by Yoo Seong
“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.
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.
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!
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:
Equipment:
Secondary Equipment:
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 nee
ded 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.