Ark The Legend

s.p.a.cE 4. Soul City

Ku ku ku ku!

“Wah, what is this?”

“Earth and sand is overflowing! Everyone retreat!”

The cry rang out in the darkness. A bunch of shadows stampeded through the hole. They were dirt covered octopuses, one hamster and one man.

“….S-stopped.”

“Pant pant, it is amazing. What happened just then?”

Milan and Tori breathed harshly.

If they had to briefly explained, Milan and Tori stayed with the octopuses while Ark was running around the maze. But all of a sudden, there was an earthquake and the ground started shaking.

However, the shaking only occurred once.

“Let’s see? What could it be?”

“d.a.m.n, there wasn’t any support so a lot of sediment poured down. What happened out of nowhere? It is fortunate that it pa.s.sed quickly but….”

“Can we enter now?”

–Milan-nim! Tori-nim!

While Tori and Milan were gawking at the hole. A small octopus ran forward and shouted.

–H-he is coming! Berami! Berami is entering the pyramid!

“What? That Berami b.a.s.t.a.r.d?”

“Dammit! If that guy discovers it then it will be the end! Cover it!”

–Hurry! Cover the entrance!

After Hakun yelled in a loud voice, the octopuses started to move noisily. They collected long sticks and used tools to camouflage the entrance. While the octopuses were busy, Milan and Tori ran towards Berami in order to buy time.

And they approached Berami with business like smiles.

“Ah Berami-nim, what brings you here?”

“The reason….”

Berami looked around and spoke.

“An earthquake just occurred in the vicinity of the pyramid. What’s going on?”

“Let’s see. I don’t know why the earthquake occurred either. But there is no need to worry. The pyramid is a solid structure that won’t be affected by the earthquake.”

“I want to check it directly so I will look around once.”

“Huh? L-look around?”

“Why, is that going to be a problem?”

“Problem? No. That’s not it…..”

Tori rolled his eyes and used ambiguous language.

He was afraid of this problem. Milan and Tori had proceeded with the octopuses under Ark’s direction. Fortunately, the young octopus guarding the entrance managed to warn them about Berami but they were still anxious.

Ark had been worried. Ark acted separately as soon as he entered the pyramid. Of course there was a reason. Ark had entered the pyramid to search for the Divine Artefact. And the probability was high that only Ark could find the Divine Artefact that Xanax had hidden in the pyramid. That’s why Ark investigated the pyramid alone.

Tori was a quick hamster.

‘The earthquake occurred after Hyung-nim ran in. However he hadn’t found anything yet. The sudden earthquake might even be related to Hyung-nim. Then isn’t it likely Hyung-nim discovered something hidden in there?’

And he could confirm that change with his eyes.

Berami was the problem.

“Where is Ark?!”

Berami asked while looking around. Tori hadn’t thought of the answer so he replied with surprise.

“Huh? Huh? H-Hyung-nim? Hyung-nim….he is busy with something important. That…..”

“Finding valuable relics in the ruins isn’t an easy task. The relics are treasures so they are hidden in the deepest parts of the ruins. A lot of time and effort is required to piece together the clues scattered across the ruins. He needs to concentrate. This is a daunting task for Hyung-nim so I would like to ask Berami-nim to refrain from entering that environment and distracting him. Hyung-nim is concentrating so he shouldn’t be disturbed.”

As expected from a treasure hunter, Milan’s reaction was faster. Tori nodded and quickly supported Milan.

“Yes! That’s right! That…..”

“I know that much.”

Berami interrupted Tori’s words.

“That’s why I accepted Ark’s terms. But it is an emergency right now. Do you know what will happen if an earthquake occurs in a ruin? I’m the owner of these ruins so shouldn’t I look around directly? The Flies alone aren’t enough for me to grasp the situation. Get out of the way.”

Berami didn’t listen to the two of them and entered the pyramid. In the end, Tori and Milan were forced to follow Berami while feeling ‘confused + anxious + on edge.’

Luckily the octopuses had already camouflaged the workshop while Milan and Tori were distracting him. Berami had no interest in the tools in the workshop. The problem was what would happen when Berami entered the main hall.

‘d.a.m.n, Hyung-nim is in the main hall….’

‘Please don’t be doing anything….’

‘It is impossible. We might need to deal with this b.a.s.t.a.r.d.’

Tori and Milan exchanged meaningful glances behind Berami’s back. Berami stopped moving and shouted.

“Eh? This!”

‘d.a.m.n! There is indeed something!’

‘It can’t be helped. Hey, Tori. Be prepared. It will start soon!’

Tori and Milan prepared to throw their bodies towards Berami.

“Why is he on his back like that?”

“Huh?”

Tori and Milan flinched and stopped. They followed Berami’s gaze with a strange expression.

The empty main hall. Ark was lying down in the middle. He wasn’t just lying down. He was in the embarra.s.sing state of lying down without any clothes.

“What on earth is he doing?”

“Well, let’s see. I mean….he is sleeping?”

“Sleeping? Sleeping like that in a place like this?”

“He has a personality that doesn’t like stuffy things….”

“Ha! There really is a variety of things.”

Berami muttered as he bit his lip. And he moved outside like it was troublesome to question it closely anymore. Tori and Milan flew back into the square as soon as they confirmed that Berami left.

Ark was still lying down.

“What? Why is Hyung-nim doing this?”

“d.a.m.n, he has been like this until now. What is he doing?”

“He isn’t dead….I don’t understand. He went to research alone so why is he almost naked?”

“Maybe Hyung-nim is an exhibitionist….”

Tori was looking at Ark when he suddenly raised his head. And he screamed as he saw the Fly flying above.

“T-this! Fly! We’re in trouble!”

“That’s right! Camera!”

Once again, the Flies were only relayed pre-recorded videos to Berami. The Fly that followed Ark showed him investigating the pyramid. But now Ark was lying down in a state of shame.

Berami had confirmed Ark’s condition before leaving. If the Fly didn’t transmit that then their manipulation of the Flies might be noticed!

“There’s no time! Tori!”

“Dammit! That stupid Hyung-nim! He should do something instead of sleeping!”

Tori cursed Ark as he s.n.a.t.c.hed the Fly. He connected his Nymphe to the Fly’s system and registered Ark lying down into the system. The time it took was only 30 seconds!

“Pant pant pant! D-did it go unnoticed?”

“Pant pant pant! We can only hope that it was unnoticed.”

Milan and Tori were gasping for breath after 30 seconds. A group of octopuses then came into the hall and shouted.

–Tori-nim, Milan-nim, it is serious!

–The workshop…

“d.a.m.n! What is it? What is it now?”

Milan and Tori cursed as they got up.

“That d.a.m.n Hyung-nim! Sleeping at a time like this!”

————————————————————————–

“….This place?”

Ark was fl.u.s.tered as he looked around. The ground that stretched out endlessly was covered with sharp rocks.

“Why did I come to a place like this?”

It didn’t make sense. But there was a reason for this result. Ark was confused and started to walk down memory lane.

Ark was able to connect the complicated pa.s.sages in the pyramid to form the Hajaska rune. And through the power of that rune, he was able to see the hidden presence in the main hall.

Anubis holding a scale! It was the same situation as described in books about Ancient Egypt. He didn’t understand Anubis’s words at first but he soon understood after almost being killed by a monster. He went on the scale with all his equipment taken off.

‘….It was the right answer.’

Ark could clearly see that.

A feather was place on the scale. If the heart of the dead was as light as a feather then they were recognized as a good person and moved on to the world of the dead. But that was in the myths.

Ark was thinking that the place where the treasure was hidden would be revealed. However, there was a sudden blast of light and he appeared in this deserted place.

‘I closed my eyes so I didn’t see it properly but I must’ve been moved somewhere the moment the light appeared. In the end….was the pyramid just the gateway to come here? Then the real secret of the pyramid is somewhere here…no, where is this place? Did I see such rock formations on Inquiry? In addition, the celestial bodies...o...b..ting is similar to Inquiry but is slightly different. That red planet seemed a little closer on Inquiry. The planets are the same but their sizes are different. Then another planet nearby….’

“Wait? Perhaps this location is?”

Ark lifted his head as he had a thought. He looked at the 3D galaxy map saved on his Nymphe and exclaimed.

“Oh my G.o.d! There’s no doubt about it. My current location is Ghost Star Rock! Ghost Star Rock. Doesn’t this mean that it was related to Inquiry?”

An incredibly shocking fact! However, his conclusion didn’t change no matter how many times he checked it.

It was the mirage like planet that the Silver Star had tried to land on for 1 hour. Yet Ark managed to unexpectedly arrived on it through the pyramid on Inquiry.

“When looking at the overall situation, doesn’t the pyramid on Inquiry act like a Star Gate to this planet? Yes, this is the method to enter the ghost planet. Then the probability is high that Xanax hid the Divine Artefact on here.  Yes, it is starting to fit now.”

A lot of unanswered questions still remained. He didn’t know why the Ghost Star Rock had the form of a mirage. And if Anubis’s pyramid had a Star Gate to move here then this planet should have a device to return to Inquiry.

However, the only thing that could be seen was a wasteland filled with rocks. He couldn’t see any device to return to Inquiry. And Ark was convinced the Divine Artefact would be hidden here but he couldn’t get a sense of it. But Ark didn’t worry about it too much.

“Heh, this isn’t the first game I’ve played. The process for finding the Divine Artefact will eventually be revealed. Then it isn’t necessary to think about it. First I need to search around for the Divine Artefact. My one worry is about the pyramid….Tori and Milan will be upset if I suddenly disappeared….”

He wanted to communication with Milan and Tori but it didn’t connect as expected. There was no way to get in contact so Milan and Tori would have to handle it until he found the Divine Artefact.

And Ark had already solved the secret of the pyramid. If he got the Divine Artefact then it would be OK even if a bad situation happened.

“Tori and Milan can handle that guy. Right now I have to worry about myself.  I don’t know what type of place this is. I can’t guarantee what will happen. Ah, I’m also in the state where my armour is taken off. Then I should collect some equipment for the moment…eh? What happened to my body?”

Ark only just noticed that his body was in a translucent state. He didn’t know all the facts.

But he grasped what was roughly needed in order to return. If he sat down and thought about it then the remaining problems wouldn’t be settled. All the problems would melt away once he found the Divine Artefact.

Fortunately, the equipment was stored in his backpack without any problems.

Weapons:

Armour: , , , ,

Accessories: , , ,

This would allow him to escape.

Ark embarked on a full fledged search. It wasn’t necessary to go around and search everywhere. He had already seen something that attracted his interest since the moment he arrived.

It was a peculiar rock 300~400 metres away. Unlike the other rocks, this one felt artificially made.

“Indeed!”

Ark’s face immediately had a smile.

When he approached closer, the rock had a shape like a scarab. It had weathered over time but the surface still had marks like it was a structure someone created. It wasn’t surprising that there was a metal door with a wheel as the handle.  The handle was red from rust but small letters could be seen.

-The key is with them.

Cheolkeong, cheolkeong!

He tried to push and pull the door open.

“The key is with them? Do I need something?”

The sentence written on the door was probably a clue. That’s what he thought. The game had its own formula that existed.

For example, he accidentally obtained a key in a dungeon. Then there was a 90% chance he could use that key somewhere in the dungeon. If he subst.i.tuted that formula into this situation then there was one thing he could try first!

“Come out, Shire! Hajaska Rune!”

The Hajaska rune that he obtained in the pyramid! It allowed him to come to this planet so the probability was high that the rune was the key. Ark’s hand was surrounded by light and he drew the rune.

“Heok! W-what is this?”

A scene he couldn’t imagine had spread out in front of him. There were unusual buildings shaped like onions and aliens with a head double the size running around. In other words, a village. A village had suddenly appeared in the wastelands.

And the aliens looked like those belonging to RPGs in the 80s….

‘The Hajaska rune allows me to see invisible presences. In the end, this is a village that can’t be viewed using conventional methods. They are ghost like existences. This is the meaning of the statement written on the door. The key is with them. In other words, one of them knows the means to open the door. Using the Hajaska rune was the correct answer.’

It was amazing. Anyway, he had the a.s.surance that he was on the right track.

–Hey, why are you blocking the way? Get lost.

Then an irritated voice was heard from behind him. When he turned around, a bearded black man with 1 to 1 head and body ratio was pulling a cart. Ark quickly spoke after turning around.

“I’m really sorry.”

–It doesn’t matter if you are sorry. Get lost, I’m busy.

“Can I ask you something?”

–Something?

“What is the name of this village?”

-This village is called Soul City. It is obvious why this is called Soul City….huh? Why? Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve heard it? Wait? And what is my name? Ouch, my head hurts. Well who cares. It is best if I don’t feel sick.

What was this? A NPC that doesn’t think? However, he had learnt the name of the village.

After using the pyramid on the Hive called Inquiry, you have entered this planet. And the power of the mysterious rune has allowed you to uncover a mysterious village. This village is called Soul City. A village that has been long forgotten. Therefore most of the information about Soul City can’t be determined. The species that lives in Soul City hasn’t been reported anywhere else in the galaxy. If you want to know more then you need to collect the information directly. You have found the hidden city that only a few chosen people can visit.

* Adventure Points +1,000

The information window suddenly appeared. He earned 1,000 Adventure points for finding Soul City.

‘Anyway, this is Soul City. Soul City? Then this is really a ghost village? So why is the pyramid on Inquiry connected to a place like this? And why did Xanax hide the Divine Artefact here? There are many good places so why did he hide the Divine Artefact here? d.a.m.n, I’m getting a headache.’

Ark cleared his head before asking a question again.

“Just one more question. I’m trying to enter this building. However the door is locked. Do you know how to open the door?”

-This building?

The big man tilted his head.

-Eh? I’ve just realized that this is the first time I’ve seen you. I remember most of the people in this village. It is the first time I’ve seen someone with a small head like you. Are you sick?

“No, that’s not it…..”

–Well, this building. This building. Yes, you asked about the building.

Talking with the man was very tiring. He repeated the words like he didn’t understand what Ark was saying. Furthermore, he compared the size of their heads. No, he didn’t seem to know he was in a ghost state.

–Having a small head must be horrible. You can’t get married like that. No, perhaps you are already married? Well, it doesn’t really matter. Ah, you asked about the building? No, I don’t know anything about this building. Probably not. But the village mayor might know.  By the way, do we have a village mayor? Probably so. Well, I guess. Maybe he lives in the rundown house on the outskirts of the village.Or maybe not.

Ark was only able to salvage one piece of information.

‘Shall I go visit the mayor?’

Ark moved through the village after getting a lead. Ark was used to virtual reality games but this was the first time he saw a place like Soul City.

NPCs with heads double the size of their body wandered around multi-coloured buildings. The world had a strong sense of an RPG.

Therefore Ark was drenched in the nostalgia of RPGs in the 80s.

‘What is this?’

Street stalls were present on the side of the roads. The unusual goods displayed aroused Ark’s interest. There were many wooden carved sculptures with an unknown purpose. But 2 different things caught his eye. They were spheres the size of a baseball. One had a red aura while the other one had a blue aura.

A mysterious...o...b..containing life force.

Once the life force is freed, the user’s health will be recovered by 100%.

-Mana Orb

A mysterious...o...b..containing the mysterious power of the universe.

When used, spirit based forces like mana, mentality etc. will be fully recovered.

‘Jackpot!’

The item information left him speechless!

Recovery items weren’t unusual. However, users typically used recovery ampoules loaded into the Nymphe that only recovered by 500. Of course, advanced versions existed but presently the maximum amount for recovery ampoules was 1,500.

When considering that Ark’s health had already reached 3,600, that would only serve as an emergency measure. Yet the orbs recovered health by 100%!

It was basically an item that would give him another health. Ark had never heard of these items before. Perhaps. No, they were definitely item that could only be obtained in Soul City! This sometimes occurred in a game.

‘Life! I have to buy this! The cost doesn’t matter!’

He had the item of making this a product. Life Orb and Mana Orb, these two items were a precious commodity. There weren’t other users around but he felt like it would disappear if he didn’t buy it straight away. This was an avoidable choice for users playing RPG games.

“How much is this?”

–You want to buy it? Then it is 500 Soul each.

“Huh? 500 Soul? It isn’t 500 gold?”

–Gold? What is that? Huh? This? What the, it is just a coin. It looks peculiar but this isn’t a bartering system. Soul. All I need is Soul. My wife and children are waiting like shrewd rabbits at home. Huh?You didn’t know? Anyway, if it isn’t Soul then I won’t sell it.

‘Dammit, this place has a different currency?’

When he thought about it, it was the inevitable result. This was Soul City. In other words, a ghost village. Gold wouldn’t be any use in a ghost village. Instead the currency here was Soul. However he wasn’t just going to leave like that.

“How do I obtain Soul?”

–You have to work.

“Is there a place where I can find work?”

–Che, asking a salesperson all sorts of questions. But you are a customer. That reminds me, I heard some friends muttering that a farm on the outskirts of the village is shorthanded. Go there if you are looking for a job.

Ark thought about this for a while.

Once again, the reason Ark came here was to find the Divine Artefact. And he also needed to think about the situation at the pyramid. Now he suddenly needed to do a part time job. He didn’t feel like it.

However, these were recovery items that would fill up to the maximum amount.

‘There is still a lot of time to find the Divine Artefact….but sometimes items will disappear. This place is Soul City. It fits the atmosphere. I feel like I will return to the pyramid the moment I receive the Divine Artefact. Yes, there is still four days remaining in the agreement with Berami. I already know the village mayor has the clue to the Divine Artefact so I have some time.’

Ark decided to postpone searching for the Divine Artefact for a while. The 80’s RPG atmosphere made him feel relaxed.

Anyway, he headed to the outskirts of the village and a farm of a considerable scale appeared. The surprising thing was that the bearded NPC he first talked to was at the farm.

–Eh? You are?

“Yes, I am the person you met before.”

-Yes, I remember. You still haven’t fixed the illness that made your head small. Weren’t you going to talk to the village mayor? Did you remember what I told you? Eh? Perhaps I am the village mayor?

The spirit of the NPC was still fluctuating. But he was forced to work under this guy.

“That’s not it. I suddenly need some Soul. Do you have anything for me to do?”

–What? You came here for work? I….I am surprised. Hmm, I do have some work for you. Please catch that immediately.

“That is….?”

Ark’s face warped as he turned in the direction the farm owner was pointing. Something was swarming the wide farm.

He had seen it before. Something that resembled drops of water with jelly like skin. It had big eyes and a mouth that gaped open. Could it be imagined? Slime. A monster made of a viscous liquid that was common in 80’s RPGs.

The farm owner grabbed his huge head with a pained expression and continued talking.

–Their meat tastes like superb jelly. But they started feeding on Soul and became big, making them difficult to catch. Look at them. Those guileless eyes. They are laughing at me. Ugh, I really want to stick a knife in them. Now their numbers have increased so much that they are everywhere on the farm. Then I shouldn’t have raised them in the first place.

Anyway, Ark now knew what he had to do.

“Then you want me to catch the slime and obtain the meat?”

–That’s right. Is that possible despite those guileless eyes?

Who can do it?

Ark had played many games and was an veteran at killing slimes. There was no reason to feel remorse even if he tortured them. Especially if he could buy a rare item!

“I will catch the slime for you.”

–Ohh! Really? I’m really glad I met someone like you. Yes, then I’m asking you. Please brutally cut them apart. If you kill 10 then I will give you a generous compensation. Despite how cute they are, I want you to cut their heads off! Don’t worry about your conscience and cut them one by one. I’m asking you….