by Yoo Seong
‘I need to handle one guy first!’
Ark judged that in an instant and shot towards the troopers.
-Eh? That guy…..
A trooper hurriedly lifted the grenade launcher. But Ark’s movements were faster.
“Sonic Sword!”
It was Sonic Sword that surpassed sonic speed. The sword made a shock wave that hit the bikes of the troopers. It also hit the grenade launcher and turned it, making the ammunition fly away in a different direction. If the firing was disrupted and the hit rate fell that the troopers weakness was clearly revealed.
-T-this!
The troopers burst out and pointed the gun towards him again. But Ark had already approached one of them. And he planned to stab the warrior’s neck.
Buaaaah!
An intimidating engine sound was heard from nearby. Ark turned around and saw a trooper’s bike rushing towards him. The Rama warriors had been 50 metres away when Ark activated Rune Carving. If the troops only used machines gun then there was no way to stop Ark in close combat. The machine gun’s hit rate wasn’t high enough to hit a moving target so he only needed to block it for a few metres. Then there was only one way left!
‘They can hit my using the movement of the bike.’
Now Ark wasn’t a beginner in Galaxian any longer. He knew about the weapons and equipment of the future so he was able to predict the enemy’s movements.Their opponent…..was Ark.
Kakang! Chwiiiii!
Ark’s sword collided with the trooper’s grenade launcher. Ark turned at the same time and the sword moved the grenade launcher’s barrel to one side. It turned towards the direction where the trooper’s motorcycle was rushing from!
Tutung!
Something fired from the grenade launcher.
–Heok! What are you doing?
The rushing trooper screamed and turned the steering wheel but it was useless. The bike was only 2 metres away so there was no way it could avoid the fired grenade. Flames shot up from the trooper’s bike. That was the moment Ark aimed for.
“Now! Sonic sword!”
Ark rolled on the ground and hit the bike with his sword. The bike lost its centre of balance and turned 90 degrees, rushing towards the other trooper.
–Heok! N-no! I-it’s going to hit me! Avoid it!
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The two bikes collided and an explosion shook the space. The explosion pushed Ark back several metres and he gasped as he raised his body.
“Pant pant pant, it is a success.”
This was what Ark had aimed for. In fact, Ark was more worried about the presence of the bikes than a 2 vs. 1 battle. The bikes had no combat capability but it had fast movement speed. However, their speed meant they couldn’t be ignored in battle. If they rode their bikes then Ark wouldn’t be able to catch up to fight in close combat. They could just avoid him and shoot from a distance. There was also no room to fight. Sealing the bikes. That was the first checkpoint of the battle he had to pass.
“……..That is around 30%?”
Ark sighed and lifted his head. He threw his body before the bike collided but he couldn’t completely escape the explosion. Despite wearing the battle suit, Ark still lost 30% health. However he had no complaints. It was fortunate that he could seal up the motorcycle……
-Kuuuuoh, t-this guy!
Two shadows staggered from the smoke. The Rama warriors were covered in dust. Their appearances looked dismal because they were caught in the explosion. Their agility and defense had fallen by 45% while their health had decreased by 60%. They glared at Ark through darkened faces
–Kill him! That bastard……
Pepeng-!
The trooper stumbled and stepped backwards as there was a ringing sound. Ark scratched his head after firing a shot.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry. What were you saying?”
-This bastard……Armour armament!
A trooper glared and muttered. The space warped and a battle suit appeared around the trooper. It was the Rama’s battle suit that looked like an insect skin. The overall shape was similar to the Hyper Drone but the battle suit seemed heavier.
‘I thought they would have battle suits but……’
-Tails, cover me!
The trooper changed weapons to a long sword and struck downwards. Ark raised his sword and felt a tremendous pressure as he blocked it.
Totong! Kakakakak!
It felt like 100 kg of steel was brought down upon him. Ark felt his kneels buckle as he maintained his grip on the sword.
‘Ugh! This strength, it’s not normal. As expected……’
Ark breathed roughly as he looked at the trooper’s battle suit. The shoulder of the trooper was swollen like a balloon and the thick tendons continuously twitched.
‘There’s no doubt about it. That is a warrior type battle suit.’
It was like comparing a dog to a private school student. There was no need to say which one was Ark. In was unnecessary to say it again but Ark was forcibly drafted into Beltana’s prisoner unit
On the other hand, it was useful because Ark could learn many things about the systems of Galaxian. Something he learnt was information about advanced battle suits. Ark’s Hyper Drone battle suit increased his stats by 30%. However, all battle suits increased stats. No, battle suits that raised all stats equally were rare. Most battle suits had specialized functions depending on the character tendencies and their occupation.
Some amplified mana or mental power for magician type users while battle suits for rangers had their eyesight optimized. It was possible to determine what type of battle suit it was from the outward appearance. But unlike the federation’s mechanical battle suits, the Rama’s battle suits could change their form. The trooper had a warrior type battle suit that increased his muscle.
‘This is just a guess but I imagine it increases strength. How much did his strength increase by?’
The trooper’s shoulder muscles bulged as he brought his sword down. Ark felt like he was being pushed down by a giant compressor. It was hard to even breath. Thankfully Ark was also wearing the battle suit. But the problem wasn’t the sword.
-Tails, now!
–Okay. This bastard, I’ll make you regret this!
The other trooper laughed and aimed a grenade launcher at Ark. In this situation, Ark wouldn’t be able to move at all to avoid it! If he was hit by the Rama warrior’s sword and the artillery then the battle would be over.
‘But…….’
Ark smiled and raised his head. Ark’s finger that was gripping the sword moved quickly.
“Set Bullets Shooting!”
Cheolkeok, cheolkeok, cheolkeok! Pepepeng!
Three bullets spouted from his sword and burst into flames. Ark wasn’t using the Modified Alloy Dagger right now. It was the unique two-handed Impact Blade that he obtained from the pyramid! The biggest feature that made it unique was that it wasn’t just a blade. It was the combination of a blade and pistol. He could still fire a projectile even while holding Impact Blade with both hands! The trooper had never seen the weapon before so he had no idea of its effect. The shot was fired right under the trooper’s nose and the trooper’s head snapped back.
-Headshot!
–Kuak! T-this is?
Smoke appeared from around the trooper’s head and he stepped backwards.
Tung-! Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!
The trooper launched the grenade immediately after that. The bullet hit the ground but Ark already wasn’t there. Ark aimed his sword at the trooper and shouted.
“Impact Shot!”
Kakakaka! Pepepepeng!
When the blade touched the trooper’s chest and he pulled the trigger, flames appeared from the sword and bullets lodged in the chest. Impact Shot dealt additional 50% damage! The health of the trooper was instantly sucked out.
–Eh? Eh? What, what the? H-how come?
-Hyper Drone’s Remaining Mana: 20%.
‘Only a little more left.’
Ark looked at the Nymphe’s irritated eyes with irritation. Ark had worn the battle suit from the time he sneaked into the Rama base. And while stealing the bike up to here. Quite a bit of time had been consumed.
‘But only 15 minutes had passed. The duration of the battle suit is 30 minutes. Therefore I should still have 50% mana left. However, now there’s only 20%. Then perhaps……’
Ark looked at the flashing character above his head with irritation. The rune he triggered before the battle was still flashing above Ark’s head. Mana was leaking out somewhere. It meant the rune was still sucking out mana despite having no effect. He also couldn’t cancel it. If he converted the remaining 20% mana then it would be 6 minutes left.
‘Damn, I still don’t know what that skill is for!’
If he hadn’t done something so unnecessary then it would be possible to fight for longer. But it was too late for regret. At first he was worried about fighting against two level 40 Rama warriors but they weren’t that tough an opponent for him.
‘It’s not that they’re weak.’
Ark was completely different from his existence 10 days ago. His level was different. He gained 12 levels thanks to the pyramid. His defense also increased thanks to the Harkenion Armour dropped by the dead Rama warrior in the crevasse! His attack also increased thanks to the Impact Blade! He could also use the battle suit without any federation members around so his combat sense had changed 180 degrees.
‘6 minutes! The odds are in my favour!’
Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Chwarururu.
Ark loaded the ammunition into the Impact Blade and approached a trooper.
–Kuak! T-this bastard!
The trooper growled and blocked with his sword. At first he struggled because he hadn’t experienced the warrior type battle suit but now he grasped the situation. Ark lowered his upper body and blocked the sword.
‘As expected!’
The focus of the battle suit was on strength and defense, not agility. It was a common build used in Galaxian. He didn’t know how much the strength and defense had decreased by but it was certain the agility would fall. Ark also thought that the trooper’s skill with a sword wasn’t that great. They were like rice compared to Ark. Ark had grown rapidly from his previous experience with a game. Of course, his previous game was different from Galaxian. However, the style of battle wasn’t that different in the future. Plus……
–This rat……heok!
The trooper who was frantically swinging his sword fell to one knee with confusion. Ark had stepped back to avoid the sword and kicked. His kicks had an effect against enemies thanks to the battle suit. His kicks were aimed at the warrior’s knees and joints.
“You’re noisy. This isn’t a war with words.”
Ark looked down at the trooper’s face and smiled. Then he continued with the knee. An attack with the battle suit covered knee would be tremendous. There was a crack as the trooper’s head was forced upwards with the impact. He followed with the Impact Blade to the neck.
Snap! Pepepepeng!
He then followed with the Impact Shot!
“Now now, it’s only starting. If this stretched on too long then it’ll be difficult.”
Ark walked towards the trooper. The trooper wasn’t a match for Ark in close combat. He continued kicking the joints to make the trooper lose his centre of balance and attacked with his sword and bullets. The defense style of the battle suit wasn’t made to combat Ark’s fighting style. Virtual reality games placed precedence on combat skills more than equipment. Neutralizing the troopers in a situation like this wasn’t a problem for him.
–Ugh! Ugh! Tails, what are you doing? Help me!
–I-I’m trying! That jerk!
The other trooper listened to the request and raised the grenade launcher. The moment the trigger was pulled, Ark quickly moved behind the trooper.
–Damn! You asked for help so why are you blocking me?
–Are your eyes working? Do you think I’m willingly blocking him? That bastard keeps moving!
–Then you should catch him properly so I can shoot him!
-Dammit, I can’t catch him like this…..ugh!
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The troopers kept on missing him.
-Yes, you try to catch him instead. I……
The trooper tried to get out of the way as he kept getting hit by stray bullets.
‘Heh, long range and close combat…..I’ve have experience with such a combination before.’
It wasn’t that different from the combination of an archer and warrior.
And Ark had fought that combination thousands of times in the other game. The trooper cursed as he kept on moving. When one final grenade hit the trooper……
–T-this isn’t possible!
The trooper muttered as he was turned into a bloody rice cake and collapsed.
“Now I don’t have to be concerned about the fight.”
Since he started Galaxian, he felt like something had been blocked and now that feeling was gone
It still couldn’t be compared to the previous game but he had adapted to fighting inside Galaxian
Anyway, Ark was satisfied with the battle and his damage. No matter how proficient his skills in close combat, it was useless if it didn’t do any damage. He also only had 30% health left by the time he killed one trooper. His battle suit only had 7% mana left.
‘But this is enough to take care of the other trooper!’
The trooper wasn’t a worthy opponent for him in a 1 on 1 fight. They boasted the strongest firepower in a long range fight but were weak in melee combat.
‘I need to take care of him quickly!’
-Hiik!
Ark turned around with a pleasant smile towards the surprised trooper holding the grenade launcher. And he pulled the trigger with a flustered look.
Tutung!
“Let’s continue playing. Shield!”
Ark ran towards the trooper and opened his shield. He ignored the grenade and ran forward to neutralize the trooper. There was a blue flash as the grenade collided with his shield and a transparent crystal surrounded Ark’s body. A message window flashed in front of Ark.
-You have been hit by the special grenade ‘Prison Crystal!’
Prison crystal is a special equipment that traps all life forms within a 2 metre area. The trapped life forms can’t escape the confinement unless the crystal is destroyed. At the same time, it can also receive damage from the outside. However, if the crystal is destroyed from the outside then the life forms inside will receive damage depending on the durability of the crystal.
“P-prison crystal?”
Ark felt his heart drop as he read the information window. This was the first time Ark had seen a special grenade. He only experienced the special bullets on the battlefield. However, prisoners couldn’t know the information about weapons the regular troops used.
“I’m trapped in here unless the crystal is destroyed!”
Ark currently had 150 health left. If the crystal was destroyed then he would die. Ark had to escape the crystal before that happened. However, Ark had no skill that would give 500 damage at once. No, he did.
’18 Barrage from the battle suit!’
But 18 Barrage would use up the remaining mana from the battle suit. He also only had 7% mana left so it would be difficult to get the desired effect. No, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the trooper even if he broke the crystal with 18 Barrage.
–Ha, I finally caught you.
It wasn’t surprising that the trooper la
ughed as he looked at Ark. And pulled out a mini missile launcher. He leisurely took out an ammunition and loaded it.
–Do you think I’m easy? Wait a moment. I’ll give you a show.
‘…..Oh my god!’
Ark’s head was blank. Ark knew better than anyone the power of the small missile launcher. It was the small missiles that the prisoners always experienced first when fighting the Rama. A lot of time was needed to aim but it literally launched a missile. If a level 30~40 warrior received a direct hit from it then it was game over! It was the trooper’s strongest attack.
‘I’m screwed! There is no guarantee that I can destroy the crystal with 7% mana left. No, it’s the same even if I use 18 Barrage. 18 Barrage is a skill where I can’t move until it ends. Even if the crystal is destroyed, the missile will still hit me.’
The missile would hit him by the time 18 Barrage finished. However, he had no choice.
‘Dammit, 18 Barrage……”
Ark clenched his fist and shouted. All of a sudden, the rune floating above his head started cracking. A translucent form like a ghost appeared before him. It was a person with the head of a dog! Surprisingly, it was someone that looked like the Anubis he saw in the pyramid. It was the manifestation of Anubis, the god of the underworld in ancient Egypt.
‘W-what it this?’
Ark couldn’t understand the situation. The Anubis was drawn into the body of the dead trooper after it appeared. Then the body of the dead trooper shook and stood upwards. Amazingly it shook off the blood and changed forms!
‘Eh? T-the dead Rama warrior? No, but the body is……’
Anubis was a god with a dog’s head. But a dog with the face of a human emerged from the trooper’s stomach. A dog with the face of a trooper had appeared from the corpse. Ark was in a state of panic from this strange situation.
-The target for the Ikram rune has been found.
-The Ikram rune has been completed and information about it received.
