Ark the Legend 1-12

by Yoo Seong

  The octopuses were impressed. Their heads turned such a bright red that it seemed like they were going to explode.

  –Did you hear? I brought that human here!

  The octopus that Ark fished up exclaimed.

  –Awesome! This is the first time I’ve seen such a brave human!

  The octopuses spilled ink as they moved their bodies excitedly. The sight caused goose bumps to form on his body.

  –You really……

  Their impressed behaviour continued for a while. The elder octopus who also looked impressed finally said.

  –I understand. If that is your intention then I won’t stop you anymore. I’m truly ashamed but I must respectfully ask for your help. I have my pride but right now I am speaking for the Charenjok. I can’t just send you to your possible death while looking for the young Charenjok without anything.

  ‘Is it a prepayment? They’re giving me something first?’

  Expectation filled his face. Ark’s eyes shone like lanterns at the thought. The elder octopus fiddled with the token and nodded.

  –It looks like the seal hasn’t been released from this token yet.

  “Huh? Seal?”

  –Yes, a special ancient power is sealed within the tokens given to the Charenjok elders. Of course, this power still has an effect now. But the seal has to be released through a special ritual for the true power to be shown. Elder Burum who gave you this token is probably young and inherited it from another elder.

  –Elder-nim, perhaps……?

  The octopuses exclaimed with surprise after hearing their elder’s words.

  –No! Why is Elder-nim……

  –Yes, Elder-nim we are refugees who lost our home and are drifting through the galaxy. Only a few elders remain in this galaxy. Of course we are thankful to the human but he hasn’t found the young Charenjok yet……

  ‘What the, what is this? Why are they in an uproar?’

  The atmosphere was hard to understand. It was obvious that the octopuses didn’t like it at all. However the elder octopus was determined.

  –It is already decided!

  The elder octopus replied in a firm voice. And….all of a sudden he bit at his legs? Why was he suddenly biting off a leg? Was he telling Ark to bite the octopus leg while searching for the prohibited area? Just as Ark was thinking this. The elder octopus placed his leg and the token on a table. And the leg was attached to the token.

  Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!

  After a long time. The bouncing octopus leg lost its elasticity and fell. Light was then emitted from the chewed off leg.

  -The level of the Charenjok’s Token (Special) has increased!

  Charenjok’s Token (Special) Lv 2

  Item type: Recovery

  The power of the token received from Burum on R-14 was blocked by a special seal. Bakum the leader of the Charenjok hiding on Istana was impressed by your courage and released the seal. The seal being released means that 2 health will be recovered every 4 seconds for 10 minutes. In addition, experience will accumulate every time it is used and it can evolve to a stronger token.

 
  Cool down time: 1 hour>

  ‘What, what the? The Charenjok’s Token is a growth type item?’

  Ark’s eyes popped out at the information window. Originally the Charenjok’s Token restored 1 health every 3 seconds for 10 minutes for a total of 200 health recovered. 200~300 health recovered was useful but it became less so once his health increased over 1,000. Now the item restored 2 health every 4 seconds for a total of 300. That was an extra 100 health recovered in 10 minutes. It wasn’t a big different but the recovery would increase with each level up. When used steadily it could increase to 100, 200, 300…..it would recover more health. It could grow! There was nothing more exciting for a RPG user. An item that could grow was a jackpot! He was just wasting time when he fished up an octopus and received a jackpot like this. He also didn’t understand it yet but he received a possible clue to find Charem.

  ‘A big fish! I really fished up something big!’

  It was truly a game. But there was a part he didn’t like.

  ‘Damn that Burum! If he unsealed it immediately then how much would it have grown by now? Ah, I really become mad when thinking about it. I explained everything when handing over the paid hunting ground and he just chucked the token at me! That bastard, are his 8 legs so valuable that he can’t part with one?’

  Ark thought casually. Anyway, the elder octopus looked tired after breaking the seal and he said.

  –This is the only thing I can give you for entering the dangerous prohibited area. It is only a little bit but I hope the broken seal is useful. So I beg you to search.

  The elder said to Ark while his hands were pressing against his wound.

  –I’m asking you. The young Charenjok are our hope. It might be too late but I’m not giving up yet. Even finding our children’s body would be good. This is the last request of this old man.

  At the same time an information window appeared.

 

  The Charenjok living in the northern lake of Istana have discovered a fearful secret about the lake. Sometimes a whirlpool would appear in a certain area of the lake and any Charenjok who encounter it won’t return.

  Now some young Charenjok who think of it as a ghost story has disappeared in the prohibited area. You have volunteered to investigate the prohibited area and Bakum was so impressed that he released the seal on your token. You have already received your reward. Now investigate the prohibited area and find the whereabouts of the Charenjok children.

  Difficulty: ???

  Bbol bbol bbol bbol, bbol bbol bbol bbol.

  Ark sat cross legged on the air board and looked around. The air board was moving across the lake towards the prohibited area Bakum told him about.

  “I feel a little uneasy but…..”

  Ark had received the quest to investigate the prohibited area but he actually felt uneasy.

  ‘I’ve heard various things from the octopuses but I don’t know anything about the prohibited area. And there is no way of discovering what is there.’

  Ark only knew one piece of information. The Charenjok frequently disappeared in that area. The Charenjok didn’t have any combat power but their environmental adaptation was excellent. Furthermore, the Charenjok were octopuses so underwater was their home environment. It was difficult to imagine the Charenjok disappearing in the whirlpool. No, even if they were caught in the swirl at least their bodies should be discovered in the lake.

  ‘There is no doubt that there is something else apart from the whirlpool. I don’t know what it is but it is clearly dangerous if not even 1 octopus managed to return.’

  That wasn’t the only problem.

  ‘Does Charem really have something to do with the prohibited area?’

  He kind of wasn’t happy about it. Ark had received Marquis Martin’s GPS information and had to sneak into Charem. So Charem was hostile territory. The city wasn’t a safe place. No, it was difficult to predict what could happen so it might even more dangerous than hunting monsters.

  ‘There is no doubt that it is dangerous.’

  He didn’t have a choice about finding Charem. He knew the risks beforehand but now he was actually trying to reach it. Therefore he started to worry about the death penalty. Since arriving at the lake, he had wasted 2 STK-VII and gained 15 levels. His worries were endless.

  “I don’t know when I will be in a city again…..”

  There was no Fairy in the Outlands so the death penalty would be enormous. The longer he spent hunting, the higher the death penalty would be. Especially if there was a lot of danger. The burden increased by 100 times! However, he couldn’t visit a city every time he entered a dangerous area. The resurrection system in Galaxian wasn’t that severe. There were places in the Outlands with a Fairy for users like Ark. They were pioneer villages calle
d Sector.

  ‘But there aren’t a lot of users yet so the closest sector is 600 km from Nabe. Furthermore, many high level monsters inhabit the area between Nabe and the lake. If I have bad luck and encounter a level 100 monster……’

  GAME OVER! He would be throwing everything away in his attempt to register. But it took 4 days for a round trip to Nabe and back so he couldn’t do that.

  ‘Yes, it is slightly worrying but I don’t know anything about the situation yet. I haven’t entered yet so even the danger is just my guess. I can’t waste 4 days on danger that isn’t verified. I might encounter similar situations from now on so I can’t run back to a city or sector every time. This is a risk that all users in Galaxian have to take. It is why I selected the Survivor body coating. I decided after investigating Fairy registration.’

  That was Ark’s decision.

  “Why…..”

  In fact, Bakum hadn’t entered the prohibited area so he didn’t know the exact location where the octopuses disappeared. He only guessed that area wasn’t normal when no octopuses returned.

  -There is a place 30 km from here where there is a large rock with a tunnel in it. The Charenjok disappeared around that rock.

  That was the only information Bakum gave. But it was easier to find the destination then he thought. He could easily find the large rock that Bakum spoke about. Both sides form a tunnel while the maroon water inside was so dark that it seemed black. This was the place where the ghost story originated from!

  “Yes, this really gives off a creepy atmosphere.”

  He couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable again once he saw the place. However, he couldn’t run back to Nabe like a frightened puppy. And Ark still had a trump card. He still had one STK-VII grenade with destructive power remaining. Of course, there was only one left so he could only use it in the worst situation but it would stop him from dying.

  “Shall I make some preparations? Character information window! Equipment! Skill!”

  Character Information Window

  Name Ark (R-02788) Level 67

  Species Human Occupation Pioneer

  Fame 3,920 Adventure 520

  Health 1,600 (+90) Mental Power 800

  Strength 170 (+23) Agility 225

  Stamina 285 (+18) Wisdom 20

  Intelligence 120 Luck 35

  * Title

  Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)

  Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)

  Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)

  * Galactic Federation Contribution: 3,000

  *Body Coating: Survivor

  + Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating

  + The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%

  + The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%

  +The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied

  -Equipment Information Window-

  Weapons:

  Armour: , , ,

  Accessories: ,

  -Skill Information Window-

  * Passive *

  , ,

  * Active (General Common)*

 

  * Active (Battle Specialization)*

 

 

  * Active (Survivor Exclusive)*

 

  It had been 4 months since he started Galaxian. Everything Ark had obtained during that time was shown at once. This was probably the most rewarding moment for users in RPG games. The results of all his efforts could clearly be seen!

  “But the skill window……”

  Facilities Maintenance, Hacking, Dig, Metallurgy and even Fishing! He felt like he started off in a strange place. In fact, it wasn’t just in Galaxian. During his previous game, he had a lot of curiosity and ended up with a lot of similar skills. These skills were considered difficult to grow so the majority of users didn’t like them. However, Ark became the strongest person in New World due to these skills. The important thing was to learn to take advantage of every skill!

  “That’s right.”

  Ark smiled and closed the information window. His equipment and skill inspection was finished.

  “Now, let’s go!”

  Plop!

  Ark plunged into the lake. Ark gathered the floating air board and dived in. The rock tunnel that Bakum mentioned was quite deep underneath the water. Ark used the Wire Camera to check inside the tunnel and he still couldn’t reach the end. The Wire Camera was the reason he hadn’t immediately dived in.

  Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.

  He blew some air bubbles while diving down. The Nymphe depth gauge said he reached 50 metres before his feet touched the ground. The tunnel and 50 metres depth meant the water was pitch dark

  However, he could see 10 metres in front of him thanks to the Clairvoyance skill he received from the Survivor coating.

  ‘The search area isn’t wide but this should be enough.’

  Ark started to earnestly search in the dark water. He went back and forth for a while and checked the opposite end of the tunnel a couple of times. However, he couldn’t find anything like what Bakum mentioned. All he saw were Mouse fish and Elephant Fish…..Ark’s unfortunate naming sense meant the fish were wandering around with horrible names.

  ‘The problem is…..’

  He couldn’t find anything. Bakum said that dozens of octopuses went missing here. And some young octopuses had entered here a few days ago. So why wasn’t there even the slightest trail? He couldn’t even find tracks from an octopus leg.

  ‘It must be this method!’

  Therefore Ark brought out his shovel! Ark went back to the beginning and started to dig at the ground. Despite his Dig skill reaching intermediate level, he was 50 metres deep so digging the ground wasn’t that easy. The buoyancy meant it was difficult to move the shovel. However, Ark didn’t give up and kept on using the shovel. Dust rose up all around him.

  Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!

  Suddenly there was a roaring sound and the floor shook. At the same time, a huge amount of mud rose up and bubbles appeared. A red eye peered at Ark through the dust. The identity of the massive object was revealed.

  Falalalalak!

  Air bubbles emerged from Ark’s mouth. The translation of the bubbles……

  “Lobster!”

  A lobster had risen through the ground! The size was 5 metres! It was a huge lobster where the pincers were 1 metre.

  Space 9

  Secret of the Prohibited Area

  Bugul bugul, bugul, bugul.

  A pitch black area in the northern lake. A huge lobster with red eyes was staring at Ark.

  -???? –

  Type: ??? Danger: ???

  Combat Power: ???

  You are unable to identify the object.

  That was the information window that appeared when he used Clairvoyance. But the name and information only had ‘???’ This meant the life form wasn’t registered with the federation’s database. If he reported it then he could receive experience and fame. However now wasn’t the time to rejoice. The lobster had appeared in the place where the octopuses disappeared.

  ‘Does that mean all the octopuses were swallowed by this guy?’

  It was natural to reach such a conclusion. In other words, this incident had nothing to do with Charem.

  ‘Dammit, is this also a miss?’

  He had dived 50 metres for nothing. But it wasn’t completel
y useless. At least he found the source of the octopuses’ disappearance. He received the Charenjok’s token upgrade as a prepayment so he should catch the lobster. The lobster also had no intention of letting Ark leave politely. It separated the water and rushed towards him.

  ‘…… Fast!’

  The speed was difficult to imagine considering the lobster’s large size. He quickly grabbed his sword but the lobster’s pincers were too fast.

  Syu syu syu syu! Kung!

  There was a dull ring as the dust rose.

  ‘Ugh! My movements are too dull underwater.’

  He had tried to avoid it but the pincer grazed his side and his health was sucked out. Ark had the body coating but the lobster was an underwater life form. The movement speed couldn’t help being different. The most difficult problem was the buoyancy. Unless he placed stones to weigh down his feet, it was impossible for his body to move without bouncing upwards.

  ‘That’s the problem!’

  Falalalalak!

  Ark opened his mouth and shouted. He was saying Armour Armament! In reality the smart phone wouldn’t recognize his pronunciation and work problem but the advanced equipment of the 24th century was different. It even worked when he was just saying speech bubbles! His bag opened and the Elephant fish appeared.

  …..Well the speech recognition technology of the 24th century wasn’t that perfect.

  Kukung! Kukung! Kukung!

  The lobster’s attacks continued while Ark was trying to do this. The lobster’s attack speed gave Ark no time to breathe. Furthermore the buoyancy made it difficult for Ark to stay attached to the ground.

  ‘Eat this!’

  He grabbed the Elephant fish that appeared from his bag and threw it towards the lobster.

  Saktok!

  The Elephant fish flew across the distance and the lobster’s pincer cut it in half. Meanwhile Ark quickly expanded the distance and manipulated his Nymphe. He opened to the main menu and clicked the armour icon. A flash of light appeared around Ark’s body. The space warped and armour like objects appeared. It moved like a living creature to wrap around Ark’s body. His limbs, chest and his head were covered with a crustacean like carapace. A red light appeared as the helmet finished covering his face. It was Ark’s battle suit Hyper Drone! He had manually summoned the battle suit. The battle suit caused Ark’s stats to rise by 30%. However that wasn’t why the desperate Ark had taken out the battle suit.