by Yoo Seong
Ku ku ku ku! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
It was an explosion from behind that transcended imagination!
Cracks were spreading on the surface of the grey planet. At the same time, a huge energy storm shook the Silver Star. But the more fearful situation occurred after that.
A hold was forming in the centre of the planet and sucking everything into it. And it became a huge black hole!
At that moment, the spaceship stopped like it was caught by an invisible hand. The black hole was producing a tremendous pulling force.
Hegel who was manipulating the dashboard screamed.
“H-Hyung-nim, we’re being sucked in!”
“Damn! Tori, raise the engine to its maximum output!”
“Yes! Yes! Engine output is increasing!”
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
Flashes occurred at the rear of the Silver Star at the same time as Tori’s reply. The Silver Star that was stopped started to move forward again. Once the Silver Star entered space, Irina immediately popped up on a screen.
-Ark-nim, you’re alive!
“I’m not that easy to kill.”
Ark finally began to relax as he smiled and answered. Then Hegel who had been looking at the dashboard started shouting again.
“A ship is approaching!”
“Ship? What?”
“This identification signal is Death Knight! It is Hawk’s battleship! The Death Knight is approaching the bottom of the Silver Star! The distance is just 50 metres! If it keeps approaching then we will collide with it!”
“Is that bastard crazy? Why all of a sudden…..?”
Ark jumped up and shouted. A battleship loomed in the front window. Hawk’s Death Knight was approaching the Silver Star. And when the Death Knight was dozens of metres away!
Hwaaaaack!
A flash came from the rear of the Death Knight! The Silver Star vibrated as it was engulfed with flames. The Death Knight that had come close blew the Silver Star back with a tremendous air current. Of course, the attack itself didn’t do any apparent damage. However, the ship was pushed back by the turbulence and was caught in the pull.
“We’re caught by the gravity of the black hole!”
“Hawk, he is like this until the end!”
Ark shouted angrily at Tori’s words.
They were once again caught by the black hole that they barely escaped. And the Silver Star’s engine was already at its maximum output. That meant there was no way to escape now. Then a new window was created and Hawk’s face popped up.
–Hrmm, I’m sorry. I lost control thanks to the gravitational field of the black hole and accidentally damaged you. I apologize. But a person can’t be blamed for things they unintentionally did in an emergency situation. It is my fault for not searching the area and seeing your ship.
“Then I’ll apologize in advance.”
-What?
“Tori, it is time to test it! Target is the Death Knight! Launch!”
Ark smiled and shouted. The armour of the Silver Star split to the sides and chains shot out.
This was what Ark meant! It was something that came with Tori’s container box.
Ark had an idea after being caught by the Red Slaughterer’s ship on Impeltus.
-This is money!
It wasn’t uncommon for ships to fight amongst themselves on the frontier. But if they fought with bombardment then the chances of the ship being damaged was high. The crew and cargo would be lost if the ship exploded. Even if they won the battle, the cost of repairing the spaceship would be tremendous.
Therefore most people preferred hand-to-hand combat. They would capture the enemy ships with stingers and paralyze the electronics with radio waves. Then soldiers would board the enemy ship to make them surrender.
This was the way to minimize damage to the ship and increase profit. Of course, that was the worst situation for merchants like Mario but pioneers with confidence in fighting preferred that method.
So Ark had requested an anchor launcher for the Silver Star along with Tori. Good quality equipment was bought from Tatuine and home delivered with Tori’s container box. It was then mounted when the Silver Star was on E-2036.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
The anchor fired at the Death Knight that was only hundreds of metres from them. Now Hawk started to grasp the situation.
–You bastard! What are you doing?
“I’m grasping at straws to survive. That’s what you did. Didn’t you say a person couldn’t be blamed for things they unintentionally do in an emergency situation? Then wouldn’t that apply to me as well? Now choose. Die with me? Or live with me? The radio wave propagation is starting now.”
–You……
Hawk glared at Ark. But he already had no choice now that the anchor was lodged. There was a black hole so it was impossible for soldiers to go out and cut the anchor. If they didn’t want to die then they needed to pull the Silver Star out of the gravitational field
–Increase the Death Knight’s engine to its maximum output!
The Silver Star and Death Knight started moving forward again.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
The ship shook and an anchor was driven into the Silver Star. At the same time, a new screen emerged next to Hawk’s face.
–Ark! You bastard, you relaxed all day at the base only to strand me here? I have a 2nd grade ship so my engine output is weak! Look! I won’t be able to live if another ship is destroyed! Save me!
–Please save us! I will even call you Ark-nim from now on!
–Please!
The faces of three men crying appeared on the small screen. They were Ferguson and his brothers A and B. No, it didn’t matter who they were.
The problem was that Ferguson’s anchor was lodged in the Silver Star! The Death Knight was a higher rated battleship than the Silver Star but even it couldn’t pull 2 ships caught by a black hole’s gravity.
Of course the three spaceships retreated! Retreat! Retreat!
–Damn! Let go Ark! I’m telling you!”
“Didn’t you hear me? F-Ferguson!”
–You’re the one who did this! You bastard!
“Look! You made Hawk made! So please let go, Ferguson!”
-I don’t want to! I don’t want to! I don’t want to die! I won’t die! So pull me out as well.
“Didn’t you hear? Hawk! I’m being pulled inside! Just the spare fuel to thrust your engine! Go! Go! Go!”
–This bastard! Do you think I can escape from the black hold with two ships handing from me.
So Hawk, Ark and Ferguson and their three spaceships were swallowed by the black hole together. And…..
TO BE CONTINUED
Ark
The Legend
(아크 더 레전드)
Volume 12
Yoo Seong
(유성)
Space 1
Bug?
“Are you listening?”
A sharp voice rang out in the office.
The grey haired man inwardly sighed while looking through his papers. And he looked up towards a woman sitting down on the couch. The woman was the embodiment of money as she wore expensive clothes and jewellery. She was his daughter.
The man stroked his face with his hand and asked.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“I told you! I was insulted by Min-sun. In front of my man! Doesn’t Dad understand? Park Eun-chan is the youngest son of Central Hotel. Yet she dare do such things in front of Eun-chan!”
“What did Min-sun do?”
“I was blindsided by the man she was with and his two friends.”
“Man? Min-sin was with a man?”
The man’s eyes finally showed the first signs of interest. And Cho Mi-ra clamoured even more enthusiastically.
“Yes, he was a dumb looking man. And a complete bully. I accidentally spilled some water on Min-sun but he couldn’t let it go and threatened me. There were also a lot
of people in the dining room. He might be a real criminal. No, he must be one. He has that look in his eyes. Why else would he go for a girl like Min-sun?”
“So, what specifically did they do?”
“Is that important?”
Cho Mi-ra frowned while looking at her father.
“Me! Father’s daughter! They humiliated me in front of all those people!”
“Min-sun is also my daughter. And your younger sister.”
“I don’t have a younger sister!”
“You are my daughter but you can’t change that fact. You’re 25 years old so shouldn’t you know that by now? Don’t visit your father’s workplace and tell me about a quarrel between sisters. I don’t have the time to listen to such talk.”
Cho Mi-ra cooled down at her father’s words. She bit her lip and muttered in a cold voice.
“…..Are you saying I’m troublesome?”
“That isn’t what I’m saying.”
“Yes, you do that. I understand. Then I’ll disappear.”
Cho Mi-ra stood up and grabbed her handbag before crying out.
“And I’m 27!”
Moon So-ri heard her rough voice.
However, his face didn’t change as he looked at the thick pile of paperwork. His eyes just mechanically looked over another form. But after a moment, he hit the button on his intercom and said.
“Secretary Choi, are you there?”
–Yes, President-nim. Please say your request.
“There is a man who met with Min-sun. Find out about that guy.”
—————————-
‘…..What?’
Ark was baffled. Right now Ark was surrounded by darkness. His eyes were open but it was so dark that he questioned whether they were really open. The silence even made him doubt his eardrums. In other words, he couldn’t see or hear anything.
A person who knew would understand. How much this made a person choked up. However the darkness and silence wasn’t what confused Ark. Rather, it was that he couldn’t understand where this place was and why he was here. In this world, there was no effect without a cause!
‘Yes, something unexpected might’ve happened but there is a reason for it. If I think calmly then I might be able to obtain some hints or information. So let’s go through my memory step by step. Then…..’
Ark pressed the ‘▷’ button and played the memory in his head. The situation floated before him.
–Now there is no time. The key to a surprise attack is speed! Don’t give them time to think! Each team will enter the passage and exterminate the enemy! If there is danger then use the communicator! Advance!”
Shortly after the investigation team landed on the grey planet. Hawk had separated the team and ordered them to advance into the underground base.
…..He had gone too far.
‘No! The necessary scene isn’t here!’
Ark pressed the ‘▷▷’ and his memory accelerated forward. The underground facility passed like a kaleidoscope.
Ferguson slaughtered the herd of frogs and they managed to arrive at the centre of the facility. Then Ark heard some shocking words from Irina. The self-destruct device had already been activated when Ark arrived at the centre and Hawk knew but bullied Ark by only escaped with the other team members. No, it wasn’t just bullying. The packed the entrance with explosives in order to trap Ark’s group in the control room.
‘Hawk, that damn bastard!’
He couldn’t even curse right now.
Anyway, Hawk’s plan was stopped by Ark’s superior judgement. In his desperate moment, Ark was able to find a secret passage in the control room and escape just before the base exploded. But the situation didn’t end there. The base’s self-destruct device was connected to the core of the Castle and the grey planet started to collapse and form a black hole.
Ark was caught up in the black hole’s gravity. However Ark had a hidden move.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
He launched an anchor into Hawk’s ship and held on! It was the anchor launcher installed when the Silver Star was being repaired on E-2036.
–You bastard! What are you doing?
‘Hawk’s expression then was so confused…..’
Just imagining the scene again caused endorphins to rush. However there was also Ferguson.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
A special anchor!
–Ark! You bastard, you relaxed all day at the base only to strand me here? I have a 2nd grade ship so my engine output is weak! Look! I won’t be able to live if another ship is destroyed! Save me!
This time Ferguson anchored himself to Ark’s ship. Ferguson…..he really had the intelligence of an ape.
Needless to say, Ark had anchored himself to Hawk in order to live. If he grabbed onto Hawk’s Death Knight then Ark would’ve surely escaped from the black hole’s gravity. He was convinced about it and didn’t look for another way.
But Ferguson wasn’t thinking at all. Just like a drowning man would catch anything, he grabbed onto Ark and wouldn’t let go. In the end, everyone would die because he wanted to live.
‘Damn! I hope he is hit by a garbage truck and dies!’
Ark and Hawk’s detailed plans for each other were crushed by Ferguson who the IQ of a monkey. And then the worst situation occurred.
–I can’t control the Silver Star!
–3D coordinates calculation error! Balance systems error! On-board gravity generator error! Thanks to the collision with the gravity and magnetic fields, all engine systems have errors! It is impossible to control!
–There is no way to escape the gravitational field!
-Ugh! I don’t want to die!
Hegel and Tori screamed from the bridge!
However the opponent was the strongest predator in the universe, a black hole. Even with the scientific power of the 24th century, it was impossible to unravel all its mysteries. Now it had captured Ark. And the Silver Star was finally swallowed by the black hole.
–You have died.
That message popped in front of him.
No, that message should’ve popped in front of him. That’s why Ark was confused. He had been swallowed by darkness and waited for the message to appear.
‘The black hole is an existence that sucks in everything. Not even light can be seen here. If I’m stuck in a black hole and my soul wasn’t returned to a Fairy…..’
A sinister thought entered his head. However Ark shook his head.
‘It is impossible. Either way, this is still a game. There shouldn’t be any bugs to lock a user’s resurrection. So what is this situation? Perhaps….I haven’t died yet…..’
“……Character Information Window.”
Ark muttered dubiously.
Character Information Window
Name Ark (R-02788) Level 137
Species Human Occupation Elim’s Heir
Fame 11,730 Adventure 1,590
Health 3,350 Mental Power 600
Mana 0 Force 1,825
Strength 330 (+20) Agility 375 (+20)
Stamina 555 Wisdom 40
Intelligence 350 Luck 55
* Title
Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)
Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)
Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)
Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)
Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Aschulat 500
* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)
*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
‘Eh? R-really?’
Ark’s eyes were shocked. The character information window he hoped for had surfaced.
He was still level 137. It was the same level from before he was sucked into the black hole. He had been level 133 when he registered at the Fairy so it meant he hadn’t died!
However, Ark soon sensed something strange.
His level and stats were clearly the same from before he was sucked into the black hole. However, the character information window didn’t just display his level and stats. It also showed his equipment in the form of stat (+α). Yet that wasn’t there anymore.
Aside from the +20 attached to strength and agility, the other effects of his equipment had disappeared.
‘Don’t tell me? Huk! W-what is this?’
-Equipment Information Window-
Weapons:
Armour:
Accessories: –
‘My accessories are gone?’
Ark’s face paled after seeing the equipment information window.
His armour, boots, the unique Belphegor’s pants he just obtained and even the Baius Shield was gone? The only things remaining were his Heir’s Sword and Elim’s Helmet! It was worst then when he started Galaxian because he was completely exposed. No, his appearance didn’t matter.
What about his accessories? He had been collecting his equipment one by one over the past few months with much difficulty. They were worth at least 1,000 gold and the Baius Sword was necessary to change class as Elim’s Heir. Compared to the value of those equipment, he would rather die and revive 100 times. But the equipment more precious than life were gone.
That wasn’t all that disappeared. Even the basic japtem stored in his backpack and Nymphe were gone.
‘Oh my god! This is ridiculous! My backpack full of items and Nymphe have disappeared as well? I’d rather die! Bug! Yes, this is obviously a bug! Damn, is there really a bug this ridiculous? I’m going to protest to the game publisher! If they don’t restore my items then I’ll sue!’
While he was thinking…..
‘Wait? This might surprisingly be a chance!’
Ark’s eyes glistened after a moment.
In fact, one of the reasons Ark despaired when sucked into the black hole wasn’t because of his death. The death penalty for a user wasn’t that much. Of course, his level would drop and maybe even an item depending on the damage but it wasn’t cause for despair.
