Ark Volume 2

by Japtem

  A moan unconsciously escaped him.

  The visual impact was enormous.

  Ark felt like he was watching a terrible horror movie.

  Kundalini's gaze turned towards Ark. They were eyes of a predator staring at him as its prey, not an enemy.

  'Was this the reason why the difficulty was C?'

  He had been severely mistaken. Ark didn't have to worry about something like a snake. Rather, it was an enormous demon that couldn't even be called a snake.

  Kundalini slowly glided across the floor, approaching Ark as if there was no need to hurry.

  'Th-the hell is this?'

  Bewilderment escaped Ark's mouth.

  He tried to raise his sword, but his arm wouldn't move. His legs didn't budge either, as if they were rooted to the ground.

  - You looked into Kundalini's eyes, inducing the complete effect of Forestallment. If you are inflicted with Forestallment, you will always be denied First Strike. Until you are attacked, the effect will not disappear.

  'First Strike? I'll be swallowed in one strike, so what kind of damned First Strike is this!'

  To give up the First Strike to a demon who swallowed the Boss Gnoll in one bite, didn't it mean he was just prey? It really was a bamboozling skill for a bamboozling body.

  Kundalini surreptitiously narrowed the gap as it yawned open its cavernous mouth. Ark couldn't even move a muscle.

  Just like a frog being captured by a snake, Ark could only stare with dazed eyes at the inside of Kundalini's crimson mouth. In the instant its mouth was about to touch him, a red light suddenly flashed before him.

  It was Skull.

  At the very moment Kundalini was about to devour Ark whole, Skull rammed Ark.

  *Clack, cla-clack!*

  As Skull clattered, it disappeared into Kundalini's stomach instead of Ark.

  "Sku-Skull!"

  "What are you doing, Master! Get yourself together!"

  As the belated Familiar recall damage registered, he was shocked back into his senses. Once the effect of Forestallment disappeared, the horror that crushed his body disappeared like a dream.

  'That's right, this is virtual reality. Even a huge snake like this is just EXP was prepared for the sake of the users. There's no reason why I can't win. No, I will win!'

  "Eyes of the Cat!"

  Kundalini's information window popped up as he cast the skill.

  When he checked the information, he sucked in his breath. Ark's level had risen once inside the cave, so it was currently 46. On the other hand, Kundalini was a whopping level 80.

  Even if he included the advantages he had in the dark, there was still a difference of 30 levels. This wasn't an opponent he could defeat by any regular means.

  However, there was no need give up yet.

  'Kundalini only had 50 percent of its health remaining!'

  Ark immediately saw why.

  There were exceptionally large red weak points marked on Kundalini's forehead, and in the middle was a single sword was deeply lodged in.

  Numerous thoughts instantaneously combined inside Ark's head.

  'It's Lancel! It's Lancel's sword!'

  Galen said Lancel had gone to the end of the cave alone. And after several hours, deafening roars had erupted.

  There had also been a hint about Lancel within the Gnolls' conversation. They'd said an invading Human had inflicted a wound on the God a while ago which made God sensitive.

  So Lancel had faced Kundalini here, alone.

  Lancel had been defeated without reaching his goal, but with his will, he had protected the village, and its residents were still living and breathing. The sword lodged in Kundalini's forehead was his will!

  A scene of a Warrior fighting desperately against a huge snake painted itself in front of Ark's eyes.

  'You're awesome, Lancel!'

  Courage surged in him like an erupting volcano.

  'Alright! I will inherit your goal!'

  Although the monster was level 80, it was a different story when its health was already down to half.

  'It's ridiculous if I don't win after all the arrangements have been made for me!'

  Ark swung his sword like lightning and struck a red weak point.

  Ba-ba-ba-baang!

  Kundalini staggered with the sounds of impact. But it wasn't that easy to close the 30 level gap. Even though he'd dealt a critical hit, Kundalini's Health decreased by just 2 percent.

  Kundalini began its counter attack.

  The thick tail curved like a whip as it flew forward.

  When he rolled on the ground and avoided it, the cave walls were hit so it began to crack and shake.

  It had power so outrageous, it wouldn't even allow him to block!

  'I'll have to put my all into avoiding its attack!'

  "Bat, attract its attention."

  "Dammit, you always give me the hard jobs!"

  Bat wailed its complaint as it hung in front of Kundalini's nose.

  The accuracy of Kundalini's attacks dropped. It had no time to properly concentrate on Ark, so it randomly swung its tail.

  Ark waited until the tail was right in front of his nose, then rolled on the ground and stabbed it with his sword. He didn't have the luxury of aiming for something like a critical hit.

  Although he wasn't dealing much damage to it now, it was all he could do to steadily chip off its Health.

  Once he made up his mind and evaded, Kundalini's attacks were slower than expected. The sword wedged in its forehead was probably also influencing Kundalini's stats. However, even Ark couldn't avoid all the attacks.

  KA-POW--!

  "Ugh!"

  Ark was pushed back several meters.

  From just one slam of the tail, he lost 400 Health and he was poisoned. Almost only half of his Health remained.

  In other words, it would be game over if he took just one more attack. Moreover, he had only touched the tail, yet he was poisoned and his Health was being steadily eaten away. With an attack of this level, it would be no use even if he was to drink a potion.

  If he took an attack while drinking four recovery potions, which cost 100 Gold each, he would incur a loss instead.

  'No matter how slowed Kundalini's movements are, considering the level difference, I can't avoid it forever. I can't help but be hit by one attack every five. And the poison is stronger than regular snakes by 3 or 4 times. The battle will get worse the longer it goes on! Some kind of decisive strike...'

  Ark's eyes turned towards the sword wedged in its forehead.

  A bigger red point than any other!

  That was likely Kundalini's decisive weakness!

  'I have no choice, I'll have to risk it!'

  Ark made up his mind and quickly commanded, "Bat, attract its attention upwards!"

  "Got it, Master! Up here, you big worm body!"

  Bat flew rapidly in front of Kundalini's eyes and soared up. The moment Kundalini's attention turned upward, Ark flung forward and clambered onto its back.

  The snake was several meters wide.

  Ark ran up Kundalini's back while displaying the sense of balance honed by Taekwondo. When he climbed up to its neck, Kundalini sensed Ark's intention and fiercely raised its neck.

  As the slope became vertical, Ark slid down.

  "No way!"

  Ark flung himself forward and stabbed his sword into its jaw.

  Kundalini lowered its neck again and a heavy noise of impact burst out. At that moment, Ark crawled up Kundalini's neck and stood on its head. Then he put all his strength in one strike towards the forehead.

  "Dark Blade!"

  - You do not have enough Mana!

  "Dammit it!"

  Ark screamed at the unimaginable pop up message.

  The chronic dilemma that had plagued him, lack of Mana, reared its ugly head in the most decisive moment.

  Ark had only used Eyes of the Cat once at the start of the battle. But grating away Kundalini's Health had consumed too much time. Becaus
e he had steadily used up Mana while sustaining Bat's summon. He only had 80 Mana left.

  It had been 7 minutes since the start of his fight with Kundalini. The Mana he'd used was 420.

  If Skull hadn't been forcefully recalled earlier, Bat would have already returned to the Netherworld. Ark had forgotten about this fact because he'd never fought this long with them before.

  'Stupid! How could I have not checked the amount of Mana I had left!?'

  It was an absurd mistake.

  ROOOAAR!

  While Ark exploded in embarrassment, Kundalini began to glow.

  Ark groaned as he clutched the sword stuck in the writhing Kundalini's forehead.

  'Damn, is it really going to end like this?'

  Bat would return to the Netherworld in 80 seconds.

  He couldn't use his deadly Dark Blade, either.

  Kundalini's remaining Health was 30 percent. A win wasn't guaranteed even if he used Dark Blade three or four times, but he couldn't even use it once! Even if attacked it with at least a dozen normal critical hits, the remaining Health wouldn't be depleted.

  Of course, Kundalini wouldn't just let itself be hit, either.

  A way to win didn't emerge no matter what. It would be game over if he let go of the sword he was holding onto. Even if he wasn't eaten by Kundalini, he would die instantly if he fell into the chasm with no bottom in sight that yawned underneath him.

  Suddenly, an idea flashed across Ark's mind.

  'That's right, I may not be able to win, but there's a way to die together!'

  Ark opted for this final idea.

  Fortunately, before he left Lancel village, he had set it to be his resurrection place. Then even if he died here, he didn't have to worry about returning to Jackson. Dying together with Kundalini was one method.

  If he hurried and returned to the cave, he could still get the Kundalini's dropped loot. Since he could complete the quest on top of that, it was worth penalty.

  'That's the most I can do right now!'

  The problem was how they could die together.

  "Bat, lure it towards the chasm!" Ark shouted as he hung from Kundalini's head.

  "Understood, Master. Hey you!"

  GRAAAWR!

  Bat stabbed Kundalini's eye and fled towards the chasm.

  Ark clutched onto the sword hilt and was wrenched around; when Kundalini arrived at the edge, he stabbed the forehead with his sword with all his strength.

  As he landed a critical hit, Kundalini grated its body against the wall. He was wedged between the wall and Kundalini's body, so his Health dropped steadily. But Ark didn't stop and stabbed his sword two, three times in succession.

  His tenacity called forth a miracle.

  Having writhed against the wall, Kundalini couldn't balance its weight and slid towards the cliff. The bottomless pit gaped underneath it.

  "I did it!"

  Ark clenched his eyes shut.

  He experienced a peculiar sense of floating.

  A few seconds, or perhaps minutes flowed past. Then Kundalini crashed into the ground and he felt an enormous shock. Kundalini, who had received a huge amount of damage from falling, had its Health sucked out, leaving only 3 percent.

  'What? How am I still alive?'

  Ark was stunned.

  Even Kundalini's incredible Health had been decreased by over 20 percent. Then Ark, who only had about 300 of his Health left, should have died instantly. However, Ark was still alive.

  He had just 20 Health left, but he wasn't dead.

  Just then, a message window popped up before Ark's eyes.

  Due to Cat Knight's ability, falling damage has been reduced by 50 percent. Effect of Flexibility while rolling has also reduced falling damage by 30 percent.

  'It's a chance!'

  Ark's eyes flashed.

  Cat Knight had reduced his falling damage! An ability that he hadn't cared about until now had activated in a desperately dangerous moment.

  Also, thanks to the Taekwondo he had trained every single day since starting the game, he had automatically attempted to roll in the moment of impact.

  As a result, Ark slid past 80 percent of damage and survived.

  'I don't have time to waste. The poison wasn't cured, so my Health is still dropping.'

  Ark sprang up.

  Perhaps it was because of the falling damage, but his body didn't move properly. However, Kundalini, who had received 100 percent of the falling damage, hadn't even gathered its senses yet.

  Kundalini was stretched out panting as its body glowed red.

  Double critical chance!

  "Die!"

  With Bat, Ark plunged his sword toward Kundalini's forehead. It was a single strike enveloped with the effects of Undying Will and Indomitable Body as well as the double critical chance.

  Through double critical chance, you have landed two critical hits. As a co-op bonus, 30 percent of damage is added.

  "ROOAAAR!"

  Kundalini's forehead, which had taken massive damage, split right in half.

  Kundalini, which writhed like a fish out of water, slowly disappeared.

  You have defeated the boss monster Kundalini.

  Your level has increased.

  You have gained 2 levels, so your current level is now 48.

  Ark heaved coarse breaths as he flopped to the ground.

  "Huff huff huff."

  "Ma-master! We won! We won!"

  Only after hearing Bat's shout did Ark realize that he had won.

  Ark forcefully subdued his trembling excitement and pulled out his pot. After making an urgent antidote, he made food that recovered Health. His Health had dropped to the bottom, so he finally recovered after making and eating food three, four times.

  The sword that had been lodged in its forehead and a skull had fallen where Kundalini had disappeared.

  Lancel's Sword (Cursed)

  This is the sword used by Lancel, the leader of Lancel Village. It's a sword that gives off such a gloomy feeling that you can't believe that it was a sword used by a normal mercenary.

  Additionally, the sword became strongly cursed after being wedged in Kundalini's forehead and saturated by poison for a long time.

  Until the curse is lifted, you cannot check its stats.

  Lancel's Remains

  The remains of the Lancel Village leader, Lancel.

  Disappointment floated across Ark's face.

  A cursed item was a kind of unidentified item. But it was harder to use than an unidentified item. An unidentified item could be checked after paying a certain amount of money to a user in a big city, but lifting a curse was only possible at a cathedral in the capital city of Schudenberg Kingdom.

  That meant it was an item that he couldn't even use until he arrived in the capital. Moreover, it supposedly took a considerable amount of money to lift a curse.

  If he lifted the curse and it turned out to be nothing much, his loss would be extreme. But Ark soon shook his head.

  'No. It's still a sword that had cut up to 50 percent of the Health of a strong monster like Kundalini. It might actually be an incredible sword. But is there any other item?'

  Ark packed the sword and Lancel's Remains and looked around.

  However, he didn't see an item no matter how much he looked. Instead, he discovered a pathway leading upwards and climbed back to the place where the Boss Gnoll had been. He was able to start leaving the cave when he saw a dim light suddenly flowing from one side.

  It was the altar that the Boss Gnoll had prayed at when calling forth Kundalini.

  When Ark approached and touched it, a new window popped up.

  You have discovered an ancient artifact, the Altar of Incubation.

  Through Knowledge of Ancient Artifacts, you have discovered hidden information about the Altar of Incubation. Located in the dreary cave in which the giant monster Kundalini lurked, the Altar of Incubation is one of the ancient artifacts. Since ancient times, the Altar of Incubation has garnered curiosit
y from many scholars

  The Altar of Incubation has the ability to quickly hatch eggs of all kinds. It's certain that the huge monster Kundalini used this Altar of Incubation to propagate the thousands of snakes that lived in the cave.

  By gaining information about the ancient artifact Altar of Incubation, you have acquired bonuses.

  Knowledge of Ancient Relics +10, Intelligence +5, Luck +3, and 30 Fame.

  'So that's why there were so many snakes?'

  It wasn't that big a secret, but it was good since his Mana rose because of the intelligence bonus.

  Since Ark couldn't carry the altar away, Ark was about to just pass it by. But a thought that suddenly surfaced made him stop in his tracks.

  'Wait? It'll accelerate the incubation of any egg?'

  If so, it might be surprisingly useful.

  Ark did have one egg. Just in case, Ark summoned the young Netherworld's Egg. Then he placed it on top of the altar, but there was no change.

  Ark tilted his head, placed his pot on the altar, and made food just in case. Then, as soon as he plunged the egg in, a message window popped up.

  Survival Cooking has been completed. However, Netherworld's Egg has absorbed all of it. You have not determined what effect the food has.

  A reaction from the Netherworld's Egg has been detected.

  * Through the effect of the Altar of Incubation, Netherworld's Egg's growth rate has increased by 500%.

  'Yeah, this is it!'

  The growth rate quickened by 500 percent. That meant that he could give the effect of five feedings with a single one!

  'If I can't make it hatch here, I can't guarantee when it'll wake up.'

  Ark pulled out all his food ingredients and made food with Survival Cooking. His success rate was only once every ten times. After succeeding about five times in fifty tries, Survival Cooking finally rose to Intermediate.

  Your level of Survival Cooking has risen through much experience.

  Survival Cooking (Intermediate, Passive): You can mix spices to ingredients and raise the success rate.

  Food with added spices will have stronger effects. The duration of effects of the food will also be doubled. However, please note that not only good effects will be stronger. It will require more courage to test out the effects of the food.