Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  “You flies. You will die today.”

  Set became angry at Ark’s provocation! The situation increasingly tilted to Ark’s side as Set flared up. But the situation still wasn’t over.

  Ark, Hawk and Rapid had found a way to push Set back but the situation with Set’s subordinates wasn’t going well. The combined attacks from his subordinates were pushing the users back. And if the team members were killed then completing the quest would be difficult even if Set was taken care of!

  Set grasped the situation and suddenly changed to defense.

  “Ark, he is buying time!”

  “I know! But switching to defense is as good as admitting defeat. And this is my specialty! Break Kinesis!”

  Ark shouted and used his skill. The space behind Set’s head suddenly exploded.

  It was the explosion of force Break Kinesis! He had tested it a few times after learning from Tot but unfortunately Break Kinesis couldn’t be used directly against monsters and NPCs. But it was possible to explode a space with nothing in it. The explosion wouldn’t deal a lot of damage but it was enough to break the flow of the offense.

  “Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

  Ark used his strongest skill Galaxy Sword after the explosion! Swords flew forward like a fan. It wound around Set like a storm. Set’s health dropped by a tremendous amount and he flew back several metres.

  “Light Wave! Wide Sharp Swords!”

  “Chain Fire!”

  Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Tatatatang!

  Hawk and Rapid also used deadly skills.

  ‘That’s it! Now there is a chance to win!’

  Ark lost his breath as he looked at Set.

  Set had been gradually overwhelmed once Hawk and Rapid joined in with the pincer movement. Ark and Set’s health was 45% to 38%. It wasn’t enough to guarantee a victory. But the recent attacks reduced Set’s health by 8% to 30%. It was 45% against 30%!

  ‘Now we can definitely win!’

  Ark was convinced of victory and was preparing for the next attack.

  Suddenly he had a strange feeling. He felt a sense of discomfort after Set was hit by Galaxy Sword. It was only after Kuhwen’s scream that Ark knew the source of his uneasiness.

  “T-Tot!”

  Ark’s face stiffened as he turned his head. Tot who was floating 10 metres in the air in a meditation posture had a black lightsaber through his chest. This was the uneasiness Ark felt!

  Set’s sword wasn’t in his hand. Set had distracted Ark and his companions. Set was looking for a chance to aim at Tot while fighting Ark. And the moment Ark’s group used a knockdown technique, he had driven his sword through Tot’s chest.

  The reason Set did such a thing was simple. If Tot disappeared….

  “Your tricks end here.”

  Set murmured with a laugh and took one step forward. He spread an aura of darkness and once again wound around Ark’s party.

  ***

  Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

  Bullets hailed all over the place. Dozens of people became bloody and fell down from the concentration of bullets. But that wasn’t the end. Plasma bullets burnt and swords were stabbed through bodies as people died.

  “Ugh, dammit!”

  A man groaned and moved backwards.

  He was Paragon, a member of Hawk’s troops who Harley had placed in charge of the militia. His mission was to take the militia and lure Nemet’s main army. And he had succeeded in luring Nemet’s main force.

  But it wasn’t possible to outrun the enemy in the desert. They were caught by the 3,000 rebel army soon after succeeding in the luring strategy. However Paragon wasn’t daunted.

  ‘I expected that we would be caught by them. The important thing is that Captain Hawk and the remaining team reaches Tri-Force safely. Once Kuhwen entered the pyramid and released Abraxas then the battle will end. The space fleet will enter Muratio Star. We have to hold on until then!

  He was sure that victory was secured. But the scheduled time had passed yet there wasn’t any change in Tri-Force.

  He assumed it would be a short term battle but 20 minutes had passed since it started and it was still being drawn out. That expectation meant the tactic was for a short term battle and now the soldiers in the defense line were reaching their limit. They were holding up but it was clear the defense line would soon collapse.

  ‘No! Just a bit more!’

  Paragon bit his lip as he stared at the pyramid.

  ‘Captain Hawk, what is he doing?’

  ***

  The militia was on the brink of destruction.

  Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

  Gunshots rang out a few kilometres away.

  The 1,000 rebel army led by Nemet was running while firing plasma bullets. The 100 soldiers that Nemet had discovered with the Fly Ranger were running away. Based on the configuration of troops, Kuhwen’s unit should’ve been wiped out already. And there were indeed only 50 soldiers left after being caught by Nemet’s unit.

  But Nemet felt sick while carrying out the one-sided attack.

  “Damn! Why aren’t any of the attacks hitting?”

  Nemet growled as he looked at the flapping cloak that was Kuhwen running away. It had been dozens of minutes since catching the militia yet Kuhwen hadn’t been hit by any of the bullets.

  That was because Nemet was still unaware of something.

  Kuhwen who showed incredible evasion! The man moving in front of Nemet was not Kuhwen. Kuhwen was currently in front of the pyramid and the disguised person was the pet hamster (?) Tori! Tori had no battle skills but his evasion and ability to escape from a crisis was equal to Ark despite being a NPC. But that was Tori’s own ability.

  “Catch him! Kill! Kill him!”

  Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

  Nemet became even more upset by Tori’s ability and the unit members died one after another. Unfortunately Tori couldn’t hide and just ran around escaping from the shower of bullets. There were shields on either side of him but it was only a matter of time until Tori died!

  ‘That damn Ark! What is going on? I’m going to die!’

  Anger burned inside of Tori.

  ***

  At that moment, Ark and Hawk….

  -You have been captured by Set.

 

  “D-dammit!”

  …..They were wrapped in darkness and floated in the air.

  “Kukukuku. Now it is like you are hanging from a spider web. Didn’t I tell you? You guys are not my opponents. This has proved my point. I will shred your body for all the trouble you gave me.”

  Set approached Ark and slowly said. Then Ark raised his head, looked at Hawk and shouted.

  “W-wait a minute! Why me? Think about it! That guy hit you harder than I did! Don’t you remember? If you have to kill someone then kill him!”

  “This bastard….”

  Hawk yelled angrily.

  “No! The person who thought of this strategy first is him! Ark!”

  “What? This bastard! No! The first person who talked about a luring strategy was you! How can one of the Seven Swords act so cowardly? Wouldn’t your subordinates be embarrassed?”

  “You’re the one who started it!”

  “I just told the truth! You were the one always talking! Isn’t it better for him to hit you? Hey Set. Think about it. This is an important issue!”

  …..They were both trying to persuade Set to kill each other first. Fortunately that didn’t last long.

  “Ugh! H-Hyung-nim! No! This bastard, kill me instead!”

  Kuhwen and Basak were also floating in the air beside Tot. Set made a pitying expression after seeing the atmosphere and clicked his tongue.

  “Ha! Their subordinates are a lot better than their masters.”

  Ark and Hawk blushed.

  “Pathetic. I had to fight against trash like you. But now your tricks will end. And you both don’t have to fight. All of y
ou will die like squashed bugs. A volunteer has appeared so he will be killed but Jed will be first. That way I can see Kuhwen and Tot crying as well.”

  Despite Basak’s efforts, it was decided that Ark would become the first fatality!

  “Basak, don’t worry. It will be your turn next.”

  Set approached Ark and stretched his arm out. Set’s sword that was driven into Tot’s chest returned to him. It was Psychokinesis. Set used that technique to pull his sword out of Tot’s chest.

  “Now it is time for your punishment. Vacuum Wave!”

  The sword plunged downwards.

  “H-Hyung-nim!”

  Basak screamed as Ark’s chest was split open. However Ark was feeling more despair than pain. This quest was 99% a failure. If he was hit by Set and died then all the experience and skills he gained during the three days and the Silver Star would be lost.

  But there was no longer any way for Ark to stop it. He was incapacitated and couldn’t move so all he could do was wait for death. Ark could only look desperately.

  -Ark, do you hear my voice?

  He suddenly heard a humming voice in his head.

  “T-Tot-nim?”

  -Yes, that’s me. I’m speaking to your spirit directly using force. Where did your spirit go? You’re just letting yourself be hit!

  Tot snapped in an angry voice.

  …..He was using force to speak to others in a situation like this? It was slightly outrageous but Tot’s words weren’t.

  –Ah, no. I’ve received a fatal wound and can no longer prevent the dark forces. If this continues then Kuhwen will be killed as well. Then no one will be able to stop Set. If Set controls Muratio Star then he will bring war to the universe. Right now you are the only person who can stop Set.

  “But I can’t move.”

  –No, it is possible if it is you. The power that I used to stop the dark forces isn’t special. You know the strength of Force. You can use Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. In other words, you have received two things. You will soon realize the power of that attribute. Now I’ll align with your force and tell you how to concentrate your mind. This is the only chance. If this fails then you will surely die.

  “Eh? Eh? No, wait a minute! My heart isn’t prepared…..”

  Ark spoke with a puzzled expression.

  -Tot’s skill has started!

  Tot has connected to your spirit using the power of Force and fused Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis to create a new skill.

  But Tot’s current state means he can only open the two types of power. The fusion of the two types of power will depend on your concentration. If you can blend the two powers together perfectly then the skill will be created.

  There is only one chance! If successful, a new skill will be acquired but if you fail then the two powers will flow backwards and explode.

  The keyword is ‘Force.’

  The blue information window rose!

  At the same time, a large disc appeared. And two small beads started to roll inside it. Ark figured out how to create the skill the moment he saw the beads. There was a black and white bead. They probably signified Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. And the keyword meant that he needed to use Force to join the 2 balls.

  In other words, it was some sort of mini-game. However it was a superficial game like the name. There was only one chance and failure would mean death. His experience, skills and the Silver Star would fly away. A game with his life at stake!

  ‘But this is too much!’

  Ark lost his fighting spirit as soon as he saw the beads. The beads were rolling too quickly on the disc. Furthermore, the thought of losing everything placed a considerable burden on him and he couldn’t concentrate on the beads.

  –What are you doing Ark? The two powers have already clashed a few times. But why are you just watching from the sidelines? Hurry! There is no time! You will die if you don’t succeed so just do it!

  ‘Die? If it fails then won’t I explode? Yet he told me to just do it? Damn! What is this? Aren’t you a mentor?’

  Tot was just talking without knowing the other person’s feelings.

  “Wuhahaha! How about it? Do you feel like you’re gradually dying?”

  There was a crazy person in front of him still cutting away. He couldn’t concentrate directly.

  But like Tot said, Ark had no time.

  If he failed to fuse the forces then he would be killed but it he didn’t then he would be murdered by Set! Fortunately Set was going slowly but Ark’s health had already decreased to 30%. Set only needed 3~4 hits before he would hear the voice of the death god.

  ‘I need to concentrate! Just once! I have to bet everything at once!’

  Ark closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

  Anyway, it wasn’t useful to have many thoughts in this situation. There was only one chance. If he concentrated his mind then he could quickly beat the game. He waited until he couldn’t even feel the pain from Set’s strikes before opening his eyes.

  “Eh? Ehhhhhh?”

  Ark’s eyes were shocked. He wasn’t concentrating so hard that he couldn’t feel the pain from Set’s attacks. Set wasn’t attacking. Instead both hands were forming black spheres.

  “You’re tougher than I thought. It is troublesome so I’m going to take care of you!”

  It seemed to be an attack that would send Ark to his death. However the beads had crashed a few times and moved around the outskirts of the disk.

  “W-wait a minute! My mind isn’t prepared….wait a minute! It went well until now! So be a bit more patient! Haven’t I stirred your emotions? So enjoy yourself a bit more!”

  “Shut up and go to hell! Electric Air Bomb…..”

  Ark’s persistent persuasion didn’t mean anything to Set. No, when Set was about to attack.

  “Aaaaaaack! Hyung-nim! No! Sacrifice!”

  Basak suddenly screamed and beat his body. At that moment, an amazing thing happened. Basak’s body started to change to crystal. No, to be exact a crystal shield on Basak started to encroach on his body. And when Basak’s body was completed covered….

  “C-crystal golem?”

  Kukung!

  Basak who had been floating in the sky changed to a crystal golem and fell down. Set was confused by the unexpected situation and the black sphere hit Basak. However Basak’s movement as a crystal golem was faster.

  The crystal golem slammed both arms on the floor and sharp points exploded towards Set. Set hurriedly wielded his sword.

  Syu syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!

  “Cough!”

  There was a ringing sound as Set protected his face. At the same time, the black sphere was shoved in the crystal golem’s shoulder. The shoulder area exploded but the golem’s body was made of crystal. He only wobbled for a bit but running over to Set and swinging his fist.

  Set was unprepared for this. However, Set soon arranged his posture to strike back. At first he was surprised by the abrupt situation but the crystal golem started to push Set back.

  In fact, Ark was also panicked like Set. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him. But this chance wouldn’t come to Ark twice! Many questions floated in Ark’s mind but he desperately looked at the beads on the disc.

  And the moment the beads encountered each other! Ark raised his head and exclaimed.

  “Force Explosion!”

  Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!

  Ark focused his spirit and spread it out as an intangible chain.

  -A new skill (Occupation Restricted ☆☆☆☆☆) has been learnt.

  Force Explosion (Users, Active): The collision of Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis is an advanced force skill that will cause an explosion of pure energy. There is no physical damage in Force Explosion. However, the burst of pure energy will exclude all evil forces surrounding it. Force Explosion will debuff everything caused by the power of darkness. The effect will last for 3 minutes.

 

&
nbsp; Force consumption: 200

  “I-It’s a success!”

  Ark landed on the floor and shouted. The advanced skill Force Explosion was exercised at last. The golem that was fighting Set suddenly split apart and wound around Ark’s arm.

  -The Divine Artefact ‘Baius Shield’ has been equipped!

  The message then surfaced. The Baius Shield was coiled around Ark’s arm. But in contrast to its previous form, the crystal was now wrapped from his shoulders to his wrist.

  “B-Baius Shield?” But Basak? Where is Basak…..?”

  -I have already died.

  A distance voice was heard inside his head.

  -This Baius Shield has been handed down through generations of the Casain tribe. But this isn’t a crystal that has will. To be precise it is a crystal that can hold will. And the will contained in the Baius crystal belongs to the elders of the Casain. The Guardians born in the Casain tribe will die to serve and the shield will grow stronger depending on their willingness to serve. It is due to my ancestors’ will that I could help Hyung-nim.

  That is the reason why my will could dwell inside here.

  I can help Hyung-nim from in here. The price of this is that I will soon blend in with my ancestors and lose my own self. But even if I lose myself, my willpower will act with my ancestors in order to protect Hyung-nim.

  Ark was lost for words. Basak had given his life for Ark. The crystallization on Ark’s arm was proof of his loyalty. When he considered this point, this was probably the precursor to the Elim gaining the Baius Shield!

  ‘Does that mean it is an already scheduled event?’

  Ark thought up to there. The shield unrolled and there was a strong explosion of light.

  -The superior skill ‘Ra’s Glory’ has been cast!

  + Health has been restored by 30%

  + Attack and defense has increased by 20%.

  + Attack Speed has increased by 25%.

  + 25% of all damage will be blocked by the shield and returned to the enemy.

  The message floated due to the huge buff. In fact, Ark had expected a lot from a Divine Artefact and had been disappointed when he found the Baius Shield.

  The shield’s performance wasn’t that large and the golem wasn’t a help either. The truly valuable part of the Baius Shield was that it could grow with experience.