Ark Volume 2

by Japtem

  Once he entered the Palace, he saw a Crystal Pillar not far from the entrance.

  Bead-like writing was crammed all over the surface of the 10 meter high Crystal Pillar.

  'To progress with the quest do I need to decipher this?'

  It was when Ark's hand touched the surface of the pillar. Light suddenly poured out from the pillar and countless images flashed in front of him.

  A beautiful Mermaid was seated on a balcony overlooking all of Nodelesse. It was a Mermaid with brilliant shoulder-length blond hair and sapphire blue eyes.

  She was watching the back of a man with unbearable sadness in her eyes. It was a big, strong, perfectly reliable back, but at that moment it filled her with complete despair and anguish. Because the back couldn't become hers.

  The man's back slowly grew distant.

  The Mermaid cried and cried as she watched the man's back getting farther away from the balcony.

  Tears distinctively appeared within the transparent ocean.

  Then the scene changed.

  The Mermaid clutched the items retaining the man's scent to her chest and left for somewhere. The currents drawn by her beautiful tail conveyed keen sadness.

  Christin, Christin, I love you.

  Even if all the water in the ocean were to dry up, I'd still love you.

  Even if I have to bear the stabbing pain in my chest I'd still love you.

  I believe in your promise.

  As promised, I believe you will return and find me.

  Until then, I will wait for you at the promised place.

  Please do not forget the words I whispered with you.

  If you want to see me, close both of your eyes.

  In a hidden place, I will wait for the day I can be in your arms.

  Through the Knowledge of Ancient Relics, you have discovered the Crystal Pillar's hidden information.

  The yearning of a Mermaid for her lover is recorded inside the Crystal Pillar.

  For the lover who would find her someday, she carved this in ancient letters. However, sadly, it seems like her love did not come to be.

  Knowledge of Ancients +5, Intelligence increased by 5, Luck increased by 2, Fame increased by 10.

  'So basically this is a love letter. She wrote a very grandiose love letter.'

  *CRAAAACK!*

  Then the image disappeared.

  Suddenly, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the Crystal Pillar, and without time to even do anything it came crashing down. The Guards who gathered after hearing the commotion shouted with astonished expressions.

  "Th-The pillar!"

  "It's him. The stranger who ran the restaurant broke the pillar!"

  "You bastard, what have you done!"

  Ark was stunned because he didn't know what was going on. Fifteen guards surrounded him and pushed forward with their raised Spears of coral.

  "You dare to intrude the castle and break the ruin!"

  "N-no, I don't know how this happened either..."

  "QUIET! Drag this Human away immediately!"

  Ark suddenly had to spend a day in prison.

  After logging off for half a day and coming back in, a Merman in scale armor appeared.

  "The Queen wants to see you. Follow me."

  Mermen dragged Ark to the throne room.

  Merpeople in noble attire were lined up in the ruby throne room. At their center sat a beautiful female Mermaid who looked to be over the age of 30. Since she was decorated with jewels and wore a crown, it seemed she was the Queen of the Merpeople. But her face was familiar.

  Ark easily understood the reason.

  'She looked similar to the Mermaid I saw in the Crystal Pillar.'

  The Nobles of the Merpeople made a fuss when Ark entered.

  "For a stranger to sully the Palace ruins, it's unheard of."

  "We must deal with him appropriately with severe punishment."

  "But since there is no precedence...."

  "The fact this stranger entered the Palace is alone enough to punish him."

  "However, the Merpeople have always upheld fairness, so even if he had committed the crime, should we not assess the situation beforehand and make a ruling?"

  The opinion of the Merpeople Nobles were split in two.

  Simply put, it was the opinion of the Nobles who had been Ark's customers and those who weren't. It was probably because of them that Ark, who damaged the royal ruins wasn't executed immediately. If he'd been forcefully deported, it would've been hopeless.

  'This was definitely something that should have only been done after raising intimacy.'

  The Queen raised her hand to silence everyone and looked at Ark.

  "I understand because I heard the words of the nobles, but a stranger damaging the Palace ruins is unprecedented. Of course it is an incident deserving of a heavy punishment. However, I have found the residents of Nodelesse to have great confidence in you. There are even volunteers who wish to take up your defense. It is not easy for a stranger to earn trust. Therefore I will give you a chance to explain. Now, why did you destroy the pillar?"

  "I had no intention of destroying it. I just wanted to know about the person named Christin and simply touched it with my hand, but it was destroyed on its own."

  "Christin!"

  The Merpeople Nobles opened their eyes wide and looked at each other. The Queen also gathered her brows in considerable surprise and asked back, "Are you someone with relations to Christin?"

  "I don't know."

  "You said the name Christin yourself, but you don't know?"

  "Yes, it's true I was searching for him, but it's hard to say I have relations with him. Rather, I want to know more, since I left on a journey to find out who he is and what kind of relation he has with me, so I came all the way here. But no one would tell me about Christin. So I placed my last hopes and approached the pillar."

  "Christin is a traitor who betrayed the trust of the Merpeople." A fire of rage burned in the Queen's eyes.

  "Traitor?"

  "It seems you still need more explanation."

  At Ark's response, the Queen sighed and continued, "Christin was the man loved by the Queen who ruled the Merpeople before the start of the Dark Century. During that time, the Merpeople were trading with many races while sharing conversations. But then the Queen went out to the land, and she fell in love with a young man."

  "The name of that person is?"

  "Yes, it is Christin."

  He heard about the Dark Century from the Meow. It was the time when the powers of darkness had covered the world and thus was called the Dark Century. Then the 7 Heroes appeared and finally, the days of light returned. So if he was from before the Dark Century, Cristin was a figure from hundreds of years ago.

  "But Merpeople cannot live on land. In the end, the Queen had to return to the sea, but she promised to meet again with her lover and gave him the Compass of the Sea God as a token of her love."

  "Compass of the Sea God?"

  "Originally, Nodelesse was an illusory city that wandered the sea. Even Merpeople had a hard time finding it again if they left the city. However, the Compass of the Sea God always shined light towards Nodelesse so you wouldn't get lost. It was the Queen's greatest treasure. Giving him the Compass of the Sea God was the same as giving him everything, so he could come find her whenever he wanted."

  'Is she talking about the Jeweled Hand Mirror?'

  Ark followed the Hand Mirror's guidance and reached Nodelesse. Since the name Christin is written on it, there is no doubt.

  "But did he not come find her?"

  "No, he came as promised. He was a stranger to the Merpeople, but we truly welcomed and accepted the man the Queen loved. But his love didn't even last one year. In the end he threw away the Queen and returned to the land. Can you imagine? The sadness of a woman who was thrown away by the man whom she gave everything to?"

  The Queen's voice became emotional.

  "The queen shut herself in her room and spent her night in t
ears. Then after more than ten years, she suddenly hid herself. Not after long, a great calamity befell upon Nodelesse."

  "Calamity?"

  "Since long, long ago, Nodelesse received the protection of an existence called Gallic, a great White Whale. Gallic, who had shared a spiritual connection with the Queen for generations, is the master of the ocean and the guardian deity of the Merpeople. But after the Queen disappeared, Gallic became uncontrollably vicious."

  "Are you saying it was Christin's fault?"

  "If it wasn't, then whose is it? The Queen cursed Christin, who threw her away. It's certain her feelings and the weight of her curse made Gallic, who was spiritually connected, go mad. In the end, it was Christin's fault Nodelesse's lost its past glory."

  "There is no way!" Ark spoke with a determined voice.

  The Queen's forehead scrunched at the unexpected objection. "What did you say?"

  "I do not know the whole story. However, I am certain the Queen did not hate or resent Christin. Rather, she tried to understand why he had no choice but to leave. The reason why she disappeared is probably connected to his departure as well."

  "How could you, who didn't even know who Christin was, know this?"

  "It was written on the Crystal Pillar."

  The Merpeople Nobles stirred with shocked expressions at Ark's reply.

  The Queen asked quickly with an expression of disbelief, "Did you decipher the meaning of the pillar?"

  "That is correct."

  "Lies, it's a lie!"

  "Yes, he is just babbling because he wants to avoid punishment. You mustn't be tricked."

  The Merpeople Nobles flailed as they shouted.

  "It is not a lie. If you truly cannot believe it, I will show you the proof."

  "Proof?"

  "The Queen was in possession of the item Christin left behind. It was an important item she treasured greatly. If we find the item, we'll know his true feelings towards her and the reason why she disappeared."

  "Didn't I say we don't know where she disappeared to?"

  "There is no need to think hard about it. If Gallic suddenly became violent after she disappeared, the answer is there. Please tell me where Gallic is. I will find the answer."

  "So it can be thought of that way too. I've also tried sending Soldiers to calm Gallic several times. But Gallic is the Master of the Sea who wanders the ocean; a Warrior of the Merpeople cannot find Gallic. The sole way to find Gallic is the Compass of the Sea God."

  "Then it's all the more reason why I should go."

  Ark pulled out the Jeweled Hand Mirror from his bag.

  The Queen's eyes widened to an unbelievable size.

  After staring blankly at the hand mirror with surprised eyes, the Queen barely managed to stammer after a long while, "M-my goodness... for the lost Compass of the Sea God to return after hundreds of years..."

  Ark interrupted, not giving her a chance to speak.

  "I won't talk long for much longer. You know the items inside a stranger's bag cannot be taken by anyone without the permission of the owner, yes? There is a reason why I must find out why the person named Christin left her. So, please help me find Gallic."

  "Perhaps... This may be the final chance. Okay."

  The Queen thought for a while and nodded.

  "If you look at the back of the Compass of the Sea God, jewels of three colors should be embedded. If you arrange the jewels one space to the left, it will lead you to Gallic."

  Thu-thu-thump, the quest information was updated at last.

  The quest has been updated.

  Entrance to the New World → Guardian Deity of the Merpeople, Gallic

  You have found out Christin's past and the ancestral Mermaid Queen who disappeared are connected.

  By connecting the information of the Mermaid Queen to the Crystal Pillar, everything is related.

  It is certain the ancestral Queen has an item related to Christin. In addition, her disappearance is likely connected to the Guardian Deity of the Merpeople, Gallic. You must find her whereabouts through Gallic and recover the item. You must also find a way to calm Gallic.

  The Compass of the Sea God will guide you.

  Difficulty: E

  "Huff huff, this whale, you wanna play with me?"

  Ark spat out curses while clearing countless meters of Kelp forest.

  He had already been struggling in the sea for several days.

  Only when Ark went out of Nodelesse did he feel overwhelming motivation.

  He was thinking of stabbing the great White Whale or whatever in one blow and thus ending the quest.

  From Shadow Forest to lighthouse, from lighthouse to Nodelesse, and doing business to gather information in Nodelesse. All in all, it took a month. But during that time he was able to raise his level many times, earned money, and gather items. For just one quest, he had invested tremendous amount of time.

  'It feels like it's coming to an end now.'

  But after leaving the city, it wasn't as simple as he thought.

  Gallic wasn't far away from Nodelesse. The thicker the light from the compass, the closer he was to the goal. However, there was a problem he hadn't expected --- the goal was constantly moving because it was a living whale.

  "Did this guy run away again?"

  He ran like no tomorrow, but the needle's light pointed to another direction before he knew it. He had always been one step behind for several days.

  But when there is a will there is a way. After struggling in the ocean for a few days, Ark finally found a way to catch up to the whale.

  It was the same current that swept him away when he was on his way to Nodelesse.

  The currents entangled the area Gallic moved in like a spiderweb. You could think of it like hundreds of quickly moving escalators tangled in a building.

  'If I use this...!'

  Ark removed the Sharkman's Shackles and threw himself into a nearby current. Instantaneously, the landscape zipped by at a extremely high speeds. The coral reefs and schools of fishes swept past like the wind. The beauty he hadn't seen while struggling within them came to his view. Traveling by the current was yet another fascinating experience. After moving in the same direction for some time, the guiding light shifted to the side.

  'Are you running away again? Not this time!'

  Ark immediately moved to the current flowing next to him. After switching directions a few times, the light became thicker and then suddenly disappeared. It wasn't because he'd lost him, but he had arrived at his destination.

  'It's around here somewhere.'

  Ark grasped his sword. Suddenly, Bat said in voice trembling with nervousness, "Ma-master."

  "I know. Get ready. It is nearby."

  "N-No, that is not it. There..."

  Bat's voice trembled more and more.

  He turned his head to see what was the matter, but he saw nothing.

  "What's wrong?"

  "You don't see it? The mountain... is moving."

  "What?"

  It was when Ark turned his head to follow Bat's gaze.

  The vast background obstructing the view in front of him twitched as it moved. An enormous amount of sand dust rose and clouded the water. Within it, something glossy moved.

  "May-maybe that is Gallic....?"

  The round object of enormous size turned just then towards Ark!

  What were as big as buildings were shockingly its eyes. The enormous background that had been its eyes slowly rose. Bat, Skull, and Ark's eyes also looked up trying to follow it.

  He stopped to catch his breath.

  Calling it gigantic is nowhere enough to this overwhelming creature.

  Ark had felt this feeling before when he was young. It was the same feeling when looking up at Mt. Seorak or Mt. Halla from the mountain base. If there was a difference between them, it was the mountain in front of him being a living creature, a moving organism.

  'White Whale, Gallic!' His voice didn't come out.

  Ridiculous! No mat
ter how big, isn't it too big?

  Did he really have to fight something like this? An ant bit a person. The angered person crushed the ant. You couldn't call it a fight.

  Right now Ark was no different from an ant.

  The Sword in Ark's hand wouldn't even give the gigantic creature a stinging feeling. In other words, it is like an ant losing all fear and biting a human.

  Kuohhh!

  The White Whale opened its mouth, revealing a space like a tunnel with a 50-lane road. Simultaneously an enormous pull sucked Ark in.

  "WAAAAAAAAH!" Ark screamed with all his strength.

  Then he was swallowed by the White Whale.

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  The White Whale's Labyrinth

  Outside Harun Village was a hunting ground where beginner players spent the night locked in desperate struggles with wolves.

  It was here where a new player appeared.

  A robust 40-year old man with a scraggly beard, his character name was JusticeMan. The player's real name was Gwon Hwarang, a man who had formerly held the extremely rare profession of a hot-blooded detective.

  The first reaction JusticeMan showed was no different from anyone else's. He was surprised by the surrounding landscape looking so much like reality, and astounded by his body moving so naturally.

  As the beginner appeared, Hansen, who'd been strolling around with nothing to do, quickly started a conversation. Then, when he suggested the mouse hunting quest, JusticeMan scratched his beard as he asked, "But is it a really difficult task?"

  "No, don't worry. It's something anyone can do. I'm trying to introduce suitable tasks to strangers like you who are here for the first time and haven't adapted yet."

  "If that's so, then it's okay. When a truly pressing matter arises, please call me then."

  JusticeMan nodded a goodbye and exited the village. As always, he was limping on one leg.

  As a game that moves the character by scanning the brain, in New World there were no problems with physical disabilities. For someone who couldn't move their legs at all and even the blind, could walk and see like normal inside the game. Because of this, even in hospitals, virtual reality games were prescribed as one of the therapies to treat a disabled person's depression.