Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  -Your level has risen!

  -Your level has risen……

  Ark went up 6 levels at once. That’s how Ark managed to gain 9 levels in 6 days. But it wasn’t for free. In that situation he had to give up something in order to survive. That was…..

  ‘Damn, I hadn’t considered something like that! If I miss then I’m screwed!’

  Ark caught up to the Bellos and swung his sword.

  “Do you think I will miss? Take this, Binding Sword!”

  It was a skill that decreased his damage by 50% while binding the enemy for 1~3 seconds! If it was tied up for 1~3 seconds then he could somehow dispose of it. However…..

  -Your attack has hit the target!

 

  “Dammit! Binding Sword!”

  -Your attack has hit the target!

 

  It was the 3rd skill he received from the Survivor coating. He worried about Stealth and Mind Shield at first but it was 100% effective and worth it. He was satisfied with all except for one! The only exception was the Binding Sword. The other skills were used relatively early in battle so it was easy to focus. Although Binding Sword decrease damage by 50%, it allowed the enemy to be bound for 2~3 seconds. It could be used in situations like this when an enemy was running away. The problem was that he didn’t have time to focus like when he used Stealth or Mind Shield. He needed to chase the enemy so it was natural for his concentration to drop. The probability of the skill causing binding was only 30% so the result was clear once his concentration fell.

  Miss! Miss! Miss!

  It was a skill he learnt after a long time. In order to learn how to use it, Ark tried it at least once or twice in a battle. But so far he had only succeeded 5 times in 6 days. The probability was 30% but the actual success probability was 1%. If the binding wasn’t triggered than Binding Sword was just a skill that decreased damage by 50%.

  ‘There is a reason it was a 1 star rated skill!’

  The damage was cut by 50% even when he used Sonic Sword. Using that skill in rapid succession……

  “Binding Sword!”

  -You are unable to use the skill because you don’t have enough mental power.

 

  Ark currently had 800 mental power! However, he had consumed 200 using Stealth and Mind Shield. He had also consumed 400 mental power since the battle started. He persevered and used Binding Sword that consumed 50 mental power until it was depleted.

  ‘Damn, what is this……’

  Instead of Binding Sword, it should be called Stressful Sword. Anyway, he wasted time and mental power while the Bellos increased the distance to 10 metres. The Bellos was a wild monster so it naturally moved faster than Ark. The forest was also tangled with vines so he couldn’t use the Air Board. But Ark hadn’t believed in Binding Sword. It was natural. What user would believe in a skill when the success rate was only 1%?

  ‘I saw it in this area when I scouted……there it is!’

  Ark smiled while chasing after the Bellos.

  ‘The distance is 10 metres. If it is this degree……’

  Ark grabbed his Impact Blade with both hands.

  Tang-! Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!

  The ensuing four shots rattled the forest. The Bellos that was 10 metres away was hit by a blue light. It spasmed and fell down. The blue sparks was coming from a cactus near it. It was the Electric Tia! The strange cactus emitted electricity whenever it received an impact. When he first came to the Outlands, he often touched the cactus during battle and became bloody. But 6 days had passed since Ark came to the Outlands. Now he was accustomed to looking around and noticing any risk factors before the battle. This was why scouting was important in the Outlands. Anyway…..the Electric Tia caused electrocution for 5 minutes, the stats would be decreased by 10% and all skills blocked. But the deadly penalty was that the body was paralyzed for 10 seconds. Thus the Bellos couldn’t run away.

  Kuoh, hek hek! Grrrr, hek hek!

  The Bellos panted as it lay on the ground. The dinosaur like monster lying on the ground looked slightly pitiful. But Ark had no time to look at the circumstances of the dinosaur. The Bellos still had 10% health remaining. And it had escaped to a pretty far away place. There may be other Bellos in the area. He couldn’t relax even when it was paralyzed!

  ‘It is dangerous!’

  Kyakak! Kyakak! Kyakak! Kyakak!

  Ark quickly hurled attacks at the panting Bellos. The Bellos quickly fell to 4% health! His mental power also recovered enough for him to use a deadly skill.

  “Now, this is the last shot! Set Bullets Shooting!”

  Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok! Cheolkeok!

  ‘Whoops!’

  Panic appeared on Ark’s face. Set Bullets Shooting was Ark’s knockdown technique!

  If Set Bullets Shooting hit when the Bellos only had 4% health left then it would die straight away

  However, there was one thing his head hadn’t considered. It was possible to reload bullets in the Impact Blade. The Impact Blade could have 4 bullets loaded at a time. And he had used 4 bullets to hit the Electric Tia.

  Kuaaaaaaah-!

  The Bellos shrieked as it escaped from its paralysis. The monster immediately died as Ark’s sword hit it but……

  ‘……T-they came!’

  Ark winced as he withdrew and looked around.

  Beoseok! Beoseok!

  The forest shook with the shrieks from other Bellos. The surrounding bushes shook and dozens of red eyes appeared in the darkness. The Bellos had heard the shriek of its kin and came running. There were dozens of level 65 monsters! His health was already low so it Ark was surrounded then he would die instantly.

  “Dammit! Armour armament!”

  Ark wore the battle suit and ran away. However, the area was thick forest so he couldn’t outrun the Bellos even while wearing the battle suit. And they had already surrounded Ark. He was hit by claws and fangs and his health dropped to 20%.

  ‘Impossible! I’ll end up dying like this! But…..but…..’

  Ark bit his lip and struggled. However his worries didn’t last long. If he died then he would lose the 9 levels he gained. There was no meaning if that experience disappeared. He had to survive! At all costs! That was his ultimate priority inside Galaxian!

  “Dammit!”

  Ark cursed and threw a small object. And he threw himself flat on the ground!

  Snap! Chwajijijijijik!

  The small object exploded and black air currents swirled in the area. The dozens of Bellos were wrapped in the black air currents and their bodies crumbled to sand. However Ark had a gloomy expression on his face.

  “Dammit, that is already 2 STK-VII……”

  A few days ago Ark was surrounded by the Bellos and used it to survive. The STK-VII! It was the destructive grenade that dealt all enemies within a 20 metre diameter 1,500 damage. It even ignored defense! In other words, it was a weapon that could kill monsters with less than 1,500 health in one blow! Naturally the STK-VII was Ark’s trump card. But he inevitably used one when surrounded by the Bellos. The result was devastating. Dozens of Bellos disappeared in an instant!

  ‘This is more than I imagined! This power would be enough to wipe out dozens of level 60~70 monsters. In other words, the STK-VII made him invincible as long as he possessed it! He was carrying around something that could save his life. ‘Oh my god, what a tremendous waste to use the grenade on the Bellos!’

  He could confirm its power. It was the same on this occasion as now.

  –Your level has risen!

  -Your level has risen……

  The message simultaneously appeared with the Bellos’ death. He had gained 4 levels! But Ark couldn’t be pleased. He survived a situation where he would’ve 100% died! And he managed to save the experience he gained from several days of hunting! It was equivalent to exchanging
one STK-VII for his life. Now he had only 1 STK-VII remaining in his bag!

  “Damn, was I too greedy?”

  Regret surged like a tidal wave but he had used the item already. Moreover, wasn’t there a reason he had the STK-VII in the first place? If he used it then his goal……

  Even the might STK-VII had a downside. Everything caught in the explosion would disappear without a trace. So he couldn’t get any loot from the Bellos when he used the STK-VII. There was only the first two Bellos that he killed. Ark sighed and went back to the place where the killed the first Bellos

  He managed to obtain a few ‘Bellos Leather’ when examining the dead body. It was a basic leather product but there were still a lot of low level users so he could get a decent price for it. However, the reason he attacked the Bellos and risked danger wasn’t for some leather.

  “The Bellos was a pair so it shouldn’t be far away……”

  Ark looked around for a while. He finally found a nest under some thick, overgrown vines. Ark’s target wasn’t the Bellos but this nest.

  “Sheesh, are my efforts also in vain this time?”

  Ark clicked his tongue and murmured as he checked the nest. There were two reasons why Ark was looking for the Bellos’ nest. The monsters in the Outlands rarely dropped equipment. Most of their loot was leather, bones, meat or ores. The Bellos were the same but they also gathered various things from other monsters and left it in their nest. Sometimes pioneer objects dropped in the Outlands would also be mixed within. The shoes Ark was wearing was one such equipment.

  -Pioneer’s Boots (Magic)

  Item Type: Shoes Wearer Restriction: Level 50

  Defense: 15 Durability: 8/50

  Shoes widely used among beginner pioneers. These boots are made from the leather of a monster so they are suitable for most environments. These boots in particular are made from luxury leather and allows the pioneers to walk in the Outlands on Istana without being poisoned.

 

  Magic item! The defense and option was decent but the shoes matched Ark perfectly. Ark barely had any equipment so he was grateful to find it. Therefore Ark concentrated on finding the Bellos’ nests but his income hadn’t matched his expectations yet. He sometimes found equipment but they were generally level 30 items. This time he only found a rusty sword when searching the nest. However, that wasn’t the only thing he obtained from the nest.

  “There are 5 eggs?”

  Ark gave the eggs in the nest a warm look. In fact, the second reason Ark risked hunting the Bellos was to obtain the eggs.

  Usually nests contained 2~5 eggs……

  “My satiety decreased quite a bit so shall I eat one?”

  Ark quickly picked up an egg and placed it in his mouth.

  -You have eaten a Bellos’ egg.

  There was a slight toxicity but Steel Stomach means that you digested it with no problem

  The Bellos’ egg has high nutritional density and eating it will give you additional stats.

 

  * Your resistance to various abnormal stats has increased by 30% for 1 hour.

  This was why Ark wanted the Bellos’ eggs!

  It increased his satiety by 80% and recovered health and mental power by 800. Furthermore, it was a high protein and low calorie food so it increased his resistance to various states by 30% for one hour! The pioneers were exposed to various dangerous states in the Outlands so this was a necessary ability.

  Over the past 6 days, he had eaten various types of meat in the Outlands but the Bellos’ eggs gave the best bonuses. The only thing that weighed on his mind……

  “This is the Bellos’ child……”

  It was similar to killing the parents and eating the child. He hadn’t thought like that in the past

  However, Ark just heard that his mother was pregnant so he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. But if he thought like that then he couldn’t eat chicken or boiled eggs. Humans inevitably took away the lives of others to survive.

  ‘And why should I worry about monsters? I have to stop Lucifer quickly. What would happen to my younger sibling if my money is gone? The growth fees? Tuition? Father and Mother don’t have a good grasp on economics! Yes, I have to become like a demon for my little sibling!’

  Ark thoroughly firmed up his spirit. Therefore Ark had gathered 70 Bellos’ eggs over the last few days from the nests. He didn’t need to worry about food for a while.

  “But……”

  A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. He went through all this because he was lacking in information and experienced a large number of trials and errors! Now he was perfectly adapted to the environment of the Outlands after the past 6 days. His efforts meant he gained 13 levels and he gathered quite a few items. But was that all? He also obtained 70 Bellos’ egg full of nutrition so he didn’t need to worry about food for a while. Despite all of that……

  “What good is it if I used the STK-VII?”

  He had also used 2 STK-VII.

  “Damn, now I should stop hunting the Bellos. If I become too greedy and dozens of monsters swarm again then I might have to use the last STK-VII. Besides……”

  Ark hadn’t come to the Outlands to gain experience and items. He had received a quest from

  Marquis Martin to infiltrate Charem

  “I thought I would be able to find it somehow if I went to the destination of the hidden city……”

  Charem was 1,000 km from Nabe. If he walked then it would take a month but Ark had the air board

  However, he often received surprised attacks from monsters while travelling on the air board after entering the Outlands. But Ark kept his eyes open to surprise attacks and managed to reach the quest destination in a few days. However, Marquis Martin hadn’t given him the exact location of Charem. No, he didn’t know Charem’s exact location when he gave Ark the quest. Marquis Martin told Ark that Charem was hidden in a 100 km diameter around the coordinates he gave Ark.

  ‘It is amazing but Charem is still a city. It’s not like finding a needle and I have the air board so I should find it in one day. I should worry about how to enter the sealed city.’

  At least that’s what Ark thought. It had been 4 days since he arrived at the destination. Yet he still couldn’t find the city on the 4th day. He was also distracted by hunting. Ark would sneak out of the designated area for 3~4 hours to hunt. The remaining 5~6 hours was spent searching on the air board. But over the last 4 days, he hadn’t met any users or NPCs let along a city. He had no choice. The place that Marquis Martin specified……

  “It is a good thing I bought that gear. If Marquis Martin gave the information correctly….. I should go back to that place.”

  Ark packed the eggs and ran across the forest. He pulled out the air board as soon as he left the vines area.

  “Let’s go! Today I will definitely find it!”

  Wiiiii!

  Ark rose while on the air board and crossed the Outlands.

  Space 7

  Fishing Reel!

  “Huhuhu. These guys!”

  Ark smacked his lips together with a pleased smile. Ark was looking at a fish from his air board. The size was 50 cm and the large fish jumped up towards the air board. The bottom part was somewhat strange as it looked like a centipede but that was an unrelated problem. Istana was an alien planet. Wasn’t it understandable that the shape of the fish was strange? It was all the same once it entered his stomach.

  “This evening is sashimi!”

  Ark grinned as he took out the Impact Blade. And seokeok, seokek. The unique fish was instantly cut up.

  “Heh, first the Bellos and now this. Isn’t the wasteland a heaven filled with food? Does that mean I filled up my bag with Space Food for nothing? Yes, next time I should buy soy sauce or wasabi.”

  Ark muttered as he chewed on the alien fish. But Ark was here to play around. An
d Ark wasn’t feeling relaxed.

  “Today is the 10th day with no results. Not including the 2 days of travelling time, I’ve wasted 8 days here. Well, the hunting grounds are nearby so I can’t complain but……”

  A frustrated sigh emerged from Ark’s mouth. He looked around and sighed again. A sigh naturally emerged every time he saw it.

  Bbol bbol bbol bbol, bbol bbol bbol bbol.

  The air board was flying over water. Was it a huge lake? The sea? He tried to drink some water and it had a bitter taste but wasn’t poisonous so he didn’t know whether to call it a lake or the sea. Anyway, the water stretched out everywhere he looked. This was the reason for Ark’s sigh

  Ark travelled 1,000 km to Marquis Martin’s GPS information only to arrive at a huge lake. Marquis Martin guessed that Charem was hidden in a 100 km range of the lake. Of course there was also some land. However, the land was only 10% of the entire area. No matter how complex the terrain, Ark could investigate the area in a few hours when using the air board. So Ark searched the land first. He spent 2 whole days precisely searching but he didn’t even find a shadow of the city Marquis Martin mentioned.

  “In the end it must be somewhere on the lake……”

  His eyes returned to the lake that took up 90% of the search area. In fact, the lake was a high possibility when he remembered Marquis Martin’s information about Charem.

  -Charem isn’t a normal city. It is camouflaged with a few layers of advanced shields and are equipped with devices to detect movement.

  The shield might have some unknown state of the art functions.

  “This is key information. It would be strange for a city the scale of Charem to be on land and not be detected. So I wasn’t convinced until I arrived here and saw the lake. If Charem is on the lake then large aircraft carriers could move freely. It would be possible to quickly escape from Charem if there are hostile federation soldiers nearby.”

  Ark was sure of his reasoning. A city like Charem couldn’t be easily moved. Nevertheless, they didn’t leave the area that the federation had already identified. If Charem was a city in the form of a ship then that would settle two questions at the same time.