.
“What about this?”
“Huh? This is…..heok! T-this?”
-Special certificate of goods.
This cargo is exempt from quarantine and the transport fee.
Galactic Federation’s Headquarters.
‘W-why do gangsters like these have cargo from Central Headquarters?’
There was something suspicious about this event but the employee quickly shook his head. He shouldn’t question it in order to live a long life.
Anyway, if this was a special cargo from Headquarters then he wouldn’t be held responsible if any problems occurred. If he didn’t have to shoulder responsibility then it didn’t matter if the cargo was a person or a nuclear bomb. He only wanted to get rid of the worrisome cargo as quickly as possible.
“I’ll process it right now!”
Thus the whole procedure was skipped! The cargo departed on a spaceship 5 minutes later.
—————————-
Asteroid E-2036 that the Silver Star landed on.
Exploring this asteroid was actually quite complicated. There was no difference between the asteroid and outer space. Naturally there was no air in the atmosphere. Moreover, there was no sun so the temperature was -275 degrees! There was cosmic radiation so even a pioneer with a body coating couldn’t be exposed for more than 10 minutes without wearing a spacesuit.
However there was one good thing.
–Is it here?
Rapid’s voice was heard from the Nymphe. He was wearing a spacesuit on Ark’s right and communicating with his Nymphe.
“Yes, it should be underground.”
Ark replied as he looked over a huge hole. The huge hole had appeared when he moved to the place Hegel indicated. The hole was so dark he couldn’t even fathom how deep it was.
–What should we do?
“I’ll lead first so follow me.”
Ark jumped into the hole without hesitation.
That was the good point about space. There was no atmosphere in this place so it was basically weightless. Then height and mass wouldn’t be a problem. Even if Ark jumped down, it was just like his body was floating in the air.
Chiik! Chiik!
Ark’s body moved as he sprayed the jet device attached to his suit. He directed the jet device upwards as he slowly headed downwards into the hole. The 8 remaining team members except for Hegel and Milan who stayed on the Silver Star followed behind him.
–Are you feeling strange?
–Yes. This feeling is like I’m entering the stomach of a huge monster.
–Did you hear someone gasping just now?
–Isn’t that just your breath?
Tension was heard in Kaya’s voice even when she bluntly replied to Slayer. Nothing could be heard except for their breathing. They felt an eerie tension as they followed Ark down the invisible hole. However that tension didn’t last long.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
There was a sound the moment their foot hit the ground.
“……Bingo!”
A smile flashed on Ark’s mouth as he looked around with Clairvoyance. In fact, Ark didn’t have large expectations.
This was the pioneering age but it wasn’t like there were billions of spaceships flying around the universe. The odds of finding an abandoned spaceship by chance was astronomical. Then wouldn’t coming across an abandoned ship be like winning the lottery?
But there it was! At the end of the long hole. A ship was hidden in the large underground space below the surface of the asteroid. It wasn’t just one but three ships!
Of course, the hull was just a bare skeleton but that didn’t matter. It would have some of the necessary mechanical parts to repair the Silver Star.
“Luck hasn’t completely abandoned me.”
–You should be grateful it wasn’t your bad luck.
“It isn’t bad luck. It is the result of trying everything. If I landed on any asteroid after immediately leaving warp orbit then things would be different. It is due to my calmness in the desperate situation while everyone was screaming that enabled the optical scanners to find the metal! Huhuhu, it is the quality of a leader.”
It was lucky that an asteroid like this was nearby. Rapid once again started to talk in a curt voice.
-Isn’t it slightly strange?
“What?”
–The probability of finding an abandoned ship on an asteroid isn’t high. So isn’t it strange that there are three ships hidden in this hole?
–Now that I think about it, that really is strange.
“Think about it later.”
Ark answered without thinking about it.
“Didn’t you hear when leaving the Silver Star? The amount of time wearing this spacesuit is 1 hour maximum. Now there are only 45 minutes left. We have to grab the parts and return to the Silver Star before time runs out. The reason why doesn’t change what we have to do.”
–That’s true.
“So let’s not waste time talking. We’ll split up to look for the necessary parts but it will still take time to search. Kurakan, Ellain, Kalliben, Hedro.”
–Yes, Hyung-nim.
“You guys collect the mechanical parts that can be used. And Rapid, Kaya, Sadain, Slayer and Leon will start searching the hull with me. There might still be some fuel rods that can be used. Therefore the first place to check is the engine room. But also look elsewhere. Don’t you know? Something might appear.”
–Okay! Let’s go!
The team members moved at his words. The abandoned ships were a size similar to the Silver Star or larger. The height was at least 100 metres. But the height of the structure didn’t matter thanks to the weightlessness. Ark and his 8 team members used their jet injection devices and started their search operation.
Ark headed towards the innermost engine room.
“Sheesh, was I too greedy to expect the fuel rods?”
However there weren’t even any broken fuel rods.
“Rapid, how about you?”
–Not here either.
–Same here. I think someone already took it.
“It can’t be helped. Next is the cabin and warehouses. If there was an accident then the crew might’ve left some equipment behind when the abandoned it. Even 2 fuel rods are at least 1,000 gold. The financial blow is really no joke. So look carefully.”
Ark said that as he turned around.
“……!”
Ark’s eyes widened. Floating behind him was a squid.
The Charenjok popped into Ark’s head at the moment. The Charenjok was an octopus type alien. He had the idea that squid might be a cousin species to the Charenjok.
Ark’s eyes met the squid’s at that time. And there was an awkward silence. He stared at the squid for a moment before Ark smiled awkwardly and greeted it.
“H-hello?”
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
A yellow liquid then shot out from the squid’s mouth. He reflexively leaned down and a message flashed as the liquid hit his shoulder.
-You have been attacked by a corrosive poison!
<Durability of your armour has declined by 3% due to the acid poison>
‘Acid Poison!’
The situation became clear with that message. If the opponent attacked than it was a monster!
“Damn! You scared me because I thought you were the owner of this abandoned ship!”
Ark rolled and pulled out his sword as he shouted. His sword sparkled as it extended!
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
The squid also twisted its 10 legs and attacked Ark. The weightlessness of outer space would be a considerable penalty for users who lacked experience in it. It wasn’t possible to maintain the centre of balance without any gravity and it was difficult to freely move. However Ark was familiar with this feeling.
‘It is somewhat similar to being underwater!’
And this was one of Ark’s specialities since his days in New World. He had wandered beneath the surface of the ocean for a few days fighting jellyfish, lobsters, stingrays, sharks etc. He had mastered the technique of fighting underwater!
‘Only 1 squid…..’
Wiing! Wiing! Buuuuong! Wiing! Pajijijik!
His blue sword started to generate a flashy trajectory in the darkness. The squid also had its own style of fighting. It relentlessly swung its 10 legs and spat corrosive acid. But Ark used the weightlessness to jump on the walls and ceilings as he wielded his lightsaber.
The battle was over 1 minute after it started. The squid was finely cut by the lightsaber.
-Squid-
Category: Space Monster Danger: C
Combat Power: C
The Squid is a monster rarely found on asteroids in the space frontier. It is a monster that lives on the nebula gas found in space. However the Squid’s favourite food is a spaceship. To be precise, it is the energy used by a spaceship. Therefore the Squid will sometimes soar into space to catch spaceship passing over. In the early days of the space pioneering age, the Squid was something the pioneers feared most.
The atmosphere is like poison to the Squid so it won’t be found on any planets.
* You can gain additional information if you face the same type of monster many times.
That was the data of the monster.
“This monster eats the ether that is used as the ship’s fuel? What? Does that mean the Squids ate the fuel rods?”
Ark stared at the shredded Squid with astonished eyes.
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
Noises were successively heard in the darkness. He flinched and turned to see Squids popping out from the broken hull. There were more than 20 of them! It wasn’t just these guys.
–Ark, monster!
–It came here too! Cuttlefish! Cuttlefish!
Slayer and Rapid’s voices came over the Nymphe.
‘Dammit, I wanted this to be easily settled.’
“It isn’t a cuttlefish but a Squid!”
Ark yelled as he rolled across the floor. Ark’s body shot off like a bullet down the passage.
‘No matter how weak they area, dealing with these numbers alone in a place like this is difficult! I need to join up with the team first! So I should leave before I am trapped!’
Everybody gather outside the spaceships! Baius Shield!”
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
Ark stopped the liquid flying from everywhere with the Baius Shield and crossed the ship. He destroyed the small barrier formed from Squids blocking his way and exited outside.
–Ugh! T-these guys!
–Damn! Why are there so many squid like creatures?
-Stupid! You should kill the squid not avoid it!
Outside Slayer, Leon, Kaya, Sadain and Rapid were busy fighting the squid. But unlike Ark, they had no experience in fighting in zero gravity. In addition, they had no experience in manipulating the jet injection device while fighting the enemy.
They would lose their centre whenever wielding a weapon. They even lost their balance when blocking the Squid’s attack with a shield. The team couldn’t maintain their posture properly and were being hit by three or four enemies surrounding them. There were also members who used guns like Leon. The moment they fired the gun, they would fly backwards or rotate from the recoil.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
The only person who fought properly was Rapid. He inserted his leg in a gap in the hull to maintain his centre!
–That guy is truly different!
Kaya exclaimed. However Rapid couldn’t take care of the Squids flocking from every direction with just one pistol. And the Squids’ legs attacked, attacked, attacked!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
They were covered in a herd of Squids and started being beaten up. Fortunately the Squids were only level 50~60.
‘This situation isn’t immediately risky……’
–H-Hyung-nim!”
Then he heard Kurakan’s voice from behind him. Ark’s face stiffened as he turned his head.
Kurakan, Ellain, Kalliben and Hedro were running away from the abandoned spaceship! The problem was the huge number of Squids following behind them like a dark cloud.
‘Oh my god! How many of them were hiding?’
Squids were flowing out everywhere from the abandoned ships. Approximately hundreds of them! It was like a swarm of Squids in the ocean.
‘If there are that many of them, it might not even matter if all team members were experts in space warfare!’
Battling in space wasn’t that simple. It required taking advantage of a 3D space.
It was the first team the team were experiencing such weightlessness so the battle was difficult for them. Let along the number of creatures heading towards them. If they swarmed like bees in this zero-gravity space then the team members would be instantly turned into bone even if the monsters were only level 50.
‘First I have to find a suitable terrain to fight!’
Ark used the jet device and quickly rotated his body. Then something caught Ark’s eye!
‘…..There!’
A giant pipe 2 metres in diameter had come away from the ship. At the same time, Ark shouted towards his team.
“Below! It is difficult to hit them with your sword or gun when you can’t properly orient your bodies! Now we need to move to a place where their movements are limited! Move to that pipe in the 5 o’clock direction!”
–B-but these guys are…..
“Their levels are low! You won’t die from that much! So don’t worry about avoiding them and focus on manipulating the jets! Head downwards as soon as possible!”
Chiik! Chiik! Puhwaaaaah!
His team started descending after hearing Ark’s yell. And the herd of Squids chased them!
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark’s lightsaber became like a fan as dozens of swords flew out and caused a vortex. The Squids were cut into hundreds of pieces with their legs floating everywhere. Meanwhile Rapid and his team members entered the pipe one by one. And finally Ark arrived!
“Prepare for a skill rampage!”
Ark shouted as he jumped into the pipe. And hundreds of Squid noisily chased Ark into the pipe. Then a smile was pasted onto Ark’s face.
“Now, hunt the Squids! Everyone fire! Galaxy Sword!”
-Storm Bullet!
–Continuous Fire!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
They all poured out their skills. The diameter of the pipe was only 2 metres so the Squids couldn’t avoid the attacks as they were shredded. They flocked to their death! However the Squids were brave. Dozens more quickly entered the pipe.
……They were rice.
Tu tu tu tu! Tang! Tang! Pepepepeng!
The reason why the Squids were so tough was because maintaining your centre of balance was difficult in space. If they could properly maintain their posture than the level 50 Squids were no match for Ark’s team that had an average level of 100.
Entering the narrow pipe was like coming in to become rice! It was like they were feeding Ark’s team experience.
‘This is a rare opportunity.’
“Summon Golem!”
Ark’s Baius Shield transformed into the Golem.
–Well! Do you need my strength? It can’t be helped. I’ll help you! Is it those Squids?
“Don’t go near them!”
Ark grabbed the Golem’s feet.
-Ack! You bastard! What are you doing?
“Just stay here and eat the bread!”
Meanwhile bullets were tirelessly being fired.
-The level of the Baius Golem has risen!
-The level of the Baius Golem has risen…..
The level 12 Golem gained a tremendous amount of experience from the level 50 Squids! The Golem’s level started to steadily increase at a scary rate. The Golem wasn’t the only one. Ark and his team’s experience went up as they killed dozens of monsters.
-Your level has risen!
And level up!
After continuing for another 10 minutes.
Snap!
Ark kicked the squid parts on the ground.
“Too bad. 10,000 more would’ve been nice.”
All the Squids had been turned into sashimi. On the other hand, his team only received damage in the early stages. It was a perfect, overwhelming victory. All the team members had elated expressions but Rapid was the only one with a serious expression.
“By the way, what is with that expression?”
Rapid raised his head at Ark’s words. He stared at Ark for a while before asking with hesitation.
–Did you instantly come up with the plan to deal with the Squids in the pipe?
“So? Why, what’s wrong?”
-No, something isn’t wrong but……
“Shall we collect it now?”
Ark gazed around the pipe with a grin. They had shredded hundreds of Squids in 10 minutes! Thus there were items mixed in with the floating squid parts.
-<Old Mechanical Circuit> has been obtained.
-<Squid’s Cell Tissues> has been obtained……
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The floor shook and there was a roaring sound from outside. Slayer looked out the pipe and exclaimed excitedly.
–Yes! Squids! Another herd of Squids is coming from out of nowhere. Kikikiki! Experience is rolling in. Just wait. I’ll lead the Squids here. Now! Over here! I am you enemy! Here…..hehehehek!
Slayer suddenly burst out screaming.
–What? What is that? So much came out…..hehehek!
–Is this a joke? What….hehehek!
The team members that followed him out all screamed. It was suspicious so Ark and Rapid also exited the pipe. They looked in the direction of the team’s gazes and stiffened. Everyone’s gazes were facing the Squid. However this Squid was completely different from the ones before. The massive body of a squid was emerging from the ground!
“G-giant squid?”
-The titan class monster ‘Kraken’ has emerged!
At the same time, a red warning message flashed in front of them.
Space 5
It came from Outer Space
“Captain-nim!”
The interstellar cargo ship Pelican. A sailor turned his head and shouted.
“The injection point is passing.”
“What cargo is being ejected?”
“D-1201! The cargo loaded from Tatuine!”
“D-1201…..!”
The corners of the captain’s eyes shook. A rumour had spread on the Pelican since it started sailing. It was about the cargo D-1201 that they picked up on Tatuine.
-Cargo number: D-1201
Handle with caution! A special security cargo!
These labels were stuck on the container. The captain of the interstellar ship specialized in transporting cargo.
There was a reason he had that background. The captain had grasped the situation the moment he saw the labels on the cargo. The cargo was probably involved with the galactic federation or the military. He didn’t know what the cargo was but it was better to just not be interested in it. However…..
Boom! Bak bak bak bak! Boom! Bak bak bak bak!
Noise started coming from the cargo container. Normally the only sounds that filled the warehouse was the cargo hitting the wall or nails scratching something.
Working in transportation didn’t have a lot of risks. They loaded and unloaded cargo and occasionally fought space pirates. Therefore the transportation crew members were surprisingly weak to a situation like this.
“D-did you hear? The sound from the cargo bay?”
“Are aliens hiding in there?”
“No, I heard from the person in charge of the cargo bay that the sound is coming from inside a cargo.”
“What on earth are the contents? What is causing such sounds?”
“Damn, how would I know? Doesn’t this seem like the Horizon incident? Have you heard about Horizon? A cargo transport ship disappeared during a warp sail. They went missing for a few days and when they returned the entire crew were turned into mummies.”
“Why? Why?”
“Who knows. They’re all dead.”
The sailor looked around then added in a low voice.
“I heard there was a boom from one of the cargo before Horizon disappeared.”
An unidentified ghost story spread through the corridor like moisture!
“Captain-nim, perhaps the noise from Tatuine……”
“Don’t think about it! I have no interest!”
The captain shook his head.
“We’re not pioneers. It is useless to feel curiosity. We just need to deliver the cargo to the destination. We will pass by the coordinates on the way to the Haven planet, eject the cargo and it will be over. It is a maximum of two days. So it is futile to be interested!”
The captain thought to himself with a resolute expression.
‘Scary! Damn, so scary!’
In fact, the captain also couldn’t sleep because he visualized the ghost stories from the crew. But now his sleepless nights were over. The transportation area wasn’t part of the ship’s regular route so they would inject it into the cargo passage closest to the coordinates. And the Pelican finally arrived safely (?) at their destination. Nothing happened despite the noise but the Pelican’s crew considered it the adventure of a lifetime.
“Captain-nim, we did it!”
“It is still too early to tell. Our mission will only end after the cargo is ejected! Confirm the coordinates!”
“Coordinates are confirmed! Electromagnetic charging is complete! Captain-nim, the cargo is ready for ejection!”
The Pelican’s doors opened and a giant barrel soared out. Mounted on the barrel was the D-1201 cargo that caused an urban legend!
‘Goodbye now! That damn cargo!’
“Launch!”
Wiiiiing! Kwaaaah!
The container accelerated due to the electromagnetic power and crossed outer space. And it instantly turned when it reached a certain point.
—————————-
“Missing?”
Irina made a puzzled expression.
While the 2nd investigation team was looking at more than 20 planets, Irina had been researching the Kero with the 1st team. The hooded man, Katz and Kero were the ones who caused the red rays on Amara that created the magic circle in the Harmadon constellation. The hooded had died when Ark took the airship to escape!
‘The only remaining clues are the Katz and the Kero. But the Katz clan had been confined on Stael before joining them. They have something to do with the hooded man but there is no evidence they are part of Organization X. But the Kero clan are clearly Organization X’s operatives. The Kero live on a frontier colony. Anyway, the Rama and Aschulat are monitoring my team so it is better to concentrate on the Kero.’
Those were Irina’s thoughts. And she went around the frontier to investigate. They got some clues about the Rama and Aschulat’s monitoring network and were able to escape it to come to Turan. However shocking news was waiting for her.
9 spaceships had been destroyed after only two days! One of them was the Silver Star. It was none other than Ark’s ship. The more puzzling thing was that two days had passed and Ark was still missing. The team units that had been killed by the Rama and the mysterious enemies had already revived in Turan. But so far there was no news about Ark.
“And his teammates are also missing?”
“A couple of team members revived in Turan.”
“What did they say?”
“They don’t know any details so they were killed in the middle of a battle.”
The person speaking was Hawk.
“So there is a possibility they are still alive……”
Hawk seemed to have expected Irina’s question and replied coldly.
“That might be true. But nothing will change even if they have survived.”
“What do you mean?”
“I said it clearly when everyone was assembled on Turan. I will only accept the teams that have proven their ability. But the fact that 9 ships were destroyed by unidentified enemies disappointed me. Surprise attacks are common on the space frontier. If they don’t have that type of crisis management skills then they’ve already failed.”
“You mean to discard them?”
“Discard? That is a fairly emotional term you’re using. I heard that Ensign Irina-nim is so cold that you could make an android cry.”
Hawk looked at her with interested eyes.
“I’m not saying that I want to abandon them. They have already lost their ships. Even with the insurance, it will take a considerable amount of time to buy back a ship. We have no time to wait until then.”
“Ark-nim’s death hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
“But he didn’t return on time. I gave all teams two days and those that went to planets even further away than Ark have returned. Even if he is still alive, Ark is already disqualified.”
“He is a pioneer that Marquis Martin considered exceptional.”
“All team members are the same.”
Hawk replied shortly.
“There are no exceptions. It doesn’t matter if Ark has received Marquis Martin’s favour!”
And he turned his body so the wide cloak with the blue skull was shown. The embroidery gave off a vaguely menacing atmosphere.
“We don’t have a lot of time. If we don’t discard people then we can’t move forward. And the destination has already been set. We have to throw away our colleagues.”
Hawk strode to the doors that split apart. 11 people were in front of him. They were the teams who came back from the mission and surprise attacks alive. Hawk’s mouth rose as he saw them.
“Be prepared. Depart for the following destination.”
‘Why on earth hasn’t Ark-nim made any contact?’
A sigh flowed from Irina’s mouth.
—————————-
At that moment, Ark……
“Waaaaah! D-damage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
……He wasn’t in a position to contact anyone.
–Hyung-nim, danger! Everyone take cover!
–Damn squid! Eat this!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Gunshots subsequently burst out through the darkness! A blue light also flashed between a huge shadow. It was a giant squid with a body size of 30~40 metres. It was the monster called Kraken that was the ancestor of the Squids. This guy didn’t just have a large body.
Titing! Titing! Titing!
The body was covered in an armour like epidermis so the bullets bounced off it! It was literally a squid wearing armour.
“Don’t shoot blindly! Focus and attack one point!”
–Even if you tell us to focus……
Buwaaaaang!
At that moment a huge, thick object fell towards the party. The huge objects falling was the Kraken’s legs! The body might be long but it had massive legs several metres in diameter.
–Dammit! These squid legs! Iron Wall!
Slayer raised his shield and shouted. But in the next moment, Slayer flew back dozens of metres into a wall. It was the same with the other team members. The Kraken swung its 10 legs crazily so it was hard for the party to defend, let alone attack.
Members who used firearms like Kurakan and Leon could only fire as they ran away. Therefore they couldn’t concentrate on hitting one point and the bullets just bounced off the Kraken’s armour. On the other hand, the Kraken’s tentacles went peng! Peng! Peng! Those who were hit would become rice cakes like Slayer who bravely confronted it.
-Kuuck…..damn…..
Slayer groaned and shook from the wall he flew into. Fortunately the actual damage wasn’t that large. The Kraken’s attack wasn’t weak. One leg contained the weight of the huge body that was several tons. The weight itself was a destructive power. It was impossible to be safe after being hit by that leg. However, this was space so it was weightless.
Ark’s party was deprived of their weight and floated dozens of metres in the air. It also meant that the impact would be as light as a feather so there wasn’t large damage. It was the principle behind why it was so hard to destroy an object floating in air.
‘But this weightlessness isn’t an advantage!’
It was the reason why this team members were wandering. Ark had obtained Spacewalk from cleaning the Silver Star so he had relatively free movements. However, this was the other team members first experience!
They could use the jet device to move but they weren’t skilled in moving freely in a combat situation. Being unable to move freely in battle was a deadly penalty!
‘Continuing to fight like this will be suicide!’
He confirmed that after 10 minutes of fighting. In the meantime, the Kraken’s health had only decreased by 15% at the most. On the other hand, the team’s health had been cut down by 40~50%. They couldn’t maintain their centre of balance and struggled to avoid the Kraken’s legs so the result was obvious.
‘There are two ways to deal with a high defense monster like the Kraken. The first way is to find a weakness or to pour out attacks that would overcome its defense.’
But even if he managed to find a weak point, they weren’t in a situation to attack a small gap. The remaining way was to pour out attacks to overcome the defense. The first method was better but it wasn’t easy with teammates unfamiliar with weightlessness.
‘The only way possible is to establish a terrain advantage. A place like the pipe where I lured the Squids to wipe them out with concentrated firepower. And there is an appropriate place here!’
Ark’s eyes looked towards the top of the Kraken! They were currently inside a hole in the surface of the asteroid.
‘If I trap it in this hole…..’
–Ark! Wake up! On the right!
The Nymphe vibrated and Rapid’s voice was heard. He flinched and turned to see a huge Kraken leg flying towards the ground. Ark lowered his upper body and glided along the ground. It was the method of applying Swamp Walking to the weightlessness!
Buwaaaaang!
The Kraken’s leg passed over his head!
“Attack him to give me some time!”
Ark operated the jet device and crossed the space. He reached the area where the Squids’ corpses were floating and a blue light flashed from his hand as he started carving complex characters in the air.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Ikram! Ikram! Ikram! Ikram!”
It was the Ikram rune he learnt from the pyramid! A blurry shape that looked like the ghost of Anubis rose in the air as soon as the character was carved. Then it was then sucked into the body of a Squid that had been turned into rags. A red shape then burst out from the Squid! It was a Hellhound with the head of a squid and the body of a dog.
‘Impossible…..’
A squid-headed dog. However there was no time to appreciate the new creature.
Kung! Kung! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng! Kung! Kung!
There was no time to rest as gunfire kept on going off. It was the sound of his teammates struggling one-sidedly against the Kraken.
“Bite!”
Ark quickly pulled out grenades and handed them to the Hellhounds. Once again, the Hellhounds were creatures born anew from flesh that Ark killed. The Hellhound inherited a portion of the sacrifice’s stats and characteristics. For example, the fish head that could swim freely in water or the dog’s keen sense of smell. And the head right now was a space squid!
“Go!”
Ark pulled the safety pins and shouted towards the Kraken. At that moment, 5 Hellhounds flew towards the Kraken like missiles. The head of the squid meant the Hellhounds had the Squid’s ability to quickly walk across space. And the moment a Hellhound collided with the Kraken!
Pepeng!
The grenade the Hellhound was biting self-destructed! The explosion caused the Kraken to stumbled and step back. But that was just the start. The other Hellhounds heading towards the Kraken hit the same area.
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
There were explosions one after another! There was a hollow in the Kraken’s armour from where 5 grenades had burst and its health had noticeably declined. It still had a lot of health but this was the first attack that dealt a lot of damage so it turned its body towards Ark in fury.
“Now! Everybody climb up the hole!”
–Y-you?
“Follow me right now! Armour armament!”
The space distorted and his battle suit appeared at Ark’s cry. The moment the battle suit wrapped around Ark’s body.
“Armed Stealth!”
A intense light burst out in the darkness! At the same time, the Kraken screamed and struggled. It was natural. The Kraken probably hadn’t experienced light for a few hundred years so the light caused it intense pain! It was like sticking a needle in the eye. While the Kraken frantically swung its legs, Ark’s tem flew up the hole.
Kukung! Kuwaaaaaaaah!
When they had reached the middle part, there was a roar as the Kraken caught up. This part of the hole had a diameter of 10 metres so the Kraken’s appearance was like fear itself! It was like they were sandwiched between the Kraken and the rock wall as its tentacles got closer. No, the Kraken’s tentacles were heading towards Ark.
“Hyper Booster!”
He waited for the right moment and used Hyper Booster! Ark’s body shot like a bullet out of the hole. His 10 teammates also gathered around the hole as they exited. And the Kraken was about to come out of the hole. Ark shouted as he flew towards his team.
“Now! Pour all your firepower towards that hole!”
This was Ark’s mission. It was an operation similar to luring the Squids into the pipe and killing them in droves! The Kraken was stuck in a narrow hole so it couldn’t freely move its legs. In addition, his team members didn’t need to worry about any leg damage and could focus on attacking.
–That’s right! This is like when we trapped the Squids in the pipe!
–Shoot! Smash it before it comes up!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng!
Various skills and bullets were poured out!
A roaring sound and flames relentlessly soared from the hole. The Kraken moved its body and tried to swing 2~3 tentacles but it couldn’t exit the hole under the concentrated attacks. It was the same for the body.
“Fire Eagle P-40!”
His shotgun Fire Eagle that he used after a long time!
Ark helped maintain the pressure on the Kraken with his shotgun as they pushed it down. In addition, there was the buff from Kaya’s battle suit!
-The gene activated Esper battle suit Optisian has been triggered.
<The attack and defense of everybody in the party will increase by 15%>
Attack and defense increased by 15%!
-70%…..63%…..54%…..
The Kraken’s health quickly started going down under the team’s violent onslaught. On the other hand, the Kraken was trapped in the hole and couldn’t properly hit them.
‘That’s it! If it continues like this then it will be an easy win!’
When Ark was convinced of their victory.
Hwaaaaack!
A huge stream of liquid suddenly emerged from the hole. The identity of the yellow liquid was the acid poison the Squids’ squirted! But it was on a completely different scale when the Kraken used it. Several tons worth of yellow liquid shot out from the hole.
Chi chi chi chi!
When the liquid hit the team, smoke and a common message appeared.
-You have been attacked by a corrosive poison!
<Durability of your armour has declined by 3% due to the acid poison>
–Wah! Poison!
–Avoid it! If it hits then it will melt your equipment!
The team members screamed and scattered all over the place.
“You fools! Don’t withdraw!”
Ark yelled in a desperate voice but it was already too late.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwang! Syu syu syu syu syu!
There was the sound of rocks being crushed and a huge shadow flew out of the hole. Ark looked up at the shadow with an upset expression. The Kraken was floating dozens of metres above with ten legs. The Kraken was less bulky than when they were fighting underground. Tons of liquid had been pumped out of the body so its speed increased as it shot out of the hole.
“D-dammit! This winning fight……”
Ark frowned as he looked up at the Kraken. Now it had less than 20% health left. However the odds couldn’t be guaranteed anymore once it left the hole. No, it was now unfavourable to Ark’s team.
They couldn’t fight the Kraken properly in the underground space but he was relaxed due to the Kraken’s space constraints. But now those space constraints had also disappeared.
The Kraken was now floating in space. The Kraken could now fly through the universe freely! Of course, the jet device meant the team could move around but it was like a person on a hang glider fighting against an eagle.
‘But I have no choice but to try it!’
Ark imagined the attacks and grabbed his lightsaber tightly. However the Kraken didn’t move. It just floated in the air and looking in a different direction.
–What? That guy?
–Where is it looking?
The nervous team muttered with confusion. Then Ark felt a sinister feeling as he followed the Kraken’s gaze.
‘The direction it is looking in…..Silver Star! Oh my god, the Silver Star is in that direction!’
He recalled the information window for the mini-sized Kraken, the Squids.
The Squids were monsters that devoured the ether fuel of a ship. If the Kraken had the same appetite as a Squid then the reason it stopped attacking and looked in the direction of the Silver Star was because it sensed ether.
It had found more coveted prey than Ark’s team.
‘If it moves to the Silver Star than this situation will become more complicated! The Silver Star has already suffered damage from the battle and the crash landing. In this state, if it is damaged even more than it might not recover. In the worst case…..no! Now, I have to end this here!’
“Attack! Don’t let its mind go someplace else!”
Ark shouted in an urgent voice.
The Kraken was the one who reacted to his voice first. It turned away from the Silver Star and its huge body fell towards the team like a thunderbolt. The team members raising their guns and swords screamed in unison.
–Wah! I-it is falling!
-A-avoid it!
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
It was followed by an explosion!
The Kraken that was dozens of metres large hit the ground. And Ark and his team members……
-I-I lived!
Slayer gulped and stuttered. Slayer wasn’t the only one. Ark and his team members were all gathered around Slayer. They were able to survive the Kraken’s giant body thanks to Slayer and Sadain’s joint operation.
When the Kraken had fallen, Slayer had reflexively lifted his shield. However, the Kraken was a monster that weighted dozens of tons. Regardless of whether he was carrying a sword, his body would just be flattened like a mouse rolled over by a carriage. Slayer could withstand the tremendous weight due to the vertical spear under it. Just before the Kraken landed on the party, Sadain had placed his spear under the shield to create a type of pole.
The pole with Slayer’s shield formed a roof with a ‘△’ space underneath it. This allowed Ark’s team to withstand the Kraken’s weight. This was due to Slayer and Sadain’s experience. However their sighs of relief didn’t last long.
Jjajjak! Jjajjak! Jajajajak!
Cracks started to spread. The shield and spear was in a ‘丁’ That’s what is looked like. Now the Kraken weighing dozens of tons had fallen on the ‘丁’ so cracks started to spread as the ground became unstable and started crumbling.
-Hik! The land is giving way!
–Dammit! Avoid it! At this rate we’ll fall back into the hole with the rocks!
–Damn! How can we avoid it when being crushed by the giant squid?
The team members had taken refuge in a small space between the Kraken and the ground so they couldn’t escape! The hole finally started to collapse around the edges.
A tremendous amount of gravel, dirt and rocks started pouring down! The team tried to avoid the dirt and rocks. In the end, the team members fell down the hole with the dirt and rocks.
Ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
‘No! I can’t fall……’
Ark desperately used the jet device to avoid the rocks. The Kraken’s body stopped blocking the hole. Once Ark’s team members fell, the Kraken had no interest in them anymore and flew off. Needless to say, it was flying off in the direction of the Silver Star!
‘If I’m stuck in the hole then the Silver Star will be hit! I have to stop that guy!’
However it wasn’t easy to avoid the dirt and rocks with just the jet device on his space suit. No, the rocks hit the jet device so it wouldn’t move properly.
‘This is bad! If the jet device doesn’t work properly……’
An idea then popped into Ark’s head.
“Yes, it is this! Come out, Super Board!”
The air board sprang out of his bag. Ark grabbed the air board with both hands as the house sized boulder fell towards him.
Ark concentrated his weight on one side as the air board rotated like a spin top and he moved to the side, avoiding the rock. He repeated that behaviour a few times until a large space without any rocks or dirt stretched out in front of him.
“Acceleration! Dash! ”
The moment Ark concentrated all his weight on the front of the air board! The air board quickly shot out of the hole. He floated 10 metres in the air and looked down to see his teammates buried in dirt and rocks.
“Hey, is everybody okay? Are you alive?”
–Ugh! I’m alive.
–The weightlessness means the damage from the rocks is limited.
–But we can’t move because we’re buried in dirt.
“Dammit!”
Ark shouted angrily.
“It can’t be helped. I have to block him alone.”
–What You bastard! Are you abandoning us? There’s 10 more minutes until we’ve spent an hour out here! We’ll get the space disease! You need to rescue us first!
Slayer snapped after hearing Ark’s voice first. He really couldn’t figure out the atmosphere.
“You idiot! Haven’t you grasped the situation yet? It is aiming for the Silver Star! If it reaches the Silver Star then everyone here will get space sickness!”
–Hik! That guy is heading towards the Silver Star?
–I know the situation. We’ll take care of ourselves so you go head and block it. We will escape from here as quickly as possible and join you.
Those were Rapid’s words. However Ark was already following behind the Kraken. Currently both of the Silver Star’s turrets were shattered. It couldn’t even fly let alone activate the shield. If the Kraken ate its energy then the Silver Star would just be a pile of junk. It would end up just like the abandoned airships.
“Don’t make me laugh! I managed to survive Valencia and the Red Slaughterer’s surprise attacks while protecting the Silver Star! It can’t be destroyed by this squid! I will use whatever method it takes to protect it!”
Ark grinded his teeth and made the air board accelerate. He flew at full speed and saw the Silver Star on the horizon after 1 minute. And the huge form of the Kraken was approaching the Silver Star.
–Hyung-nim! It is a monster! A monster is heading towards the Silver Star!
At the same time, Milan’s scream came through the Nymphe.
“I know! And….”
Ark looked at the upcoming Kraken and grabbed his lightsaber.
“……I am behind it! Khafra Fencing 3rd style, Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of lightsabers flew out like a fan! The blue swords flew around the Kraken’s body and caused a chain explosion. The Kraken’s eyes moved from the Silver Star towards Ark. The ten tentacles flew towards him!
‘I’m the only one who can stop him now! If I don’t stop him then it will be the end for the Silver Star! I have to stop it! Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention! Concentrate Ark!’
Ark lay face down on the air board. There was no gravity or air resistance against his body so the air board accelerated further. The air board when he was in this position was surprisingly stable. There was no gravity so the air board could turn over 180 degrees..
Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu!
Left or right, turn! Up and down, turn! Ark flew like a swallow between the tentacles. And a flash of blue light followed his trajectory!
Wiing! Pajijiji! Wiing! Pajijiji!
-A-awesome!
–Fighting alone against that monster…..
Milan and Hegel spoke over the Nymphe. However Ark was the one most surprised. The Kraken was a titan class monster. It meant dozens of people and heavy weapons like tanks would need to be mobilized to fight it. Yet Ark alone was enough to push such a monster.
‘I should’ve fought on my air board.’
The reason he could do this was due to the air board. So far Ark hadn’t thought about using the air board in the universe. But when he actually tried it, the air board seemed to be an item made for the universe as its performance doubled.
Its ability wasn’t that big on a planet with gravity but this was outer space where there was no guarantee and it could fly freely like a spaceship. Of course, the prone position was embarrassing and it was difficult to steer but if he mastered it then it would truly be freedom! It gave him the strength for a fight against the flying Kraken. His concentration that had increased to its limit caused a miracle like battle scene.
However…..
‘This isn’t enough to push it!’
There was a crucial reason why Ark could attack the Kraken so one-sidedly! It was because the Kraken was ignoring Ark’s attacks. That’s right. Right now the Kraken wasn’t fighting Ark.
The Kraken was just flying towards its more coveted prey, the Silver Star. The tentacles swinging towards Ark was just like swatting an annoying mosquito. No, Ark’s presence was indeed like a mosquito for the Kraken.
It was an issue of firepower rather than skills. Ark, Slayer, Leon, Sadain etc., the attacks from the 10 people had been enough to slowly reduce the Kraken’s health. In other word, Ark could only cause 1/10th of the damage and his continuous attacks for 1 minute didn’t even shave away 5% of its health. It was like using a short dagger to stab an elephant. Such attacks were impossible to stop the elephant’s rush.
Despite Ark’s desperate attacks!
Kukung!
The Kraken eventually hovered over the Silver Star. The tentacles wrapped around the Silver Star. And a blue stream started flowing from the Silver Star towards its mouth.
–Hyung-nim, the Silver Star’s energy is being reduced at a fast rate!
Hegel’s scream was heard!
-12%…..12.5%…..13%……
At the same time, the sight of the Kraken’s health recovering caught Ark’s eye. The Kraken was absorbing energy from the Silver Star and regaining its health.
“Eat this! Sonic Sword! Galaxy Sword! Shield Emission!”
The distressed Ark relentlessly threw attacks at the Kraken. But Ark’s attacks alone weren’t able to keep up with the Kraken’s recovery rate. Anyone who played a game would’ve experienced this at least once. The desperation of trying to deal damage faster than the boss monster can recover.
Ark felt like that right now. His Force skills were unable to keep up with the Kraken’s recovery rate. If this continued then it would be restored to 100% perfect health. Then it would be impossible to stop! Ark’s Silver Star would soon be shattered.
‘No! It can’t be! The Silver Star is the one thing I can’t lose! No, we won’t be able to escape from the asteroid even if the energy is the only thing absorbed! I have to prevent it from absorbing the energy! But attacking it from the outside isn’t keeping up with its recovery rate. Then…..’
Ark bared his teeth and turned his head. Ark’s gaze had turned towards its mouth where it was sucking the energy!
‘I’ll shred your stomach!’
“Super Board! Dash!”
There was no reason to think about it. Ark rushed through the air on his air board the moment he made a decision. And he rushed into the stream of energy and surfed it down into the Kraken! He entered its mouth.
The Kraken was confused as he entered its mouth. But it quickly noticed the situation and acid started rising in its throat. The acidic solution rushed out of the throat like a wave!
“It is already too late! Armed Binding Sword!”
Chwa chwa chwa chwa! Chwa chwa chwa chwa!
Dozens of lights emerged from the battle suit! The lights ejected embedded into the ceiling of the mouth. Ark pulled it with his left arm and clung to the ceiling. The acid solution flooded out under his foot. Ark quickly glanced around while moving off the ceiling.
‘I entered! The exterior has a hard epidermis so attacking inside the stomach will naturally deal more damage. But the amount of time I can spent in the stomach is limited due to the acid solution. If I’m hit by the acid then only my bones would be left. So I need to find another place to deal a fatal blow! For example…..there!’
Ark’s gaze turned towards one area. A hole on the other that was approximately 1 metres in size and a blue colour!
‘That’s obviously the heart! Yes, the Kraken is still a creature no matter how large it is. I just need to smash the heart!’
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy….ack! W-what the?”
Ark was about to wield his sword when he suddenly burst out screaming. The Kraken was a titan class monster so it wasn’t that easy. The moment he tried to wield his sword in the oesophagus? The gastric tract? The muscles Ark was clinging to suddenly shrank and began to press against Ark. The pressure was so strong he could barely move one finger! At the same time, a yellow liquid started flowing from the lining!
-You have been attacked by a corrosive poison!
<Durability of your armour has declined by 3% due to the acid poison>
-You have been attacked by a corrosive poison!
<Durability of your armour has declined by 3% due to the acid poison>…..
The message continuously popped up!
‘Oh my god This bastard, it is trying to digest me!’
The red light continuously flashed without giving him time to think. The durability of his equipment would fly away as well as ‘death + Silver Star destruction.’
He would resurrect at the Fairy naked. But he couldn’t even move a finger let alone swing his sword thanks to the Kraken’s sphincter! He would become food in the stomach.
‘No! I can’t because the squid’s poo! Something……’
Then something popped into Ark’s head. Atmosphere would be like poison to the Squids so they wouldn’t be found on any planets. His Clairvoyance ability had identified the weakness of the Squids. The Kraken was a Squid that evolved so it should still have the same weaknesses. Then…..
“Jet device, maximum output! Use up the remaining oxygen!”
At the same time, a white gas emerged from the bottom of his space suit. The fuel used for the jet device was liquid oxygen. It used oxygen to get momentum. In other words, the spacesuit was now spurting oxygen. And oxygen was poison to a space monster like the Kraken!
Kuwaaaaaaaah!
The Kraken shrieked and started struggling. The pressure of the sphincter loosened and Ark was tossed side to side.
“Now! Hyper Booster!”
Flames spurted from the heels of his battle suit. He shot forward using Hyper Booster and quickly started moving towards the heart. And the moment he arrived in front of the heart!
“18 Barrage!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
His fists moved like a quick fire gun! Blue liquid poured from the heart with every hollow his fist caused. And with his fist hit it for the final time, the Kraken’s heart burst like a balloon. The giant squid wound around the Silver Star exploded and left Ark in the centre!
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen…..
The message flashed like crazy in front of him. The message appeared 9 times! It was increased by the maximum number of levels. The party members were 2 kilometres away and buried so Ark alone gobbled up the experience from a titan class monster.
That wasn’t all. It was a law that compensation would always follow hardship. Several items were scattered where the Kraken’s body was.
-Unknown Scale Pants (???)
Item Type: Light Armour (Pants) Wearer Restriction: Level 100
Defense: 60 Durability: 2580
Pants made from a light material that space pioneers used a long time ago. It seems to be the leather of a monster since scales are attached to it.
However, it is impossible to know what monster the leather came from. Outstanding pioneers can sense the unusual power in these pants but there is no clear understanding of it. Item Analysis will need to be used to determine what power is hidden in this equipment. It is best to experience everything!
※ Item effect is still undisclosed.
<Item Analysis Lv. 2 required>
‘Ohu! An unidentified item?’
Ark’s eyes came alive. An unidentified item meant it definitely came with an attached option. It was at least a magic item. The unusual thing about Galaxian was that unidentified items could still be used.
However, only the base stats of the item would be applied. If he didn’t have Item Analysis, steadily using the item would reveal some of its hidden performances. Strength + 1, Defense +1 , Stamina +1 after a fixed period of time and Defense +1 again after a certain amount of time passed. Therefore there was no need to waste money on Item Analysis……
The problem was time. A significant amount of time would be required to reveal all of an item’s options. If they levelled up fast and found an unidentified item in the early stages of the game then they wouldn’t need to waste money on identification. However Ark didn’t need to worry about that. Hegel was a professional Scavenger who had experience in this field!
‘I just need to get this to Hegel.’
The next thing that caught his eye was a glowing flesh and something that looked like a hammer.
Kraken’s Cell Tissue (Rare)
Item Type: Study Material
The cell tissue found from the corpse of the rare space monster the Kraken. Space monsters often develop special abilities in order to adapt to harsh environments. If the tissue cells of this monster is studied then a variety of information can be obtained. In some cases an unexpected use might be found.
However, this requires research skills.
-Destruction Hammer (Rare)
Item Type: Two-handed Hammer Wearer Restriction: Level 80
Attack: 35~70 Durability: 32100
The hammer is a strong destructive weapon that has been used for thousands of years. However, use of it gradually disappeared until boosters were attached to maximize speed and damage and it started to regain the prestige of the past. The biggest advantage of the hammer is that it is easy to attach a variety of secondary equipment. A number of modifications have been invented for the hammer included EMPS generators or hammers specifically designed to destroy shields and block bullets.
The Destruction Hammer will cause an explosion the moment it hits the enemy.
<Strength +15, Stamina +20>
* Special Option (Aesthetics of Destruction): When activated, all enemies hit by the enemy will suffer an additional 10~20 explosive damage for 1 minute.
Cool down time: 2 hours
Rare cell tissue and a rare hammer! He also found three general long swords, daggers and guns. The monster had dropped 6 pieces of loot. As expected, the loot coincided with the difficulty of hunting a titan class monster.
“But what is this?”
Ark who was packing the loot looked at a large object placed on the Silver Star. It was a long, black pouch like item approximately 5~6 metres. It looked like food waste but a blue gas was pouring from it unlike other organs.
‘This is similar to the blue gas that the Kraken absorbed earlier from the Silver Star……’
Ark touched it and an information window surfaced.
-You have found the <Kraken’s Energy Storage>
The Kraken absorbs energy and stores it long term. This Kraken has lived for hundreds of years so it has stored a significant amount of ether in its body. In the universe, energy equalled money. Ether is a very expensive energy used in all spaceships so some pioneers deliberately hunt the Kraken for its energy storage.
* The energy storage has been damaged and ether is leaking.
98,000…..97,000…..96,000……
“Heok! T-this is an energy storage?”
Ark burst out with confusion as he read the information window.
In fact, Ark wasn’t pleased even when he got rid of the Kraken. Currently the Silver Star was on Asteroid E-2036 because of a problem with the fuel rods. He had prepared counter measures but Ark still needed 2 fuel rods. But the Kraken’s attack had absorbed the ether in the remaining two fuel rods.
There were two ruptured fuel rods and two empty fuel rods so ‘2-2=0.’ In the end, the situation was the same as before. Of course, there were ways to solve it but they required too much time and money. Yet there was a lump of ether in front of him! The problem was that the ether was quickly reducing.
“Dammit! I wouldn’t have broken the inside so much if I knew the Kraken had something like this! No, now it not the time! Milan, Hegel, quickly take out the fuel rods on the ship! This is money! We can’t lost even one more bit of energy! Hurry!”
Ark shouted loudly.
Syuuuuuu, pepepepeng!
All of a sudden, something fell from outer space at a huge rate and landed a few hundred feet away from the Silver Star. A small container box was unexpectedly lodged in the ground of the asteroid.
-Cargo number: D-1201
Handle with caution! A special security cargo!
These phrases were attached to the container.
Space 6
The Man called God
‘These thieves!’
He thought as he looked at the menu.
40,000 won for a plate of pasta. Some of the quality food cut by a knife went for over 200,000 won. Drinking water cost 10,000~20,000 won. It cost extra if taxes were included.
It was a mystery what alternative ingredients they used to make it cost so much.
-This restaurant, it is good but a little expensive.
He read that on the internet but……
‘What is a little? Do this bastards even know Hangul? This is very expensive!’
Once again, Hyun-woo was the director of a large company. The annual staff salary was at a level difficult to imagine. Hyun-woo’s eating habits changed a lot thanks to that.
Previously he just ate kimbap. Sometimes he was desperate enough to stir in protein powder. But now he could afford to walk into a good restaurant. However his common sense still applied when talking about the price. The price was to the extent that they needed to use an unknown recipe or spice that had never been heard of!
However Hyun-woo wasn’t in a position to complain.
First, his money wasn’t being used to buy this food anyway. If he had to explain, Hyun-woo helped someone a while ago and they were insistent on repaying him. This restaurant had been reserved in advance so he had used this opportunity to eat here. Therefore he had no reason to complain over the expensive food.
But the second reason was the more important one.
“Is it unreasonable?”
“It is unreasonable.”
“We can go somewhere else.”
“It was a joke. It’s not often but I do eat rice in a place like this.”
Hyun-woo was a man of South Korea. As a man of Korea, he couldn’t say anything else in front of a pretty girl. Hyun-woo scratched his head and said.
“……I wanted to look good but I’m not actually paying the meal expenses today. A person I knew made the reservation in advance. So you don’t have to worry about the burden. And today is a memorable day.”
“What day is today?”
“It’s the first.”
“First?”
“We didn’t really know each other that well when we visited the Taek Mountains. And I was a bit distracted when we met at the hospital a few days ago. Afterwards we only talked over the phone a few times. So this is our first formal date. That means it is the first day dating.”
“I’ve never dated someone before.”
“Then this is the first day for both of us.”
“What is that?”
“Anyway, is there any sense in hiding my heart anymore?”
In fact, Hyun-woo was quite surprised. Hyun-woo never imagined that he could say something like this. But the first time hadn’t been too difficult. After he unintentionally confessed in the hospital, Hyun-woo was surprised he could talk so calmly. Of course, he knew that she also harboured a crush on him. Why else would she wear a nice dress to eat a meal at a good restaurant?
‘I knew she was a beauty…..’
Cho Min-sun was wearing a dress and light makeup. It was like a warrior putting on a combat suit. He was still dissatisfied with the food prices but he thought it was worth it just seeing her. Cho MIn-sun was also very considerate.
“I’ll have the pasta with clams.”
She had sense to order the cheapest item on the menu! Hyun-woo was so touched by Cho Min-sun’s consideration that he ordered the same thing.
“Feel free to order something a little more expensive……”
“I originally like pasta. It’s not like I need to eat expensive food.”
“That’s right.”
“By the way, what on earth happened?”
“Huh? What?”
“Where are you now?”
“Where? I’m here.”
“Are you going to keep on fooling around? You know what I am asking.”
Cho Min-sun said as she sent him a sharp look.
At any rate, a man was a strange animal. Her face looked so pretty……he wanted to continue but she was serious. Hyun-woo blushed at her serious expression and scratched his head as he replied.
“Right now I’m on Asteroid E-2036.”
“E-2036? Why there…..?”
“I was attacked by the Rama while completing my mission on Impeltus. We managed to escape but the ship was having problems during the warp voyage so we crash landed on the asteroid.”
“So you should send a rescue request.”
“No, the problem will be resolved shortly. I found my own way. But where did you hear that I have a problem?”
In fact, today the first one to call was Cho Min-sun. The battle with the Kraken had just ended and he was about to eat dinner when her call came. And she started asking about the Silver Star. Hyun-woo had some time so he decided to have dinner with her and explain the circumstances.
“I heard from Hawk.”
“Hawk? Then Min-sun ssi met with Hawk?”
“Yes, I joined up with the 2nd investigation team a short while ago. That was when I heard that Hyun-woo was missing. In fact, Hyun-woo’s unit wasn’t the only one attacked by an enemy. Most of the units were also attacked by the Rama or unidentified enemy. There are 11 units who returned safely. 9 units either lost the spaceship or were killed in battle. The 1st investigation team finished faster than scheduled and is going to join the 2nd investigation team. Everyone resurrected within 2 days but their spaceships were destroyed so Hawk expelled them from the team.”
This was the first time he heard that other units had received surprise attacks.
However Hyun-woo had suffered a lot in New World. Hyun-woo sensed something the moment he heard Cho Min-sun’s explanation. The person scheming behind the surprise attacks.
The team contained 20 units. Even if 10 were killed, they were still divided into factions. It would be difficult for them to follow Hawk’s orders, even if he was 1 of the Seven Swords.
So Hawk decided to reduce the numbers. With those numbers then he could control them properly. Their strength would be affected in the long run but right now it was better.
The units of the two factions might conflict with each other. Even if there was a worry about fewer people, it was better to have soldiers easy to control. The purpose of this mission wasn’t to exterminate the enemy but to obtain information about the magic circle and antimatter first.
‘Still, isn’t he quite daring?’
“Hawk has already started the next mission.”
Then Cho Min-sun opened her mouth again.
“I don’t know the details but he seems to have found a suspicious place. Hawk is going to lead the remaining units there. The problem is that Hawk has removed all units killed in battle from the team. It is the same for Ark-nim as well. I know that Ark-nim hasn’t been killed in battle but it won’t be any different since you didn’t arrive on time.”
“Did he formally report it to the federation?”
“No.”
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean? It doesn’t matter? Are you saying it is okay if you’re kicked from the investigation team?”
“That’s impossible.”
Of course Hyun-woo had no intention of leaving the team. Why would he give up a quest like this? He wasn’t going to leave the team like Hawk wanted.
“There’s no need to worry. Hawk…..”
Hyun-woo was replying when his eyes narrowed. Someone had actually been distracting Hyun-woo for a while. There was a couple a few tables away staring at Cho Min-sun. But while he was talking, the woman suddenly got up and approached Hyun-woo’s table.
‘Who is it? Does she know Min-sun ssi?’
Hyun-woo didn’t know the person. But the face was strangely familiar.
He felt like he had met here somewhere before. However Hyun-woo couldn’t remember meeting her. It was extremely rare for Hyun-woo to meet women. If he met another beauty apart from Cho Min-sun then he would remember.
‘But somewhere…..ah! Yes! That woman!’
He remembered when he saw the wine glass in her hand. Hyun-woo stood up and raised his voice.
“Min-sun ssi, danger!”
“Huh? What…..?”
Min-sun ssi asked as she turned around.
The woman holding the glass suddenly lost her balance and spilled her drink on Cho Min-sun. No, she didn’t lose her balance but deliberately fell.
At the same time, the scene from the charity party to help overseas refugees was superimposed in Hyun-woo’s head. A similar thing had occurred then.
Someone had deliberately tried to spill a drink on Cho Min-sun’s dress! That woman who poured the drink was the same one right now. She tried to the same technique half a year ago so she was very creative but this time she succeeded.
Hyun-woo looked at the woman with an angry expression and shouted.
“What on earth is this?”
“Omo! I’m sorry but what can I do? Huh? Aren’t you Min-sun?”
“Uh, unni…..”
Confusion spread on Cho Min-sun’s face. Hyun-woo was also confused. She was her older sister? Hyun-woo looked between the shivering Cho Min-sun and the woman with a puzzled expression.
“A date? Hmmm, he is a fine looking man. Do you also have the ability to charm a handsome man? Is it hereditary?”
“Look here!”
“Guest-nim, is something wrong?”
A waiter came rushing after hearing Hyun-woo yell. Just as Hyun-woo was opening his mouth. Cho Min-sun shook her head.
“Hyun-woo ssi, please stop.”
“But……”
“It’s okay. It’s a request. I don’t want any trouble. It’s not a big deal so let’s stop. Hyun-woo ssi, I’m sorry but I’ll be back.”
Cho Min-sun spoke with a determined expression. The waiter quickly handed her a towel and guided her to the bathroom. The woman spoke to Hyun-woo after Cho Min-sun left with the waiter.
“Do you know who our father is?”
“I’ve heard about it. What does that have to do with you?”
“No matter what. Her father is also my father. But not all children are the same. That bitch is the child of a mistress. Do you understand? She is common. That child’s birth is a mistake. That’s why I called her a bitch.”
“What do you expect me to say?”
“Hoh, you’re not surprised? I guess you know already. You have no idea what she is capable of. But this is unexpected. It is better if you give up. This is an advice and warning.”
“I’ll also give you advice and a warning.”
Hyun-woo slowly raised his head and said.
“You better return to your seat before I get angry.”
“Hul, look at that pride……”
“Min-sun ssi’s sister! I’m only going to put up with it once.”
Hyun-woo stared at the woman with flames pouring from his eyes. He didn’t know if it was his look or she had finished her work but the woman snubbed him and returned to her seat. His fist involuntarily clenched as he stared at her back. It wasn’t because he was insulted.
‘I don’t know anything about Min-sun ssi!’
She told him that she was the child of a mistress but Hyun-woo hadn’t understood. He hadn’t made an effort to understand how she lived. Judging by Cho Min-sun’s reaction, this wasn’t a special incident. She found it normal to be insulted in front of people she knew.
And she endured it. Because she was a mistress’s child. It was the reason why she just endured it most of the time. Perhaps her clumsy nature and difficulty expressing emotions was the result of this patience.
When he thought about it, he was barely able to withstand the rage.
“I’m sorry. Let’s go somewhere else.”
Cho Min-sun said as she returned to her seat. After seeing her still wet dress, something broke in his head.
“No. I told you. Someone I know booked this restaurant in advance. An opportunity to eat expensive food on someone else’s money is rare. So we should stay here and eat the food.”
—————————-
“Sheesh, that bitch is still here. She truly has a thick skin. That bitch! Her thick skin must be hereditary. How else would a woman seduce a married man?”
The woman, Cho Mi-ra murmured in an unpleasant voice. Then the man cutting his steak laughed and said.
“Hey, don’t do that. Pitiful.”
“What is pitiful? That man over there is the pitiful one. Just thinking of that bitch makes me feel sick to my stomach.”
“Isn’t she quite pretty?”
“What?”
“Why are you so sensitive?”
“I’m sensitive? Didn’t I tell you? I feel sick just thinking of that bitch. Yet she dares have a meal in a restaurant like this! Damn, how can I enjoy my meal when she’s here? My status is falling just being in the same restaurant as her.”
“Be tolerant.”
The man laughed.
“You will understand if you look closely. Your sibling…..I understand. Look at the man she brought. His clothes have that vintage look. Don’t you think it is like something from a drama? The poor man and the mistress’s daughter despised by her family. They will drink vending machine coffee and mutually comfort each other. While doing that, they forced themselves to come to a restaurant like this once. This will be the first and last time they can eat such fine pasta in their lives. So don’t they have to give up on alcohol? Ah, damn. I feel like crying after seeing them eat pasta in such clothes.”
“Hohoho! It is like you said! Pitiful!”
“Yes, it is rare for people like us to meet such poor people. So sometimes we need to do something. Noblesse oblige! Have you heard of it? People who are people with a status like us needs to help the poor. Hey!”
The man then beckoned a waiter over.
“What wines are good here?”
“Several fine wines just came in today.”
“The price range?”
“The cheapest is 800,000 won…..”
“I understand. That is suitable.”
The man interrupted the waiter’s words and pointed to Hyun-woo’s table.
“Take it to that table. Did you see before? My girlfriend mistook that woman over there. Please tell them I’ve sent this as an apology. But…..obtain consent from that gentleman first. That gentleman might be offended but he also has pride. He needs to calculate it himself. Whether to accept my sincerity or not.”
“I will tell him.”
Once the waiter left, the man smiled and said.
“How about it? Letting the poor drink wine they could never taste in their life is noblesse oblige.”
“Kalkalkalkal! This is great. Noblesse oblige!”
Cho Mi-ra watched Hyun-woo and Cho Min-sun with interested eyes. Once the waiter approached and explained the wine, Hyun-woo quickly looked over at their table. After a while, he bowed and accepted the wine.
A laugh emerged from Cho Mi-ra’s mouth.
“He took it.”
“He is a beggar. His pride won’t let him turn down a 800,000 won wine. It is pitiful drinking a 800,000 won wine with pasta. Should I throw a steak there as another good deed?”
“Try it! Try it! Let’s see if they receive it this time!”
“Okay. Hey, over here….eh?”
The man jumped up as he was about to call the waiter.
“What is it?”
“Ah, no. Wait a minute.”
The man hastily ran across the room. He was heading towards a group of men entering the restaurant. It was an old man in his 50s surrounded by 10 Arab foreigners. The man approached the old gentleman and asked.
“Hello, Chairman Kim?”
“Huh? You are?”
“I am the youngest son of Central Hotel. I met you last time at my father’s birthday celebration.”
“Yes, I remember. Your name was Park Eun-chan?”
“Thank you for remembering. By the way, these people with you…..”
“Ah, do you know them?”
Of course he knew.
The man Park Eun-chan called Chairman Kim was the president of the large Seongyeon Corporation. And one of the Arab men was the world famous middle eastern oil tycoon, Abdul.
Even a global entrepreneur would require a few months booking in order to meet him. That’s why Park Eun-chan came running over.
Park Eun-chan was his father’s youngest son so he was ambitious. Connections was the most important thing to Park Eun-chan. If he managed to build a relationship with the Chairman of the Seongyeon Corporation and the oil tycoon Abdul then he could achieve his ambitions.
“It is an honour to meet Chairman Kim and the world famous Abdul-nim. I never heard that Chairman Kim and Abdul-nim were friendly. Do you mind if I serve you personally?”
“Thank you but that isn’t needed.”
Chairman Kim smiled and shook his head.
“Abdul and I came here to meet a friend after a long time.”
“A friend? Someone in this restaurant?”
Park Eun-chan looked around with confused eyes. A corporation’s chairman and an oil tycoon was meeting someone directly? Wouldn’t that person be a VIP if they were called a friend? A politician? Business tycoon?
Park Eun-chan looked around as his imagination spread.
“Oh! There.”
Then Chairman Kim smiled widely and raised his arm. And they walked to a table in the corner like they had no interest in Park Eun-chan. The next moment, Park Eun-chan’s mouth dropped open as he saw where Abdul and Chairman Kim stopped.
“Hahahat! Hyun-woo, have you been well?”
‘What, what the? The person Chairman Kim and Abdul called a friend…..’
He was the coffee vending machine man that he called pitiful.
While the VIPs greeted Hyun-woo happily, their attendants moved around the table like a folding screen! Then the guests who noticed Chairman Kim and Abdul started buzzing.
“Chairman of the Seongyeon group? And isn’t that Arab man Abdul?”
“Why are such people here?”
“Who are they sitting with?”
“I don’t know who they are but it is no joke. They must not be ordinary to be sitting with two people like that.”
Park Eun-chan returned to his table.
“M-Mira! Talk properly! That man with your sibling, who is he?”
“Who? How should I know?”
“You really don’t know?”
“I don’t know. Rather, who are those people?”
“Damn, you don’t even know those people? If you’re the daughter of a chairman then you should show some interest in the business community. That person is the Chairman of the Seongyeon Corporation. And that Arab man is Abdul, an oil tycoon!”
Cho Mi-ra’s eyes widened at Park Eun-chan’s explanation.
“Eh eh? Why are those people sitting with a guy like him?”
“Damn! How should I know? He must be huge if Chairman Kim and Abdul are intentionally meeting him. Dammit! What did I do…..?”
“Excuse me.”
While Park Eun-chan was sweating. The waiter from before came up with a bottle of wine and said.
“The guest sent a wine as repayment for the one you sent a short while ago. This is a 78 year old French wine with a market price of 2.25 million won. The guest told us to send our most expensive wine over here. And he said to tell you this. It would be a burden to accept an expensive win on the first meeting without anything in return.”
“H-how dare he!”
“Sit down!”
Park Eun-chan shouted towards Cho Mi-ra. And he replied with a bitter expression.
“…..Tell him that I appreciate the drink.”
“Are you crazy? Do you know what this means? Is your pride worth 2.25 million won?”
“Dammit! Yes, my pride is worth 2.25 million won. What will you do? Will you report me? Didn’t you hear my words? That guy is a person who is friends with Chairman Kim and Abdul! Should I go grab his collar after seeing the people around that table? We would be immediately thrown out if that happens!”
“Then you should eat alone!”
Cho Mi-ra jumped up and ran out of the restaurant. But Park Eun-chan didn’t follow. He had just mocked someone talking with some very important people. He was depressed and felt like he was sitting on a pincushion but there was something he was even more anxious about.
The man was only in his twenties so how could he be meeting with such people? He couldn’t get up before he figured it out.
Approximately 1 hour passed before they left their seats.
Hyun-woo and Cho Min-sun left the restaurant first while Park Eun-chan approached the Chairman’s secretary who was paying for the bill, including the wine!
“Chairman Kim-nim, I met that person just now so if you don’t mind, could you tell me who he is?”
“Ah, Director Kim Hyun-woo?”
“Director?”
“Yes, he isn’t a friend. More like……shall I say a God?”
—————————-
“What is going on?”
“What is going on? What?”
“Those people just now. Did Hyun-woo ssi really call them?”
“Yes, is that strange?”
“It is strange. That middle aged man is the Chairman of the Seongyeon Corporation. And the Arab person is an oil tycoon. The fact that those two reserved a restaurant table for you is remarkable but for them to come when Hyun-woo called?”
“That means your boyfriend is a wonderful person.”
Hyun-woo stopped and looked at Cho Min-sun. And he said with a smile.
“Mainly in the game.”
The Seongyeon Chairman and Arab oil tycoon. They had a secret hobby that most people didn’t know about. That hobby was the virtual reality game, New World. This was a secret the world didn’t know about but this hobby was the reason why Chairman Kim had a close friendship with Abdul.
While meeting for a business transaction, Chairman Kim noticed Abdul talking about New World with the interpreter. Thanks to that, Chairman Kim and Abdul noticed that they shared the same hobby! They caught monsters together and became close friends. And while going on eventful adventures, they came across a disaster.
After gathering information for a few months, they found a hidden labyrinth dungeon in the Ronwe Mountains! While exploring the dungeon, they fell into a trap and became trapped in the labyrinth. In addition, the resurrection place was inside the dungeon so they couldn’t escape by dying.
Thanks to that, they were trapped in a dungeon for a month.
Anyone who played the game would know. Being trapped somewhere was extremely painful. However, the problem wasn’t something that could be solved with lots of money. Chairman Kim and Abdul pondered it before coming up with one last method.
They privately contacted the senior executives of Global Exos and asked to take out their characters. However there was no way even for the senior executives. Moving a user’s location in the game required administrator privileges. And there was only one person in New World with that power, Hyun-woo who controlled the master code.
And after Hyun-woo was told the situation…..
‘A corporation chairman and oil tycoon? So what should I do? New World is a game that follows the rules of reality. They are mistaken if they think that money can buy them everything. That isn’t possible as long as I’m the moderator of New World! I will refuse such solicitation! If you’re a user then you should solve the problem like a user!’
He dismissed them for that reason!
In fact, Hyun-woo had expected to be pressured at this point. Chairman Kim and Abdul had billions of dollars behind them. Yet a mere game director like Hyun-woo who had been a user not long ago had rejected their request. They wouldn’t be able to hold still.
No, there was actually an uproar at Global Exos. It was to the extent that the President asked him to accept their request. Hyun-woo became even more stubborn the more they badgered him. Then an email arrived.
-We’re sorry to ask something so unreasonable.
We will respect the judgement of New World’s moderator.
Let’s pretend this didn’t happen…..
Hyun-woo became curious about these two people. So he used his Genie Lamp and flew to the labyrinth to meet the two of them. Then Hyun-woo started to realize that he had misunderstood Chairman Kim and Abdul.
Hyun-woo thought they were users who spent their money on equipment and wandered around bullying other people. However, he met Chairman Kim and Abdul and realized the equipment they wore had been obtained through pure grinding.
Hyun-woo had no intention of withdrawing his words. They weren’t trapped due to a bug. And he couldn’t just use the power of the master code to solve a user’s problem. Chairman Kim and Abdul had also sent a reply stating that they respected his intentions.
‘But if I help them as a user…..’
Thus Hyun-woo teamed up with them and helped clear the dungeon. Of course, he didn’t use any equipment obtained with the power of the master code. Naturally the adventures of the three of them was difficult.
However, as the leader Hyun-woo breached numerous traps and gradually repelled the swarm of monster attacks as they advanced through the dungeon! He had led Chairman Kim and Abdul out of the dungeon in a week. And a friendship that transcended age and status sprouted between them.
Of course, this was still just a game. Chairman Kim and Abdul had a completely different status from Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo had no intention of showing off their friendship in reality. Yet Chairman Kim and Abdul’s appearance meant they also regarded Hyun-woo as a friend in reality.
This was the reason those two booked a reservation for Hyun-woo. This material compensation could already be considered friendship. And they gladly gave Hyun-woo their phone number regardless of status. They became friends after a week-long adventure.
‘As a result, these two people consented to be used……’
“I really don’t know Hyun-woo ssi.”
Cho Min-sun murmured after hearing his explanation.
“Are you disappointed?”
“Is there something to be disappointed about?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I’m not. Rather, I’m more shocked by the price of the food.”
“Then what about the 2nd thing? Chairman Kim paid for the food as well as the wine sent to your sister. Say whatever you please.”
“Let’s go grab some ramyun and kimbap.”
Cho Min-sun replied as she grabbed Hyun-woo’s arm.
‘……Chairman Kim and Abdul will understand.’
Hyun-woo laughed and nodded.
“Yes, let’s go!”
—————————-
‘Now…..’
Ark stood up and shouted.
“Report the condition of the ether.”
“The engine is in a good state! No abnormalities in the control system! Balance system is okay! Energy charging has been 100% completed! We can take off whenever you command!”
The person in the cockpit was the hamster Tori! The storage container that arrived after defeating the Kraken was Tori.
Shortly after the Silver Star landed on E-2036, Ark heard from Hegel that fuel rods were necessary so he had instantly sent a communication to S-20.
Send fuel rods and Tori as quickly as possible to E-2036. The damage to the Silver Star was serious enough that a profession engineer was required to repair it. However there was one small problem.
Some people might’ve forgotten but Tori still had a prisoner status. Of course, Tori could move freely thanks to Marquis Martin. But his prisoner status meant it would be difficult for him to take a ship. In addition, Ark was currently hiding his location from Hawk. Hawk could easily obtain the information that Ark was Tori’s guardian and keep an eye on him.
So Asuran devised using a cargo container. The courier had accepted Marquis Martin’s cargo certificate and it was delivered. This was the noise that terrorized the sailors on the Pelican.
Tori had a lot of experience so he knew. There was a tremendous different between the cabins and cargo compartment on a ship. There was no consideration for passengers in the cargo compartment so there was minus degree temperature. Of course, he was wearing a life support device but that was literally to sustain life.
“D-delivery…..scary…..so scary…..”
When he opened the container, Tori was blue and trembling and kept on repeating those words. After the frozen hamster was thawed, Ark immediately rushed him to repair the Silver Star. The gun turrets still weren’t repaired but the engine and control system had been fixed.
Naturally the energy charge was also complete! The Silver Star had lost a considerable amount of fuel thanks to the Kraken. However, the energy storage he obtained meant he could charge it to 100%. The Silver Star’s eight ether fuel tanks also became full. This was sufficient to last 1 year without a separate energy replenishment.
Once again, the Kraken…..it was worth a huge amount of money. Anyway, it had been 4 days since they’ve landed on the E-2036.
“It is a little late but…..”
Ark grinned as he looked at the information window.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 133
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 11,730 Adventure 1,590
Health 3,300 (+325) Mental Power 450 (+340)
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 320 (+35) Agility 375 (+51)
Stamina 545 (+65) Wisdom 40 (+13)
Intelligence 320 (+68) Luck 55 (+8)
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
Ark wouldn’t just fall down obediently! There was some meaning to the time spend on E-2036. He had gained 3 levels on Impeltus and 10 on E-2036! That was 13 levels gained since leaving Turan.
That wasn’t all.
“Hyung-nim, the analysis is over!”
Hegel handed him the Unknown Scale Pants obtained from the Kraken. While Tori was repairing the Silver Star, Hegel had also finished the item analysis.
-Belphegor’s Scaly Pants (Unique)
Item Type: Light Armour (Pants) Wearer Restriction: Level 100
Defense: 80 Durability: 8080
In the early days of space pioneering, pants using the legendary Belphegor was created.
A number of incredible anecdotes about the Belphegor have been handed down among pioneers. One of them was that the Belphegor could fight back against enemies even when sleeping. According to an anecdote, it defeated pirates for three days and three nights while sleeping and the pirates fled rather than face it when the Belphegor woke up.
That was why the Belphegor was called a space dragon and armour made out of its leather. This armour has a strong defense tough to imitate with modern science and there is a probability of a mysterious power exploding when attacks hit the scales.
<Stamina +30, Agility +20>
* Special Options (King’s Wrath): When the armour is attacked, there is a 5% chance of the scales jumping out and causing a vortex around the enemy, inflicting 15~20 damage.
The unique armour Belphegor’s Scaly Pants! Once again, Ark had gobbled up most of the spoils from the Kraken. Ark had prevented the Kraken from destroying the Silver Star alone.
In the meantime, the team members had been trapped in the collapsed hole and were out in space for more than 1 hour because Ark was distracted trying to stop the energy from leaking from the hole. He finally remembered about them and brought them back with Hegel and Milan. So none of them dared say anything about the Kraken’s loot to Ark.
But Ark was generous.
“Aren’t we colleagues who teamed up together?”
……He said and distributed half of the loot to the team. Of course the unique Belphegor’s Scaly Pants, the Kraken’s cell tissue and the rare Destruction Hammer was in Ark’s backpack. He handed out the 3 general items to the team.
The cell tissue was only worthy for Ark who had a researcher and Berad was the only team member who used a hammer so the others didn’t complain. They couldn’t ignore the enormous monetary loss Ark suffered from the damage to the Silver Star. That’s why Ark was currently wearing the Belphegor’s Scaly Pants!
That wasn’t the only harvest from E-2036. It took Tori one day to repair the Silver Star. While he was enjoying a date with Irina, the team members used that time to search the underground space. As a result, they obtained a harvest he hadn’t considered.
‘But……’
Now wasn’t the time. According to Irina, Hawk had obtained an important clue and was already moving.
‘If I delay any longer then I might be a step too late. Hawk will end up eating all the quest rewards. Anyway, we’ve found everything possible from E-2036 so it is time to return to the first team. I need to stop by Turan to pick up Melina, Park, Berad and Cupa so there is no time for further delay!’
“Milan, operate the engine! The destination is Turan!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim! Silver Star start!”
Kuaaaah!
The Silver Star emitted flames and soared off! It was an emergency that lasted 4 days.
Space 7
The Sleeping Enemy
Planet Maseti.
It was a large planet with more than 100 ships as traffic in a day. It was natural for a place where pioneers gathered to develop. The lights from the port were never turned off.
Kukwang! Kukwang! Kukwang!
Loud music was heard from a tavern. Three people were sitting around a table covered by cigarette smoke.
One person was a hamster from the Tiny Clan with eyes that agilely moved from left to right, there was another alien species wearing a wolf shaped pendant from the Wolf Clan and the last person with a thuggish appearance was from the Belkin Clan.
The three species chewed on their cigarette and looked at the pile of coins on the table with sharp eyes. After a few moments of tense silence, the Belkin clan member threw a card and shouted.
“Triple aces!”
The hamster and wolf simultaneously made faces like they were chewing on poo.
“Hahahaha! You’re expressions are perfect! I’m sorry but this is……”
“Uhuh! Why are you in such a hurry? You should check the others before celebrating first.”
Then the hamster grinned and set down his cards. The cards that fell on the table was a Q, Q, Q, Q!
“Q-queen four of a kind?”
“Kit! Doesn’t 4 beat 3?”
“Aigoo, tsk tsk tsk. Sorry, what should I do?”
Then the Wolf Clan who had been sitting silently clicked his tongue and murmured. And he showed yellow teeth as he turned over his cards one by one.
“K….K…..K…..K…..heok! N-no way! King four of a kind?”
“It will sweep the pot over the queen. Shouldn’t a man be economical? In that sense…..”
The Wolf clan member swiped all the gold and silver with his scarred arms. The Belkin clan member who had been blankly watching the scene grasped the Wolf’s arm.
“Wait a minute! It’s a scam! ”
“A scam? This person dares say something like that?”
“Indeed! Is it common sense that three aces, four queen and four kings emerge in the same hand? Something is definitely strange. Hey, rat! Check the remaining cards!”
“Hey, that’s not very polite. And are you a child? I am the age of your father.”
“Shut up!”
The Belkin clan pulled out a pistol and stuck it to the temple of the Wolf clan.
“Uh, I really can’t coexist with a someone from your species. You lost money and now you want to do this? Hey rat, if you want to stay alive then don’t move a finger. Yes, if you turn over the cards and I didn’t cheat then who will take responsibility for the situation?”
“I will give my throat and all of my remaining money!”
“Ha! Today is a good day.”
The Wolf clan said with a laugh. Suddenly a man approached behind the Wolf Clan.
“Are you Captain Esut of the interstellar ship Marsyosia?”
“Who are you? Am I the a neighbourhood dog? What do you want with me?”
“I’ve come with a job request.”
“Job? Can’t you see the situation right now? You want to hire me in a situation like this? And I’ve already signed an exclusive contract with another person.”
“I know. An associate told me so. The Marsyosia has an exclusive contract and won’t be taking requests for several months. And you depart periodically twice a week but there are no records of any cargo being transported. At least officially.”
The corners of the Wolf clan’s eyes started to flinch.
“Who are you?”
“A person interested in your goods.”
“What are you doing? I don’t want to see you right now! If you don’t disappear immediately……”
The Belkin clan shouted angrily and fired his pistol towards the man.
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!
There was a sound coming from all directions! It was the sound of 10 people around a table lifting their machine guns. The Tiny clan and Belkin clan involved in the poker game looked confused.
“Do I need to bother explaining? You have to go with me.”
“That isn’t possible.”
Esut stepped back with a grin. At that time, something fell from the arm the man was grabbing? They were cards that fell! The unknown man and Belkin clan shouted at the same time.
“P-prosthetic arm?”
“It was a damn scam! There are hidden cards in the prosthetic arm!”
“Kekekeke! You stupid guys!”
Pepeng!
The prosthetic then exploded. At the same time, a tremendous flash emanated in all directions! The Belkin clan and the people holding machine guns hurriedly hid their eyes from the flash.
“Kekeke! Fools! Do you think the great Esut will be caught by guys like you?”
Esut turned over the table and ran. The money on the table fell and scattered all over the place. The people watching from a distance started swarming like vultures.
“M-money!”
“The first person who picks it up will be the owner!”
Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!
There were continuous bursts of sound. White smoke soared and instantly enveloped the place. The unknown man still didn’t have his sight restored from the prosthetic flash and shouted angrily.
“Smoke bombs! That Esut! Seal the exits!”
“D-dammit! Don’t touch it! That is my money! Ya, what are you doing? I’ll kill the scum that dares touch my money! No, Esut! I’ll kill Esut!”
The Belkin’s yell followed afterwards. Then the Belkin clan members scattered around the tavern drew their weapons in unison. The man burst out with confusion.
“T-this! They were subordinates? No! I must capture Esut! Stop the Belkin clan!”
“Kill everyone that dares interfere! Shoot! Kill everything!”
“Damn! Fire!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
It was difficult to distinguish anything in the thick smoke. People were flocking like vultures over the gold and silver scattered on the floor! The peaceful tavern turned noisy. On the roof of the tavern.
“Kekekeke. It isn’t easy being me.”
The white wolf Esut smiled as he gazed through the window.
“That dumb Belkin gave me an opportunity. By the way, who was that man just now? Are those guys related to my transport work? Sheesh, I travel around a lot these days so I can’t believe they know how to find me. I have a headache. I have to sneak out of Maseti.”
Esut jumped from roof to roof. After crossing a few roofs, he jumped down directly in front of a bike parked in the alley.
“Now, shall I go?”
He had stashed a bike in case of situations like this. Esut smiled and was about to connect his Nymphe to the bike.
“You’re better off stopping.”
A threatening voice was heard in the darkness. When he flinched and turned around, a man walked into the alley. It wasn’t the man he met in the tavern. The man was wearing black armour, had dark hair and an eyepatch covering one eye.
“W-who are you?”
“Do I need to explain it?”
“You don’t need to! Just go to hell!”
Esut’s bag opened at that moment.
3 grenades flew towards the man. It was then that the man moved. In the next moment, the man flew towards Esut like a bullet while grabbing the two swords at his waist.
The moment his hands touched the hilt, his body rotated and drew a line towards the flying grenades.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
Then three shots rang out and the grenades exploded. The man stopped rotating and instantly moved 10 metres. And two bullets flew towards his direction. Menace shone in the eyes of the man with dark hair.
A man emerged wearing a black helmet.
“……Who?”
The Black Helmet didn’t answer. He just put his pistol back in its place at his waist.
After that, another man walked out. However this time his identity didn’t need to be questioned. There was no need to. The man coming with a gleeful smile…..
—————————-
“Eh? A-Ark-nim?”
At a large dock shaped like a square.
“Wow! Is it really Ark-nim? Ark-nim!”
Over 10 team units were gathered at the dock when Ark entered. The man wearing armour that looked like overalls and had a moustache was Mario. Mario ran towards Ark like he was a mushroom.
“What is going on?”
“What’s going on? What?”
“What? Doesn’t Ark-nim know yet? All units who left on this mission were ambushed. I received an attack by people wearing black helmets and some units had the Rama show up. 9 ships were sunk from those attacks.”
“I already know. I was also ambushed.”
“But you managed to come back alive.”
To be honest, Ark was the one who wanted to say that.
In fact, the first person he thought would fall was Mario. Mario’s occupation was a merchant and when he checked on Turan, he was leading at least 30 subordinates that were more than level 100. However, having the party leader being a merchant was a significant penalty.
Galaxian was set up so that any occupation could build an Agent. An agent could focus on warrior specialties or commerce depending on the employed staff and merchants also hired mercenaries. The problem was that the user’s occupation had a significant impact on the hired subordinates.
Warriors attracted stronger warriors. This was also true for a NPC’s inclination. Some NPC mercenaries would only be hired by users they respected. A warrior could easily lead a company of NPC mercenaries in battle while it would be a lot harder for merchants.
And vice versa. Merchants would find it easy to lead a group of NPC merchants but a warrior would find it more difficult.
But there was even more. Agent skills existed inside Galaxian. Currently Ark was using the ‘Joint Business-I’ Agent skill. In Ark’s case, all his employees except Kurakan were NPCs so he select ‘Joint Business-I.’ However, the Agent skill that most users selected first was ‘Qualities of a Leader-I.’
If the leader was a warrior then ‘Qualities of a Leader’ would give a bonus to the employees’ combat power. This Agent skill was why those with a warrior in charge were more profitable in battle.
If the skill level was high and reached the 4th stage, there would be at least a 30% difference in combat ability when the Agent’s CEO was a warrior compared to a merchant.
This was why the user’s occupation was important! As a result, a merchant would take a significant penalty in battle even with a lot of soldiers. Nevertheless, Mario was still alive with 50% of his subordinates.
‘A merchant must have that type of skill if they joined the investigation team. Did he deliberately make his character similar to Mario in order to make the opponent underestimate him? Indeed, I was also careless because of his name and looks. When thinking about it, I can’t be careless around a guy who thought this deeply when making his character. Indeed, the other team units are the same as well.’
Ark looked around the dock with interested eyes. Including Mario, there were 11 units on this dock. These units were able to survive an ambush from an unidentified foe. That in itself proved their skills.
“I was worried when Ark-nim didn’t return to Turan.”
“I was lucky.”
“By the way, how did you know to come here?”
“That…..”
Ark turned his head and took a sneak peek at a woman. Her name was Irina, she belonged to the 1st investigation team and was Ark’s ‘girl.’
While Ark was repairing the Silver Star on E-2036, Hawk ad analysed the information from the 11 units that returned safely and was able to find some clues.
Among them was information about a transportation line carrying a rare mineral. The name of that transport like was Marsyosia. Therefore Hawk dispatched his subordinates to investigate Marsyosia. And they determined that they weren’t unloading the minerals on a Hive or planet.
‘The possibility that Marsyosia is supplying the minerals to organization X is extremely high!’
The conclusion came naturally. Hawk rallied the team members and followed the location of the Marsyosia. It was possible to find Captain Esut on Maseti.
Obviously Ark had heard this from Irina, not Hawk. After Irina joined up with the secondary task force, she had used real time cell phone communication to identify their movements. And while Hawk had deliberately surrounded the tavern to find the hiding Esut, Ark had gone to where he was.
That’s right. Hawk was the man waiting for Esut in the alley. And Ark was the one who subsequently appeared.
‘But……’
There was no reason to give such information to Mario. Hawk was now the general manager so he couldn’t 100% trust any units. In this situation Irina was the only 100% reliable one so Ark and Irina needed to keep their relationship hidden. This was the reason why Ark pretended not to know Irina.
“Of course I ran after the smell of the members.” My sense of smell is that developed.”
“Hrmm……”
Mario looked at Ark with disbelieving eyes. But he judged that it was useless to ask so he nodded and said.
“Anyway, it is lucky. In fact, I was a little anxious. 6 of the 9 units killed in the ambush belonged to the military section. 10 vs. 10 changed to 4 vs. 7. Now it is 5 vs. 7 thanks to Ark-nim’s return. Well, there are still fewer military faction members but it is better than before.”
Ark looked around silently at the end of Mario’s words. Currently the members were gathered around Hawk’s ship, the Death Knight. The members gathered here were still divided into the military and political factions of Tatuine. Apart from Mario, there were only 3 people from the military faction.
One of them was the 18th ranked Ferguson, Kaien the CEO of the mercenary Agent and Ryu who was the CEO of Arion. If Ark and Mario were added then it would equal 5 people. The military faction had been literally halved.
On the other hand, there were still 7 people from the political faction.
‘As expected, Valencia failed to come back.’
Valencia had been killed by Ark at the secret laboratory. And his spaceship had been smashed by the subsequent appearance of the Red Slaughterer. Even if Valencia had returned to the investigation team, he would still be expelled. For Ark it was like a sick teeth falling out…..
“The problem is Hawk.”
Mario scratched his head and said.
“Did you hear? Hawk expelled all units that were defeated by the unidentified enemy. Members who were killed revived at Turan but Hawk ruthlessly said that they don’t have the right to be part of the team. Ark-nim had the unresolved status of a missing person but you couldn’t return in time so he said you were still expelled. Of course, our military faction prefers that Ark-nim remain but…..”
Irina was also concerned about this part. But Ark wasn’t worried about it. No, there was no need to worry.
—————————-
“……Ark!”
Splinters of the grenade fell in the dark alley. Hawk looked in the direction the bullets flew from and confusion spread on his face.
Ark had showed up near the 3 grenades that exploded. They lost contact after the mission to Impeltus so he had assumed that the Silver Star had disintegrated. However, he never imagined that Ark would show up on Maseti.
But Hawk didn’t ask the corny questions like Mario. Ark who he lost contact with was now in Maseti. This meant Ark hadn’t lost the Silver Star under Valencia and the Red Slaughterer’s attacks and someone else in the team had told Ark about Hawk’s search for Esut.
He was curious about who gave Ark the information but Ark would answer even if he asked. So Hawk only asked one question.
“Why did you come here?”
“Isn’t it to join up with the investigation team again?”
“Didn’t you hear? You aren’t a member anymore.”
“Why?”
“I said it when issuing the mission. I will only admit members who could properly handle the duties entrusted to them. And you didn’t come back in time. Do I need to explain anymore?”
“But you didn’t tell us the most important thing.”
Then Ark pulled out a small object from his pocket. A USB. It was the USB Hawk gave to the members that contained information about their mission.
“This USB has a GPS transmitting device attached.”
Hawk’s one eye distorted slightly after Ark’s words. But it was only for a moment. Then Hawk’s mouth grinned as he looked at the USB.
“So what? Yes, the USB has a GPS transmitting device on it. It is inserted into the device. However I am the team leader. Can’t the leader have a GPS device to track the movement of the team members?”
“I thought like that as well.”
“So?”
“I’ll tell the members that the team leader leaked their location to the unidentified enemy.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I got the information directly from someone.”
“It’s me.”
Then the gunner wearing the black helmet came forward. There was a crack in Hawk’s mask of tranquillity.
Hawk had leaked the GPS information to make the factions strike against each other. In fact, Hawk didn’t care about what faction had more members surviving. He created a virtual enemy in order to plant an awareness of danger into the members. Now that the balance between the military and political factions was upset then Hawk was perfectly in control.
However one person was an exception.
Ark!
‘There are no other users that stand out among the remaining units. But Ark is with the military faction. So far he isn’t more powerful than the other members but ‘he’ is Ark. The scariest thing is that he is unpredictable. It could be seen as a fluke but when it is repeated many times, it is obviously skill. More users in New World were defeated by Ark because they underestimated him. But I won’t make the same mistake. If there is a chance then I will use every method to handle this guy.’
He didn’t mind if other team members survived. However he had wanted to handle Ark before the formal mission started. That’s why Hawk had to intervene directly in the attack on Ark. He wanted to handle Ark so he had explained the situation ahead of time to Valencia. It was so sufficient troops to handle Ark would be prepared.
That’s how Valencia was able to mobilize over 100 troops in the secret laboratory. Before leaving Tatuine, Hawk had visited Marquis Jyubel and Valencia who were in a meeting room. He promised to secretly pass on information about Ark after the mission started.
Marquis Jyubel and Valencia weren’t the only people in the room. The user Hawk believed was 100% on Marquis Jyubel’s side like Valencia was…..
“Are you Rapid?”
“That’s correct.”
“Aren’t you Marquis Jyubel’s person?”
“I was at the time. But there were some circumstances. Do you want to hear it?”
“No.”
Hawk spat out. His eyes turned to Ark and his lips twisted.
“Well, this is the reason you are so confident? Yes, okay. I admit it. I gave your GPS information to Valencia. What about it? Are you here to get revenge?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Ark laughed and grabbed the lightsaber at his waist. At the same time, Hawk flinched and raised his pair of swords. In the next moment, Ark just scratched his head and said.
“No, stop that. It clear but the evidence was still circumstantial. You secretly hid the GPS device in the USB and gave information to Valencia but that isn’t evident that you instigated the ambush. I would just be a criminal if I killed you in such a situation.”
“You talk as if you would be able to win.”
“Ah! Yes, that is also a problem. You are the coolest guy. You’re not like Valencia. You’re not someone who would run in blindly even if you dislike the person. You would clearly win if we decided to fight. And I also don’t want the investigation team to collapse. So I decided to remove the chance for revenge and just want to join the investigation team.”
“Aren’t you talking really informally to me?”
“Then you don’t understand my words?”
“That isn’t it.”
Hawk narrowed his eyes and replied. He stared at Ark for a while before talking again.
“But what will you do if I don’t allow you to join the investigation team again?”
“Then something difficult would happen. I will show the GPS and witness. Of course, the evidence if slightly lacking. But the team members aren’t stupid. Furthermore, some of the units that came back alive are those that attacked other units based on the GPS information you gave them. They’ve already caught on to a certain extent. If I tell them this information then their doubts will turn into certainty. How easy will it be to lead the team members then? How about it? Doesn’t it seem quite difficult?”
“It is difficult.”
Hawk nodded.
“But I’ve already expelled 9 units from the team. You survived the raid but you were late. Will the other units admit to you joining the team?”
“That’s a problem for you to worry about. You can easily take care of such difficulties.”
Ark grinned and replied.
“W-what are you bastards doing? Are you joking?”
Esut shouted as he looked between Ark and Hawk.
“I don’t know what you’re plotting but I am Esut! Dammit, this is the first time I’ve been ignored like this! Anyway, you have to die here!”
Esut took out a grenade again. It was a belt with 10 grenades handing from it! But Hawk just sheathed his pair of swords.
“My battleship is at port 51. Take Esut there.”
And he muttered as he jumped up onto the roof.
“The details will come after that.”
—————————-
“Ark-nim? Ark-nim!”
Mario shook Ark. Ark woke up from his memory and answered.
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry. I was thinking for a while……”
“As expected, Ark-nim is also worrying about it.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry about it!”
Mario grabbed Ark’s hand.
“The largest reason Hawk gave for expelling the units was that they didn’t have their spaceships anymore. But Ark-nim didn’t lost your ship. Your situation is different from the others. So don’t worry too much. The members of the military faction will band together to stop Hawk from expelling Ark-nim.”
“Ah, yes…..”
Ark replied with an awkward smile.
“Attention!”
Soldiers suddenly shouted from the opposite side. The soldiers split to the left and right as Hawk walked in the centre. He stood on a podium and gave a speech while looking at the team members.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. The time was more delayed then I expected so I’ll explain the next mission. Harley, spread the map.”
“Yes, Leader-nim.”
Harley pulled out a sphere.
It was set down on the ground and a light emerged. Then a member of the political faction came forward.
“Before that happens, I would like an explanation.”
“What is it?”
“Ark who is among the members. Right now there are 11 units here. 9 of them were expelled after the first mission. I was surprised when you first stated it and thought it was an over-reaction but I was convinced by your words. But now is it fair to accept a member who was expelled from the team? I would like to hear Captain-nim’s explanation. Is Ark really returning to the team?”
“If he returns?”
“I won’t accept it. In the worst case…..”
“Wait a minute! I’ll explain! Ark-nim clearly didn’t return to Turan on time. But he didn’t lose his ship unlike the other members. That…..”
Mario tried to come to Ark’s defense. Hawk shouted with a displeased expression.
“Shut up. Useless person!”
Mario retreated. However Hawk was staring at the member of the political faction.
“Like you said, Ark is an expelled member of the team. He was thrown away. But he continued his mission when left alone and found a few clues that led him to Marseti. And he captured our target Esut.”
“E-Esut?”
“Yes, Esut who you stupidly missed.”
Hawk narrowed his eyes at the political faction member.
He was the man who approached Esut in the tavern and was caught in a shootout with the Belkin clan. His name….it was annoying to remember so let’s just call him Member A for the moment. Anyway, Hawk continued in a sharp voice.
“The process isn’t important. The important thing is the result. And results means the person has skill. That was why I expelled those nine units. It doesn’t matter if they lost their lives or their spaceship. I expelled them because they didn’t have the ability to protect their ship. Now, I ask you. I gave each of you a location to wait in order to capture Esut. But you deviated from my plan and approached Esut. It was good up to here. Like I said, the priority is getting results. However you missed Esut who was right in front of you. Esut was captured by Ark who was alone. Doesn’t that mean he has more skill than you?”
“T-that….”
The political faction member’s face turned red with shame. This was the reason Hawk handed Esut to Ark and left the alley. Ark had the USB with the GPS device and Rapid so Hawk was forced to accept Ark’s offer. However, it was natural that the political faction wouldn’t admit his return.
He used Esut as justification to allow Ark’s return.
‘He really is scary.’
Ark thought as he gazed at Hawk. He heard from Irina about Hawk’s plan to capture Esut at a tavern and the location he placed each member. Hawk who was the leader was placed at the furthest point from the tavern. The other members though Hawk did this to concede to the members but…..
‘He is the guy who made the faction fight each other to seize control of the team. He wouldn’t just concede to the members. Hawk knew. Esut isn’t someone that will be easily caught. He knew that Esut would escape from the tavern. And Hawk would capture Esut when he ran.’
Ark knew it as well. He should capture Esut as justification to join the team. That’s why he went to Hawk’s location.
The result was a bingo.
Hawk was right where Esut stashed his ride. Hawk had monopolized the information he got in advance and planned to capture Esut. However he was forced to pass on the achievement to Ark.
-Dark Omen (Pioneer Quest) information has been updated.
<Dark Omen Sub Quest: Impeltus Investigation → Catch the Main Suspect> has been completed.
While the 2nd investigation team was investigating the planets containing rare minerals, they came across information that Esut from the Wolf Clan is likely supplying Organization X with the mineral. Esut was tracked to Maseti and a plan organized to capture him. You managed to catch Esut and prove your skills.
<Achievement: +1,800>
He confirmed this information before coming to the port.
If he had to explain, the members who revived after the first mission received 300~500 achievements. Hawk investigated 3 planets so he received 1,500 achievements.
Yet Ark had gained 1,800 in one go! The even more exciting thing was that this achievement originally should’ve belonged to Hawk.
Hawk was forced to give up his achievement to give Ark a plausible reason to re-join the team. Of course it was impossible for him to feel good.
–It’s starting now Ark! I’ll make you regret this!
Ark could clearly read the message in Hawk’s eyes. So Ark used the power of his eyes to return his own message.
–Yes! It is starting now Hawk! I’ll make you regret taking me back.
A message also flashed in Irina’s eyes who was looking at Ark.
–I’ve met you again in Galaxian. We’re together!
Mario who was standing near also had a message.
The port was flooded with such message.
Anyway! Ark once again joined hands with the enemy.
Space 8
Dark Star
“Sheesh!”
He was dissatisfied.
Ark and Irina were now in a relationship. And this was his first mission with Irina since then! He didn’t want to hold hands while running through fields catching monsters but he imagined having a face to face conversation with her during the tedious voyage.
There was a communication function attached to his ship. But now he was accompanying the units. No, to be exact it was a problem because he was accompanying Hawk.
The expelled Ark was able to join up with the team on the planet Maseti due to the information Irina gave him. However Hawk was unaware of who gave him the information and if he learnt it was Irina then her position would become more difficult.
Therefore Ark and Irina decided to act like they didn’t know each other and there was no communication between them.
‘Well, this is a secret shared between 2 people but…..’
He couldn’t enjoy the situation when watching other units communicate. Thus he was in a gloomy mood. Then the door at the back of the bridge opened and Rapid entered.
“Have they connected? The other guys?”
“Not yet. After picking up Melina, Park, Berad and Cupa on Turan, the team drank until late on Maseti and haven’t recovered yet. The cabin is really no joke.”
“Rapid hyung-nim, did you just wake up?”
Hegel lifted his hand and greeted Rapid. Hegel was the one who welcomed it the most when Rapid joined Dark Eden. That’s because he gained quite an appreciation for Rapid during his stay on S-20.
Rapid was also kind to Hegel.
“Ah, yes. You must be having trouble under the vicious president.”
“Hey, who is a vicious president?”
“Then? Is a guy who sits behind his staff in the morning with a bitter expression a good president?”
“A good employee shouldn’t just grunt when greeting the president in the morning.”
“I have no intention of being a good employee.”
“Is this something you should tell the president?”
“It is possible. Anyway, the only reason to look good for the president is to collect a bonus. Besides, the employees will be the ones suffering after the mission starts. I heard that Hawk treats his staff quite well so should I move there instead? Hey! Hegel, how about it? Do you want to go together?”
“Huh? No, I…..”
“This bastard! Why are you trying to lure my staff to another job?’
“My words about leaving were just a joke…..”
Rapid rubbed Hegel’s smooth head. And he approached the seat next to Ark and asked.
“What relationship do you have with Hawk?”
“Relationship? What relationship?”
“What did you do to Hawk?”
“Why are you asking what I did? Didn’t you see? I didn’t do anything. I didn’t know him before entering the investigation team.”
“Then isn’t it weird?”
Rapid frowned and continued talking.
“Didn’t I tell you? Hawk met with us on Tatuine and offered to tell Valencia your location. If you’ve never met Hawk before then why did he use such a method to contain you?”
“I’m also curious. Why does he dislike me?”
“It isn’t a problem that we can overlook. Hawk passing on information to Marquis Jyubel is dangerous. Hawk took a risk trying to take care of you. That behaviour can’t be explained by Hawk simply disliking you. Obviously there is another reason. If you don’t understand then you might receive some damage. That guy’s presence is disruptive in itself.”
“His existence itself is disruptive? What type of bacteria is he? Whose side are you on?”
“Right now I’m on your side.”
Rapid laughed and replied.
“So I’m saying. There is no guarantee what will happen in the future. No, you threatened Hawk with the hidden GPS in the USB so there is no turning back. Hawk won’t find it necessary to hide his thoughts anymore. And right now your status is at a disadvantage. Then shouldn’t you at least know the reason why Hawk opposes you? If you know the cause then you can also find a solution.”
‘That makes sense but…..’
Ark was also tortured about this. No, Ark had been wondering about this since hearing that Hawk passed on his location to Valencia. However he couldn’t come up with anything.
‘I’ve clearly never met him in Galaxian. Then was it New World?’
He had such thoughts. But there was no way to verify that. Ark in his current state wasn’t the same Ark from New World. He had thoughts like Rapid but couldn’t think of anything.
‘Who on earth are you?’
“Hyung-nim, we will be exited warp space soon!”
While Ark was thinking, Tori who was flying the Silver Star with Milan shouted.
At the same time, the swirling light outside the window formed a vortex. Ark lifted his head at the vibration when they exited.
“This seems to be the right place.”
“Yes, here…..”
Ark nodded at Rapid’s words.
—————————-
“Here.”
The Death Knight’s port.
Hawk pointed to a spot on the galaxy map. Confusion spread on the faces of the unit members.
“There?”
“There is nothing at that place?”
It was no wonder that the unit members were ‘?’.
Hawk learnt from the captured transportation ship captain Esut where the rare minerals were being transported to. Esut unloaded the rare minerals in one place. The place was probably related to the Organization X that they were looking for.
That was the place Hawk was pointing to. However there was nothing there on the galaxy map.
“Did he just give you any coordinates?”
“That is impossible.”
Hawk answered without thinking about it.
“My interrogation isn’t that insignificant. He isn’t able to lie to a pioneer like me.”
This situation…..
He didn’t want to imagine it.
“And I’m convinced this is the place.”
“Are you sure? There isn’t anything here?”
“This is what convinced me even more. As you know, the 3 powers don’t have any information about Organization X. Their reach in the galaxy is huge so it isn’t easy for an organization with antimatter to hide. I guessed this before receiving the mission. Those guys are hiding in an invisible place.”
“Invisible place? There are places like that in the space frontier?”
Hawk smiled at the question from one of the unit members.
“How many planets do you think this galaxy has? So far pioneers have only visited 10% of all the planets in this galaxy. No, the planetary existences that have been confirmed by the astronomers only reached 60%. That means there are 40% of planets that are still unknown. There are a number of reasons. The observation through telescopes makes it difficult to confirm planets overlapped with others or concealed by nebula gas. Such planets are called invisible or unknown planets.”
“But this place isn’t that far from a developed Hive. Can there be an unconfirmed planet in such a place?”
“And……”
Hawk ignored the words and continued talking.
“There is a 0% chance that it is an unidentified planet. It is more likely to be an artificially hidden planet.”
“A-artificial? You mean someone deliberately hid the planet?”
“If the conditions are met then it isn’t that hard. This world is like that.”
Not a ship but an entire planet had been hidden. He couldn’t easily imagine it but it wasn’t impossible.
Science was relative. If observation techniques were developed then techniques to hide from observation could also be created. The 3 powers have developed scientific civilization over thousands of years but they were still using swords and firearms in battle.
Science and technology reaching a similar standard could also be called a weapon. And Galaxian was a game. Imagination could freely occur in such a world.
“How do you know there is an unidentified planet there?”
“It is simple. We go look for ourselves.”
Hawk replied with a grin.
<Dark Omen (Pioneer Quest)>
+ Sub Quest: Capture the Key Witness → Unidentified Planet
The investigation team has captured Esut, the captain of the transport ship Marsyosia who is suspected to be associated with Organization X. And after some questioning, Esut provided the coordinates of a specific place. However, a planet can’t be found at the coordinates Esut provided. Captain Hawk has decided to move directly to the coordinates to investigate. No one knows what will be at the coordinates. Therefore the danger is unknown.
Difficulty: ???
The information window that popped up! The next destination of the team was set. And…..
—————————-
“……Is that the unidentified planet?”
Ark looked out the window at the huge planet below him.
They had left Maseti and warped to the coordinates provided. However there was obviously a planet in front of the Silver Star. It was a planet slightly smaller than a moon. It was an unidentified planet like Hawk said.
Kwajijiji! Kwajijiji!
Then sparks blew from around the Silver Star. The sparks turned into 13 giant vortexes.
In the next moment, there was a ringing sound and 13 ships emerged. A variety of ships gathered around a huge, black battleship. They were Hawk’s battleship the Death Knight, Irina’s spaceship and those of the other team units.
“The official investigation team channel is connected.”
A large face floated on a screen at Hegel’s words.
–We’ve come to the right place.
The man talking was Hawk. 15 hours had been spent on the warp voyage. Ark thought it was wonderful that there was a planet there but anger surged at Hawk’s smug expression.
Fortunately he didn’t need to watch the screen for a long time. The screen split and the other faces of the unit members and Irina appeared.
–Is there anything to report?
–Nothing.
–We’ve all arrived without any problems.
–Okay. We’re all rested from the warp voyage so we’ll embark on the next mission without any delay. As you can see, an unidentified planet is floating on our 12 o’clock. Esut delivered the rare minerals to this planet so it is likely to contain Organization X’s base. So prepare for emergency situations and enter orbit.
–Understood!
The unit members replied and started heading towards the greyish planet. A jet blue light emerged as 14 ships shot across the space. But 1 minute after starting their advance. Hegel shouted with an upset expression.
“Hyung-nim, there is an energy reaction!”
-A high mass energy reaction has been detected ahead of the fleet.
The voices of the members screaming overlapped with Hegel’s voice. And the next moment, the mouths of the members dropped simultaneously. When the fleet advanced towards the grey planet, a previously unseen huge object rose up.
It was a giant metal sphere dozens of kilometres in diameter. It was an artificial satellite covered in antennas and gun turrets.
–Stealth!
–A Hive of that size was hiding with stealth?
–That’s not a hive!
The person who raised his voice at the end was Hawk. Hawk muttered with a groan as he had a disbelieving expression on his face.
–That’s…..Dark Star!
–D-Dark Star? That is a Dark Star?
–Dark Star……the so called grim reaper of the universe…..
–Oh my god! Why is the Dark Star in a place like this?
The members’ faces paled after hearing Hawk’s words. Ark was also the same. He had heard of it before but this was the first time he saw a Dark Star on the battlefield!
The Dark Star orbited planets in the universe and was a satellite that intercepted any flying objects within a specific range. That’s why aircrafts couldn’t be used around planets with a Dark Star.
Once the Dark Star occupied an orbit around a planet, it would be difficult for even a fleet of battleships to destroy it. Therefore it was prohibited to launch spaceships or flying objects in the atmosphere of planets with a Dark Star.
It was literally the worst fortress with an arsenal of weapons! It was the most powerful weapon in the universe among the 3 powers. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised.
–The energy density of the Dark Star is rising!
–It is preparing to fire!
–No way! It is firing from this distance? The Dark Star is thousands of kilometres from the fleet!
-No, it is possible if it is the Dark Star. Distance doesn’t matter……
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Huge streams of light emerged from the Dark Star. The streams of lights exploded over hundreds of kilometres towards the fleet. The team members hurriedly screamed.
-Holy shit! A charged energy particle cannon!
–It is coming!
–If we get distracted then we’ll be destroyed! Mario, go in front and deploy a wide area shield! Harley, move the Death Knight next to Mario’s ship and make our anti-plasma shield overlap with his! Mario and I will stop the charged particle cannon. The remaining members will concentrate on countering the enemy’s missiles with the GEM system!
The shields of two spaceships were overlapped. There were shields that generated a complete defense shield as well as wrap around the hull. A shield like that protected the battleships but also consumed a lot of energy so only a minimum of 4 star battleships had them equipped.
The only people who had them on this mission were Hawk and Mario. That’s how Mario was able to return alive from the first mission.
-The wide field shield has been deployed!
As soon as Hawk and Mario shouted, two hexagonal shields flashed in front of the battleships.
–The turrets have changed to the GEM system!
While the shields were being deployed, the team members automatically changed to the GEM interceptor system. The GEM was an anti-missile interceptor that defended against the enemy’s attacks. The 14 ships switched to defense and formed a wall of defense.
–Even if it is an attack from a Dark Star…..
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The team members’ faces that had looked confident turned ashy at the ensuing explosion.
The light crossed the space in a blink of the eye and there were huge number of flashes as the light collided! There was a tremendous burst of light and Hawk and Mario’s shield turned into dust. And more than half of the ships were damaged.
–Kuack! The armour around the ship’s body has been 20% destroyed!
–We were hit as well!
The team members screamed as they were struck. The Silver Star behind Mario was no exception.
-You have received enemy fire!
<The durability of Silver Star’s shield has decreased to 91%>
The light that just passed the shield decreased its durability to 91%. Most of the 12 ships in the back also intercepted the missiles with the GEM system. With the current state of the shields, it was impossible for the fleet to be in a battle state.
“Dark Star…..”
–Now’s not the time to hesitate! It is the end if we’re hit by a 2nd attack!
Irina’s desperate voice was heard through the network. Then Hawk nodded and exclaimed.
–Ensign Irina is correct. Turn and get out of range before the Dark Star begins its secondary attack. I repeat. Check the damage later. Retreat at top speed!
The ships spouting fire started to retreat at Hawk’s command. They ran away hundreds of thousands of kilometres so that the grey planet wasn’t even visible.
–Damn! What now?
–We can’t even approach the unidentified planet.
–I’ve heard a little bit about the Dark Star but I didn’t realize it was like this. It is a perfect monster. It is impossible to fight against the Dark Star with the few battleships we have.
–How about attacking from different directions? We managed to get away after one attack so its reload speed is slow.
-But the Dark Star’s range is double ours. We’ll only be halfway there when the Dark Star will attack. At best only 5~6 ships will be able to access it . Even if the reloading speed is slow, will the remaining ships be able to win with their firepower? And who will be assaulted by the Dark Star first?
–Then do we need to ask for help from the galactic federation?
–Idiot! Why do you think the federation hired us?
–Why are you so angry?
–Because it sounds ridiculous!
The members started fighting among themselves over the power of the Dark Star. Hawk who had been thinking with his eyes closed suddenly lifted his head.
–There is a way.
“What? –You have a way?
Ark flinched and raised his head.
There was no need to say but Ark was also worried. If they didn’t find a way to handle the Dark Star then Ark would also be stranded here. He had been thinking since they retreat but couldn’t come up with anything.
Yet Hawk confidently said that he found a way. Hawk laughed as he looked at Ark like Ark was his prey.
-Three days. The results will be shown in three days.
—————————-
-The situation?
A man appeared on the flashing screen.
With a disgusting appearance and a few sizes larger than humans, he was an alien from the Tunba clan.
The man looking at the screen bowed his head and replied.
“Three days ago, more than 10 ships approached and ran away after being attacked by the Dark Star. They must’ve accidentally discovered our planet and ran away frightened. Please don’t worry about them.”
–This isn’t the time to relax.
“Huh? What?”
–I sent some agents to find Esut.
“Is Esut the Wolf clan smuggler that carried the cargo to our planet?”
-That’s right. Now we no longer need any more cargo brought in. And the 3 powers have sensed the antimatter energy and have sent intelligence agents to the frontier to find information. That’s why I sent people to look for Esut. A useless tool should go missing.
Rats need to be cleaned up.
So there won’t be any surprises. That’s why I initially thought about entrusting it to a non-pioneer. He has a disposable life and won’t resurrect at the Fairy.
“Then I guess we don’t need to worry.”
-No, the agents couldn’t find him.
“Huh? Then did he run away?”
–I’ll be glad if it was like that but…..
The Tunba clan muttered in a low voice before shaking his head.
–That party that received an attack before disappearing. They might be intelligence agents sent from one of the 3 powers. If that’s true then those guys figuring out we’re here is only a matter of time. The fleet that emerged three days ago might be them. If they are the intelligence agents from one of the 3 powers then they won’t give up so easily. They might be preparing some countermeasures.
“Any measures against the Dark Star will be pointless. Even if they are from one of the 3 powers, they won’t be able to approach a planet protected by the Dark Star.”
-I know. But you never know what will happen in the universe. A representative is coming to check your performance. So you can’t relax.
“Don’t worry. The Great God willing!”
-The Great God willing.
The Tunba disappeared from the screen. The man watching the screen sighed before smiling lightly.
“Our Lord is worried for no reason. Checking just because of the snooping of a few pioneers.”
He didn’t understand the Lord’s concerns.
The source of his confidence was the anti-spaceship Dark Star that he commanded. The Dark Star was equivalent to 50~60 battleships and was the galaxy’s single strongest weapon.
The regular spaceships of pioneers from the 3 powers couldn’t be an enemy for it. In other words, it could be called an invincible weapon on the space frontier.
Invincible! What a sweet word!
To be honest, he was secretly hoping that those guys from three days ago would reappear.
The Dark Star had been nestled in the planet’s orbit for 1 year and had only been used 5 times. Yet those guys three days ago had fled as soon as the bombardment begun. It was an invincible force but it couldn’t be used. Unlike his Lord, the soldier wasn’t stressed about it.
“I want to see it fight properly at least once before leaving here……”
The man clicked his tongue and murmured.
“Captain-nim, a large object is approaching at a speed of 90,000 kilometres per hour!”
“What? A ship? The ones from the other day?”
“I will show it on the screen!”
A massive object then appeared on the screen. The man’s face turned confused as he looked at the screen.
A meteorite had come up on the screen. A meteorite 3~4 times the size of the Dark Star was flying at a tremendous speed. Of course, seeing a meteorite in outer space wasn’t uncommon. The problem was that the meteorite was aiming directly at the Dark Star.
“What the, this is?” All of a sudden…..”
“The position of the meteorite’s orbit exactly matches the Dark Star! At this pace it will collide with the Dark Star in exactly 10 minutes and 47 seconds! If we want to avoid it then we’ll need to start right now!”
“Avoid it? Is that a joke?”
A captain snapped in a cold voice.
“Behind the Dark Star is the planet that contains the base of our organization. Do you know what will happen if a meteorite of that size hits the planet? The Dark Star is a shield to defend the base! Even if we need to collide with the meteorite! And there is no reason to give up. That is just a lump of rock. And we are on-board the Dark Star, the galaxy’s ultimate weapon! Open all the guns on the Dark Star! Fire when the meteorite enters range and turn it into dust!”
“Prepare the guns to fire!”
The crew started moving busily. Dozens of barrels emerged from the outer wall of the Dark Star. There were 30 cannons that were the main gun of a general spaceship, 15 powerful warheads and 120 missiles. This was the firepower that would pour out of the Dark Star. The meteorite that was composed of rocks would turn to dust instantly after being fired upon by the Dark Star!
“The meteorite is entering our range!”
“Okay! All guns, fire!”
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Dozens of lights gushed out from the Dark Star. The Dark Star’s precision computer calculated the angle and speed of the meteorite and launched the missiles! The guns and missiles hit the meteorite without any errors. And it exploded!
The captain smirked with satisfaction as smoke and flames blew out into outer space. But that smirk didn’t last for even 10 seconds.
Hwakak!
Smoke rose from the meteorite! Despite being hit by all the guns and missiles, it only had a few scratches.
“What, what the? Why? The lump of stone withstood the attacks from the Dark Star?”
“Captain-nim, an energy reaction has been detected from the meteorite!”
“A shield has spread in front of the meteorite!”
“S-shield? Meteorite?”
The captain realized that something was wrong. But it was already too late.
The range of the Dark Star’s guns was approximately 5,000 kilometres. Due to the overwhelming amount of energy required, it would take 2 minutes to reload. That’s the reason why the ships from three days ago escaped. They ran away during the reload time. On the other hand, the meteorite was flying towards the Dark Star at 90,000 kilometres per hour!
‘Even if we recharge immediately, there is a high chance of a collision!’
Fortunately the last attack had destroyed 90% of the meteorite’s shield. If they managed to attack one more time then the meteorite would surely shatter.
‘But if the meteorite doesn’t smash then the Dark Star will be the one destroyed! The most powerful weapon in the universe will be shattered by something like a conflict with a meteorite? Not a chance! I have to smash it when the meteorite is close!’
“All guns and missiles of the Dark Star have been reloaded!”
“Wait! Not yet, not yet!”
The captain clenched his fist firmly as he stared at the approaching meteorite.
“The meteorite is 300 kilometres away! 250….200…..150…..Captain-nim!”
“Now! Fire!”
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Once again dozens of lights shot out! It was necessary to confirm on the screen as the meteorite was 100 kilometres away.
The sight of the guns and missiles hitting the meteorite could be seen on the other side of the window. And thick cracks spread on the meteorite’s tattered shield before it shattered!
The scene of the meteorite shattering right in front of them was like it came from a 3D movie.
This was the captain’s first mistake.
“The meteorite has been destroyed!”
“Meteorite debris is heading towards the Dark Star!”
Once again, the Dark Star had smashed the meteorite. However it hadn’t turned to dust as the captain expected. The meteorite split into chunks of stone ranging from several kilometres to 100 kilometres in diameter.
This wouldn’t have been a big problem if it had been smashed at the 5,000 kilometre range of the Dark Star. But the meteorite had exploded only 100 kilometres away from the Dark Star!
“I-it is colliding!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Hundreds of meteorite fragments struck the Dark Star. At the same time, lights flashed and the crew members cried out.
“More than 70% of the Dark Star’s body armour has been damaged!”
“8 barrels and 9 missiles launches have been destroyed!”
“There is a fire in B, C, F and G blocks! The exterior walls of A block have been directly hit and many crew members sucked out through the hole into outer space! A partition to seal off the relevant block has been put up!”
The invincible Dark Star had become a wreck. This was the result of the captain’s choice to shatter the meteorite as closely as possible. But that wasn’t the captain’s crucial mistake.
“A large number of energy has been detected from behind the meteorite!”
“E-energy?”
Blood drained from the captain’s face as he looked. 14 ships could be seen through the dense smoke. The ships lined up facing the Dark Star and blue light started condensing.
“This…..a dream……”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, 14 streams of light were fired.
—————————-
Ku ku ku ku! Pepeng! Ku ku ku kung!
14 ships floated in the orbit of the grey planet.
Dozens of kilometres away from them, the Dark Star emitted flames from a chain explosion.
-Your level has risen!
-Your level has risen……
The messages subsequently rose. It was a welcome message that indicated the character’s growth.
However Ark’s face was stiff as he stared at the windows. Once again, Hawk was the reason why it took three days to process the Dark Star.
Over the past three days, Hawk had sailed around searching for an asteroid of the appropriate size and placed a jet device on it. The members would hide behind the meteorite while a shield was expanded in front of it.
‘The method itself is simple. Simple but……”
The idea of moving an entire asteroid wasn’t something that anyone could do. It might seem simple but it actually wasn’t that easy.
Even if the appropriate jet devices were equipped, it wasn’t easy to move it on the correct orbit. He precisely calculated the reload speed of the Dark Star, the asteroid’s movement speed and the psychology of the captain.
The strategy was called the Great Meteor Strike!
Rapid looked at the flaming Dark Star and whistled.
“The Dark Star is a monster but Hawk is also a monster. I guess he isn’t one of the Seven Swords for nothing? Hey, are you okay? Your enemy is someone powerful like that.”
“It’s not like I wanted it.”
Ark replied in a curt voice.
“And I’m not surprised because Hawk sunk the Dark Star.”
“No? Then what is it?”
“Do you have to ask? How much do you think the jet device to move the asteroid costs? A large ship’s engine! It would be worth thousands of gold! I can’t believe it! Even if it is the Dark Star, I can’t believe he poured thousands of gold into winning one battle! He is a crazy bastard! Damn, now I know! Why that guy is blindly hostile towards me. That guy is just crazy! How could he do such a thing?”
“…..Are you really saying that?”
Rapid asked with an astounded voice. But Ark was 90% serious. Ark disliked someone like Hawk who would spend thousands of gold so easily. That was because they won’t be easily smashed when he stepped on them.
However Ark was also persistent.
‘If I shrunk back from money then I wouldn’t have started the game! I’ll show them that I don’t need money to climb up! Now it is a fight!’
-The Dark Star has sunk! Fleet, enter the planet.
Then Hawk’s voice was heard.
“Okay, Tori! Enter the atmosphere. Now is the time to show our strength!”
Ark shouted as he turned his head towards the grey planet.
Space 9
At the End of the March
The situation proceeded once the Dark Star was sunk.
The 14 ships entered the atmosphere of the grey plane and detected a secret base hidden under the ground with their optical scanners.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Once the spaceships gathered in that area, shells immediately flew up. They were anti-aircraft guns. But there weren’t a lot of anti-aircraft guns around the base. The greatest defense weapon had been the Dark Star in orbit around the planet. They never imagined that the Dark Star would be sunk so they hadn’t installed many anti-aircraft guns.
And that carelessness caused trouble.
–Sweep them up.
Hawk ordered with short words.
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At that moment, 14 ships fired bright flashes towards the base.
It was like a war between a pea shooter and a cannon. Thanks to the Meteor Strike strategy, the spaceships had sunk the Dark Star with almost no damage. The anti-aircraft shells couldn’t penetrate the full-powered shields. However, the blasts from the sky destroyed the anti-aircraft guns!
Once the anti-aircraft guns were neutralized, the ships landed in front of the base. And soldiers flowed outside. It hadn’t been 1 hour since the Dark Star was sunk so 400 people had gathered at the square in front of the base.
“Put it in order. The goal of this mission isn’t to take care of the enemy but to gather information. I don’t think this is the home base of Organization X. However, it is one of their strongholds and will contain information about Organization X. Therefore all passages will be sealed to block the escape of key figures and we need to quickly subdue them. The optical scanners have identified 7 passages in the base. 7 balanced teams will be organized in order to capture the 7 passages at the same time.”
The member with the most subordinates was naturally Hawk. Hawk had brought extra subordinates from Turan for this mission and had 50 people. Irina and 40 people from the 1st investigation team also joined. That’s why Hawk and Irina respectively would take one passage each.
The remaining members were organized to form 5 sets of 50 people. However it wasn’t even. Ark was screwed over.
Ark was combined with Ferguson’s team who only had 12 people so theirs was the smallest team. Excluding Tori, Ark had 15 members. Hawk had tied the two teams with the least people together.
“Isn’t there something wrong about this?”
Irina was one of the people who objected.
“Ark-nim and Ferguson-nim only have 27 people in their group.”
“It was fairly put together.”
“How is this fair when they have half the amount of troops?”
“Irina-nim really doesn’t understand Ark that well. Ark has received the title of Hero in the Bellin constellation. Despite becoming lost on his first mission, he knew about Esut and single-handedly captured him on Maseti. Don’t you think it is fair that I treat him differently from the other members? And…..”
Hawk’s eyes turned to Ferguson. Ferguson’s expression showed that he was also unhappy with Hawk’s decision. Hawk reached out and lay a hand on Ferguson’s shoulder.
“Ferguson is an amazing member. I heard that he once ranked 18th in the list of top users. He might’ve only brought 10 people but they will be equivalent to the standard of 20~30 people. Ferguson has that type of ability. Isn’t that right, Ferguson?”
“Huh? Ah! Yes!”
Ferguson nodded quickly.
“In fact, our team alone will be sufficient. I’m Ferguson!”
He looked at Ark’s team standing near him and shouted.
…..Idiot! He is an idiot! Ark knew why Ferguson and Brothers A and B only brought 10 members.
According to the words of an informed Mario, Ferguson had once been rich. However he was attacked by space pirates not long along and lost his spaceship and riches. Fortunately, the insurance compensation meant he received back 80% of the ship’s price. His original 3rd grade spaceship like Ark’s was downgraded to a 2nd grade ship. All his employees died then so this time Ferguson brought mercenaries. The down payment of 3,000 gold meant he could only employ 10 people.
‘Well, he should have some skills if he managed to reach rank 18…..’
At the very least, Ferguson’s team should have some skills. Nevertheless, Ferguson’s mood had been uplifted by Hawk. But Hawk was clearly not interested in Ferguson’s skills.
“Those two are tied together. Shouldn’t their power be sufficient to overcome their numbers?”
Hawk said as he sent a provocative look to Ark.
“But……”
“Ensign Irina-nim, it is fine.”
Ark restrained Irina and shook his head.
‘That Hawk bastard, he is surprisingly petty. Is he going to act like this?’
After their meeting in Maseti, Hawk no longer bothered to hide his hostility towards Ark. Hawk was aiming a knife at the back of Ark’s head while Ark was aiming one behind Hawk. From now on Hawk would take every chance to tackle Ark. This tackle was nothing.
‘This is just the beginning. And Hawk doesn’t expect that I’ll have that much trouble. This is a type of notice. He will continue to spite me from now on.’
But he had already prepared for a hostile relationship with Hawk. Ark wouldn’t be able to avoid it as long as Hawk was the leader of the investigation team. It would be useless for him to question it. Anyway, he didn’t want Irina to raise questions by standing up for him.
‘Having the relationship between Irina-nim and I is useful right now. Irina-nim is directly related to the galactic federation so Hawk will need to keep close to her. I was expelled and returned so the other members might be dissatisfied. They might think that I took advantage of my position and status. But I don’t have to worry with Irina-nim close to Hawk!’
This was why he hid his relationship with Irina. It would be more difficult if Hawk knew that they were in a relationship. So she shouldn’t question Hawk about this.
When he thought about it, he also felt sorry for Ferguson. Ferguson got involved in the problem between Ark and Hawk. He was the smallest team so he got involved in Ark and Hawk’s war for no reason. However…..
“Hahahaha! How about it Ark? Ark. Yes, Ark. Huhuhu! I guess you’ve also heard of my fame. Yes, Ark! Believe in me. I will show you the skills of the 18th ranked user. So don’t worry and just follow me. I’ll protect you Ark!”
Ferguson continued making noise.
…..He didn’t feel any compassion.
‘Moreover, why does he keep on saying the name Ark like that?’
…..He was getting annoyed.
“That’s good, Ark. You’re going to be protected by your colleagues.”
Hawk smiled at Ark before turning around and shouting.
“There’s no time. The key to a surprise attack is speed! Don’t give them time to think! Each team will enter the passage and exterminate the enemy! If there is danger then use the communicator! Advance!”
“Let’s go! Advance!”
And hundreds of soldiers advanced towards the base.
—————————-
“Wah! Wah! Wah!”
A man burst out screaming. The man was a Tunba called Jamal in charge of managing the secret base on the grey planet. Being responsible for a secret base was an important role in the organization. Jamal worked hard for the past few years and was promoted. But then a problem occurred.
Dark Star!
The weapon defending the grey planet was sunk.
“Damn bastards! I told them many times not to relax! They made things horrible! Shoot them, shoot!”
But the captain of the Dark Star had already died. And the mystery forces that destroyed the Dark Star was now invading the base.
“Stop them! Use every method you have to stop them!”
Jamal shouted in an urgent voice. But most of the base’s troops were gathered in the Dark Star. The base wouldn’t be attacked unless the Dark Star collapsed so they concentrated all their firepower on the Dark Star. There were only workers and Kero clan warriors remaining at the base. Well, they still numbered in the thousands…..
“The 1st defense line has fallen!”
“The enemy has entered the facility!”
“The partition walls are being destroyed one by one by the enemy’s engineers!”
“The 14th unit of Kero clan soldiers have been wiped out in 3 minutes! The 3rd passage only has a few turrets left!”
“I can’t forgive those tadpoles!”
Jamal shouted angrily.
It was natural. The frogs defending the base didn’t have great abilities. Their intelligence was low and they just shot the guns wildly while rushing. It was useful when using a human wave tactic but not when enemy troops were entering the base. They were smashed every time they encountered the enemy.
Jamal could see dozens of dead frogs on his monitors. And the unidentified pioneers that sometimes approached the corpses!
“I have to find another way……!”
“I was one step too late.”
Then he heard someone’s voice near him. Jamal flinched and turned around. 5 people were drawing close to Jamal. They were black hoods that didn’t show their faces and the skin between the collar seemed to be tinged black.
However, the one who talked just then had white skin like a human. Jamal immediately shed tears as he saw him.
“A-Agent-nim, you came!”
“This is a difficult situation.”
“Huh? Yes! A-as you can see! That stupid captain! He blew the whole thing! I told him many times not to relax! Now I’m desperately trying to block them but….”
“Quiet.”
The man placed a finger to his lips and whispered before looking at the monitor. A small smile formed as he saw the investigation team slaughtering the frogs in each passage. It was the type of smile like a cat catching a mouse.
However the man erased his expression before turning back to Jamal.
“I will now deliver some commands.”
—————————-
“This really…..”
Ark scratched his head.
–Now is the time to show our strength!
Ark had said that as he entered the grey planet. He thought about showing 120% of his ability in a hot battle. But the opponent he wanted to show his strength to wasn’t here.
Hawk. Ark had wanted to show his power to Hawk. Hawk had developed the Meteor Strike so Ark wasn’t to show that he wasn’t too daunted by Hawk.
Yet they had been divided into teams.
‘There is no reason for me to fight.’
So Ark thought about it. He entered a different passage but the members would all rendezvous in the centre. Naturally the enemy’s resistance would be the greatest there.
‘In this situation, the only way to resist is to concentrate the troops in the centre. The units are entering 7 different passages so their speed would depend on the enemy’s combat strength and resistance. There is just one problem. It will be difficult to penetrate such numbers with overwhelming power. The members’ stamina will also fall as we move towards the centre. It is highly likely that there will be a prolonged battle in the centre.’
So there was no reason to rush. Of course, the unit that captured the centre first would receive the highest achievements. But there was no guarantee he could occupy the centre if he arrived their first. No, if he arrived first then he would just receive the most damage.
‘Yes, now isn’t the time to hurry. The important thing is to maintain my power while advancing to the centre. It might be beneficial to reach the centre last. So I need to avoid as much fighting as possible to conserve my strength.’
That was the conclusion Ark reached. He won’t consume his power before arriving at the centre. Then Ark would take care of the hordes of frog the members who arrived first would be struggling with and gobble up all the achievements.
Of course it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Ark’s passage also had frogs flooding it. They just fired machine guns and RPGS blindly but it was a narrow damage so he would receive damage. However…..
“That’s wonderful, Ferguson-nim!”
Ark raised his thumb and exclaimed. Then Ferguson who was wearing a thick armour burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha! Yes? Isn’t that right Ark? Huhuhuhu! Am I cool?”
“Yes! I can only believe in Ferguson-nim!”
“Yes! Trust me Ark! I will protect you! Let’s go!”
Ferguson moved in front of Ark and fired bullets down the passage. He moved with incredible speed for someone wearing such thick armour. Ferguson fired a revolver launcher that flew tens of metres in seconds.
Tung! Tung! Tung! Tung!
There was a ringing sound as a barricade fell. Fire surged from the barricade and a swarm of frogs rushed out to avoid dying. Brothers A and B holding shields and swords followed behind Ferguson.
“Now! Follow your Hyung-nim! Full force assault!”
An intense hand-to-hand combat followed!
‘User ranked 18th….he definitely has significant combat power but…..’
Ark laughed as he watched the scene from behind. Ferguson was a suitable figure to be ranked 18th. No, his skills were the same level as Ark but his equipment was really excellent. And Brothers A and B might be ordinary compared to Ferguson but their equipment was significant. They were indeed suitable to be chosen for the investigation team. But Ferguson had a fatal weakness.
‘……They are really simple guys.’
He has sensed it when Hawk quickly settled their complaints.
‘This guy has the intelligence of an ape. I just need to throw bananas at him. That Hawk bastard, he sensed their intelligence and sent monkeys to accompany me!’
Ark had already set up his own plan. He would minimize the damage while marching to the centre. Ark could set up such a plan thanks to Ferguson, A and B.
“That’s wonderful, Ferguson-nim!”
“Hahahaha! Yes, only believe in me Ark!”
“Wow! That great power! That great power! It is to the extent that I can’t imitate it!”
“Hihihihi! Really? Is that so? Okay Ark! Praise me more! More praise!”
He continued cheering as Ferguson fired bullets and threw grenades towards the frogs. Rapid scratched his head as he watched the scene.
“Ark, is this really okay?”
“Why? The party is still receiving experience.”
Ark answered with a smirk, causing Melina to sigh.
“No, it isn’t a complaint…..those people, they seem slightly pitiful for some reason…..”
“Oh, was that it? It is your imagination. It is like visitors to a zoo thinking that the monkeys are pitiful. Meanwhile the monkeys won’t care as long as you give them bananas. No, wouldn’t the monkeys be happier at the sight of the visitors? The same is true with these guys. Look Melina-nim. He has become dramatically happier.”
“Too pitiful! Those guys, they are really pitiful!”
Ark’s team unanimously sympathized with Ferguson after hearing Ark’s explanation. However Ark’s words were true.
Ferguson was crazy in the head!
‘Hahahaha! This feels good! It is exciting!’
Right now endorphins were rushing in Ferguson’s head. It was thanks to Ark passionately cheering from behind.
‘Right now it doesn’t matter if Ark from New World appears in front of me. Yes, Ark should always be cheering me from behind like A and B. I was exploited like a pig. But now my position has changed. Now I’m stronger than this guy! Of course, he isn’t the one from New World but Ark is still Ark! Huhuhu! That Ark bastard is surprised and praising my strength! This is great! This is what I’ve been dreaming of!’
It was the dream from his time in New World! However, it was an insurmountable reality and he had to give up on the dream! That dream was finally being made into a reality in this place.
-You have been damaged by the enemy’s bullet!
“Hahaha! Don’t worry about it!”
It wasn’t possible to stop the Ferguson hyped up on endorphins.
“H-Hyung-nim, I’m tired. There aren’t any places where I can penetrate a hole.”
“Doesn’t it seem like we’re the only ones suffering for some reason?”
“I don’t want to hear your weak voices! Do you think this opportunity will come easily? Now is the time to show our strength to Ark! Throw out your chest proudly! We are the heroes!”
Ferguson once again rushed forward. And when he turned around quickly…..
“Wow! That’s wonderful!”
“Cool person! Cool! Beep! Beep!”
Ferguson would hear Ark’s cheers! This gave Ferguson the energy to annihilate the enemy.
“It has been cleaned up. Shall we go?”
Ark’s team members followed slowly.
“Hey, the liquor sold on Maseti was unbelievably good. In addition, there is the rice wine for drinking games. It is a little expensive but it is the best for parties.
“Isn’t it? Isn’t it? If we drop in there again then we should fill the Silver Star’s warehouse with boxes of them.
“But the appetizers were a little lacking.”
“They are also unbelievably expensive. Space food is cheap so there is no need to worry about dying of starvation. We don’t need to go to a large hive or port.”
“Yes. Then we will find some dinner and drink.”
And they even gossiped together.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Gunshots resounded through the passage.
-Your level has risen.
After a while, a wonderful message rose.
—————————-
Kwa kwang!
The thick iron door shattered and the pieces scattered all over the place. At the same time, dozens of guys poured out of the smoke. A man wearing a cloak with a blue skull and carrying a giant hammer and laser gun with scope walked forward.
“Damn……”
Hawk also looked around with one eye.
In fact, Hawk entered the base with a similar plan to Ark. If he was the commander of the base then he would install roadblocks in order to gather troops at the centre for a decisive battle. He anticipated that the one who arrived first would receive the most damage. But Hawk didn’t have a reason to create a slow pace.
‘Only a loser would use that method!’
Hawk and his subordinates weren’t weak so they smashed the frogs. If he applied his standards to the frogs then they would be disqualified to become his subordinates. There was no way they could stop him.
And Hawk was the leader of the investigation team so he didn’t want to be later then any of the other members.
‘If they gather a lot then I’ll just have to destroy them!’
Thus he marched on without a hitch!
Hawk was the first one to arrive at the centre of the base. However Hawk’s expectation was off the mark. The passages in front of the centre weren’t swarming with frogs. Only the firmly closed doors were in front of him.
‘What is going on? Did they place all the Kero into the passages? No way. Even if it is to stop the enemy, how can they leave the centre unprotected? It is impossible. Then…..’
“Holy shit! Harley, blow up the door!”
Hawk shouted with a displeased expression. And the professional engineers blew up the door to the central control room! Hawk cursed as he looked around the room.
“Dammit, it was like I expected.”
The control room contained 10 people. The huge frame of the Tunba Commander could be seen. However, they were all dead. This was the reason why the frogs weren’t gathered at the centre. The commander gave an order before dying. The computers in the command room were shattered.
“Did they commit suicide once cornered?”
“We need to check the information first. There is no doubt that this is the secret base of Organization X. The ones in charge are all dead but we might be able to find some information about the organization from the computers. Erin, Sion, confirm whether any data can still be extracted from the computer!”
“Understood!”
The engineers Erin and Sion ran to the computers. Meanwhile Hawk and Harley started to search the corpses. He needed to confirm if there was any clues left behind. But he found something different. He figured out that their deaths weren’t suicides. Based on the similar wounds, they were clearly murdered by one person.
‘Who the hell did this? The 10 people possess the same wounds so a 3rd person must’ve killed them. Where on earth did they go? Haven’t all the passages been blocked by the team units?’
“Captain-nim, there is something here.”
Harley who was searching the Tunba spoke to Hawk. The Tunba had died in his chair. Harley pointed to where the Tunba was sitting in the chair. There were letters made of blood above the upper body of the Tunba!
“What? These letters are? What on earth…..?”
“Captain-nim, it is serious!”
At that time, Erin who was searching the computer cried out.
—————————-
‘What?’
Ark looked around with a confused expression. Thanks to the monkey Ferguson wandering around on endorphins, Ark just needed to stay behind and sometimes shoot so it was a relaxing experience. And he was expecting to interrupt the other units in a fierce battle…..
“What? There is no one here?”
He couldn’t even see a shadow of the other team units. He thought they would come really quickly but he couldn’t find any traces of them. There also weren’t any frogs wandering around. And the pieces of the door were scattered around.
Rapid looked around with a frown before asking.
“Perhaps the other units have already gone somewhere else?”
“But there are no frog corpses. And look. Do you see any bullet marks in the vicinity? The only thing broken is the door. That means there wasn’t a battle here.”
“Then should we check with the other units?”
“No, let’s confirm inside first.”
The situation became even more mysterious as they entered the control room. The 10 bodies of the commander and workers were scattered around. Rapid went around checking the corpses with Ark.
“They have all suffered injuries from one person.”
“So somebody murdered them…..what on earth happened? The team units are gone? Or is there someone else? Have the other teams already confirmed the situation and gone back?”
Then the letters written above the Tunba’s body caught his eye. The letters written with blood!
-I shall by the wolf that swallows your god!
“What is this? What code is it?”
–Ark-nim, where are you now?
Then his Nymphe vibrated and Irina’s voice was heard. Irina normally refrained from individual communication so Ark didn’t know why she was doing this now.
“Irina-nim? Did something happen?”
–Did something happen? Stop talking! The members have already gathered in the central passage. But I didn’t see Ark-nim so I made contact.
“The members are gathered in the central passage? Why?”
-Why….surely you received the notification?
“Notification? What notification?”
–Oh my god! Really…..no, we’ll talk about it later. If you haven’t received the notification then return to your ship immediately. You’re running out of time. Hawk was the first one to arrive in the control room. When Hawk arrived he said that everyone in the control room had already been killed. There is nothing to obtain. And in a little while….
“Hyung-nim, it is serious!”
Hegel who was on the computed suddenly screamed.
“The base’s self-destruct mechanism has been activated! And according to the message, a detonation deice is also attached to the core of the planet. If we’re on this base when it explodes…..”
-…..The planet will explode!
Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang!
A roar was heard after Irina’s words. Ark’s face darkened as he turned his head. It wasn’t because the base was going to explode. A different situation had occurred.
The explosion had happened in the passage Ark crossed just now. There was a cascade of explosions as the walls and ceiling collapsed to completely seal off the control room.
One name and face popped into his head.
‘…..Hawk!’
All his questions were answered in that moment.
Hawk was the first one to arrive in the control room. He didn’t know if Hawk killed the people here but he learnt that the base’s self-destruct mechanism has been activated like Hegel. He organized a rendezvous with the other members in the central passage. But he didn’t announce this fact to Ark and Ferguson. It wasn’t necessary to consider the reason. He decided to deal with Ark in the base. Therefore he installed a bomb in the passages.
Hawk, that damn bastard!
Perhaps he even started the self-destruct process on the computer in order to make a booby trap for Ark. However it was too late by the time he found out. The bombs already worked and Ark was trapped in the control room.
–Explosion? Ark-nim, are you still in a fight?
“I’ll contact you later!”
Ark broke the communication and ran over to Hegel at the computer.
-The self-destruct process has been started at the atomic reactor in the planet’s core.
<Time remaining: 16 minutes 30 seconds…..>
That message floated on the monitor! Just one look made it obvious how serious the situation was. Even the font used seriously scared him!
“Hegel, can you stop it?”
“I checked but it is impossible! Once it starts then the program can’t be stopped!”
“How about smashing the computer?”
“The program has already entered into the atomic reactor!”
“So do we have no choice but to penetrate that passage?”
Ark glanced at the shattered passage.
“Hahahaha! My power is required at times like this. Get out of the way! Get out of the way! I will penetrate through that passage with my body! Now Ark, praise me! I am the person who will save you! Armour armament!”
Ferguson suddenly pushed to the front! Ferguson shouted like a hero as a metal cube sprung out of his bag. It twisted in complicated ways and armour was fitted onto Ferguson’s body. But Ferguson’s transformation didn’t end there.
“Solid Armour!”
Ferguson shouted once again after the battle suit was equipped.
Then another metal cube shot out and covered Ferguson. Solid Armour was a special form that overlapped over a battle suit. But it added to a person’s abilities in the same way a battle suit did! However it was difficult to control and balance so it couldn’t be utilized that much.
Most people would rather upgrade the traditional battle suit than buy Solid Armour. A person couldn’t be shot in the head when wearing Solid Armour so quite a few people liked it!
Ferguson had Solid Armour! He just stupidly spent money…..
“Ohhh! How wonderful! Please show me your power!”
“I’ll show you! Open Solid Armour, open warheads! Target set! Launch!”
Hwaaaaack!
Ferguson launched warheads from his Solid Armour! Dozens of small missiles exploded from his armour. There was a tremendous shake as the warheads hit. And…..
More cracks spread through the walls and ceilings of the surrounding passages. That is to say…..
The Solid Armour was too strong.
“U-unbelievable!”
Ferguson stuttered as he sat down.
The battle suit and Solid Armour peeled off him like a balloon popping. Slayer, Leon, Kaya etc. looked at Ferguson with cold eyes after seeing the pathetic results. And then they all started crying out.
“You’re dumber than a monkey!”
“Stupid child who can’t control their power!”
“Is this a joke? Aren’t we even more blocked in now?”
But Ark had no time to curse Ferguson.
Thanks to Ferguson, the whole ceiling was crumbling. And there was only 12 minutes remaining until the explosion. It would be impossible for the Royal Guards and other members to punch through the blocked passage in 12 minutes. It was impossible to escape from the base.
…..Wiped out!
Only those two words floated in Ark’s mind.
‘No, no! I can’t die! If I die here then Hawk will use it as an excuse to expel me from the investigation team. He didn’t start a fight just to be expelled in this way. No, I have to use whatever it takes to escape! Using every possible method!’
Ark shook his head forcefully. Then something came to his head.
—————————-
“Has everybody escaped?”
Hawk turned and shouted.
“Yes, we’ve all escaped! It is really great. If Hawk-nim hadn’t told us about the self-destruct mechanism then we would still be on the base!”
“It is still too early to be assured. An atomic reactor is connected to the core of the planet. If the atomic reactor explodes then a planet of this size will collapse from the inside. We have to escape from the planet before that happens!”
“We already know. Let’s go!”
The team members rushed back to their ship. Then Irina who had been looking at the base shouted in a desperate voice.
“W-wait a minute! Ark-nim hasn’t come out yet! He might be in a situation where he needs help!”
“I said it when the members previously gathered on Turan. Every person is responsible for themselves. If someone disturbs the success of the mission then I will mercilessly throw them away. I have no intention of withdrawing those words. I’m only responsible for informing you about the base’s self-destruct mechanism. I don’t know if Ark didn’t hear properly or there were other problems with his communication but I can’t let him hold us back.”
“But Ark-nim…..”
Irina suddenly flinched and closed her mouth. She swallowed violently before starting to talk again.
“Are you going to desert a colleague?”
“Then do you want to die together?”
Hawk laughed as he gazed at Irina with keen eyes.
“Isn’t Ensign Irina-nim the same? I understood that Ensign-nim thinks of your colleagues as important. But isn’t Ark just a fellow colleague? Aren’t the subordinates following Ensign-nim also colleagues? Ensign-nim’s stubbornness might cause your subordinates to be in trouble. I’m the same. I also have subordinates.”
Hawk led his people and entered the Death Knight. He sat in the captain’s chair and said in a cold voice.
“That female.”
Someone had told Ark information about Esut. Hawk didn’t believe that Ark had found it out by himself. Obviously someone had given the information to Ark. That person needed to have a close relationship with Ark. That was the reason Hawk announced about the self-destruct device after gathering everyone in the central passage.
He had indeed lured Ark to the control room. At this stage he still didn’t know who had a close relationship with Ark. But now it had become clear. The other members failed to even notice Ark hadn’t joined them once the situation became urgent. The only person who noticed this fact was Irina!
Now all the members had boarded their spaceships.
“But……”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a roaring sound and a pillar of flames gushed out from the base. The pillar of flames emerged one after another from the ground like worms. The explosion was occurred in the underground passages of the base. Once the whole area became a sea of fire, the land vibrated and was sucked inwards.
“A huge gravitational field is forming under the planet’s crust! The gravitational field is continuing to increase! In this state the planet will be extinct in a few minutes and will form a black hole! If we don’t get more than 100,000 kilometres away then we’ll be caught in the black hole!”
The destruction of the planet had started.
“……It is over.”
Hawk smiled and muttered. Irina was still staring at the base.
However her subordinates pulled her so she turned and ran towards her ship. She also judged that Ark was already dead. Hawk smiled warmly as he made the Death Knight take off. Then Harley who was watching the monitor shouted.
“C-Captain-nim, look over there!”
Hawk turned with a deep frown. Harley was pointing to the opposite direction of the base’s collapse where people were running. And the person in the lead…..
“Ark?”
—————————-
‘I wasn’t too late!’
Ark sighed with relief as he looked behind him. The land had collapsed immediately afterwards! And a reckless amount of energy was swirling! The sight was enough to cause sweat to drip down his spine.
‘If I hadn’t thought about that….!’
He desperately came up with something when trapped in the control room! The bodies of the 10 corpses in the control room floated to Ark’s head.
‘Irina said that they were already dead when Hawk arrived. And the bodies were all slain. Someone entered the control room and killed them. But all the passages had been occupied by the team. In such a situation, there is only one way to escape the control room without being caught!’
A secret passage. He could only think that a secret passage was hidden somewhere. Ark had the crazy idea and immediately rallied everyone to search the control room. And…..bingo!
There was an iron griddle on the floor. Originally the iron was tightly meshed together. Ark probably wouldn’t have been able to find it easily if it was still in that state. However Ferguson’s tremendous firepower caused the room to shake and reveal it. He might question it but Ferguson was useful sometimes.
“There’s no time left!”
Ark ran straight out the secret passage. Thanks to that, they were barely able to escape the explosion. The secret passage led in the opposite direction of the ships so there was quite a distance to run. Ark ran towards the airfield until he felt like he was going to collapse. And the members finally started to board the Silver Star.
“Tori, quickly make the Silver Star take off!”
“U-understood!”
Tori grabbed the joystick quickly.
There was an explosion at the base so Tori had already prepared the Silver Star to take off. Fortunately they didn’t have to go through the preparation process. The Silver Star launched into the air at his command. It ascended vertically after the other ships. And there was a violent vibration just as they were about to exit the atmosphere.
Ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
It was an explosion from behind that transcended imagination!
Cracks were spreading on the surface of the grey planet. At the same time, a huge energy storm shook the Silver Star. But the more fearful situation occurred after that.
A hold was forming in the centre of the planet and sucking everything into it. And it became a huge black hole!
At that moment, the spaceship stopped like it was caught by an invisible hand. The black hole was producing a tremendous pulling force.
Hegel who was manipulating the dashboard screamed.
“H-Hyung-nim, we’re being sucked in!”
“Damn! Tori, raise the engine to its maximum output!”
“Yes! Yes! Engine output is increasing!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Flashes occurred at the rear of the Silver Star at the same time as Tori’s reply. The Silver Star that was stopped started to move forward again. Once the Silver Star entered space, Irina immediately popped up on a screen.
-Ark-nim, you’re alive!
“I’m not that easy to kill.”
Ark finally began to relax as he smiled and answered. Then Hegel who had been looking at the dashboard started shouting again.
“A ship is approaching!”
“Ship? What?”
“This identification signal is Death Knight! It is Hawk’s battleship! The Death Knight is approaching the bottom of the Silver Star! The distance is just 50 metres! If it keeps approaching then we will collide with it!”
“Is that bastard crazy? Why all of a sudden…..?”
Ark jumped up and shouted. A battleship loomed in the front window. Hawk’s Death Knight was approaching the Silver Star. And when the Death Knight was dozens of metres away!
Hwaaaaack!
A flash came from the rear of the Death Knight! The Silver Star vibrated as it was engulfed with flames. The Death Knight that had come close blew the Silver Star back with a tremendous air current. Of course, the attack itself didn’t do any apparent damage. However, the ship was pushed back by the turbulence and was caught in the pull.
“We’re caught by the gravity of the black hole!”
“Hawk, he is like this until the end!”
Ark shouted angrily at Tori’s words.
They were once again caught by the black hole that they barely escaped. And the Silver Star’s engine was already at its maximum output. That meant there was no way to escape now. Then a new window was created and Hawk’s face popped up.
–Hrmm, I’m sorry. I lost control thanks to the gravitational field of the black hole and accidentally damaged you. I apologize. But a person can’t be blamed for things they unintentionally did in an emergency situation. It is my fault for not searching the area and seeing your ship.
“Then I’ll apologize in advance.”
-What?
“Tori, it is time to test it! Target is the Death Knight! Launch!”
Ark smiled and shouted. The armour of the Silver Star split to the sides and chains shot out.
This was what Ark meant! It was something that came with Tori’s container box.
Ark had an idea after being caught by the Red Slaughterer’s ship on Impeltus.
-This is money!
It wasn’t uncommon for ships to fight amongst themselves on the frontier. But if they fought with bombardment then the chances of the ship being damaged was high. The crew and cargo would be lost if the ship exploded. Even if they won the battle, the cost of repairing the spaceship would be tremendous.
Therefore most people preferred hand-to-hand combat. They would capture the enemy ships with stingers and paralyze the electronics with radio waves. Then soldiers would board the enemy ship to make them surrender.
This was the way to minimize damage to the ship and increase profit. Of course, that was the worst situation for merchants like Mario but pioneers with confidence in fighting preferred that method.
So Ark had requested an anchor launcher for the Silver Star along with Tori. Good quality equipment was bought from Tatuine and home delivered with Tori’s container box. It was then mounted when the Silver Star was on E-2036.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
The anchor fired at the Death Knight that was only hundreds of metres from them. Now Hawk started to grasp the situation.
–You bastard! What are you doing?
“I’m grasping at straws to survive. That’s what you did. Didn’t you say a person couldn’t be blamed for things they unintentionally do in an emergency situation? Then wouldn’t that apply to me as well? Now choose. Die with me? Or live with me? The radio wave propagation is starting now.”
–You……
Hawk glared at Ark. But he already had no choice now that the anchor was lodged. There was a black hole so it was impossible for soldiers to go out and cut the anchor. If they didn’t want to die then they needed to pull the Silver Star out of the gravitational field
–Increase the Death Knight’s engine to its maximum output!
The Silver Star and Death Knight started moving forward again.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
The ship shook and an anchor was driven into the Silver Star. At the same time, a new screen emerged next to Hawk’s face.
–Ark! You bastard, you relaxed all day at the base only to strand me here? I have a 2nd grade ship so my engine output is weak! Look! I won’t be able to live if another ship is destroyed! Save me!
–Please save us! I will even call you Ark-nim from now on!
–Please!
The faces of three men crying appeared on the small screen. They were Ferguson and his brothers A and B. No, it didn’t matter who they were.
The problem was that Ferguson’s anchor was lodged in the Silver Star! The Death Knight was a higher rated battleship than the Silver Star but even it couldn’t pull 2 ships caught by a black hole’s gravity.
Of course the three spaceships retreated! Retreat! Retreat!
–Damn! Let go Ark! I’m telling you!”
“Didn’t you hear me? F-Ferguson!”
–You’re the one who did this! You bastard!
“Look! You made Hawk made! So please let go, Ferguson!”
-I don’t want to! I don’t want to! I don’t want to die! I won’t die! So pull me out as well.
“Didn’t you hear? Hawk! I’m being pulled inside! Just the spare fuel to thrust your engine! Go! Go! Go!”
–This bastard! Do you think I can escape from the black hold with two ships handing from me.
So Hawk, Ark and Ferguson and their three spaceships were swallowed by the black hole together. And…..
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 12
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Bug?
“Are you listening?”
A sharp voice rang out in the office.
The grey haired man inwardly sighed while looking through his papers. And he looked up towards a woman sitting down on the couch. The woman was the embodiment of money as she wore expensive clothes and jewellery. She was his daughter.
The man stroked his face with his hand and asked.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“I told you! I was insulted by Min-sun. In front of my man! Doesn’t Dad understand? Park Eun-chan is the youngest son of Central Hotel. Yet she dare do such things in front of Eun-chan!”
“What did Min-sun do?”
“I was blindsided by the man she was with and his two friends.”
“Man? Min-sin was with a man?”
The man’s eyes finally showed the first signs of interest. And Cho Mi-ra clamoured even more enthusiastically.
“Yes, he was a dumb looking man. And a complete bully. I accidentally spilled some water on Min-sun but he couldn’t let it go and threatened me. There were also a lot of people in the dining room. He might be a real criminal. No, he must be one. He has that look in his eyes. Why else would he go for a girl like Min-sun?”
“So, what specifically did they do?”
“Is that important?”
Cho Mi-ra frowned while looking at her father.
“Me! Father’s daughter! They humiliated me in front of all those people!”
“Min-sun is also my daughter. And your younger sister.”
“I don’t have a younger sister!”
“You are my daughter but you can’t change that fact. You’re 25 years old so shouldn’t you know that by now? Don’t visit your father’s workplace and tell me about a quarrel between sisters. I don’t have the time to listen to such talk.”
Cho Mi-ra cooled down at her father’s words. She bit her lip and muttered in a cold voice.
“…..Are you saying I’m troublesome?”
“That isn’t what I’m saying.”
“Yes, you do that. I understand. Then I’ll disappear.”
Cho Mi-ra stood up and grabbed her handbag before crying out.
“And I’m 27!”
Moon So-ri heard her rough voice.
However, his face didn’t change as he looked at the thick pile of paperwork. His eyes just mechanically looked over another form. But after a moment, he hit the button on his intercom and said.
“Secretary Choi, are you there?”
–Yes, President-nim. Please say your request.
“There is a man who met with Min-sun. Find out about that guy.”
—————————-
‘…..What?’
Ark was baffled. Right now Ark was surrounded by darkness. His eyes were open but it was so dark that he questioned whether they were really open. The silence even made him doubt his eardrums. In other words, he couldn’t see or hear anything.
A person who knew would understand. How much this made a person choked up. However the darkness and silence wasn’t what confused Ark. Rather, it was that he couldn’t understand where this place was and why he was here. In this world, there was no effect without a cause!
‘Yes, something unexpected might’ve happened but there is a reason for it. If I think calmly then I might be able to obtain some hints or information. So let’s go through my memory step by step. Then…..’
Ark pressed the ‘▷’ button and played the memory in his head. The situation floated before him.
–Now there is no time. The key to a surprise attack is speed! Don’t give them time to think! Each team will enter the passage and exterminate the enemy! If there is danger then use the communicator! Advance!”
Shortly after the investigation team landed on the grey planet. Hawk had separated the team and ordered them to advance into the underground base.
…..He had gone too far.
‘No! The necessary scene isn’t here!’
Ark pressed the ‘▷▷’ and his memory accelerated forward. The underground facility passed like a kaleidoscope.
Ferguson slaughtered the herd of frogs and they managed to arrive at the centre of the facility. Then Ark heard some shocking words from Irina. The self-destruct device had already been activated when Ark arrived at the centre and Hawk knew but bullied Ark by only escaped with the other team members. No, it wasn’t just bullying. The packed the entrance with explosives in order to trap Ark’s group in the control room.
‘Hawk, that damn bastard!’
He couldn’t even curse right now.
Anyway, Hawk’s plan was stopped by Ark’s superior judgement. In his desperate moment, Ark was able to find a secret passage in the control room and escape just before the base exploded. But the situation didn’t end there. The base’s self-destruct device was connected to the core of the Castle and the grey planet started to collapse and form a black hole.
Ark was caught up in the black hole’s gravity. However Ark had a hidden move.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
He launched an anchor into Hawk’s ship and held on! It was the anchor launcher installed when the Silver Star was being repaired on E-2036.
–You bastard! What are you doing?
‘Hawk’s expression then was so confused…..’
Just imagining the scene again caused endorphins to rush. However there was also Ferguson.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
A special anchor!
–Ark! You bastard, you relaxed all day at the base only to strand me here? I have a 2nd grade ship so my engine output is weak! Look! I won’t be able to live if another ship is destroyed! Save me!
This time Ferguson anchored himself to Ark’s ship. Ferguson…..he really had the intelligence of an ape.
Needless to say, Ark had anchored himself to Hawk in order to live. If he grabbed onto Hawk’s Death Knight then Ark would’ve surely escaped from the black hole’s gravity. He was convinced about it and didn’t look for another way.
But Ferguson wasn’t thinking at all. Just like a drowning man would catch anything, he grabbed onto Ark and wouldn’t let go. In the end, everyone would die because he wanted to live.
‘Damn! I hope he is hit by a garbage truck and dies!’
Ark and Hawk’s detailed plans for each other were crushed by Ferguson who the IQ of a monkey. And then the worst situation occurred.
–I can’t control the Silver Star!
–3D coordinates calculation error! Balance systems error! On-board gravity generator error! Thanks to the collision with the gravity and magnetic fields, all engine systems have errors! It is impossible to control!
–There is no way to escape the gravitational field!
-Ugh! I don’t want to die!
Hegel and Tori screamed from the bridge!
However the opponent was the strongest predator in the universe, a black hole. Even with the scientific power of the 24th century, it was impossible to unravel all its mysteries. Now it had captured Ark. And the Silver Star was finally swallowed by the black hole.
–You have died.
That message popped in front of him.
No, that message should’ve popped in front of him. That’s why Ark was confused. He had been swallowed by darkness and waited for the message to appear.
‘The black hole is an existence that sucks in everything. Not even light can be seen here. If I’m stuck in a black hole and my soul wasn’t returned to a Fairy…..’
A sinister thought entered his head. However Ark shook his head.
‘It is impossible. Either way, this is still a game. There shouldn’t be any bugs to lock a user’s resurrection. So what is this situation? Perhaps….I haven’t died yet…..’
“……Character Information Window.”
Ark muttered dubiously.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 137
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 11,730 Adventure 1,590
Health 3,350 Mental Power 600
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 330 (+20) Agility 375 (+20)
Stamina 555 Wisdom 40
Intelligence 350 Luck 55
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*Body Coating: Survivor
+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating
+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%
+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%
+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied
‘Eh? R-really?’
Ark’s eyes were shocked. The character information window he hoped for had surfaced.
He was still level 137. It was the same level from before he was sucked into the black hole. He had been level 133 when he registered at the Fairy so it meant he hadn’t died!
However, Ark soon sensed something strange.
His level and stats were clearly the same from before he was sucked into the black hole. However, the character information window didn’t just display his level and stats. It also showed his equipment in the form of stat (+α). Yet that wasn’t there anymore.
Aside from the +20 attached to strength and agility, the other effects of his equipment had disappeared.
‘Don’t tell me? Huk! W-what is this?’
-Equipment Information Window-
Weapons: <Heir’s Sword>
Armour: <Elim’s Helmet>
Accessories: –
‘My accessories are gone?’
Ark’s face paled after seeing the equipment information window.
His armour, boots, the unique Belphegor’s pants he just obtained and even the Baius Shield was gone? The only things remaining were his Heir’s Sword and Elim’s Helmet! It was worst then when he started Galaxian because he was completely exposed. No, his appearance didn’t matter.
What about his accessories? He had been collecting his equipment one by one over the past few months with much difficulty. They were worth at least 1,000 gold and the Baius Sword was necessary to change class as Elim’s Heir. Compared to the value of those equipment, he would rather die and revive 100 times. But the equipment more precious than life were gone.
That wasn’t all that disappeared. Even the basic japtem stored in his backpack and Nymphe were gone.
‘Oh my god! This is ridiculous! My backpack full of items and Nymphe have disappeared as well? I’d rather die! Bug! Yes, this is obviously a bug! Damn, is there really a bug this ridiculous? I’m going to protest to the game publisher! If they don’t restore my items then I’ll sue!’
While he was thinking…..
‘Wait? This might surprisingly be a chance!’
Ark’s eyes glistened after a moment.
In fact, one of the reasons Ark despaired when sucked into the black hole wasn’t because of his death. The death penalty for a user wasn’t that much. Of course, his level would drop and maybe even an item depending on the damage but it wasn’t cause for despair.
The pioneer NPCs could also be resurrected like users. However, it was different when talking about non-pioneer NPCs. If they died it was the end. The subordinate he raised with hard work would be lost once they died. Two such employees were riding on the Silver Star.
Tori and Ellain.
‘If we’re sucked into a black hole then it is over for Tori and Ellain. I will also lose the Silver Star.’
Of course, the Silver Star was insured.
However, he could only get back 80% of the price with the insurance. If a 10,000 gold spaceship was lost then he would only receive 8,000 gold compensation. The user would lose the remaining 2,000 gold.
There was also the ship’s lost cargo, upgrades and additional equipment that wasn’t covered. Once someone lost a ship, there would be thousands of gold lost despite the insurance.
‘…..But if it is caused by a bug?’
He could bring this situation to the publisher.
It was Ark’s fault that he was sucked into the black hole but the current trouble was due to a bug. He might be able to recover the Silver Star as well as his team members. No, he would do it. Ark worked for a virtual reality game publisher so he knew the details. If he persisted tenaciously then he could receive compensation for the bug.
“Yes! This is great! I will press this!”
Ark had just made his decision.
Buuuuong!
Something was heard in the darkness. Ark flinched and raised his head. He had forgotten the current situation while lost in memories.
Ark wasn’t the only one sucked in the black hole. Not only was there Hawk and Ferguson’s ship, there were the team members on his ship like Rapid, Kaya, Tori, Hegel etc. If the bug dropped Ark into this place then it was likely that the Silver Star and his team members were scattered around here somewhere.
‘If the other team members also bring up the bug then it will be easier to receive compensation.’
“Hey! Anyone there? I am Ark.”
He shouted with a loud voice.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Gunshots suddenly rang out! Three or four bullets went through his side and thighs.
-You were shot in a defenceless state and suffered a critical blow!
A red message popped up with the throbbing pain!
“Ugh! What, what the?”
Ark cried out at the unexpected circumstances and cried out. At the same time, an idea crossed his head.
‘I clearly said my name. My team wouldn’t shoot blindly away after hearing that. And I’m convinced this space was made by a bug so it can’t be monsters. The only person who might shoot me in this place…..’
They were drawn into the black hole together. There were one among them who would shoot when hearing Ark’s name!
“Hawk’s group! Is that you?”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bullets came flying over again instead of a reply. In fact, he hadn’t expected an answer to his questions. It didn’t matter if they were Hawk or Hawk’s subordinates. The second shooting made it clear they had a partner. It wasn’t just one bastard. Projectiles were flying from three different directions!
‘I can’t just die in this bugged space!’
Ark rolled his body and avoided the bullets. He automatically raised his body in an attack stance but just turned around in vain.
He didn’t realize it until now but his body felt incredibly heavy when he moved. It felt like dozens of iron nuggets worth a few kilograms were hanging all over his body. Ark moved as slow as a slug for a few metres and was already breathing like he ran a marathon.
‘Huk! What, what the? This weight?’
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
But the opponents just mercilessly poured out bullets. Ark rolled on the ground again but avoiding all the bullets was impossible. Unless it was a critical hit, the damage from a bullet was less than that of a sword. That’s because by default, all armour in Galaxian had a bulletproof feature attached to them. However, that was when the armour was equipped. Unfortunately Ark was naked so he had X and XX parts exposed.
-2,530….2,475…..2,383……
He was being shot at from three directions so he quickly lost 1,000 health. That wasn’t the only damage. Without armour the bullets were three or four times stronger. It was enough to cause a tingling pain every time the bullet hit him. If the bullets hit a sensitive area like his neck or XX then he would scream!
“Awook! Awook! Holy shit! Armour armament!”
Ark immediately called his battle suit. But the expected battle suit didn’t come out.
‘Dammit! My battle suit is also gone? Indeed, it isn’t strange for my battle suit to disappear along with the other items but…..no, now isn’t the time to think about this. If I can’t use the battle suit then I really will die!’
He didn’t know why his body suddenly felt so heavy. But there was one obvious thing. In this state he couldn’t move his body to avoid the projectiles! And he had no shields to stop the bullets!
“Sword Defense!”
Ark said as he readied his lightsaber. The blue light separated the darkness and bullets scattered everywhere. Sword Defense was the technique that used the electromagnetic energy of the lightsaber to deflect projectiles!
‘Most of my items disappeared but my skills are still intact.’
However he couldn’t be relieved just yet. Sword Defense wasn’t enough to change the situation. Attacks were coming from three different directions while the range of Sword Defense was limited. If was difficult to stop the bullets with Sword Defense in the darkness.
‘If only it was possible to secure some sight.’
His Survivor coating gave him the Clairvoyance ability that allowed him to see through the darkness. It allowed him to see 20 metres in the darkness. But right now Ark couldn’t see anything.
In fact, that was the reason Ark first thought he was dead. He couldn’t even see the bottom when using Clairvoyance.
He thought there had been a problem with his skills but Sword Defense worked properly. Yet the lightsaber was clearly visible to the enemy. He didn’t understand the reason but it meant that Clairvoyance was sealed. Thanks to that, Ark couldn’t even confirm the form of the opponent.
‘Dammit, if Clairvoyance doesn’t work then it will keep on staying dark. Is this an effect of the bugged space? Anyway, he was using Sword Defense but it was just like painting a target on him. But how can those guys see in order to fire…..?’
Then something popped into his head.
‘Wait? They can see? Then those guys? Can I use this?’
At first he thought the problem with Clairvoyance was due to the bug. But his other skills could be used normally. This meant the space itself might be impervious to Clairvoyance. It was likely that Ark couldn’t see even if he loaded an infrared scope.
‘I don’t know. Those guys only started to attack after I was here for a long time. Then those guys were in the same room but unaware of my presence. They started to attack after I talked. I called out for my team and they started shooting. There is a high possibility that their view is restricted like me. I have to check it first!’
He thought up to there. Ark switched his lightsaber to OFF. Once the sword turned off, he felt pain as the bullet penetrated his body.
‘If I don’t prepare myself then I’ll die!’
Ark stopped his moans of pain from emerging. He firmed up his mental strength and move his legs. The feet used Swamp Walking to move! There were two reasons why Ark used Swamp Walking.
The first was to make it easier to walk with his increase weight and the second was to make no noise. If his feet glided on the ground then it wouldn’t make any sound.
That was the reason to turn the lightsaber to OFF! He stopped any light and sound.
‘If those guys can figure out my location from any noise or the light from the lightsaber then…..’
The sound of gunfire stopped. A smile of satisfaction spread on Ark’s face. Once he stopped the lightsaber and any noise, the enemy immediately lost Ark’s location.
It had become clear. The fact that they didn’t shoot meant they couldn’t hear Ark. But it still wasn’t a fair fight. Ark’s only weapon was a lightsaber while they used machine guns. And the advantages of machine guns…..
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Shortly after it stopped, the shooting started again. But they weren’t fired directly at Ark. The projectiles were just blindly shot all over the place!
The strong point of a machine gun was that it was capable of random firing. Even a blindly shot bullet would be able to deal 100% damage. However if he used Sword Defense then he would become a target again.
At that moment, Ark stretched out his hands and fired a skill.
‘Take this! Psychokinesis! Psychokinesis!’
After a while.
Tak! Tak tak tak! Tak tak tak!
The sound of something rolling could be heard a few metres away. Ark had fired Psychokinesis blindly until he heard a sound. At the same time, he headed towards the noise while bullets were fired. And dozens of bullets showered down on him! Ark’s body flew across the darkness. He glided forward towards the source of the noise.
Wiiing!
And the lightsaber switched ON!
“The fight is now on! Khafra Fencing 3rd style, Galaxy Sword!”
The light of the sword turned on and dozens of swords spread out like a fan. A chain explosion occurred in the darkness. Dozens of lights had spread out from one point! The storm of light revealed the shape of the enemy.
‘What, what the? This guy…..?’
Confusion spread on Ark’s face. It wasn’t Hawk like he expected. These guys also weren’t Hawk’s subordinates.
A monster with bandages wrapped around it and gun muzzles for hands appeared.
But now wasn’t the time to be surprised.
Kuwaaaah!
The monster with an egg like head shrieked and swung its arms. And bullets were fired from its hands! But this situation was different from before. He was now in a close combat fight with it.
“You’re screwed now that I can see you!”
Wiing! Buuuuong! Wiing! Wiing!
The blue light formed a complex pattern across the body of the mummy.
Ark had many skills to deal with people using firearms including Sword Defense. In addition, he rushed in while the enemy was off guard so they were now in a close combat fight. He could deflect the trajectory of the bullets even when it was pouring right in front of me.
In order words, he could redirect the enemy’s muzzle towards another direction. Of course, he couldn’t redirect all of the bullets……
Ping! Ping! Ping!
The bullets scattered but blood flowed from various places on his body. But they were just grazes.
On the other hand, Ark’s sword was driven into the mummy’s vital spots without any errors. The explosion of light decreased its health and the mummy didn’t last for even 1 minute. And it broke down into small particles like sand and disappeared.
‘Eh? This feeling…..?’
Ark’s forehead wrinkled. He felt a sense of deja vu as he saw the mummy disappear. But he couldn’t afford to think too deeply about it.
There were still 2 mummies remaining in the darkness. Of course, those two hadn’t just been watching while Ark was fighting.
While Ark was fighting in close combat with one mummy, he was also blocking the other two enemies from hitting any vital spots. After the mummy fell, he was exposed to the enemy’s gunfire but that was only for a short moment.
‘It is impossible with three but that changes when talking about two enemies.’
“Sword Defense!”
Ark rotated his body like a spin top and swung his sword. The bullets flew in the opposite direction back to the mummies. The bullets were reversed!
When only two enemies were shooting, he could use Sword Defense to direct the trajectory of the bullets. It was a technique that he learnt after dying many times in the training centre!
Kuaaah!
The mummies shrieked and stumbled.
“Take this! Sonic Sword!”
At the same time, a blue vortex flew forward. The blue sword moved in a flashy pattern and the mummy’s body exploded. Now he only needed to dispose of one more mummy.
He had dealt with the first two easily.
Wiiing! Wiing! Buoong!
His lightsaber turned the final mummy into small bandage pieces.
“Phew, now that is taken care of.”
Ark sighed and looked around.
“What are earth are these guys? Why are there monsters in the bugged space that occurred when I fell in a black hole? I don’t have a Nymphe so I can’t communicate with my other team members…..it isn’t possible. If I can’t even use the battle suit then clearly I can complain to the publisher. But isn’t Galaxian’s publisher a foreign company? Do I have to file the complaint in English? No, first I should check if there is any loot. There is no guarantee that monsters in a bugged space will drop loot. It is ridiculous that loot would drop in a bugged space. The publishers wouldn’t put loot in an accidental place like this.’
But he couldn’t see anything in the darkness. Ark lay face down on the ground and tried to find something. No, while he was trying to do that.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Suddenly the space divided and split in half. At the same time, a man ran in and shouted while a bright light shone behind him.
“Hyung-nim, where are you? Are you okay?”
Space 2
In Another Time
“Eh……”
Ark scratched his head.
“Here….I mean….who are you?”
Ark looked at the man in front of him with confusion. He had overcome some hopeless circumstances and was about to look for loot when the man jumped in. He hugged Ark and spat out saliva while clamouring away.
“Wuhahaha! Hyung-nim, you’re safe! Well, I always believed in you! Has it been one or two days since I saw Hyung-nim? I never doubted that Hyung-nim would pass!”
But Ark couldn’t help asking.
“Who are you?”
This was the first time he saw that person. The man was a huge 2 metres tall with black skin. Ark didn’t know anyone who looked like that. He was also wearing armour made of crystals and carrying a shield larger than his body. He had no memory of this guy so he didn’t understand how they could have a close brother like relationship. The man just laughed and spoke while grabbing Ark’s hand.
“Hey, Hyung-nim is making such a silly joke…..”
“I’m not joking?”
“Hehehe, please stop. Does it make sense that Hyung-nim doesn’t recognize me? It has been 10 years since I left home with Hyung-nim so if you don’t recognize Basak then you must have dementia.”
Basak?
It had been 10 seconds since they’ve met, not 10 years.
‘What is this bastard? No matter how I look, he isn’t a user….is he crazy? A crazy NPC? Ha, it really is all over the place. First invisible people and now a crazy NPC has appeared? Is this the influence of the bug? Why did he have to deal with a crazy NPC after falling into a black hole? No, where on earth is this place? Is this space really a bug?’
When he was within the darkness, Ark was 100% convinced that this was a bugged space. That’s because Ark had never experienced something like this. But after taking care of the mummy, the space started to shake and a wall opened.
Currently Ark’s main role in New World was to take care of bugs. Humans couldn’t create a perfect game so naturally there would be errors. There were times when New World was updated and even more errors were caused. Over the past year, Ark had used the power of the master code to fix the bugs.
Ark was suddenly in the darkness so he thought the situation was due to a bug. It reminded him of a bug and he couldn’t think of any other possibilities.
‘But this distortion doesn’t seem like a bug even more.’
Ark exiting the darkness, Ark realized he was in a cave on a stone mountain. And a desert stretched out endlessly in front of him. Everywhere was just a bleak landscape of sand.
‘Did I really come to this place due to a bug? Then the black hole? The Silver Star? And the other team members? I need an explanation if it isn’t a bug!’
Ark was in large state of confusion. He couldn’t blindly think that the situation was due to a bug anymore.
‘I don’t know what is going on. If this isn’t due to a bug then the situation has become more serious. Apart from Slayer and Kaya’s group, the way to restore Tori, Ellain and the Silver Star will be lost. Before making a rash decision and filing a bug report, I should try to find out their whereabouts.’
Just as Ark was thinking this.
“Hyung-nim?”
Basak saw Ark’s expression and asked.
“What are you thinking about? Did you perhaps hit your head?”
“No, that’s not it…..”
His head hurt because of this crazy NPC. However, even a mad NPC might be helpful. Ark considered the atmosphere before talking to Basak.
“I’m fine. By the way, have you seen any other people around here?”
“Other people? You know that there is only Teacher-nim and I here.”
“Teacher-nim?”
“Well, you passed in the end.”
Then another voice was heard from close by. Ark thought that Basak was the only one here so he flinched at the unexpected voice and turned his head. And his eyes widened with shock. Next to the 2 metre tall Basak- he might’ve even been there from the beginning, was an old man not even half the size. The old man’s green skin had so many wrinkles that it was difficult to guess the age. His huge eyes that occupied half his face could be seen when the old man looked up at Ark!
‘…..Yoda?’
That was the only name he could think about. Yoda stroked his sparse beard and continued talking.
“Huhuhu, I never had any doubts. My eyes didn’t lie when I saw the makings of a great warrior in you. I understood the moment I saw you at Minahem Shrine.”
‘….Isn’t this just like Yoda?’
If his name was also Yoda then it would be a complete hit. It was great even if he wasn’t Yoda.
“And you passed through the trial wonderfully just now. You didn’t tell me beforehand but you passed the Cave of Darkness. This is the place where generations of Elim successors have trained. By passing this trial, it is evidence that you have the quality of an Elim.”
Yoda continued. No, Tot continued talking as Ark’s eyes flashed.
“Eh, the Elim?”
“That’s right. Elim. The title of the strongest warrior that represents the Murat!”
“T-the Murat? Then the both of you are Murat?”
“It has been 10 years since I took you in and you’re talking such nonsense. Did your brain disappear after wandering in the darkness for several days? Then where do you think this is? Now, take a look. The 3 suns Ra, Shu and Tefnut that shines on and protect this great land! This is the home of the Murat, Muratio Star! Why on earth are you asking if we’re the Murat?”
Tot pointed towards the 3 suns floating in the sky and said.
Something….return…..
—————————————–
“Unbelievable……”
Irina fell into a state of panic in the middle of the universe. A black hole that swallowed up the stars was in front of her. Organization X, their underground base and planet exploded which a dark hole. The black hole was worthy of being called a space devil.
Fortunately Hawk had discovered the explosion beforehand and the team members were able to escape from the black hole’s sphere of influence. But not all the teams were successful in escaping. 3 ships, no the other 2 spaceships were completely unrelated.
The only one important to her was the Silver Star. And Ark was inside that ship.
“Ark-nim, please answer! Ark-nim!”
“It won’t work. Even the radio waves have been caught.”
“Sergeant Camel, turn the ship! It isn’t possible to just leave them there!”
“It is impossible! It is already too late!”
“The Silver Star is just thousands of kilometres away!”
“That is true Ensign-nim. But don’t you know? No matter how small, that is still a black hole! The sphere of influence is becoming bigger so if how engine output slows even for a moment then we will be sucked in! Much less returning to it. It would just be suicide!”
“B-but…..”
“Ark-nim wouldn’t want you to behave like this.”
Camel spoke firmly to Irina. Then Hajin who was steering the ship turned around with a dark look and said.
“There is no hull response. The spaceships belonging to Hawk, Ark and Ferguson. The reaction of the three spaceships completely disappeared after being sucked into the black hole. It is regrettable but….it is over.”
Irina flopped down into the captain’s seat like a doll with its string broken. She wasn’t the only one. The same expression could be seen on the faces of 10 people on the screens in front of her. The black hole was a danger zone where not even light could escape once captured! Now the shocking scene of Hawk, Ark and Ferguson’s spaceships being sucked into the black hole had been seen in front of their eyes.
“D-disappeared…..”
“They were drawn in by the black hole!”
“W-what should we do? Go in and rescue them?”
“Are you crazy? Do you think that is a manhole in front of you? It is a black hole, a black hole! Don’t you know about black holes? It is the end once you fall in. It is a place that is impossible to escape!”
“Then what will happen to them? Did they die?”
“It is still unknown……”
“They won’t be able to leave even if they’re alive.”
“So what should we do?”
There was silence after hearing those words. And naturally their gazes were concentrated on one person. It was Irina who was staring at the black hole with a dumb struck expression.
Now that he was drawn into the black hole, their leader Hawk couldn’t be expected to return. So they had no choice but to turn to her for leadership since she had the backing of the galactic federation.
“Ensign-nim.”
Camel saw the members’ eyes on Irina and spoke.
Fortunately, Irina managed to find some degree of calmness at this time. The scene of her partner being sucked into the black hole was shocking and Ark would receive considerable damage but it wasn’t the worst possible situation.
“The good part is that Hawk was drawn into the black hole as well. If Ark-nim had been drawn in by himself then Hawk would probably try to expel him from the investigation team again. But if even Hawk was sucked in then he can’t expel Ark-nim.’
He could avoid the worst case situation of losing his ship and being expelled from the team.
‘Then what we need to do is simple. Hawk and Ark-nim registered at the Fairy on Turan. If Hawk and Ark died then they should revive in a number of days. So we just need to go back to Turan and rest while waiting for them.’
“Everybody please pay attention.”
Irina was just about to speak her thoughts. Hajin who had been looking at the dashboard turned and shouted.
“Ensign-nim, there is a huge surge of energy heading here from the 3 o’clock direction at a tremendous speed! The energy seems to be from a particle cannon! An enemy is attacking!”
A sudden emergency situation! Although she was in a state of panic from Ark’s death (?), Irina was a user who had joined the galactic federation. It was a sudden situation but she didn’t have time for things like ‘?’, ‘hik!’ or ‘what should I do?’
“All members, deploy your shield!”
Irina’s voice rang out after Hajin’s report! Dozens of luminous lights crossed the space in seconds and hit the members’ spaceships.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a ringing sound and sparks flew out everywhere. Irina shouted at the team members on the screen while the bridge shook wildly.
“It is an enemy attack! Grasp the situation later. All members immediately change to a battle formation. Mario, activate your wide area shield and protect the ships of our allies! The rest should spread at 10 kilometre intervals with Mario’s large spaceship in the centre and prepare your main guns!”
–Enemy attack! All ships prepare for battle!
The members were users strong in battle! They immediately prepared for battle after receiving Irina’s command. Meanwhile, 10 ships had arrived from the direction of the particle cannon. The ships approached in a ‘◇’ formation and were different from the investigation team’s ships. The armour that covered the hull seemed to be made out of wriggling flesh. No matter how wide the galaxy was, there was only one species that used this type of ship.
“Rama….why are they here…..?”
Irina looked at the approaching fleet and muttered with a moan. There was a noise as a screen unfolded and a Rama warrior wearing red armour appeared. He stared at the team members and shouted threateningly.
-Where? Come! We will conclude it this time, Ark!
That Rama warrior was….
—————————————–
“Hah…..”
Tot sighed. He glanced back at Ark before sighing again.
“It really is pitiful. This isn’t a third rate drama. Having memory loss at such an important time…..”
Ark chose this approach. At first he thought that Basak and Tot were crazy NPCs. However he changed his mind after talking to them for a while. Ark didn’t understand why but the contents were very logical. Furthermore, it was hard to imagine a bugged space being like this. This was so well arranged for a bugged space.
‘If I’m drawn into a black hole then I’ll die. When thinking about it, Galaxian didn’t have a rule like this. Just like other users, I thought it was impossible to escape once caught by a black hole. But what if it doesn’t cause death? And this isn’t a bugged space? There is one other thing I can think of.’
He hadn’t just played the game for a few days. Once he grasped it, an answer immediately came out. Event. He could only think that an unexpected event had been activated. Of course, there were still some unanswered questions.
If an event was triggered when he entered the black hole then where were the other members? What about Hawk and Ferguson’s groups? Why did he come to Muratio and why were Basak and Tot acting like they knew Ark?
‘There are several things I don’t know right now but…..’
One thing was clear. This wasn’t a bug so he couldn’t expect any help from the game publishers. In other words, he needed to find his team members and the Silver Star personally.
‘I need to understand this place first in order to do that. If this is an event then there must be a purpose. I need to figure out why I’m dropped in a place like this in order to find the members, Silver Star and enter into the universe again. Tot had talked about the Elim. This was the first time I met a NPC who knows about the Elim. I don’t understand while Basak and Tot know me or the purpose of this event but this is a chance to obtain information about the Elim.’
That was the conclusion Ark reached. It was also why Ark acted like he had amnesia. This was a common trope in 3rd class dramas. Of course, acting skills were required to take advantage of this. But this was an original skill of Ark. Since his early days in New World, he had often used this skill to flatter and trick NPCs.
“Basak….Tot…..the dark cave….um, I only remember a little bit. Yes, while travelling I met Tot-nim and came here. Yes, Basak! I remember you too. You are an old friend who left home with me 10 years ago. Why do I forget you?”
“Hyung-nim, you remember now!”
“No, not yet. It is only a fragment of a memory that I recalled. I don’t know why I came to the training centre or anything about the Elim successor that Tot-nim mentioned.”
“Ugh! To go through all that training only to suffer from memory loss…..”
Basak whimpered with tears in his eyes. However he quickly wiped off tears with his sleeves and hit his chest.
“Hyung-nim, don’t worry! You are still Basak’s Hyung-nim even if you can’t remember! 10 years ago I swore that you would be my Hyung-nim for life when we left home! My loyalty won’t change even if Hyung-nim never recovers your memory!”
“There aren’t many people who can receive the whole hearted loyalty of a Casain.”
“Casain?”
This was the first time Ark heard that word so it caused a ‘?’ to form. Tot clicked his tongue and said.
“Tsk, you don’t even remember that? Well it can’t be helped. The Casain are a minority race that received the blessings of the Shire and have the ability of a guardian. However, they have a stubborn personality and will only serve a master of their own choosing. When a crisis formed occurred on Muratio, their numbers reduced and Basak is the only one left. A person who receives the loyalty of the Casain is a true warrior!”
“Yes! Hyung-nim is a true warrior! I can guarantee that!”
Basak exclaimed in a loud voice and Tot smiled and nodded.
“I chose you as an heir to the Elim and I also can’t ignore the existence of Basak. You’ve also passed the Elim training and returned my expectations. Unfortunately you lost your memory…..well, it wasn’t a big deal. A warrior can’t forget his bravery and sense of responsibility in battle. But I will say a few words to pass on some knowledge.”
Tot gathered the impression of a wise man and spoke. Although he was referred to as a teacher, this was the first time Ark saw Tot. His attitude really felt like he was the one who chose Ark to be the heir to the Elim.
“I’ll explain it to you. Follow me.”
Tot turned his body while carrying a staff and continued talking.
“Your memory loss is probably temporary. Over time you will naturally recover it. But right now there is no time for you to remember. Prince Kuhwen is going to the Holy Land to become the next Horus so there is no way to slow down the schedule.”
“The next Horus? Holy Land?”
“I told you when you came to the training centre but…..”
Tot stopped for a while and stared at the three suns floating in the sky. He sighed and began to explain about Muratio.
“Murat King Horus, this is a title and blessing granted by the 3 great suns Ra, Shu and Tefnut. Over the last thousands of years, he Murat managed to achieve an outstanding civilization despite the harsh environment of the galaxy under Horus’ name. But an unprecedented incident occurred a few days ago.”
“Unprecedented incident?”
“Set who was the chief of the Zodiac Garrison rebelled. Set dominated the scattered troops of the Zodiac Garrison, killed the Elim defending Horus and is impersonating Horus.”
“Elim….dead?”
“An Elim is the strongest warrior in the galaxy. The fully manifested power of even a single Elim could destroy planet. However he didn’t have enough time. He only inherited the position of the Elim a few years ago and has failed to awaken the Elim’s entire power. Moreover, the one who rebelled was the garrison leader Set. He grabbed Horus as a hostage during the unfortunate incident and made threats. He knew what would happen but had to yield to Set.”
“Seizing a hostage! That isn’t the behaviour of a warrior!”
Basak shouted with resentment. The Tot continued using his staff to move.
“Set isn’t a warrior! He is just a despicable traitor!”
“But how was Set able to control the army of the Zodiac Garrison?”
Tot flinched at Ark’s question.
He hesitated and sighed before moving again.
“It is due to the difference in political opinion.”
“Political views?”
“Muratio Star receives the protection of the 3 great suns. The 3 suns emit a radiation that transform 70% of the earth to a vast desert and is the driving force behind the explosive growth of our civilization. But it isn’t eternal. Even a sun can’t escape from the laws of the universe itself. And it is clear that the Muratio Star is approaching the time of its end after lasting billions of years.”
“The end…..?”
“Over the last couple of years, an unusual amount of sunspot activity has been spotted in the 2nd star Shu. The astronomers investigated it and discovered the life expectancy of the planet. The energy will continue to amplify f or the next few decades before it reaches a limit and will collapse on itself. And the 1st star and 3rd star will also be affected by the collapse. A huge black hole will be created and this area of space will be lost forever.”
It was the end of this solar system. However, the Murat was already a species that could enter the galaxy. Just like Noah made an ark to avoid the end, the Murat created a huge carrier that could move them. It was for this reason that a problem formed.
Once again, the Murat were preparing to enter the galaxy. Of course, other civilizations had occupied the planets outside. Most of them had a lagging civilization but the Murat still respected the inhabitants of the galaxy as equals. If those civilizations were supported then they could grow in the right way. This was the reason why the Murat were praised as gods throughout the galaxy.
The Murat was a species that emphasised balance and moderation so this system had been maintained for a long time. But due to the end of this solar system and the relocation, matters started to change.
“The person who first raised an objection to Horus’ relocation plan was Set the Zodiac Garrison chief. At that time, Horus found a new planet and started terraforming it while slowly migrating the residents of Muratio. But Set opposed this. The Murat already had a presence in dozens of planets. He insisted that the Murat should move to one of those planets to form a colony.”
Even Ark thought that Set’s claims were more persuasive. The Murat weren’t philanthropists so why shouldn’t they go to an undeveloped planet if it would solve their problem? However Horus had reasons for this idea.
Once again, the Murat weren’t the only species in the galaxy with a developed civilization. They later became known as the 4 species called the Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious. If the Murat entered an area of the galaxy belonging to one of those species then they would defend themselves.
In such a situation, the balance between the Murat and the other three species would be upset. The four species had thousands of colonies so if a power struggle between them between them happened then the conflict would become widespread.
“The Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious are different but all of them possess the power to blow up an entire planet. There will be no winners or losers in a conflict between the four races. That’s why the Elim exist to act as mediator for any large or small disputes. A race that doesn’t belong to any of the 4 races can watch the situation and mediate from the perspective of a 3rd race. This is an absolute agreement among the species. This is the reason why a human was chosen as the next heir to the Elim.”
‘In his eyes I am a human.’
This was the first time Ark heard of his past (?).
Ark- based on the words from Basak and Tot- was a human kidnapped by space pirates. The Murat’s Elim were tracking the pirates and rescued him but Ark was an undeveloped earthling. The Elim took Ark in and raised him.
Ark discovered some important points in Tot’s explanation.
‘I guess it when hearing the talk about the Murat but this isn’t the galaxy I came from. No, it is the same galaxy but the time frame is different. This is a time when the 4 races prospered. It must be hundreds or thousands of years ago. I heard some physicists say that it was possible to use a black hole for time travel. This world was created against the backdrop of such a theory? So it was this type of system.’
Now that Ark obtained more information, he was even more convinced that this was an event. Then there was no need to worry about his missing items. In games, items that disappeared during special events would reappear again when it ended.
Now Ark just needed to successfully finish this event. Then he could search for his team members and the Silver Star to return safely. If he looked at the atmosphere, the person who probably held the key was Tot.
“The conversation drifted for a bit.”
Then Tot opened up again.
“Set was able to control the Zodiac army thanks to this. Horus attaches a great importance to peace but they were fed up with this mindset. They feel like Horus isn’t qualified to deal with the situation against the Indus, Potamia and Oritious. The commanders of the Zodiac Garrison moved on Set’s insistence. The Zodiac assisted in the rebellion that killed the Elim and Horus. But the great Ra, Syu and Tefnut have not forsaken the Murat.”
Just before the Zodiac rebellion broke out. Kuhwen the only heir to Horus had headed to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage. And the Elim’s spiritual mentor called Tot had arrived at the city after receiving word about some troubles happening in the Zodiac garrison.
“That’s why I have to meet Prince Kuhwen and go to the sacred place Tri-Force.
Tot turned his body and said with a pleasant smile. It seemed like he had something important to say….even if he spoke suddenly….fortunately Tot remembered that Ark had amnesia and gave a further explanation.
“Horus can only be inherited by the bloodlines of 37 pure bloodlines on Muratio Star so their exchanges with the outside world are limited. There is a ward around the planet called Abraxas that can be activated so that no spaceships can enter the atmosphere of Muratio. This was the reason that Set and the Zodiac Garrison could rebel. Thousands of Murat fleets have advanced into the galaxy so they don’t know about the Zodiac rebellion yet.”
“Ah, yes…..”
Then the Zodiac cut off contact with the outside?
‘This system is what allows such a revolt.’
The words bubbled up in his throat but he pushed it down. This wasn’t the important thing.
“Abraxas can be operated with two devices. One of them is already occupied by Set while the other one is located in Tri-Force. Only Horus can operate Abraxas but it was also designed to respond to the Shire in their bloodline if there was a problem. In other words, Horus died so the only one who can manipulate Abraxas is Kuhwen.”
So the situation was simple. Prince Kuhwen needs to go to Tri-Force and release Abraxas. And then the Murat forces scattered throughout the galaxy would be told of the uprising. Then the Murat fleet would return, smash the rebel army and Muratio Star would regain peace again.
“But what about Set?”
“The fact about how to use Abraxas is a secret. Of course, Set knows that there is more than one control device. After the palace was controlled by the Zodiac, he probably has his soldiers searching for Kuhwen and the other control device. That’s the reason why I quickly gathered you who isn’t prepared yet and made you the Elim’s Heir.”
Tot looked at Ark and continued.
“Just before the rebellion occurred, Horus and the Elim called me here and Ra, Shu and Tefnut visited me. You have safely become an Elim successor and have inherited the sun gods’ will. Now your mission is to guard Kuhwen until he safely arrives at Tri-Force.”
Perhaps he came to the past because he possessed the profession of Elim’s Heir. When he thought about it, this role was limited to Ark. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t with his other team members, Ferguson or Hawk even though they entered together.
‘If I can’t find a way to escape here then there is no meaning in finding the team and the Silver Star. When looking at this situation, the only way to return will be to succeed in this mission. And I am currently the Prince’s defence. When the rebellion is suppressed, the Prince will become Horus the Emperor of the Murat. Then I can search for the team and the Silver Star.’
It wasn’t just to escape from this place. Ark was the Elim’s Heir but Xanax the last Elim had disappeared a long time ago. So he couldn’t learn many related skills despite it being a unique profession.
But right now Ark was in the home of the Murat, Muratio Star. And the NPC in front of him was the Elim’s spiritual mentor. Who knows? He might have a chance to earn a skill or item related to the Elim.
Anyway, it became clear what Ark had to do here. He needed to guard Prince Kuhwen while escorting him to the Elim’s Holy Land! Ark was thinking that when the sand under his feet moved. And it scattered until it changed into letters.
-You have acquired undisclosed information about the ancient alien species called the Murat.
The universe has a long history and many alien civilizations have grown and declined.
Finding undisclosed information can help illuminate the history of the universe.
Hidden alien artefacts or technology can play a decisive role.
<Through some unknown force, you have arrived at the Murat planet Muratio that existed a long time in the past. And you discovered that a rebellion broke out on Muratio a long time ago. This information will be important to future research on the Murat>
+ Information about the ancient alien species Murat (3/15).
+ You have obtained 300 Adventure points for acquiring information about the Murat.
+ You have gained 5 Intelligence for acquiring information about the Murat.
There was no Nymphe so an information window was created through this method. Anyway, it was 100% certain that this wasn’t a bugged space. It was certain after Ark experienced the letters changing supernaturally.
“This is one of the sacred places of the Murat.”
Tot indicated towards a city with his staff. The sacred place wasn’t a prosperous city. It was just a historical or religiously important place. Anyway, that’s why the city Tot indicated wasn’t prosperous. No, in fact it was more like a shabby village so it was embarrassing to call it a city.
But right now the next Horus was in the city. If Prince Kuhwen successfully quelled Set’s rebellion then the city would probably gain another name.
“Hurry. Prince Kuhwen is waiting for us.”
Tot increased his pace.
Space 3
For the Benefit of Muratio Star!
‘This……’
Ark scratched his head. He had to go on a journey with the prince to suppress a rebellion. He needed to reach Tri-Force to release the space ward and call the Murat forces currently in space to take care of the rebel army on Muratio Star.
Of course, the journey wouldn’t be easy. But the person Ark was accompanying was the prince who would become the next Horus. Even if it was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the prince would be accompanied by guardsmen befitting his status.
‘It would be good if I could join forces with the guardsmen.’
That’s what he thought…..
“Are they the prince’s guardsmen?”
Ark asked after Tot guided him to the centre of the city to the shrine where the prince lived. Tot nodded while scratching his head with the handle of the staff.
“Prince Kuhwen is someone who loves literature and art more than war. So he also dislikes bringing a lot of soldiers.”
“It turned out like this.”
A sigh naturally flowed from Ark’s mouth. Only 30 soldiers could be seen around the shrine. There were also 20 people in the entourage wearing the clothes of scholars and artists. They were NPCs that were no use in a situation like this. They gawked and gossiped as Tot and Ark entered the shrine.
“Is that the person that Tot-nim regards as the Elim’s Heir?”
“There is a rule that the Elim can’t be a Murat but…..”
“Isn’t he an orphan that the late Elim picked up? He is also an uncivilized human.”
“The humans are a species that have barely sneaked out from the stone age. Now a human has been selected to become the heir to the Elim?”
“The Elim are warriors that represent the Murat. In a Murat emergency, they can take the place of the commander. In other words, the prince might appoint the Elim successor as our commander. We have to take the orders of a primitive man.”
“How horrible.”
“The Zodiac took over so the selection of the Elim successor needed to be sped up. It is doubtful whether he really has value.”
And they didn’t seem to like Ark. No, to be surprised they looked at him with contempt. Ark sighed while Basak snorted and looked around roughly.
“Those bastards! Hyung-nim, just give me a command! I will be your shield and knock down everyone who is talking badly about you!”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re just making noise.”
Ark replied in a disinterested voice. The reason why Ark sighed wasn’t because he was hurt by the soldiers’ words. Ark’s heart wasn’t delicate enough to be injured by the gossip of some NPCs. It was just hopeless. He had an ominous feeling that the journey wouldn’t be smooth after seeing such soldiers. However Tot misunderstood Ark’s reaction.
“Yes, you thought well. The Elim is a person who shows things through actions, not with their mouth. If you show your ability then their attitudes will change. One of the important qualities of the Elim is not to be affected by ignorant words.”
“But where is Prince Kuhwen?”
“I’m here.”
An answer came from behind him. Tot, Basak and Ark turned around as they heard the voice. The next moment Ark’s face turned confused. There were 10 children behind him. They were covered in dirt and looked just like neighbourhood children playing in a village.
“T-this! Once again…..”
“Prince-nim, you are…..”
Ark heard the voice of an aristocrat mixed in among the children. But they were all wearing similar clothing so he didn’t know which one was the prince. Then one of the boys started to talk with an innocent smile.
“Jed, why are you looking around restlessly with such an expression? Surely you haven’t forgotten my face during the short time you were away?”
Jed was a name he heard for the first time. But judging by the atmosphere, that seemed to be Ark’s name. And that meant this child talking calmly was the prince! Ark was astonished because the prince was younger than he thought.
“What? No, huh? Then you…?”
“What? Have you really forgotten my face? Or are you teasing me after seeing the other children? If you’re doing such a thing then stop. It isn’t funny.”
The boy inflating the ball said.
“No, actually he…..”
Tot approached the boy and quickly whispered. The boy looked at Ark with an astonished expression and approached him before sighing.
“Such a thing….I heard from Tot that the test to assess the qualities of an Elim was dangerous but to even lose your memories? It is regrettable that you lost your memories but you won through such hardships and passed the test. Tot’s eyes really are sharp to be able to recognize your talent since childhood.”
“You’re overpraising me, Your Highness.”
He lowered his head with a humble expression. The entourage gathered around him then shouted.
“L-lost memories?”
“Oh my god! Elim’s Heir is going to be someone who lost their memories? Does that make sense? Can we rely on someone who doesn’t even remember his name in this state of emergency? Your Highness, this is ridiculous! Please cancel Jed’s heir designation!”
“Watch your words!”
The boy turned his head and shouted. Ark, the children and entourage looked surprised at the boy’s unexpected behaviour. At that moment, Ark witnessed an amazing scene. The boy’s face that looked approximately 10 years old was changing dramatically. The mischievous boy’s face changed into that of the Murat prince.
“What did you do after my Royal Father was killed by Set? The hearts of the Murat residents trembled with anxiety. The glorious Murat nobility were just worried about losing their status. In order to rescue the Murat, he pushed through the Elim successor test and lost his memories. What do your eyes see when you look at such a man?”
The boy, no the prince looked at his retinue and continued talking.
“Answer me! Do you think Jed is worthy of your contempt? Answer me! Do you have the qualifications to spurn Jed after he lost his memories? No. So close your mouths. Although I couldn’t receive the formal succession, I am still the person who will become the next Horus!”
‘This guy…..’
Ark glanced at Kuhwen. When listening to the entourage, Ark had thought ‘Hah, this guy must not be able to do anything about the rude comments around him.’ Yet a children covered in dirt had managed to quell their reaction.
He needed to command the NPCs for this task so the NPC’s tendencies was very important. However, his uncomfortable feeling went away after seeing Kuhwen. Furthermore, he even felt vaguely nostalgic.
‘This NPC, it isn’t strange. Yes, Haverstein!’
He became friendly when Haverstein who was the Lord of Jackson in his early days of New World. He first knew Viscount Haverstein after his father died in the labyrinth. Ark met him after returning to Jackson with the news. At that time, Haverstein was a similar age to Kuhwen and his acceptance of his father’s death impressed Ark. He maintained a good relationship after that and helped Ark become a hero of New World.
The atmosphere around Kuhwen was very similar to when Haverstein was young.
‘I should maintain a good relationship with him.’
Fortunately Kuhwen liked Ark. After subduing his retinue, Kuhwen grabbed Ark’s hand.
“Jed, that fact that you lost your childhood memories is saddening for me. But you just lost your adoptive father so maybe your amnesia is a blessing. I also lost my father but I have no time for grief. I need to take control of the Murat or the Indus, Potamia and Oritious might break the peace. Countless Murat would then lost their children like us. It isn’t just for my sake that I want to gain the status of Horus. Nor is it revenge for my Royal Father. I need your help for the sake of peace and millions of Murat. Jed, you are the Elim’s Heir so we are now equal. Therefore I ask that help me become the Murat’s Horus. Will you lend me your power?”
“It is Ark.”
Ark replied with a smile.
“That is a name I discarded in the past that I recalled through my training.”
His name was corrected to Ark. It would become confusing if he kept on being called Jed. The retinue’s expressions turned ugly at Ark’s attitude but Kuhwen just smiled.
“Yes, my old friend Ark. Will you accept my request?”
“Of course Your Majesty.”
Ark kneeled down and replied. Right now Ark wasn’t thinking about solving the problem and returning to his galaxy. He sincerely wanted to help this young NPC.
“I will do my best to help you.”
And he answered with a resolute attitude. A 3D image of an obelisk with an inscription carved on it floated in front of him.
<For the Benefit of Muratio Star!>
You have reached another space and time after entering a black hole and met the Murat Prince.
Currently the Murat Emperor Horus has been killed by rebels led by Set and the Murat have fallen into a state of confusion. Fortunately, the Prince was heading to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage and managed to avoid Set’s assassins along with the retinue that accompanied him. Tot who is referred to as the spiritual mentor of the Elim has said that the only way to quell the rebellion is to turn off Abraxas located in Tri-Force and continent the Murat fleet scattered throughout the universe. When you succeed in this mission, you will be able to return to your original universe.
Difficulty: –
A formal quest was registered. Then Tot approached and began to talk.
“Now, you have formally become the Elim’s Heir. You should be familiar with what type of presence the Elim is. There is a reason the Elim is called the strongest warrior in the galaxy. Take this for the moment.”
And a set of armour was pulled out. It was a set of boots, helmet and pants larger than the petite Yoda so Ark didn’t know where it was stored. No, he was being given items so he wouldn’t question it too closely….
-You have acquired some items.
<Elim’s Training Helmet (Force +300)>, <Elim’s Training Armour (Force +300)>, <Elim’s Training Pants (Force +300)>, <Elim’s Training Boots (Force +300)>
Ark received the set of armour.
“This is the armour that the Elim’s Heir uses while training. Your foster father who was the previous Elim gave you lessons so your spirit should be prepared. It isn’t armour intended for actual fighting but it is better than the armour that general soldiers use. This should be sufficient for an Elim’s Heir.”
In Tot’s words, the armour wasn’t a magic or unique set. But in the current circumstances Ark only had a helmet. It was no different from when he first began the game with rags that only had 1 defense. However the armour set had high defense compared to the level and it also had 300 Force attached to each one.
…..It was perfect.
Ark even switched the helmet.
“Now it is time to consult about the future.”
Tot continued speaking.
“Damn! Open! Open up!”
A shout was suddenly heard from the side of the entrance. Kuhwen and Tot turned around with a doubtful expression. The guards that protected the soldiers lowered their heads and reported.
“Your Majesty, the residents have caught some suspicious people.”
“Suspicious people?”
“Yes, they look like animals and appear to be an unknown alien race from outside Muratio Star. They were lingering around the village.”
“Unknown alien race? How can there be such a species?”
Kuhwen frowned as his entourage murmured.
“Your Majesty, perhaps they were sent by Set to spy on us?”
“I also have the same idea. There is a ward around this planet so Muratio Star isn’t easy to enter. The fact that an unknown species has entered this place isn’t a coincidence. They might by spies or biological weapons of Set. I think we should dispose of them right away.
“Please wait a moment.”
Then Ark interrupted.
“It is better to see them first. I might know them.”
An unknown alien species was seen in Muratio Star. He had the idea that it might be one of the parties sucked into the black hole after hearing it. If would be useful to the situation even if they were from Ferguson or Hawk’s team. However the retinue was prepared to attack.
“Jed, how would you know them? How could you know an outside alien species?”
“Jed is now Ark.”
Kuhwen said while looking at his attendants.
“And my idea is also the same as Ark’s. Even if they are a suspicious alien species, we can’t simply kill them without looking at them first. That’s because Horus is a position that maintains peace among the various races in the galaxy. I can’t just kill someone without seeing them. Especially if they are someone Ark knows. I will decide after meeting them with Ark.”
“Thank you.”
“It is your right.”
Kuhwen smiled and shook his head. Meanwhile 10 locals dragged in some wagons. There were 4 alien species trapped inside. 3 of them that looked like monkeys were embracing each other while crying. And the remaining one was angry and abusing the residents with curses…..
“Eh? Y-you?”
“These bastards! Open! Open this up! Do you know who I am…..eh? H-Hyung-nim?”
Ark flinched and turned his head as he looked at a hamster! It was Ark’s subordinate, Tori.
“Why are you here by yourself? The other team members?”
“Waaaaang! H-Hyung-nim! It really is Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim, you’re alive!”
“Okay. Try and calm yourself down. Where are the other team members?”
“Ohuk! I don’t know! I don’t know! I just remember going into the black hole with you! Then I was in a forest in the middle of a desert! The Nymphe and armour was missing and we barely managed to escape the desert and reach this village when these people caught and locked us up! Hyung-nim, these guys called me a hamster! Yes? Please say something!”
Tori answered while dripping tears.
“A-Ark?”
One of the monkeys that was crying suddenly raised his head and spoke in a tearful tone. And he crossed to the window grate and shouted.
“A-Ark! It really is Ark! Ark, it’s me! Me! I’m also alive!”
“Eh? What the, this monkey? Do I know you?
“Damn! It’s me! Ferguson!”
“I’m A!”
“I’m B!”
The monkeys shouted. No, they…..Ferguson, A and B….eh?
“What, what the? Did this world change you into monkeys?”
“M-monkeys! We are the Umpu Clan!”
“Umpu clan? Wait? Then you also weren’t human before?”
Come to think of it, Ark had never seen Ferguson, A and B’s appearance properly. On the grey planet he had no interest but Ferguson, A and B had been wearing thick armour so that only the eyes were exposed. No, it was strange when he thought about it. Ferguson, A and B had exceptionally long arms compared to other users. This was the reason why.
Ferguson, A and B looked like monkeys once their armour was peeled off. Ferguson, A and B’s identity was revealed out of the blue…..if he thought about the behaviour they demonstrated in the meantime, he wasn’t surprised.
“Yes! The Umpu was an alien race with low intelligence and high stamina and defense. They were innate warriors! They were excellent warriors…..no, now wasn’t the time to think of this! Anyway, along with their equipment it wasn’t easy for them to die! Ark, you should do something!”
“As expected, do you know these people?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
Ark replied to Kuhwen’s question. Once again, his team members consisted of alien species. He was worried about their safety and thought he needed to pass the quest to escape and find them. Yet instead of his team members, it was actually a hamster and the 3 monkey brothers?
Well, Tori was a non-pioneer NPC so it would be the end if he died. Other than Ellain, it was lucky that he found Tori first. While Ark was thinking with an uncomfortable expression, Kuhwen smiled and said.
“Hamster and monkeys, your companions are quite broad.”
“I wouldn’t call them my companions but……”
“If they’re killed then it would be difficult?”
“That’s right.”
“Didn’t you hear? Release them.”
Kuhwen commanded with a nod. The retinue around him jumped with surprise and exclaimed.
“Release them? We still don’t know who these people are!”
“We can’t just release them because Jed, no Ark says so! How does Ark know them?”
“And we can’t call an alien species our equals! Look at them! They’re wandering around naked without proper clothes like savages! They are like beasts! To suddenly release them……”
“What? Beasts? What did they say?”
Ferguson huffed at the words. However the retinue just continued deriding him.
“Look at this! Didn’t he just show it? That’s evidence that he is a savage beast!”
“This bastard! What did you say?”
Ferguson shouted angrily. To be honest, this wasn’t just the opinion of the retinue. This guy was weeping while captured until his situation changed. Now he was reacting to the retinue’s taunts. He really possessed the IQ of a monkey. On the other hand, the hamster showed a different standard of judgement from the monkeys.
“I’m different from those monkeys! My species isn’t dangerous at all. Just look at me! I’m all round so what type of risk can I be? My teeth are only capable to peeling seeds. Look how soft my fur is. Please touch it. If you touch then you’ll know that my species is a harmless animal! Yes!”
He was like a puppy that wagged its tail and turned on its belly. The form of Tori made even Kuhwen blush.
“Once again, the range of your companions is really wide.”
“Like I said, they aren’t really companions.”
Ark blushed and replied.
It wasn’t a compliment that he wanted. Anyway, the hamster and 3 monkey brothers were released thanks to ‘Ark’s defense+ Kuhwen’s order+ Tori’s shameful survival instinct.’
“Phew Ark, I owe you a favour.”
Ferguson approached Ark and sighed with relief. He placed on arm around Ark and spoke.
“I really almost died. Damn, I don’t know what is going on. Where is this place? Why did we have to come to a place like this?”
“Your head is at the standard of a monkey so of course you wouldn’t understand.”
“Eh? What?”
“If you don’t want something to happen then take off your arm. Yes?”
“What? Did you eat something strange? Why….wait? Why have you been speaking so roughly since earlier? This child, don’t you know who I am? You might misunderstand because of this shape but I am Ferguson, Ferguson. The Ferguson you kept on praising on the grey planet. I am Ferguson who reached the 18th ranking.”
“I know, you are Ferguson.”
Ark quickly interrupted.
And looked at him with cold eyes and laughed.
“You are the type of guy that attached an anchor to my ship during when running away from the black hole.”
“Eh? T-that….”
“I’ll say it again. If you don’t want something to happen then take off your arm. Yes?”
Ferguson hurriedly removed his arm like it was on fire. He studied Ark’s face and opened his mouth to make excuses.
“Attention.”
Ark spoke in a low voice. Ferguson, A and B automatically jerked into the right posture. Ark stared at them in the eye before turning his body and murmured.
“We can talk about the details later. There isn’t a lot of time.”
While Ferguson, A and B stayed in that stance, Ark followed Kuhwen and his entourage into the shrine. Ferguson who was making a dumb expression suddenly woke up and shouted at his brothers.
“What, what the? You guys! Why did you listen to his command?”
“I-I’m not sure. Why is it?”
“But Hyung-nim also took that stance!”
“Ah no, it was an involuntary reflex…..”
“That’s right! I did it as well!”
“Eh? M-me too!”
“Ohhh. What the? Why did I listen to that guy? Furthermore, it is so cold. My body is trembling like I have a cold.”
“M-me too. Is it because the armour is removed?”
Ferguson, A and B trembled and stuttered. But their armour disappearing wasn’t the reason for their trembles. There was no armour but they were in a desert with 3 suns. The reason they were trembling was due to an unknown trauma deep inside them.
Ark’s chilly attitude woke up the sleeping trauma in Ferguson. However they hadn’t realized it yet.
“We can’t delay here.”
The 3 monkey brothers walked into the shrine while still feeling the trembling. Ark, Kuhwen, Toto, Basak and the retinue was gathered inside the shrine. Their purpose was obvious.
It was to find a way to Tri-Force to turn off Abraxas and quell Set’s rebellion. While waiting for Ark, no Jed, they had finished the expedition preparations. The problem was how to reach Tri-Force.
“I know that we are in a hurry.”
An aristocrat who seemed to be high ranking shook his head and said.
“It has already been 3 days since Set assassinated Horus. When the Zodiac rebelled, they blocked off information and are also periodically contacting Pharaohs from different villages around Muratio Star. And he is also aiming for Abraxas. If the Pharaohs’ fleets are gathered then Abraxas won’t be able to hold up for long.
The name Pharaoh might mean a king in ancient Egypt but the Pharaohs in the Murat were more like castle lords or governors. The Pharaoh that Ark found in the Beltana pyramid was the same thing. He was a Murat who managed the territory of Beltana. Anyway.
“Set has perfectly controlled all the villages on Muratio Star. And if Set occupies all the major cities before the space fleet enters then we’ll have to admit defeat. Because a devil is sleeping underneath Muratio Star’s main city.
“Uhh…..”
The retinue spilled saliva when talking.
But Ark was composed. What was the point of drooling or speaking with a shaking voice? Basak explained in a low voice to an ignorant Ark.
“A long time ago a crisis came to Muratio Star. Hundreds of years ago, the core of Muratio Star suddenly had a nuclear fission reaction and was rapidly collapsing. At that time, a device was installed underneath the major cities of Muratio Star in order to stabilize the core. That device is the devil that they are talking about.”
Ark immediately understood the situation after hearing Basak’s words.
The Murat had the scientific power to destroy an entire power. That scientific power was a double edged sword. It was a power that could deal a fatal blow to themselves. This was why Muratio Star was covered with Abraxas and prohibited the use of any machines that were weapons. A machine equivalent to a weapon would just be a threat to their peaceful world.
That’s why the soldiers in the Muratio Star villages were weaker compared to those in the galaxy. It was also why the space fleet could suppress the rebellion once they arrived on Muratio Star. It wasn’t possible to stop cannons with swords.
But there was a reason Set rebelled. That was the devil core control system that the aristocrat was talking about. It was a device that could collapse the core of Muratio Star. If he occupied all the major cities and took control of the core system then it was no difference from holding Muratio Star hostage.
However Kuhwen’s current power wasn’t strong enough to stop Set from occupying the major cities. They had no choice but to call the space fleet to stop Set’s rebellion.
“This is no different from life or death. We’ve already wasted a day of our valuable time waiting for this human.”
‘…..In the end?’
Ark had an upset expression. They seemed to have already made up their minds about Ark. The repeated attitude of the attendants aggravated him. They were probably like this before Ark even came. These people didn’t know Ark. They were people who knew Ark as Jed. They were unaware that he wasn’t Jed anymore.
Fortunately Ark had a solid foundation. Kuhwen changed from the dirt infested clothes into something inscribed with a hawk.
“I have decided. Tot and Ark isn’t to blame. In addition, it has already happened. Now is now the time to worry about the past. It is better to refrain from any unnecessary words.”
Kuhwen looked at Tot and nodded.
“Tot, go ahead.”
“Hrmm hrmm, understood.”
Tot hit the ground with his staff while coughing lightly. Light spread and sand piled on the table that Kuhwen and his companions were sitting around. And the map soon formed a 3D map. The desert occupied most of the areas but there were also forests and valleys scattered around Muratio Star. Tot pointed to a dark spot and spoke.
“I think we have to pass through here.”
“W-wait? Isn’t that the Valley of Darkness?”
“Oh my god! Tot, are you insane? Don’t you know what type of place the Valley of Darkness is?”
“I’m aware. The Valley of Darkness if a zone infested with dangerous monsters and an unpredictable climate and terrain. Armies have been mobilized several times and they’ve never succeeding in passing through it.”
“Yet you’re still saying that?”
“Right now we only have 80 troops. There are only 30 regular guardsmen. The remaining 50 are the city’s guards. Hundreds of soldiers couldn’t pierce through the Valley of Darkness yet you want to try with just this number?”
“However we still have to go there.”
Tot said in a calm voice.
“It has been 3 days since Set took over and he has already taken over many major cities. Right now we are in the Minaheim neighbourhood. At this rate, it will only be a matter of time until Set takes control of all the cities. The other threat left to Set is Abraxas. So we have to try everything to access the control device.”
“Set doesn’t know that the control system is in Tri-Force.”
“But Set knows that another control device exists. And that it is in one of the scattered Holy Lands. I think this is the main reason why Set’s occupation of the major cities is slower. Perhaps a large number of his forces are mobilized to block all paths to the Holy Lands.”
“But Set won’t think about a route through the Valley of Darkness?”
Kuhwen laughed after hearing Tot’s words.
“Yes, it is such a dangerous place that just hearing the names caused your attendants to jump. If it wasn’t for your Majesty’s lineage of Horus then I would never think it was possible.”
“I guess so.”
Kuhwen nodded his head.
“P-please wait a moment Your Majesty!”
“Yes, the problem isn’t that simple!”
“We have received reports that various soldiers from the cities under attack have escaped and are gathering. Even if we break through the Valley of Darkness, Set’s troops with also be stationed at the Holy Land. The soldiers are moving through various routes to this area so wouldn’t it be safer to move after they join us?”
“I’ve also guessed that Set has stationed soldiers at the Holy Land. However it will take too much time if we wait for the soldiers to gather. So we will set another destination for them. They will join us on the other side of the Valley of Darkness.”
“B-but….”
“If we fail then it is the end of Muratio Star!”
“Set won’t even need to take control of every major city.”
Kuhwen looked around at his entourage before saying in a firm voice.
“I know better than anyone about the meaning of my life after my Royal Father died. But my life is nothing compared to all the people on Muratio Star. Horus exists for the people. To save my life while endangering my people is too outrageous. And……’
Kuhwen looked at Ark and laughed.
“I believe in Ark the Elim’s Heir who has returned.”
Space 4
3 Monkey Brothers
There was a stone hut with dozens of pillars. A man entered the stone hut wearing a helmet that looked like the head of an animal. Then an old man sitting in front of a pillar hurriedly got up and bowed.
“You’ve arrived.”
“I heard those guys have arrived.”
“Yes, some time ago.”
“Show me the video.”
The old man touched a stone pillar with his hands and light spread, causing sand particles to form a video. The video showed a huge number of battleships gathered around a giant planet. The man wearing the beast shaped helmet snorted.
“They arrived quickly.”
“Will we be okay?”
“It should be fine. Abraxas is the Murat’s absolute space ward that will even prevent a fleet containing thousands of ships. If those guys bombard Abraxas then it will last at least a week. That is if they attack.”
It was taboo to attack Abraxas! Using the weapons of the space fleet to attack Abraxas was a criminal offense and was just like rebelling against Horus. Once Horus activated Abraxas, no alien species would be able to step foot on Muratio.
This was the absolute rule that reigned over all laws.
Of course, the space fleet wasn’t dispatched to Muratio Star because they were bored. Regular contact had been broken so an unexpected problem might’ve occurred on their mother planet. But it wasn’t possible for the Pharaohs to go against a law that existed for thousands of years based on simple intuition.
The video floating from the stone pillar showed that. The Pharaoh’s fleet arrived in orbit around Muratio Star but couldn’t move anymore and kept a distance of a few thousand kilometres.
‘This is the limit of the Murat. But I am different from you guys.’
“Block all communication channels. They don’t know about what is happening in Muratio Star so they won’t be able to do anything. We have to pay more attention to Prince Kuhwen.”
The man narrowed his eyes and continued.
“I’ve received information that soldiers from all over are planning to join him to oppose me. Of course, they are unremarkable but if they join Prince Kuhwen then it will become more troublesome then it is now. Even if Prince Kuhwen is leading them, there is no meaning against my army. But I have to use every method possible to catch Prince Kuhwen. Have you receive any reports related to them yet?”
“Chasing parties have been sent all over the place so information should arrive soon.”
“Don’t make me wait too long.”
Red eyes gleamed through the animal helmet. The old man’s face quickly drained of blood and bowed.
“I will do my best, Lord Set!”
“I will see.”
Set spoke with a low voice before turning his body.
————————————-
‘…..Even though…..’
Ark sighed and shook his head.
-I believe in Ark.
Kuhwen had said that before they left. Ark wanted to return all his expectations. He liked the NPC Kuhwen and he also needed to complete the quest in order to escape this place.
“Ark, you couldn’t take formal lessons before the Elim has been killed but the training admitted that you are the Elim’s Heir. So unofficially you are equivalent to an Elim. Although the Elim is an honorary post, as Horus I can give you the right to become the commander. I will leave command of the expedition to you and wish you the best in accomplishing this mission.”
And Kuhwen delegated the power to him. The troops in the expedition consisted of 80 people. Of those, 50 were city guards without proper training and Ark who had fallen into a completely different time and space. Ark couldn’t feel excited.
’80 people. It isn’t a small number but the Valley of Darkness is a place that frightens the nobles just from hearing the name. I don’t know how strong the monsters on Muratio Star are but having 80 troops is no guarantee of safety.’
Actually, the morale of the troops visibly fell when they heard the destination. It was to the extent that Tori and Ferguson were affected by the atmosphere despite not knowing what the Valley of Darkness was.
‘And it isn’t the end once we escape from the Valley of Darkness. According to Tot, Set has stationed soldiers at various Holy Lands. The number of soldiers can’t be confirmed. It might mean a large war in the end.’
Battles was originally Ark’s specialty. But it was different when talking about a war consisting of hundreds or thousands of troops. Fighting alone and fighting while leading troops was completely different.
Of course, Ark also had a lot of experience in fighting large scale battles. But that experience was in New World. He fought in wars in Galaxian on Beltana and Athamas but Ark was just leading a small troop of his own party members.
He didn’t have experience directly fighting hundreds of troops. Furthermore, New World and Galaxian were games with entirely different backdrops. The tactics differed depending on the game.
‘But Kuhwen said there is no one else to take control of the expedition. So I have no choice but to learn how to lead the soldiers in this room.’
Ark focused on this part. No, he wanted to focus on it. But his stress wasn’t easy once the expedition actually began. The cause of his stress was Kuhwen’s attendants, the nobles.
“Pant pant pant. Ah, damn! How long do we have to walk for?”
“I am a noble. Do I have to keep walking in this hot desert?”
“Damn, I can’t move anymore. I’m going to take a break here. Otherwise I will die before reaching the Valley of Darkness. Hey Ark, are you listening to me? Are you trying to kill us?”
The nobles kept on complaining. Ark was dumbstruck.
He had definitely forced them to march non-stop since leaving on the expedition. However the nobles were riding camels. The soldiers were the ones marching on foot in the sizzling desert yet the nobles were the ones complaining. Their behaviour really matched those of aristocrats. Right now Muratio Star was in rebel situation yet these guys were acting like they were going on a cruise?
“Take care of your health. The soldiers are the ones walking but they are still fine. If the soldiers hear people riding a camel saying that then wouldn’t their morale lower?”
Ark quietly told them.
“What? The soldiers? Are we going to be treated just like soldiers?”
“We are the Murat nobility. We are different from the Murat with conventional lineages. Yet the Elim’s Heir dares compare us to common soldiers?”
“This would be hard to ignore even if you are the official Elim!”
“We have a status close to a king so we are much higher than you!”
“Tsk tsk, indeed an uncivilized human. The eyes of a undeveloped human can’t recognize the aristocrats. Entrusting my life to such a person is really miserable.”
…..The nobles swarmed and bit after hearing his words. They didn’t hesitate to make discriminatory remarks about his race. Naturally Kuhwen scolded the aristocrat’s behaviour. The nobles closed their mouths with dissatisfaction but started complaining again once Kuhwen looked away. Ark’s insides seethed with anger as it continued.
‘I’d like to bury them all in the sand but…..’
He knew that they all had considerably high positions based on Basak’s explanation. Even if Kuhwen was Horus, their status meant that he couldn’t easily punish them so the complaints continued. And he braced himself to hear their talk whenever Kuhwen left. Ark wasn’t the one being offended. Jed was to blame for the nobles’ attitudes, not Ark.
“Hyung-nim really has stomached a lot in the meantime. Warriors that can match Hyung-nim can only be counted on one finger. Nevertheless, these nobles who only live in a castle are complaining about uncivilized humans. No. The nobles are acting this way because they are scared of Hyung-nim’s personality. That is why I decided to follow Hyung-nim. But the nobles don’t know Hyung-nim like I do. You just endured it and watched on in silence. The nobles also despise the fact that you have become the Elim’s successor.”
The person called Jed was absolutely a docile character. But that alone wasn’t enough to 100% satisfy the nobles.
‘It is probably the same for Kuhwen. He can’t do anything against the aristocrat’s complaints. They don’t listen to Kuhwen’s scolding even if he is to become the next Horus. Maybe their aim is to delay the marching speed since they don’t want to take my orders.’
He could see their intentions based on the attitudes of the nobles at the shrine. Once again, this was a desperate situation that needed a speedy solution. If Set took control of the major cities on Muratio Star then his rebellion wouldn’t be able to be suppressed even if they released Abraxas. Yet the nobles still objected to going through the shortcut that was the Valley of Darkness.
‘The reason Kuhwen is taking this risk….’
If Set’s revolt succeeded then Kuhwen would be 100% dead anyway. Leaving an heir to Horus alive would just be allowing another rebellion. The situation was so dangerous so how could Kuhwen wait for the volunteer army to arrive?
‘These guys are worried about their own lives instead of Kuhwen’s. The viewpoint of the nobles and Horus is different. Even if Set’s revolt succeeded, there is no guarantee that these nobles would be killed. The power of the nobles is required in order to reign over the villages so Set might try to reconciliate with them instead of killing them. However, if the expedition to the Valley of Darkness is wiped out then the nobles will definitely die. Therefore the Valley of Darkness is more dangerous than the rebellion in the nobles’ minds.’
This was the real reason why the nobles opposed the expedition. Kuhwen was young but intelligent so he probably knew the hearts of the nobles.
This was also why Kuhwen couldn’t treat the nobles harshly. The nobles were Kuhwen’s only supporters at the moment. But there was a chance they could leave the expedition to join Set’s camp and become an enemy. Therefore the nobles possessed a complex position despite Kuhwen being the next Horus.
‘But in this situation, they won’t be the first ones to die. It really is crazy. It isn’t possible to talk to the nobles when their heads are buried in the sand. At this rate, it won’t be possible to arrive at the Valley of Darkness in time let alone their destination. No, this mood will be a problem even if we arrive at the Valley of Darkness.’
Ark examined the soldiers with pained eyes. The soldiers were sweating in the mud while the nobles riding camels were whining.
The soldiers’ morale was low from the nobles’ attitude so this would be dangerous once they reached the Valley of Darkness. Besides, the person called Jed was just a human so the guards ignored him.
Ark was the Elim’s Heir so he commanded the soldier’s respect but they were affected by the nobles’ attitude towards Ark. They didn’t express it plainly like the nobles but their attitude was still impudent.
‘Whether they like it or not, I have to lead the soldiers through the Valley of Darkness and fight the rebels beyond that. But it is impossible to move the troops with this atmosphere. Right now it is possible thanks to Kuhwen but it will be no use in the confusion of battle. The soldiers need to seriously consider me as a commander and follow me in battle. Tactics are an essential part of leading soldiers. But that isn’t the only thing required. I need to get rid of the root cause behind the soldiers’ dislike. I have to change the nobles’ attitudes.’
The problem was how to break the nobles.
‘But……’
Ark worried for a while before turning around quickly. He looked at Tori following in the rear with Ferguson, A and B and smiled.
‘The most direct way is to scare them.’
————————————-
“Event?”
Ferguson blinked his eyes. Ark nodded and replied.
“Yes, I don’t understand it that well but we seemed to have entered another world and time after being sucked into the black hole. It is a world thousands of years ago. We seem to have entered a different dimension due to the influence of the black hole.”
“A different dimension? Is this like the Netherworld in New World?”
“Eh? Netherworld in New World? You guys also played New World?”
“Of course. Huhuhu! We…..”
“W-what is this brat talking about?”
Ferguson quickly covered A’s mouth.
“I don’t know! We haven’t played New World. Netherworld….yes, we saw in on a broadcast.”
He seemed suspicious but it wasn’t important right now.
“Yes, if you look at it from the view of a user then it is similar to the Netherworld of New World. But the system applied is different. You guys, didn’t your equipment and items disappear once you entered this world? That’s because this world is thousands of years ago. You guys were using equipment and items made thousands of years in the future. It can’t exist in this world so it disappeared. Even the spaceship that you were riding disappeared.”
That was the conclusion Ark came to. It was why all of Ark’s items disappeared except for the Elim’s Helmet and Heir’s Sword. Unlike other items, those two items were originally used by the Elim. It wasn’t strange that Jed would have it. From such a perspective, it was ridiculous that Baius’ Shield would be lost but Jed was just the Elim’s Heir.
Anyway……
“What? This world doesn’t have it?”
“Then can you find it?”
“T-that is ridiculous! Do you know how much money those equipment were worth? I invested my entire fortune into those equipment. And that spaceship was prepared with the insurance from the previous spaceship. If I lose this ship then the insurance payout will be terrible!”
Ferguson, A and B screamed in a panic. Ark watched them with irritated eyes and continued.
“Listen to a person’s words until the end! Like I said, we lost items and the ship because they don’t exist in this world. But that doesn’t mean we can’t regain the items and ship.”
“No? There’s a way?”
“Yes, it ‘isn’t here.’ But it still exists in the right time. In other words, if we return to our original time then the ship and items can be found again. In order to do this, we must meet the conditions.”
“Conditions?”
“Moving back to the original time zone.”
“Back to the original….that is simple isn’t it? We just have to die.”
In fact, Ark also had such a plan. The Fairy hadn’t been renewed after coming into this world. No, he hadn’t even seen a Fairy. So if he died he should appear at the last Fairy. In order words, Turan in his original time. If Ark’s hypothesis was correct then he was likely to find his lost items after resurrecting. However there were two problems with this.
The first was that there was no way of knowing if the spaceship that entered the black hole with him would be restored. And the second was that there was no guarantee he could recover the items. If the equipment didn’t return when he died then they would be lost.
‘That is something to consider in the worst case scenario…..’
“T-that’s right.”
Ferguson sighed with relief and nodded. He had no intention of committing suicide.
“As I said, if we return to our original time then it is likely that we can find our items and spaceship. And I already know a way. Right now I have a quest. If I successfully complete this quest then I can get a clue to return to my original time. Then it will be possible to find the spaceship and items that disappeared.”
“R-really?”
“My words are 90% certain. But there’s one problem. It won’t be easy to complete this quest based on the atmosphere. It is hard to explain but there will be a lot of difficulties. The nobles being like this is a problem. So you guys have to be helpful. This quest isn’t just a matter involving one person.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“We aren’t that helpful….”
“No, there is no need to think about it. If we lost our ship and items then we will be no different from beggars. If it is to recover that then we help out without grumbling!”
“Are you serious?”
“As expected from Ferguson!”
Ark laughed as he looked at Ferguson, A and B.
“You promised.”
Ferguson, A and B couldn’t imagine what this would result in.
————————————-
“Kurai-nim.”
Ark approached a complaining noble. Wearing ornaments carved with Egyptian style paintings, Kurai was the highest ranking noble in Kuhwen’s entourage. And he was the mastermind behind Ark’s bullying. Naturally he didn’t look beautiful to Ark. Kurai looked at him with an offended expression.
“What is it?”
“The procession of nobles is slower than the speed of the soldiers. This is detrimental to the soldiers’ morale and we might fall behind schedule.”
“Hoh, that is a fairly heavy handed tone.”
Kurai said with a strange expression.
“So what are you going to do? Do you intend to run behind Kuhwen again? Ah, how frightening. You are the commander so I should listen to you. You’re lashing out. Isn’t that right?”
“Kuk kuk kuk, that’s right.”
The nobles around them laughed. That was also reflected in the eyes of a few soldiers in the area. Then three men approached from behind Ark.
“Ark, are these the people causing you problems?”
The three monkeys gazed at the nobles with serious eyes. They were Ferguson and his brothers A and B. Ferguson, A and B formed fists with their hands.
“Should we take care of these guys?”
“What?”
Ark then turned his body. And he shouted sharply at Ferguson.
“You dare do something like this when I’m here? Do you know who you are talking to? They are the Murat nobility that have power throughout the galaxy. Savage monkeys aren’t allowed to see them!”
“W-hat are you saying? This is against the agreement!”
Ferguson stuttered after he was hit by an uppercut. But Ark stepped on A and B before Ferguson’s words ended and exclaimed.
“What is different? Yes, I was complaining a little bit. Because I was mad at the nobles! Yet how could such a thing happen? They are nobles who control the seat of power. Does it make sense that some monkeys came to hit them?”
Puck puck puck! Puck puck puck! Puck puck puck!
Fists and feet poured onto Ferguson, A and B. Ark’s violence didn’t stop despite the protests of ignorance.
The Murat nobles were baffled.
“Yes! Okay! Frankly, there were also one or two times I was so mad that I wanted to bury the nobles! No, I pushed it down and endured it but there is a bitter taste! But you’re not allowed to do that! They are the nobility! So even I clenched my teeth firmly! Yet you monkeys don’t know your social position and attempted to do something?”
Kwok kwok kwok! Kwok kwok kwok! Kwok kwok kwok!
“Ouch! Ouch! W-wait a minute! S-save me!”
“This bastard, are you multiple? Multiple personality?”
“Ugh! Dammit! If it is like this then I won’t endure it either!”
Ferguson, A and B ran towards Ark with bloody noses. However Ferguson, A and B were basically naked aliens. Meanwhile Ark was equipped with a full set of armour and his lightsaber. No, he didn’t even bother to use his lightsaber.
“What? You want to try me? Haven’t your spirits been rearranged yet?”
Ferguson was hit by a storm of kicks from Ark. That was it for the three monkeys’ insignificant resistance. However Ark’s violence was just beginning. Ark continued aiming his fist at them as the three monkeys fell down.
The Murat nobles looked on anxiously.
“Now will you test my nature? Didn’t I tell you? I have a ton of stress piled up! I endured it firmly despite wanting to bury those nobles! No, I want to run up to them right now and turn them into bloody rice cakes. But I can’t! They are the nobility! Because they are nobles! Yet you stood up and threatened them! Why? Why? Why? Why?”
Sseok sseok sseok! Sseok sseok sseok! Sseok sseok sseok!
It was the sound of the three monkeys being kneaded. The nobles didn’t dare step forward as Ark spoke in a voice full of resentment. It was natural. His bloody fists made Ark look truly evil! An evil spirit! Devil! His reckless violence stopped once the three monkeys’ faces were literally changed into bloody rice cakes.
The Murat nobles were trembling in fear.
“Phew……”
Ark sighed and shook his head. He rested for a bit before looking at the nobles with a refreshed expression. The blood on his face from the monkeys made his smile look even creepier.
“I’m sorry. These savage monkeys didn’t realize their place so I stopped them….please don’t pay too much regard to what I just did. Let’s get back to what I was saying before I was riled up.”
“Eh? No, t-that’s not……”
The nobles stuttered and looked like lost goldfish when faced with Ark.
“Anyway, like I was saying. I hope your speed will quicken a bit more. And perhaps the amount of complaints reduced? Every time I hear it, something seems to snap in my head….ah, no this is a mistake. It will cause problems to the soldiers’ morale every time they hear it. I might be an ignorant human but I am still in charge of the expedition. These words….ah, no this is another mistake. I have to be polite.”
Ark wiped the blood on his face with his sleeve and spoke firmly. The nobles didn’t answer. It wasn’t because they were ignoring Ark. They had ran away on the camel before Ark’s words even ended. Ark glanced at the frantic nobles and laughed.
“These guys needed a good scare to listen to me.”
This was what Ark had aimed for. The people originally didn’t agree with him because they didn’t feel fear. He needed to maximize their fear of being beaten. Ark used the three monkeys in order to induce such fear in the nobles. The cherished their lives so this would have a large effect on the nobles.
–I’ll endure it for now. But I’ll let him know how it tastes like. I’ll show them what cruel things I can do! Your safety won’t be guaranteed after that. So be careful!
The voices of the nobles entered Ark’s ear. But on the surface, the monkeys were punished for being rude to the nobles. Of course they couldn’t tolerate it but in the end the monkeys were the ones punished. If the nobles were intimidated then it was no problem!
“Y-you bastard……”
The one of the bloody rice cakes lifted their head and growled. The face was crushed but it seemed to be Ferguson based on the body.
“You….from the beginning….thought of this…..”
“Ah, are you okay? Thanks for the trouble.”
“T-trouble….you say that now…..”
“What did I do? I just did as promised. Are you going back on your word now that you suffered? And is this just for my benefit? Eh? If this quest is successful then you will also get your ship and items back. To be honest, I didn’t have to go through this trouble. You are the one who dragged my ship into the black hole.”
“You….perhaps….you’ve been holding on to your hostility to get revenge…..”
“I wouldn’t say that but…..”
“What, what the?”
Ferguson, A and B cried out angrily as they ran up to Ark. No, when they were about to run up. Ark frowned while staring at them.
“Think before you act. Eh? Anger surges inside me whenever I think about the black hole. And there wouldn’t be a problem if I kill you now. No, it would be rather helpful. The nobles would become even more frightened. Shouldn’t you be thankful that you were only punched? So please stop talking drivel and endure it with your physical strength.”
“P-physical strength…..”
Ferguson, A and B’s mouths dropped open at Ark’s last words.
“P-perhaps….you plan to do such a thing again?”
“Of course. Don’t you know the mindset of those nobles? This will only have a big effect for one day. So take care in the future as well. ”
Ark smiled pleasantly and turned around. Ark made it clear that he still had a lot of negative feelings remaining towards Ferguson’s party.
If it wasn’t for Ferguson then Ark wouldn’t have entered such a world. And it was still unknown whether he could find his team safely to return to the original world. He had been dragged into the black hole because of Ferguson. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why Ferguson’s party was turned into bloody rice cakes…..
Even if he pretended to forget it 3 seconds later, Ark was the type to store a grudge for 300 years. He intended to pay back this debt many times. While Ark was busy thinking.
“Cough! H-Hyung-nim?”
“I’m scared! This bastard, he is scary!”
“His actions and name is exactly the same!”
“D-don’t cry! Don’t panic! He already said he isn’t that Ark! And we are not the same as before either! We have to listen to him now but it will be different once we return and get our equipment back!”
Ark stopped at Ferguson’s words. It wasn’t due to hearing what their actions would be once they returned to the original world.
‘His actions and name is exactly the same? Is he talking about the name Ark? That reminds me, they asked if I was Ark from New World when we first met on Tatuine. And now they knew about the Netherworld of New World. Based on their words, those guys seem to have met Ark in New World. These guys definitely know me.’
Ark considered before turning around with a pleasant smile. Ferguson, A and B’s bloody forms were embracing each other. Looking at the scene gave him an intense feeling of deja vu! There was no doubt. Ark had witnessed this scene multiple times in New World. The features were different but they were the same three users!
“…..Buksil?”
Ferguson flinched.
“…..Ulmeok? Sapjil?”
Brothers A and B subsequently flinched as a reaction.
They looked at Ark’s face and stuttered.
“H-how did you know those names? D-don’t tell me? I-it can’t be. No? Is it?”
“…..It is like I thought?”
Ark muttered as he bit his lip. He approached the bloody Ferguson, A and B. A cold and eerie voice flowed from Ark’s mouth.
“We finally met. Buk-Ul-Sap! You ungrateful pigs!”
————————————-
“Eh….all of a sudden.”
Ark coughed and started talking. 30 people and 50 guards were gathered in front of him.
“Pretty soon we will arrive in the Valley of darkness. There is no need to explain how dangerous he is. After crossing the Valley of Darkness, there will also be a conflict with Set’s rebels. It won’t be easy but we have to accomplish this mission. If we fail then there will be no hope for Muratio Star. However, we’re not ready to conquer the upcoming trials.”
Ark stopped talking for a moment and examined the approaching soldiers.
“The important thing is cooperating with your colleagues rather than individual ability. And working together is formed through bonds. You are soldiers and guards so you’ve undergone training at a village. But from now, you aren’t guards or soldiers anymore. You are an expedition with one purpose. Therefore it is expected that you will undergo joint training now. But we all know that there isn’t a lot of time. Therefore you will undergo training simultaneously while marching. You can’t allow our pace to slow down while training.”
The three suns were shining down on the steaming hot desert. They trained even when their breaths were clogged up. Despite that, the training didn’t stop while marching. Naturally there were a few complaints. But not one of the complaining soldiers looked at Ark.
The reason why……
This was sudden but Ark had succeeded as an entrepreneur and warrior in New World. Ark created a triangular trade route that was the nucleus of trading. But it was difficult for Ark to participate directly in the business.
After putting the shares in order, Ark withdrew to the position of honorary chairman and left the practical operation to Sid. But he received shocking information from Sid after starting Galaxian. He reported that some merchants in Ark’s operation suddenly disappeared. Ark flew to the warehouse location and looked around before finding a message.
–We have found our freedom. We have sold some goods and received the proper amount of wages from when we were exploited. Don’t look for us. No, you won’t find us!
Ark had trembled in fury. It was continuously nurtured whenever Ark thought about the merchants that disappeared. They embezzles his money and disappeared! The merchant had sold off 3,000 gold worth of goods. And that wasn’t the only damage that Ark’s business received.
The products were unable to be delivered by the due date and he had to pay a penalty sum of 1,500 gold. They suddenly went missing so Ark and Sid had to stay up for several nights fixing the problem.
Their betrayal boiled in his heart! After settling the problem, Ark begun to look for the merchants. The master code determined that their characters hadn’t been deleted yet. However they never connected to the game from then on. Their characters were still left in the server and Ark couldn’t determine their personal information. If he wanted to know their phone number or address then he needed to submit a request for it.
….Anyway.
Ark felt regret whenever he thought about it. He never imagined that he would meet them in a place like this. The place where they met was Muratio Star. Ferguson, A and B. They were the ones who pocketed money from his business in New World. Buksil, Ulmeok and Sapjil who were called the three pig brothers. That’s right. The identity of the three monkeys was the three pig brothers. The moment Ark discovered their identity.
▦, ▩, ▩.
The 3 monkey brothers turned into mosaics. The soldiers’ eyes were focused on Ark when he had been talking about the training. They were focused on the three mosaics piled up next to Ark. Even their original appearance couldn’t be determined anymore. The even scarier thing was that Ark didn’t even lift one eyebrow when committing his actions.
Complaints? Such a thing was impossible.
“Why are you replying?”
“Huh? Ah! Yes! We will do our best!”
The soldiers shouted with surprise after Ark’s question.
“And incidentally, the schedule is a little bit slow so I would like to raise the marching speed. Don’t disappoint me, eh?”
“We will do as you want. Follow. For Muratio Star and His Royal Highness!”
Kurai and the other nobles nodded in agreement. Controlling the public through fear. This would cause many problems in the long term but Ark would only be in this world for a short time. There was nothing to worry about once he completed the quest and returned to his original world. That’s how Ark was able to completely control the expedition one day after departing.
-New special stat [Leadership] has been created.
<This stat has been produced by commanding 90% of the troops. Leadership is sometimes more important than strategy in a battle with troops. No matter how wonderful a strategy is devised, it is insignificant if the troops don’t move properly.
The higher your Leadership stat, the more soldiers will follow your commands. There won’t be a large difference in the early stages but you will gradually see a difference when leading soldiers.
Leadership will rise every time you discipline your troops. However, going overboard with discipline can make the soldiers’ morale fall (Leadership +10)>
A new special stat! However Ark wasn’t satisfied yet.
‘This isn’t enough to heal the wound I received!’
Ark gazed at the people he turned into mosaics. Confusion spread over the faces of Kuhwen and Tot who were watching.
“Didn’t Ark seem to have changed his character as well as his name?”
“I-it seems like it. This guy…..”
Then Basak cut in with a flushed face.
“Don’t the two of you know? Hyung-nim has a mild nature. When the aristocrats or guards ignored him, he just endured it silently. How can his personality suddenly change after losing his memories? Hyung-nim….Hyung-nim is determined. He knows that the fate of Kuhwen and Muratio Star is hanging on this moment so he has decided to be the devil!”
Basak sobbed as he spoke.
“Even if he suffers criticism! Even if he is blamed! Even if he is feared by the nobles and soldiers! He will still do it. Hyung-nim will live his life in disguise! The monkeys didn’t resist because they understood Hyung-nim’s noble intentions. They are his confidants! Keok Hyung-nim, I’m a guy dumber than a monkey! Hyung-nim!”
-Basak’s loyalty has increased by 200……
Basak’s loyalty rose by itself. However the hamster who stuck beside Kuhwen while playing the role of a pet knew the truth.
‘Stop playing around. That is his true character! He isn’t disguised as a devil but is the devil itself. Hah those pitiful monkeys, they don’t understand but their lives have ended now that they’re caught.’
The march continued like that.
Space 5
Valley of Darkness
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Ark panted as he looked around. The Valley of Darkness was surrounded by dark brown rocky mountains. They had steadily marched approximately 70 kilometres for 2 days and finally entered the Valley of Darkness. Ark’s impression as he stepped foot into the Valley of Darkness that caused the nobles to jump even hearing the name….
‘What? It isn’t that big of a deal?’
The nobles were so fearful that Ark thought it was a monster infested place. That’s why he turned the 3 monkey brothers into bloody rice cakes as a form of military discipline. But it felt like he could relax once they actually arrived at the Valley of Darkness.
A monster had emerged. However it was only a small monster level 60~70. It would be simple even if a lot came out at once. They weren’t enough to even act as a food supplement.
‘Now we can get a good night’s sleep after marching through scorching sunshine….’
It was a relaxing feeling. But that was Ark’s mistake.
“The sun is starting to set. Hyung-nim, be careful. Now the Valley of Darkness will show its true form. The beings inside the Valley of Darkness hide from Ra, Shu and Tefnut. Without Ra, Shu and Tefnut’s protection, night time is when we should be most afraid.”
Basak grabbed his shield with a tense expression as it became evening. Even the nobles and soldiers were the same. They became increasingly silent and their faces became heavy as it became darker.
And….they began to appear.
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
It was enough to shave their nerves away! An extravagant number of creatures started to climb out. At the same time, the soldiers started moaning and screaming.
“A-Ant! The Great Ant!”
The Great Ant. Just like the name, it was a monster that looked like an ant and was the size of a person. The mob of ants covered the entire valley.
“Huk! Circle formation! Organize a circle formation!”
He was glad that he forcefully trained the soldiers. The soldiers scared of Ark quickly obeyed his order and formed a circle. Even if the reaction was a little late, they managed to form it before the group of Ants swarmed over them. Once the battle formation was used, Ark had a certain degree of space to recover.
“Launch the plasma bullets ahead of you!”
The soldiers lifted the swords in unison at the command. The weapon in their hand was a curved sword based on the Shotel called ‘?’ It was a sword used in Ancient Egypt in order to avoid the enemies’ shields. But that was a trick. These were weapons that the Murat created based on the Ancient Egyptians but the real use was something separate.
Pajijijik!
A sphere of light formed in the centre of the ‘?’ causing sparks. The light sphere shot out from the soldiers’ swords. This was the real usage! The ‘?’ was a sword but electromagnetic energy could be accelerated in order to shoot plasma bullets at the enemy. The shocking truth had become clear!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Anyway, the power of the plasma bullet was no joke. It contained the destructive power equivalent to a RPG. The speed was faster than a RPG and there was also a blade so it could be used as an all-round weapon! This was the natural weapon of the Murat soldiers as they rode camels through the desert.
However…..
“Dammit, this isn’t enough.”
Ark looked at the place where the flames passed and bit his lip. The soldiers’ plasma bombing had smashed 100 Ants. But that wasn’t even 10% of the number of Ants. There were still Ants crawling out from the stone mountains. It was literally a colony of ants!
“What? These guys? How many of them are hiding?”
“The late Horus mobilized troops many times in order to subdue the Valley of Darkness. But he judged that the Ants could multiply infinitely and gave up. It is impossible for us to wipe out the Ants. Fortunately the Ants are monsters who only take action at night. We just need to hold out until morning!”
“H-hold up until morning in this state?”
Kukukuku….kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The expedition force cried out at the same time as they were enveloped by the Ants. Once the close combat fighting started, the different between the guards and soldiers started showing. The guards instantly blocked the attacks while the soldiers were pushed back. Several guards were covered by the liquid squirted by the Ants and fell down petrified.
‘Oh my god! Those guys will never end? We have to continue fighting until morning? Damn, I am an amnesia patient! How would I know this information? Why didn’t Kuhwen or Tot tell me such important information? If I knew beforehand then I would’ve opposed like the nobles as well! No, now isn’t the time to think about that. We have already stepped foot into the Valley of Darkness at night. If the formation collapses then we will be instantly wiped out!’
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark transferred his body and wielded his sword. The sword flew forward like a storm. And Ark plunged towards the Ants thought the opened defense line.
Wiing! Wiiing! Buuuuong!
There were continuous explosions of light. Green fluid gushed out around Ark as the Ants died. Then he was hit by a transparent liquid launched from an Ant behind him.
-You have been hit by the Ant’s formic acid!
Formic acid is a liquid formed within the Ants that can cause a strong feeling of numbness.
The formic acid has paralyzed your body for 10 seconds>
“Keok! T-this….”
It was the reason why the soldiers fell down! The Ant’s body generated formic acid which numbed Ark’s body. Meanwhile the Ants crossed over the corpses and started to cut Ark with their small molars. No, the moment they were about to!
“Hyung-nim!”
Basak cried out and plunged towards him. He raised his shield with both hands and shouted.
“I won’t let one hair on Hyung-nim’s head be touched as long as I still live! Burning Shield!”
Pepepepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A huge explosion occurred around the shield. The shells of the Ants surrounding him sizzled and they shrieked while running away. Ark learned this a while ago but Basak was the person who succeeded in obtaining the role of Guardian. That’s why Basak plunged in when Ark was in danger.
Apart from various other shield skills, his guardian defense skill known as ‘Impregnable Wall’ had reached Lv. 5 Master. Basak interrupted the Ants’ offensive and prevented all attacks from hitting Ark with his shield.
“Hyung-nim, are you okay?”
‘Damn, why couldn’t I meet this guy in the original world?’
Basak was a NPC that only existed in this time zone. He was valuable but couldn’t come along when Ark left. But now wasn’t the time for thoughts like that. If he threw away this chance then it might not be possible to return to his original time. No, he didn’t know if he could get back the items and ship that he lost. Now he only needed to focus on remaining alive.
“Thank you. I am fine.”
Ark raised his body after the paralysis wore off. And he looked over the battlefield with Basak. The Ants were covering the environment in a sea of black but the troops were faring quite well. The reason why that was possible was surprisingly due to the nobles.
“Come out, Shire!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Protection Om!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Grace Phantom Veil!”
The nobles drew crests from light in the air! Once again, Ark’s Rune Carving was originally a technique of the Murat. The thing that Ark didn’t know was that only nobles could use the Shire. A Murat who could use Shire meant that they were a noble.
Anyway, the nobles used Rune Carving!
-Rune Carving: Om has been used.
<The defense of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour>
-Rune Carving: Phantom Veil has been used.
<The evasion ability of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour….>
Various messages rose as the nobles activated the skill and used buffs. The stats of Ark, Basak and the troops rose! The nobles also used runes that did wide area damage to the Ants as well as the Ikram rune to create hell hounds. However their technique had a higher rating than Ark’s so three or four hell hounds were created from each corpse.
‘I thought they were just nobles but…..’
As expected from the Murat’s aristocracy. The higher position Murat could use stronger runes. Therefore there was one person with the strongest runes!
“Rune Carving, Ankh!”
A huge rune floated over Kuhwen’s head. It was the Ankh rune in the form of a cross shape!
-Rune Carving: Ankh has been used.
<All allies within 500 metres will have their health recover by 1,000. There will be an addition recovery of 500 health over 3 minutes>
This was the rune used by Prince Kuhwen! This was the crucial reason why the soldiers could hold up against the human wave tactics of the Ants.
But there was a fatal weakness to this skill. Recovery skills sharply increased the hostility of the monsters. The Ants that were attacking the soldiers shrieked and suddenly rushed towards Kuhwen.
“The formation on the right side has collapsed!”
“The Ants have entered the formation!”
Ark flinched and turned around. He saw the Ants ignoring the soldiers and rushing towards Kuhwen.
“Damn! That charge is dangerous! Basak, follow me!” Sonic Sword!”
Ark pushed back the Ants and ran towards Kuhwen. But Ark could only travel a short distance before being blocked by another group of Ants. It was impossible…..
“I won’t let you touch one hair on Kuhwen!”
“We are here!”
“Go! Ohhhhhh! Monkey Barrier!”
Ferguson, A and B formed a barrier in front of Kuhwen. If he had to explain it, Tori and Ferguson’s party also had a critical role.
Tori has no combat ability so he was given to Kuhwen. He might be XX but his appearance looked like a hamster. In addition to cats and dogs, it was a common species sold as pets. Therefore Kuhwen was quite satisfied with Tori.
The problem was Ferguson, A and B. Ferguson, A and B were fairly good users. When he met them instead of his team members, Ark wasn’t disappointed and was actually glad. They were stupid but had combat power so it was possible to use them. However there were two problems with this.
The first was the nobles’ opposition. Ark was a person from the future but he still looked like Jed unlike Ferguson. Their original form also looked like a monkey so it was shocking. Therefore the nobles opposed giving weapons to an unknown alien species.
And the second more decisive reason was…..
‘What? These guys?’
Ark persuaded the nobles and managed to give Ferguson’s party weapons. Ark wouldn’t let them refuse their plan. He knew the proficiency of Ferguson, A and B.
‘They kept on pouring out bullets excessively against the Kero Clan on the grey planet. Their combat power was really large at the time so I didn’t argue against bringing them along. Yet the reason they seemed strong was due to their equipment.’
The monkeys’ secret had become clear! The monkeys could fight but they relied on their weapons. They could demonstrate the power equivalent to high level guards. But their abilities now wasn’t enough to overcome the nobles’ opposition to enter the war. Ark gave them a different mission instead.
“You guys don’t have to fight in the battle. You will have armour instead of weapon. Put on this armour and act as the shield for Prince Kuhwen.”
“N–no weapons and just a shield?”
“The shield is extra. There is no need for weapons. So just focus on defense.”
“T-then are you telling us to sacrifice our bodies!”
“That’s right.”
Ark smiled and nodded.
“I told you. Don’t you want to return to our original world? Prince Kuhwen is the core figure in this quest. It will be a problem if he dies. We absolutely must not let him die….you understand? If Kuhwen is damaged at all then after the battle you will receive one injury for each damage. Keep this in mind. I still haven’t forgotten about you misappropriating my funds or the anchor in my spaceship.”
That’s why Ferguson bravely (?) stepped in front of the Ants. One hit from the Ants would deal with 150~200 damage. In other words, if Kuhwen was hit then Ferguson would receive 150~200 damage from Ark later.
Snap!
“Ugh! So painful!”
“E-endure it! It is better to be hit by the Ants!”
“Yes, I can’t be turned into a mosaic by Ark-nim again! Endure!”
Ferguson, A and B bit their lips and endured the Ants. Please pay attention to the fact that Ferguson was calling Ark ‘Ark-nim’ now. They had been under Ark’s control in New World for two years. They won freedom and escaped only to be captured by Ark again once they entered the galaxy. They were like Son Goku in the palm of Buddha. When thinking back to the beginning, Ferguson’s problem was that they chose Son Goku’s species…..Anyway Ferguson, A and B once again became Ark’s slaves the moment they became mosaics.
This was destiny! Destiny!
‘It isn’t possible! As long as we play a game, it is impossible to escape from this man’s hand!’
And…..
“Phew, good work.”
“Ah, no. It isn’t that hard!”
“We are Ark-nim’s loyal monkeys!”
“Please look favourably on us! If possible, forget about the old memories!”
Ferguson, A and B raised bloody thumbs towards Ark. The monkeys were unfortunate but had to accept their destiny. Anyway, that wasn’t Ark’s business at the moment…..
‘The formation is getting worse.’
Ark surveyed the battlefield and bit his lip.
They were only able to stop the Ants with Kuhwen and the nobles’ support. After fighting for several hours, 10 guards had died and that left a heavy burden on the remaining soldiers.
‘But there is no room to give up. The only way is to endure. This circle formation is difficult for that. It will become disadvantageous over time as the soldiers fight without any breaks. We have to throw the weight on the side where the Ants are mostly coming from. The defense area will narrow and there will be some room for the soldiers to rest.’
“Change the formation to two circles!”
Ark commanded and the soldiers switched to a two circle formation. This formation changed from ○ to two rows of circles ◎ . There were limited troops to form two lines so the formation size was smaller but it allowed the soldiers inside the defense to rest for a short moment. Of course, the soldiers on the inside location weren’t just sitting back and relaxing.
“Plasma shot!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
There was a continuous flood of lights. They continuously swapped with the soldiers in the front and poured out plasma bullets. There was a harmony in the front with the soldiers who fought as they swapped back and rested while firing plasma bullets. The bodies of the Ants piled up like mountains after that tactic was used. And every corpse was converted into experience.
-Your level has risen!
Ark and the soldiers levelled up. But Ark didn’t even have room to confirm the messages. Like Basak said, the number of Ants in the Valley of Darkness was infinite. If they kill 10 then 10 would replace them, 100 then 100 would come back without any room to breathe. Their health was maintained thanks to Kuhwen but they were became really tired. Luckily the rotation period of Muratio Star was very short.
They had been fighting the Ants for 6 hours.
“L-Light!”
“The suns are coming up!”
“Ooh! For the honour of Ra, Shu and Tefnut!”
The soldiers shouted with thrilled voices. The scene of the 3 suns floating above the brown mountains was reflected in their eyes. When the light hit them, the Ants screamed and scattered. And peace returned like a lie.
“Suns…..!”
Ark’s heart beat forcefully. The Murat were a species that spread to different civilizations over thousands of years. He thought it was amazing that such a species worshipped the suns as gods but now he saw why.
But the damage received was so large that he couldn’t rejoice. Ark had ran around giving support for 6 hours but 3 guards and 14 soldiers died for a total of 17 casualties. Moreover, this was just the beginning of the Valley of Darkness.
He now understood why the soldiers and nobles freaked out just hearing the name Valley of Darkness.
‘But if we change the path now then all the major cities of Muratio Star will be taken over before we reach Tri-Force. No matter how hard it is, we just have to overcome it. There is no other place to go but forward.’
“Check your gear quickly!”
Ark shouted to the soldiers that survived.
“I know you’re tired from staying up all night and fighting. However when the sun is up is the only time for us to march. We can’t be ambushed by the Ants. So quickly put everything in order and march. Then you can have a break.”
Ark encouraged the tired soldiers to advance immediately. This time the soldiers and nobles didn’t complain at all.
Unlike when they were travelling through the leisurely desert but now they were facing the dreaded Ants with their survival at stake. That’s why they marched without any delay! March! March!
They only rested for 1 hour around evening. When the sun set, the Ants’ assault would begin. They marched without a break during the day before facing the colony of Ants at night. Before night came, Ark would assemble the formation in a favourable terrain to face the Ants.
And when day broke then they marched once again! March! March!
Muratio Star had a day length of 12 hours so the soldiers looked like zombies after 2 days passed. However they never complained. It was inevitable if they wanted to live and Ark also showed his tenacity. Ark didn’t even take the 1 hour break.
Naturally there was a reason for it. Once again, Muratio Star was the home for the Murat’s Elim. And Ark was travelling with the Elim’s spiritual mentor Tot. In the original world Xanax had disappeared so this was a great chance for Ark to learn some Elim skills.
‘If the quest proceeds then I can return to the original world but there is no guarantee it will succeed or fail. And if it is successful then I will have to leave this place. I don’t know if I can take items from here but there is a high probability that I can keep experience and skills. So I have to use this opportunity to learn. I can sleep at any time!’
Ark started skill hunting after getting that idea. Of course he went to Tot first.
“Never losing the will to learn even under these circumstances is indeed an attitude worthy of an Elim’s Heir. Okay. Originally more procedures were required but the situation being as it is, I am willing to teach the Elim’s techniques. Now, take a look!”
Tot narrowed his eyes and stretched out his arm. And a stone in the area floated up into the air. The stone moved in circles as Tot moved his hands and laughed.
“How about it? This is a power that has been transmitted through generations of the Elim, Psychokinesis. Isn’t it good?”
…..He had already reached intermediate level in this skill.
“What? You can use it already? No, didn’t you just recently become an Elim? Uhh, you really are fearful. You awakened the power of Force and Psychokinesis as soon as you became the Elim’s Heir! My eyes were definitely correct. I knew I detected a strong Force within you. It is like you are really destined to become an Elim.”
He sat down in a parody of Yoda.
“Isn’t there something else?”
“Something else? What did you say?”
“Doesn’t Tot-nim have any other technique?”
“Then what about Elim’s Heart? That changes Mana into Force…..”
“You also understand that?”
“Uhh, you really are dreadful to realize such things alone. If you know that then I don’t have anything else to teach. I am the spiritual mentor so I only teach things regarding the mental area of Force. There is another teacher for sword techniques. Why else did I make you the Elim’s successor? You can visit the other mentors after the rebellion is stopped.”
Tot said with a hurt expression. On the other hand, Ark’s expectant expression turned to disappointment.
“Sheesh you brat, why are you looking like that?”
Tot waved his hands with irritation. And the stone floating in the air shattered?
“Eh? W-What is that? That occurrence just then?”
“What? This? This….eh? You don’t know this? Hehehe! I see. You don’t know! Huhuhu, that’s right. It is impossible for someone who just became an Elim’s Heir to know everything. Phew. That’s lucky. No, that is different. Hrmm hrmm, good. If you really want to then I’ll teach you this technique.”
Tot said with a mock serious expression. Since then, Ark didn’t sleep and learnt the new skill that Tot taught him. Day and night changed in the Valley of Darkness and he finally registered the skill after one revolution.
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Break Kinesis (Users, Active): You learnt the skill after travelling through time and space and meeting the Elim’s spiritual mentor Tot. Break Kinesis is a variation of Psychokinesis and deals damage to the target or enemy. Force is used to deal a cohesive blow to the target so the damage isn’t large but it is a technique with a high probability of hitting. This technique is only available for those who know Psychokinesis and needs to be learnt through a mentor.
<All objects close to the target will receive a blow>
Force consumption: 70
He was able to confirm the effect immediately.
“Break Kinesis!”
He used it on the Ants once they attacked and he lost his balance. When the skill was triggered, the Ant’s leg exploded and it stumbled. It was 1/10th of the damage dealt by a sword. It seemed very weak compared to the Force consumed but it was possible to activate just by looking at the target and could be used for surprise attacks.
Ark’s skill hunting didn’t end there.
“You want to learn some runes?”
Kuhwen asked with a surprised expression.
The rune itself was meaningless. The rune was just a vehicle to manifest the power of the Shire. And the Shire is something that only the Murat nobility could use. This power was passed down through their descendants. However, Ark had found a Pharaoh on Beltana and absorbed the Shire. And he had learnt the Ikram, Immortal and Kuon runes. In other words, he would have no trouble learning new runes!
And the Murat nobles helped through Rune Carving. But the nobles didn’t have a good impression of Ark so he went to Kuhwen from the beginning.
‘Huhuhu, the rune Kuhwen used against the Ants are a lot stronger than the nobles. Isn’t it almost like a large recovery skill? It would be a perfect jackpot even if I only learn the rune to restore 1,000 health!’
But Galaxian wasn’t that superficial of a game.
“I don’t mean to be derogatory but it is already amazing that a human can use the Shire. It isn’t difficult to slowly teach the runes. It isn’t a secret if you know can use the Shire. I would like to give you all the runes if possible but the amount of Shire you have is too minimal. It is impossible for you to manifest the Shire with the rune that I use.”
Kuhwen explained about the Shire and runes. Ark hadn’t paid attention so far but the Shire also had a numerical value like mana or mental power. It was decided by the number of times Shire had been absorbed and most nobles had absorbed it 20 times. Royalty like Kuhwen absorbed it 50 times!
On the other hand, Ark had only absorbed the Shire 2 times so it was impossible for him to use the top levels runes of Kuhwen and the nobles. In addition, those runes required at least several months training in order to be successfully learnt.
Ark was able to acquire the Ikram and Immortal runes because they were stamped in the Shire and he had absorbed it. In other words, Ark wasn’t at the standard to learn from Kuhwen or the nobles.
An information window floated in front of him after the shocking information!
-You have acquired undisclosed information about the ancient alien species called the Murat.
The universe has a long history and many alien civilizations have grown and declined.
Finding undisclosed information can help illuminate the history of the universe. Hidden alien artefacts or technology can play a decisive role.
<You have acquired information about the Shire and Rune Carving from Kuhwen>
+ Information about the ancient alien species Murat (4/15).
+ You have obtained 300 Adventure points for acquiring information about the Murat.
+ You have gained 5 Intelligence for acquiring information about the Murat.
‘Damn….!’
Naturally he was angry. But it wasn’t like he had no income.
“However I can teach you some simple things. It isn’t used by the nobles but runes that everyone knows so you should be able to use it.”
That’s how he learnt a new rune.
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Rune Carving- Hwairam (Users, Active): This rune will cause an earthquake within 100 metres like a giant with huge feet is walking. But the earthquake is at the level of a light vibration. Kuhwen says that this rune is often used to create mischief in the palace.
<Mana consumption: 200>
-A new skill (Common Occupation ☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Rune Carving- Kuem Radon (Users, Active): Prince Kuhwen often likes to sneak out of the castle. This Kuem Radon rune is useful for that. When the Kuem rune is invoked, a third eye will be created that will enable you to see the surrounding circumstances from above. However, the weakness is that it will only last for 1 minute.
<Mana consumption: 150>
Rune Carving was registered as 3 star thanks to the rarity of each of the runes. Like Kuhwen said, the actual effects weren’t that serious. They were simple skills that shook the earth and scouted the area. But Ark wasn’t disappointed. It was more important to learn how to use the skill. Furthermore, it was free so Ark gladly accepted the skills.
A couple of days passed like that!
“…….”
“Hyung-nim, what are you doing?”
Ark opened his eyes as he heard Basak’s voice. At the same time, a giant Ant was rushing towards him with bared fangs. Basak blocked the Ant with his shield as it prepared to attack Ark.
“Hyung-nim, are you okay?”
“Ah, I-I’m okay. You saved me.”
Ark calmed down and raised his body.
‘Pant pant! H-how surprising. I almost died. I thought I just closed my eyes for a little bit but I was actually sleeping. Damn, I used to be able to stay up three days and nights so did I grow old?’
It was reasonable.
He hadn’t slept properly since entering the Valley of Darkness. In fact, it was the same even before he entered the Valley of Darkness. He only slept 4~5 hours when crossing the desert of Muratio Star thanks to its 12 hour days. And now he had stayed up all night for two days.
‘It is fortunate that we reached this spot.’
Ark regained his spirit and looked around.
Pajijijik! Pepeng-! Pepeng-! Pepeng-!
The soldiers were in their formation and fighting against the Ants.
They had been constantly marching and fighting the Ants over the last two days so the soldiers were exhausted. The number had also reduced a lot and there were only 40 people remaining. But now they could fare better against the Ants.
After the first ambush, Ark started to prepare the formation in a strategically advantageous location. In addition, the soldiers repeated the battle every night so they were used to dealing with the Ants. And now they were a mere 10 kilometres remaining from the exit.
‘This is the last time. Once this battle finishes then we can leave the valley. After that we have to hurry but there is still some room. I’ve already learnt the skills so I can afford to sleep for 3~4 hours.’
He wanted to ZZZZ in a warm duvet! Just imagining it caused a happy mood.
“….Hah!” W-what am I thinking? My spirit almost flew to Andromeda again! N-no! If I die here then all the experience will fly away. Steady yourself, Ark! There is only 1 hour left until the sun rises! I have to hold on until then!”
Ark rubbed his eyes and motivated himself.
“Eh? What?”
Ark’s eyes widened.
There was a small light glittering on the ridge opposite him. It wasn’t a clear light. It flickered like a small light bulb through opaque glass but Ark had a weird feeling.
‘The light flashes periodically and it isn’t from the stars. It is an artificial light. And it is wrapped in a transparent membrane like it is meant for stealth! It feels like when I see through Stealth using Clairvoyance. In other words, that is an object with the stealth function. It is dark yet it is just watching as we fight the Ant. Then that is probably….’
Ark considered the situation before turning around and shouting.
“Back row! Aim your plasma shots in the 3 o’clock direction!”
The soldiers turned towards the area Ark indicated and fired their plasma bullets. The plasma bullets flew towards the object but didn’t hit it properly. However, two of the shots exploded and hit the target. Sparks flew and a small, round object was revealed after the explosion. Basak shouted with a surprised expression.
“Fly Ranger!”
“Set! It is Set’s Fly Ranger!”
It was the first time he heard those words but Ark could tell what it was for straight away. A Fly Ranger was probably similar to a UAV. And the one monitoring the expedition with the Fly Ranger was the rebellion leader Set!
“Shoot! Shoot before that information is submitted to Set!”
Pajijijik! Pajijijik! Pajijijik!
The soldiers simultaneously fired their plasma shots. However the Fly Ranger was a considerable distance away.
It had changed directions and ran away as soon as Stealth was released. It was hit by 1 plasma bullet but the Fly Ranger only wobbled before flying out of range. The expedition was surrounded by Ants so they couldn’t pursue it.
“T-This is serious!”
“We deliberately chose the Valley of Darkness to avoid Set’s eyes…..”
“In the end, all that effort was in vain?”
Kuhwen and Tot sighed with disappointment.
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
The successive sound of gun shots suddenly rang out in the darkness. Then smoke started to pour from the escaping Fly Ranger.
At that time, hundreds of people surfaced along the mountain ridge. And one of the guys jumped down towards the smoking Fly Ranger. There was the sparkle of two swords of light!
Snap! Snap! Pepeng-! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a roar as the Fly Ranger exploded. The shattered fragments of the Fly Ranger scattered as the person landed on the ground. Ark looked at the moving cloak with a sinking feeling.
“Eek? Y-you?”
This voice is?” Are you Ark?”
The man turned towards their direction. The one eyed man wearing the cloak with a blue skeleton was clearly Hawk.
Space 6
Ark x Hawk
“Look!”
“The 3rd Corps marching south have knocked out the fifth city.”
“Majimakaji resisted until the end but it was taken.”
“The 1st and 2nd Corps are currently engaging in the north and west.”
“Among the 30 major cities, 22 have currently been taken over by our revolutionary army.”
There was a stone hut with dozens of pillars. Soldiers circled in front of the pillars showing 3D images and continuously made reports.
A man was sitting down in the centre of that stone hut. Wearing a helmet in the form of a bizarre beast, the man was Set the rebel commander.
“Now there are 8 cities remaining…..”
Set stroked his jaw and muttered. The communication officers were reporting successful coups to Set.
He couldn’t destroy all the Murat fleet floating in space even after occupying all the cities. But the original military power on Muratio Star was trivial. The whole planet was unified and there was the absolute space ward Abraxas so a large military presence on the planet wasn’t needed.
Muratio Star only had the Zodiac Garrison that was fully equipped. Yet the Zodiac Garrison was the one that rebelled. Naturally the coup proceeded steadily as planned.
The beginning of the coup took care of Horus and the Elim at the same time. And now 22 out of 30 cities were taken. If they occupied 8 more cities then the coup would succeed. Muratio Star would then fully fall into Set’s hands. If only there wasn’t one variable.
“Abraxas….”
Abraxas was a double edged sword to Set. Set was able to start the coup thanks to the presence of Abraxas. But if Prince Kuhwen released Abraxas before all 30 cities were occupied then the rebellion would fail. Set and the rebel army would be turned to dust by the space fleet.
‘My mistake. I should’ve taken care of Prince Kuhwen first. I never expected that Horus would give an order for the prince to go on a pilgrimage. That means Horus must’ve noticed my plans to a certain degree.’
“Set-nim!”
A communications soldier turned his head and shouted.
“The signal of Fly Ranger no. 32 has just been cut.”
“The reason?”
“That information isn’t confirmed yet. Show the last video sent by unit no. 32.”
The communications soldier activated a symbol carved on the stone pillar. Then sand particles gathered and formed a 3D image. The video showed hundreds of Ants. And dozens of soldiers were fighting against the Ants. Set narrowed his eyes as he looked at the video before shouting.
“Prince Kuhwen!”
In the centre of the soldiers was a boy. He was the only person who could reverse the coup right now, Prince Kuhwen.
“The location is X-289, Y-3029. It is the north side of the Valley of Darkness!”
“The Holy Land around there?”
“The closest Holy Land is Tri-Force.”
“Tri-Force….is the 2nd Abraxas control unit there?”
A red light emerged from Set’s helmet.
“Who is guarding Tri-Force?”
“The 2nd unit belonging to Colonel Nemet is stationed there.”
“Tell Nemet that Kuhwen is heading there. And gather my unit immediately.”
Set turned and walked out of the stone hut while shouting.
“I am coming to Tri-Force directly!”
————————————-
On the other hand.
“Dammit!”
There was a man who failed in a coup. The man who frowned while sucking on a cigarette was Lee Myung-ryong.
A few days ago a lid had opened for Lee Myung-ryong. The reason Lee Myung-ryong had thrown himself into the Lucifer Hunting was because the country was at stake. He didn’t doubt that the group was working to hunt Lucifer. This was related to a nuclear power plant explosion. Who would let their personal circumstances interrupt?
He was mistaken. There was a fierce war going on between the Prime Minister and Nation Defense office so the two teams didn’t exchange any information. Lee Myung-ryong only noticed it after reading some reports.
When he looked for it, there wasn’t just one or two incidents. Team members divided into the NIS or the Prime Minister’s office hid information and sometimes even interfered with each other.
‘I need to break that immediately!’
Lee Myung-ryong wasn’t an irresponsible person to just give up. If he didn’t break it now then the behaviour would just increase. Thus Lee Myung-ryong stayed up several days and nights collecting the related materials. Then he reported the performance of the two teams at a Lucifer Hunting meeting.
“Please tell me clearly!”
The answer to Lee Myung-ryong’s effort…..
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why are you questioning us about this?”
“Are you saying that we’re doing this deliberately? We didn’t know about this. It is a problem if there isn’t any unity between team members but shouldn’t you solve the problem? Isn’t that your position as advisor?”
“Or? Is there any evidence that we gave orders for such a thing?”
“If you have it then bring it out. We want to see it.”
A national emergency was being interrupted by a quarrel but now he was being put in a corner. Something broke in Lee Myung-ryong’s mind after hearing those words.
He wanted to jump onto the table and kick the jaw of the Prime Minister’s Office Director and Department of Defense Director until they got a fracture that required spending 8 weeks recovering. After that, he would beat them in the face until they would become unrecognizable for 12 weeks.
…..That was inside Lee Myung-ryong’s brain.
But Lee Myung-ryong had no choice but to endure it. It was because the various problems would probably get even worse. No, to be honest he wouldn’t have hesitated but he had a talk with Kang Ho-cheol before he entered the conference room.
“Hyung-nim, I know what Hyung-nim is thinking but please be patient. The guys in the meeting room are the ones who hired Hyung-nim. And those cheap bastards won’t agree with you. Then what next? Right now Hyung-nim is the only one that can lead the Lucifer Hunting team. What is they change Hyung-nim? And I belong to the NIS but I also have no choice but to listen to the Prime Minister’s office. The Lucifer Hunting team will become worse if you leave. So please look for other ways. This is a request.”
‘Other methods…..’
Something else appeared in Lee Myung-ryong’s head. There was still hope. Hyun-woo was his beloved student who was also familiar with the game. Lee Myung-ryong wanted to ask him about Lucifer.
However! However! However!
-The customer can’t receive your call right now so please call back after a while.
He heard that message every time he called.
“Dammit! My temper! It can’t be like this. I should go and visit him directly. If Hyun-woo didn’t lose his phone then he will die by my hands.”
Lee Myung-ryong put out his cigarette and got up.
————————————-
“H-Hyung-nim?”
“It really is Hyung-nim!”
A bunch of guys flocked to Ark.
Kurakan, Ellain, Hegel, Milan, Berad, Kalliben, Cupa, Hedro and the other employees of Dark Eden ran towards him with tears streaming down their faces. Following behind them was Kaya, Park and Sadain. Slayer, Leon, Melina and Rapid also caught his eye.
They suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“Stop! Who are you?”
Someone interrupted just before there was an emotional reunion between Ark and his team members. A giant with black skin stood in front of them.
“Hyung-nim isn’t a person that everyone can meet. Hyung-nim is the leader of the expedition that guards Prince Kuhwen and the Elim’s successor. If you want to meet him then you have to clarify your status and request to me first.”
“What? This black body?”
“Why is he acting this smug in front of Hyung-nim?”
Berad and Cupa who boasted the best body in Dark Eden approached with unpleasant expressions. Then the huge figure held up his shield and replied.
“I am the guardian Basak! Ark hyung-nim’s most faithful subordinate!”
“You can’t just say that.”
One man pushed between Berad and Cupa while speaking. The man wrapped in a cloak was Ellain.
“I didn’t have any interest in this matter but I am Ellain, Ark-nim’s most loyal subordinate. No one can match my loyalty to Ark-nim.”
“What?”
Basak shook angrily.
“I’ve been with Hyung-nim for 10 years and I never saw someone like you!”
“10 years? This bastard…..”
Ellain shook his head and shouted.
“I don’t know how you can claim to be with Hyung-nim for 10 years but even if that is true, I am his most loyal subordinate. Loyalty can’t be proven just because of the amount of time. I believe that Ark-nim is God’s Messenger. No other person can top me as his most loyal minion.”
“I am! I am his most loyal subordinate! I am his most loyal subordinate!
“T-this bastard! What are you saying?”
“You don’t apply! Why are you interfering?”
“Don’t you just have a large body? So I’ll tell you this! The position of Ark’s most loyal subordinate is for Ellain! Wouldn’t you get mad if someone is trying to take your place?”
“You’re the one trying to take my place!”
“Say that again you bastard!”
A loyalty competition between Basak and Ellain started out of nowhere.
“I can’t talk to this guy. Hyung-nim, please say something to him!”
“I also want that. Hyung-nim, please say something to him!”
The two of them couldn’t decide in the end and shouted at Ark. But Ark had no intention of getting between Basak and Ellain. While the two of them were arguing, the remaining employees of Dark Eden circled Ark.
“Ohuk! Hyung-nim, we thought Hyung-nim was dead!”
Hegel held onto Ark and spoke while sobbing. It was also true for the other employees. They weren’t hugging him like Hegel but their expressions were thrilled. However not everyone was glad about the reunion.
“I told you. He isn’t someone who will die that easily.”
The testy voice belonged to Rapid. Rapid stared at Ark for a while before sighing.
“If you died so easily then I wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble previously.”
“Why does it sound like you dissatisfied with the fact that I’m alive?”
“No but I’m not so pleased that tears will spill.”
“Is that something you should say after not speaking for several days? No, are you the CEO? You are my employee and subordinate. Shouldn’t you be aware of your position?”
“I’m aware enough. I joined your company in order to meet Lucifer. So you shouldn’t worry about a bullet in the back of your head.”
“Ha! Now you’re making outright threats?”
“You don’t have to worry about that now.”
“That is really a comfort.”
“But don’t be completely relieved. I’m not the only person aiming at you.”
“I know that too.”
Ark shook his head and looked away. Ark’s gaze turned towards the man having a conversation with Kuhwen.
The order was slightly inverted by Hegel’s appearance but let’s return to when Ark saw the Fly Ranger on the edge of the Valley of Darkness. The person who suddenly destroyed the Fly Ranger was now carrying on a dialogue with Kuhwen.
The problem was that this person knew Ark. The man that Ark knew…..
‘…..Hawk!’
His name was Hawk! Hawk the leader of the investigation team.
It was thanks to Hawk that Ark could meet the team again. No, it was too early to say but it was thanks to Hawk’s favour that the team members could even accompany Hawk. His team members weren’t the only ones accompanying Ark. Along with Hawk’s subordinates and Ferguson’s mercenaries, he was accompanied by 1,000 Murat soldiers. He didn’t know how Hawk managed to lead 1,000 Murat soldiers but it made Ark nervous.
‘If the person is Hawk then there is no guarantee that they are friendly!’
But fortunately Hawk wasn’t the opposition. No, after the first meeting Hawk didn’t even glance at Ark and just started talking with Kuhwen.
“Let’s explain the situation after leaving the Valley of Darkness.”
Hawk helped the expedition with the Ants and they escaped from the Valley of Darkness. And he met with Kuhwen after going several kilometres and setting up camp. That’s how Ark could meet up with his team members now. Ark looked at Hawk for a while before asking Rapid
“What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to ask.”
Rapid looked Ark up and down and started to talk.
“We were in the middle of a desert once we regained our spirits. The spaceships couldn’t be seen and all our equipment had disappeared. But we were all gathered together. Hawk and Ferguson’s entourage was close as well. You, Tori, Ferguson, A and B were the only ones missing.”
“All of you were in the same place?”
Ark asked Rapid with a frown. Ark entered this world at the training centre by himself. He had possessed a NPC called Jed who had the same occupation as him so that was an explanation but Tori, Ferguson, A and B were also separated. Therefore Ark thought everyone else had been scattered. Yet the rest fell in the same place…..
‘I don’t know the laws of this place. Tori, Ferguson, A and B all have a beast animal species in common. Did the beasts fall into one place while the humanoid species fall in another?’
But such a thing wasn’t important now. Either way he managed to meet up with the team again. The problem was that this wasn’t a one team reunion. Ferguson’s mercenaries don’t matter but it is Hawk’s team that is difficult to convince. Of course, they were members of the investigation team so they couldn’t be called enemies. But that situation changed after entering the black hole.
Ark was drawn into the black hole because of Hawk and Hawk was drawn in because of Ark. And Ferguson was the main culprit in both sides being sucked in the black hole. How did these people act when together?
“There was a problem at first.”
Ark made a ‘?’ and Rapid nodded before explaining.
“A battle started after we noticed each other. It really was a terrible scene when thinking back. Didn’t I tell you? We lost all our equipment when first entering this world. Dozens of almost naked people committing violence against each other…..”
It would indeed be embarrassing behaviour. At least Hawk was able to maintain his decency. Unlike the other members, Hawk had managed to retain is cloak and a few equipment. It meant that Hawk’s equipment were ancient artefacts in present time. Anyway!
The person who arbitrated at that time was Rapid and Hawk.
“It was incomprehensible. First things were put in order. Then it was necessary to secure our safety. Hawk had the same idea so the war was put in order. And while we were consulting about the situation, they appeared.”
“They…..”
“The soldiers we are came who are the volunteer army.”
Rapid indicated towards the 1,000 people gathered in the camp.
As soon as Hawk and I talked to them, we understood that this was a different time zone and planet. We concluded that this unexpected event occurred due to the effects of the black hole. And we knew we should come here. At that time we met one of the lords called Rasius. But rebels under the command of Set just attack his territory and he barely escaped. He was rallying a volunteer army when he received notification that Prince Kuhwen still lived and was moving to oppose Set.”
It wasn’t an exact fact. Rapid said they ‘met and spoke’ but they were actually captured by the volunteer army. Muratio Star hadn’t seen the various alien species so they were suspicious. But Rasius didn’t see any of Set’s subordinates and released Rapid and Hawk’s groups.
However they suddenly fell into a different world so they had nowhere to go. Furthermore, Rapid and Hawk were users strong in the specialized gaming field. It was a sudden situation but they grasped the atmosphere immediately.
Rasius was the first NPC they met in this world. Rapid and Hawk intuitively sensed that accompanying Rasius was the way to escape this world.
“It was the right answer.”
-<For the Benefit of Muratio Star!>
You came through a black hole and met a militia in another time and space.
Currently Set has incited a rebellion against Horus and Muratio Star is in chaos. Fortunately, the Prince was heading to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage and managed to avoid Set’s assassins along with the retinue that accompanied him. On the other hand, Lord Rasius has escaped from a city under fire by Set and organized a volunteer army to meet up with Prince Kuhwen in the Valley of Darkness. If you help the volunteer army stop Set’s rebellion then you can figure out how to return to your original universe.
Difficulty: –
The quest was given to the party members at the same time. Ark also received a quest with the name <For the Benefit of Muratio Star!> but the contents were different. Ark had to help Kuhwen directly achieve the objective while Rapid and the others needed to help the volunteer army.
Rapid had an easy journey while Ark had suffered. They had to battle against Set’s armies while moving to meet with Kuhwen. Hawk and Rapid were soldiers that showed exceptional skills in combat. In particular, Hawk and his subordinates had rescued many of the soldiers from a crisis.
Rapid explained up to here with a serious expression.
“When I heard the Seven Swords title for the first time, I thought it was nothing but my mind changed after seeing it directly. Hawk is on a different dimension from ordinary users. His combat skills, ability to lead and strong faith.”
“Faith? What?
“I don’t know either. It is just my feeling.”
“Sheesh, this guy is one of the Seven Swords. And there is no such thing. Faith about money, faith about money, faith about money…..”
Rapid ignored Ark’s words and continued. Anyway, Hawk’s status quickly increased thanks to his achievements. Then just before arriving at the Valley of Darkness, the volunteer army leader died from an enemy sniper. Just before dying, Rasius requested that Hawk take over control of the militia. That was why Hawk commanded the militia in the Valley of Darkness.
‘For the militia leader to fall in a matter of days…..’
He didn’t know what faith Hawk had but he managed to gain an advantage even after being dropped in a desert.
“You know what happened after that. We arrived at the scheduled destination a few days ago. But time passed and Prince Kuhwen didn’t arrive so we entered the Valley of Darkness.”
They found a Fly Ranger and made an attack. Incidentally, the first attack that hit the Fly Ranger was from Kalliben’s sniping. Rapid had been describing the process to Ark with a serious look.
“This matter is unrelated to me. But Hawk is different from ordinary users. And we already have Lucifer to go against. It isn’t a wise choice to have Hawk as an enemy in such a situation. Isn’t now a good time for a reconciliation?”
“This isn’t something you should be saying to me.”
Ark replied in a curt voice.
“Didn’t you see it yourself? You did. Did I do something bad to that guy first? No? Then it must be a one-sided bullying.”
“It seems like that but…..”
“But what?”
“The difference is the opponent.”
“The difference? What does that mean?”
“I’m not going to tell you anything. And is Hawk childish? Would he harass without a reason? Shouldn’t there be an appropriate reason? Think about it. What did you do?”
“If Hawk has a reason then I don’t know it either. Why do you think I did something bad?”
“Because it is you.”
“Dammit! Am I the ringleader of evil? If I am then will everything be okay?”
Ark declared sharply with an angry expression.
“Ark-nim, His Majesty is calling.”
A guard from next to Kuhwen said. Ark scowled at Rapid and approached Kuhwen.
“Ark, welcome. This person called Hawk told me almost all of the circumstances. You are people who have passed through time and space. Ark, are Hawk’s words true?”
Ark looked at Hawk with annoyed eyes after Kuhwen’s words. However there was no point now that the facts became clear. And once Ark returned to his original world, the real Jed would tell Tot and Basak that it was a lie.
“I never intended to trick you.”
“I think that it was inevitable in that situation. But it is an amazing thing. I honestly don’t believe they travelled through time and space but you are different. Moreover Ark is in Jed’s body who I know for a long time. I feel a strong bond between us. Hawk asked me about the way to return to the original world. Ark, do you have the same idea?”
“Yes.”
“To be honest, I can’t give you a definite answer. Time and space travel is still beyond the Murat. However I will make a promise. If you quell Set’s rebellion then I will find a way to return you to your original world.”
In the end he needed to complete the quest. Kuhwen alternated looking between Ark and Hawk.
“Rasius who was the militia leader was killed in battle and Hawk took over command. I am sad that I lost a great lord and loyal servant but there is no time for grief. We must turn off Abraxas quickly in order to prevent a greater tragedy. And now I have reliable people in both you and Hawk. I will leave the militia and expedition to you and hope that you both join forces to overcome these challenges.”
“Understood.”
Ark bowed and replied. He then withdrew to the side with Hawk and spoke.
“I’m grateful for the safe return of my employees.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I just judged that it would be favourable to me at the time. But I regretted it after you spoke. I should’ve handled them when there was a chance.”
Ark was about to snap angrily but closed his mouth.
In fact, Ark had never thought seriously about Hawk. Hawk was hostile to Ark first so Ark regarded him as an opponent. Yet he thought it was strange after Rapid’s words. Why was Hawk acting like this? He hadn’t thought deeply about it until Rapid made him think.
“I’m just wondering, have I ever done anything to you?”
“You have.”
“Eh? I have? Me? What?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. You won’t understand even if I tell you.”
“Damn! Isn’t it unfair if you don’t tell me? Wouldn’t you be annoyed if a person said you made a mistake but wouldn’t tell you what it was?”
“It isn’t something that can be fixed. I can’t forgive what you did. It won’t be significant if you apologize to me.”
“Who is going to apologize?”
In fact, he had been quietly thinking about that. Rapid was right. Ark’s ultimate enemy was Lucifer. In such a situation, he couldn’t afford to have Hawk who wasn’t an ordinary user as an enemy. And luckily he hadn’t received any great damage from the Hawk situation yet.
He thought now was the perfect time to reconcile. But he thought it was good he didn’t say anything after seeing Hawk’s attitude. How could he reconcile with such an impolite person? And something like that didn’t fit Ark’s personality.
He didn’t avoid fights. If he avoided fights then he would just be stomped on by this world. He had to be merciless to someone who challenged him in battle so they would think twice about challenging him. If he didn’t then a situation like the 3 monkey brothers would occur. This was the gaming attitude that Ark maintained from his time in New World. However…..
“Now isn’t the time. Isn’t that right?”
“Unfortunately so.”
Hawk nodded. Hawk had no intention of reconciling with Ark. Ark was the same as well. But now they had travelled to another time and space so the situation was unknown. If the two of them fought over every aspect then it might result in a total loss. So it was necessary to resolve the problem in front of them. It was like when the investigation team’s mission proceeded despite both opposing each other.
“If we win then we can get a clue to return to our original world. If the quest fails then we lose our items and spaceship.”
“It isn’t equipment and items.’
“What?”
“I killed one of my subordinates once I found that this was a different time and space. Not long ago, he contacted me over phone that he revived in Turan. His equipment and items were returned.”
Ark had also considered such a method. And there were the right people. 3 Monkey Brothers. But Ark couldn’t do it even if they stole money from him. Because the death penalty in Galaxian wasn’t as easy as it used to be at this level. That’s why he thought they were better used as shields for Kuhwen!
‘He sacrificed one of his subordinates just to verify such information?’
This guy really shed no blood or tears.
“But he couldn’t catch the signal of the Death Knight in the original world. The ship fell into the black hole. However, if we’re alive then the ship might just be trapped somewhere. Then I can only come to this conclusion. If I escape this world in the normal method then I might regain my ship. That’s why I can’t die.”
Ark was also the same. He already spent a couple of days in this world and gained 4 levels and learnt 3 skills. Hawk also piled up quite a bit of experience leading the militia. They needed to find a way to get out alive. And currently the only clue was the <For the Benefit of Muratio Star!> quest. Help Kuhwen prevent Set’s rebellion.
They needed to complete the quest even if it meant holding hands with the enemy. Ark and Hawk agreed on that part.
“The Fly Ranger was destroyed but it likely already sent the information about Kuhwen to Set. Naturally the defense at the Holy Land called Tri-Force will be strengthened. So there is no time to delay in this place. If we give them more time to call enemy troops then it will be disadvantageous to us. We need to attack before their troops are ready.”
“I also meant to say that.”
Ark smiled and stretched out his hand.
“I take it this means a truce is established for the moment?”
“…..Temporarily.”
Hawk glanced at Ark’s hand before turning away.
“Harley, sort out everything! We will depart straight away! The goal is Tri-Force!”
This was an unlucky guy. However, he was a reliable user if they were on the same side.
“Temporarily….but…..”
Space 7
The Murat Saga (Part : 1)
“Are we late?”
The words emerged from Hawk’s mouth. A 3D image made from sand was floating in front of him.
The first thing that came into sight was a large pyramid towering in the middle of the desert. The pyramid was the Holy Land Tri-Force where the device to operate Abraxas was asleep.
But the pyramid wasn’t the only thing in the picture. Thousands of soldiers were surrounding the pyramid. There were also dozens of armoured vehicles that looked like tanks containing weapons.
“Doesn’t it seem like there are at least 5,000? There are dozens of Sphinx- Murat tank- so far. It is a scale I’ve never seen before. The number of troops to capture a city also wasn’t of this scale. This isn’t the number of troops that should be stationed at a Holy Land. It is still increasing.”
This was the reason why Hawk asked if it was too late.
Set knew that one of the sanctuaries contained the control device for Abraxas. However he didn’t know the exact location so he stationed troops at all the Holy Lands on Muratio Star. The fact that they were bringing in reinforcements meant that he identified the location. The Fly Ranger probably transmitted information about the expedition in the Valley of Darkness before it exploded.
Of course, Ark and Hawk had expected this. They ran quickly but the troops had already received reinforcements.
“The rebel numbers stationed at Tri-Force outnumber us by 4 times. Furthermore, they are expecting us to come so the odds aren’t in our favour?”
“It would be stupid to fight when the odds aren’t in our favour.”
“Fortunately we were able to contact Rasius and two other lords before leaving Minaheim. Perhaps they’ve advanced to a close place. Shouldn’t we wait here until they manage to join us?”
“That would be great! I would prefer to do this!”
The nobles spoke unanimously. Hawk frowned and was about to open his mouth.
“If we continue to delay then it is suicide. The Abraxas control unit is Set’s only weakness. Not that Set has discovered that the control device is at Tri-Force, he will use everything he has to defend it. The militia is coming here but Set’s forces would also concentrate here. They will be dozens of times the size of the militia. It will just be disadvantageous to delay the time….isn’t that right?”
Ark looked at Hawk and smiled.
“….That’s right.”
Hawk gave him a sharp sidelong glance before nodding with an uncomfortable expression.
“But aren’t the odds not in our favour right now?”
“I never said the odds weren’t in our favour.”
“Then the odds are in our favour?”
“No, the odds definitely aren’t in our favour. That is definite.”
“What? Are you joking right now? Who do you think we are? We are the Murat nobility. I don’t know where you humans came from but you should be aware of your position. Rudeness won’t be forgiven even if you are the militia leader.”
“I have no intention of being rude…..”
Hawk sighed and muttered.
‘Huhuhu, that Hawk bastard. He’s in trouble. Please be in trouble.’
Ark inwardly smiled while watching Hawk. In fact, Ark had already expected that the nobles would act like this to some extent.
Kurai and the nobles’ lives were the most precious thing to them. They wanted to help Prince Kuhwen stop the uprising but they have no intention of risking their lives. They would even become Set’s subordinates if it meant surviving. Therefore this reaction from the nobles was expected.
However Ark didn’t say anything to Hawk. He wanted to see Hawk in a difficult situation from the same stiff attitude that Ark had faced. Of course the nobles wouldn’t accept it. After Hawk was in trouble for a sufficient amount of time, he would use the 3 monkey brothers to persuade them. Ark would come forward and solve Hawk’s difficult problem. Of course the eyes would have no choice but to change from Hawk to Ark.
Then Hawk turned and looked at Harley. Harley pointed his pistol without hesitation to his temple and pulled the trigger?
Tang!
The nobles shut their mouth with shock after hearing the gunshot. While Harley was bleeding from the temple, Hawk raised his hands and said.
“That’s enough.”
“W-what are you doing?”
“You nobles seem to have misunderstood so I am showing you our resolution. I am a Murat. I don’t know why you are calling me a human. But my resolution is different from yours. If it isn’t possible to stop Set’s rebellion then I will die. This is my resolution. Isn’t there any need to waste more time with words when time is against us? So please be polite. Come here.”
…..The nobles approached.
‘This bastard, what is his identity?’
Ark looked at Hawk with amazement.
It took Ark one day to determine the nobles’ inclination and to find a method for obedience. However Hawk did it in only a few minutes. No, if he looked at the results then the actual situation between Hawk and Ark was different. Ark threatened them by staging a scene of bloody assault but Hawk didn’t use any threats.
-If you interrupt my work then I’ll kill you. I don’t want any troubles.
Hawk’s eyes were clearly conveying that message. Normally people would placate the NPC but Hawk just disturbed them without any mercy. When he thought back to the beginning, Hawk also did that to the investigation team. He turned each faction against each other for his own purpose.
‘Now once again…..’
He really was frightening. At this moment, other people were thinking the same thing.
“What, what the? That guy? He is no better than Ark.”
A pale Ferguson muttered as he looked at Hawk. In fact, Ferguson’s heart had jumped at the appearance of Hawk.
‘I am being dragged by Ark just like in New World. No, it is worse. Ark won’t let us get away with taking money from him in New World. He will make various excuses to use me until only my bones remain. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible.’
Ferguson immediately thought of Hawk.
‘I don’t know why but there isn’t a good relationship between Ark and Hawk. And Hawk is the head of the investigation team and one of the Seven Swords. If I’m glued to Hawk then Ark won’t be able to touch me. Yes, that’s it. The only way for us to live is Hawk. I would rather shed bloods and tears under someone else instead of Ark. Okay. I should flatter Hawk immediately until so that I can stick with Hawk when returning to our original world!’
He held such ulterior motives. However he changed his mind when he saw the blood dripping from Harley’s temple. When the nobles were bothering Hawk, he had given a command for his subordinate to commit suicide. Hawk showed a cruelty even more outrageous than Ark.
Ferguson thought about it. The old authority was the better authority. At least Ark wouldn’t order people to suicide with a gun like Hawk.
‘It’s over. Once again our game has ended here.’
And he felt despair. Of course these were only the concerns of monkeys. Hawk started talking once he dealt a blow to the nobles.
“There odds aren’t in our favour if it is a fight. But our goal isn’t to fight. It is different from exterminating the enemies. Our purpose is to release Abraxas. Kuhwen needs to reach the control device.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
Kurai frowned and said. But when Hawk turned around, he evaded his eyes and coughed. That was Hawk’s intimidating effect.
“No, I….”
“If the purpose is different then our method also changes.”
The person who interrupted Kurai’s words was Ark. When the scout told the situation at Tri-Force to Ark, he had already planned a strategy to apply to present circumstances. The reason he didn’t speak was because he wanted to see Hawk’s reaction. But Hawk’s expression indicated that he was thinking similarly to Ark.
“That’s right.”
Hawk answered with a shallow smile.
———————————————————————-
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
Ark laughed as he took out his lightsaber. Then Hawk also pulled out his pair of swords.
“Now there is no reason to hide it so I will speak. I will go forward with you. Our purpose is the same so I will cooperate but this is still Galaxian. You and I are joining forces to fight together but this is probably the first and last time.”
“I agree.”
“Then don’t say anything more.”
Hawk grabbed the reins of a camel and raised his sword. At the same time, a wide expanse of soldiers appeared along the desert ridge. Needless to say, these were the soldiers brought by Hawk and Ark.
The strategy meeting only took 10 minutes. Now that Set knew the Abraxas control device was at Tri-Force, there was no reason to delay the time. Both Ark and Hawk thought the same thing.
Things proceeded rapidly once a specific operation was decided. They crossed the desert and arrived in front of Tri-Force where the rebel army were stationed. It was the battle to decide the fate of Muratio Star!
Hawk looked down at the distant Tri-Force and shouted.
“Everybody, charge!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
The soldiers burst out shouting and the assault began. The rebel army in formation around Tri-Force didn’t panic at the charge of the militia. 1,000 soldiers crossed the desert without concealing themselves. Naturally the rebel army had been waiting for the militia. The rebel army camp charged at the same time.
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
The Murat’s tank called the Sphinx started attacking. The flying shells covered the sky! However, Ark and the employees of Dark Eden already experienced such a thing on Beltana. Ark gave Hegel an order.
“Hyung-nim, over there!”
Hegel’s trajectory prediction skill that he used after a long time!
“That shell will do direct damage to us!”
Hegel designated some shells and the gunners of Ark’s team, Leon and Kalliben lifted their rifles. There was the continuous sound of gunfire and several shells exploded in mid-air.
The scene of a few shells exploded above Hawk’s team caught his eye. There seemed to be a soldier with the same skill as Hegel in Hawk’s team. But it was impossible for Hawk and Ark’s team to intercept all the shells. Dozens of shells hit the militia’s camp.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The desert shook and pillars of sand shot up all over the place. However the damage seen wasn’t that big. They had expected a bombardment and deployed a wide formation beforehand. In addition, Hawk hadn’t ordered a blind charge.
“Rune Carving, Crest of Protection Om!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Grace Phantom Veil!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Iron Wall Kubenatian!”
-Rune Carving: Om has been used.
<The defense of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour>
-Rune Carving: Phantom Veil has been used.
<The evasion ability of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour>
-Rune Carving: Kubenatian has been used.
<All splash damage to allies within 100 metres will be invalidated for 1 hour>…..
The Rune Carving used by the nobles! The nobles were of great use on the battlefield. There was also the recovery of Kuhwen’s ‘Ankh’ rune. Fortunately they penetrated through the bombardment and reached the hostile area.
“Now! Everybody, fire the plasma bullets!”
Hundreds of plasma bullets instantly plunged into the hostile area. There were sparks as the plasma bullets hit and the enemy was engulfed in heat, instantly disappearing. Of course the enemy didn’t receive the attack politely.
They returned fire!
Pajijijik! Pajijijik!
Sparks occurred on all sides as the soldiers melted. Hawk was no exception. Hawk led the soldiers so he was the focus of the plasma shots. But Hawk was one of the Seven Swords so he wasn’t hit by such shots. Ark thought it was possible for Hawk to avoid…..
Hawk revolved in the sand and two plasma bullets passed by close to him. Thus far it was like Ark expected.
However his next movement was impossible to expect. Hawk crossed his two swords and the shots were blocked like spider webs hung there. Then the pair of swords uncrossed and the bullets returned to the enemy?
‘What? This ridiculous defense technique?’
A skill to block or avoid long distance attacks was indispensable to a warrior. Ark also had a skill called Sword Defense. But due to its nature, Sword Defense could only be used with a lightsaber and it was basically an evasion technique.
He had studied the skill through continuous study yet the probability of success was still only approximately 50%. He could also only return fire to the enemy 1 in every 3 shots. But Hawk had reflected 1 shot simultaneously while avoiding 2 plasma bullets. He had to admit that Hawk’s ability to defend against long range attacks was one step above him.
However the scene afterwards was even more amazing.
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
The tank units lined up behind the rebel troops. The Sphinx was a Murat tank in the form of a lion with the head of a human. The form was a Sphinx but it didn’t speak in riddles like the stories.
Shells came pouring out of the gaping mouth! Every time the Sphinxes emitted flames, pillars of sand would fly up and dozens would die in the militia. Then Hawk rolled between sand pillars and exclaimed.
“Harley, is it ready yet?”
“In a moment! I’m not familiar with the Murat’s machines….but…..done!”
Harley replied while manipulating a small machine. One of the Sphinxes turned its head and started to fire at its own side.
“Ack! A-are you crazy? Where are you shooting?”
“W-we’re not operating it! The equipment suddenly jammed and is moving by itself!”
“By itself? Dammit, the controls have been hijacked! Cut off all connections including communications!”
“It is already too late! The Sphinx control system isn’t connected!”
“Then cut off the power supply. It doesn’t matter as long as the bombardment is stopped!”
The enemy unit fell into panic.
“Damn. As a controller, seeing the controls being hijacked is really creepy.”
Park shuddered and muttered while controlling Car and Kum. But what happened next astounded Ark.
“Now! Minsk, Brian, go!”
The two teams that Hawk nominated flew towards the Sphinx still bombarding the militia. They grabbed the armour and climbed up to the turrets!
“For Captain Hawk-nim!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The Sphinx was wrapped in light and exploded.
‘Oh my god! Self-destruct? Did the NPC subordinate just use Self-destruct?’
Ark’s mouth dropped open as he stared at the flaming Sphinx. There were human NPCs in this world. Even pioneers who could resurrect wouldn’t easily accept death.
Yet their loyalty was high enough that Hawk’s subordinates would Self-destruct when commanded. And Hawk’s men even said nonsense like ‘For Captain Hawk-nim’ before dying. This meant that his subordinates’ loyalty transcended imagination! Ark shuddered at the thought of such loyalty.
‘Hawk can inspire faith in users…..’
Ark could feel such a thing. It was a faith in his purpose. That was the faith Ark felt from Hawk. And he was able to identify this on the battlefield. Hawk’s ability was strong but the onerous thing was his subordinates’ attitudes.
Previously Harley had even fired a gun towards his head because of Hawk. This degree of command over his subordinates meant that Hawk wasn’t an ordinary user.
The problem was a user like that was obstructing Ark. Not long ago, Hawk had declared that he couldn’t get along on Ark. They were grasping hands at the moment but would become enemies again once returned to their original world. A guy with subordinates like that would become his enemy. A sigh naturally emerged when he thought about the future.
Furthermore, Hawk wasn’t Ark’s only opponent.
‘But I’m not someone who will soften under something like that. What? I wouldn’t understand even if he told me the reason? I don’t want to understand! And I don’t like you either. You’re mistaken if you think I will tremble under something like this. What is this? I am Ark. I’ll start taking direct action now!’
…..This was Ark’s resolution. Ark wanted to show off his skill and indicate that he wasn’t inferior to Hawk.
“Units 2 and 3, switch to a defense posture and slow the charging speed. Unit 1 will maintain your rush!”
The militia slowed and formed a formation in the shape of a △ that was focused around Hawk. In other words, it was converted into a wedge formation. After Hawk and his subordinates took the lead and concentrated their firepower, the rebel army started to be pushed back.
But that was only the camp at the front. The power of the left and right wings started weakening under the rebel army. The size of the rebel army was 5 times the militia so it was natural. Nevertheless, the reason the militia’s formation didn’t collapse was due to Ark.
–Like I said, our objective isn’t to annihilate the rebels. Even if all the troops are killed, it will be our victory if Kuhwen operates the Abraxas control device. Therefore we only have one strategy. Once the battle commences, everyone will use all of their power to penetrate through towards Tri-Force. But Kuhwen’s defense at the back will weaken if we concentrate our breakthrough power in the front. So your mission is to protect Prince Kuhwen in the back. If Kuhwen dies then it will mean nothing if we break through the enemy.
Those were Hawk’s words.
‘It is Hawk’s instructions but…..’
“Defense Break! Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark wielded his lightsaber and pushed back the enemy. Dozens of swords spread out in a vortex and hit enemy lines.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
‘Concentrate on the quest! Don’t worry about Hawk!’
Ark wielded his lightsaber in a trance. Sword Defense struck the flying plasma bullets as he plunged into enemy lines. A bright trajectory of light dealt with 10 enemies. In the midst of all that, he didn’t forget about Kuhwen who was the key NPC.
“Ferguson, A, and B, protect him! If something happens to His Highness…do you understand?”
“I-I’m aware of that!”
“Stop! Stop! Throw your body on the battlefield!”
The 3 monkey brothers ran around and blocked every shot heading towards Kuhwen with their bodies. Meanwhile Ark quickly and accurately attacked the enemies aiming for Kuhwen!
“Slayer, concentrate on protecting Prince Kuhwen along with Ferguson, A and B. Expand a circle around Kuhwen to receive the enemy attacks. Don’t forget. The purpose of this battle is to escort Kuhwen safely to Tri-Force.”
“I know! DNA transformation!”
“Lightning Spear!”
“Bring it on! Wahhhh!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Ark’s team formed a circle around Kuhwen and relentlessly knocked back waves of attacks. Prominent among them was Basak and Ellain.
…..Of course, there was a reason for it.
“I’m more loyal to Hyung-nim!”
“Don’t make me laugh! That is the purpose for my existence!”
Basak and Ellain had competed against each other as soon as they met for the title of Ark’s most loyal subordinate. Their argument didn’t end even when the battle started. In the end, they agreed that the person who was more useful in the battle would become the most loyal subordinate.
Thanks to that…..
“Iron Wall! Burning Shield!”
Basak stopped the attacks heading towards Ark with his shield. And ‘heh, how about that? Isn’t it good? Now will you admit it?’ popped onto his face as he looked at Ellain wielding a sword. And Ellain destroyed a few enemies in front of Basak while his expression said ‘Heh, I was waiting for you to finish.’
This loyalty competition between Basak and Ellain resulted in a great synergy effect. Thanks to that, the pile of bodies around them was so high that it looked like a wall! But when looking at a similar scene, Hawk’s reaction was different from Hawk.
“Yes, there needs to be this much if you want to be my opponent.”
Hawk smiled as he looked at Hawk while raging behind enemy lines. But the military situation started becoming difficult over time despite Ark and Hawk’s efforts.
Apart from Hawk’s team in the lead and Ark’s team gathered around Kuhwen, the rest of the militia started to collapse under the onslaught from the rebel army. The enemy forces breaking through the formation made it difficult for Hawk to maintain his rush.
This was the inevitable result. The difference between the rebel army and militia was 5 times. 1 to 5 or 10 to 50 wasn’t a large difference to excellent users like Ark and Hawk. However it was different when talking about the thousands.
“Hawk-nim, any more is impossible!”
“40% of the militia has been killed!”
“If we delay any longer then we won’t be able to retreat and will be wiped out!”
“As expected, is it impossible to break through the defense?”
Hawk bit his lip and muttered as he heard the incoming reports. So far Hawk had never retreated against an enemy. But it would be stupid to insist on advancing when it was impossible. A superior commander needed to know when to retreat. And Hawk knew that time was now.
“…..Retreat.”
A sigh emerged from Hawk’s mouth.
“From now on, all troops switch to defense.”
Thus the first and last battle Ark and Hawk would fight together ended in failure.
———————————————————————-
“Kuhahahaha! Those ridiculous bastards.”
Deep within the rebel camp stationed in front of Tri-Force. A middle aged bearded man laughed as he looked at the militia running away. He was Nemet who was in charge of the troops stationed at Tri-Force.
“They intended to penetrate us for Prince Kuhwen but it is impossible with their numbers. Indeed, it is natural. Set has already occupied 25 of the major cities. And the remaining 5 will soon enter our hands. So the space fleet won’t dare go against Lord Set even if Abraxas is turned off! Then….”
Nemet’s eyes narrowed like a hawk.
“I will rise even higher.”
Nemet was dissatisfied with his status. A person who assisted in a rebellion always hoped for a gain like that.
Nemet and others participated in the rebellion because that profit was guaranteed. But once the rebellion started, he was placed in charge of the 2nd Corps and stationed at a Holy Land. Set explained that it was an important duty to stop the release of Abraxas but there was no guarantee that Kuhwen would come.
He might be caught by other troops or the Abraxas control device was at another Holy Land. If he did nothing then his compensation would be minimal compared to the rebel leaders that captured the major cities. He had become really depressed until Kuhwen’s army appeared.
‘My mission is to defend Tri-Force. The militia is defeated here so my mission is accomplished. But there are only 1,000 of them. It is impossible for such a militia to penetrate through 5,000 troops. This is enough for me to be proud. But it will be different if the militia is wiped out and the Prince captured alive.’
He had no room to think about it during the fight. But the power of the militia wasn’t enough to cause Nemet worry.
The rebels had only suffered 10% damage during the fighting. On the other hand, the militia had lost 40% of their troops. In such a situation, he couldn’t just watch the enemy running away.
Nemet was about to give the order to chase when he flinched.
‘Wait? Isn’t something strange?’
Nemet’s intuition stopped him.
Kuhwen coming here meant that the Abraxas control device was hidden somewhere in Tri-Force. The only way for Prince Kuhwen to stop the rebellion was to release Abraxas. In other words, there was no future for the militia if they failed to recapture Tri-Force. They had to use every type of method to regain the Holy Land.
‘But they gave up too fast. Even if 40% of their power is wiped out, that is still sufficient for Kuhwen to send them to capture Tri-Force. Yet they still ran away…..’
Nemet raised his head and shouted.
“Scouts, send the Fly Rangers to search every corner!”
Dozens of Fly Rangers flew through the desert at Nemet’s command. After 10 minutes, Nemet was able to confirm his hunch.
“There is an ambush prepared about 3 kilometres behind those sand dunes!”
“…..That’s right.”
A smile formed on Nemet’s mouth.
The 3D image showed 100 soldiers hiding behind the sand dunes. There was also a small body with a cloak wrapped around the face.
The cloth made the face hard to see but he could easily guess who it was. A small physique was mixed in among the burly physiques of all the other soldiers. Nemet knew of only one person in the militia who would have such a physique!
“Prince Kuhwen, he is using petty tricks.”
Now Nemet was able to understand the situation. The militia gave up attacking and ran away as a lure. Prince Kuhwen was hiding among the soldiers behind the sand dunes. While the militia was luring Nemet, Kuhwen would try to enter Tri-Force. Nemet admired the strategy once he grasped it.
“If it was any other leader then perhaps they would be fooled. But I, Nemet am different from everyone else. Prince Kuhwen, your greatest misfortune is meeting me here. I’m sorry but I’m going to use you as a stepping stool for my rise.”
Nemet turned and shouted.
“Hajas, I will give you 3,000 troops. Chase the militia and wipe them out immediately. And all the remaining troops will follow me. Hurry. We have to slaughter them!”
While the main unit entered the desert, Nemet led a smaller force to the sand dunes. But there was one thing Nemet hadn’t noticed. Hundreds of bodies were scattered on the field from the battle just then. There was a red viscous liquid like gum on the ground.
And…..
———————————————————————-
-A strategy to lure them.
Hawk said just before the attack.
-The troops stationed at Tri-Force outnumber us by 5 times. We are also lacking time. It is impossible for us to deal with those numbers. But it is different if we trying to allow Prince Kuhwen to enter Tri-Force.
–So the conclusion is a luring strategy?
–Are there any other strategies?
-No. The thought just made me annoyed.
–I’m also annoyed hearing it.
Hawk gave Ark an unpleasant look.
-Whoa! Whoa! Relax. We still have to fight a war. Now isn’t the time for us to be fighting. I agree about the luring strategy. But as with all strategies, it will be no use if the opponent isn’t fooled.
–Are you saying I can’t deceive properly?
–I don’t mean that. You’re definitely good at lying. You made the factions strike against each other and hid the self-destruct mechanism on the grey planet from me. You’re a gifted guy in that respect. I guarantee that. Excellent.
Ark gave a thumbs up while talking. Then Hawk smiled while clenching his swords.
-Aha! Yes, I understand now. Let’s end this here.
–No, I’m talking seriously. Anyway, if you made up your mind then you can get away with scheming. But this battle doesn’t just have lives at stake. Our spaceships might be lost. So shouldn’t there be a safety device?
–What do you want to say?
–You might now know this but I’m also an expert at tricking people. In my experience, people think they are cleverer than they are. And those guys have a habit of searching deeply. So I’m talking about a hidden answer.
Hawk nodded after Ark’s words and replied.
–If they start doubting then the answer is to hid something in a key spot.
–You understand. It is the right answer.
–I know what you’re saying. It is better to trick the people on that side. The problem remaining is where to hide it. –Is there a place you’re considering?
-There is.
Ark smiled and nodded.
–Darkness is hidden under the light. Do you know what that means?
The darkness under the light that Ark spoke about…..
———————————————————————-
Shake, shake.
While Nemet was leading his troops. The red liquid on the ground of the battlefield suddenly rose and one person emerged.
The person was Ark! Ark used the new skill from the Myutal DNA ‘Hide’ in order to move across the battlefield unnoticed.
‘For the time being, it seems like the enemy leader Nemet has been tricked…..’
“Ah, you! Who are you?”
“The enemy!”
‘….Just like I expected.’
Nemet hadn’t left Tri-Force empty. He had left 100 soldiers and 2 Sphinx behind. And Ark had appeared in front of them. An ‘!’ floated above the heads of the soldiers as Ark suddenly popped up on the battlefield.
Pajijijik! Pajijijik!
And the moment the plasma bullets were fired!
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Hwairam!”
Ark’s hand moved through the light and formed a complex pattern. In the next moment, the rune formed the shape of a giant foot and hit the ground.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a roaring sound as the ground shook. The sudden shaking caused the enemy to lose their balance and stumble.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Kuem Radon!”
Meanwhile Ark had drawn a new rune without any delay. A light shot up from the rune like fireworks and formed a giant eye in the sky. At the same time, a small window showing the battlefield appeared in Ark’s vision. Kuem Radon was a scouting skill that allowed him to observe the surrounding area. The piercing eye glanced around Tri-Force from the sky.
‘Now there are only 100 soldiers remaining at Tri-Force. And I can’t see it from the bottom but there are two snipers hiding in the upper part of the pyramid. It will be difficult if I’m under attack from the enemy sniper without any cover.’
“There is one on the right hand side in the 3 o’clock direction with a height of 20 metres! Another at the same height on the left hand side at 7 o’clock!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
Ark pointed to the locations and yelled. The sound of gunfire continuously rang out from between the corpses on the battlefield. He could confirm the result with the Kuem Radon eye.
Ark saw blood flying from the head of the snipers before falling down the slope of the pyramid. At that moment, Ark took out his sword and ran towards the enemy troops while shouting.
“That’s it! Everybody, strike with full force!”
It was at that moment. Ark rushed to the enemy lines. Sand rose up and dozens of soldiers appeared behind Ark. The two people that ran out first were Slayer and Basak who were holding huge shields.
“Hyung-nim is always next to Basak! Iron Wall!”
“Damn, if you speak first then it is like I’m imitating you! Iron Wall!”
Basak and Slayer used Iron Wall at the same time and a small fortress was formed. The plasma shots pouring towards Ark were stopped by the shields while Kurakan, Rapid and Kaya started shooting the enemy.
Meanwhile Sadain, Ellain and the rest of the team approached. They attacked the enemy troops stationed at Tri-Force like a thunderbolt.
“Ugh! W-we were tricked!”
“These guys, they didn’t run away at all!”
The enemy burst out after receiving a surprise attack out of the blue. But Ark and his team that popped out of the sand only numbered 15 people. On the other hand, Nemet had left 100 troops stationed at Tri-Force. The enemy quickly regained their stability.
“There are only 15 of them! We can handle them immediately!”
‘That’s what they think…..’
Ark grinned and laughed at the enemy. Dozens of sand pillars suddenly welled up behind the enemy troops. 50 soldiers were revealed after the sand pillars soared up. And the man at the head of the soldiers was Hawk!
This was the last stage of the operation that Ark and Hawk developed. Once again, the difference between the power of the militia and the rebel army was 5 times. It was 5,000 to 1,000. Ark and Hawk weren’t foolish enough to have a frontal confrontation with such a large power difference.
So they considered a luring strategy. They used camouflage to lose the main Tri-Force army. The issue was how to conceal the troops from Nemet’s eye in the desert.
The problem was settled surprisingly easily.
———————————————————————-
-Kuahahaha. The militia, they’re not my opponent!
Nemet declared with high spirits after the previous battle. Only dozens of minutes had passed and approximately 400 people had been killed in the militia. But that was Nemet’s mistake.
No, it was more accurate to say that Nemet was tricked. It was impossible to guess the number of enemies that fell down on the battlefield. The easiest way to check the power difference was to make a head count of the soldiers still fighting. This was the part that Ark and Hawk aimed at.
–Reduce our number while fighting?
–Of course they would think we were dead.
–Yes, there is no special terrain to hide out troops here. If the number decreases then naturally the enemy would think that they are dead. The commander might think that an ambush is planned but he would never expect us to be hiding right there at the front.
–If there is a way to hide there….
–There is a way.
Ark smiled and replied.
It was digging! While Hawk was fighting intensely and caught Nemet’s eye, Ark was working at the rear. In the early stages of the battle, he had poured water over the sand and had people dig! Dig! Dig!
People dug places in a few places. Then soldiers would hide in the pit with a shield above them and they were covered with corpses and sand. The militia sequentially disappeared so Nemet judged that he was winning. But there were only approximately 300 militia soldiers killed.
Ark’s team, Hawk’s team and 70 militia had hidden in the sand.
–But there is no guarantee that the enemy will chase after the militia.
–That’s right. So we will throw a bait.
–Prince Kuhwen?
–There is no better lure to the rebel army then the Prince. Their mission is to desperately defend Tri-Force. There is no reason for them to chase us if we retreat. Those guys will win if they keep defending Tri-Force. But if they pursue Kuhwen then they won’t protect Tri-Force. That will be a chance for victory.
This was Ark and Hawk’s plan. And Nemet took the bait in front of him. He thought that Kuhwen’s party only consisted of 100 soldiers.
Of course, Kuhwen wasn’t actually used as bait. The person Nemet regarded as Kuhwen was actually Tori wearing a cloak since his body shape resembled Kuhwen. The actual Kuhwen was hiding under the sand with Hawk and Ark. This was the Unclear Lamp operation!
“Hiding in the sand….”
“Dammit! Tricked again! We’re surrounded by them!”
“There is no need to panic! There are still only 60~70 of them!”
“We also have the Sphinxes! Sphinxes, those guys…..”
Fushu! Pepepepeng!
Before the enemy could finish, a column of flame shot up from the Sphinx. Hawk’s lieutenant Harley was kneeling and aiming a tank destroyer that he had fired at the Sphinx.
Ark learnt that Harley was a NPC that specialized in hijacking and destroying tanks. But there was also a user in Ark’s team who specialized in tanks.
“Park, the remaining Sphinx is left to you!”
“Okay! Leave it to me! I am the original professional autobot controller! Go Car, Kum!”
The dinosaur and autobot forms rushed towards the Sphinx. The autobots were a weapon specializing in fighting tanks. The autobots had high defense and their armoured attack meant they would deal more damage than general users.And the general enemies…..
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark threw his body towards the enemies. Dozens of swords swirled out and shredded the enemy. And Rapid rushed to the centre behind Ark. Rapid’s pistol revolved like a spin top and fired all over the place. The revolving pistol was Rapid’s specialty.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
The gun seemed to be firing wildly but every shot hit an enemy! The bullets flew all over the place and passed through the enemy’s forehead.
Kurakan’s M-620 also shone in this battle. The hit rate wasn’t accurate in a 1 on 1 battle but the machine gun could wreak havoc in a wide battle like this. Its strongest use was the random shots!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“Wuhahaha! Take this! Take this! Take this!”
Kurakan exclaimed with a satisfied expression.
The enemy was busy trying to escape the hail of bullets. However there was no place to flee to. Hawk’s team had created a battle formation. While Ark’s team was charging, Hawk’s team members were attacking from behind.
100 against 70. The enemy still had the advantage in numbers but numbers already meant nothing. Once Ark and Hawk simultaneously attacked from two fronts, the enemy rushed back and forth as their formation collapsed. The one sided disadvantage had been wiped out.
While Ark and Hawk took care of the troops, Harley and Park took care of the two Sphinxes. The time it took was only 10 minutes!
‘Certainly…..’
Ark glanced at Hawk.
Hawk had done a dazzling job when fighting against Nemet’s main army. But Hawk hadn’t shown 100% of his power then. There was no reason for him to do his best when they had the luring strategy in mind.
But in this battle they needed to exterminate the enemy as quickly as possible. Now Ark could see the true combat power of Hawk and only a sigh emerged.
‘Hawk had more subordinates and his team is stronger than mine. I hired Slayer and Kaya’s team for a total of 6 users but there is a large difference. And he declared openly…..’
Unlike the first game, Ark had felt a little easy.
Ark had encountered Lucifer a few times. And the result of the fight against the Red Slaughterer, or Lucifer was enough for Ark to conclude that they had similar combat power. There was no reason for him to become hasty. But it was different when a strong user like Hawk was aiming at him. Now that Hawk had declared himself, he counted as an enemy along with Lucifer.
‘I can’t relax anymore. Hawk’s power is enough to interfere and make it difficult to grow on the space frontier. I have reinforce my power base before the different becomes too large. I need to survive and become stronger.’
Ark once again became irritated. But this was a different time and space. If he failed the quest then he would lost the Silver Star and his growth. Ark turned his back to the enemy and shouted.
“Prince Kuhwen, now!”
Kuhwen exited the sand with Tot.
“Come out, Shire! On the order of a blood relative of Horus, break this seal…..”
And he began to draw runes in front of the pyramid. This was the sacred rune passed down through the generations of Horus in order to open the doors of the Holy Land that contained the control device of Abraxas.
‘This long quest will end now!’
Flash! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Then a light suddenly exploded from above the pyramid. Shock waves spread as an airship exploded. The player on the airship threw his body towards Kuhwen while Ark and Hawk jumped in front of him without hesitation. At the same time smoke started to blow from the airship.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
“Sword Defense!”
“Flow Sword! Return! Bullet!”
The swords belonging to both of them scattered the bullets. But it was impossible for Ark and Hawk to stop all the bullets coming from the airship.
Ark embraced Kuhwen’s body and rolled to the ground as a few bullets hit him. At the same time, a black object fell where Kuhwen used to be and a huge sand pillar welled up. Ark and Kuhwen rolled several metres along the ground.
One man then jumped down onto the sand.
Basak grabbed his shield.
“Hyung-nim, it is dangerous!”
“A Casain dares interfere!”
A man wearing a black helmet yelled as his arms moved violently. Basak went flying like he was hit. Meanwhile Ark and Hawk raised their swords and stood in front of Kuhwen. The man stared at Kuhwen with red eyes after hitting Basak.
“I finally met you Prince Kuhwen.”
“Set…..”
Kuhwen said with a moan.
-The Elite class leader of the rebel army ‘Set’ has appeared.
A red warning message floated in front of Ark at the same time.
Space 8
			The Murat Saga (Part: 2)
“Set!”
Kuhwen ran forward and shouted.
“You were such a loyal subject so why did you commit such a terrible sin?”
“Loyal subject…..”
The sound of laughter emerged from Set’s voice.
“Yes, loyal subject. I once believed so as well. I was a loyal subject of Horus. I worked to protect Horus and ensure peace on Muratio Star. I never doubted the mission that the Great God gave me.”
“Then why?”
“Because I realized that I was mistaken.”
Set raised his voice and continued.
“I heard the voice of God. And I came to know. The Great God doesn’t want peace. Destruction! And death! That is what the God wants.”
“Nonsense! Who would hope for such a thing?”
“Your Majesty, there is no point.”
Then Tot shook his head and spoke from the rear. He looked at Set with incredulous eyes and moaned.
“I don’t feel any light within Set anymore. The only thing swirling inside him is a dark aura. The force of the dark aura is so incredible it is hard to believe. I don’t know when the darkness entered Set’s body but his heart has already been swallowed by the darkness. He already can’t be convinced with words.”
“Indeed Tot. You understand.”
Set laughed while scratching his head and replied.
“But you misunderstood an important part. The dark aura didn’t enter me. I embraced the dark aura. That’s because I recognized the true will of God. Your expression says you can’t understand. It is natural. No one can understand unless they heard the voice of the Great God directly. But it isn’t necessary to worry. I’ll make sure you guys soon hear the voice of God. However, you will hear the voice of the death god.”
Set dropped his shoulders and spoke quickly. At the same time, a small rod fell from his sleeve towards his hand. A black ray shot off from the rod at the same time. It was a black lightsaber.
“This guy is Set….”
Ark went out in front of Kuhwen.
“This crazy person. The voice of God? You should go to a mental asylum. There are many who had the voice of God like you. No, I’ll send you there.”
“Jed?”
Ark seemed to be someone called Jed in Set’s eyes. But he had no intention of correcting that idea. Ark nodded blankly and Set laughed before continuing.
“I haven’t seen you in a while but the guy who always hid behind Prince Kuhwen is now standing in front of him. It is worth understanding. That sword tells me that you are the Elim’s Heir. Perhaps your confidence is coming from there. But it is better not to strain yourself. Haven’t you heard? The late Elim was killed by me. Do you think that you who just became the heir can take care of me when the formal Elim couldn’t?”
“It is possible!”
Ark raised his lightsaber and shouted. Then Rapid and Hawk simultaneously rushed forward on either side of him. And in front was Ark! It was the attack from an alliance of three warriors!
“It is impossible for you guys! Right now I’m unbeatable!”
Set opened both arms and shouted.
A huge aura of darkness swirled around and focused on Set. Ark felt his breath clog and body stiffen as he was wrapped in the dark aura. Set slowly raised both arms and Ark’s body floated into the sky like he was pulled by something.
It wasn’t just Ark. Next to him was Basak, Hawk, Rapid, Kuhwen and Tot. The people around him were captured by an unseen force and floated up. At the same time an information window appeared.
-You have been captured by Set.
<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>
‘Oh my god! I can’t move? This is….’
Ark looked at the information window with astonishment. He knew that Set was the leader of the rebellion on Muratio Star. Ark had expected Set to be strong. But to not be able to move? Was this a problem of strength anymore?
“Huk! W-what is going on?”
“I don’t know but Hawk-nim is in danger!”
“Damn! Help Hyung-nim!”
Hawk and Ark’s team watching from afar started clamouring. No, they tried to jump up!
Pepeng-! Pepeng-! Pepeng-!
Sand pillars soared up between Ark and his team. The sand pillars exposed 100 soldiers wearing black armour. They were subordinates of Set who dropped down from the airship. Set looked at his subordinates before moving close to Ark and muttering.
“Didn’t I tell you? You aren’t my opponent.”
‘Is Set really a NPC?’
He looked at the approaching Set holding the black lightsaber.
This sometimes occured in a game. A user’s ability couldn’t beat the NPC. Did this mean the <For the Benefit of Muratio Star!> quest needed to be completed before Set appeared? Did the appearance of Set mean a failure of the quest itself? There was a possibility that Set was a NPC that couldn’t be beat. Ark considered that point before shaking his head.
‘No, that is ridiculous! I thought I was killed when caught by the black hole! I worked hard over 3 days and now they’re saying ‘Huhuhu, Set can be beaten?’ Is this a joke? If I die here then it isn’t just experience and skills that will be lost. Even my spaceship will be lost! No! I will never die! I won’t let it end in vain like this! There must be another way!’
And there really was!
“You can’t stop us with such sorcery!”
There was a cry from the back and the black aura immediately scattered. The unseen force around Ark, Hawk, Rapid, Basak and Kuhwen disappeared and they fell to the ground. Ark turned around at the sudden situation with an astonished expression and saw Tot floating in a meditation posture.
“I know the force! The powers of darkness won’t affect me!”
The one who invalidated Set’s skill was Tot!
He looked like Yoda but he had been no help in battle so far! He was the Elim mentor but only taught Ark Break Kinesis! Ark honestly hadn’t paid much attention until now! This was the famous Elim spiritual mentor! He was still a NPC.
But this scene clearly showed Tot’s skills.
“Ark, now! I’ll block this guy so accomplish the Elim’s mission!”
….In the end, it was a war between disciples. But fortunately Ark wasn’t alone right now!
“Basak, they are charging!”
Ark shot forward like a bullet the moment he landed on the ground and shouted.
At the same time, Set’s subordinates surrounding Kuhwen and Basak took out their weapons. There was the thunderous sound of gunshots as Ark and Hawk’s teammates conflicted with Set’s soldiers.
And Ark…..
Wiing! Wiing! Buoong!
A trajectory of light rushed towards Set. The moment the sword was about to reach Set!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sparks flew out continuously. Set had considerable sword skills. He was the leader of the troops on Muratio Star so it was natural but he managed to block dozens of sword attacks with one hand.
But this much was expected. The two swords violently collided with each other!
“Defense Break!”
Ark’s sword slipped towards Set’s wrist and struck. Defense Break was a technique to deal with the opponent’s defense stance! It was a useful skill in close combat. Set hadn’t expected it and a wide gap appeared in his posture.
“Take this!”
Ark’s sword went through Set’s neck without any delay. No, he thought it pierced through but Set’s body scattered like fog. And he appeared behind Ark as the black lightsaber fell vertically.
“It is still crude. Vacuum Wave!”
“Damn, Sonic Sword!”
Ark ducked and rolled his body. The black and blue swords collided in the air and there was an explosion of smoke. A huge impact that it Ark’s body. He reflexively strengthened the power in his leg but Ark still flew back several metres.
While Ark was driven into the sand, Set laughed and approached.
“Kukukuku! Didn’t I say it was impossible for you?”
“Your opponent is me!”
The sparkle of two swords plunged into Set. It was Hawk who had been waiting for a chance. Hawk wielded two swords like lightning and seemed to push back Set’s one sword. However Set pushed his leg deep into the sand and turned his body, causing a circle of black light.
“Not a chance! Destruction Zone!”
Hawk raised his pair of swords with confusion. Black sparks continuously flew until Hawk was thrown back 10 metres. Rapid instantly fired his pistol when Hawk was pushed back after Ark.
“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”
Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
The pistol revolved in Rapid’s hand and fired off successive bullets! But Set just waved his lightsaber from side to side and the bullets scattered everywhere like Ark’s Sword Defense. Rapid changed locations and rapidly fired the bullets. Set stretched out an arm towards Rapid and a black sphere formed on the palm.
“Air Bomb!”
The sphere moved forward at a speed that was impossible to see. Rapid used evasive behaviour but the sphere caught up to him like it was a guided missile and exploded. There was black smoke and the bloody Rapid fell to the ground. This happened in the few seconds that Ark was pushed back by the Vacuum Wave.
“U-unbelievable…..”
Ark stared at Set with a flustered expression. It wasn’t just Ark. Hawk who had been waiting for a good opportunity while Rapid was firing also had the same expression.
‘It’s different if I was careless. However Hawk and Rapid aren’t careless. Yet the 3 of us couldn’t face him directly?’
This was Galaxian but Ark was still a legendary gamer. His power was inferior to Hawk’s but he wouldn’t be pushed back in personal skills.
And Rapid was a rival that competed with Ark equally. He had a considerable physical obstacle but he overcame that weakness with a pistol. Hawk was one of the Seven Swords so there was no need to talk about his skills.
Yet Set had defeated 3 such users instantly. Tremendous skills!
‘Impossible! It is impossible to defeat him with our abilities right now!’
Ark came to this conclusion. However he had no intention of giving up this fight.
‘There is no reason to give up yet. Obviously Set is strong. It will be difficult to defeat him with my own power. And the other team members are fighting against Set’s subordinates so they can’t help. But I’m not alone. For me….’
Ark raised his body and looked at Hawk and Rapid. They were his former rivals Rapid and Hawk. Now these two rivals were next to Ark. No matter the problem, currently they were people with the same purpose. They couldn’t match Set but that was when they were facing Set separately.
‘If I team up with them….’
Anyway, it wasn’t necessary to express such ideas. Ark could read the same idea in Rapid and Hawk the moment they made eye contact.
–That is the only way remaining!
Hawk reached the same conclusion as Ark. Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s movements changed significantly since then. Ark moved forward to control Set’s movements. Then Hawk and Rapid moved slowly behind Set.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Rapid started shooting. 3 bullets flew accurately! These shots were a signal so Hawk and Ark rushed forward with their swords. Set felt like that atmosphere of the party had changed. Set’s sword exploded towards Ark and Hawk like a wild animal protecting himself. However Ark had already expected Set’s response.
‘Swamp Walking!’
Ark lowered his body and used Swamp Walking. Ark’s upper body lowered enough until it almost touched the ground. And he kicked out the moment he was close to Set. But unlike New World, his kicks didn’t have an effect in Galaxian. Moreover, Set was much higher levelled than Ark. His position was also enough to make Ark fall. And this attack revealed a gap in Set’s posture!
‘But this alone is enough!’
“Do you think I will accept this attack?”
Set turned towards Ark and twisted his sword. Hawk’s sword twisted intricately and fell onto Set’s head.
“One thousand. Flash! One thousand net!”
“Ugh! You!”
Kakakakak! Kakakakak!
Set flinched and sparks flew into the air as he blocked. Rapid then reloaded and fired towards Set’s head. Set instantly spun his sword. At the same time a black vortex rose and pushed back Ark, Hawk and the bullets.
“Is this the capabilities of your group?”
Set’s red eyes swept over Ark’s group and he murmured in a threatening voice. Set had fended off Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s continuous attacks by himself! But Ark wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t successful but he was convinced with this attack.
‘We can do it!’
Ark grasped his sword and looked at Hawk and Rapid. Once again Ark, Hawk and Rapid couldn’t handle Set alone. The only way to complete the request was for the 3 people to join forces and do a pincer attack.
When the 3 of them joined together, the attack damage wasn’t x3. The important thing about the pincer attack was that they be in tune with each other. If they didn’t fit then it would be rather annoying.
This attack was to check that out. Hawk and Rapid could attack in tune with him. He would give the result at least 8 points out of 10.
As soon as Ark tried a low attack and focused Set’s eyes there, Hawk had attacked from the top. And when the two attacks failed, Rapid had fired to prevent Set from counterattacking. Anyway, it meant they knew the timing to attack without needing to speak!
‘Then I don’t need to hesitate any longer!’
Ark’s sword swept the horizontal direction to vertical. Set shot forward like a bullet and a blue afterimage followed him. The sword poured towards him like a shower!
The blue and black swords intertwined complicatedly in the space between Set and Ark. The two swords were straining against each other when a sound was heard. The person who interrupted was Hawk!
Wiing! Wiing! Pajijijik! Papang! Wiiing!
Sparks soared as Ark, Set and Hawk tangled together. Set skillfully swung his sword and received both Ark and Hawk’s attacks. But it wasn’t easy for Set to simultaneously block both swords. Set began to be pushed back as the contact between swords increased.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Then bullets flew through the middle! Even in such a situation, Rapid wasn’t in a hurry. His location always changed and he would shoot to interrupt when Ark and Hawk was on the defensive. Ark and Hawk’s swords plunged immediately when the attack was broken!
Ark attacked from below and Hawk from above! Hawk attacked from below and Ark from above!
The 3 swords relentlessly tangled with each other within a 1 metre space. This pincer movement was being done for the first time but they were perfectly in tune with each other.
“Trash like this…..!”
Set shouted angrily. But the circumstances meant that Set no longer had room to even talk.
Ark, Hawk and Rapid had reversed the situation with their pincer attack. The chances of Set’s landslide victory changed from a ratio of 8 to 2 in a 1 on 1 battle had changed to 6 to 4. And Ark’s attack speed became even quicker once Set started being pushed back.
“You flies. You will die today.”
Set became angry at Ark’s provocation! The situation increasingly tilted to Ark’s side as Set flared up. But the situation still wasn’t over.
Ark, Hawk and Rapid had found a way to push Set back but the situation with Set’s subordinates wasn’t going well. The combined attacks from his subordinates were pushing the users back. And if the team members were killed then completing the quest would be difficult even if Set was taken care of!
Set grasped the situation and suddenly changed to defense.
“Ark, he is buying time!”
“I know! But switching to defense is as good as admitting defeat. And this is my specialty! Break Kinesis!”
Ark shouted and used his skill. The space behind Set’s head suddenly exploded.
It was the explosion of force Break Kinesis! He had tested it a few times after learning from Tot but unfortunately Break Kinesis couldn’t be used directly against monsters and NPCs. But it was possible to explode a space with nothing in it. The explosion wouldn’t deal a lot of damage but it was enough to break the flow of the offense.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark used his strongest skill Galaxy Sword after the explosion! Swords flew forward like a fan. It wound around Set like a storm. Set’s health dropped by a tremendous amount and he flew back several metres.
“Light Wave! Wide Sharp Swords!”
“Chain Fire!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Tatatatang!
Hawk and Rapid also used deadly skills.
‘That’s it! Now there is a chance to win!’
Ark lost his breath as he looked at Set.
Set had been gradually overwhelmed once Hawk and Rapid joined in with the pincer movement. Ark and Set’s health was 45% to 38%. It wasn’t enough to guarantee a victory. But the recent attacks reduced Set’s health by 8% to 30%. It was 45% against 30%!
‘Now we can definitely win!’
Ark was convinced of victory and was preparing for the next attack.
Suddenly he had a strange feeling. He felt a sense of discomfort after Set was hit by Galaxy Sword. It was only after Kuhwen’s scream that Ark knew the source of his uneasiness.
“T-Tot!”
Ark’s face stiffened as he turned his head. Tot who was floating 10 metres in the air in a meditation posture had a black lightsaber through his chest. This was the uneasiness Ark felt!
Set’s sword wasn’t in his hand. Set had distracted Ark and his companions. Set was looking for a chance to aim at Tot while fighting Ark. And the moment Ark’s group used a knockdown technique, he had driven his sword through Tot’s chest.
The reason Set did such a thing was simple. If Tot disappeared….
“Your tricks end here.”
Set murmured with a laugh and took one step forward. He spread an aura of darkness and once again wound around Ark’s party.
***
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bullets hailed all over the place. Dozens of people became bloody and fell down from the concentration of bullets. But that wasn’t the end. Plasma bullets burnt and swords were stabbed through bodies as people died.
“Ugh, dammit!”
A man groaned and moved backwards.
He was Paragon, a member of Hawk’s troops who Harley had placed in charge of the militia. His mission was to take the militia and lure Nemet’s main army. And he had succeeded in luring Nemet’s main force.
But it wasn’t possible to outrun the enemy in the desert. They were caught by the 3,000 rebel army soon after succeeding in the luring strategy. However Paragon wasn’t daunted.
‘I expected that we would be caught by them. The important thing is that Captain Hawk and the remaining team reaches Tri-Force safely. Once Kuhwen entered the pyramid and released Abraxas then the battle will end. The space fleet will enter Muratio Star. We have to hold on until then!
He was sure that victory was secured. But the scheduled time had passed yet there wasn’t any change in Tri-Force.
He assumed it would be a short term battle but 20 minutes had passed since it started and it was still being drawn out. That expectation meant the tactic was for a short term battle and now the soldiers in the defense line were reaching their limit. They were holding up but it was clear the defense line would soon collapse.
‘No! Just a bit more!’
Paragon bit his lip as he stared at the pyramid.
‘Captain Hawk, what is he doing?’
***
The militia was on the brink of destruction.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Gunshots rang out a few kilometres away.
The 1,000 rebel army led by Nemet was running while firing plasma bullets. The 100 soldiers that Nemet had discovered with the Fly Ranger were running away. Based on the configuration of troops, Kuhwen’s unit should’ve been wiped out already. And there were indeed only 50 soldiers left after being caught by Nemet’s unit.
But Nemet felt sick while carrying out the one-sided attack.
“Damn! Why aren’t any of the attacks hitting?”
Nemet growled as he looked at the flapping cloak that was Kuhwen running away. It had been dozens of minutes since catching the militia yet Kuhwen hadn’t been hit by any of the bullets.
That was because Nemet was still unaware of something.
Kuhwen who showed incredible evasion! The man moving in front of Nemet was not Kuhwen. Kuhwen was currently in front of the pyramid and the disguised person was the pet hamster (?) Tori! Tori had no battle skills but his evasion and ability to escape from a crisis was equal to Ark despite being a NPC. But that was Tori’s own ability.
“Catch him! Kill! Kill him!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Nemet became even more upset by Tori’s ability and the unit members died one after another. Unfortunately Tori couldn’t hide and just ran around escaping from the shower of bullets. There were shields on either side of him but it was only a matter of time until Tori died!
‘That damn Ark! What is going on? I’m going to die!’
Anger burned inside of Tori.
***
At that moment, Ark and Hawk….
-You have been captured by Set.
<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>
“D-dammit!”
…..They were wrapped in darkness and floated in the air.
“Kukukuku. Now it is like you are hanging from a spider web. Didn’t I tell you? You guys are not my opponents. This has proved my point. I will shred your body for all the trouble you gave me.”
Set approached Ark and slowly said. Then Ark raised his head, looked at Hawk and shouted.
“W-wait a minute! Why me? Think about it! That guy hit you harder than I did! Don’t you remember? If you have to kill someone then kill him!”
“This bastard….”
Hawk yelled angrily.
“No! The person who thought of this strategy first is him! Ark!”
“What? This bastard! No! The first person who talked about a luring strategy was you! How can one of the Seven Swords act so cowardly? Wouldn’t your subordinates be embarrassed?”
“You’re the one who started it!”
“I just told the truth! You were the one always talking! Isn’t it better for him to hit you? Hey Set. Think about it. This is an important issue!”
…..They were both trying to persuade Set to kill each other first. Fortunately that didn’t last long.
“Ugh! H-Hyung-nim! No! This bastard, kill me instead!”
Kuhwen and Basak were also floating in the air beside Tot. Set made a pitying expression after seeing the atmosphere and clicked his tongue.
“Ha! Their subordinates are a lot better than their masters.”
Ark and Hawk blushed.
“Pathetic. I had to fight against trash like you. But now your tricks will end. And you both don’t have to fight. All of you will die like squashed bugs. A volunteer has appeared so he will be killed but Jed will be first. That way I can see Kuhwen and Tot crying as well.”
Despite Basak’s efforts, it was decided that Ark would become the first fatality!
“Basak, don’t worry. It will be your turn next.”
Set approached Ark and stretched his arm out. Set’s sword that was driven into Tot’s chest returned to him. It was Psychokinesis. Set used that technique to pull his sword out of Tot’s chest.
“Now it is time for your punishment. Vacuum Wave!”
The sword plunged downwards.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
Basak screamed as Ark’s chest was split open. However Ark was feeling more despair than pain. This quest was 99% a failure. If he was hit by Set and died then all the experience and skills he gained during the three days and the Silver Star would be lost.
But there was no longer any way for Ark to stop it. He was incapacitated and couldn’t move so all he could do was wait for death. Ark could only look desperately.
-Ark, do you hear my voice?
He suddenly heard a humming voice in his head.
“T-Tot-nim?”
-Yes, that’s me. I’m speaking to your spirit directly using force. Where did your spirit go? You’re just letting yourself be hit!
Tot snapped in an angry voice.
…..He was using force to speak to others in a situation like this? It was slightly outrageous but Tot’s words weren’t.
–Ah, no. I’ve received a fatal wound and can no longer prevent the dark forces. If this continues then Kuhwen will be killed as well. Then no one will be able to stop Set. If Set controls Muratio Star then he will bring war to the universe. Right now you are the only person who can stop Set.
“But I can’t move.”
–No, it is possible if it is you. The power that I used to stop the dark forces isn’t special. You know the strength of Force. You can use Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. In other words, you have received two things. You will soon realize the power of that attribute. Now I’ll align with your force and tell you how to concentrate your mind. This is the only chance. If this fails then you will surely die.
“Eh? Eh? No, wait a minute! My heart isn’t prepared…..”
Ark spoke with a puzzled expression.
-Tot’s skill has started!
Tot has connected to your spirit using the power of Force and fused Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis to create a new skill.
But Tot’s current state means he can only open the two types of power. The fusion of the two types of power will depend on your concentration. If you can blend the two powers together perfectly then the skill will be created.
There is only one chance! If successful, a new skill will be acquired but if you fail then the two powers will flow backwards and explode.
The keyword is ‘Force.’
The blue information window rose!
At the same time, a large disc appeared. And two small beads started to roll inside it. Ark figured out how to create the skill the moment he saw the beads. There was a black and white bead. They probably signified Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. And the keyword meant that he needed to use Force to join the 2 balls.
In other words, it was some sort of mini-game. However it was a superficial game like the name. There was only one chance and failure would mean death. His experience, skills and the Silver Star would fly away. A game with his life at stake!
‘But this is too much!’
Ark lost his fighting spirit as soon as he saw the beads. The beads were rolling too quickly on the disc. Furthermore, the thought of losing everything placed a considerable burden on him and he couldn’t concentrate on the beads.
–What are you doing Ark? The two powers have already clashed a few times. But why are you just watching from the sidelines? Hurry! There is no time! You will die if you don’t succeed so just do it!
‘Die? If it fails then won’t I explode? Yet he told me to just do it? Damn! What is this? Aren’t you a mentor?’
Tot was just talking without knowing the other person’s feelings.
“Wuhahaha! How about it? Do you feel like you’re gradually dying?”
There was a crazy person in front of him still cutting away. He couldn’t concentrate directly.
But like Tot said, Ark had no time.
If he failed to fuse the forces then he would be killed but it he didn’t then he would be murdered by Set! Fortunately Set was going slowly but Ark’s health had already decreased to 30%. Set only needed 3~4 hits before he would hear the voice of the death god.
‘I need to concentrate! Just once! I have to bet everything at once!’
Ark closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
Anyway, it wasn’t useful to have many thoughts in this situation. There was only one chance. If he concentrated his mind then he could quickly beat the game. He waited until he couldn’t even feel the pain from Set’s strikes before opening his eyes.
“Eh? Ehhhhhh?”
Ark’s eyes were shocked. He wasn’t concentrating so hard that he couldn’t feel the pain from Set’s attacks. Set wasn’t attacking. Instead both hands were forming black spheres.
“You’re tougher than I thought. It is troublesome so I’m going to take care of you!”
It seemed to be an attack that would send Ark to his death. However the beads had crashed a few times and moved around the outskirts of the disk.
“W-wait a minute! My mind isn’t prepared….wait a minute! It went well until now! So be a bit more patient! Haven’t I stirred your emotions? So enjoy yourself a bit more!”
“Shut up and go to hell! Electric Air Bomb…..”
Ark’s persistent persuasion didn’t mean anything to Set. No, when Set was about to attack.
“Aaaaaaack! Hyung-nim! No! Sacrifice!”
Basak suddenly screamed and beat his body. At that moment, an amazing thing happened. Basak’s body started to change to crystal. No, to be exact a crystal shield on Basak started to encroach on his body. And when Basak’s body was completed covered….
“C-crystal golem?”
Kukung!
Basak who had been floating in the sky changed to a crystal golem and fell down. Set was confused by the unexpected situation and the black sphere hit Basak. However Basak’s movement as a crystal golem was faster.
The crystal golem slammed both arms on the floor and sharp points exploded towards Set. Set hurriedly wielded his sword.
Syu syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!
“Cough!”
There was a ringing sound as Set protected his face. At the same time, the black sphere was shoved in the crystal golem’s shoulder. The shoulder area exploded but the golem’s body was made of crystal. He only wobbled for a bit but running over to Set and swinging his fist.
Set was unprepared for this. However, Set soon arranged his posture to strike back. At first he was surprised by the abrupt situation but the crystal golem started to push Set back.
In fact, Ark was also panicked like Set. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him. But this chance wouldn’t come to Ark twice! Many questions floated in Ark’s mind but he desperately looked at the beads on the disc.
And the moment the beads encountered each other! Ark raised his head and exclaimed.
“Force Explosion!”
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
Ark focused his spirit and spread it out as an intangible chain.
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Force Explosion (Users, Active): The collision of Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis is an advanced force skill that will cause an explosion of pure energy. There is no physical damage in Force Explosion. However, the burst of pure energy will exclude all evil forces surrounding it. Force Explosion will debuff everything caused by the power of darkness. The effect will last for 3 minutes.
<The powers of darkness will be debuffed for 3 minutes>
Force consumption: 200
“I-It’s a success!”
Ark landed on the floor and shouted. The advanced skill Force Explosion was exercised at last. The golem that was fighting Set suddenly split apart and wound around Ark’s arm.
-The Divine Artefact ‘Baius Shield’ has been equipped!
The message then surfaced. The Baius Shield was coiled around Ark’s arm. But in contrast to its previous form, the crystal was now wrapped from his shoulders to his wrist.
“B-Baius Shield?” But Basak? Where is Basak…..?”
-I have already died.
A distance voice was heard inside his head.
-This Baius Shield has been handed down through generations of the Casain tribe. But this isn’t a crystal that has will. To be precise it is a crystal that can hold will. And the will contained in the Baius crystal belongs to the elders of the Casain. The Guardians born in the Casain tribe will die to serve and the shield will grow stronger depending on their willingness to serve. It is due to my ancestors’ will that I could help Hyung-nim.
That is the reason why my will could dwell inside here.
I can help Hyung-nim from in here. The price of this is that I will soon blend in with my ancestors and lose my own self. But even if I lose myself, my willpower will act with my ancestors in order to protect Hyung-nim.
Ark was lost for words. Basak had given his life for Ark. The crystallization on Ark’s arm was proof of his loyalty. When he considered this point, this was probably the precursor to the Elim gaining the Baius Shield!
‘Does that mean it is an already scheduled event?’
Ark thought up to there. The shield unrolled and there was a strong explosion of light.
-The superior skill ‘Ra’s Glory’ has been cast!
+ Health has been restored by 30%
+ Attack and defense has increased by 20%.
+ Attack Speed has increased by 25%.
+ 25% of all damage will be blocked by the shield and returned to the enemy.
The message floated due to the huge buff. In fact, Ark had expected a lot from a Divine Artefact and had been disappointed when he found the Baius Shield.
The shield’s performance wasn’t that large and the golem wasn’t a help either. The truly valuable part of the Baius Shield was that it could grow with experience.
But that message took away his worries. Health recovered by 30%! Attack and damage increased by 20% and attack speed by 25%. The shield also blocked 25% of all damage and returned it to the enemy! The shield’s skill showed the effect of 3~4 Esper’s buffs.
Of course, this was a skill triggered by an event. But it was likely that the Baius Shield would contain unique skills. If the level rose then he could acquire skills and these skills alone were worth investing experience in it. Anyway!
“Kuoh! H-how are you doing that?”
Ark had used Force Explosion to regain his footing. The aftermath of this meant that Set had stumbled for a moment. He then belatedly confirmed that Ark was free and stuttered.
Ark only had one thing to say at this point.
“Justice is the way to win.”
“Shut up! Justice is based on the will of the God that I follow!”
Set growled with anger and raised his lightsaber. A black swirl was produced by the lightsaber and flew towards Ark. No, just as it was about to fly. Gunfire was heard from the other side.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Once Ark had released the dark aura, Rapid had immediately started firing. Set had to avoid the bullets. Across from Rapid, Hawk was staring at Ark with an unpleasant expression before shouting.
“Dammit! It can’t be helped. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Hawk shouted while lifting his eye patch. A red eye appeared and a massive light exploded from it. A chain explosion then occurred in the air! The chain explosion swept passed like a tsunami until only soot marks were left.
‘What? That guy, he was hiding that skill?’
Ark’s mouth dropped open at the immense skill. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised. Basak’s sacrifice had won a hard-earned opportunity! If he missed this opportunity, there was no guarantee they could beat Set.
“Ugh! These lowly fellows…..”
Ark’s body shot forward like a bullet towards the blackened Set. Set swung his sword dozens of times in an intricate pattern. In the past, he couldn’t go against Set in a 1 on 1 fight but the circumstances changed once the buff was applied.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ark’s sword moved at a dazzling sped and blocked the black sword. He received an impact with the shield and Set stumbled. The buff effect returned 25% of the damage to the enemy. Ark approached the wobbly Set and laughed.
“What did you say? Now it’s my turn?
“W-wait a minute!”
“You didn’t wait previously. This is the definition of ruthlessness!”
Wiing! Wiing! Wiiing! Wiing!
Ark’s lightsaber started to wave in a complicated pattern.
The light moved dozens of times and became more complicated. Of course this was due to the increase in attack speed from the buff. But it was only possible to tell for someone who often played online games. It was 25% extra attack speed but it actually felt like 2 or 3 times the normal speed.
Ark strove to prevent Set from attacking. Set’s health had already been decreased to 30%. Basak then turned into a crystal golem and attacked. Then combined with Rapid and Hawk’s offensives, his health reached 15%.
On the other hand, Ark had 30% health left but it recovered by 30% due to the Baius Shield buff. Currently he had 60%. The combat power was similar but there was 4 the difference when comparing health.
But fighting spirit was the crucial difference from before. It was a situation where Ark had been on the verge of death and was suddenly revived. On the other hand, Set had been on the verge of victory only to be cornered. It was impossible to stay calm in such a situation. Ark’s shower of attacks reduced Set’s health to 3% and Set fell to the ground.
“W-wait a minute! S-save me! I-I…..”
“It is too late! Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords flew forward like a fan.
They surrounded Set and there were sparks as the swords kept on striking. Then there was a crack on the armour of Set’s leg before gradually climbing upwards like a breaking pillar.
Tong-!
Once the crack reached the head, there was a ringing sound and the helmet flew off. Black shadows then sprang out from the helmet and surrounded Set’s head.
-Kuaaaak!
Set held his face and screamed through the shadows! Red eyes stared at Ark from among the shadows. Ark quickly lifted his shield as an unidentified presence appeared.
He was nervous at the possibility of the battle continuing. However the shadow with red eyes just yelled with fury before disappearing.
–You! Jed! Elim! I will never forget this grudge!
“…..What was that? That guy?”
He waited longer but nothing further happened.
-Your level has risen.
-Your level has risen.
And the ringing sound of continuous messages! He disposed of Set and this was converted into experience. But there was no time to relax yet. Set was killed but Ark and Hawk’s team were still engaged with Set’s subordinates. Ark jumped up and shouted.
“Stop! Set is dead! Everybody surrender!”
“Dammit! Leader Set….”
“The rebellion was a failure?”
“No! We just need to kill them!”
“We’re going to die anyway! Let’s get revenge for Set!”
The rebels became enraged and fired their plasma bullets. Ark used Sword Defense to deflect the plasma bullets’ trajectory and moved towards Kuhwen.
“Damn! Your Majesty, Tri-Force!”
“Stop Prince Kuhwen!”
The surviving enemy rushed to the pyramid.
Then an enemy collapsed to the ground due to Ark’s sword. Another body fell down on the other side while three bullets penetrated a different enemy. They were Ark, Hawk and Rapid who killed Set.
“Come as much as you want. I will kill everyone. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”
Flash! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A red light flew from Hawk. The chain explosion occurred in a radial blast! The enemies caught in the explosion had their health decreased and some even instantly disappeared.
“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”
Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
Rapid spun his pistol and bullets penetrated the enemy. And dozens of swords extended towards the enemy line!
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of enemies collapsed under the combined attacks of Ark, Rapid and Hawk. Even the team members were helping. Their morale was already at the bottom so quite a few enemy troops couldn’t resist and collapsed. However these rebels were desperate. No, the uprising had failed so their deaths were confirmed anyway.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was also the bombardment of the airship from above. It really was a plan of desperation. Everyone was going to die so they gave everything they had. But Ark’s team had a user who could oppose the bombardment. The controller Park!
“Car! Kum! Transformed into the final form!
The dinosaur form opened up parts of its leg and other areas at Park’s command. Then the knight form got on it and transformed into a long spear. The two autobots had transformed into a type of turret!
“If an airship is the opponent then it is my specialty!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Park got on the turret and a spear of energy shot out from it.
Indeed a tank expert!
Kaya and Sadain were good in hand to hand combat but Park showed his mighty power against tanks. Fortunately there was Ark, Hawk and Rapid. Along with the team members, they managed to interrupt Set’s troops while Kuhwen called the Shire to open the entrance of the pyramid.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Many people were feeling anxious. Suddenly the earth shook and a huge red pattern formed on the pyramid. The pattern formed an ‘x!’ At first he had no idea what this meant. But he knew once the pattern changed. It became a blue ‘○’ pattern.
‘Perhaps that is….?’
Ark looked up with hopeful eyes. A huge space gate had formed above the pyramid. Sparks flew around the gate before a huge spaceship passed through.
The airship that was exchanging hits with Park turned towards the spaceship and fired. But when looking at the scale of the spaceship, it was like sticking a needle in an elephant. The offensive of the spaceship…..
Flash!
A blue light flew from the spaceship and the airship dissolved without a trace. Meanwhile dozens more gates had formed over the spaceship. And hundreds of spaceships similar to the one that destroyed the airship filled the sky.
That’s right. What explanation was needed? The pyramid was the boundary between space and Muratio Star. So ‘x’ meant no entry while ‘○’ meant it was okay to enter….
The atmosphere became lighter with one pattern.
Anyway, the ward Abraxas protecting Muratio Star was turned off. The space fleet spread throughout the galaxy could now enter Muratio Star to suppress the rebels.
“Waaaaahhhhh! Murat space fleet! We did it!”
“That’s it. Now…..”
The militia cheered. Tot who was leaning against the pyramid wall gasped and slowly closed his eyes.
***
At that time.
–Kuoh….
An ancient temple somewhere in the galaxy. A black form occupying the centre groaned and grabbed his face. The robed men in the vicinity flocked with confused expressions.
“What’s wrong?”
–It is nothing.
The black form answered in a thin, tremulous voice.
–I was just reminded of nasty wounds that occurred a long time ago.
A red mark was engraved on the forehead of the black form. However, a black hand rubbed it and the red mark immediately disappeared.
–This bruise from the past isn’t anything special….
The black form frowned before continuing to speak.
-I don’t know why but I’m in an unpleasant mood. I need to hurry. Tell Fenrir to put things in order and return.
Ark the Legend Setting Collection
			<Influential Forces of Galaxian>
The Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years in size and consists of 500 billion planets. However, most of the planets are simple inert gas and rock chunks and have no species or civilization. It is only possible to extract resources and construct civilizations on 1/1 billionth of the planets. This is only a handful compared to the scale of the galaxy.
There are 3 powers that had possession of the planets. The humans located on the eastern part of the galaxy known as the galactic federation, the Rama who had colonies throughout the northern area and a coalition of 70 alien species in the south called the Aschulat.
And there is also the Space Council. The territory of the 3 powers is established through an agreement. Each power is still trying to break through to the unclaimed area known as the Galactic Halo (an area (16 million light years in size) and have proclaimed it as the space frontier. The Space Council is a committee that mediates any disputes that happens in the space frontier.
-Galactic Federation
In the 22nd century, Earth finally came to an end. Hundreds of years of environment damage has caused the Earth to start to collapse. Thus humans started dreaming of a new life in space. Space science technology exploded until a base was created on the moon. Humanity continued to grow until they reached a turning point on the 23rd century. So far technology like spatial jump and warp navigation only existed in the imagination.
Now that warp technology was developed, they could explore areas of the galaxy that had been limited before. Then the world governments consolidated into one power and was renamed the galactic federation. This was a very peculiar change to occur. The politics that had developed for hundreds of years reverted back to the caste system of royalty, aristocrats and commoners. Some anthropologists attribute this change to requiring a strong sense of leadership because of an unknown world.
The early galactic federation appointed a representative of each country to the royal family or aristocrats and humanity was transformed into one perfect force. Once they entered the galaxy, the aristocrat’s power started to strengthen even more during the war with the Rama that occurred for dozen of years. However, the federation still adhered to a democracy. In order for aristocrats to display their power in the political arena, they needed the support of the citizens.
Currently the federation occupies and controls all species in the east of the galaxy. Their sphere of influence is 270 planets surrounding Istana in the centre. However, 200 of them are to extract resources and if the protected planets were removed then only 40 of the planets were actually civilized.
The population is approximately 12 billion. 8 billion of them are humans. The rest consist of 20 alien species. When considering the amount of refugees flowing in, the actual estimated population is 16 billion. In addition to production, trade, research etc., the galactic federation has implemented a system to encourage many beginner pioneers.
-Rama
The home planet of the Rama consist of dense forest and swamps. On the other hand, the gravity is low so the flora and fauna have evolved to a huge size. The Rama is the size of a human so they are considered small mammals on that planet. However, they were able to overcome this difference with aggression and combat power. They started to spread to other planets but the aggression of the Rama didn’t disappear. After the mysterious destruction of the Murat, the Rama were like wolves released from chains.
But the organization of the human species and the alliance of the alien species called Aschulat cause the Rama to halt in its tracks. Although a special treaty was signed, the Rama is still aiming to conquer the galaxy. The Rama possesses a power structure similar to ancient Rome.
The Rama has a population of 8 billion, but only 2 billion of them are actually Rama. The remaining 6 million come from the colonies they absorbed. Unlike the federation, the Rama’s structure is completed focused around a King/Emperor. Around 300 planets are included in the Rama’s area of influence. The Rama are a warlike race and they had unparalleled combat power and physical abilities. On the other hand, they oppressed the other alien species as they expanded so their culture and commerce hasn’t developed. If a user is focused on combat abilities instead of a wide variety of content then they will choose this species.
-Aschulat
The existence of the Rama had a great impact on the birth of the Aschulat. Originally each species in the Aschulat possessed their own civilization. But the Rama started to explosively expand their power and invaded their territory. To combat this, 70 alien species joined together to create a coalition. An alien species that looks like ET called the Aschulat is the centre of this resistance.
However, in the early stages the Aschulat couldn’t perform its function properly. After the Rama were defeated, it emerged as a 3rd power among the two camps. The humans who advanced into the galaxy are the galactic federation. While the Rama were concerned with the federation, the Aschulat took advantage of it to advance into the galaxy. They then allied with the federation to corner the Rama and were able to end the 1st Galaxy War.
The political system is a democracy similar to present day earth.
70 species of aliens are gathered so there is a mix of culture and technology taking advantage of the species’ different special abilities have been developed. 400 planets belong to this alliance and with a population of 20 billion, it is the largest among the 3 powers.
However, the combat ability is the weakest among the 3 powers. On the other hand, the mix of cultures means their science and technology is the most developed. Since science and technology is the most developed, it is a popular choice for users to pick after the galactic federation.
-Council
A council created to mediate the rights of the areas not in the influence of the 3 powers, which includes the Galactic Halo. The council is a hive matrix arranged through an employment agency called Elysium. However, the role of the council started to grow as the number of pioneers grew and more disputes occurred.
However, the treaty states that the council has no power over the areas controlled by the 3 powers.
Therefore, anything that applies to pioneers are recommendations not laws. They can’t be forced to follow it. However, there are around 1000 agents or enterprises that have joined the council. The four large companies of the galactic federation, the merchant alliance of the Aschulat and the mercenaries of the Rama have joined so the Council’s influence is absolute.
-Etc.
Colony: Pioneers can buy planets in the frontier and turn the place into their own territory. Most of them are planets where resources are extracted. Therefore a large number of them are for extracting resources and few planets are civilized.
Hive: An artificially created space station. Due to the special treaty, the 3 power can’t be involved with any hives in the frontier and it can only be owned by civilian businesses. Hives the size of a planet or a small spacecraft can exist. Fairy, Star Gates, shops and taverns can be established on large Hives. It is similar to a small territory in the universe.
Company: Private companies that don’t belong to the government of the 3 powers. The concept is similar to a guild but NPCs can be employed. The nature of the company depends on the CEO such as mercenaries, space resources, exploring ruins etc. The name also changed depending on the scale of the company. Those with less than 60 staff are called Agents, those with 60~120 are called a Company, 120~240 a High Company and those with more are called a Space Company. Of course, the companies can also give special quests depending on the nature and the scale.
Sector: Villages built in the territory of the 3 powers. It is similar to a Colony or Hive but it is administered by the government. The classification depends on the level of civilization. Just like the companies, the name of civilizations also change depending on the development such as a town, city and metropolis. And there are rumours of unknown Black Cities that exist on several planets……
——————————————
<Main Species>
-Humans
Humans make up the majority of the galactic federation.
Among all the races, humans are the ones with the most average abilities. They have no specific bonuses but there are no special weaknesses. Even so, many users choose humans because of the racial quality of fast acquisition. Thanks to this acquisition, humans are able to quickly gain experience and catch up to other species. In addition, it is possible to learn the skills of many different species.
If you want to become an annoying and persistent use then you should select humans!
<Overall Combat Power: ★ ★, Growth Rate: ★★★, Scalability: ★ ★ ★, Distinctiveness: ★★>
-Rama
A combat race from the northern area of the galaxy.
Thanks to the harsh environment and powerful monsters, the Rama had raised the abilities of their bodies to the limit to survive. The Rama had inherited the ancestral DNA of the Murat and are excellent fighters. The Rama had agility and stamina bonuses and they also receive a specific bonus in environments like dense forests and swamps. In addition, the chances of learning combat related skills are high but they can’t easily learn other skills.
If you feel like bathing in a river of blood every day then it is recommended to pick this species!
<Overall Combat Power:★★★, Growth Rate: ★★, Scalability: ★★, Distinctiveness: ★★★>
-The 4 Races
Legendary alien species that achieved a super civilization in a different solar system in earlier times.
The Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious are 4 species that passed on their culture to uncivilized species in this galaxy. Not a lot is known about them. But according to the information Ark obtained, they were closely related to an enigmatic alien species called the Karma before they disappeared
At the time, the 4 races along with the many species that followed them finally won a 50 year war against the Karma. However, it was difficult for them to recover after being battered by the war. The Potamia and Oritious got into a conflict with each other, the Indus were declining while the Murat were betrayed by the Rama and wiped out.
By digging through ancient ruins, various relics about the 4 races have been discovered. The Murat are based on ancient Egypt, the Indus ancient India, the Potamia are ancient middle east and the Oritious are based on ancient China. A theory is that the 4 races were regarded as gods in Earth’s past and passed on their culture to them. However, relics from earth haven’t been found on any other planets.
Some secrets might be hidden here……
-Karma
An enigmatic species that wiped out numerous other species in this galaxy. The 3 powers don’t have a lot of information about them.
They are truly an enigma.
-Etc.
Tiny Clan: An alien species similar to a hamster. Their combat abilities are hopeless but they have superior brains that can handle various machines. They react fast and like hoarding things so you should always be aware of ulterior motives. They aren’t dangerous but you should be wary of them. They quickly forget any favours or grudges. Users can select this species but there are only a small number.
* Characters: Tori
Charenjok: An alien similar to an octopus. They lived peacefully but was invaded by a hostile species called the Kakajok and became refugees. They flowed into the galactic federation and Aschulat but their special ability wasn’t popular and some of them were taken as slaves. There was once a time the Charenjok were so prosperous that they took space ships to earth to sight see. Before entering the universe, the Charenjok were regarded as Martians on earth. Now the number of people who know the ancient techniques of the Charenjok are rare. They are docile aliens who have a high regard for the clan’s honour. Users can’t select this species yet. And it wouldn’t be a species users would be eager to choose.
* Characters: Burum, Bakum, Tuntun
Grey Clan: An alien species with grey skin. They are 1 metre in height and their black eyes are so big that it occupies 50% of their face The genius like brain of the Grey allow them to quickly understand the environment and they can do quick calculations. The Grey were sometimes the reason for the Mutilation (cutting and killing of cattle) on undeveloped planets. But according to Hegel, that is just one faction and the Grey are a docile species. They didn’t even consider revenge when they crashed on Earth and were dissected by humans.
* Characters: Hegel
Tobil Clan: An alien species two times the size of a human. There are no large differences between them and the humans except for their size. Although they need to eat a lot to fill up their large frames, they have high stamina. They are also able to wear considerable amounts of weight like heavy equipment without falling. The existences of giants that have been passed down in legends have been attributed to the Tobil Clan but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
* Characters: Cupa
Unkara Clan: Apart from the normal 2 eyes, they also have an additional eye stuck to the forehead and look similar to humans. It is unknown where their name originated from. The Unkara’s eyes attached to the forehead has such good vision that it is impossible to measure. The Unkara clan can show their power on scouting or sniping missions. This is the reason why many Unkara are hired as mercenaries. An unexpected point to their good eyesight is that they can’t see directly below them.
* Characters: Kalliben
Belkin Clan: An alien species with green, black and grey skin. They aren’t that smart. But they failed the company entrance test due to their ugly appearance and spread out through the universe with an angry disposition. The Belkin often become mercenaries and it is even common for them to join gangs. But they have a reckless character! They don’t fear death and they won’t betray someone once their loyalty is earned. An appropriate job for them is an Assaulter. There are rumours that the Okra are their ancestors.
* Characters: Asuran
Katz Clan: Some alien scholars seemed to have studied Earth hundreds of years ago. There are many species through the galaxy that resemble Earth’s flora and fauna. The Katz Clan is an alien species that resembles the cat. The surprising thing is that they display the characteristics of Earth’s flora and fauna and even have the same adversarial relationships. The Katz’ hearing, vision and agility resemble the cat and their body means they excel as soldiers. Nevertheless, the Katz aren’t welcomed by the Belkin clan. That is because they are lazy, selfish and don’t display much loyalty.
* Characters: Prison escapees A, B, C……
Kero Clan: Just like the Charenjok, they are a frog type alien species expelled from their home planet and have become refugees. They aren’t that clever and the combat ability is also bad. However, they lay 100 eggs at a time and possess the best procreational power apart from the cockroach type species. Their specialty is human wave tactics.
* Characters: Kero A, B, C…..
——————————————
<Body Coating>
Body coating was developed by Lucian and a team of bio engineers when the federation was being cornered by the Rama.
The principle is to extract DNA from an alien or unknown creature and combine it with human DNA to make the body evolve within a short period of time. However, there is a limit to how many new DNA can be combined and not all the abilities can be obtained.
Typically if you strengthen strength or stamina then mental aspects will weaken and vice versa. Therefore the body coating selected will have an huge impact on the selected occupation. When selecting a tanker as an occupation, areas such as wearing heavier armours, stamina and withstanding attack should be considered.
The Rama and Aschulat also developed their own body coating to increase the strong points and make up for the weaknesses in their bodies. The companies even extended it to civilians so most species’ physical abilities have been averaged out. There are four types of body coating. Body reinforcement, concentration reinforcement, mental reinforcement and willpower reinforcement. It can be classified into 7 different categories based on the occupations.
-Fighter
Fighter is a type of body coating that strengthens stamina and physical strength.
Combat skills will be amplified beyond human capacities when the Fighter enhancement to stamina and physical strength is received. The true power of this coating is shown in hand to hand combat and on the battlefield. Fighters using a sword, shield, gun or hammer have always been an object of fear. A Fighter specialized in hand to hand combat.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 6, long range combat 3, special ability 1
* Recommended Occupation: Shield troops, Guardian, Warrior etc…..
-Soldier
This is the type that strengthens concentration.
The best features are the long-range weapons. In other words, it focuses on the ability to use a gun. Pioneers who receive the Soldier coating will become better shooters compared to those who have trained for the same amount of time. However, the disadvantage is they have relatively low stamina and find it difficult to directly engage the enemy. Therefore Soldiers generally deal damage from the rear. In particular, the heavy weapons such as the RPG deal enormous destruction. This is currently the body coating that most users have selected in Galaxian.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 3, long range combat 6, special ability 1
* Recommended Occupations: Sniper, Assaulter, Cavalry, etc……
-Ranger
The Ranger has two attributes at the same time, that of a Fighter and a Soldier. They possess suitable strength and stamina to wear heavy armour and they have enough agility to be good with guns. But the problem is that both sides need to be at a suitable level. While they can master both the sword and the gun, the slightest slip means they could fall behind. Maintaining this balance is an endless work for a Ranger. However, nobody can deny that it is a body coating with the widest utilization and possibilities.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 4, long range combat 4, special ability 2
* Recommended Occupation: Skirmisher, Guerrilla soldiers etc……
-Engineer
An Engineer is a type that strengthens mental power in fields of knowledge like repairs and dynamics.
These activities cover a very wide range. Production of various facilities, repairing, operating a tank are all areas controlled by an Engineer. There are also those that create their own autobot, take charge of turrets on the battlefield and experts in explosives. While it can be sub-divided into many parts, the process is complicated and personal attack power falls so soloing is almost impossible. It is indispensable in war but not many users chose this body coating.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 2, long range combat 2, special ability 4
* Recommended Occupations: Engineers, Tank Driver, Pilot, Architects etc……
-Esper
Esper is a type of body coating that reinforces mental power and concentrates on the extrasensory areas.
Among the alien species, some rely on their brains instead of physical force and combining the DNA of these organisms with the human brain can create Espers.
Espers use mental strength to draw out and manifest a mysterious energy called mana and Espers can be classified into different types. Some manifest elemental affiliates like fire, spirit affiliates that interfere with the opponent’s spirit, temporarily change the configuration of the opponent’s DNA, reading the memory of objects and many other types.
The Esper needs to select the species quality so they especially need to keep in mind the occupation they desire. However strength, stamina and control are low so not a lot of users have selected it yet.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 1, long range combat 2, special ability 7
* Recommended Occupation: All Esper related occupations.
-Healer
This is the type that strengthens willpower.
There are two types. One that uses various drugs to heal and grants special effects to allies while the medic is an extension of an engineer. Another type is a subset of the Esper that uses special effects to help them recover like a cleric. They are classified separately as a healer and the healer’s presence on hunting grounds and battlefields is indisputable.
But it has the lowest stamina, combat ability and they can’t do anything other than heal so most users avoid this coating.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 1.5, long range combat 1.5, special ability 7
* Recommended Occupations: Medic, Cleric, Oracle, etc……
-Etc.
Additionally, many different types of body coating techniques exist.
The DNA extraction, cultivation and synthesis developed by Lucian in the early stages are the 1st generation. The 1st generation body coating can activate 80% of the alien’s DNA and body coating technology has developed since then. Most NPCs in Galaxian have received the 1st generation body coating technology.
The 2nd generation body coating can absorb 100% of the DNA. The 1st generation technique has been refined a lot more times and it costs a lot to receive the 2nd generation coating. However, the federation wants to encourage pioneers so most companies pay a subsidy so the body coating can be received for a cheap price. 99% of users have received the 2nd generation coating.
However, it has advanced even further to the 3rd generation body coating. The 3rd generation technique adds a special compound. 100% of the DNA is absorbed and it also increases the potential of the DNA. Currently, only a few outstanding warriors among the 3 powers have been allowed to receive the 3rd generation coating.
The 3rd generation coating is the one that Ark received.
While users who received the 2nd generation coating were enhanced by 100%, Ark who received the 3rd generation was enhanced by 120%.
The Survivor body coating that Ark selected is a Ranger type coating. The ratio of chemical compounds in the DNA was close range combat 4.5, long range combat 4.5 and special ability 3.
——————————————
<Battle Suit>
Just like the body coating, the battle suit is an external device developed to enhance the abilities of the body. However, the battle suit was designed to be used in battle rather than to adapt to the environment. It has a thick outer shell with considerable weight and acts as a powerful armour.
The users can move wearing such heavy battle suit due to the system of synchronization. The battle suit synchronizes with the genetic information of someone with a body coating to read and respond in a way that won’t make them affected by the weight.
The Rama, Aschulat and Federation all use different materials for their body suits but they all use the sync system. While the battle suits run on the sync system, there are special systems put in place in order to prevent enemy troops from using the battle suit. Therefore the battle suits can be divided into several types like the body coating.
They are divided into humans, Rama and various other species. The three categories.
-Human Battle Suits
A mechanical battle suit produced by the galactic federation.
It is mechanical but biological parts are also included for the sync system. While the efficiency is lower than the Rama battle suit, the strong point is that it is capable of upgrades and special equipment. Special equipment for the battle suits are the main products of the 4 big companies.
-Rama Battle Suits
A living body suit created by the Rama by cultivating the organism Drone. This organism is what helps the battle suit.
The drones are mana creatures with the ability to freely transform their own bodies. The advantage of this battle suit is that it can transform using the Drone. In addition, the synchronization flow is optimized and it has the best performance of all 3 battle suits. However, it is a bio weapon so it needs to be upgraded through hands on experience and it is difficult to add special equipment.
-Other Species Battle Suits
Aside from the battle suits for humans and Rama, there are a number of battle suits for other aliens created by the Aschulat. The materials and systems of the battle suits are often designed to take advantage of the special qualities of the species. The most typical ones are the battles suits made of a liquid metal called ‘Pritor.’ The Pritor is a material that can transform freely according to the user’s will.
-Etc.
The study of the battle suits continued even after the 1st galaxy war was over. However, the battle suit was already completed and not much more evolution could occur.
Thus the 3 powers investigated ways to boost the performance through additional equipment. Thus solid armour was developed. Some special battle armour was developed to overlap with another battle suit that allows the limits to be surpassed. However, it is a lot larger so balance will become more difficult. So the current solid armour is limited.
——————————————
<Airship & Spaceships>
Airships and spaceships are essential existences on the space frontier. A large number of mobile vehicles exist in Galaxian but the aeroboats and spaceships are the fastest.
Various types are transport ships, cargo ships or private ships. The hulls of the airships are equipped with a photon engine that allows it to accelerate many times beyond the speed of sound. Of course, the spaceships can navigate through the atmosphere as well as space gases. Spaceships are capable of short range movement and it can also have warp technology equipped.
Warp navigation creates a multidimensional portal between two points to arrive at the destination. Development of this technology allowed them to travel thousands of light years. The shapes of the ships differ according to the species, with some preferring circular shapes or shapes streamlined for flight. The rating of the airships and spacecrafts are classified according to their size and armament.
The categories below are based on size.
Sub miniature- 1st Grade
Generally most airships have this rating.
The size is approximately 150~200 tons and the acceleration means it is referred to as a high speed boat. Many of these high speed ships are used to scout.
Small- 2nd Grade
Most ordinary spaceships have a 2nd grade rating.
They are the most commonly seen spaceships in the universe and the size is approximately 1,200 tons. The patrol ships of the galactic federation are mainly 2nd grade spaceships.
Medium-3rd Grade
Ark’s Silver Star is classified as a 3rd grade spaceship. Usually 3rd grade spaceships are 3,000 tons and are used as large carriers or escort ships. It is appropriately balanced between speed and armament and are widely used for missions. Thus 3rd grade spaceships are the main forces of the galactic federation.
Medium- 4th Grade
A 3,000~8,000 ton destroyer is classified as a 4th grade spaceship. A destroyer is a large ship equipped with a lot of weapons and it is perfect as a flagship of a small fleet. Usually 4th grade spaceships are called battleships.
-Etc.
In addition there are the 10,000 ton class 5th grade cruiser, the 20,000 ton class 6th grade ships, and the 100,000 tons 7th grade aircraft carrier used for emergencies and giant spaceships.
Additionally, Ark’s Silver Star is classified as a 3rd grade medium ship and it can be equipped with energy particle guns and turrets.
Credits
Translators:
Volume 01 to 12 - Rainbow Turtle Translations
Epub: piratehunter26
Space 7
The Murat Saga (Part : 1)
“Are we late?”
The words emerged from Hawk’s mouth. A 3D image made from sand was floating in front of him.
The first thing that came into sight was a large pyramid towering in the middle of the desert. The pyramid was the Holy Land Tri-Force where the device to operate Abraxas was asleep.
But the pyramid wasn’t the only thing in the picture. Thousands of soldiers were surrounding the pyramid. There were also dozens of armoured vehicles that looked like tanks containing weapons.
“Doesn’t it seem like there are at least 5,000? There are dozens of Sphinx- Murat tank- so far. It is a scale I’ve never seen before. The number of troops to capture a city also wasn’t of this scale. This isn’t the number of troops that should be stationed at a Holy Land. It is still increasing.”
This was the reason why Hawk asked if it was too late.
Set knew that one of the sanctuaries contained the control device for Abraxas. However he didn’t know the exact location so he stationed troops at all the Holy Lands on Muratio Star. The fact that they were bringing in reinforcements meant that he identified the location. The Fly Ranger probably transmitted information about the expedition in the Valley of Darkness before it exploded.
Of course, Ark and Hawk had expected this. They ran quickly but the troops had already received reinforcements.
“The rebel numbers stationed at Tri-Force outnumber us by 4 times. Furthermore, they are expecting us to come so the odds aren’t in our favour?”
“It would be stupid to fight when the odds aren’t in our favour.”
“Fortunately we were able to contact Rasius and two other lords before leaving Minaheim. Perhaps they’ve advanced to a close place. Shouldn’t we wait here until they manage to join us?”
“That would be great! I would prefer to do this!”
The nobles spoke unanimously. Hawk frowned and was about to open his mouth.
“If we continue to delay then it is suicide. The Abraxas control unit is Set’s only weakness. Not that Set has discovered that the control device is at Tri-Force, he will use everything he has to defend it. The militia is coming here but Set’s forces would also concentrate here. They will be dozens of times the size of the militia. It will just be disadvantageous to delay the time….isn’t that right?”
Ark looked at Hawk and smiled.
“….That’s right.”
Hawk gave him a sharp sidelong glance before nodding with an uncomfortable expression.
“But aren’t the odds not in our favour right now?”
“I never said the odds weren’t in our favour.”
“Then the odds are in our favour?”
“No, the odds definitely aren’t in our favour. That is definite.”
“What? Are you joking right now? Who do you think we are? We are the Murat nobility. I don’t know where you humans came from but you should be aware of your position. Rudeness won’t be forgiven even if you are the militia leader.”
“I have no intention of being rude…..”
Hawk sighed and muttered.
‘Huhuhu, that Hawk bastard. He’s in trouble. Please be in trouble.’
Ark inwardly smiled while watching Hawk. In fact, Ark had already expected that the nobles would act like this to some extent.
Kurai and the nobles’ lives were the most precious thing to them. They wanted to help Prince Kuhwen stop the uprising but they have no intention of risking their lives. They would even become Set’s subordinates if it meant surviving. Therefore this reaction from the nobles was expected.
However Ark didn’t say anything to Hawk. He wanted to see Hawk in a difficult situation from the same stiff attitude that Ark had faced. Of course the nobles wouldn’t accept it. After Hawk was in trouble for a sufficient amount of time, he would use the 3 monkey brothers to persuade them. Ark would come forward and solve Hawk’s difficult problem. Of course the eyes would have no choice but to change from Hawk to Ark.
Then Hawk turned and looked at Harley. Harley pointed his pistol without hesitation to his temple and pulled the trigger?
Tang!
The nobles shut their mouth with shock after hearing the gunshot. While Harley was bleeding from the temple, Hawk raised his hands and said.
“That’s enough.”
“W-what are you doing?”
“You nobles seem to have misunderstood so I am showing you our resolution. I am a Murat. I don’t know why you are calling me a human. But my resolution is different from yours. If it isn’t possible to stop Set’s rebellion then I will die. This is my resolution. Isn’t there any need to waste more time with words when time is against us? So please be polite. Come here.”
…..The nobles approached.
‘This bastard, what is his identity?’
Ark looked at Hawk with amazement.
It took Ark one day to determine the nobles’ inclination and to find a method for obedience. However Hawk did it in only a few minutes. No, if he looked at the results then the actual situation between Hawk and Ark was different. Ark threatened them by staging a scene of bloody assault but Hawk didn’t use any threats.
-If you interrupt my work then I’ll kill you. I don’t want any troubles.
Hawk’s eyes were clearly conveying that message. Normally people would placate the NPC but Hawk just disturbed them without any mercy. When he thought back to the beginning, Hawk also did that to the investigation team. He turned each faction against each other for his own purpose.
‘Now once again…..’
He really was frightening. At this moment, other people were thinking the same thing.
“What, what the? That guy? He is no better than Ark.”
A pale Ferguson muttered as he looked at Hawk. In fact, Ferguson’s heart had jumped at the appearance of Hawk.
‘I am being dragged by Ark just like in New World. No, it is worse. Ark won’t let us get away with taking money from him in New World. He will make various excuses to use me until only my bones remain. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible.’
Ferguson immediately thought of Hawk.
‘I don’t know why but there isn’t a good relationship between Ark and Hawk. And Hawk is the head of the investigation team and one of the Seven Swords. If I’m glued to Hawk then Ark won’t be able to touch me. Yes, that’s it. The only way for us to live is Hawk. I would rather shed bloods and tears under someone else instead of Ark. Okay. I should flatter Hawk immediately until so that I can stick with Hawk when returning to our original world!’
He held such ulterior motives. However he changed his mind when he saw the blood dripping from Harley’s temple. When the nobles were bothering Hawk, he had given a command for his subordinate to commit suicide. Hawk showed a cruelty even more outrageous than Ark.
Ferguson thought about it. The old authority was the better authority. At least Ark wouldn’t order people to suicide with a gun like Hawk.
‘It’s over. Once again our game has ended here.’
And he felt despair. Of course these were only the concerns of monkeys. Hawk started talking once he dealt a blow to the nobles.
“There odds aren’t in our favour if it is a fight. But our goal isn’t to fight. It is different from exterminating the enemies. Our purpose is to release Abraxas. Kuhwen needs to reach the control device.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
Kurai frowned and said. But when Hawk turned around, he evaded his eyes and coughed. That was Hawk’s intimidating effect.
“No, I….”
“If the purpose is different then our method also changes.”
The person who interrupted Kurai’s words was Ark. When the scout told the situation at Tri-Force to Ark, he had already planned a strategy to apply to present circumstances. The reason he didn’t speak was because he wanted to see Hawk’s reaction. But Hawk’s expression indicated that he was thinking similarly to Ark.
“That’s right.”
Hawk answered with a shallow smile.
———————————————————————-
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
Ark laughed as he took out his lightsaber. Then Hawk also pulled out his pair of swords.
“Now there is no reason to hide it so I will speak. I will go forward with you. Our purpose is the same so I will cooperate but this is still Galaxian. You and I are joining forces to fight together but this is probably the first and last time.”
“I agree.”
“Then don’t say anything more.”
Hawk grabbed the reins of a camel and raised his sword. At the same time, a wide expanse of soldiers appeared along the desert ridge. Needless to say, these were the soldiers brought by Hawk and Ark.
The strategy meeting only took 10 minutes. Now that Set knew the Abraxas control device was at Tri-Force, there was no reason to delay the time. Both Ark and Hawk thought the same thing.
Things proceeded rapidly once a specific operation was decided. They crossed the desert and arrived in front of Tri-Force where the rebel army were stationed. It was the battle to decide the fate of Muratio Star!
Hawk looked down at the distant Tri-Force and shouted.
“Everybody, charge!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
The soldiers burst out shouting and the assault began. The rebel army in formation around Tri-Force didn’t panic at the charge of the militia. 1,000 soldiers crossed the desert without concealing themselves. Naturally the rebel army had been waiting for the militia. The rebel army camp charged at the same time.
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
The Murat’s tank called the Sphinx started attacking. The flying shells covered the sky! However, Ark and the employees of Dark Eden already experienced such a thing on Beltana. Ark gave Hegel an order.
“Hyung-nim, over there!”
Hegel’s trajectory prediction skill that he used after a long time!
“That shell will do direct damage to us!”
Hegel designated some shells and the gunners of Ark’s team, Leon and Kalliben lifted their rifles. There was the continuous sound of gunfire and several shells exploded in mid-air.
The scene of a few shells exploded above Hawk’s team caught his eye. There seemed to be a soldier with the same skill as Hegel in Hawk’s team. But it was impossible for Hawk and Ark’s team to intercept all the shells. Dozens of shells hit the militia’s camp.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The desert shook and pillars of sand shot up all over the place. However the damage seen wasn’t that big. They had expected a bombardment and deployed a wide formation beforehand. In addition, Hawk hadn’t ordered a blind charge.
“Rune Carving, Crest of Protection Om!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Grace Phantom Veil!”
“Rune Carving, Crest of Iron Wall Kubenatian!”
-Rune Carving: Om has been used.
<The defense of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour>
-Rune Carving: Phantom Veil has been used.
<The evasion ability of all allies within 100 metres will increase by 50% for 1 hour>
-Rune Carving: Kubenatian has been used.
<All splash damage to allies within 100 metres will be invalidated for 1 hour>…..
The Rune Carving used by the nobles! The nobles were of great use on the battlefield. There was also the recovery of Kuhwen’s ‘Ankh’ rune. Fortunately they penetrated through the bombardment and reached the hostile area.
“Now! Everybody, fire the plasma bullets!”
Hundreds of plasma bullets instantly plunged into the hostile area. There were sparks as the plasma bullets hit and the enemy was engulfed in heat, instantly disappearing. Of course the enemy didn’t receive the attack politely.
They returned fire!
Pajijijik! Pajijijik!
Sparks occurred on all sides as the soldiers melted. Hawk was no exception. Hawk led the soldiers so he was the focus of the plasma shots. But Hawk was one of the Seven Swords so he wasn’t hit by such shots. Ark thought it was possible for Hawk to avoid…..
Hawk revolved in the sand and two plasma bullets passed by close to him. Thus far it was like Ark expected.
However his next movement was impossible to expect. Hawk crossed his two swords and the shots were blocked like spider webs hung there. Then the pair of swords uncrossed and the bullets returned to the enemy?
‘What? This ridiculous defense technique?’
A skill to block or avoid long distance attacks was indispensable to a warrior. Ark also had a skill called Sword Defense. But due to its nature, Sword Defense could only be used with a lightsaber and it was basically an evasion technique.
He had studied the skill through continuous study yet the probability of success was still only approximately 50%. He could also only return fire to the enemy 1 in every 3 shots. But Hawk had reflected 1 shot simultaneously while avoiding 2 plasma bullets. He had to admit that Hawk’s ability to defend against long range attacks was one step above him.
However the scene afterwards was even more amazing.
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
The tank units lined up behind the rebel troops. The Sphinx was a Murat tank in the form of a lion with the head of a human. The form was a Sphinx but it didn’t speak in riddles like the stories.
Shells came pouring out of the gaping mouth! Every time the Sphinxes emitted flames, pillars of sand would fly up and dozens would die in the militia. Then Hawk rolled between sand pillars and exclaimed.
“Harley, is it ready yet?”
“In a moment! I’m not familiar with the Murat’s machines….but…..done!”
Harley replied while manipulating a small machine. One of the Sphinxes turned its head and started to fire at its own side.
“Ack! A-are you crazy? Where are you shooting?”
“W-we’re not operating it! The equipment suddenly jammed and is moving by itself!”
“By itself? Dammit, the controls have been hijacked! Cut off all connections including communications!”
“It is already too late! The Sphinx control system isn’t connected!”
“Then cut off the power supply. It doesn’t matter as long as the bombardment is stopped!”
The enemy unit fell into panic.
“Damn. As a controller, seeing the controls being hijacked is really creepy.”
Park shuddered and muttered while controlling Car and Kum. But what happened next astounded Ark.
“Now! Minsk, Brian, go!”
The two teams that Hawk nominated flew towards the Sphinx still bombarding the militia. They grabbed the armour and climbed up to the turrets!
“For Captain Hawk-nim!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The Sphinx was wrapped in light and exploded.
‘Oh my god! Self-destruct? Did the NPC subordinate just use Self-destruct?’
Ark’s mouth dropped open as he stared at the flaming Sphinx. There were human NPCs in this world. Even pioneers who could resurrect wouldn’t easily accept death.
Yet their loyalty was high enough that Hawk’s subordinates would Self-destruct when commanded. And Hawk’s men even said nonsense like ‘For Captain Hawk-nim’ before dying. This meant that his subordinates’ loyalty transcended imagination! Ark shuddered at the thought of such loyalty.
‘Hawk can inspire faith in users…..’
Ark could feel such a thing. It was a faith in his purpose. That was the faith Ark felt from Hawk. And he was able to identify this on the battlefield. Hawk’s ability was strong but the onerous thing was his subordinates’ attitudes.
Previously Harley had even fired a gun towards his head because of Hawk. This degree of command over his subordinates meant that Hawk wasn’t an ordinary user.
The problem was a user like that was obstructing Ark. Not long ago, Hawk had declared that he couldn’t get along on Ark. They were grasping hands at the moment but would become enemies again once returned to their original world. A guy with subordinates like that would become his enemy. A sigh naturally emerged when he thought about the future.
Furthermore, Hawk wasn’t Ark’s only opponent.
‘But I’m not someone who will soften under something like that. What? I wouldn’t understand even if he told me the reason? I don’t want to understand! And I don’t like you either. You’re mistaken if you think I will tremble under something like this. What is this? I am Ark. I’ll start taking direct action now!’
…..This was Ark’s resolution. Ark wanted to show off his skill and indicate that he wasn’t inferior to Hawk.
“Units 2 and 3, switch to a defense posture and slow the charging speed. Unit 1 will maintain your rush!”
The militia slowed and formed a formation in the shape of a △ that was focused around Hawk. In other words, it was converted into a wedge formation. After Hawk and his subordinates took the lead and concentrated their firepower, the rebel army started to be pushed back.
But that was only the camp at the front. The power of the left and right wings started weakening under the rebel army. The size of the rebel army was 5 times the militia so it was natural. Nevertheless, the reason the militia’s formation didn’t collapse was due to Ark.
–Like I said, our objective isn’t to annihilate the rebels. Even if all the troops are killed, it will be our victory if Kuhwen operates the Abraxas control device. Therefore we only have one strategy. Once the battle commences, everyone will use all of their power to penetrate through towards Tri-Force. But Kuhwen’s defense at the back will weaken if we concentrate our breakthrough power in the front. So your mission is to protect Prince Kuhwen in the back. If Kuhwen dies then it will mean nothing if we break through the enemy.
Those were Hawk’s words.
‘It is Hawk’s instructions but…..’
“Defense Break! Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark wielded his lightsaber and pushed back the enemy. Dozens of swords spread out in a vortex and hit enemy lines.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
‘Concentrate on the quest! Don’t worry about Hawk!’
Ark wielded his lightsaber in a trance. Sword Defense struck the flying plasma bullets as he plunged into enemy lines. A bright trajectory of light dealt with 10 enemies. In the midst of all that, he didn’t forget about Kuhwen who was the key NPC.
“Ferguson, A, and B, protect him! If something happens to His Highness…do you understand?”
“I-I’m aware of that!”
“Stop! Stop! Throw your body on the battlefield!”
The 3 monkey brothers ran around and blocked every shot heading towards Kuhwen with their bodies. Meanwhile Ark quickly and accurately attacked the enemies aiming for Kuhwen!
“Slayer, concentrate on protecting Prince Kuhwen along with Ferguson, A and B. Expand a circle around Kuhwen to receive the enemy attacks. Don’t forget. The purpose of this battle is to escort Kuhwen safely to Tri-Force.”
“I know! DNA transformation!”
“Lightning Spear!”
“Bring it on! Wahhhh!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Ark’s team formed a circle around Kuhwen and relentlessly knocked back waves of attacks. Prominent among them was Basak and Ellain.
…..Of course, there was a reason for it.
“I’m more loyal to Hyung-nim!”
“Don’t make me laugh! That is the purpose for my existence!”
Basak and Ellain had competed against each other as soon as they met for the title of Ark’s most loyal subordinate. Their argument didn’t end even when the battle started. In the end, they agreed that the person who was more useful in the battle would become the most loyal subordinate.
Thanks to that…..
“Iron Wall! Burning Shield!”
Basak stopped the attacks heading towards Ark with his shield. And ‘heh, how about that? Isn’t it good? Now will you admit it?’ popped onto his face as he looked at Ellain wielding a sword. And Ellain destroyed a few enemies in front of Basak while his expression said ‘Heh, I was waiting for you to finish.’
This loyalty competition between Basak and Ellain resulted in a great synergy effect. Thanks to that, the pile of bodies around them was so high that it looked like a wall! But when looking at a similar scene, Hawk’s reaction was different from Hawk.
“Yes, there needs to be this much if you want to be my opponent.”
Hawk smiled as he looked at Hawk while raging behind enemy lines. But the military situation started becoming difficult over time despite Ark and Hawk’s efforts.
Apart from Hawk’s team in the lead and Ark’s team gathered around Kuhwen, the rest of the militia started to collapse under the onslaught from the rebel army. The enemy forces breaking through the formation made it difficult for Hawk to maintain his rush.
This was the inevitable result. The difference between the rebel army and militia was 5 times. 1 to 5 or 10 to 50 wasn’t a large difference to excellent users like Ark and Hawk. However it was different when talking about the thousands.
“Hawk-nim, any more is impossible!”
“40% of the militia has been killed!”
“If we delay any longer then we won’t be able to retreat and will be wiped out!”
“As expected, is it impossible to break through the defense?”
Hawk bit his lip and muttered as he heard the incoming reports. So far Hawk had never retreated against an enemy. But it would be stupid to insist on advancing when it was impossible. A superior commander needed to know when to retreat. And Hawk knew that time was now.
“…..Retreat.”
A sigh emerged from Hawk’s mouth.
“From now on, all troops switch to defense.”
Thus the first and last battle Ark and Hawk would fight together ended in failure.
———————————————————————-
“Kuhahahaha! Those ridiculous bastards.”
Deep within the rebel camp stationed in front of Tri-Force. A middle aged bearded man laughed as he looked at the militia running away. He was Nemet who was in charge of the troops stationed at Tri-Force.
“They intended to penetrate us for Prince Kuhwen but it is impossible with their numbers. Indeed, it is natural. Set has already occupied 25 of the major cities. And the remaining 5 will soon enter our hands. So the space fleet won’t dare go against Lord Set even if Abraxas is turned off! Then….”
Nemet’s eyes narrowed like a hawk.
“I will rise even higher.”
Nemet was dissatisfied with his status. A person who assisted in a rebellion always hoped for a gain like that.
Nemet and others participated in the rebellion because that profit was guaranteed. But once the rebellion started, he was placed in charge of the 2nd Corps and stationed at a Holy Land. Set explained that it was an important duty to stop the release of Abraxas but there was no guarantee that Kuhwen would come.
He might be caught by other troops or the Abraxas control device was at another Holy Land. If he did nothing then his compensation would be minimal compared to the rebel leaders that captured the major cities. He had become really depressed until Kuhwen’s army appeared.
‘My mission is to defend Tri-Force. The militia is defeated here so my mission is accomplished. But there are only 1,000 of them. It is impossible for such a militia to penetrate through 5,000 troops. This is enough for me to be proud. But it will be different if the militia is wiped out and the Prince captured alive.’
He had no room to think about it during the fight. But the power of the militia wasn’t enough to cause Nemet worry.
The rebels had only suffered 10% damage during the fighting. On the other hand, the militia had lost 40% of their troops. In such a situation, he couldn’t just watch the enemy running away.
Nemet was about to give the order to chase when he flinched.
‘Wait? Isn’t something strange?’
Nemet’s intuition stopped him.
Kuhwen coming here meant that the Abraxas control device was hidden somewhere in Tri-Force. The only way for Prince Kuhwen to stop the rebellion was to release Abraxas. In other words, there was no future for the militia if they failed to recapture Tri-Force. They had to use every type of method to regain the Holy Land.
‘But they gave up too fast. Even if 40% of their power is wiped out, that is still sufficient for Kuhwen to send them to capture Tri-Force. Yet they still ran away…..’
Nemet raised his head and shouted.
“Scouts, send the Fly Rangers to search every corner!”
Dozens of Fly Rangers flew through the desert at Nemet’s command. After 10 minutes, Nemet was able to confirm his hunch.
“There is an ambush prepared about 3 kilometres behind those sand dunes!”
“…..That’s right.”
A smile formed on Nemet’s mouth.
The 3D image showed 100 soldiers hiding behind the sand dunes. There was also a small body with a cloak wrapped around the face.
The cloth made the face hard to see but he could easily guess who it was. A small physique was mixed in among the burly physiques of all the other soldiers. Nemet knew of only one person in the militia who would have such a physique!
“Prince Kuhwen, he is using petty tricks.”
Now Nemet was able to understand the situation. The militia gave up attacking and ran away as a lure. Prince Kuhwen was hiding among the soldiers behind the sand dunes. While the militia was luring Nemet, Kuhwen would try to enter Tri-Force. Nemet admired the strategy once he grasped it.
“If it was any other leader then perhaps they would be fooled. But I, Nemet am different from everyone else. Prince Kuhwen, your greatest misfortune is meeting me here. I’m sorry but I’m going to use you as a stepping stool for my rise.”
Nemet turned and shouted.
“Hajas, I will give you 3,000 troops. Chase the militia and wipe them out immediately. And all the remaining troops will follow me. Hurry. We have to slaughter them!”
While the main unit entered the desert, Nemet led a smaller force to the sand dunes. But there was one thing Nemet hadn’t noticed. Hundreds of bodies were scattered on the field from the battle just then. There was a red viscous liquid like gum on the ground.
And…..
———————————————————————-
-A strategy to lure them.
Hawk said just before the attack.
-The troops stationed at Tri-Force outnumber us by 5 times. We are also lacking time. It is impossible for us to deal with those numbers. But it is different if we trying to allow Prince Kuhwen to enter Tri-Force.
–So the conclusion is a luring strategy?
–Are there any other strategies?
-No. The thought just made me annoyed.
–I’m also annoyed hearing it.
Hawk gave Ark an unpleasant look.
-Whoa! Whoa! Relax. We still have to fight a war. Now isn’t the time for us to be fighting. I agree about the luring strategy. But as with all strategies, it will be no use if the opponent isn’t fooled.
–Are you saying I can’t deceive properly?
–I don’t mean that. You’re definitely good at lying. You made the factions strike against each other and hid the self-destruct mechanism on the grey planet from me. You’re a gifted guy in that respect. I guarantee that. Excellent.
Ark gave a thumbs up while talking. Then Hawk smiled while clenching his swords.
-Aha! Yes, I understand now. Let’s end this here.
–No, I’m talking seriously. Anyway, if you made up your mind then you can get away with scheming. But this battle doesn’t just have lives at stake. Our spaceships might be lost. So shouldn’t there be a safety device?
–What do you want to say?
–You might now know this but I’m also an expert at tricking people. In my experience, people think they are cleverer than they are. And those guys have a habit of searching deeply. So I’m talking about a hidden answer.
Hawk nodded after Ark’s words and replied.
–If they start doubting then the answer is to hid something in a key spot.
–You understand. It is the right answer.
–I know what you’re saying. It is better to trick the people on that side. The problem remaining is where to hide it. –Is there a place you’re considering?
-There is.
Ark smiled and nodded.
–Darkness is hidden under the light. Do you know what that means?
The darkness under the light that Ark spoke about…..
———————————————————————-
Shake, shake.
While Nemet was leading his troops. The red liquid on the ground of the battlefield suddenly rose and one person emerged.
The person was Ark! Ark used the new skill from the Myutal DNA ‘Hide’ in order to move across the battlefield unnoticed.
‘For the time being, it seems like the enemy leader Nemet has been tricked…..’
“Ah, you! Who are you?”
“The enemy!”
‘….Just like I expected.’
Nemet hadn’t left Tri-Force empty. He had left 100 soldiers and 2 Sphinx behind. And Ark had appeared in front of them. An ‘!’ floated above the heads of the soldiers as Ark suddenly popped up on the battlefield.
Pajijijik! Pajijijik!
And the moment the plasma bullets were fired!
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Hwairam!”
Ark’s hand moved through the light and formed a complex pattern. In the next moment, the rune formed the shape of a giant foot and hit the ground.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a roaring sound as the ground shook. The sudden shaking caused the enemy to lose their balance and stumble.
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Kuem Radon!”
Meanwhile Ark had drawn a new rune without any delay. A light shot up from the rune like fireworks and formed a giant eye in the sky. At the same time, a small window showing the battlefield appeared in Ark’s vision. Kuem Radon was a scouting skill that allowed him to observe the surrounding area. The piercing eye glanced around Tri-Force from the sky.
‘Now there are only 100 soldiers remaining at Tri-Force. And I can’t see it from the bottom but there are two snipers hiding in the upper part of the pyramid. It will be difficult if I’m under attack from the enemy sniper without any cover.’
“There is one on the right hand side in the 3 o’clock direction with a height of 20 metres! Another at the same height on the left hand side at 7 o’clock!”
Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!
Ark pointed to the locations and yelled. The sound of gunfire continuously rang out from between the corpses on the battlefield. He could confirm the result with the Kuem Radon eye.
Ark saw blood flying from the head of the snipers before falling down the slope of the pyramid. At that moment, Ark took out his sword and ran towards the enemy troops while shouting.
“That’s it! Everybody, strike with full force!”
It was at that moment. Ark rushed to the enemy lines. Sand rose up and dozens of soldiers appeared behind Ark. The two people that ran out first were Slayer and Basak who were holding huge shields.
“Hyung-nim is always next to Basak! Iron Wall!”
“Damn, if you speak first then it is like I’m imitating you! Iron Wall!”
Basak and Slayer used Iron Wall at the same time and a small fortress was formed. The plasma shots pouring towards Ark were stopped by the shields while Kurakan, Rapid and Kaya started shooting the enemy.
Meanwhile Sadain, Ellain and the rest of the team approached. They attacked the enemy troops stationed at Tri-Force like a thunderbolt.
“Ugh! W-we were tricked!”
“These guys, they didn’t run away at all!”
The enemy burst out after receiving a surprise attack out of the blue. But Ark and his team that popped out of the sand only numbered 15 people. On the other hand, Nemet had left 100 troops stationed at Tri-Force. The enemy quickly regained their stability.
“There are only 15 of them! We can handle them immediately!”
‘That’s what they think…..’
Ark grinned and laughed at the enemy. Dozens of sand pillars suddenly welled up behind the enemy troops. 50 soldiers were revealed after the sand pillars soared up. And the man at the head of the soldiers was Hawk!
This was the last stage of the operation that Ark and Hawk developed. Once again, the difference between the power of the militia and the rebel army was 5 times. It was 5,000 to 1,000. Ark and Hawk weren’t foolish enough to have a frontal confrontation with such a large power difference.
So they considered a luring strategy. They used camouflage to lose the main Tri-Force army. The issue was how to conceal the troops from Nemet’s eye in the desert.
The problem was settled surprisingly easily.
———————————————————————-
-Kuahahaha. The militia, they’re not my opponent!
Nemet declared with high spirits after the previous battle. Only dozens of minutes had passed and approximately 400 people had been killed in the militia. But that was Nemet’s mistake.
No, it was more accurate to say that Nemet was tricked. It was impossible to guess the number of enemies that fell down on the battlefield. The easiest way to check the power difference was to make a head count of the soldiers still fighting. This was the part that Ark and Hawk aimed at.
–Reduce our number while fighting?
–Of course they would think we were dead.
–Yes, there is no special terrain to hide out troops here. If the number decreases then naturally the enemy would think that they are dead. The commander might think that an ambush is planned but he would never expect us to be hiding right there at the front.
–If there is a way to hide there….
–There is a way.
Ark smiled and replied.
It was digging! While Hawk was fighting intensely and caught Nemet’s eye, Ark was working at the rear. In the early stages of the battle, he had poured water over the sand and had people dig! Dig! Dig!
People dug places in a few places. Then soldiers would hide in the pit with a shield above them and they were covered with corpses and sand. The militia sequentially disappeared so Nemet judged that he was winning. But there were only approximately 300 militia soldiers killed.
Ark’s team, Hawk’s team and 70 militia had hidden in the sand.
–But there is no guarantee that the enemy will chase after the militia.
–That’s right. So we will throw a bait.
–Prince Kuhwen?
–There is no better lure to the rebel army then the Prince. Their mission is to desperately defend Tri-Force. There is no reason for them to chase us if we retreat. Those guys will win if they keep defending Tri-Force. But if they pursue Kuhwen then they won’t protect Tri-Force. That will be a chance for victory.
This was Ark and Hawk’s plan. And Nemet took the bait in front of him. He thought that Kuhwen’s party only consisted of 100 soldiers.
Of course, Kuhwen wasn’t actually used as bait. The person Nemet regarded as Kuhwen was actually Tori wearing a cloak since his body shape resembled Kuhwen. The actual Kuhwen was hiding under the sand with Hawk and Ark. This was the Unclear Lamp operation!
“Hiding in the sand….”
“Dammit! Tricked again! We’re surrounded by them!”
“There is no need to panic! There are still only 60~70 of them!”
“We also have the Sphinxes! Sphinxes, those guys…..”
Fushu! Pepepepeng!
Before the enemy could finish, a column of flame shot up from the Sphinx. Hawk’s lieutenant Harley was kneeling and aiming a tank destroyer that he had fired at the Sphinx.
Ark learnt that Harley was a NPC that specialized in hijacking and destroying tanks. But there was also a user in Ark’s team who specialized in tanks.
“Park, the remaining Sphinx is left to you!”
“Okay! Leave it to me! I am the original professional autobot controller! Go Car, Kum!”
The dinosaur and autobot forms rushed towards the Sphinx. The autobots were a weapon specializing in fighting tanks. The autobots had high defense and their armoured attack meant they would deal more damage than general users.And the general enemies…..
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark threw his body towards the enemies. Dozens of swords swirled out and shredded the enemy. And Rapid rushed to the centre behind Ark. Rapid’s pistol revolved like a spin top and fired all over the place. The revolving pistol was Rapid’s specialty.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
The gun seemed to be firing wildly but every shot hit an enemy! The bullets flew all over the place and passed through the enemy’s forehead.
Kurakan’s M-620 also shone in this battle. The hit rate wasn’t accurate in a 1 on 1 battle but the machine gun could wreak havoc in a wide battle like this. Its strongest use was the random shots!
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
“Wuhahaha! Take this! Take this! Take this!”
Kurakan exclaimed with a satisfied expression.
The enemy was busy trying to escape the hail of bullets. However there was no place to flee to. Hawk’s team had created a battle formation. While Ark’s team was charging, Hawk’s team members were attacking from behind.
100 against 70. The enemy still had the advantage in numbers but numbers already meant nothing. Once Ark and Hawk simultaneously attacked from two fronts, the enemy rushed back and forth as their formation collapsed. The one sided disadvantage had been wiped out.
While Ark and Hawk took care of the troops, Harley and Park took care of the two Sphinxes. The time it took was only 10 minutes!
‘Certainly…..’
Ark glanced at Hawk.
Hawk had done a dazzling job when fighting against Nemet’s main army. But Hawk hadn’t shown 100% of his power then. There was no reason for him to do his best when they had the luring strategy in mind.
But in this battle they needed to exterminate the enemy as quickly as possible. Now Ark could see the true combat power of Hawk and only a sigh emerged.
‘Hawk had more subordinates and his team is stronger than mine. I hired Slayer and Kaya’s team for a total of 6 users but there is a large difference. And he declared openly…..’
Unlike the first game, Ark had felt a little easy.
Ark had encountered Lucifer a few times. And the result of the fight against the Red Slaughterer, or Lucifer was enough for Ark to conclude that they had similar combat power. There was no reason for him to become hasty. But it was different when a strong user like Hawk was aiming at him. Now that Hawk had declared himself, he counted as an enemy along with Lucifer.
‘I can’t relax anymore. Hawk’s power is enough to interfere and make it difficult to grow on the space frontier. I have reinforce my power base before the different becomes too large. I need to survive and become stronger.’
Ark once again became irritated. But this was a different time and space. If he failed the quest then he would lost the Silver Star and his growth. Ark turned his back to the enemy and shouted.
“Prince Kuhwen, now!”
Kuhwen exited the sand with Tot.
“Come out, Shire! On the order of a blood relative of Horus, break this seal…..”
And he began to draw runes in front of the pyramid. This was the sacred rune passed down through the generations of Horus in order to open the doors of the Holy Land that contained the control device of Abraxas.
‘This long quest will end now!’
Flash! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Then a light suddenly exploded from above the pyramid. Shock waves spread as an airship exploded. The player on the airship threw his body towards Kuhwen while Ark and Hawk jumped in front of him without hesitation. At the same time smoke started to blow from the airship.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
“Sword Defense!”
“Flow Sword! Return! Bullet!”
The swords belonging to both of them scattered the bullets. But it was impossible for Ark and Hawk to stop all the bullets coming from the airship.
Ark embraced Kuhwen’s body and rolled to the ground as a few bullets hit him. At the same time, a black object fell where Kuhwen used to be and a huge sand pillar welled up. Ark and Kuhwen rolled several metres along the ground.
One man then jumped down onto the sand.
Basak grabbed his shield.
“Hyung-nim, it is dangerous!”
“A Casain dares interfere!”
A man wearing a black helmet yelled as his arms moved violently. Basak went flying like he was hit. Meanwhile Ark and Hawk raised their swords and stood in front of Kuhwen. The man stared at Kuhwen with red eyes after hitting Basak.
“I finally met you Prince Kuhwen.”
“Set…..”
Kuhwen said with a moan.
-The Elite class leader of the rebel army ‘Set’ has appeared.
A red warning message floated in front of Ark at the same time.
Space 8
			The Murat Saga (Part: 2)
“Set!”
Kuhwen ran forward and shouted.
“You were such a loyal subject so why did you commit such a terrible sin?”
“Loyal subject…..”
The sound of laughter emerged from Set’s voice.
“Yes, loyal subject. I once believed so as well. I was a loyal subject of Horus. I worked to protect Horus and ensure peace on Muratio Star. I never doubted the mission that the Great God gave me.”
“Then why?”
“Because I realized that I was mistaken.”
Set raised his voice and continued.
“I heard the voice of God. And I came to know. The Great God doesn’t want peace. Destruction! And death! That is what the God wants.”
“Nonsense! Who would hope for such a thing?”
“Your Majesty, there is no point.”
Then Tot shook his head and spoke from the rear. He looked at Set with incredulous eyes and moaned.
“I don’t feel any light within Set anymore. The only thing swirling inside him is a dark aura. The force of the dark aura is so incredible it is hard to believe. I don’t know when the darkness entered Set’s body but his heart has already been swallowed by the darkness. He already can’t be convinced with words.”
“Indeed Tot. You understand.”
Set laughed while scratching his head and replied.
“But you misunderstood an important part. The dark aura didn’t enter me. I embraced the dark aura. That’s because I recognized the true will of God. Your expression says you can’t understand. It is natural. No one can understand unless they heard the voice of the Great God directly. But it isn’t necessary to worry. I’ll make sure you guys soon hear the voice of God. However, you will hear the voice of the death god.”
Set dropped his shoulders and spoke quickly. At the same time, a small rod fell from his sleeve towards his hand. A black ray shot off from the rod at the same time. It was a black lightsaber.
“This guy is Set….”
Ark went out in front of Kuhwen.
“This crazy person. The voice of God? You should go to a mental asylum. There are many who had the voice of God like you. No, I’ll send you there.”
“Jed?”
Ark seemed to be someone called Jed in Set’s eyes. But he had no intention of correcting that idea. Ark nodded blankly and Set laughed before continuing.
“I haven’t seen you in a while but the guy who always hid behind Prince Kuhwen is now standing in front of him. It is worth understanding. That sword tells me that you are the Elim’s Heir. Perhaps your confidence is coming from there. But it is better not to strain yourself. Haven’t you heard? The late Elim was killed by me. Do you think that you who just became the heir can take care of me when the formal Elim couldn’t?”
“It is possible!”
Ark raised his lightsaber and shouted. Then Rapid and Hawk simultaneously rushed forward on either side of him. And in front was Ark! It was the attack from an alliance of three warriors!
“It is impossible for you guys! Right now I’m unbeatable!”
Set opened both arms and shouted.
A huge aura of darkness swirled around and focused on Set. Ark felt his breath clog and body stiffen as he was wrapped in the dark aura. Set slowly raised both arms and Ark’s body floated into the sky like he was pulled by something.
It wasn’t just Ark. Next to him was Basak, Hawk, Rapid, Kuhwen and Tot. The people around him were captured by an unseen force and floated up. At the same time an information window appeared.
-You have been captured by Set.
<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>
‘Oh my god! I can’t move? This is….’
Ark looked at the information window with astonishment. He knew that Set was the leader of the rebellion on Muratio Star. Ark had expected Set to be strong. But to not be able to move? Was this a problem of strength anymore?
“Huk! W-what is going on?”
“I don’t know but Hawk-nim is in danger!”
“Damn! Help Hyung-nim!”
Hawk and Ark’s team watching from afar started clamouring. No, they tried to jump up!
Pepeng-! Pepeng-! Pepeng-!
Sand pillars soared up between Ark and his team. The sand pillars exposed 100 soldiers wearing black armour. They were subordinates of Set who dropped down from the airship. Set looked at his subordinates before moving close to Ark and muttering.
“Didn’t I tell you? You aren’t my opponent.”
‘Is Set really a NPC?’
He looked at the approaching Set holding the black lightsaber.
This sometimes occured in a game. A user’s ability couldn’t beat the NPC. Did this mean the <For the Benefit of Muratio Star!> quest needed to be completed before Set appeared? Did the appearance of Set mean a failure of the quest itself? There was a possibility that Set was a NPC that couldn’t be beat. Ark considered that point before shaking his head.
‘No, that is ridiculous! I thought I was killed when caught by the black hole! I worked hard over 3 days and now they’re saying ‘Huhuhu, Set can be beaten?’ Is this a joke? If I die here then it isn’t just experience and skills that will be lost. Even my spaceship will be lost! No! I will never die! I won’t let it end in vain like this! There must be another way!’
And there really was!
“You can’t stop us with such sorcery!”
There was a cry from the back and the black aura immediately scattered. The unseen force around Ark, Hawk, Rapid, Basak and Kuhwen disappeared and they fell to the ground. Ark turned around at the sudden situation with an astonished expression and saw Tot floating in a meditation posture.
“I know the force! The powers of darkness won’t affect me!”
The one who invalidated Set’s skill was Tot!
He looked like Yoda but he had been no help in battle so far! He was the Elim mentor but only taught Ark Break Kinesis! Ark honestly hadn’t paid much attention until now! This was the famous Elim spiritual mentor! He was still a NPC.
But this scene clearly showed Tot’s skills.
“Ark, now! I’ll block this guy so accomplish the Elim’s mission!”
….In the end, it was a war between disciples. But fortunately Ark wasn’t alone right now!
“Basak, they are charging!”
Ark shot forward like a bullet the moment he landed on the ground and shouted.
At the same time, Set’s subordinates surrounding Kuhwen and Basak took out their weapons. There was the thunderous sound of gunshots as Ark and Hawk’s teammates conflicted with Set’s soldiers.
And Ark…..
Wiing! Wiing! Buoong!
A trajectory of light rushed towards Set. The moment the sword was about to reach Set!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sparks flew out continuously. Set had considerable sword skills. He was the leader of the troops on Muratio Star so it was natural but he managed to block dozens of sword attacks with one hand.
But this much was expected. The two swords violently collided with each other!
“Defense Break!”
Ark’s sword slipped towards Set’s wrist and struck. Defense Break was a technique to deal with the opponent’s defense stance! It was a useful skill in close combat. Set hadn’t expected it and a wide gap appeared in his posture.
“Take this!”
Ark’s sword went through Set’s neck without any delay. No, he thought it pierced through but Set’s body scattered like fog. And he appeared behind Ark as the black lightsaber fell vertically.
“It is still crude. Vacuum Wave!”
“Damn, Sonic Sword!”
Ark ducked and rolled his body. The black and blue swords collided in the air and there was an explosion of smoke. A huge impact that it Ark’s body. He reflexively strengthened the power in his leg but Ark still flew back several metres.
While Ark was driven into the sand, Set laughed and approached.
“Kukukuku! Didn’t I say it was impossible for you?”
“Your opponent is me!”
The sparkle of two swords plunged into Set. It was Hawk who had been waiting for a chance. Hawk wielded two swords like lightning and seemed to push back Set’s one sword. However Set pushed his leg deep into the sand and turned his body, causing a circle of black light.
“Not a chance! Destruction Zone!”
Hawk raised his pair of swords with confusion. Black sparks continuously flew until Hawk was thrown back 10 metres. Rapid instantly fired his pistol when Hawk was pushed back after Ark.
“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”
Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
The pistol revolved in Rapid’s hand and fired off successive bullets! But Set just waved his lightsaber from side to side and the bullets scattered everywhere like Ark’s Sword Defense. Rapid changed locations and rapidly fired the bullets. Set stretched out an arm towards Rapid and a black sphere formed on the palm.
“Air Bomb!”
The sphere moved forward at a speed that was impossible to see. Rapid used evasive behaviour but the sphere caught up to him like it was a guided missile and exploded. There was black smoke and the bloody Rapid fell to the ground. This happened in the few seconds that Ark was pushed back by the Vacuum Wave.
“U-unbelievable…..”
Ark stared at Set with a flustered expression. It wasn’t just Ark. Hawk who had been waiting for a good opportunity while Rapid was firing also had the same expression.
‘It’s different if I was careless. However Hawk and Rapid aren’t careless. Yet the 3 of us couldn’t face him directly?’
This was Galaxian but Ark was still a legendary gamer. His power was inferior to Hawk’s but he wouldn’t be pushed back in personal skills.
And Rapid was a rival that competed with Ark equally. He had a considerable physical obstacle but he overcame that weakness with a pistol. Hawk was one of the Seven Swords so there was no need to talk about his skills.
Yet Set had defeated 3 such users instantly. Tremendous skills!
‘Impossible! It is impossible to defeat him with our abilities right now!’
Ark came to this conclusion. However he had no intention of giving up this fight.
‘There is no reason to give up yet. Obviously Set is strong. It will be difficult to defeat him with my own power. And the other team members are fighting against Set’s subordinates so they can’t help. But I’m not alone. For me….’
Ark raised his body and looked at Hawk and Rapid. They were his former rivals Rapid and Hawk. Now these two rivals were next to Ark. No matter the problem, currently they were people with the same purpose. They couldn’t match Set but that was when they were facing Set separately.
‘If I team up with them….’
Anyway, it wasn’t necessary to express such ideas. Ark could read the same idea in Rapid and Hawk the moment they made eye contact.
–That is the only way remaining!
Hawk reached the same conclusion as Ark. Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s movements changed significantly since then. Ark moved forward to control Set’s movements. Then Hawk and Rapid moved slowly behind Set.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Rapid started shooting. 3 bullets flew accurately! These shots were a signal so Hawk and Ark rushed forward with their swords. Set felt like that atmosphere of the party had changed. Set’s sword exploded towards Ark and Hawk like a wild animal protecting himself. However Ark had already expected Set’s response.
‘Swamp Walking!’
Ark lowered his body and used Swamp Walking. Ark’s upper body lowered enough until it almost touched the ground. And he kicked out the moment he was close to Set. But unlike New World, his kicks didn’t have an effect in Galaxian. Moreover, Set was much higher levelled than Ark. His position was also enough to make Ark fall. And this attack revealed a gap in Set’s posture!
‘But this alone is enough!’
“Do you think I will accept this attack?”
Set turned towards Ark and twisted his sword. Hawk’s sword twisted intricately and fell onto Set’s head.
“One thousand. Flash! One thousand net!”
“Ugh! You!”
Kakakakak! Kakakakak!
Set flinched and sparks flew into the air as he blocked. Rapid then reloaded and fired towards Set’s head. Set instantly spun his sword. At the same time a black vortex rose and pushed back Ark, Hawk and the bullets.
“Is this the capabilities of your group?”
Set’s red eyes swept over Ark’s group and he murmured in a threatening voice. Set had fended off Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s continuous attacks by himself! But Ark wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t successful but he was convinced with this attack.
‘We can do it!’
Ark grasped his sword and looked at Hawk and Rapid. Once again Ark, Hawk and Rapid couldn’t handle Set alone. The only way to complete the request was for the 3 people to join forces and do a pincer attack.
When the 3 of them joined together, the attack damage wasn’t x3. The important thing about the pincer attack was that they be in tune with each other. If they didn’t fit then it would be rather annoying.
This attack was to check that out. Hawk and Rapid could attack in tune with him. He would give the result at least 8 points out of 10.
As soon as Ark tried a low attack and focused Set’s eyes there, Hawk had attacked from the top. And when the two attacks failed, Rapid had fired to prevent Set from counterattacking. Anyway, it meant they knew the timing to attack without needing to speak!
‘Then I don’t need to hesitate any longer!’
Ark’s sword swept the horizontal direction to vertical. Set shot forward like a bullet and a blue afterimage followed him. The sword poured towards him like a shower!
The blue and black swords intertwined complicatedly in the space between Set and Ark. The two swords were straining against each other when a sound was heard. The person who interrupted was Hawk!
Wiing! Wiing! Pajijijik! Papang! Wiiing!
Sparks soared as Ark, Set and Hawk tangled together. Set skillfully swung his sword and received both Ark and Hawk’s attacks. But it wasn’t easy for Set to simultaneously block both swords. Set began to be pushed back as the contact between swords increased.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Then bullets flew through the middle! Even in such a situation, Rapid wasn’t in a hurry. His location always changed and he would shoot to interrupt when Ark and Hawk was on the defensive. Ark and Hawk’s swords plunged immediately when the attack was broken!
Ark attacked from below and Hawk from above! Hawk attacked from below and Ark from above!
The 3 swords relentlessly tangled with each other within a 1 metre space. This pincer movement was being done for the first time but they were perfectly in tune with each other.
“Trash like this…..!”
Set shouted angrily. But the circumstances meant that Set no longer had room to even talk.
Ark, Hawk and Rapid had reversed the situation with their pincer attack. The chances of Set’s landslide victory changed from a ratio of 8 to 2 in a 1 on 1 battle had changed to 6 to 4. And Ark’s attack speed became even quicker once Set started being pushed back.
“You flies. You will die today.”
Set became angry at Ark’s provocation! The situation increasingly tilted to Ark’s side as Set flared up. But the situation still wasn’t over.
Ark, Hawk and Rapid had found a way to push Set back but the situation with Set’s subordinates wasn’t going well. The combined attacks from his subordinates were pushing the users back. And if the team members were killed then completing the quest would be difficult even if Set was taken care of!
Set grasped the situation and suddenly changed to defense.
“Ark, he is buying time!”
“I know! But switching to defense is as good as admitting defeat. And this is my specialty! Break Kinesis!”
Ark shouted and used his skill. The space behind Set’s head suddenly exploded.
It was the explosion of force Break Kinesis! He had tested it a few times after learning from Tot but unfortunately Break Kinesis couldn’t be used directly against monsters and NPCs. But it was possible to explode a space with nothing in it. The explosion wouldn’t deal a lot of damage but it was enough to break the flow of the offense.
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark used his strongest skill Galaxy Sword after the explosion! Swords flew forward like a fan. It wound around Set like a storm. Set’s health dropped by a tremendous amount and he flew back several metres.
“Light Wave! Wide Sharp Swords!”
“Chain Fire!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Tatatatang!
Hawk and Rapid also used deadly skills.
‘That’s it! Now there is a chance to win!’
Ark lost his breath as he looked at Set.
Set had been gradually overwhelmed once Hawk and Rapid joined in with the pincer movement. Ark and Set’s health was 45% to 38%. It wasn’t enough to guarantee a victory. But the recent attacks reduced Set’s health by 8% to 30%. It was 45% against 30%!
‘Now we can definitely win!’
Ark was convinced of victory and was preparing for the next attack.
Suddenly he had a strange feeling. He felt a sense of discomfort after Set was hit by Galaxy Sword. It was only after Kuhwen’s scream that Ark knew the source of his uneasiness.
“T-Tot!”
Ark’s face stiffened as he turned his head. Tot who was floating 10 metres in the air in a meditation posture had a black lightsaber through his chest. This was the uneasiness Ark felt!
Set’s sword wasn’t in his hand. Set had distracted Ark and his companions. Set was looking for a chance to aim at Tot while fighting Ark. And the moment Ark’s group used a knockdown technique, he had driven his sword through Tot’s chest.
The reason Set did such a thing was simple. If Tot disappeared….
“Your tricks end here.”
Set murmured with a laugh and took one step forward. He spread an aura of darkness and once again wound around Ark’s party.
***
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Bullets hailed all over the place. Dozens of people became bloody and fell down from the concentration of bullets. But that wasn’t the end. Plasma bullets burnt and swords were stabbed through bodies as people died.
“Ugh, dammit!”
A man groaned and moved backwards.
He was Paragon, a member of Hawk’s troops who Harley had placed in charge of the militia. His mission was to take the militia and lure Nemet’s main army. And he had succeeded in luring Nemet’s main force.
But it wasn’t possible to outrun the enemy in the desert. They were caught by the 3,000 rebel army soon after succeeding in the luring strategy. However Paragon wasn’t daunted.
‘I expected that we would be caught by them. The important thing is that Captain Hawk and the remaining team reaches Tri-Force safely. Once Kuhwen entered the pyramid and released Abraxas then the battle will end. The space fleet will enter Muratio Star. We have to hold on until then!
He was sure that victory was secured. But the scheduled time had passed yet there wasn’t any change in Tri-Force.
He assumed it would be a short term battle but 20 minutes had passed since it started and it was still being drawn out. That expectation meant the tactic was for a short term battle and now the soldiers in the defense line were reaching their limit. They were holding up but it was clear the defense line would soon collapse.
‘No! Just a bit more!’
Paragon bit his lip as he stared at the pyramid.
‘Captain Hawk, what is he doing?’
***
The militia was on the brink of destruction.
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Gunshots rang out a few kilometres away.
The 1,000 rebel army led by Nemet was running while firing plasma bullets. The 100 soldiers that Nemet had discovered with the Fly Ranger were running away. Based on the configuration of troops, Kuhwen’s unit should’ve been wiped out already. And there were indeed only 50 soldiers left after being caught by Nemet’s unit.
But Nemet felt sick while carrying out the one-sided attack.
“Damn! Why aren’t any of the attacks hitting?”
Nemet growled as he looked at the flapping cloak that was Kuhwen running away. It had been dozens of minutes since catching the militia yet Kuhwen hadn’t been hit by any of the bullets.
That was because Nemet was still unaware of something.
Kuhwen who showed incredible evasion! The man moving in front of Nemet was not Kuhwen. Kuhwen was currently in front of the pyramid and the disguised person was the pet hamster (?) Tori! Tori had no battle skills but his evasion and ability to escape from a crisis was equal to Ark despite being a NPC. But that was Tori’s own ability.
“Catch him! Kill! Kill him!”
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!
Nemet became even more upset by Tori’s ability and the unit members died one after another. Unfortunately Tori couldn’t hide and just ran around escaping from the shower of bullets. There were shields on either side of him but it was only a matter of time until Tori died!
‘That damn Ark! What is going on? I’m going to die!’
Anger burned inside of Tori.
***
At that moment, Ark and Hawk….
-You have been captured by Set.
<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>
“D-dammit!”
…..They were wrapped in darkness and floated in the air.
“Kukukuku. Now it is like you are hanging from a spider web. Didn’t I tell you? You guys are not my opponents. This has proved my point. I will shred your body for all the trouble you gave me.”
Set approached Ark and slowly said. Then Ark raised his head, looked at Hawk and shouted.
“W-wait a minute! Why me? Think about it! That guy hit you harder than I did! Don’t you remember? If you have to kill someone then kill him!”
“This bastard….”
Hawk yelled angrily.
“No! The person who thought of this strategy first is him! Ark!”
“What? This bastard! No! The first person who talked about a luring strategy was you! How can one of the Seven Swords act so cowardly? Wouldn’t your subordinates be embarrassed?”
“You’re the one who started it!”
“I just told the truth! You were the one always talking! Isn’t it better for him to hit you? Hey Set. Think about it. This is an important issue!”
…..They were both trying to persuade Set to kill each other first. Fortunately that didn’t last long.
“Ugh! H-Hyung-nim! No! This bastard, kill me instead!”
Kuhwen and Basak were also floating in the air beside Tot. Set made a pitying expression after seeing the atmosphere and clicked his tongue.
“Ha! Their subordinates are a lot better than their masters.”
Ark and Hawk blushed.
“Pathetic. I had to fight against trash like you. But now your tricks will end. And you both don’t have to fight. All of you will die like squashed bugs. A volunteer has appeared so he will be killed but Jed will be first. That way I can see Kuhwen and Tot crying as well.”
Despite Basak’s efforts, it was decided that Ark would become the first fatality!
“Basak, don’t worry. It will be your turn next.”
Set approached Ark and stretched his arm out. Set’s sword that was driven into Tot’s chest returned to him. It was Psychokinesis. Set used that technique to pull his sword out of Tot’s chest.
“Now it is time for your punishment. Vacuum Wave!”
The sword plunged downwards.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
Basak screamed as Ark’s chest was split open. However Ark was feeling more despair than pain. This quest was 99% a failure. If he was hit by Set and died then all the experience and skills he gained during the three days and the Silver Star would be lost.
But there was no longer any way for Ark to stop it. He was incapacitated and couldn’t move so all he could do was wait for death. Ark could only look desperately.
-Ark, do you hear my voice?
He suddenly heard a humming voice in his head.
“T-Tot-nim?”
-Yes, that’s me. I’m speaking to your spirit directly using force. Where did your spirit go? You’re just letting yourself be hit!
Tot snapped in an angry voice.
…..He was using force to speak to others in a situation like this? It was slightly outrageous but Tot’s words weren’t.
–Ah, no. I’ve received a fatal wound and can no longer prevent the dark forces. If this continues then Kuhwen will be killed as well. Then no one will be able to stop Set. If Set controls Muratio Star then he will bring war to the universe. Right now you are the only person who can stop Set.
“But I can’t move.”
–No, it is possible if it is you. The power that I used to stop the dark forces isn’t special. You know the strength of Force. You can use Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. In other words, you have received two things. You will soon realize the power of that attribute. Now I’ll align with your force and tell you how to concentrate your mind. This is the only chance. If this fails then you will surely die.
“Eh? Eh? No, wait a minute! My heart isn’t prepared…..”
Ark spoke with a puzzled expression.
-Tot’s skill has started!
Tot has connected to your spirit using the power of Force and fused Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis to create a new skill.
But Tot’s current state means he can only open the two types of power. The fusion of the two types of power will depend on your concentration. If you can blend the two powers together perfectly then the skill will be created.
There is only one chance! If successful, a new skill will be acquired but if you fail then the two powers will flow backwards and explode.
The keyword is ‘Force.’
The blue information window rose!
At the same time, a large disc appeared. And two small beads started to roll inside it. Ark figured out how to create the skill the moment he saw the beads. There was a black and white bead. They probably signified Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. And the keyword meant that he needed to use Force to join the 2 balls.
In other words, it was some sort of mini-game. However it was a superficial game like the name. There was only one chance and failure would mean death. His experience, skills and the Silver Star would fly away. A game with his life at stake!
‘But this is too much!’
Ark lost his fighting spirit as soon as he saw the beads. The beads were rolling too quickly on the disc. Furthermore, the thought of losing everything placed a considerable burden on him and he couldn’t concentrate on the beads.
–What are you doing Ark? The two powers have already clashed a few times. But why are you just watching from the sidelines? Hurry! There is no time! You will die if you don’t succeed so just do it!
‘Die? If it fails then won’t I explode? Yet he told me to just do it? Damn! What is this? Aren’t you a mentor?’
Tot was just talking without knowing the other person’s feelings.
“Wuhahaha! How about it? Do you feel like you’re gradually dying?”
There was a crazy person in front of him still cutting away. He couldn’t concentrate directly.
But like Tot said, Ark had no time.
If he failed to fuse the forces then he would be killed but it he didn’t then he would be murdered by Set! Fortunately Set was going slowly but Ark’s health had already decreased to 30%. Set only needed 3~4 hits before he would hear the voice of the death god.
‘I need to concentrate! Just once! I have to bet everything at once!’
Ark closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
Anyway, it wasn’t useful to have many thoughts in this situation. There was only one chance. If he concentrated his mind then he could quickly beat the game. He waited until he couldn’t even feel the pain from Set’s strikes before opening his eyes.
“Eh? Ehhhhhh?”
Ark’s eyes were shocked. He wasn’t concentrating so hard that he couldn’t feel the pain from Set’s attacks. Set wasn’t attacking. Instead both hands were forming black spheres.
“You’re tougher than I thought. It is troublesome so I’m going to take care of you!”
It seemed to be an attack that would send Ark to his death. However the beads had crashed a few times and moved around the outskirts of the disk.
“W-wait a minute! My mind isn’t prepared….wait a minute! It went well until now! So be a bit more patient! Haven’t I stirred your emotions? So enjoy yourself a bit more!”
“Shut up and go to hell! Electric Air Bomb…..”
Ark’s persistent persuasion didn’t mean anything to Set. No, when Set was about to attack.
“Aaaaaaack! Hyung-nim! No! Sacrifice!”
Basak suddenly screamed and beat his body. At that moment, an amazing thing happened. Basak’s body started to change to crystal. No, to be exact a crystal shield on Basak started to encroach on his body. And when Basak’s body was completed covered….
“C-crystal golem?”
Kukung!
Basak who had been floating in the sky changed to a crystal golem and fell down. Set was confused by the unexpected situation and the black sphere hit Basak. However Basak’s movement as a crystal golem was faster.
The crystal golem slammed both arms on the floor and sharp points exploded towards Set. Set hurriedly wielded his sword.
Syu syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!
“Cough!”
There was a ringing sound as Set protected his face. At the same time, the black sphere was shoved in the crystal golem’s shoulder. The shoulder area exploded but the golem’s body was made of crystal. He only wobbled for a bit but running over to Set and swinging his fist.
Set was unprepared for this. However, Set soon arranged his posture to strike back. At first he was surprised by the abrupt situation but the crystal golem started to push Set back.
In fact, Ark was also panicked like Set. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him. But this chance wouldn’t come to Ark twice! Many questions floated in Ark’s mind but he desperately looked at the beads on the disc.
And the moment the beads encountered each other! Ark raised his head and exclaimed.
“Force Explosion!”
Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!
Ark focused his spirit and spread it out as an intangible chain.
-A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.
Force Explosion (Users, Active): The collision of Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis is an advanced force skill that will cause an explosion of pure energy. There is no physical damage in Force Explosion. However, the burst of pure energy will exclude all evil forces surrounding it. Force Explosion will debuff everything caused by the power of darkness. The effect will last for 3 minutes.
<The powers of darkness will be debuffed for 3 minutes>
Force consumption: 200
“I-It’s a success!”
Ark landed on the floor and shouted. The advanced skill Force Explosion was exercised at last. The golem that was fighting Set suddenly split apart and wound around Ark’s arm.
-The Divine Artefact ‘Baius Shield’ has been equipped!
The message then surfaced. The Baius Shield was coiled around Ark’s arm. But in contrast to its previous form, the crystal was now wrapped from his shoulders to his wrist.
“B-Baius Shield?” But Basak? Where is Basak…..?”
-I have already died.
A distance voice was heard inside his head.
-This Baius Shield has been handed down through generations of the Casain tribe. But this isn’t a crystal that has will. To be precise it is a crystal that can hold will. And the will contained in the Baius crystal belongs to the elders of the Casain. The Guardians born in the Casain tribe will die to serve and the shield will grow stronger depending on their willingness to serve. It is due to my ancestors’ will that I could help Hyung-nim.
That is the reason why my will could dwell inside here.
I can help Hyung-nim from in here. The price of this is that I will soon blend in with my ancestors and lose my own self. But even if I lose myself, my willpower will act with my ancestors in order to protect Hyung-nim.
Ark was lost for words. Basak had given his life for Ark. The crystallization on Ark’s arm was proof of his loyalty. When he considered this point, this was probably the precursor to the Elim gaining the Baius Shield!
‘Does that mean it is an already scheduled event?’
Ark thought up to there. The shield unrolled and there was a strong explosion of light.
-The superior skill ‘Ra’s Glory’ has been cast!
+ Health has been restored by 30%
+ Attack and defense has increased by 20%.
+ Attack Speed has increased by 25%.
+ 25% of all damage will be blocked by the shield and returned to the enemy.
The message floated due to the huge buff. In fact, Ark had expected a lot from a Divine Artefact and had been disappointed when he found the Baius Shield.
The shield’s performance wasn’t that large and the golem wasn’t a help either. The truly valuable part of the Baius Shield was that it could grow with experience.
But that message took away his worries. Health recovered by 30%! Attack and damage increased by 20% and attack speed by 25%. The shield also blocked 25% of all damage and returned it to the enemy! The shield’s skill showed the effect of 3~4 Esper’s buffs.
Of course, this was a skill triggered by an event. But it was likely that the Baius Shield would contain unique skills. If the level rose then he could acquire skills and these skills alone were worth investing experience in it. Anyway!
“Kuoh! H-how are you doing that?”
Ark had used Force Explosion to regain his footing. The aftermath of this meant that Set had stumbled for a moment. He then belatedly confirmed that Ark was free and stuttered.
Ark only had one thing to say at this point.
“Justice is the way to win.”
“Shut up! Justice is based on the will of the God that I follow!”
Set growled with anger and raised his lightsaber. A black swirl was produced by the lightsaber and flew towards Ark. No, just as it was about to fly. Gunfire was heard from the other side.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Once Ark had released the dark aura, Rapid had immediately started firing. Set had to avoid the bullets. Across from Rapid, Hawk was staring at Ark with an unpleasant expression before shouting.
“Dammit! It can’t be helped. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Hawk shouted while lifting his eye patch. A red eye appeared and a massive light exploded from it. A chain explosion then occurred in the air! The chain explosion swept passed like a tsunami until only soot marks were left.
‘What? That guy, he was hiding that skill?’
Ark’s mouth dropped open at the immense skill. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised. Basak’s sacrifice had won a hard-earned opportunity! If he missed this opportunity, there was no guarantee they could beat Set.
“Ugh! These lowly fellows…..”
Ark’s body shot forward like a bullet towards the blackened Set. Set swung his sword dozens of times in an intricate pattern. In the past, he couldn’t go against Set in a 1 on 1 fight but the circumstances changed once the buff was applied.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ark’s sword moved at a dazzling sped and blocked the black sword. He received an impact with the shield and Set stumbled. The buff effect returned 25% of the damage to the enemy. Ark approached the wobbly Set and laughed.
“What did you say? Now it’s my turn?
“W-wait a minute!”
“You didn’t wait previously. This is the definition of ruthlessness!”
Wiing! Wiing! Wiiing! Wiing!
Ark’s lightsaber started to wave in a complicated pattern.
The light moved dozens of times and became more complicated. Of course this was due to the increase in attack speed from the buff. But it was only possible to tell for someone who often played online games. It was 25% extra attack speed but it actually felt like 2 or 3 times the normal speed.
Ark strove to prevent Set from attacking. Set’s health had already been decreased to 30%. Basak then turned into a crystal golem and attacked. Then combined with Rapid and Hawk’s offensives, his health reached 15%.
On the other hand, Ark had 30% health left but it recovered by 30% due to the Baius Shield buff. Currently he had 60%. The combat power was similar but there was 4 the difference when comparing health.
But fighting spirit was the crucial difference from before. It was a situation where Ark had been on the verge of death and was suddenly revived. On the other hand, Set had been on the verge of victory only to be cornered. It was impossible to stay calm in such a situation. Ark’s shower of attacks reduced Set’s health to 3% and Set fell to the ground.
“W-wait a minute! S-save me! I-I…..”
“It is too late! Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of swords flew forward like a fan.
They surrounded Set and there were sparks as the swords kept on striking. Then there was a crack on the armour of Set’s leg before gradually climbing upwards like a breaking pillar.
Tong-!
Once the crack reached the head, there was a ringing sound and the helmet flew off. Black shadows then sprang out from the helmet and surrounded Set’s head.
-Kuaaaak!
Set held his face and screamed through the shadows! Red eyes stared at Ark from among the shadows. Ark quickly lifted his shield as an unidentified presence appeared.
He was nervous at the possibility of the battle continuing. However the shadow with red eyes just yelled with fury before disappearing.
–You! Jed! Elim! I will never forget this grudge!
“…..What was that? That guy?”
He waited longer but nothing further happened.
-Your level has risen.
-Your level has risen.
And the ringing sound of continuous messages! He disposed of Set and this was converted into experience. But there was no time to relax yet. Set was killed but Ark and Hawk’s team were still engaged with Set’s subordinates. Ark jumped up and shouted.
“Stop! Set is dead! Everybody surrender!”
“Dammit! Leader Set….”
“The rebellion was a failure?”
“No! We just need to kill them!”
“We’re going to die anyway! Let’s get revenge for Set!”
The rebels became enraged and fired their plasma bullets. Ark used Sword Defense to deflect the plasma bullets’ trajectory and moved towards Kuhwen.
“Damn! Your Majesty, Tri-Force!”
“Stop Prince Kuhwen!”
The surviving enemy rushed to the pyramid.
Then an enemy collapsed to the ground due to Ark’s sword. Another body fell down on the other side while three bullets penetrated a different enemy. They were Ark, Hawk and Rapid who killed Set.
“Come as much as you want. I will kill everyone. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”
Flash! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A red light flew from Hawk. The chain explosion occurred in a radial blast! The enemies caught in the explosion had their health decreased and some even instantly disappeared.
“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”
Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
Rapid spun his pistol and bullets penetrated the enemy. And dozens of swords extended towards the enemy line!
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Dozens of enemies collapsed under the combined attacks of Ark, Rapid and Hawk. Even the team members were helping. Their morale was already at the bottom so quite a few enemy troops couldn’t resist and collapsed. However these rebels were desperate. No, the uprising had failed so their deaths were confirmed anyway.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was also the bombardment of the airship from above. It really was a plan of desperation. Everyone was going to die so they gave everything they had. But Ark’s team had a user who could oppose the bombardment. The controller Park!
“Car! Kum! Transformed into the final form!
The dinosaur form opened up parts of its leg and other areas at Park’s command. Then the knight form got on it and transformed into a long spear. The two autobots had transformed into a type of turret!
“If an airship is the opponent then it is my specialty!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Park got on the turret and a spear of energy shot out from it.
Indeed a tank expert!
Kaya and Sadain were good in hand to hand combat but Park showed his mighty power against tanks. Fortunately there was Ark, Hawk and Rapid. Along with the team members, they managed to interrupt Set’s troops while Kuhwen called the Shire to open the entrance of the pyramid.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Many people were feeling anxious. Suddenly the earth shook and a huge red pattern formed on the pyramid. The pattern formed an ‘x!’ At first he had no idea what this meant. But he knew once the pattern changed. It became a blue ‘○’ pattern.
‘Perhaps that is….?’
Ark looked up with hopeful eyes. A huge space gate had formed above the pyramid. Sparks flew around the gate before a huge spaceship passed through.
The airship that was exchanging hits with Park turned towards the spaceship and fired. But when looking at the scale of the spaceship, it was like sticking a needle in an elephant. The offensive of the spaceship…..
Flash!
A blue light flew from the spaceship and the airship dissolved without a trace. Meanwhile dozens more gates had formed over the spaceship. And hundreds of spaceships similar to the one that destroyed the airship filled the sky.
That’s right. What explanation was needed? The pyramid was the boundary between space and Muratio Star. So ‘x’ meant no entry while ‘○’ meant it was okay to enter….
The atmosphere became lighter with one pattern.
Anyway, the ward Abraxas protecting Muratio Star was turned off. The space fleet spread throughout the galaxy could now enter Muratio Star to suppress the rebels.
“Waaaaahhhhh! Murat space fleet! We did it!”
“That’s it. Now…..”
The militia cheered. Tot who was leaning against the pyramid wall gasped and slowly closed his eyes.
***
At that time.
–Kuoh….
An ancient temple somewhere in the galaxy. A black form occupying the centre groaned and grabbed his face. The robed men in the vicinity flocked with confused expressions.
“What’s wrong?”
–It is nothing.
The black form answered in a thin, tremulous voice.
–I was just reminded of nasty wounds that occurred a long time ago.
A red mark was engraved on the forehead of the black form. However, a black hand rubbed it and the red mark immediately disappeared.
–This bruise from the past isn’t anything special….
The black form frowned before continuing to speak.
-I don’t know why but I’m in an unpleasant mood. I need to hurry. Tell Fenrir to put things in order and return.
Ark the Legend Setting Collection
			<Influential Forces of Galaxian>
The Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years in size and consists of 500 billion planets. However, most of the planets are simple inert gas and rock chunks and have no species or civilization. It is only possible to extract resources and construct civilizations on 1/1 billionth of the planets. This is only a handful compared to the scale of the galaxy.
There are 3 powers that had possession of the planets. The humans located on the eastern part of the galaxy known as the galactic federation, the Rama who had colonies throughout the northern area and a coalition of 70 alien species in the south called the Aschulat.
And there is also the Space Council. The territory of the 3 powers is established through an agreement. Each power is still trying to break through to the unclaimed area known as the Galactic Halo (an area (16 million light years in size) and have proclaimed it as the space frontier. The Space Council is a committee that mediates any disputes that happens in the space frontier.
-Galactic Federation
In the 22nd century, Earth finally came to an end. Hundreds of years of environment damage has caused the Earth to start to collapse. Thus humans started dreaming of a new life in space. Space science technology exploded until a base was created on the moon. Humanity continued to grow until they reached a turning point on the 23rd century. So far technology like spatial jump and warp navigation only existed in the imagination.
Now that warp technology was developed, they could explore areas of the galaxy that had been limited before. Then the world governments consolidated into one power and was renamed the galactic federation. This was a very peculiar change to occur. The politics that had developed for hundreds of years reverted back to the caste system of royalty, aristocrats and commoners. Some anthropologists attribute this change to requiring a strong sense of leadership because of an unknown world.
The early galactic federation appointed a representative of each country to the royal family or aristocrats and humanity was transformed into one perfect force. Once they entered the galaxy, the aristocrat’s power started to strengthen even more during the war with the Rama that occurred for dozen of years. However, the federation still adhered to a democracy. In order for aristocrats to display their power in the political arena, they needed the support of the citizens.
Currently the federation occupies and controls all species in the east of the galaxy. Their sphere of influence is 270 planets surrounding Istana in the centre. However, 200 of them are to extract resources and if the protected planets were removed then only 40 of the planets were actually civilized.
The population is approximately 12 billion. 8 billion of them are humans. The rest consist of 20 alien species. When considering the amount of refugees flowing in, the actual estimated population is 16 billion. In addition to production, trade, research etc., the galactic federation has implemented a system to encourage many beginner pioneers.
-Rama
The home planet of the Rama consist of dense forest and swamps. On the other hand, the gravity is low so the flora and fauna have evolved to a huge size. The Rama is the size of a human so they are considered small mammals on that planet. However, they were able to overcome this difference with aggression and combat power. They started to spread to other planets but the aggression of the Rama didn’t disappear. After the mysterious destruction of the Murat, the Rama were like wolves released from chains.
But the organization of the human species and the alliance of the alien species called Aschulat cause the Rama to halt in its tracks. Although a special treaty was signed, the Rama is still aiming to conquer the galaxy. The Rama possesses a power structure similar to ancient Rome.
The Rama has a population of 8 billion, but only 2 billion of them are actually Rama. The remaining 6 million come from the colonies they absorbed. Unlike the federation, the Rama’s structure is completed focused around a King/Emperor. Around 300 planets are included in the Rama’s area of influence. The Rama are a warlike race and they had unparalleled combat power and physical abilities. On the other hand, they oppressed the other alien species as they expanded so their culture and commerce hasn’t developed. If a user is focused on combat abilities instead of a wide variety of content then they will choose this species.
-Aschulat
The existence of the Rama had a great impact on the birth of the Aschulat. Originally each species in the Aschulat possessed their own civilization. But the Rama started to explosively expand their power and invaded their territory. To combat this, 70 alien species joined together to create a coalition. An alien species that looks like ET called the Aschulat is the centre of this resistance.
However, in the early stages the Aschulat couldn’t perform its function properly. After the Rama were defeated, it emerged as a 3rd power among the two camps. The humans who advanced into the galaxy are the galactic federation. While the Rama were concerned with the federation, the Aschulat took advantage of it to advance into the galaxy. They then allied with the federation to corner the Rama and were able to end the 1st Galaxy War.
The political system is a democracy similar to present day earth.
70 species of aliens are gathered so there is a mix of culture and technology taking advantage of the species’ different special abilities have been developed. 400 planets belong to this alliance and with a population of 20 billion, it is the largest among the 3 powers.
However, the combat ability is the weakest among the 3 powers. On the other hand, the mix of cultures means their science and technology is the most developed. Since science and technology is the most developed, it is a popular choice for users to pick after the galactic federation.
-Council
A council created to mediate the rights of the areas not in the influence of the 3 powers, which includes the Galactic Halo. The council is a hive matrix arranged through an employment agency called Elysium. However, the role of the council started to grow as the number of pioneers grew and more disputes occurred.
However, the treaty states that the council has no power over the areas controlled by the 3 powers.
Therefore, anything that applies to pioneers are recommendations not laws. They can’t be forced to follow it. However, there are around 1000 agents or enterprises that have joined the council. The four large companies of the galactic federation, the merchant alliance of the Aschulat and the mercenaries of the Rama have joined so the Council’s influence is absolute.
-Etc.
Colony: Pioneers can buy planets in the frontier and turn the place into their own territory. Most of them are planets where resources are extracted. Therefore a large number of them are for extracting resources and few planets are civilized.
Hive: An artificially created space station. Due to the special treaty, the 3 power can’t be involved with any hives in the frontier and it can only be owned by civilian businesses. Hives the size of a planet or a small spacecraft can exist. Fairy, Star Gates, shops and taverns can be established on large Hives. It is similar to a small territory in the universe.
Company: Private companies that don’t belong to the government of the 3 powers. The concept is similar to a guild but NPCs can be employed. The nature of the company depends on the CEO such as mercenaries, space resources, exploring ruins etc. The name also changed depending on the scale of the company. Those with less than 60 staff are called Agents, those with 60~120 are called a Company, 120~240 a High Company and those with more are called a Space Company. Of course, the companies can also give special quests depending on the nature and the scale.
Sector: Villages built in the territory of the 3 powers. It is similar to a Colony or Hive but it is administered by the government. The classification depends on the level of civilization. Just like the companies, the name of civilizations also change depending on the development such as a town, city and metropolis. And there are rumours of unknown Black Cities that exist on several planets……
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<Main Species>
-Humans
Humans make up the majority of the galactic federation.
Among all the races, humans are the ones with the most average abilities. They have no specific bonuses but there are no special weaknesses. Even so, many users choose humans because of the racial quality of fast acquisition. Thanks to this acquisition, humans are able to quickly gain experience and catch up to other species. In addition, it is possible to learn the skills of many different species.
If you want to become an annoying and persistent use then you should select humans!
<Overall Combat Power: ★ ★, Growth Rate: ★★★, Scalability: ★ ★ ★, Distinctiveness: ★★>
-Rama
A combat race from the northern area of the galaxy.
Thanks to the harsh environment and powerful monsters, the Rama had raised the abilities of their bodies to the limit to survive. The Rama had inherited the ancestral DNA of the Murat and are excellent fighters. The Rama had agility and stamina bonuses and they also receive a specific bonus in environments like dense forests and swamps. In addition, the chances of learning combat related skills are high but they can’t easily learn other skills.
If you feel like bathing in a river of blood every day then it is recommended to pick this species!
<Overall Combat Power:★★★, Growth Rate: ★★, Scalability: ★★, Distinctiveness: ★★★>
-The 4 Races
Legendary alien species that achieved a super civilization in a different solar system in earlier times.
The Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious are 4 species that passed on their culture to uncivilized species in this galaxy. Not a lot is known about them. But according to the information Ark obtained, they were closely related to an enigmatic alien species called the Karma before they disappeared
At the time, the 4 races along with the many species that followed them finally won a 50 year war against the Karma. However, it was difficult for them to recover after being battered by the war. The Potamia and Oritious got into a conflict with each other, the Indus were declining while the Murat were betrayed by the Rama and wiped out.
By digging through ancient ruins, various relics about the 4 races have been discovered. The Murat are based on ancient Egypt, the Indus ancient India, the Potamia are ancient middle east and the Oritious are based on ancient China. A theory is that the 4 races were regarded as gods in Earth’s past and passed on their culture to them. However, relics from earth haven’t been found on any other planets.
Some secrets might be hidden here……
-Karma
An enigmatic species that wiped out numerous other species in this galaxy. The 3 powers don’t have a lot of information about them.
They are truly an enigma.
-Etc.
Tiny Clan: An alien species similar to a hamster. Their combat abilities are hopeless but they have superior brains that can handle various machines. They react fast and like hoarding things so you should always be aware of ulterior motives. They aren’t dangerous but you should be wary of them. They quickly forget any favours or grudges. Users can select this species but there are only a small number.
* Characters: Tori
Charenjok: An alien similar to an octopus. They lived peacefully but was invaded by a hostile species called the Kakajok and became refugees. They flowed into the galactic federation and Aschulat but their special ability wasn’t popular and some of them were taken as slaves. There was once a time the Charenjok were so prosperous that they took space ships to earth to sight see. Before entering the universe, the Charenjok were regarded as Martians on earth. Now the number of people who know the ancient techniques of the Charenjok are rare. They are docile aliens who have a high regard for the clan’s honour. Users can’t select this species yet. And it wouldn’t be a species users would be eager to choose.
* Characters: Burum, Bakum, Tuntun
Grey Clan: An alien species with grey skin. They are 1 metre in height and their black eyes are so big that it occupies 50% of their face The genius like brain of the Grey allow them to quickly understand the environment and they can do quick calculations. The Grey were sometimes the reason for the Mutilation (cutting and killing of cattle) on undeveloped planets. But according to Hegel, that is just one faction and the Grey are a docile species. They didn’t even consider revenge when they crashed on Earth and were dissected by humans.
* Characters: Hegel
Tobil Clan: An alien species two times the size of a human. There are no large differences between them and the humans except for their size. Although they need to eat a lot to fill up their large frames, they have high stamina. They are also able to wear considerable amounts of weight like heavy equipment without falling. The existences of giants that have been passed down in legends have been attributed to the Tobil Clan but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
* Characters: Cupa
Unkara Clan: Apart from the normal 2 eyes, they also have an additional eye stuck to the forehead and look similar to humans. It is unknown where their name originated from. The Unkara’s eyes attached to the forehead has such good vision that it is impossible to measure. The Unkara clan can show their power on scouting or sniping missions. This is the reason why many Unkara are hired as mercenaries. An unexpected point to their good eyesight is that they can’t see directly below them.
* Characters: Kalliben
Belkin Clan: An alien species with green, black and grey skin. They aren’t that smart. But they failed the company entrance test due to their ugly appearance and spread out through the universe with an angry disposition. The Belkin often become mercenaries and it is even common for them to join gangs. But they have a reckless character! They don’t fear death and they won’t betray someone once their loyalty is earned. An appropriate job for them is an Assaulter. There are rumours that the Okra are their ancestors.
* Characters: Asuran
Katz Clan: Some alien scholars seemed to have studied Earth hundreds of years ago. There are many species through the galaxy that resemble Earth’s flora and fauna. The Katz Clan is an alien species that resembles the cat. The surprising thing is that they display the characteristics of Earth’s flora and fauna and even have the same adversarial relationships. The Katz’ hearing, vision and agility resemble the cat and their body means they excel as soldiers. Nevertheless, the Katz aren’t welcomed by the Belkin clan. That is because they are lazy, selfish and don’t display much loyalty.
* Characters: Prison escapees A, B, C……
Kero Clan: Just like the Charenjok, they are a frog type alien species expelled from their home planet and have become refugees. They aren’t that clever and the combat ability is also bad. However, they lay 100 eggs at a time and possess the best procreational power apart from the cockroach type species. Their specialty is human wave tactics.
* Characters: Kero A, B, C…..
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<Body Coating>
Body coating was developed by Lucian and a team of bio engineers when the federation was being cornered by the Rama.
The principle is to extract DNA from an alien or unknown creature and combine it with human DNA to make the body evolve within a short period of time. However, there is a limit to how many new DNA can be combined and not all the abilities can be obtained.
Typically if you strengthen strength or stamina then mental aspects will weaken and vice versa. Therefore the body coating selected will have an huge impact on the selected occupation. When selecting a tanker as an occupation, areas such as wearing heavier armours, stamina and withstanding attack should be considered.
The Rama and Aschulat also developed their own body coating to increase the strong points and make up for the weaknesses in their bodies. The companies even extended it to civilians so most species’ physical abilities have been averaged out. There are four types of body coating. Body reinforcement, concentration reinforcement, mental reinforcement and willpower reinforcement. It can be classified into 7 different categories based on the occupations.
-Fighter
Fighter is a type of body coating that strengthens stamina and physical strength.
Combat skills will be amplified beyond human capacities when the Fighter enhancement to stamina and physical strength is received. The true power of this coating is shown in hand to hand combat and on the battlefield. Fighters using a sword, shield, gun or hammer have always been an object of fear. A Fighter specialized in hand to hand combat.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 6, long range combat 3, special ability 1
* Recommended Occupation: Shield troops, Guardian, Warrior etc…..
-Soldier
This is the type that strengthens concentration.
The best features are the long-range weapons. In other words, it focuses on the ability to use a gun. Pioneers who receive the Soldier coating will become better shooters compared to those who have trained for the same amount of time. However, the disadvantage is they have relatively low stamina and find it difficult to directly engage the enemy. Therefore Soldiers generally deal damage from the rear. In particular, the heavy weapons such as the RPG deal enormous destruction. This is currently the body coating that most users have selected in Galaxian.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 3, long range combat 6, special ability 1
* Recommended Occupations: Sniper, Assaulter, Cavalry, etc……
-Ranger
The Ranger has two attributes at the same time, that of a Fighter and a Soldier. They possess suitable strength and stamina to wear heavy armour and they have enough agility to be good with guns. But the problem is that both sides need to be at a suitable level. While they can master both the sword and the gun, the slightest slip means they could fall behind. Maintaining this balance is an endless work for a Ranger. However, nobody can deny that it is a body coating with the widest utilization and possibilities.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 4, long range combat 4, special ability 2
* Recommended Occupation: Skirmisher, Guerrilla soldiers etc……
-Engineer
An Engineer is a type that strengthens mental power in fields of knowledge like repairs and dynamics.
These activities cover a very wide range. Production of various facilities, repairing, operating a tank are all areas controlled by an Engineer. There are also those that create their own autobot, take charge of turrets on the battlefield and experts in explosives. While it can be sub-divided into many parts, the process is complicated and personal attack power falls so soloing is almost impossible. It is indispensable in war but not many users chose this body coating.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 2, long range combat 2, special ability 4
* Recommended Occupations: Engineers, Tank Driver, Pilot, Architects etc……
-Esper
Esper is a type of body coating that reinforces mental power and concentrates on the extrasensory areas.
Among the alien species, some rely on their brains instead of physical force and combining the DNA of these organisms with the human brain can create Espers.
Espers use mental strength to draw out and manifest a mysterious energy called mana and Espers can be classified into different types. Some manifest elemental affiliates like fire, spirit affiliates that interfere with the opponent’s spirit, temporarily change the configuration of the opponent’s DNA, reading the memory of objects and many other types.
The Esper needs to select the species quality so they especially need to keep in mind the occupation they desire. However strength, stamina and control are low so not a lot of users have selected it yet.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 1, long range combat 2, special ability 7
* Recommended Occupation: All Esper related occupations.
-Healer
This is the type that strengthens willpower.
There are two types. One that uses various drugs to heal and grants special effects to allies while the medic is an extension of an engineer. Another type is a subset of the Esper that uses special effects to help them recover like a cleric. They are classified separately as a healer and the healer’s presence on hunting grounds and battlefields is indisputable.
But it has the lowest stamina, combat ability and they can’t do anything other than heal so most users avoid this coating.
* DNA Chemical Compound Ratio: Close range combat 1.5, long range combat 1.5, special ability 7
* Recommended Occupations: Medic, Cleric, Oracle, etc……
-Etc.
Additionally, many different types of body coating techniques exist.
The DNA extraction, cultivation and synthesis developed by Lucian in the early stages are the 1st generation. The 1st generation body coating can activate 80% of the alien’s DNA and body coating technology has developed since then. Most NPCs in Galaxian have received the 1st generation body coating technology.
The 2nd generation body coating can absorb 100% of the DNA. The 1st generation technique has been refined a lot more times and it costs a lot to receive the 2nd generation coating. However, the federation wants to encourage pioneers so most companies pay a subsidy so the body coating can be received for a cheap price. 99% of users have received the 2nd generation coating.
However, it has advanced even further to the 3rd generation body coating. The 3rd generation technique adds a special compound. 100% of the DNA is absorbed and it also increases the potential of the DNA. Currently, only a few outstanding warriors among the 3 powers have been allowed to receive the 3rd generation coating.
The 3rd generation coating is the one that Ark received.
While users who received the 2nd generation coating were enhanced by 100%, Ark who received the 3rd generation was enhanced by 120%.
The Survivor body coating that Ark selected is a Ranger type coating. The ratio of chemical compounds in the DNA was close range combat 4.5, long range combat 4.5 and special ability 3.
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<Battle Suit>
Just like the body coating, the battle suit is an external device developed to enhance the abilities of the body. However, the battle suit was designed to be used in battle rather than to adapt to the environment. It has a thick outer shell with considerable weight and acts as a powerful armour.
The users can move wearing such heavy battle suit due to the system of synchronization. The battle suit synchronizes with the genetic information of someone with a body coating to read and respond in a way that won’t make them affected by the weight.
The Rama, Aschulat and Federation all use different materials for their body suits but they all use the sync system. While the battle suits run on the sync system, there are special systems put in place in order to prevent enemy troops from using the battle suit. Therefore the battle suits can be divided into several types like the body coating.
They are divided into humans, Rama and various other species. The three categories.
-Human Battle Suits
A mechanical battle suit produced by the galactic federation.
It is mechanical but biological parts are also included for the sync system. While the efficiency is lower than the Rama battle suit, the strong point is that it is capable of upgrades and special equipment. Special equipment for the battle suits are the main products of the 4 big companies.
-Rama Battle Suits
A living body suit created by the Rama by cultivating the organism Drone. This organism is what helps the battle suit.
The drones are mana creatures with the ability to freely transform their own bodies. The advantage of this battle suit is that it can transform using the Drone. In addition, the synchronization flow is optimized and it has the best performance of all 3 battle suits. However, it is a bio weapon so it needs to be upgraded through hands on experience and it is difficult to add special equipment.
-Other Species Battle Suits
Aside from the battle suits for humans and Rama, there are a number of battle suits for other aliens created by the Aschulat. The materials and systems of the battle suits are often designed to take advantage of the special qualities of the species. The most typical ones are the battles suits made of a liquid metal called ‘Pritor.’ The Pritor is a material that can transform freely according to the user’s will.
-Etc.
The study of the battle suits continued even after the 1st galaxy war was over. However, the battle suit was already completed and not much more evolution could occur.
Thus the 3 powers investigated ways to boost the performance through additional equipment. Thus solid armour was developed. Some special battle armour was developed to overlap with another battle suit that allows the limits to be surpassed. However, it is a lot larger so balance will become more difficult. So the current solid armour is limited.
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<Airship & Spaceships>
Airships and spaceships are essential existences on the space frontier. A large number of mobile vehicles exist in Galaxian but the aeroboats and spaceships are the fastest.
Various types are transport ships, cargo ships or private ships. The hulls of the airships are equipped with a photon engine that allows it to accelerate many times beyond the speed of sound. Of course, the spaceships can navigate through the atmosphere as well as space gases. Spaceships are capable of short range movement and it can also have warp technology equipped.
Warp navigation creates a multidimensional portal between two points to arrive at the destination. Development of this technology allowed them to travel thousands of light years. The shapes of the ships differ according to the species, with some preferring circular shapes or shapes streamlined for flight. The rating of the airships and spacecrafts are classified according to their size and armament.
The categories below are based on size.
Sub miniature- 1st Grade
Generally most airships have this rating.
The size is approximately 150~200 tons and the acceleration means it is referred to as a high speed boat. Many of these high speed ships are used to scout.
Small- 2nd Grade
Most ordinary spaceships have a 2nd grade rating.
They are the most commonly seen spaceships in the universe and the size is approximately 1,200 tons. The patrol ships of the galactic federation are mainly 2nd grade spaceships.
Medium-3rd Grade
Ark’s Silver Star is classified as a 3rd grade spaceship. Usually 3rd grade spaceships are 3,000 tons and are used as large carriers or escort ships. It is appropriately balanced between speed and armament and are widely used for missions. Thus 3rd grade spaceships are the main forces of the galactic federation.
Medium- 4th Grade
A 3,000~8,000 ton destroyer is classified as a 4th grade spaceship. A destroyer is a large ship equipped with a lot of weapons and it is perfect as a flagship of a small fleet. Usually 4th grade spaceships are called battleships.
-Etc.
In addition there are the 10,000 ton class 5th grade cruiser, the 20,000 ton class 6th grade ships, and the 100,000 tons 7th grade aircraft carrier used for emergencies and giant spaceships.
Additionally, Ark’s Silver Star is classified as a 3rd grade medium ship and it can be equipped with energy particle guns and turrets.