Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  Mental Power consumption: 20

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

  Sonic sword (User, Active): If you concentrate your Mental Power then it is possible to increase the body’s potential for a short time and attack explosively. The sword will move at the sound of speed and contain strong destructive power. In addition, the blade will create a shock wave when it breaks through to the speed of sound.

 

  Applicable Weapons: All types of swords

  Mental Power consumption: 30

  “Eh?”

  Ark’s eyes looked shocked.

  “S-skill? And 3 star rated skills……”

  Ark murmured and raised his head. A 3 star rated skill in Galaxian meant it wasn’t that easy to obtain. The method to learn it changed depending on the number of stars and 3 stars meant a skill directly learnt by studying with the NPC or skill books. However, Ark had never learnt a combat skill from a NPC. Then there is only one answer!

  “The pages that I just turned must detail how the protagonist of the logbook learnt the combat skills from his colleagues. This logbook must be…..skill book!”

  This was why Mald bought the toy airplane for 60 gold. He could figure out what happened

  Mald had clearly known from the first time he saw the toy airplane that it contained a skill book

  The cunning fellow tried to use an excuse to snatch the toy. However, Ark was tricked…..he ended up catching a rat. He had suffered a lot in the meantime so he just released his stress using Mald. Now the dismal feeling of being banished to a disputed planet also disappeared.

  “I learnt 2 battle skills. That alone makes it worthwhile to learn hacking. Well, I’m stuck in the prisoner unit of Beltana but it isn’t that bad.”

  He had already learnt the hacking skill. Beltana wasn’t overflowing with users like Nephalim so it was better for hunting. This was a place where he could fight so he didn’t dislike it. The prisoner status was uncomfortable but he just learnt new skills so wasn’t this the best environment to hunt? He was drafted which meant there wouldn’t be that many chances to obtain items so experience was a priority.

  “What? When I think about it, it isn’t that bad?”

  Instead of being bad, he actually thought it was rather fortunate. Therefore Ark was motivated as he passed through the Star Gate connected to Beltana.

  “Prisoner number 1056, Ark. Move to Beltana!”

  “Yes! I’m going!”

  His eyes brightened as he plunged into the Star Gate! He was brimming with motivation as he arrived at Beltana.

  “Listen carefully, you trash!”

  A rough voice was heard as he arrived at Beltana. A middle age man with a huge figure and a thick scar on his face addressed the prisoners. He was the commander in charge of managing the drafted prisoners, Peratul. Peratul surveyed the 30 new prisoners and began to talk.

  “The soldiers in the main building don’t expect much from you. I only expect you to avoid the bullets. Do you understand? You guys are lucky since your bodies can be recycled with the Fairy. It is the reason why you guys are here. You can revive when you die. Scapegoats like you are needed in the war to help the elite soldiers survive.”

  The Fairy body regeneration system couldn’t revive everyone. It was only possible for users and some NPCs. That’s why the name pioneer was created to distinguish the users and NPCs that could resurrect using the Fairy. Pioneers were an important element in the war. Like Peratul said, they could just revive so they were like infinite resources. That’s why normal NPCs like Tori were locked in jail while pioneers like Ark were dispatched to disputed areas when they committed a crime.

  “Even lowlifes like you gain enough merit then you will be pardoned. But don’t think it will be that easy to gain merit. This place is a lot more dreadful than you think. Throw away any expectations you have right now. I assure you. Your body will just be torn asunder like trash after a few years. If you want to live then move. Crawl on the ground and ask for help. That is the only way for guys like you to come back alive!”

  He didn’t know what to do with the military regulations that threatened them. However, Ark gained some skills so he didn’t pay attention to those words. The other prisoners who just arrived at Beltana were the same as well. For pioneers, fighting was a part of their daily lives. There was no reason to be tense about coming to a dangerous place. So several pioneers started smirking and chatting after hearing Peratul’s words.

  “Battalion Commander Peratul-nim.”

  Then a female military officer ran into the barracks. The prisoners whistled and made noise.

  “Oh! Pretty good?”

  “Is that her real face? Shall we see it outside?”

  “These bastards really……!”

  Peratul glared at the prisoners with a fierce expression. But the military officer just spoke without paying attention to the prisoners.

  “Battalion Commander-nim, the scouting unit has reported signs that the Rama have moved to area D-23. The Commander has demanded that the prisoners be sent to determine the power of the enemy. The regular troops will be dispatched afterwards.”

  A smile spread on Peratul’s face as the female officer’s words.

  “Yes, that’s great. These guys should realize the reality of this place.”

  Peratul looked at the prisoners before saying.

  “Did everybody hear? Are any of you confused about the commands? You guys have no rights here. Experience if better than hundreds of words. Yes, this is an opportunity for you to learn from the battlefield. Everybody stand up! We’re moving to the battlefield!”

  “Yes!”

  “I’ve been getting bored!”

  The prisoners burst out with joy and stood up at Peratul’s order. Ark was one such prisoner. Ark exited the barracks with a confident expression.

  “Huk! W-what the hell?”

  Ark exclaimed as he saw the soldiers gathered in front of the barracks. There were 100 hollow skinned soldiers……

  “You guys have been placed in Beltana’s prisoner unit. You’re going to be with them for a long time so you should become familiar with them. Hey you guys, your break has ended. We are going to the battlefield.”

  The prisoners turned pale at Peratul’s words. The zombie like prisoners seemed to become even more zombie like.

  ‘Why did their faces become like that?’

  Ark and the new prisoners thought at the sight of the senior prisoners panicking. The atmosphere of the normal soldiers in the area was different as they giggled.

  “Kikikiki, newcomers have arrived.”

  “A Rama unit has been discovered a short time ago. You guys are heading there?”

  “I wonder how many will come back intact.”

  “Not a lot of them.”

  “Hey! Do you guys want some advice? If you give gold to the authorities then we might take care of you on the battlefield. It is better than being crushed to pieces every day.”

  “Hey, stop it. They’re new so do you think they will understand?”

  “Indeed, they’ll only understand after being crushed.”

  The regular soldiers said as they suddenly swarmed. Some of the new prisoners sweated from the words the regular troops spat at them but Ark didn’t pay attention to it. He just needed to prove his skills on the battlefield. The soldiers would stop once he gained some merits. And Ark had confidence in his abilities.

  ‘Avoid the bullets? Heh, that’s funny. I am Ark. The battlefield is my stage! It shouldn’t take me a long time to earn 3,500 achievements. I will be the faster prisoner to be pardoned in Galaxian’s history.’

  So Ark moved to the strategy area with the rest of the prisoners. They arrived at D-23 and a considerable number of enemy troops could be seen on the horizon.

  “Now shall I get started?”

  Ark checked his equipment and started concentratin
g. Suddenly a cloud of smoke emerged from the enemy camp that was several kilometres away. The senior prisoners yanked their hair and started screaming.

  “Dammit! I knew it! I knew it!”

  “What? What’s with these guys all of a sudden?”

  “Eh? W-what is going on?”

  Then one of the new prisoners pointed towards the sky. The new prisoners turned their heads towards the indicated direction and became amazed.

  “Oh my god! T-that…..”

  “Missiles! Projectiles! It is a heavy artillery attack!”

  Tu tu tu tu! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!

  There was a violent roaring sound that seemed to break the eardrums. The smoke from the enemy camp was the signal for a long distance assault. Various heavy weapons poured devastating attacks on the heads of the prisoners. Flames rose all over the place! The ground shook and rocks and dirt flew upwards. The problem was avoiding the attacks. The whole area where the prisoners were disappeared from the firepower! Ark who was holding the dagger was wrapped in a wave of heat. The same thing happened to the other prisoners. They couldn’t even properly swing their weapons before they were smashed and scattered all over the place.

  “T-this is…..”

  Ark’s bloody body was on the ground as he looked around. It had only been 1 minute since the battle started. In just 1 minute, 50 prisoners had been torn to pieces and frozen by Beltana’s harsh atmosphere. And that was just the beginning.

  “Num! Kara! Marakana! Okara! Akarana!”

  The voice of the enemy was heard as they rushed towards the prisoners. They were hundreds of monsters in the form of a mantis that had been biologically engineered by the Rama. The bio-weapons called Carack were weaker than the Rama soldiers but they were sufficient to take care of the prisoners devastated by the heavy artillery.

  ……It was impossible for them to fight. Hundreds of Carack flocked like mosquitoes and the prisoners instantly became corpses. Ark desperately fought but ended up dying from dozens of Carack. Peratul’s voice was heard from behind as all the prisoners collapsed.

  “The enemy’s main forces have moved! Send in the regular troop!”

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

  The regulars started moving from the rear. Hundreds of androids designed for battle, heavy artillery, soldiers wearing battle suits and the thousands of regular soldiers had started moving! Ark started to understand Peratul’s words.

  ‘Avoid the bullets…..’

  It was an accurate representation. The Beltana prisoners weren’t soldiers. The prisoners were meat shields sent in first to take the bulk of the firepower. They were shields used to stop the heavy artillery from hitting the main troops. From then on, Ark and the prisoners were mobilized for battle a few times but the number of soldiers who survived could be counted with his fingers.

  ‘Earning 3,500 achievements in a place like this…..’

  Ark participated in battle three times and he died three times. Of course, Ark hadn’t believed there wouldn’t be huge penalties from dying. Unlike the regular soldiers, the prisoners couldn’t use the Fairy for free. Instead of paying money, the prisoners had to pay their achievement points in order to resurrect. It was different according to the level so Ark needed to pay 100 achievements. On the other hand, he was given 50 achievement points just for entering the battlefield. Therefore he received -50 achievements every time he died. And the prisoners weren’t able to obtain any achievements. If they went on the battlefield then there was a 100% chance of dying! So Ark’s achievements after a week had passed…..

  -Current Achievements: -127

  Rather than earning achievements, his had fallen by 127 points. It would’ve been -150 but he earned some points from killing the Carack. However, there was another really distressing part.

  Gu gu gu gu…..

  There was a ponderous noise as the Memeod moved through the mud. When the back door opened, Peratul looked at the zombie like prisoners and said.

  “We’ve arrived. Everybody get off. If you don’t want to then you don’t have to get off.”

  Peratul said with a smile. However, there was a small scuffle as all the prisoners tried to jump off. Beltana was a disputed planet because it was possible to obtain Iridium. Iridium was a general resource used throughout space so whoever obtained Beltana would have access to a vast quantity of Iridium. And the reason the prisoners were trying to pick up the Iridium…..

  “Urgh! Iridium! Look for Iridium!”

  “I’ve already ate all my space rations!”

  “If this continues then I’ll starve! I have to use every possible method to find the Iridium!”

  ……This was the reason. They were soldiers but also prisoners. And the galactic federation couldn’t allow the prisoners to eat for free. Bullets and repaired equipment was needed to fight but essential supplies for survival like food and water weren’t for free. If the prisoners wanted to obtain supplied then they had to pay for it through loot obtained on the battlefield or Iridium. However, the prisoners instantly died so it was difficult for them to loot anything. So they were forced to gather Iridium. Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.

  “Iridium!”

  “Ohhhh! Mine! It’s mine!”

  Iridium could be gathered but it wasn’t scattered everywhere. As more time passed, it was difficult to find huge amounts. Thus, only Iridium the size of fingernails could be seen and the prisoners would all flock towards it. Iridium paid for food so actual fighting broke out among the prisoners over it. Ark was no different. He needed to raise his achievements to be pardoned. But there was a 50% penalty to his abilities if his satiety fell. And he would die of starvation if it reached 0. Of course, their satiety would reach 50% if they resurrected after starving to death. But they had to suffer from hunger as soon as they revived. That’s why the prisoners turned into a zombie unit. It was a miserable life where they starved and then had to become meat shields on the battlefield.

  ‘If I’m hungry on the battlefield then I can’t avoid the bullets!’

  But there was even more. If they couldn’t gain Iridium then they couldn’t repair the broken equipment and couldn’t fight. They couldn’t even dream of escaping Beltana. So no matter how miserable it was, they were forced to step on each other to gain a piece of Iridium.

  “This place…..is hell!”

  Ark moaned as his skin became thinner after several days.

  Space 4

  The 3rd Group (Part: 1)

  “Dammit!”

  A curse naturally emerged. He saw the same information window every time he died on the battlefield. But this time he hadn’t been killed on the battlefield. He had wandered away from the unit while searching for Iridium and had been discovered by a Carack scouting unit. Killed on the battlefield, dying while picking Iridium……

  “This is a complete thrashing.”

  That wasn’t the whole problem. Ark had taken a few steps. Then there was a sound effect and a red warning message floated in front of him.

  -Your satiety had fallen to 20% and you are in a ‘hungry’ state.

 

  ‘In the end I’m hungry……’

  A sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth as he grabbed his stomach. Ark had gone to extract Iridium twice in two days. Iridium harvesting was similar to finding gold dust. They had to find a small piece of Iridium in the dirt. However, the competition was fierce among prisoners and he had failed to collect the amount required for food. And his satiety had fallen until he reached the ‘hunger’ state. The countdown to starvation had started.

  “Not only do I have to worry about dying in battle, I also have to worry about starving to death……”

  This was the first time he had been so miserable since playing online games.

  But Ark braced himself.

  ‘Yes, I am Ark. I can’t collapse from this much. There is always an escape hole even if the sky is falling. If I
endure then I will find a way. I’ll endure. Hang in there. I just have to hold on and avoid starving to death!’

  Ark had realized something during his time here. The minimum condition for survival on Beltana was the procurement of food. The satiety system also existed in Galaxian. If satiety fell below 50% then penalties would be applied to the stats. That was the reason Ark died so easily when he was found by 10 Carack. With his stats decreased by 50% thanks to the 20% satiety, Ark couldn’t even deal with scouting Caracks. No, he couldn’t even run away before being skewered and dying.

  ‘The problem is this situation is difficult to escape from once it happens.’

  If he died of starvation then satiety would be restored when he resurrected. However, satiety would only recover to 50%. A penalty was received as soon as he revived. Of course, the chances of surviving on the battlefield would decrease with the penalty. He also received a -50 achievement if he fought but if he died of starvation then he would lose another 100 achievement points. It was like a vicious cycle of borrowing money from loan sharks and then borrowing even more to pay off the previous debt. Now Ark’s biggest target was a meal.

  ‘I’m lucky despite that.’

  Ark sighed with relief as he looked at his backpack. He had realized the importance of food supply and started gathering Iridium. Although he became too greedy and died from wandering off, at least he wouldn’t die of starvation. He was satisfied when he saw the amount he gathered……

  Korururu.

  “Ah! Damn, my stomach seems to be twisting with pain. Let’s hurry.”

  Ark grabbed his starving stomach and ran across the base. He finally arrived at the supplies distribution tent near the prisoners’ barracks. Ark heard some shocking words.

  “It’s not enough.”

  A woman in an officer’s uniform said in a serious voice. Her name was Irina. She was the female officer who talked to Peratul the first time Ark arrived at Beltana. She was an eye-catching beauty who caught the interest of the prisoners when they saw her for the first time. But no prisoners dared throw a joke at her after a few days. There were two reasons. One was that she was in charge of distributing the supplies that was like a lifeline to the prisoners and the other……