by Yoo Seong
‘Well it is natural but…..’
To be precise, Valencia’s attitude was because of the prisoners paying a protection fee to him
Although Valencia and his group received the money, the monopolized most of the achievements. Still, the 1st prisoner group couldn’t complain. Because they could still receive 50 achievements just from participating in the battle and surviving. But that changed thanks to Ark and the Royal Guards.
“What? Didn’t we pay money so why are they getting more achievements?”
“Then what is the reason for paying money to the 1st armoured platoon?”
“Yes, what is the point of the 1st armoured platoon? They’re just sweeping up all the achievements. We should’ve just joined Ark who is gathering guys.”
Complaints naturally poured in. Valencia started to be angry at Ark from then on. The dispute continued on the battlefield. Valencia and the 1st armoured platoon tried to snatch the achievements from Ark and the Royal Guards and lured the Rama to them. So the elite troops interfered with them the achievements for several days.
‘Those bastards……’
Ark was the type of character to hold a grudge forever.
‘I show them what it means to go against me.’
But the 1st armoured platoon were the elite troops of the federation. The Royal Guards were just organized so the elite troops are too strong for them. In addition, Ark couldn’t gain any achievements with the armoured platoon stuck to them. He would definitely return the grudge. But he had to leave them alone for self-protection.
“Well, I’m not going to avoid them like I’m scared of them.”
It was good for his mental health to think like this. Ark muttered an excuse as he headed towards the barracks.
Wiiiii!
Suddenly the camp’s sharp sirens rang out. At the same time, loudspeakers started broadcasting all over the camp.
-Emergency! The Rama’s scouting unit has advanced within 100 km of this camp!
Space 6
Straggler
“It’s coming!”
A cry could be heard. The sky turned black like they were covered in rain clouds. Around 100 cylindrical metal missiles were flying with emitting smoke! It was the long distance bombing from the Rama that featured in the prisoners’ nightmares. But this was different from the first time. They managed to find a way to solve it after experiencing it many times. Ark turned and shouted.
“Hegel!”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
A prisoner vigorously replied. Once again, over the last 10 days Ark had gathered Iridium and mobilized prisoners to help him on the battlefield. He had investigated the prisoners’ histories and chose the ones that would be pardoned first. Ark had realized something during the personal interviews. The prisoners weren’t identical NPCs. Just like users could pick different species and had different skills, the prisoners had different skills as well. Most of them were serious but they all had one specialized skill.
‘There is a limit to how much combat skills can have an effect on a battlefield compared to fighting alone. So combat skills aren’t that different. But my organization is different. Even skills without a visible use will have a synergy effect in my organization.’
Ark had this point in the back of his mind during the personal interviews. Thanks to that, he was able to find Hegel. Hegel was a 1 metre tall alien with a grey body and black eyes from a species called ‘Grey.’ Hegel’s species was the cause of kidnapping humans from earth and experimenting on them
Anyway, the Grey’s small frame meant they weren’t that good in combat. However, they were an advanced scientific civilization with high HQ. Therefore the Grey’s skills were aimed towards taking advantage of their high IQ.
“Orbit Prediction Calculation!”
Hegel manipulated his Nymphe with a long finger. He raised his head and saw signs placed on several missiles.
“Hyung-nim, those ones! Those are the missiles that will harm our unit!”
This was Hegel’s skill! It was calculating the missile’s trajectory in order to predict the impact point
But the Rama’s bombing covered the whole area where the prisoner troops were. Even if Hegel calculated the impact spot, there was no way to avoid the bombing……
‘But my organization is different!’
“The target is three points! Mellin, Berad, Cupa, point A! Beleol, Hedro, Reben, point B! Ralph, Konsed, Kalliben, point C. Aim for those missiles and stand by!””
“Did you hear? Everybody loaded!”
The Royal Guards kneeled down and loaded their shotguns. There were continuous ringing sounds as the missiles approached the 100 metre mark. A shout emerged from Ark’s mouth.
“Fire!”
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
9 guns fired simultaneously. 3 prisoners aimed for 1 missile! This was the method Ark came up with to take care of the bombing. Hegel would read the orbit of the missile while the Royal Guards would intercept them!
Ching-! Ching-! Ching-! Ching-! Pepepepeng!
Sparks appeared over the warhead and they exploded in mid-air. Beleol at point B had the best sniper skills followed by Kalliben at point C. While the B and C missiles were taken care of, the A missile only exploded when it was 30 metres away. They only intercepted a few missiles but some risk had disappeared. However the prisoners still received damage from the Rama’s bombing. Not many soldiers on the battlefield actually died from the missiles falling on them. Most of them died because they were caught in the explosion. The same thing applied to Beltana’s battlefield
100 missiles were concentrated on one area. This meant the damage of 100 explosions built up
Those caught in the centre of the explosion couldn’t breathe and melted. It was the reason Ark didn’t participate in the missile interception! Anyway, Ark had no shooting talent even at short range so he would’ve been no help. But Ark was still affected because he was on the battlefield. It was -50 degree weather yet he was still sweating……
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Dig! Over the last 10 days of gaining 7~8 kg per day, Ark’s Dig skill had already reached intermediate. When Ark dug at frozen ground, the shovel easily parted through it like it was soft tofu. He dug at the ground like a motor was attached to the shovel and a big hole was instantly created. The Royal Guards are intercepted all 3 missiles.
“All the warheads are destroyed!”
“That’s it. Enter the trench and lower your body!”
Ark shouting while jumping into the pit. The 10 prisoners also fell into the hole and lay flat on the ground!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwa!
They waited as a violent roar shook the atmosphere. 100 missiles exploded and fire and fragments covered the area. Even heavy armour clad soldiers died instantly from the blasts! However, the blast was the strongest higher up and lost strength as it got lower. The fire and impact only affected the higher places. That was the reason Ark had created the pit. It was only 50 cm into the ground but it still negated most of the effects of the explosion. In other words, if he countered the missiles that would fall directly on the trench then he didn’t have to worry about anything. This was the secret to Ark and the Royal Guard’s survival rate.
“Cough! Cough!”
The explosion swept past them. Ark crawled out from the dust that covered the trench and looked around. Bodies strewn around in the mud caught his eye. Ark could use Dig to make find Iridium and even make trenches to protect the prisoners following him from the bombs. But Beltana was a planet with -50 degrees weather! It was impossible for users who didn’t have the Dig skill or a shovel. The shovel might break down but he could waste several Iridium repairing it. It was possible to counter the missiles and stop most of the damage.
‘Well I still lost 15% health……’
But he couldn’t be compared to the torn rags on the ground. However, he couldn’t afford to sigh with relief.
‘Now the real battle will begin!’
“Is everybody okay?”
“Yes, some are a little injured but we’re all safe and sound.”
Mellin crept out of the trenches with several members and replied.
“Okay, everybody in their battle formations!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
At the same time the ground started shaking. The area was filled with dust from the explosions so he couldn’t see beyond in front of him but Ark could understand the identity of the noise. It was the Rama’s second attack after the long distance bombing. The dust split apart and they appeared.
“Carack!”
The Carack were the Rama’s biological weapon with the form of a mantis! The Carack rushed forward in a herd. Hundreds of Carack approached the prisoners who were in disarray from the explosions. The injured prisoners were hit by the Carack’s weapons and torn to pieces.
“Waaahhh!”
“S-save me! Waaah!”
Screams and blood swirled through the dust. In fact, most of the prisoners were killed by the Carack rather than the bombing.
“Pay attention! Don’t worry about other units!”
Ark yelled towards the members of the Royal Guards.
“The biggest enemy on the battlefield is fear. No matter how strong the person is and the weapons they have, they won’t win if they’re fearful. So calm your heart. And trust in me. And believe in your colleagues. We are one. If that trust is unbreakable then we’ll be able to leave here.”
“Ohhhhhh! Hyung-nim!”
“Attack!”
Ark shouted. At the same time, a roaring sound emitted from the muzzles of the Royal Guards. It exploded across a short distance and 3 Carack collapsed.
‘It was worth all that digging.’
Ark laughed as the Carack were wrapped in flames. Whether it was the future or medieval times, the most important thing on the battlefield was teamwork The background of Galaxian might be different from his previous games but Ark knew better than anyone about conducting thousands of soldiers. The reason he created the Royal Guards and pardoned 5 prisoners was to build up achievements for himself. Thanks to Ark’s efforts, the Royal Guards’ teamwork was incomparable to other troops. Ark turned his eyes elsewhere.
‘Teamwork is important but that isn’t everything. Other things are also necessary. In particular, the level of the Royal Guards is lower than other units. But level isn’t something I can change in a short period of time. In the end, I have to focus on long range attacks to increase the survival rate of the members. Then the best way to raise the combat power is to upgrade their guns……’
If he used the supplies tent then he was able to obtain better guns. However, the cheapest guns considering the levels of the Royal Guards required at least a ton of Iridium. It was impossible for Ark to obtain that much Iridium. So Ark turned his eyes towards bullets. The damage of medieval weapons changed depending on the bow and arrows. It was the same for Galaxian despite it being set in the future. The damage of the gun varied depending on the bullet. There were dozens of different types of ammunition…..
-Fire Bullet I
Attack: Firearm damage +5 (Additional Fire Attribute)
A bullet developed by Laius, one of the 4 big companies. A flammable substance developed by Laius is loaded within the warhead and will emit a strong flame with impact. The flames won’t affect androids and shields but will have an significant effect on biomedical tissue. There is also a chance the flames will deal continuous fire damage.
<3% chance of continuous fire damage. 50 additional damage will be given every 1 minute>
The bullet Ark selected was Fire Bullet! He chose this based on the Carack’s biological body. Apart from the Iridium exchanged for food, he turned the rest into Fire Bullets. He could confirm the results of his blood and sweat in front of him……
Peng! Peng! Hwarururu!
The fired bullets shaved away the health of the Carack. Furthermore, the soaring flames turned them into ripe meat.
-Achievement + 5.
-Achievement + 5…..
The wonderful messages appeared in front of Ark. He received some experience and achievements from any opponents that the Royal Guards knocked down. It was only 1 point but a bonus was applied since Ark was the leader and added up to 5 points! That was how Ark managed to gain +700 achievements during 10 days.
‘But I can’t be satisfied with just eating little by little.’
And there was a limit to how many Caracks could be stopped with shooting. There were hundreds of Carack. Not all of them were attacking the Royal Guards but there were still dozens of Carack
They couldn’t use the Fire Bullets anymore because the other prisoners would now be hit. It was the same for the Royal Guards now as well.
Karararara! Kararararak!
The Carack pressed forward with the human wave tactics and attacked the Royal Guards. It was time for Ark who had no talent in shooting to go forward!
“Shut up you bastards! I won’t let you make noises anymore! Sonic Sword!”
Ark threw his body towards the Carack and swung his weapon. He used Sonic Sword! A light flashed from the blade and blue fluid fell from the body of the Carack. A vacuum was created by the blade surpassing the speed limit. However, that wasn’t the real value of the Sonic Sword.
Kiiiiii-! Pepeng-!
There was a shock wave the moment the blade broke through the speed of sound. The shock wave passed back dozens of Carack. The effect of Sonic Sword pushed them back 5 metres. This effect was more attractive than damage when dealing with a large number of enemies.
“Now! Berad! Ralph!”
Two Royal Guards ran towards the Carack. Berad was wielding an hammer with a strange engine attached. On the other hand, Ralph was holding a dagger. They were the two in the Royal Guards with the best head-to-head skills.
“Yes Hyung-nim! Ohhhhh! Smash!”
Berad twisted his hammer and exhaust fumes emerged from the engine attached to the hammer. The hammer received an explosive acceleration and attacked the enemy! When Berad brought down the accelerated hammer, the head of a Carack immediately became like a dented can. Meanwhile Ralph’s dagger shook as it hit the Carack.
“Screw Blade!”
The dagger rotated in a spiral and pierced the neck of the Carack. The head and neck of the Carack was crushed. Meanwhile Ark was approaching the Carack he hit with Sonic Sword.
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok!
Ark placed the muzzle to the Carack and pulled it three times.
“Now the fatal blow. Set Bullets Shooting!”
Pepeng-!
There was a sound like a cannon firing. The effect was also like a cannon. A huge hole appeared in the Carack’s head! This was Ark’s 2nd battle skill, where bullets were gathered and fired. However, the damage was 2.5 times. It was shot from close range. However, the weak point was the recoil so the hit rate lowered. But Ark’s marksmanship was for close combat! The hit rate didn’t matter to him. Even if he couldn’t do any damage with the bullets, he could just use evasive movements while shooting. But the good point was that the attack did 2.5 times the damage!
-Headshot!
It was a jackpot when there was a headshot! There was an additional 2.5 times damage added to the 150%. Of course, the hit rate had decreased so there weren’t that many chances of a headshot.
Chiiiik……
The combination of the Sonic Sword and Set Bullets Shooting made the Carack melt like water.
-Achievement + 15.
His achievements rose from killing it directly.
‘These guys were so annoying when I first came to the battlefield……’
The Carack were a biological weapon. Although there were an incredible high number of them, they were only level 15. They were difficult to deal with in a group but easy to gain achievements against when the Carack were alone.
Karararara!
Kararararak!
“Sonic Sword!”
Ark used Sonic Sword and pushed back the Carack.
“Smash!”
“Screw Blade!”
Berad and Ralph also used their hammer and dagger!
Suksak suksak!
Together they defeated the Carack one by one. Of course, the remaining Royal Guard members weren’t just watching.
Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!
While Ark, Berad and Ralph were taking care of the Carack, the other 8 members were using the Fire Bullets. The Caracks’ health fell with every attack while the Royal Guard members created a defensive wall! This was the secret to Ark’s survival rate.
-Achievement + 15.
-Achievement + 5.
-Achievement + 5…..
His achievements were able to steadily build up! There were trial and errors in the beginning but now these tactics had been completely perfected. The bodies of the Carack piled up around Ark and the Royal Guards after 5 minutes.
‘If the battle progresses like this then I should be able to gather up a considerable number of achievements……’
Just as Ark was thinking this.
Syu syu syu syu syu. Pepeng-!
A signal bullet shot up over the battlefield and emitted a blue light. There was a sandstorm on the hill to the rear and 100 soldiers appeared. Unlike the prisoners, they were the federation’s regular troops armed with advance technology.
“T-they finally came!”
“The regular troops are moving! Now I’m saved!”
The prisoners let out a burst of joy. But Ark just sighed and bit his lip.
‘Dammit, only up to here today……’
In fact, Ark didn’t consider the help of the regular troops to be bad. Ark was the leader of the Royal Guards but he was also a part of the prisoner unit. There were only 11 people, including Ark, so they wouldn’t be able to hold up against the hundreds of Carack without the help of the prisoners. However, more than half of them had already been killed by the bombs and the Carack
Naturally the burden on the remaining prisoners would grow. It was the same for Ark and the Royal Guards. There was a surplus of prisoners at the beginning for the Carack to attack but it became more difficult for the Royals Guards to form a defensive wall as time went on. Therefore the line of defense was pushed back little by little. Ark and the Royal Guards wouldn’t last long in that situation