Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  “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 t
ime 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.