by Yoo Seong
The Murat nobles were trembling in fear.
“Phew……”
Ark sighed and shook his head. He rested for a bit before looking at the nobles with a refreshed expression. The blood on his face from the monkeys made his smile look even creepier.
“I’m sorry. These savage monkeys didn’t realize their place so I stopped them….please don’t pay too much regard to what I just did. Let’s get back to what I was saying before I was riled up.”
“Eh? No, t-that’s not……”
The nobles stuttered and looked like lost goldfish when faced with Ark.
“Anyway, like I was saying. I hope your speed will quicken a bit more. And perhaps the amount of complaints reduced? Every time I hear it, something seems to snap in my head….ah, no this is a mistake. It will cause problems to the soldiers’ morale every time they hear it. I might be an ignorant human but I am still in charge of the expedition. These words….ah, no this is another mistake. I have to be polite.”
Ark wiped the blood on his face with his sleeve and spoke firmly. The nobles didn’t answer. It wasn’t because they were ignoring Ark. They had ran away on the camel before Ark’s words even ended. Ark glanced at the frantic nobles and laughed.
“These guys needed a good scare to listen to me.”
This was what Ark had aimed for. The people originally didn’t agree with him because they didn’t feel fear. He needed to maximize their fear of being beaten. Ark used the three monkeys in order to induce such fear in the nobles. The cherished their lives so this would have a large effect on the nobles.
–I’ll endure it for now. But I’ll let him know how it tastes like. I’ll show them what cruel things I can do! Your safety won’t be guaranteed after that. So be careful!
The voices of the nobles entered Ark’s ear. But on the surface, the monkeys were punished for being rude to the nobles. Of course they couldn’t tolerate it but in the end the monkeys were the ones punished. If the nobles were intimidated then it was no problem!
“Y-you bastard……”
The one of the bloody rice cakes lifted their head and growled. The face was crushed but it seemed to be Ferguson based on the body.
“You….from the beginning….thought of this…..”
“Ah, are you okay? Thanks for the trouble.”
“T-trouble….you say that now…..”
“What did I do? I just did as promised. Are you going back on your word now that you suffered? And is this just for my benefit? Eh? If this quest is successful then you will also get your ship and items back. To be honest, I didn’t have to go through this trouble. You are the one who dragged my ship into the black hole.”
“You….perhaps….you’ve been holding on to your hostility to get revenge…..”
“I wouldn’t say that but…..”
“What, what the?”
Ferguson, A and B cried out angrily as they ran up to Ark. No, when they were about to run up. Ark frowned while staring at them.
“Think before you act. Eh? Anger surges inside me whenever I think about the black hole. And there wouldn’t be a problem if I kill you now. No, it would be rather helpful. The nobles would become even more frightened. Shouldn’t you be thankful that you were only punched? So please stop talking drivel and endure it with your physical strength.”
“P-physical strength…..”
Ferguson, A and B’s mouths dropped open at Ark’s last words.
“P-perhaps….you plan to do such a thing again?”
“Of course. Don’t you know the mindset of those nobles? This will only have a big effect for one day. So take care in the future as well. ”
Ark smiled pleasantly and turned around. Ark made it clear that he still had a lot of negative feelings remaining towards Ferguson’s party.
If it wasn’t for Ferguson then Ark wouldn’t have entered such a world. And it was still unknown whether he could find his team safely to return to the original world. He had been dragged into the black hole because of Ferguson. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why Ferguson’s party was turned into bloody rice cakes…..
Even if he pretended to forget it 3 seconds later, Ark was the type to store a grudge for 300 years. He intended to pay back this debt many times. While Ark was busy thinking.
“Cough! H-Hyung-nim?”
“I’m scared! This bastard, he is scary!”
“His actions and name is exactly the same!”
“D-don’t cry! Don’t panic! He already said he isn’t that Ark! And we are not the same as before either! We have to listen to him now but it will be different once we return and get our equipment back!”
Ark stopped at Ferguson’s words. It wasn’t due to hearing what their actions would be once they returned to the original world.
‘His actions and name is exactly the same? Is he talking about the name Ark? That reminds me, they asked if I was Ark from New World when we first met on Tatuine. And now they knew about the Netherworld of New World. Based on their words, those guys seem to have met Ark in New World. These guys definitely know me.’
Ark considered before turning around with a pleasant smile. Ferguson, A and B’s bloody forms were embracing each other. Looking at the scene gave him an intense feeling of deja vu! There was no doubt. Ark had witnessed this scene multiple times in New World. The features were different but they were the same three users!
“…..Buksil?”
Ferguson flinched.
“…..Ulmeok? Sapjil?”
Brothers A and B subsequently flinched as a reaction.
They looked at Ark’s face and stuttered.
“H-how did you know those names? D-don’t tell me? I-it can’t be. No? Is it?”
“…..It is like I thought?”
Ark muttered as he bit his lip. He approached the bloody Ferguson, A and B. A cold and eerie voice flowed from Ark’s mouth.
“We finally met. Buk-Ul-Sap! You ungrateful pigs!”
————————————-
“Eh….all of a sudden.”
Ark coughed and started talking. 30 people and 50 guards were gathered in front of him.
“Pretty soon we will arrive in the Valley of darkness. There is no need to explain how dangerous he is. After crossing the Valley of Darkness, there will also be a conflict with Set’s rebels. It won’t be easy but we have to accomplish this mission. If we fail then there will be no hope for Muratio Star. However, we’re not ready to conquer the upcoming trials.”
Ark stopped talking for a moment and examined the approaching soldiers.
“The important thing is cooperating with your colleagues rather than individual ability. And working together is formed through bonds. You are soldiers and guards so you’ve undergone training at a village. But from now, you aren’t guards or soldiers anymore. You are an expedition with one purpose. Therefore it is expected that you will undergo joint training now. But we all know that there isn’t a lot of time. Therefore you will undergo training simultaneously while marching. You can’t allow our pace to slow down while training.”
The three suns were shining down on the steaming hot desert. They trained even when their breaths were clogged up. Despite that, the training didn’t stop while marching. Naturally there were a few complaints. But not one of the complaining soldiers looked at Ark.
The reason why……
This was sudden but Ark had succeeded as an entrepreneur and warrior in New World. Ark created a triangular trade route that was the nucleus of trading. But it was difficult for Ark to participate directly in the business.
After putting the shares in order, Ark withdrew to the position of honorary chairman and left the practical operation to Sid. But he received shocking information from Sid after starting Galaxian. He reported that some merchants in Ark’s operation suddenly disappeared. Ark flew to the warehouse location and looked around before finding a message.
–We have found our freedom. We have sold some goods and received the proper amount of wa
ges from when we were exploited. Don’t look for us. No, you won’t find us!
Ark had trembled in fury. It was continuously nurtured whenever Ark thought about the merchants that disappeared. They embezzles his money and disappeared! The merchant had sold off 3,000 gold worth of goods. And that wasn’t the only damage that Ark’s business received.
The products were unable to be delivered by the due date and he had to pay a penalty sum of 1,500 gold. They suddenly went missing so Ark and Sid had to stay up for several nights fixing the problem.
Their betrayal boiled in his heart! After settling the problem, Ark begun to look for the merchants. The master code determined that their characters hadn’t been deleted yet. However they never connected to the game from then on. Their characters were still left in the server and Ark couldn’t determine their personal information. If he wanted to know their phone number or address then he needed to submit a request for it.
….Anyway.
Ark felt regret whenever he thought about it. He never imagined that he would meet them in a place like this. The place where they met was Muratio Star. Ferguson, A and B. They were the ones who pocketed money from his business in New World. Buksil, Ulmeok and Sapjil who were called the three pig brothers. That’s right. The identity of the three monkeys was the three pig brothers. The moment Ark discovered their identity.
▦, ▩, ▩.
The 3 monkey brothers turned into mosaics. The soldiers’ eyes were focused on Ark when he had been talking about the training. They were focused on the three mosaics piled up next to Ark. Even their original appearance couldn’t be determined anymore. The even scarier thing was that Ark didn’t even lift one eyebrow when committing his actions.
Complaints? Such a thing was impossible.
“Why are you replying?”
“Huh? Ah! Yes! We will do our best!”
The soldiers shouted with surprise after Ark’s question.
“And incidentally, the schedule is a little bit slow so I would like to raise the marching speed. Don’t disappoint me, eh?”
“We will do as you want. Follow. For Muratio Star and His Royal Highness!”
Kurai and the other nobles nodded in agreement. Controlling the public through fear. This would cause many problems in the long term but Ark would only be in this world for a short time. There was nothing to worry about once he completed the quest and returned to his original world. That’s how Ark was able to completely control the expedition one day after departing.
-New special stat [Leadership] has been created.
The higher your Leadership stat, the more soldiers will follow your commands. There won’t be a large difference in the early stages but you will gradually see a difference when leading soldiers.
Leadership will rise every time you discipline your troops. However, going overboard with discipline can make the soldiers’ morale fall (Leadership +10)>
A new special stat! However Ark wasn’t satisfied yet.
‘This isn’t enough to heal the wound I received!’
Ark gazed at the people he turned into mosaics. Confusion spread over the faces of Kuhwen and Tot who were watching.
“Didn’t Ark seem to have changed his character as well as his name?”
“I-it seems like it. This guy…..”
Then Basak cut in with a flushed face.
“Don’t the two of you know? Hyung-nim has a mild nature. When the aristocrats or guards ignored him, he just endured it silently. How can his personality suddenly change after losing his memories? Hyung-nim….Hyung-nim is determined. He knows that the fate of Kuhwen and Muratio Star is hanging on this moment so he has decided to be the devil!”
Basak sobbed as he spoke.
“Even if he suffers criticism! Even if he is blamed! Even if he is feared by the nobles and soldiers! He will still do it. Hyung-nim will live his life in disguise! The monkeys didn’t resist because they understood Hyung-nim’s noble intentions. They are his confidants! Keok Hyung-nim, I’m a guy dumber than a monkey! Hyung-nim!”
-Basak’s loyalty has increased by 200……
Basak’s loyalty rose by itself. However the hamster who stuck beside Kuhwen while playing the role of a pet knew the truth.
‘Stop playing around. That is his true character! He isn’t disguised as a devil but is the devil itself. Hah those pitiful monkeys, they don’t understand but their lives have ended now that they’re caught.’
The march continued like that.
Space 5
Valley of Darkness
“Pant pant pant! Pant pant pant!”
Ark panted as he looked around. The Valley of Darkness was surrounded by dark brown rocky mountains. They had steadily marched approximately 70 kilometres for 2 days and finally entered the Valley of Darkness. Ark’s impression as he stepped foot into the Valley of Darkness that caused the nobles to jump even hearing the name….
‘What? It isn’t that big of a deal?’
The nobles were so fearful that Ark thought it was a monster infested place. That’s why he turned the 3 monkey brothers into bloody rice cakes as a form of military discipline. But it felt like he could relax once they actually arrived at the Valley of Darkness.
A monster had emerged. However it was only a small monster level 60~70. It would be simple even if a lot came out at once. They weren’t enough to even act as a food supplement.
‘Now we can get a good night’s sleep after marching through scorching sunshine….’
It was a relaxing feeling. But that was Ark’s mistake.
“The sun is starting to set. Hyung-nim, be careful. Now the Valley of Darkness will show its true form. The beings inside the Valley of Darkness hide from Ra, Shu and Tefnut. Without Ra, Shu and Tefnut’s protection, night time is when we should be most afraid.”
Basak grabbed his shield with a tense expression as it became evening. Even the nobles and soldiers were the same. They became increasingly silent and their faces became heavy as it became darker.
And….they began to appear.
Chi chi chi chi! Chi chi chi chi!
It was enough to shave their nerves away! An extravagant number of creatures started to climb out. At the same time, the soldiers started moaning and screaming.
“A-Ant! The Great Ant!”
The Great Ant. Just like the name, it was a monster that looked like an ant and was the size of a person. The mob of ants covered the entire valley.
“Huk! Circle formation! Organize a circle formation!”
He was glad that he forcefully trained the soldiers. The soldiers scared of Ark quickly obeyed his order and formed a circle. Even if the reaction was a little late, they managed to form it before the group of Ants swarmed over them. Once the battle formation was used, Ark had a certain degree of space to recover.
“Launch the plasma bullets ahead of you!”
The soldiers lifted the swords in unison at the command. The weapon in their hand was a curved sword based on the Shotel called ‘?’ It was a sword used in Ancient Egypt in order to avoid the enemies’ shields. But that was a trick. These were weapons that the Murat created based on the Ancient Egyptians but the real use was something separate.
Pajijijik!
A sphere of light formed in the centre of the ‘?’ causing sparks. The light sphere shot out from the soldiers’ swords. This was the real usage! The ‘?’ was a sword but electromagnetic energy could be accelerated in order to shoot plasma bullets at the enemy. The shocking truth had become clear!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Anyway, the power of the plasma bullet was no joke. It contained the destructive power equivalent to a RPG. The speed was faster than a RPG and there was also a blade so it could be used as an all-round weapon!
This was the natural weapon of the Murat soldiers as they rode camels through the desert.
However…..
“Dammit, this isn’t enough.”
Ark looked at the place where the flames passed and bit his lip. The soldiers’ plasma bombing had smashed 100 Ants. But that wasn’t even 10% of the number of Ants. There were still Ants crawling out from the stone mountains. It was literally a colony of ants!
“What? These guys? How many of them are hiding?”
“The late Horus mobilized troops many times in order to subdue the Valley of Darkness. But he judged that the Ants could multiply infinitely and gave up. It is impossible for us to wipe out the Ants. Fortunately the Ants are monsters who only take action at night. We just need to hold out until morning!”
“H-hold up until morning in this state?”
Kukukuku….kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The expedition force cried out at the same time as they were enveloped by the Ants. Once the close combat fighting started, the different between the guards and soldiers started showing. The guards instantly blocked the attacks while the soldiers were pushed back. Several guards were covered by the liquid squirted by the Ants and fell down petrified.
‘Oh my god! Those guys will never end? We have to continue fighting until morning? Damn, I am an amnesia patient! How would I know this information? Why didn’t Kuhwen or Tot tell me such important information? If I knew beforehand then I would’ve opposed like the nobles as well! No, now isn’t the time to think about that. We have already stepped foot into the Valley of Darkness at night. If the formation collapses then we will be instantly wiped out!’
“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”
Ark transferred his body and wielded his sword. The sword flew forward like a storm. And Ark plunged towards the Ants thought the opened defense line.
Wiing! Wiiing! Buuuuong!
There were continuous explosions of light. Green fluid gushed out around Ark as the Ants died. Then he was hit by a transparent liquid launched from an Ant behind him.
-You have been hit by the Ant’s formic acid!
Formic acid is a liquid formed within the Ants that can cause a strong feeling of numbness.
