by Yoo Seong
“A and B?”
“Yes. A and B. That’s their names.”
A and B…..Ark had heard some strange names over the several years he was playing games but these were the worst.
‘They are A and B? Is that real?’
It was to the extent that he felt compassion for them! Nevertheless, Ark was more interested in Ferguson than in A and B. Galaxian serviced the whole world and millions of players accessed it at the same time. There were millions of registered users. Of course the game exclusive news couldn’t investigate all the users but no ordinary person could reach rank 18. His naming sense also wasn’t ordinary.
‘I have to keep an eye on him.’
Perhaps Ferguson might be necessary. If they wanted to avoid Ark in Galaxian then they’ve probably given up on New World already. Ferguson wasn’t the only user Ark was paying attention to.
‘……Over there as well?’
The other users weren’t inferior to Ferguson. The pioneers gathered in the room were those specifically picked by the nobles of the federation. In other words, they were users with the certificate of quality from the federation nobles.
It was possible to understand just from looking at the equipment.
The more high level and expensive the equipment was, the more flashy it looked. The equipment Ark looked at shone with different types of special effects.
But his interest went from the equipment to Mario.
“I am Cayenne.”
“Cayenne-nim is the CEO of an agent that mainly dispatches mercenaries in Sidellin. This isn’t accurate but it is rumours that there are more than 100 mercenaries scatter all over that belong to him. It is the highest record for a single agent.”
“I’m Ryu. Please take care of me.”
“Ryu-nim is the CEO of an agent called Arion. Arion only has 7~8 employees but they are all high level users. Ryu-nim’s staff has enough skills to take down a large group of opponents.”
Mario gave out the name and relevant information about other users like a vending machine.
“I’m impressed that you remember all this.”
“I’m a merchant.”
“Huh? A merchant?”
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Mario. Heh, did you flinch because you’ve been calling me Mario in your mind? In fact I deliberately made it like this.”
Mario’s real identity was actually Mario! However he wasn’t an innocent plumber trying to rescue a princess.
“I told you that I’m a merchant. Information is the most important thing to merchants. And I’m familiar with other users. It is profitably to become familiar with other users. Huhuhu! Even female users don’t guard against Mario.”
Mario truly was calculating. But Ark was more startled at his occupation than Mario’s name or background. It was highly likely that this mission would involve a battle against the Rama and Aschulat agents. Therefore the most important thing required for this team was combat. The number of troops was limited so the team needed to be configured around combat power as much as possible. Yet one of the 10 spots was taken by a merchant.
‘Perhaps Mario isn’t an ordinary merchant?’
While Ark was busy thinking.
“Marquis-nim, how long do we have to wait for?”
Cayenne who was introduced a little while ago said with an irritated expression. Then Marquis Martin turned back around and asked.
“Didn’t you hear from the guard? Not everybody participating in the task force has arrived yet.”
“Eh? Isn’t everyone here?”
“10 pioneers from each faction are participating in this mission so that should be 20 altogether. Including Ark-nim we are 10 people. Rapid also makes the other side 10 people. Haven’t all the spots been filled? Then who else are we waiting for?”
“There is still one person remaining.”
“One person? What faction does the pioneer belong to?”
“Neither of them. He is……”
Marquis Martin sighed and was about to open his mouth. Then the door opened and a man appeared. Wearing huge iron armour like a medieval knight and carrying a sword on their shoulders and a 1 metre gun in both hands, the 10 people entered with a threatening impression like they were attacking the room. A skull was carved on their chests!
“What the, these guys?”
“Skull? Are they pirates?”
“Wait, that isn’t the mark of pirates. A clear, blue skull……”
Then they split in half. They formed two lines to allow a man to walk through. He had black hair, wore a black uniform and black cloak. He had an eyepatch over one eye and his whole atmosphere was dark. The man strode across the room without paying attention to the users in it. His cloak containing the mark of a blue skull waved with every step. Marquis Martin made a startled noise.
“Unbelievable…..I thought His Majesty wouldn’t select an ordinary user but……”
“His Majesty? The Emperor of the Galactic Federation?”
“Yes, the last participant is a pioneer that His Majesty selected. No, he received a title of nobility some time ago so he can’t be called a pioneer anymore.”
“A title of nobility? Then that person is?”
“Yes, that person is Baron Hawk.”
Mario moaned after hearing Marquis Martin’s words. But Ark wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know why they were amazed. Mario noticed Ark scratching his head with a puzzled expression and whispered.
“Seven Swords! Seven Swords!”
“Seven Swords? What are the Seven Swords…..?”
Ferguson explained when he heard what Mario was discussing. The game exclusive news had released a TOP 50 ranking. Of course this ranking varied every week. A users’ rank depended on the situation and new players entering the ranking. That’s why Ferguson was pushed out of 18th spot after a week. However there were some whose ranking didn’t change. They were the users occupying the top 7 spots. Ever since the TOP 50 had been released, they might’ve changed spots but those users had never been pushed out of the 1~7 spots. In other words, they were users on a completely different dimension from Ferguson. Thus they were named the Seven Swords! These 7 users were some of the biggest forces in the space frontier.
“Hawk is considered one of the best and is always part of the top 4 spots. He is always dressed in black armour so he was dubbed the Black Hawk. According to rumours, Hawk already possesses at least 4 space colonies and a fleet of spaceships.”
‘There is already a user with that kind of power?’
Ark looked at the man across the room with new eyes. In any game, a user with overwhelming power would build over time. Ark’s goal was to become such a user. However Galaxian’s service hadn’t even started for 10 months yet. While Ark had been a little too comfortable, another user was already building that power in the frontier. It wasn’t just one user but seven! And one of them was Hawk!
“He really is Hawk.”
“Oh my god! Then one of the Seven Swords is participating in this mission?”
“This isn’t a joke?”
The users became noisy after confirming it was Hawk. But Hawk just silently approached the couch where Ferguson was sitting. Ferguson sat up with excitement.
“Eh? Eh?”
“Get out of the way, pig.”
“What? Ah, no. Huh? Ah! Yes!”
Ferguson jumped up like a pig struck by lightning. Then Hawk naturally sat down on the couch. Hawk’s gaze was then directed to the users. Hawk’s mouth went up as he gazed at the users divided into two groups. But Hawk quickly returned to his original expression and he started talking in a low voice.
“I am the team leader.”
“What? H-Hawk is the leader?”
“The leader isn’t going to be a NPC from the federation?”
Some users murmured with confusion. Hawk didn’t even look at them.
“I will now give you the instructions. From now on I will give you 4 days. I don’t care whether you use that
time to organize your troops or supplies. I will leave the troops and supplies up to you. 4 days from now we will gather at the Turan Hive located on the southern tip of the Igracia constellation in the frontier. Any person who doesn’t arrive in time will be withdrawn.”
“So one-sidedly……”
“I thought we were leaving today?”
“What are you talking about? Today is just the meeting day.”
“Anybody dissatisfied with this should withdraw now.”
Hawk interrupted the people complaining and surveyed the room.
“I’ll tell you now. I’m not interested in what the nobles of the federation think. My only concern is finding out information about the magic circle and antimatter. Of course, my final purpose is the compensation. How many people here are 100% certain they can get the reward?”
“That…..”
“The Rama and the Aschulat……”
“I’m convinced. I believe that anyone who follows me will be able to receive the same compensation. I’m the only one that can do that. As I said, I’ll leave the choice up to you.”
The users started to stir again at Hawk’s words.
“Are you sure?”
“If Hawk who is one of the Seven Swords talks like that……”
“We can do it! We can get the information about the magic circle and antimatter before the Rama and Aschulat!”
“Okay! I will follow Hawk!”
“Me too!”
‘What? That guy?’
Ark looked at Hawk with astounded eyes. Until now the users had been disgruntled with Hawk’s one-sided commands. It was natural. They would accept it if it was a NPC but nobody would like receiving commands from another user. Especially if the users had a lot of lose. However Hawk changed their attitudes with just a few words. They were affected by the name Seven Swords but he knew how to deal with people.
‘I guess he isn’t one of the Seven Swords for nothing.’
“I leave it here.”
Hawk stopped speaking and got off the couch. And he walked in the middle of his subordinates like when he came in. But he hesitated while walking past Ark and turned his head.
“Are you Ark?”
“So?”
Ark replied in a curt voice. He was brusque even in the first meeting. Ark had no reason to show him respect. But Hawk just stretched out his hand like he wasn’t interested in Ark’s attitude.
“I wanted to say hello. I heard a lot about you from the federation TV. I wanted to meet you at least once and now we’re on the same team. I will expect a lot from you in the future.”
“I will try.”
Ark said as he shook Hawk’s hand.
“Wah, the reception of a user who received the Hero title really is different.”
“A Seven Sword greeted him.”
“Damn, this is the difference between our careers.”
Their voices were mixed with envy and admiration. However this was just unpleasant for Ark. The other users had misunderstood something.
They were overwhelmed with the Seven Swords business card and the Hawk took over the atmosphere with his charisma. But Hawk was still a user. It would be different if this was a NPC but he was a user. Ark didn’t want to be envied because of another user’s fame. His pride wasn’t the only reason why he thought it was unpleasant. There was a sharp light in Hawk’s eyes. He didn’t get a good feeling from those eyes.
‘What on earth? This guy?’
Space 2
Unexpected Visitors
“What? This uncomfortable feeling is?”
He had received an offer from Marquis Martin to join the 2nd investigation team. Ark hadn’t thought it would be that difficult. The federation would hire pioneers who would fly to the frontier to meet up with the 1st team and investigate the suspicious areas. And if they found something then it would be a success. He had thought that about the investigation team. However the situation was more complicated than he thought. The aristocrat nobles were fighting so the team was split in half.
The agents of all 3 powers had received the quest to find information about the magic circle and antimatter. Therefore all users on the frontier could be competitors. Even if they were on the same team, half of the users were enemies. This internal fissure was a penalty for all participants involved. Ark was also in a more disadvantageous position compared to the others.
‘The saying is that you reap what you sow but……’
Jyubel and Laius had teamed up in a plot to take S-20 from him. Ark solved that conspiracy through his Water Cleaning strategy and used the evidence to install the necessary facilities in his sector. As expected, nothing in this world was free. Thanks to that incident Ark attracted the attention of Marquis Jyubel, an influential noble. And Jyubel didn’t hesitate to express his affection (?). He hired Rapid and Valencia. His aim was to interfere with Ark. That wasn’t the only worrisome thing. The Emperor had placed Hawk, one of the Seven Swords in charge. Ark didn’t know why but the look Hawk gave him wasn’t ordinary.
‘I might just be overly sensitive but……’
Ark had good senses. Whenever he got a sinister premonition it was highly likely that his feeling would be correct. Ark had received a warning message when he shook Hawk’s hand.
-Somehow this guy is my enemy!
……Was what it told him. Rapid and Valencia. And now Hawk.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t participate in the investigation team.’
In this situation it might be better for him to proceed with the
“Please sign here.”
Shortly after the meeting ended. Officials belonging to the Domestic Affairs department passed around a document to sign and an information window popped up.
+ Sub quest: Formation of the Galactic Federation’s Investigation Team
You had demonstrated exceptional qualities through several events. Thanks to that, you have gained the trust of Marquis Martin and gained an invitation to participate as a member of the investigation team.
The contract period is one month. The compensation will depend on the findings of the investigation team. In addition, special compensation will be given to the individual that contributes the most. But if you withdraw from the team without satisfying the contract period then you will need to pay 3 times the penalty.
Difficulty: –
He had signed a contract!
“This is a down payment. Use it as expenses.”
-You have received 3,000 gold.
And he got money as a deposit! Now he couldn’t withdraw even if he wanted to. Well, he had no intention of quitting halfway.
‘Yes, that’s it. There is no need to worry about that now. And the contract deposit is 3,000 gold. Those guys, if I don’t let them interfere for 1 month then I’ve gained 3,000 gold even if there are no results.’
In fact, this was already a huge compensation. Of course this wasn’t something that everyone can receive. It required a high contribution with the federation as well as being friendly with an influential noble. All users who met these conditions and joined the team would be given the bonus.
‘If I do nothing and hold up for 1 month then this will be my money.’
The thought eased his mind. Of course he had no intention of just killing time. The deposit was only 3,000 gold. If they succeeded then the fee received would be even more than that. And if he obtained information about the antimatter before the other faction then he could get a bonus from Marquis Martin. This was a great opportunity to clear up the
‘There is no guarantee what will happen when I start investigating the space frontier. I was annoyed when I heard Hawk telling us to gather in 4 day
s but now the situation is different. I have to be prepared to cope with any variables.’
He needed to gather troops as well as distribute supplies. And the duration of the contract was 1 month. In the meantime he needed to organize some things in S-20 as well as give instructions to his employees. The many things he had to do flashed through his head.
‘Yes, now isn’t the time to worry about Valencia and Rapid. If I deduct 1 day for travel time, I need to take advantage of the 3 days to prepare. There are many things I need to put in order. Let’s hurry and return to S-20.’
“But before that……”
Ark’s gaze headed towards Tori sitting in the cockpit.
“Tori, start the Silver Star. The destination is Charem.”
“Understood.”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The engine started vibrating at Tori’s answer.
“Output OK, gas balance OK, coordinates input OK, we will begin movement! 3, 2, 1, start!”
Kwaaaaaaah-!
The Silver Star disappeared in a flash of light.
———————————————————————————-
“The Emperor won that time.”
In the office of Domestic Affairs in the central federation headquarters. Three people were sitting in a lavishly ornamented room. One of them was Marquis Jyubel, the owner of this office. And the other two were Valencia and Rapid. Jyubel had a scowl on his face.
“I expected that he would have an ulterior motive but I never thought he would attract Hawk.”
“But has anything changed? A 3rd power has taken the leadership role. If we can drag him to our side……”
Valencia spoke with a craft expression. Then Jyubel laughed and said.
“Do you think I’ve never tried it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think aristocrats don’t do any work and have a banquet every night? A noble needs to expand their power with connections. A noble’s power depends on the outstanding characters supporting them. And Hawk has emerged as a leading pioneer. Naturally I tried to contact him many times. But I was ignored very neatly. Especially now that Hawk is following the Emperor. Trying to entice him might just worsen the situation.”