by Yoo Seong
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 starvatio
n 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!