Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  Kukung!

  ‘That’s it! My feet touched the ground!’

  The battle suit was heavy! The weight caused Ark’s floating body to sink.

  ‘Bring it on lobster! I’ll turn you into barbeque and eat you!’

  The situation changed 180 degrees once Ark wore the battle suit and his feet touched the ground.

  Syu syu syu syu! Kakak! Chwiiiii! Tu tu tu tung!

  There were continuous roaring sounds and dust shot up while Ark and the huge lobster collided. In fact Ark had a lot of experience when underwater fighting. He had fought a large number of enemies underwater in New World. Although that was when he had equipment that nullified the underwater penalty by 100%. But Ark wasn’t just a master of fighting underwater because of his equipment. He had gained a number of ingredients from the ocean floor and underwater skills. He had no equipment that nullified the underwater penalty by 100%! Galaxian’s combat system was also completely different from New World! The experience from that time was still imprinted in his body

  This experience was Ark’s strongest weapon. That experience showed during his battle against the lobster. Ark’s feet touched the ground thanks to the battle suit but he still couldn’t move freely. So almost all the attacks were from the lobster’s side. But Ark blocked most of the attacks with his sword and used the chance to counterattack. Of course his movements were slow so he couldn’t block every attack…..

  -The Mind Shield has been activated.

 
  In addition, the effect of Backstab or Sudden Blow will be nullified by 100%>

  A blue sphere wrapped around Ark’s body! The Mind Shield decreased all attacks by 40~60%. And the durability of this Mind Shield was 230! It was higher than when he hunted in the forest due to all his practice. Ark’s ability to concentrate in a crisis situation was clearly shown.

  ‘But……’

  There was something strange. In theory it should be an overwhelming victory for Ark. In reality it was different. Out of 10 attacks he blocked 6~7 of them. The damage was reduced by a considerable part. The remaining 3~4 attacks were reduced by 40~60% due to the Mind Shield. On the other hand, Ark’s attacks hit 9 times out of 10. Yet Ark was the one being pushed back as his attacks didn’t do that much damage. The difference gradually started to show. However, the lobster wasn’t a particularly high level. Clairvoyance showed that the lobster was only level 70. That was only a 3 level difference with Ark. Ark also had high stats thanks to the 30% increase of his battle suit.

  ‘Why can’t I damage it properly? Why?’

  Ark discovered the reason as the battle continued. He deflected the pincer and struck a blow to the lobster’s chest. The lobster stumbled back and opened its mouth. Ark looked inside the mouth and his face stiffened.

  ‘T-that is…..’

  Tutung!

  Ark felt a sudden pain and he flew back several metres. This was due to the Water Pressure Gun shot from the lobster’s mouth. But Ark wasn’t surprised because of the lobster’s new attack. It was what he saw in the mouth before the Water Pressure Gun was fired.

  ‘Machine! A machine was used to fire the Water Pressure Gun!’

  A lobster had appeared in the bottom of the lake. Naturally Ark assumed that it was a monster. Yet now there was a machine in its mouth! In other words, this is a mechanical creature. An android!

  Why was there an android in the bottom of the lake? And why was it camouflaged as a lobster? Ark didn’t know the reason but he realized why he couldn’t do that much damage. If a sword was used to attack mechanical creatures then a significant penalty would be attached. Right now Ark was using the Impact Blade. It was a weapon with high damage. However, the damage of the sword was only shown 100% when dealing with living organisms. No matter how rare the sword was, it couldn’t exert maximum damage against a mechanical creature.

  ‘Yes, this is the reason for the question marks when looking at the information! It is natural that I can’t find biological information when it is a mechanical creature. It is natural for a sword to not damage iron.’

  All his questions were answered. And he also found ways to cope with this problem.

  Tutung! Tutung! Tutung!

  Ark operated his Nymphe while avoiding the Water Pressure Gun and opened his bag. Impact Blade was sucked back into the bag and automatically stored. At the same time, the right and left side of his bag opened and 2 weapons shot out. It was the Modified Alloy Dagger and Fading Steel-II!

  ‘It is different if my partner is an android!’

  Ark smiled as he grabbed the dagger and Fading Steel. He had to use bullets to damage an android

  Of course Impact Blade also had a gun attached. The attack damage was 20~25. Fading Steel only did 15~20 damage so Impact Blade was stronger. However the gun attached to Impact Blade had a fatal weakness. It was the mistake he made when fighting the Bellos. Impact Blade only had 4 bullets! The most dangerous time when using a gun was when reloading. Having 4 bullets meant he had to reload more frequently so he was exposed to more danger. Moreover, Impact Blade could only load one bullet at a time in the cylinder. The gun feature of Impact Blade wasn’t an excellent secondary instrument but the gun couldn’t be made as a main weapon. On the other hand, Fading Steel had 12 ammunition! Moreover, the reload time was a lot shorter.

  ‘This will make up for the insufficient damage!’

  Ark grabbed a magazine that came out of Fading Steel. Once again, Galaxian had special bullets with special effects. Among them were two types of special bullets effective against androids!

  -Shock Bullet -I

  Attack: Firearm Damage +5 (Additional Shock Attribute)

  A bullet developed by Hell Lion, one of the 4 big companies. A shock bullet developed by Hell Lion that gives off a high voltage electric current when it hits. This current has a particularly strong effect on energy shield. In addition, the electromagnetic current can cause the same effects as stiffness to androids.

  <3% chance of discharging electricity, 5 seconds rigid effect>

  -Armour Piercing Bullet-I

  Attack: Firearm Damage + 8 (Metal only)

  A special bullet especially developed by the galactic federation for use against heavy armoured enemies. The head rotates like a drill to pierce through iron armour. This will have no effect against general creatures and shields but it is a powerful attack against androids.

 

  They were Shock Bullets and Armour Piercing Bullets. The Shock Bullet was useful against the android’s shield. The lobster was an android but it had no shield. That’s why Ark never imagined that it was a machine. And if he used the Shock Bullet in a place like this then there was a chance that Ark could also be hit by the electrical shock.

  ‘Then it must be this method!’

  Therefore Ark selected the Armour Piercing Bullet! It was a bullet that dealt 8 extra damage when attacking metal armour.

  Cheolkeok!

  Ark ran around avoiding the Water Pressure Gun and finally finished changing the weapon and magazine. This meant Fading Steel’s damage with the Armour Piercing Bullets loaded was 15~20 +8! It was transformed into a weapon with higher damage then the Impact Blade.

  ‘Now let’s start attacking properly!’

  Then the pincer of the lobster descended onto his head again. But Ark no longer ran away. There was no reason for him to flee. Ark lifted the Modified Alloy Dagger and blocked the lobster’s pincer. Then the opposite pincer flew towards him. But Ark no longer had just one weapon. Just before the pincer was about to hit his side, he blocked it with his gun and fired.

  ‘An appetizer. I’m going to eat you!’

  Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!

  The sound of a gun being fired was heard. The attack damage of the gun had no choice but to fall due to the resistance in the water. But Ark’s mar
ksmanship was different. After several desperate attempts, he discover that he had no talent in shooting and learnt Close Marksmanship! This meant there was no penalty applied to his marksmanship. Blocking enemy attacks with the dagger and then shooting was Ark’s original fighting style against the Nakuma.

  Kikikiki! Kikikiki!

  The lobster opened its mouth once both pincers were blocked. The lobster had 3 ways of attacking thanks to the Water Pressure Gun. However, Ark also had 3 weapons instead of just 2.

  ‘Ha! You want to open your mouth right in front of me?’

  Ark’s foot parted the water as it shot up vertically. Ark’s battle suit clad feet hit the lobster’s jaw and pushed its head upwards. He pressed the muzzle against the jaw and pulled the trigger.

  Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!

  -Headshot!

 

  A headshot had occurred! The lobster’s health fell thanks to the Armour Piercing Bullet.

  ‘Yes, this is more like it.’

  Damage started to appear once he changed weapons. The battle completely followed Ark’s pace after that. He blocked the lobster’s pincer with his dagger and….Tung! Tung! Tung! He kicked the jaw when it tried to use Water Pressure Gun…..Tung! Tung! Tung! He changed the magazine and…..Tung! Tung! Tung! The lobster’s health nosedived like the price drop of the Taek Mountains by the storm of attacks.

  ‘Ah, damn! I’m feeling angry again!’

  The memory caused anger to well up inside him while he kept on shooting. After 3 minutes of frantically firing.

  Kikikiki…..Kikikiki…..

  The lobster’s movements increasingly slowed down and finally stopped moving.

  ‘Pant pant pant, phew! It became easier thanks to the Armour Piercing Bullets……’

  Ark panted roughly as he looked at the metal shell. He still had doubts about why an android was hiding in the bottom of the lake. An android wouldn’t be in a place like this for no reason. It was also strange if the lobster was the reason for the octopuses disappearance. An android couldn’t eat octopuses so their corpses should still be near here.

  ‘What is the reason? Who put the lobster at the location where the octopuses disappeared? Damn, I’m back to the start again. Anyway, I’ll examine this guy for the moment. A clue might appear.’

  Ark approached the wreckage with the idea of searching it.

  Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!

  All of a sudden the floor started shaking. The sediment accumulated on the floor rose like a cloud of dust.

  ‘W-what is this? Huk, that is…..’

  Ark raised his head and stiffened. A huge object was soaring up from the lake bed. Ark stared at the object and say 10 lobsters.

  ‘Oh my god!’

  His expression instantly darkened

  ————————————————

  “Pant pant pant. Pant pant pant.”

  The shoulders shook form the intense breathing.

  ‘Dammit, I shouldn’t be doing this……’

  A frustrated sigh emerged from the blond youth’s mouth. Once again, he had started Galaxian to meet Ark. That was all. He had no interest in anything other than that. That’s why he deliberately started that incident in Nephalim. But the government thought he was part of the Tree of Life organization and was tortured. It was good up to there. He was willing to go through that process if it meant meeting Ark. So I endured it.

  ……Yet it was useless. The disputed planet he was sent to was Hanan. It was a planet dozens of light years away from Beltana. He had only entered the game to meet one person. Why was it so difficult? Fortunately the life of a prisoner on Hanan wasn’t that harsh. It was because of what happened on Istana.

  -The prisoner Ark who became Beltana’s Hero has returned!

  -The hero Ark visited each city and talked about the troubles that prisoners faced on Beltana. Therefore questions about the prisoner’s human rights have surfaced again.

  –There are rumours that federation officers used the plight of the prisoners to received bribes…..

  –The federation’s Secretary of Defense has ordered that the treatment of the troops be improved!

  Ark had gone around various cities and given interviews. Thanks to him the treatment of prisoners had improved! The prisoners on disputed planets were now provided with 1 free food a day.

  ……Of course he wasn’t happy at all. However the blond youth was glad to hear the news. Thanks to Ark going around the cities and promoting the galactic federation, the public opinion against the war was reduced. This was a great opportunity for the galactic federation! The galactic federation could reinforce their military budget thanks to the improved opinion and could now support more troops on the battlefield. 50% of the troops were dispatched to the right place! Hanan in the Bellin constellation was the battlefield that was fought over the hardest. 5 tanks, 30 combat androids and hundreds of troops were sent there. The numbers were sufficient to change the war situation. Luck followed from there. By the time reinforcements arrived, the Hanan garrison had acquired the GPS information of the Rama’s main base. The commander of the Hanan garrison was excited by the good luck that kept on coming.

  “Now is the time to show the power of the federation! Advance!”

  And ordered an assault towards the enemy lines. The blond youth was excited.

  ‘If the federation wins in this attack then I can return to Istana!’

  “But……”

  The blond youth looked around with a dark look. Smoke bombs were covering Hanan so he could only see 10 metres around him. But that was enough to confirm the military situation. 8 out of 10 bodies belonged to the galactic federation.

  ‘We were tricked. The GPS information form the Rama’s scouting unit was just bait!’

  The Hanan federation army was attacked by the Rama’s main forces while they were marching. The result was clearly seen through the corpses of the federation soldiers. They suffered a crushing defeat!

  ‘But even so……’

  It wasn’t that easy to defeat the federation soldiers with a surprise attack. He had a lot of experience with online games before Galaxian. He had led a lot of subordinates and won many battles in New World. Therefore he knew. A surprise attack wasn’t always profitable. All the variables had to be considered and the soldiers had to be able to handle the situation flexibly for it to have a tactical effect. And looking at the Rama’s surprise attack……

  ‘Perfect! There are no gaps at all!’

  The Rama’s surprise attack had no gaps. Even with the reinforcements, the federation army was overwhelmed.

  ‘But I can’t fall in a place like this! This is a chance to raise my achievements quickly! If I hesitate then it will be more difficult to meet Ark in the Outlands!’

  Kakakaka! Kakakarak!

  While the blond youth was thinking. The dust blurred and he could see some Carack. The blond youth’s hand movements quickened.

  Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!

  On R-14 the blond youth couldn’t move his body properly. On R-14 and Nephalim, he diligently practiced and now his hand techniques were more agile than most users. It was hard to imagine that the blond youth had grown up in a rich environment. He fired his gun and the bullets accurately hit the Carack’s leg joints. The blond youth then narrowed the distance and hacked at the Carack with his sword. In only 1 minute! The 3 Carack couldn’t attack and collapsed.

  ‘It is useless no matter how many Carack I destroy. I should join the main army!’

  He looked around and was about to move a step. Then a shadow shot out from the dust. He knew just by the silhouette. The opponent was a Rama warrior! The hand of the blond youth once again moved.

  Ting-! Ting-! Ting-!

  However the bullets bounced off the opponent’s shield. The blond youth felt despair as he saw the features of his rival. In fact, he knew the person who commanded the Rama’s surprise attack. It w
asn’t just him. All the soldiers on Hanan knew his identity. It was the Rama warrior that pushed the federation soldiers to despair during the many months fighting on the Bellin constellation! The nickname showed the overwhelming power……

  ‘The Red Slaughterer!’

  The Rama warrior received that nickname due to the blood red battle suit he used!

  “You seem quite skilled. Shall I play with you?’

  The Rama warrior wearing the red battle suit smiled and lifted his sword

  ————————————————

  Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.

  It wasn’t just the sound of bubbles rising. Ark’s shoulder shook as he gasped.

  ‘Dammit, why are these lobsters……’

  Ark breathed roughly and looked around. Sediment was scattered around him but he could see through it with Clairvoyance. And the red light opposite him could be clearly seen. 10 minutes before a group of android lobsters had appeared from the bottom of the lake.

  ‘It is impossible!’

  Facing 1 wasn’t a problem as he already proved. But that changed when he was facing 10. It was impossible with his level to take care of each one. If all 10 attacked together then his chances of victory was 0.1%. And Ark’s expectations proved correct. He became tattered after encountering the lobsters for 10 minutes.

  Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!

  -You have recovered 2 health.

  -You have recovered 2 health…..

  Ark was still alive thanks to the battle suit. And he diligently attached the Charenjok’s token to him

  If it wasn’t for the battle suit and the Charenjok’s token then he would already be a bloody rice cake. No, now he only had 8% health left. The lobsters were also really quick so he couldn’t run away either. But Ark believed something.