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.
âWhat did you want to talk about?â
âI told you! I was insulted by Min-sun. In front of my man! Doesnât Dad understand? Park Eun-chan is the youngest son of Central Hotel. Yet she dare do such things in front of Eun-chan!â
âWhat did Min-sun do?â
âI was blindsided by the man she was with and his two friends.â
âMan? Min-sin was with a man?â
The manâs eyes finally showed the first signs of interest. And Cho Mi-ra clamoured even more enthusiastically.
âYes, he was a dumb looking man. And a complete bully. I accidentally spilled some water on Min-sun but he couldnât 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?â
âSo, what specifically did they do?â
âIs that important?â
Cho Mi-ra frowned while looking at her father.
âMe! Fatherâs daughter! They humiliated me in front of all those people!â
âMin-sun is also my daughter. And your younger sister.â
âI donât have a younger sister!â
âYou are my daughter but you canât change that fact. Youâre 25 years old so shouldnât you know that by now? Donât visit your fatherâs workplace and tell me about a quarrel between sisters. I donât have the time to listen to such talk.â
Cho Mi-ra cooled down at her fatherâs words. She bit her lip and muttered in a cold voice.
ââŚ..Are you saying Iâm troublesome?â
âThat isnât what Iâm saying.â
âYes, you do that. I understand. Then Iâll disappear.â
Cho Mi-ra stood up and grabbed her handbag before crying out.
âAnd Iâm 27!â
Moon So-ri heard her rough voice.
However, his face didnât 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 b.u.t.ton on his intercom and said.
âSecretary Choi, are you there?â
âYes, President-nim. Please say your request.
âThere is a man who met with Min-sun. Find out about that guy.â
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 couldnât see or hear anything.
A person who knew would understand. How much this made a person choked up. However the darkness and silence wasnât what confused Ark. Rather, it was that he couldnât understand where this place was and why he was here. In this world, there was no effect without a cause!
âYes, something unexpected mightâve happened but there is a reason for it. If I think calmly then I might be able to obtain some hints or information. So letâs go through my memory step by step. ThenâŚ..â
Ark pressed the ââˇâ b.u.t.ton and played the memory in his head. The situation floated before him.
âNow there is no time. The key to a surprise attack is speed! Donât give them time to think! Each team will enter the pa.s.sage and exterminate the enemy! If there is danger then use the communicator! Advance!â
Shortly after the investigation team landed on the grey planet. Hawk had separated the team and ordered them to advance into the underground base.
âŚ..He had gone too far.
âNo! The necessary scene isnât here!â
Ark pressed the ââˇâˇâ and his memory accelerated forward. The underground facility pa.s.sed 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 wasnât just bullying. The packed the entrance with explosives in order to trap Arkâs group in the control room.
âHawk, that d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d!â
He couldnât even curse right now.
Anyway, Hawkâs plan was stopped by Arkâs superior judgement. In his desperate moment, Ark was able to find a secret pa.s.sage in the control room and escape just before the base exploded. But the situation didnât end there. The baseâs 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 holeâs gravity. However Ark had a hidden move.
Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak! Kwa kwak!
He launched an anchor into Hawkâs ship and held on! It was the anchor launcher installed when the Silver Star was being repaired on E-2036.
âYou b.a.s.t.a.r.d! What are you doing?
âHawkâs expression then was so confusedâŚ..â
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!
âArk! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, 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 wonât be able to live if another ship is destroyed! Save me!
This time Ferguson anch.o.r.ed himself to Arkâs ship. FergusonâŚ..he really had the intelligence of an ape.
Needless to say, Ark had anch.o.r.ed himself to Hawk in order to live. If he grabbed onto Hawkâs Death Knight then Ark wouldâve surely escaped from the black holeâs gravity. He was convinced about it and didnât look for another way.
But Ferguson wasnât thinking at all. Just like a drowning man would catch anything, he grabbed onto Ark and wouldnât let go. In the end, everyone would die because he wanted to live.
âd.a.m.n! I hope he is. .h.i.t by a garbage truck and dies!â
Ark and Hawkâs detailed plans for each other were crushed by Ferguson who the IQ of a monkey. And then the worst situation occurred.
âI canât control the Silver Star!
â3D 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!
âThere is no way to escape the gravitational field!
-Ugh! I donât 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.
âYou have died.
That message popped in front of him.
No, that message shouldâve popped in front of him. Thatâs why Ark was confused. He had been swallowed by darkness and waited for the message to appear.
âThe black hole is an existence that sucks in everything. Not even light can be seen here. If Iâm stuck in a black hole and my soul wasnât returned to a FairyâŚ..â
A sinister thought entered his head. However Ark shook his head.
âIt is impossible. Either way, this is still a game. There shouldnât be any bugs to lock a userâs resurrection. So what is this situation? PerhapsâŚ.I havenât died yetâŚ..â
ââŚâŚCharacter Information Window.â
Ark muttered dubiously.
Character Information WindowNameArk (R-02788)Level137SpeciesHumanOccupationElimâs HeirFame11,730 Adventure1,590Health3,350Mental Power 600Mana0Force1,825Strength330 (+20)Agility375 (+20)Stamina555Wisdom40Intelligence350Luck55* t.i.tle
* Contribution: Galactic Federation 19,520, Â 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 âClairvoyanceâ effect of the Survivor coating is applied.
âEh? R-really?â
Arkâs 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 hadnât 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 didnât just display his level and stats. It also showed his equipment in the form of stat (+Îą). Yet that wasnât there anymore.
Aside from the +20 attached to strength and agility, the other effects of his equipment had disappeared.
<heir><elim>âMy accessories are gone?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Arkâs face paled after seeing the equipment information window.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>His armour, boots, the unique Belphegorâs pants he just obtained and even the Baius Shield was gone? The only things remaining were his Heirâs Sword and Elimâs Helmet! It was worst then when he started Galaxian because he was completely exposed. No, his appearance didnât matter.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>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 cla.s.s as Elimâs 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.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>That wasnât all that disappeared. Even the basic j.a.ptem stored in his backpack and Nymphe were gone.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âOh my G.o.d! This is ridiculous! My backpack full of items and Nymphe have disappeared as well? Iâd rather die! Bug! Yes, this is obviously a bug! d.a.m.n, is there really a bug this ridiculous? Iâm going to protest to the game publisher! If they donât restore my items then Iâll sue!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>While he was thinkingâŚ..</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âWait? This might surprisingly be a chance!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Arkâs eyes glistened after a moment.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>In fact, one of the reasons Ark despaired when sucked into the black hole wasnât because of his death. The death penalty for a user wasnât that much. Of course, his level would drop and maybe even an item depending on the damage but it wasnât cause for despair.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The pioneer NPCs could also be resurrected like users. However, it was different when talking about non-pioneer NPCs. If they died it was the end. The subordinate he raised with hard work would be lost once they died. Two such employees were riding on the Silver Star.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tori and Ellain.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIf weâre sucked into a black hole then it is over for Tori and Ellain. I will also lose the Silver Star.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Of course, the Silver Star was insured.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>However, he could only get back 80% of the price with the insurance. If a 10,000 gold s.p.a.ceship was lost then he would only receive 8,000 gold compensation. The user would lose the remaining 2,000 gold.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>There was also the shipâs lost cargo, upgrades and additional equipment that wasnât covered. Once someone lost a ship, there would be thousands of gold lost despite the insurance.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>ââŚ..But if it is caused by a bug?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He could bring this situation to the publisher.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>It was Arkâs fault that he was sucked into the black hole but the current trouble was due to a bug. He might be able to recover the Silver Star as well as his team members. No, he would do it. Ark worked for a virtual reality game publisher so he knew the details. If he persisted tenaciously then he could receive compensation for the bug.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âYes! This is great! I will press this!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark had just made his decision.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Buuuuong!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Something was heard in the darkness. Ark flinched and raised his head. He had forgotten the current situation while lost in memories.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark wasnât the only one sucked in the black hole. Not only was there Hawk and Fergusonâs ship, there were the team members on his ship like Rapid, Kaya, Tori, Hegel etc. If the bug dropped Ark into this place then it was likely that the Silver Star and his team members were scattered around here somewhere.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIf the other team members also bring up the bug then it will be easier to receive compensation.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âHey! Anyone there? I am Ark.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He shouted with a loud voice.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Gunshots suddenly rang out! Three or four bullets went through his side and thighs.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>-You were shot in a defenceless state and suffered a critical blow!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>A red message popped up with the throbbing pain!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âUgh! What, what the?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark cried out at the unexpected circ.u.mstances and cried out. At the same time, an idea crossed his head.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âI clearly said my name. My team wouldnât shoot blindly away after hearing that. And Iâm convinced this s.p.a.ce was made by a bug so it canât be monsters. The only person who might shoot me in this placeâŚ..â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>They were drawn into the black hole together. There were one among them who would shoot when hearing Arkâs name!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âHawkâs group! Is that you?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Bullets came flying over again instead of a reply. In fact, he hadnât expected an answer to his questions. It didnât matter if they were Hawk or Hawkâs subordinates. The second shooting made it clear they had a partner. It wasnât just one b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Projectiles were flying from three different directions!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âI canât just die in this bugged s.p.a.ce!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark rolled his body and avoided the bullets. He automatically raised his body in an attack stance but just turned around in vain.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He didnât realize it until now but his body felt incredibly heavy when he moved. It felt like dozens of iron nuggets worth a few kilograms were hanging all over his body. Ark moved as slow as a slug for a few metres and was already breathing like he ran a marathon.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âHuk! What, what the? This weight?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>But the opponents just mercilessly poured out bullets. Ark rolled on the ground again but avoiding all the bullets was impossible. Unless it was a critical hit, the damage from a bullet was less than that of a sword. Thatâs because by default, all armour in Galaxian had a bulletproof feature attached to them. However, that was when the armour was equipped. Unfortunately Ark was naked so he had X and XX parts exposed.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He was being shot at from three directions so he quickly lost 1,000 health. That wasnât the only damage. Without armour the bullets were three or four times stronger. It was enough to cause a tingling pain every time the bullet hit him. If the bullets. .h.i.t a sensitive area like his neck or XX then he would scream!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark immediately called his battle suit. But the expected battle suit didnât come out.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âDammit! My battle suit is also gone? Indeed, it isnât strange for my battle suit to disappear along with the other items butâŚ..no, now isnât the time to think about this. If I canât use the battle suit then I really will die!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He didnât know why his body suddenly felt so heavy. But there was one obvious thing. In this state he couldnât move his body to avoid the projectiles! And he had no shields to stop the bullets!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âSword Defense!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark said as he readied his lightsaber. The blue light separated the darkness and bullets scattered everywhere. Sword Defense was the technique that used the electromagnetic energy of the lightsaber to deflect projectiles!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âMost of my items disappeared but my skills are still intact.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>However he couldnât be relieved just yet. Sword Defense wasnât enough to change the situation. Attacks were coming from three different directions while the range of Sword Defense was limited. If was difficult to stop the bullets with Sword Defense in the darkness.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIf only it was possible to secure some sight.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>His Survivor coating gave him the Clairvoyance ability that allowed him to see through the darkness. It allowed him to see 20 metres in the darkness. But right now Ark couldnât see anything.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>In fact, that was the reason Ark first thought he was dead. He couldnât even see the bottom when using Clairvoyance.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He thought there had been a problem with his skills but Sword Defense worked properly. Yet the lightsaber was clearly visible to the enemy. He didnât understand the reason but it meant that Clairvoyance was sealed. Thanks to that, Ark couldnât even confirm the form of the opponent.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âDammit, if Clairvoyance doesnât work then it will keep on staying dark. Is this an effect of the bugged s.p.a.ce? Anyway, he was using Sword Defense but it was just like painting a target on him. But how can those guys see in order to fireâŚ..?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Then something popped into his head.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âWait? They can see? Then those guys? Can I use this?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>At first he thought the problem with Clairvoyance was due to the bug. But his other skills could be used normally. This meant the s.p.a.ce itself might be impervious to Clairvoyance. It was likely that Ark couldnât see even if he loaded an infrared scope.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âI donât know. Those guys only started to attack after I was here for a long time. Then those guys were in the same room but unaware of my presence. They started to attack after I talked. I called out for my team and they started shooting. There is a high possibility that their view is restricted like me. I have to check it first!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He thought up to there. Ark switched his lightsaber to OFF. Once the sword turned off, he felt pain as the bullet penetrated his body.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIf I donât prepare myself then Iâll die!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark stopped his moans of pain from emerging. He firmed up his mental strength and move his legs. The feet used Swamp Walking to move! There were two reasons why Ark used Swamp Walking.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The first was to make it easier to walk with his increase weight and the second was to make no noise. If his feet glided on the ground then it wouldnât make any sound.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>That was the reason to turn the lightsaber to OFF! He stopped any light and sound.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIf those guys can figure out my location from any noise or the light from the lightsaber thenâŚ..â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The sound of gunfire stopped. A smile of satisfaction spread on Arkâs face. Once he stopped the lightsaber and any noise, the enemy immediately lost Arkâs location.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>It had become clear. The fact that they didnât shoot meant they couldnât hear Ark. But it still wasnât a fair fight. Arkâs only weapon was a lightsaber while they used machine guns. And the advantages of machine gunsâŚ..</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Shortly after it stopped, the shooting started again. But they werenât fired directly at Ark. The projectiles were just blindly shot all over the place!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The strong point of a machine gun was that it was capable of random firing. Even a blindly shot bullet would be able to deal 100% damage. However if he used Sword Defense then he would become a target again.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>At that moment, Ark stretched out his hands and fired a skill.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Tak! Tak tak tak! Tak tak tak!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The sound of something rolling could be heard a few metres away. Ark had fired Psychokinesis blindly until he heard a sound. At the same time, he headed towards the noise while bullets were fired. And dozens of bullets showered down on him! Arkâs body flew across the darkness. He glided forward towards the source of the noise.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Wiiing!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>And the lightsaber switched ON!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âThe fight is now on! Khafra Fencing 3rd style, Galaxy Sword!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The light of the sword turned on and dozens of swords spread out like a fan. A chain explosion occurred in the darkness. Dozens of lights had spread out from one point! The storm of light revealed the shape of the enemy.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âWhat, what the? This guyâŚ..?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Confusion spread on Arkâs face. It wasnât Hawk like he expected. These guys also werenât Hawkâs subordinates.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>A monster with bandages wrapped around it and gun muzzles for hands appeared.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>But now wasnât the time to be surprised.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Kuwaaaah!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The monster with an egg like head shrieked and swung its arms. And bullets were fired from its hands! But this situation was different from before. He was now in a close combat fight with it.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âYouâre screwed now that I can see you!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The blue light formed a complex pattern across the body of the mummy.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark had many skills to deal with people using firearms including Sword Defense. In addition, he rushed in while the enemy was off guard so they were now in a close combat fight. He could deflect the trajectory of the bullets even when it was pouring right in front of me.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>In order words, he could redirect the enemyâs muzzle towards another direction. Of course, he couldnât redirect all of the bulletsâŚâŚ</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ping! Ping! Ping!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The bullets scattered but blood flowed from various places on his body. But they were just grazes.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>On the other hand, Arkâs sword was driven into the mummyâs vital spots without any errors. The explosion of light decreased its health and the mummy didnât last for even 1 minute. And it broke down into small particles like sand and disappeared.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âEh? This feelingâŚ..?â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Arkâs forehead wrinkled. He felt a sense of deja vu as he saw the mummy disappear. But he couldnât afford to think too deeply about it.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>There were still 2 mummies remaining in the darkness. Of course, those two hadnât just been watching while Ark was fighting.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>While Ark was fighting in close combat with one mummy, he was also blocking the other two enemies from hitting any vital spots. After the mummy fell, he was exposed to the enemyâs gunfire but that was only for a short moment.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âIt is impossible with three but that changes when talking about two enemies.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âSword Defense!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark rotated his body like a spin top and swung his sword. The bullets flew in the opposite direction back to the mummies. The bullets were reversed!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>When only two enemies were shooting, he could use Sword Defense to direct the trajectory of the bullets. It was a technique that he learnt after dying many times in the training centre!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Kuaaah!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>The mummies shrieked and stumbled.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âTake this! Sonic Sword!â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>At the same time, a blue vortex flew forward. The blue sword moved in a flashy pattern and the mummyâs body exploded. Now he only needed to dispose of one more mummy.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>He had dealt with the first two easily.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Wiiing! Wiing! Buoong!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>His lightsaber turned the final mummy into small bandage pieces.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âPhew, now that is taken care of.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ark sighed and looked around.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âWhat are earth are these guys? Why are there monsters in the bugged s.p.a.ce that occurred when I fell in a black hole? I donât have a Nymphe so I canât communicate with my other team membersâŚ..it isnât possible. If I canât even use the battle suit then clearly I can complain to the publisher. But isnât Galaxianâs publisher a foreign company? Do I have to file the complaint in English? No, first I should check if there is any loot. There is no guarantee that monsters in a bugged s.p.a.ce will drop loot. It is ridiculous that loot would drop in a bugged s.p.a.ce. The publishers wouldnât put loot in an accidental place like this.â</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>But he couldnât see anything in the darkness. Ark lay face down on the ground and tried to find something. No, while he was trying to do that.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>Suddenly the s.p.a.ce divided and split in half. At the same time, a man ran in and shouted while a bright light shone behind him.</elim></heir>
<heir><elim>âHyung-nim, where are you? Are you okay?â</elim></heir>