by Yoo Seong
Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!
It was a one-sided battle. The pioneers could hide behind the rocks so they had a tactical advantage over the Kero. Thousands of Kero covered Mt. Fargo but numbers were insignificant in a situation like this. From the pioneers viewpoint they were half water and half meat! The Kero tumbled and shot out blood as they were hit by the bullets.
-Your level has risen!
The pioneers constantly had cross marks on top of their heads. But the gunfire gradually decreased once 10 hours passed. It wasn’t because the Kero’s attacks had slowed down.
‘The time has come!’
Ark murmured as he bit his lips.
‘I’d pushed them this far……’
The pioneers ignorantly thought they were winning but Ark knew differently. In this situation the pioneers were overwhelming! So the Kero should attack more carefully. But the Kero were frogs so they were stupid. They didn’t care about the dying bodies and just continued moving forward. The result was…..
“I’ve run out of bullets!”
“My RPG shells have finished!”
This was exactly what Ark was concerned about. They didn’t have an infinite supply of ammunition. Of course pioneers used firearms so they always collected bullets. And they had loaded the land cruisers with supplies when they retreated from the research centre. However, 130 people were shooting for 10 hours so it was natural for bullets to run out.
‘There is only one way left!’
It was to fight in close combat. But shooting enemies from a distance and close combat was completely different. It would be impossible to hold up when the mountain was covered in Kero.
But it was the end if they gave up!
“Everybody please pay attention!”
Ark shouted from the centre. The pioneers at the edges looked at him.
“You’ve fought well so far. Unfortunately there aren’t any bullets remaining. Soon some of us will start falling. The only way we can resist is in close combat. Of course it will be a tough fight. We might be wiped out before the guards arrive. No, to be honest the chances are very high. I’m sorry for everyone who believed in me and came here. However I’m not going to give up until the end. So believe in me and follow until the end!”
“The bullets have run out?”
“Damn, then didn’t we make a mistake?”
“There is no way. How long did we endure for……?”
The pioneers murmured among each other after Ark’s words. At that time the NPCs and Bain came rushing towards Ark.
“Close combat? Win in a close combat situation? You stupid brat! Look at their numbers! It will be impossible for us to hold up until the guards arrive! Ah! I made a mistake! I’m not a pioneer like you! I only have one life! You have to protect me! You! I came here because of you so you have to take responsibility!”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
A middle aged man in work clothes snapped at Bain. He was the president of Hammer Industries that Ark first met in town.
“It was inevitable. And your instructions weren’t wrong. Have confidence. Even if we’re completely wiped out, we were only able to last this long thanks to you.”
“But it is the same if we die! We suffered for no reason! Because of him!”
Bain raised his head and shouted angrily. Then Melina glared at him and snapped.
“What are you saying? Do you know how hard Ark-nim worked to save everyone?”
“Shut up! I can say whatever I want to stupid pioneers!”
“What did you just say?”
Then Leon grabbed Bain’s collar and said.
“This might be a bad result but this is the first time the rail gun has seen so much excitement since starting Galaxian. If I didn’t know Ark-nim then I would already be dead. I thought it was wondering that Ark-nim was Beltana’s Hero but he didn’t obtain that title for nothing.”
Then Slayer took out his mace and exclaimed.
“Hey! Isn’t everybody else the same?”
“Indeed. So far it was a great stand.”
“Yes, we might be throwing away a bit of experience but let’s see this though to the end. Do you know? Maybe a miracle might happen?”
“We will fight together with Ark until the end!”
“Yes, let’s go! Ohhhhh!”
The pioneers lifted their weapons and cried out. Milan who had been looking around with a worried expression said.
“Hyung-nim, I’m proud you’re my Hyung-nim! I will look forward to the next time I see Hyung-nim!”
“Huk huk huk, these assholes! This is why I hate pioneers……”
One NPC was sitting on the ground and crying. Anyway, fortunately their morale had increased!
“A crowd of those guys are coming!”
A pioneer suddenly cried out. The same report simultaneously came from different directions. The Kero noticed that the shooting had stopped and pushed forward.
“Having a sunset in the background for the last battle…..good.”
Slayer said with a smile. Then Leon laughed and said on the other side.
“You’re on that end. Having the sun set during a battle is just gloomy. This is sunrise. We’re battling with the rising sun. Doesn’t that give you more hope?”
“Sheesh, having a sunset and sunrise at the same time. This planet really isn’t normal.”
Ark raised his head as he noticed Slayer’s words. He saw that the two of them were standing on different sides.
‘Sunrise and sunset at the same time?’
Once again, Istana had two suns. Each moved at a different orbit so it was possible to have a sunrise and sunset at the same time. Just like Slayer and Leon’s words, one side of Mt. Fargo was having a sunset while the sun was rising on the other side. It was a curious phenomenon created by the rocks surrounding the summit. The phrase written on the stone slab suddenly entered Ark’s mind.
–The place where the sun sets and the sun rises!
Ark didn’t know the exact meaning of that phrase until now. When he looked at the library, he thought the place was Mt. Fargo.
‘But that didn’t simply point to Mt. Fargo. It needed the right place! It referred to a place on the mountain where the sun set and rose at the same time! Here! This is the place I’m looking for!’
It was followed by this phrase.
You will need to prove your qualifications. But you have to reach that place.
‘This is the place where the sun sets and rises at the same time! And it states that only a descendant of the Murat can reach it. In order words, proving my qualifications means proving I’m a descendant of the Murat. This is like the meteorite that I found in Charem!’
It was the Murat’s Shire!
‘I might be able to get away from this situation!’
Ark’s eyes flashed. If Ark was correct then the Shire could open the door to the ruins. And this was the top so the door must be underneath his foot. It meant the ruins were somewhere in the interior of Mt. Fargo! Laius’ guards would arrive in 10 hours. However, the inside of the mountain was like a bomb shelter so they could endure for that long.
‘The fact that other users will know about the ruins is weighing on my mind……’
If Ark didn’t open the ruins then he was bound to die. And there was the person manipulating the Kero behind the scenes. Valencia wouldn’t be able to control the Kero no matter how corrupt he was. Actually, the person who gave orders to Valencia was different to the one leading the Kero. The man controlling Valencia had blown himself up! Ark had no room to think about it at the time but the technique he used was similar to Ark’s Rune Carving.
‘If he really used seals then they might be after the Murat ruins.’
There was no guarantee the Murat relics would be there if he returned. Ark thought up to there.
Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka! Ka ka ka ka!
He heard the sound of iron on the side of the sunset. 100 Kero was gathered with their swords. It wasn’t jus
t these guys. Another group! Another one! Another!
‘I can’t hesitate!’
“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving!”
A blue light appeared at Ark’s fingertips.
——————————————————————————————-
“Now it’s over.”
The robed man looked up the mountain and smiled. Hundreds of Kero had reached the summit. The circumstances were clear. They ran out of bullets so they would die soon. And his wish would come true.
“This is the will of God!”
Then a blue light suddenly appeared at the mountain’s summit. Confusion spread on the man’s face.
“T-that light is….w-why….n-no! Stop! All followers! Stop that light! No, kill! The person producing the light! They are God’s enemy! Kill them! Kill!”
At the same time the light exploded into the sky.
——————————————————————————————-
‘W-what it this?’
Ark became baffled. He experienced all sorts of mysterious things when playing a virtual reality game. Therefore he wouldn’t be surprised if the volcano exploded or a devil appeared. But he was really upset this time. Ark thought doors to the ruins would appear when he called the Shire. And a light pillar suddenly shot up from the ground. The light pillar wrapped around him like chains and he couldn’t move. And his body started turning into particles and scattering.
‘Oh my god! Was my judgement wrong?’
Ark thought he had operated a trap. When he thought about it, there was always the option of a trap when the Murat were involved. There was the infinite rooms that all connected in the pyramid on Beltana and on Charem there was an artefact that created Sufferers. If he looked at the pattern then it was likely that this place also had a trap. The trap was to destroy ignorant invaders!
‘I’m dead! Dammit, I can’t die like this!’
Ark grabbed his head and started screaming. No, he wanted to. However he couldn’t even lift a finger because of the light. He was frozen as he was about to carve a rune. Fortunately his stance looked cool but…..he was still being disassembled.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“What is going on?”
Milan and the other pioneers were upset at the sudden situation. Then the pillar of light disappeared.
“N-no! Hyung-nim is gone! He was completely burnt!”
Milan ran to where the light pillar was and stuttered tearfully. Only a black mark was left on the ground.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Then Mt. Fargo started making a rumbling sound and shaking.
Space 9
Elim!
‘This is……?’
Ark held his breath and looked around. His body was decomposed by the light so Ark naturally thought he was dead. Then in the next moment, Ark had appeared in an unexpected place. It was a dark space but he could differentiate between some things thanks to his Clairvoyance ability. It was a spacious rectangular space. The room was 10 metres and lined with stone statues. He couldn’t remember the exact name but the statues were something he often saw in Egyptian related documentaries!
‘If it is Egyptian civilization then it must be the Murat! Then this place is the Murat ruins in Mt. Fargo? Did I really enter the ruins? Then the light decomposition didn’t mean I died?’
He was glad to be alive but he couldn’t be assured. There was no guarantee this room wasn’t a trap like the pyramid. Ark took one step and looked around carefully.
Tututudung!
There was the abrupt sound of drumbeats.
‘Hik! What, what the? What’s going to happen now?’
Ark became tense and lifted his sword. Then an information window appeared in front of him.
-Proof of Eligibility: Finding a sanctuary (1/1)
-All the conditions for
‘Eh? What is this? Proof of Qualification?’
Ark looked at the information window with confusion. The
‘How can I find a sanctuary? Where the hell am I supposed to go? Does that mean visiting a Cathedral in a city?’
At first he thought it was simple. However he visited the Cathedral before leaving Nabe and there were no changes. Yet the Proof of Eligibility was completed the moment he entered the Murat ruins. An ‘!’ appeared in Ark’s head as he confirmed the information.
‘I see. The Cathedrals on Istana represent the human’s religion. But the pioneer that hid the data in the toy might not be human. Furthermore, he was a pioneer from a very long time ago. It is possible that humanity’s religions didn’t exist back then. In that case, the quest condition is finding an alien sanctuary!’
That was the Murat ruins right here. Then another message window floated in front of Ark.
-Xanax
“Xanax?”
Ark tilted his head to one side and muttered.
Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong. Woong woong woong woong.
There was a mechanical sound and the space brightened. The light was coming from a sphere in the middle.
“W-what is this? Is it a trap like I expected? Eh? A trap?”
Ark flinched and took a few steps back.
–Hrmm…..
A low voice was heard from the sphere of light. Ark became tense as the light scanned him.
–I thought this existence was lost…..that the heir who appeared after hundreds of years is human…..I’m surprised. The undeveloped humans roasting meat on the fringe of the galaxy has grown enough to be the heir? Although the galaxy did go through a great crisis…..By the way, Xanax……that nostalgic name.
He didn’t know what was going on but there didn’t seem to be a threat. But he was completely alone here.
“That…….”
–Ah! Yes, human.
Now the sphere of light started to show an interest in Ark.
–I didn’t ask for your name yet. What is your name?
“I am Ark.”
–It is amazing that the heir is human but I suppose the era has changed. Good, Ark. It must’ve been tough getting here. You’re human but the fact that you entered here is proof of the Murat’s lineage. Needless to say, you will become Xanax’ successor. Now the heir has appeared after hundreds of years . Soon we will begin the ceremony. Ark, kneel down in front of the great prophets and pay your respects.
“W-wait a minute!”
Ark stuttered with a puzzled expression. He was confused by everything. Ark thought this place was the Murat ruins. But there was something strange. There were the stone statues but Ark didn’t see any Murat items like the pyramid containing the Shire. That wasn’t the only confusing thing. The word ‘Xanax’ had appeared when he completed the
“Is this place the ruins of the Murat?”
–What? Did you come here without knowing where this was?
The sphere of light turned red with anger. However it returned to its original colour after a moment.
–No, it is natural for you to think that. There hasn’t been an heir for a long time so you wouldn’t know any information rel
ated to succession. And you’re from the undeveloped human tribe. Well it can’t be helped. Okay. I’ll explain it.
The sphere of light spoke in a patronizing tone. And it burst into explanation mode.
–A long time ago, four great species existed in Galaxian. They each controlled a different solar system and we called the Murat, Indus, Potamia and Oritious. At the time there were many undeveloped species and they generously bestowed their science and civilization to numerous species in the galaxy.
But they were races that didn’t dominate. They had an implicit promise between them to not directly engage in any other species. They reigned but didn’t rule. But then a problem occurred. The species that had their eyes opened to technology started developing hazardous weapons like nuclear bombs. If they continued then the galaxy would be senselessly destroyed. But if the four races engaged directly then there was a risk that it wold cause even more dissention.
-After worrying about it, a great prophet of the four races came to one conclusion. There needed to be limits on their direct involvement. That was the Elim.
“Elim? Weren’t the Elim the original natives that lived on Istana?”
Ark asked after remembering the information from Nabe’s library.
–Oh, the humans know this much?
The light sphere shone with interest.
–It is a little different but that isn’t entirely wrong. The Elim were the proxy of the four races who executed their will. The four species each choose 1 person with excellent abilities to act on their behalf. So you weren’t entirely wrong. However, the true faces of the Elim were warriors. The four races passed on their power to the Elim. The four races also gave them ‘Divine Artefacts.’
The Divine Artefacts weremade with the essence of the four races’ power and science. This made the Elim the strongest warriors in the galaxy and they successfully managed to settle the feud between several species.