by Yoo Seong
Anyway, the whole situation was organized neatly thanks to that. Once again, the pyramid on Rakunka had two functions. There was the power of destruction with the nebula gas. And there was the power of creation where the terraforming device regulated the electromagnetic waves to pull up water from deep underground. The terraforming facility was also working like the weapon. In the meantime the terraforming device couldn’t receive the necessary energy and had stopped working. Unlike the weapon, the terraforming facility constantly consumed energy and converted the nebular gas to light and heat energy. But the energy supply had been stopped by the red substance covering the pyramid. But the device started working again once the red substance was burned up. The proof was that the small puddle had turned into a large lake when Ark, Ellain and the Kusan warriors returned to the village.
“This is all thanks to Messenger-nim.”
Barakin said in a thrilled voice as he looked at the clear water in the lake. It wasn’t only Barakin. Ark had been treated as God’s messenger before but it was nothing compared to afterwards.
“The great God’s messenger!”
“Glory to God’s messenger!”
The thousands of Kusan bowed down in front of Ark. They treated Ark with reverence like he was a real god. So Ark decided to play the role of God’s messenger.
“Hey Tori, come here.”
“Huh? Why?”
Stay still. Haaayaahh!”
Ark grabbed Tori’s ankles and held him upside down. And small packets of seeds started falling out. Tori was a hamster. During his break in S-20 he had gone around collecting seeds. Those seeds were the ones that fell from Tori. The amount of seeds that fell was at least 1 kilogram.
“Hik! W-what are you doing? That……”
“Shut up!”
Ark glared at Tori. Then he gathered the seeds and handed them to Barakin.
“These are the seeds of a plant that grows on a planet called Istana. I don’t know if it can grow on Rakunka but these seeds would sprout into leaves. Rakunka might end up having a forest after some time.”
During the Murat days there had been several forests on Rakunka. The terraforming operation meant there were oases all over the place so the Murat grew plants. However the terraforming device stopped working so the plants were depleted of water and the species not immune to the electromagnetic waves were killed. That’s what it meant by the ‘Power of God’ being lethal to the environment. But now the plants could grow again thanks to the oasis. This was the reason he gave them Tori’s seeds. Barakin was appreciative.
“I can’t even express my thanks for disposing of the Myutal and taking back the temple and now you’re doing this favour for us. This is the only way I can repay you. It is a ring that has been passed down through generations of Kusan chiefs. It might be insufficient to pay you back but please accept this.”
His thanks weren’t just empty words.
-Hot Wind Ring (Rare)
Item Type: Ring Wearer Restriction: Level 100
A ring that has been passed down through generations of Kusan chiefs.
This ring contains a rare, special jewel that is created through hot nebula gas. According to the information handed down through the Kusan, this ring has strong fire properties.
A rare ring! That wasn’t the only thing Ark obtained.
“Chief-nim, I want to ask you something.”
Ellain approached Barakin after everything was finished. Barakin nodded and said.
“I can already guess what you want to say after seeing your expression when you came back with Messenger-nim. You want to go with Messenger-nim.”
“Yes. Until now I’ve taken pride in the fact that I’ve been the best warrior of the clan. But I’ve realized how lacking I am after meeting God’s messenger. Of course, I don’t dare compare myself to God’s messenger but I would like to serve him and learn a bit more.”
“I understand.”
Barakin sighed and nodded.
“That’s probably the same mindset that Asuldan had when he left Rakunka a long time ago. And it is an honour to be able to serve God’s messenger. I don’t have any right to oppose. If you have Messenger-nim’s permission……”
Ellain was a top rated NPC. He wasn’t a pioneer but there was no reason for Ark to oppose it. In addition, he had spent 1,000 Adventure points to upgrade the level of his agent so his number of employees had increased from 15 to 30. He was thankful for another NPC!
-Ellain has joined Dark Eden as an intern.
Name: Ellain (NPC ☆ ☆ ☆) Occupation: Inspector
Level: 152 Related Skills: Sword mastery, Welcome to the alter ego…..
Thus Ellain joined the staff of Dark Eden.
“Now shall we say goodbye?”
Ark turned and asked. Ellain stared at Rakunka with emotional eyes and nodded.
“Yes, now my home is with Messenger-nim.”
“Sheesh, I hate hearing stuff like this.”
Tori said with a pout.
“Hey you! I want to make this clear. I am a senior. Do you understand?”
“Of course.”
“Ranking is important in Dark Eden. Eh? I’ll be watching.”
Tori concentrated power in his shoulders and said. However Tori hadn’t realized something yet. The ranking of Dark Eden wasn’t determined by the joining order. It was 100% determined by the dictator Ark. Ark had been cheated by Tori and his trust was low so the hamster would always be at the bottom of the pyramid. But Ark let it go for the moment. He had his seeds taken away and was hungry so Ark would allow him a little joy. Now also wasn’t the time to clean up the ranking.
“Tori, take the wheel.”
Ark sat in the captain seat and said.
“Start the Silver Star’s warp navigation. The target is Istana. Depart!”
The Silver Star was wrapped in light and shot through the universe. The destination was the centre of the galactic federation, Istana.
————————————————————————————————-
“Huhuhu.”
Ferguson looked around and laughed. 20 pioneers were gathered in a luxury salon. It was obvious from their equipment that they were pioneers who spent some time in the frontier. And Ferguson didn’t look out of place among them. His equipment and battle suit were at a standard worth 10,000 gold! He was also a user ranked 18th in the top 50 user rankings.
“How about it? You guys can see it. Do any of them look stronger than me?”
“Of course not.”
“Hyung-nim is the strongest.”
“Yes, I guess. I’m at a different standard.”
Ferguson nodded with a pleased look at his siblings’ words.
‘At one point I was so worried I almost quit the game……’
Ferguson felt like the sky had collapsed on him after hearing that his information about the tungsten mine had been stolen. He tried to be strong for his younger brothers but he really felt like quitting the game. But a chance he never considered had fallen into Ferguson’s lap. He had received a message on Elysium. The reason why Ferguson was sitting in a seat reserved for distinguished guests in Tatuine was due to that message.
-The 2nd magic circle investigation task force.
The message was that Ferguson had been selected for the 2nd investigation task force. He had an agent so he also received the
‘The three of us alone won’t be able to complete such a huge quest. But it is possible if I’m part of the federation’s investigation team. I’ll have the support of the federation for all expenses and information will be shared. This is an advantage that other pioneers won’t have! And if I complete the quest before the other members of the investigation team……’
/> The agents of all 3 powers had received the quest. That meant the reward would be incomparable compared to other quests. This was a chance for Ferguson to escape from being a beggar!
‘I need to grasp this chance!’
“By the way, how long do we have to wait for? Didn’t the departure time pass already? They gathered busy people in a place like this and now they’re making us wait?”
“I talked to the guards and heard that someone hasn’t come yet.”
“A person hasn’t come yet? Then we’re waiting for a pioneer? Ha, this makes me feel dirty. This person is making other pioneers wait! What type of bastard is this?”
“That is…….”
“Damn, it can’t be helped. I don’t know who is coming. But I’ll show him.”
“In the future we’ll be members of the same team so be patient. There is no reason to act like this before it has even started.”
“I still need to be certain of the pecking order.”
Ferguson replied with an enthusiastic look. Then the door that had been firmly closed opened and two men entered.
“The last team has arrived.”
The person who entered and started talking was Marquis Martin. This meant the guy next to him was the pioneer who made Ferguson wait! Ferguson got up from the couch he was waiting on and approached him. And just as he was about to speak.
“His name is Ark.”
Ferguson froze at Marquis Martin’s ensuing words. His brothers A and B also turned to ice. Brothers A and B withdrew and stuttered.
“Hyung-nim, Ark? Is that right? We didn’t hear wrong?”
“U-unlucky! Hyung-nim, we are still unlucky!”
“Q-quiet! He’ll hear. And how are we unlucky? I told you days ago. ‘He’ isn’t in Galaxian. The face is similar but it is also slightly different. Y-yes, it is impossible to be him.”
“B-but…..”
While Ferguson’s group were busy arguing.
“Please wait a moment.”
The door opened and two men once again entered. Marquis Martin frowned as he looked at them and asked.
“Why is Marquis Jyubel-nim here?”
“Fortunately I’m not too late. One more person is joining the investigation team.”
“Are you talking about the young man next to Marquis-nim?”
“Yes, this is Rapid.”
Marquis Jyubel introduced the blonde youth next to him. However the blond youth, Rapid wasn’t even looking at Marquis Martin. His eyes were fixed on Ark standing next to him. Ark was the same as well. Ark stared at Rapid and muttered.
“Hoh, Rapid……”
“Do you know him?”
Marquis Martin asked as he looked between Jyubel and Rapid. Ark replied.
“No. I don’t know that person at all.”
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 10
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Black Hawk
‘…..What?’
Ark scratched his head. The trip to Rakunka had been quite arduous. As a result he managed to obtain the Baius Shield that had been left for the Elim’s Heir. His difficulties weren’t due to the Myutal but more because of the time constraints. He needed to meet up with the 2nd investigation team on time. Thanks to that, Ark spent his time on Rakunka jumping like his tail was on fire. But all that hard work was for nothing. Despite his efforts he ended up being 30 minutes late. However the promise had been caught a week before. He thought being half an hour late wasn’t that bad but Marquis Martin’s response was cold.
“You’re late.”
“Ah, I’m really sorry. That……”
“I’ll listen to your excuses later. Follow me.”
Marquis Martin interrupted Ark’s words and turned his body. He walked down the hall silently with a frown.
‘What’s with that attitude? Damn, does he think I was being idle? I might’ve been late but it was only 30 minutes! I went through all that trouble so that I wouldn’t be late! Is he going to remove me from the team because I’m 30 minutes late? Isn’t he a noble?’
Thanks to that Ark’s mood was unpleasant.
‘Dammit, should I really join the investigation team?’
In fact, his mood wasn’t just due to Marquis Martin’s attitude. Ark had felt a mixture of disappointment and expectation after finding the Baius Shield on Rakunka. The reason he was disappointed was because the performance didn’t match up to his expectations of a Divine Artefact. But the Baius shield had an advantage that could compensate for such shortcomings. It was a growth type equipment. This was the part Ark was worried about.
‘A growth type item becomes stronger the more it is used. In other words, it isn’t beneficial straight away. But if I join the investigation team then it would be more difficult to find another Divine Artefact. Of course, the Divine Artefact is just for my occupation so it can be delayed. However there is no guarantee that the mission will be a success if I join the investigation team. I might just be throwing away my time. Then wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on finding the Divine Artefact?’
He was impatient to start looking now that he had found one. But Ark soon shook his head.
‘If I join the investigation team then I can get the support of the galactic federation. It will be a huge advantage to join the team. I can find the Divine Artefacts at any time but this opportunity won’t come again. I can’t give up this chance. I should worry about one thing first.’
It was his relationship with Marquis Martin. The relationship with NPCs was one of the most important things in RPG games. Players often misunderstood this but NPCs were the ‘top’ in a game world, not users. NPCs gave out quests and items as well as managed the game system. It didn’t matter if they stayed day and night in a hunting ground raising their levels. A NPC’s help was indispensable. Especially if the person was a high ranking noble of the federation. Such a relationship wasn’t created by itself.
He had completed the difficult quests Marquis Martin gave up and their intimacy gradually increased. In other words, this was the result of his time and efforts. And it was easy for that intimacy to drop. If he cancelled a quest that he accepted that the good feelings would decrease and intimacy would drop. He couldn’t be too impatient to find the Divine Artefact! Therefore he felt upset because of such blatant disregard. But he couldn’t do anything stupid.
‘Yes. He had me by the throat. What power do I have? I need to endure it.’
Ark stared at Marquis Martin’s back. Then Marquis Martin suddenly stopped moving. He sighed and spoke in a low voice.
“The situation has become a little troublesome.”
“Huh?”
Ark was confused by the sudden words. Then Marquis Martin slowly turned his body and looked at Ark.
“Do you know the purpose of this mission?”
“Well, that….”
“It is to investigate the magic circle that caused change in the galaxy. That was the external reason.”
“Then the real purpose was something separate?”
“No, that is the purpose. At the same time, 3 magic circles the size of intermediate planets were created before disappearing. Someone deliberately did it. Furthermore, a sizeable organization must be behind it considering the scale of the event. Those guys made the magic circle for some reason so the federation considers them a serious threat. But it is the negative energy detected with the magic circle that is the real threat.”
“You mean the antimatter t
hat you mentioned in the orbital headquarters?”
“Yes, it is something that shouldn’t even exist in this star system.”
“But the negative energy was detected which means it must exist?”
“That is the problem.”
Marquis Martin sighed and continued talking.
“Like the name suggests, antimatter is antimatter. It has the opposite structure of common substances. If common substances have the plus (+) property, antimatter has the negative (-) properties. So antimatter destroys any substances that it comes in contact with. The problem is the tremendous energy that will occur as a result of the process. The amount of energy is thousands of times stronger than a hydrogen bomb. No, that is just what the witness presumed.”
“Witness? Someone saw it directly?”
“At one time the 3 powers fought a war against each other. And stronger weapons would have a greater impact on the outcome of the war. It was natural that the 3 powers would be interested in antimatter. And on the surface we don’t know the end of the Galaxy War. A secret research centre ran by the Aschulat managed to succeed in creating antimatter.”
“Didn’t you just say there was no antimatter in the galaxy?”
“There is none now.”
“Didn’t they manage to make it?”
“It was created. But it failed to stabilize. The result is called the tragedy of Rajenka. The generated antimatter immediate started overflowing and the energy caused the planet of Rajenka to disappear without a trace.”
It was a fear that all species had never experienced before! The event was enough to make all 3 powers in the galaxy tremble with fear.
“That’s the reason why the 3 powers signed a truce. At that time the weapons development had already reached its limit. The only thing that exists beyond that limit was antimatter. But they realized something through the tragedy of Rajenka. The weaponization of antimatter wasn’t a victory. Thus the 3 powers signed a truce to ban the research of antimatter. And the scattered satellites all over the galaxy in order to monitor for negative energy.”
That’s the reason why the 3 powers were so sensitive about this matter. They still needed to confirm that threat directly but there was no doubt about it. The problem was that the negative energy was detected in the airspace called the space frontier.