by Yoo Seong
Ikram (Hell hound)- Ikram is an ancient Murat rune that symbolizes Anubis who is the gatekeeper of the underworld. The Murat long believed that the photon life form Shire contained a special divine power and finally succeeded in a realization.
By drawing the rune that symbolizes Anubis in the Shire, the user can offer a sacrifice to summon the hell hound that guards the underworld. The ability of the summoned hell hound depends on the original ability of the sacrifice. When summoned, the hell hound will consume 1 mana ever second and will move according to the user’s command.
‘This is the way to use Rune Carving?’
Ark stuttered at the information window with an absurd expression. When he used the skill the first time, he thought it wouldn’t activate because the target wasn’t in the area. And he thought it was because there were no allies in the area. However, his allies weren’t the target. It was because there were no corpses to be sacrificed!
……This was a surprising skill! Ark felt uncomfortable but there was no time to worry about it
At least the skill was confirmed. But now his life was about to fly away! If he died here then the levels and skill he gained from the pyramid would also be deleted. He would lose the skill the moment he confirmed the information.
‘The skill was triggered but only freaky dog with the face of a human showed up!’
Even if he used 18 Barrage, there was a 30% chance the crystal wouldn’t smash.
And now a dog who ate his mana appeared.
‘Dammit, if my mana hadn’t been absorbed by that abnormal dog then 18 Barrage……’
Ark clenched his fist and was about to move when he stopped.
‘No. That’s not it!’
–Kikiki, you’ve waited a long time. I’ll send it now. You’re dead.
The trooper smiled and lifted the missile launcher. Ark contemplated for a moment before raising his head and shouting.
“Dammit! No! 18 Barrage!”
The shoulder part of his battle suit opened and steam emerged. At the same time, his arms moved at a rapid fire speed like engines were attached to it.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Cracks appeared in the crystal and splinters flew with every hit. Confusion spread on the trooper’s face as the crystal vibrated.
–W-what is that? He was still hiding a skill? But it is too late!
And the trigger of the missile launcher was pulled!
Kung kung kung kung!
–What, what the? –Heok! N-no!
The trooper’s confusion continued……
Kwa kwa kwa kwa, kwa kwa kwa kwang!
There was a flash and a huge mushroom cloud appeared. And Ark who was confined to the crystal…..
-Your level has risen!
His level rose.
-Achievement + 120.
He also earned bonus achievements.
“…..I-I lived!”
Ark muttered as he looked at the smoke from inside the crystal. Ark was able to survive with the help of the hell hound. Right before Ark used 18 Barrage, he ordered the hell hound to attack the trooper
The trooper was so busy loading and charging the missile that he hadn’t noticed the presence of the hell hound. When he was about to launch the missile, the hell hound had unexpectedly appeared in front of the trooper. The hell hound was hit directly by the launched missile and died. And the trooper only had 40% health left so he had also died from the blast. He had taken care of two things with the sacrifice of the dog.
“Impact Shot!”
Ku ku ku ku ku!
After a while, the crystal broke and Ark emerged. His body wasn’t damaged thanks to the sacrifice of the Ikram rune. The corpse of the trooper was more damaged from the explosion and the items dropped…….
-C-6 (×3)
Item type: Explosives
Attack: 500 (To facilities x5)
An improved version of the tradition C-4 bomb widely used throughout the galaxy. Although C-4 has a proper mix of TNT and RDX, C-6 has more REX which amplifies the explosive power. If is especially devastating when destroying metal or stone buildings.
* Caution! It can be very dangerous if you don’t have the relevant explosives skill.
“This is something all troopers carry around. Damn, I’d rather they drop food.”
Ark packed the C-6 and looked around. He couldn’t be relieved after taking care of the pursuing troopers. Although the Rama base was in a state of confusion from fire, there was no telling how long it would take for them to notice the missing bike. And a missile had also just exploded. This was kilometres away from the Rama base but it was possible they might’ve noticed.
“I have to escape before they come here.”
Ark looked at the distant horizon.
-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 444km
“444 km……”
It was the unluckiest number.
Space 2
Beyond the Crisis
Pushu-!
The carapace tightened seamlessly. Steam appeared in the gaps and the carapace gradually separated. The shell that separated from the body rotated and folded like a puzzle into a hexagonal object the size of a small shield. The hexagonal object was drawn into a warped space. Then a man could be seen from within the steam.
“Pant pant pant, pant pant pant!”
The man sat on the ground and gasped for breath.
“Pant pant pant! Dammit…..pant pant pant! This is the limit……”
The battered man who looked at the wild snow storm with blank eyes was Ark.
“Pant pant pant, then……my decision was a bit……”
Ark murmured with a regretful expression. Now long ago, Ark had defeated 2 Rama warriors. He had experienced numerous trials and errors after starting Galaxian approximately 2 months ago. He was too accustomed to the previous game and hadn’t adapted to the new game, with his pride as a legendary gamer causing he to suffer and make many mistakes. This was the reason he was on Beltana. Therefore Ark became bleak. It was similar to someone born in a first world country encountering a wall for the first time. Of course, he managed to resolve the issue in his own way. But he had been asked by the government to start Galaxian so he had lost confidence. He was lost in despair when forcibly drafted and sent to Beltana.
‘Now it is different!’
He would starve and die without Iridium. Even if he someone managed to obtain food, the prisoners death rate was 80%! Most prisoners conscripted like Ark found the environment of Beltana so hopeless that some users even gave up the game. But Ark had persisted. He found the solution to his hunger through Dig and organized the Royal Guards and mobilized them on the battle field to increase his survival rate. However, the decisive thing was what he found in the pyramid. Ark had struggled for 10 days in the pyramid and obtained a jackpot. It was how Ark was able to beat the 2 level 40 Rama warriors. And all of Ark’s misgivings were gone. He wouldn’t give up just because of some hardships. No, it was an opportunity to become stronger! Hardship was a process towards growth. However, the triumphant feeling was very brief.
“Dammit!”
Curses emerged from Ark’s mouth after the battle ended. It was because of a message that appeared on his Nymphe.
-The Nymphe has connected to the bike’s system.
The check has confirmed that there is serious damage to the engine and battery. The central function of the bike has been 80% destroyed and it won’t work anymore.
At first Ark had been anxious when the Rama warrior first caught up. Before entering the pyramid, Ark wouldn’t have been strong enough to defeat level 40 Rama warriors. And there were two of them! So Ark gave up on the battle and wanted a way to escape them.
“Then…..if I hadn’t destroyed the bikes when fighting the Rama warrior……”
Severe regret surged
like a tidal wave. In the end there was nothing he could do about losing the bikes. Ark didn’t have the mechanic skill so he couldn’t repair it. However, he couldn’t return to the Rama base again. The Rama base was currently like a stirred bee hive thanks to Ark’s previous actions. Returning there would be like suicide. There was only one choice remaining.
“I have to continue onwards.”
At this point, he only had 4 food remaining. The distance to the federation’s base was 444 km. If he combined the characters 4 times then it was 4444! It was like the number was saying ‘Huhuhu. Give up. There is no future.’ It was a number that made his motivation fall.
‘As expected, it is impossible. I have to walk more than 400 km with only 4 foods left.’
The result was as obvious as ‘1+1=2.’ But he had no choice. Unless a miracle happened, Ark’s chances of survival was 0.0001%. However, if he gave up then he would 100% die. At the same time, experience equivalent to 13 levels would fly away. He could either wait and commit suicide and continued and die! A miracle could happen to those who didn’t give up.
“Bah! Don’t make me laugh! I’ll just change the number!”
Ark swallowed a piece of food and stood up. Ark’s satiety increased by 30% to 50% and he quickly changed the 4444 to 3444 km. And he marched, marched, marched through the snow storm!
-Your satiety has fallen to 50% and you are in a ‘hungry’ state.
Umul umul. If he chewed the food while walking then his satiety would increase to 50%.
-The battle suit Hyper Drone’s mana has been 100% charged.
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
If the battle suit was charged then he would immediately take it out and ran quickly. Ark spent two days marching like this without any breaks. Therefore he managed to move 150 km after the second day.
“Pant pant pant! U-unbelievable!”
Ark felt despair as he was confronted with the reality. The direction and destination was shown on the Nymphe’s GPS. Ark headed towards the federation’s base after leaving the pyramid but it wasn’t marked on the map. The other day, Ark had only been caught by the Rama warrior because a crevasse had blocked his way. And the same situation occurred over and over. This time it wasn’t a crevasse but a snow covered mountain. A snow covered mountain was blocking his path. It was that high but the mountain was covered in snow and ice. It was like a wall for Ark who was already depleted of strength. He could turn around and go a different path but……
-Your satiety had fallen to 20% and you are in a ‘starving’ state.
“Up to here……”
In fact, the problem wasn’t the snow covered mountain. All his food had disappeared while moving the 150 km. He had no choice but to watch his satiety fall. The run with his battle suit was his last struggle. Now the battle suit was also gone while charging. Once the shell wrapping his body disappeared, the chill he couldn’t fell surged. It was difficult to maintain his body temperature while starving. Besides, his stats had fallen by a lot so his movements felt heavier.
“There is still 290 km until the federation’s base……”
There was also a huge mountain interrupting him. Now the answer had appeared. The miracle didn’t happen. There was no hope. Ark back up and muttered in an empty voice.
“There is no use in struggling anymore. I don’t have anything left. Here…..it is the end.”
The -50 degrees storm enveloped Ark’s body in an instant. His eyelids became white and frozen. Darkness loomed
————————————————
“Hah!”
He opened his eyes. He hurriedly jumped up and looked around. It was so dark it was difficult to discern the area in front of him. The large, black eyes blinked a few times and adjusted to the dim environment. The first thing he saw was a rugged wall. The rough walls reflected the interior. And there were iron bars across the window. The iron bars were red from the rust. A sigh flowed from his mouth as he looked at the iron window.
“Phew, it was just a dream.”
The person wiping the sweat off his brow was a hamster! Once again, the reason Ark was sent to Beltana was because of the ‘federation museum theft incident’ that shook up Nephalim. But this incident wasn’t committed by Ark alone. His accomplice, not the mastermind was…..the mastermind was the hamster Tori! Ark fell for Tori’s incitement and became involved in the stealing event. Anyway……
“Why did I have that dream all of a sudden? And I clearly just emerged from a dream……”
Tori scratched his head and revisited his memory. A land covered with ice and a raging snow storm appeared in his dreams. The place was so cold his body trembled just remembering it. One man had collapsed in the midst of the snow storm. The corpse was being buried by snow! Surprisingly the identity of the body was……
“Ark! It was undoubtedly Ark.”
He had forgotten about Ark for the last two months.
“That Ark bastard, wasn’t he sent to Beltana as punishment? Beltana was a place where the weather was -50 degrees and a storm had been raging for a fortnight. He could only imagine the cold. At any rate, that guy was unlucky. Who would like being drafted to a place like that? So why did Ark appear in his dream all of a sudden? Dreaming of that Ark guy of all people…..wait? Perhaps…..this dream……”
Tori trailed off as he suddenly raised his head. Once again, Ark wasn’t the only one affected by the museum theft. Ark was conscripted because he was a pioneer so he could revive through the Fairy. Meanwhile, Tori wasn’t a pioneer so he had his business and all his assets confiscated. He was also imprisoned for two years in the Stael prison.
‘Well it is still better than Ark but…..’
Prison life wasn’t comfortable. The prisoners were given free meals from the federation but it wasn’t that easy to receive. They only had 6 hours to sleep while the rest of the day was spent working. They only received one free food when the quota was fulfilled. The Space Food was made through processed space bugs. It was the most painful thing for a vegetarian who only ate acorns and sunflower seeds. He still ate but his weight had decreased by 10 kg in two months. His formerly thick stomach that he had been proud of was no slender and shabby.
‘I’d rather die than spend 2 years here!’
Tori made up his mind.
‘I have to escape!’
He decided to escape from Stael! Of course, Stael wasn’t that easy to escape even if the hamster made up his mind. Stael was the name of a space prison that orbited Istana. The security was so perfect that no one had managed to escape over the past decades. However, Tori had a plan to break through the weak point. During the last two months, Tori had participated in the forced labour and ate meat while proceeding with his plan. And now there was only a few days left before it could proceed! Then he had a dream where Ark died.
‘Perhaps…..this dream……’
“It is a lucky dream!”
Tori’s fingers tapped as he laughed. Tori believed the cause of his circumstances was Ark. It wasn’t a baseless idea. If Ark hadn’t caused the unexpected explosion then Tori would be swimming in gold. It was 100% because of Ark that Tori was in jail.
“Hihihihi, that’s right. Seeing Ark freezing to death is definitely a lucky dream. Having this dream several days before carrying out my escape plan is indeed lucky! Hihihihi, I’ve had a premonition. The revelation of heaven made it clear that my plan will succeed.”
Tori chuckled and made a lot of noise.
“Hey!”
A rough voice shook the room. Tori flinched and turned his head. 10 pairs of eyes stared at Tori in the darkness. The federation wasn’t merciful enough to give prisoners a solitary cell. One room had 10 prisoners living together. This was the biggest reason Tori was determined to escape. Similar species were p
laced together in order to avoid incidents. Tori was a hamster and the official name for his species was the Tiny Clan. But normally the Tiny Clan were well behaved so there were no other hamsters in Stael. Therefore Tori was classified as part of several common animal aliens……
“Why is this rodent being so noisy?”
The prisoner with yellow eyes and exposed fangs was the Katz clan. They were a cat type alien. A rodent and a cat…..
It was impossible for there to be a friendly relationship. Ever since Tori entered Stael, part of his daily routine was to be beaten up by the Katz.
‘It is impossible! Staying with these guys for two years? I’d rather die!’
Tori was also engaged in a fierce struggle for survival. Tori sweated and started stuttering as 10 set of eyes stared at him.
“I-I had a dream……”
“Nobody cares about your dream.”
The biggest cat scratched his head. Then he yawned and said to his colleagues.
“That rodent woke us up from our pleasurable sleep. Hey, that guy still doesn’t seem to understand. He seems to need more education.”
“W-wait a minute! I-I was wrong! S-save me!”
“Is anyone being killed?”
The cat laughed.
“We’re just playing. Ya, he’s noisy so cover his mouth!”
A cat ran up and wound a blanket around Tori. Once the blanket was fully wrapped, the 10 cats started beating him up. It was a situation of bullying going on in the universe! The 21st century social problem was still occurring in the 24th century.
‘Ack! D-dammit! This is because of that Ark bastard! He should go to hell!’
Tori hurled curses at Ark as he was turned into a bloody rice cake
————————————————
Hwiiiii-!
The snow storm was still swirling on the frigid planet of Beltana. On the outskirts of the federation base, there was a man turned to stone from the snow storm. With grey skin and black eyes, he was the Grey known as Hegel.
“Hyung-nim……”
Hegel murmured in a low voice.
“He’s not here yet?”