The warning message appeared along with the sound of wind rushing at his back.
The external s.p.a.cesuit was designed to withstand quite a large impact. Users wearing a s.p.a.ceship in s.p.a.ce would die if their suits were torn. There was a damage limit! For example, a bomb or an enemy at least level 100 would suffer a detrimental blow to the s.p.a.cesuit.
This type of situation in outer s.p.a.ce was fatal to a user! He still had health but if all his oxygen leaked then he would die in a matter of minutes! Of course, he could obstruct the damage area with tape to some extent but….
‘D-don’t touch the arms!’
….He couldn’t escape the reach of the arms due to the damage. Thanks to that, Hawk was unable to keep his sober image.
–Hawk-nim, danger! Avoid it! We’ll cover you!
Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!
Harley shouted while firing with the Death Knight’s guns. The wave of swords pushing toward hawk was engulfed in flames in an instant. But that was it. Not one sword was destroyed after being hit. Instead, the swords turned to the direction of the Death Knight and caused minor wounds on the armour.
“Harley, retreat!”
–B-but Hawk-nim….
“Don’t you know? This is the defense system of the ancient species. It isn’t something that the weapons of the Death Knight can deal with.”
–But I can’t just leave Hawk-nim!
“No, you have completed your role. I recovered my head thanks to the time you bought me. The swords are a defense system against intruders and a gateway to test the successor. In other words, I am eligible to obtain the power of the ancient species. If so, there must be a way I can deal with the swords. So the Death Knight needs to retreat before it is too late. This is a command.”
-…..I understand.
Harley’s voice was heard soon after. The Death Knight started to drift away from the Buddha. And after it was a certain distance away, the swords veered from the Death Knight back to Hawk. The thousands of swords flew towards him and covered the entire s.p.a.ce like arrows flying in an ancient war!
‘There is no place to avoid it. No, I can’t see any with my eyes. But……’
Hawk jumped towards the Buddha statue. And stopped dozens of metres to the right side of the Buddha.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Thousands of swords penetrated the s.p.a.ce. However, only one sword grazed Hawk.
‘Yes, this is the answer!’
Hawk had an elated smile on his face.
‘There is a way to turn off the defense system!’
It was the Chinese characters carved on the Buddha. It said ‘the successor can enter the castle.’ It meant he needed to use the five elements.
In fact, Hawk had been confused about that. Hawk interpreted it to mean the Five Elements disc would open the door. But the door didn’t open and he was attacked out of the blue so he thought there was a problem.
However, that writing was the key.
‘The order of the five elements. Wood, fire, earth, metal, water.’ These five elements also pointed towards a direction. Wood was east, fire was south, earth was centre, gold was west and water north. The defense system was also attacking in those directions. Wood is east, east is to the right so I need to move to the right side of the Buddha!’
This was one of the reasons why Hawk moved to the right side of the Buddha. This was the result. Hawk entered an area where he wasn’t hit by the swords. Hawk’s reasoning hit the mark.
Chwararara! Chwararara!
Meanwhile, the thousands of swords formed a complicated tangle and flew towards Hawk again. However, the attack wasn’t a threat anymore.
Hawk flew in the south, central, west, etc. directions according to the defense system….in order words, he moved below the Buddha, to the left etc. without any of the swords touching him. And when he moved to the head (North) of the Buddha during the last step.
This time the swords didn’t hurtle towards Hawk. They split to the left and right and returned to the Buddha’s hand.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
The Buddha’s hand rumbled and moved. And he stumbled as the palms clapped together, causing a blue light to emerge at the centre.
Surprisingly, a completely different world stretched out beyond the blue light. A land where lava flowed from volcanoes and pillars of fire shooting up everywhere!
“….I’ve found it!”
Hawk’s eyes lit up.
“This is my chance to become the Oritious’ Elim! The second half of the Asura Wave sword is sealed here!”
It was obviously dangerous. Hawk flew in without hesitation.
————————————————————————–
Kkiik.
The door opened and one person entered. The man stood at the entrance and looked around for a while.
Right now it was lunch time but the underground cage meant there was a dim light. He was meeting someone but didn’t know their face. He pulled out his phone while looking around the people sitting at the table.
Diririri. Diririri.
There was the sound of ringing from a nearby table. Four people were sitting around the table. The man on his phone confirmed their ident.i.ties and walked towards them.
“Don’t worry about picking up. I’m here.”
“Then you are….”
“Yes, I’m Valencia the meeting organizer.”
The man sat in an empty seat and replied. And after silently examining the people sitting at the table, he opened his mouth again.
“I thought more people wanted to join….”
“All of them are gathered.”
“Less than I thought.”
“You are the one who contacted our Galaxian IDs and disturbed us. The SNS said that we could only partic.i.p.ate after meeting. Why should they come?”
“You did.”
Valencia outright said.
“We aren’t gathered here for a simple social reason. The point of this meeting is to gather to achieve our goals. In order to do that, believe in each other is important. If you hadn’t met the pre-requisite then this meeting wouldn’t have happened. There is no point if someone can’t even attends a face to face meeting.”
“Uh…..”
The man swallowed his saliva at the words. And there was a heavy silence for a while. Then one man opened with a careful expression.
“I’ll confirm it first. I heard this meeting is to form an alliance to deal with the user Ark. Is this correct?”
“That’s right.”
Valencia nodded.
“Whether it is small or large, each of the people here are playing Galaxian and have a grudge against Ark. Including myself, all of us want revenge. But Ark has already established his own forces in Galaxian. I don’t want to admit it but I can’t defeat him. He has strong individual player and it is hard to strike him. No, we would most likely suffer. So that’s why I organized this meeting.”
Not long ago, Hawk had met with Valencia.
Valencia hadn’t given up on revenge and was promised a rewarding offer to defeat Ark. But Valencia didn’t accept it entirely.
He couldn’t believe in Hawk. It wasn’t publicized but Valencia knew about the results of the magic circle investigation. Hawk partic.i.p.ated in the quest and everyone believed he would gain the best achievements. But Ark stole it from him.
Hawk had a reason to confront Ark. Valencia couldn’t trust him. Like he said, Ark already built his own forces. On the other hand , Valencia lost everything in a conflict with Ark.
‘Hawk promised support but in the end, I will be the one dealing with Ark. I was insufficient before. But I have to admit it. Beltana, Fargo and Impeltus. It isn’t a coincidence that I suffered three times under Ark. My skills are inferior to Ark. The quality of Hawk’s support can’t fill all the difference.’
Then the answer was simple. Valencia remembered the situation a few months ago when Ark first became Beltana’s hero. Ark’s fame increased in Galaxian but that wasn’t always a blessing.
‘Most of them are just jealous of famous users. But some of them will have a real grudge against Ark. If I am able to gather their strength….’
In the meantime, Valencia did one thing. He collected all the users with a grudge against Ark in one place.
Valencia posted on various Galaxian related community boards and contacted users who wanted revenge against Ark. 30 people had replied. However, only 4 people were gathered in real life. That’s why those words first emerged from his mouth.
But Valencia wasn’t disappointed.
“I was disappointed because I thought there would be a lot of people. But after thinking about it, I think it turned out well. It makes sense that we can’t trust large numbers. This is also the reason why I had such a reason. Due to the nature of gamers, coming to a place like this isn’t an easy task. Nevertheless, the fact that you are here means you have a grudge against Ark.”
Then one man raised his hands.
“But I want to check something before that.”
“What is it?”
“Are you sure that Beltana’s Ark is ‘him’?”
“Yes, I wanted to ask the same question. I clearly have a grudge against Ark. But it isn’t the Ark inside Galaxian. New World’s Ark. This is the reason why the 30 people from the community boards disappeared before this meeting. New World’s published stated that ‘he’ never played Galaxian. That is the issue. If Valencia says that Ark isn’t ‘him’ then I have no reason to join.”
“It is for sure.”
“But Global Exos….”
“I don’t know the details of the matter. I don’t know the private reasons behind Ark joining Galaxian. But ‘he’ is the Ark known as Beltana’s Hero.”
“Is there any information to prove it?”
“No. But there is someone who will guarantee this.”
“Guarantee? Who do you mean?”
“Hawk.”
“Hawk? The Hawk you’re talking about….”
“The member of the Seven Swords. In fact, the person who is my supporter is Hawk. Hawk isn’t at this meeting but he promised to support us.”
The people at the table murmured after Hawk’s words.
The users gathered had expected a large support but they never it would be Hawk. The people had divided reactions after hearing Hawk’s name. Some users had the opinion that Hawk was used to manipulate the situation.
To be honest, Valencia was also the same. It was a definite fact that Hawk was only using him. Nevertheless, Valencia had accepted his offer. Hawk wasn’t good. He had a lot of hate towards Ark.
“You might think it is suspicious. You can fight against Ark if you partic.i.p.ate in the alliance but this will be a hindrance to your gameplay. I also know that much. Quite a few troubles will emerge. So I won’t say any more. I want reliable people. If you feel any hesitation then you are welcome to leave now. However, I will promise you one thing. I w.i.l.l n.o.t g.i.v.e u.p.”
Valencia said firmly.
He truly wanted people who wouldn’t back out later in the future. Valencia nodded as they stayed sitting down.
“Thank you. As of this time, we are allies.“
“So we need a name.”
“You might’ve got the wrong 5 people so how about Mistaken?
“Mistaken is okay.”
An alliance was created in that atmosphere. The name was Mistaken. The purpose of this alliance was to break Ark. Their aim was to cooperate and monitor Ark while increasing their strength in order to deal a fatal blow to Ark!
“Just imagining it is pleasant.”
“Then let’s introduce ourselves before having a formal discussion. Preferably the reason why you have a grudge against Ark.”
“I also think that as well. I will introduce myself first. I am Mald. The other people think he is unfair in New World but I suffered in Galaxian. I met him in the place called Nephalim….”
“Desperate people are attracted.”
While a user was in the middle of his introduction. A young man sitting at the next table stood up and muttered. Mald stopped his introduction and frowned.
“What? You? Did you mean me?”
“It means all of you.”
The youth said in a low voice.
“Pathetic people attending a meeting to try and beat Ark. Resentment? Gathering power? You thought of this idea because you suck when alone. But this won’t change even if your numbers increase. Do you think that you people will be enough to win? Furthermore, your name is Mistaken? If you stood in front of Ark and applied for a duel then you would be shaking.”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! What did you say?”
“You heard me. So I am leaving. Have fun.”
The young man turned around. Then Valencia shouted with a red face.
“Are you going to run away after saying all of that?”
“Run away? Me?”
“Are you going to run away without telling us your ident.i.ty?”
“….I see. Okay. I’ll tell you.” I am a user in Galaxian. Come find my at any time if you feel bad about my words. I’ll be your opponent. I am a Rama but I won’t be difficult to find in the s.p.a.ce frontier. This isn’t my formal name but if you want to see me, ask for my nickname in Kwain.”
“Nickname?”
“The Red Slaughterer.”
The youth exited the cafe after saying that.
————————————————————————–
“Certainly…..”
A sandy wilderness. There were dozens of sand dunes with a wavy effect. Three men were heading down the gently slope of a hill.
Marquis Martin, Fay and Ark.
“I have a thrilling feeling.”
“I feel it too. An impression like my skin is burning.”
“Oh, you’re not an amateur now?”
“Stop. Marquis-nim has spent 10 years on the battlefield while he has less than two. He can’t compare to Marquis-nim who is a veteran soldier. He has only received the Hero t.i.tle for 1 year but he isn’t a genius….
Fay said while peeking at Ark. Marquis Martin laughed and shook his head.
“You are still stubborn. So you don’t like him?”
“It isn’t a matter of not liking him. I am a soldier and have the pride of a soldier. And I think a hero needs to have the appropriate quality and skills to match.”
“Quality and skills….”
Marquis Martin shrugged and looked at Ark.
“Well, I’m not sure about quality and skills but he definitely has a special talent. At least you can see that. Ark, do you understand? My eyes can’t see anything. So don’t you think you should explain it? Hey Ark!”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”
Ark glanced back at Marquis Martin after a small pause.
Once again, Ark had engaged in a fierce battle to rescue the crew of the n.o.blesse from the Nak.u.ma. However, that was just the beginning. There was no point if they couldn’t escape from the castle.
Before the n.o.blesse sunk, Hoksullo sent a SOS to the western headquarters but there was no guarantee the rescue operation would work.
No, it would be difficult. Ikyullos was still in an undetectable state. Ark was convinced of it. The only way for them to escape the planet was to identify the cause and resolve it.
‘And the answer is probably….’
Ark’s gaze headed over the hill. They had joined up with the survivors of the n.o.blesse half a day ago. Ark’s companions marched 30 kilometres through turbulent sandstorms while fighting the Nak.u.ma.
It was for the sake of coming here. The swirling whirlwind that sucked up the black shapes that emerged from the bodies of the Nak.u.ma.
‘…..There is no doubt about it! This is the cause!’
Ark’s Hajaska rune allowed him to see a great scene unfolding in front of him. Marquis Martin, Ark and Fay arrived at the hill where the whirlwind emerged from a pit in the ground.
This was the centre of the black swirl. It was invisible but Marquis Martin could feel the enormous power surge as the vortex connected with the sunspot in the sky. Marquis Martin clicked his tongue at Ark’s words.
“It is a great pity that I can’t see this.”
“What is that thing?”
“Let’s see? I’ve had a lot of experience travelling around the galaxy but I can’t even make a guess. How can I know without seeing it?”
Marquis Martin looked at Ark and said. He couldn’t see it with his eyes.
“No, I can’t guess even if I saw it.”
“Someone like Fay won’t be able to know even if he rolls his head. And in fact, Ark doesn’t need to worry about the black swirl right now. I already know where to find the answer.”
“You already know where to find the answer?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The ‘thing’ that covered Ikyullos is the one that attacked the n.o.blesse. That ‘something’ is likely the sunspot. And if Ark’s words are true then the centre of that crater is a.s.sociated with the sunspot. The vortex connects the black sky and this crater. The sunspot was created due to the crater or vice versa. It means that something is happening in the crater. Then shouldn’t we go in and check? It is the obvious answer. We don’t need to think about anything other than that goal. Concentrate only on the goal. That is how I was able to survive in numerous battlefields.”
Ark had to agree. Anyway, this was a situation where nothing could be guaranteed.
If so, it would be better to focus on the productive things. And there was no room to worry about anything else. The reason Ark, Marquis Martin and Fay were hiding their bodies wasn’t simply to avoid the sandstorm.
Many Nak.u.ma were gathered around the crater.
“The main point will be those guys.”
“Exactly.”
Marquis Martin nodded and then asked.
“Fay, what is the current battle personnel?”
“43 members of the special guards are gathered. And the remaining 26 are regular crew members like Hoksullo, with 10 of them combat capable.”
“Then we can mobilize 53 people?”
Marquis Martin sighed with frustration.
They counted approximately 400~500 Nak.u.ma around the crater. Furthermore, their experience indicated that these Nak.u.ma had superior attack power compared to those on Istana.
They had 53 people against 400~500 Nak.u.ma. Marquis Martin knew if he delayed then the damage to the crew would worsen. He had to believe the odds were good enough to win. He wouldn’t attack while still ignorant.
But the situation this time was different. No matter how good the special guards were, the probability of winning was less than 10%.
“That is good enough.”
Fay said with a resolute look.
“The special guards aren’t afraid of death!”
“That isn’t something to be proud of.”
“What?”
Fay huffed at Ark’s words.
“Are you insulting the special guards? The special guards are Marquis-nim’s personal troops. It is our mission to protect Marquis-nim no matter the circ.u.mstances. We are proud to dedicate our lives to this mission.”
“But what will happen to Marquis-nim if you die? Survive somehow. Doesn’t that make more sense?”
“I mean…..”
“Plus….”
Ark turned his eyes towards Fay.
“Our purpose isn’t to wipe out the Nak.u.ma but to figure out what is happening in the centre of the crater. But we still don’t know what is inside. Therefore it doesn’t make sense if you die while trying to wipe out the Nak.u.ma.”
“You dare….”
“Ark is right.”
Marquis Martin interrupted the huffing Fay. And he looked at Ark with a funny expression.
“However, that doesn’t mean that anyone can do it. Don’t criticize unless you can come up with an alternative method. It looks like you’re not just saying that. Did you think of something?”
“Marquis-nim, you can’t have expectations from him….”
“I do.”
“What? That guy…..”
“Oh, do you have something to say? Do you have a plan ready?”
“Marquis-nim, those words….”
“People are required. 30 people will do.”
“I’m glad. A cruiser or hydrogen bomb is needed to deal with 500 monsters. Fortunately we managed to save 30 people. Fay, gather 30 of the outstanding special guards and give them to Ark.”
Fay shouted with a displeased expression.
“M-Marquis-nim!”
“No, I don’t need the special guards.”
Ark shook his head and replied. And he laughed with a confident expression before saying.
“Please give me the 26 regular firemen.”
“Firemen?”
“Yes, and the duration of the day. That will be enough.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“Please watch over the Nak.u.ma from here.”
“You want us to wait obediently? How interesting. Okay, I won’t ask about what you are trying to do. I will watch what you can do in this situation.”
Marquis Martin grinned and nodded.