WuxiaWorldEU

Vol 15 Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Now They…..

s.p.a.cE 6. Now They…..

“Minus 1, 000 points!”

Tukwak!

“Waaahhh!”

There was a cool sound and a cry of distress. A man flew in a curve and hit the ground. And he bounced like a plump dumpling. The man got up and shouted.

“C-cough! W-why are you doing this?”

“Minus 1, 000 points!”

“Why are you suddenly mentioning minus 1,000 points? No, what is this minus 1,000 points thing?”

“My own a.s.sessment method. The so called justice measure.”

“Justice measure?”

“Whether this is the future or the past, the most important value in this world is justice! The world is defined by justice. Evil and injustice is running rampant in this world! We have to fight the enemy!”

A muscular man was standing there raving. He was Justiceman.

Justiceman had started Galaxian because of Isyuram.

The government was being held hostage with the nuclear reactions so a Lucifer Hunting Team was formed with 300 elite agents. However, the original intention was derailed by the division between the Department of Defense and National Intelligence Agency as both sides deliberately hindered the other faction.

Isyuram’s response was to closely monitor the situation.

The Department of Defense and NIS would be separated and observed. Isyuram was in charge of the Department of Defense and Justiceman had the NIS.

The NIS originally were the ones charged with hunting Lucifer. The Department of Defense made plans to partic.i.p.ate and interfered with the NIS. The agents from the Department of Defense were more difficult to manage so Isyuram decided to be in charge of them.

And Justiceman was informally given the NIS. They were more manageable than the agents of the Department of Defense but….

‘Although I received authorization from Isyuram, I am still a civilian.’ It was like a civilian auditor interfering with a government official. But this was a critical issue for the country. In addition, the real estate property of Ark might be involved. The well-being of the country and his family was at stake. ‘I need to firm up my mind!’

Justiceman was prepared for significant opposition. But their reaction was unexpected.

“Justiceman?”

“Captain Isyuram has a lot of respect for you.”

“You have come. Welcome.”

The NIS had a friendly atmosphere and welcomed him. Isyuram was slightly embarra.s.sed but there was a reason for it.

“We have been on the brink of death many times with Captain Isyuram.”

“We are aware of how critical our mission is. We aren’t children. Won’t a nuclear explosion damage the country’s economy and environment? We sincerely want to stop Lucifer.”

“But we are civil servants.”

“Yes, the humans above us are just going through the motions.”

“We have no choice but to follow orders from above. Frankly, we didn’t want to do it but we had no choice. How can those above say ‘this is for the sake of the country’ when they give such orders?”

“But Captain Isyuram took issue to it….”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. Captain Isyuram isn’t to blame. We can already guess the matters behind Captain-nim. His permission means he has to treat us like that. Especially after what we heard about the meeting with the senior officials from the Department of Defense and the Prime Minister’s office. But nothing changed. We continue to be in the middle of the commands coming from above.”

“But now I can only sigh.”

“How will the commands from above be affected now that Justiceman-nim is overseeing us? We can’t hide any information from you. Therefore, we don’t need to be ashamed of our actions or worry about Captain Isyuram-nim being fired as punishment.”

“Justiceman-nim is our saviour!”

The NIS agents had suffered quite a lot while struggling between their heart and mind. Their worries had no disappeared after Justiceman joined. This was the reason why the team members welcomed Justiceman.

‘Korea’s future is still bright!’

The NIS agents liked Justiceman at first.

-Appreciation of the NIS agents towards Justiceman has increased by 1,000 each!

This message wanted to appear!

Such an atmosphere continued for some time. The auditor was only a level 20 beginner. The NIS agents were considerate towards Justiceman and willingly handed him the best equipment.

“Justiceman-nim, the 5th squadron has just sent in this information.”

“This is quite an achievement so should we share it with those from the Department of Defense?”

And the voluntarily provided information to the other faction.

‘I don’t have any work to do…..’

An auditor was a t.i.tle that uncovered corruption. Finding nothing was a good thing. It was a series of boring routines but Justiceman was satisfied.

However, something happened to make Justiceman angry. The origin of the problem was when the NIS’ company ‘Battle Nations’ receive a request from a merchant.

It was a special request. Production of local factories had decreased due to monster attacks so clearly the strongholds of monsters was a common quest.

The members of Battle Nations were prepared! Their opponents were the monsters attacking the factories. They mobilized 80 people. They were troops with the best equipment.

At the same time, the team members took care of the monsters attacking the factory. They used the momentum to march into the monster’s habitat. And they arrived at a deep forest habitat.

“….What is this?”

Justiceman looked around with confusion.

The village of an alien species could be seen in the monster’s habitat. The aliens inside the cabins were injured and dying. Justiceman thought they were victims of the monsters. However…..

–Despicable humans! Timaios will curse you!

“Eh? Despicable? Curse? What do you mean?”

–I’m talking about you guys! I don’t have any strength but the ghosts of my ancestors will never forgive you!

The alien with blue skin like a smurf shouted. There was something strange about the atmosphere.

“No no, just calm down and explain it to me step by step. What is the thing you can’t forgive and why are you cursing us? I don’t know the situation here and was just hired.”

–Shut up! You are part of the same group!

“T.h.e.r.e.f.o.r.e!”

Justiceman shouted angrily.

“I don’t know what you are talking about! I don’t want to boast but I have never done something that I have been ashamed of. Of course I’ve never been cursed! That’s why I want an explanation after being cursed out of nowhere!”

Justiceman intimidated the smurfs. And they whispered among themselves until the Papa Smurf like alien said.

–Okay. Then I will tell you. You guys are despicable. You deserve the curse. You will be punished for your sins after dying.

The Papa Smurf then said. The smurfs were natives of Istana. Just like Earth, Istana was inhabited by many different indigenous people before humans settled there. And they had their own way of living and history.

Yet this incident brought enormous changes to their lives. The emergence of mankind. And the war with the Rama.

–At the time, humans asked for help from the tribes on Istana to face the Rama. But from our point of view, humans and the Rama are both invaders. Some stood on the side of humans but we lived in peace. The ancestors didn’t oppose humans settling on Istana but they didn’t help in the war. We also respected the opinion of humans. However, that changed after the war.

The Galactic Federation made a system of citizenship. And any tribes who partic.i.p.ated in the war were given citizenship. They acted like the master of the planet.

However, the smurfs didn’t mind. They weren’t interested in human civilization and only wanted to live off nature.

….They were naive to think like that.

–The selfish humans started changing Istana’s environment to suit themselves. The forest that had existed for millions of years became a wasteland overnight. It was good up to here. Humans were also desperate in order to live. Humans had to go further away because their cities were unliveable. The tribe understood that fighting would be a losing battle.

So they settled in this village. It was thousands of kilometres deep into the Outlands so even humans didn’t come here. They even found rare ores and built factories.

–We no longer have a place to recede to. So some chiefs were asked to visit the factories. We only needed a place for us to live. What was the answer from the humans? Ma.s.sacre! And slavery! They murdered the chiefs at the factory and stormed this village to take slaves! Would you be able to forgive that? Would you be able to endure it? My people were enslaves, killed and chased!

“Chasing, killing or enslaving my people….”

Justiceman muttered with a blank expression before shouting.

“I will never forgive those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”

–That’s it! So we had no choice but to fight!

Papa Smurf became more agitated at Justiceman’s words.

Therefore the smurfs revolted. They couldn’t produce rough pistol but they were a species that lived in the harsh environment of Istana.

The ability to control monsters was handed down from generation to generation. The smurfs rallied the monsters around them and declared war on the factories. However, they were smashed by Justiceman and the NIS agents.

-Now. This is all that remains after our defeat to you. So we can only do one thing. Just die and curse you…

“That’s wrong!”

Just as the Papa Smurf was sighing with disappointment. Justiceman who had been watching silently shook his head and shouted.

“Even though I didn’t know the circ.u.mstances, I am still a lousy human who stood on the side of those who inflicted harm on you. There is no excuse for my intervention. But I can do something. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

-Forgive….forgive….?

“I know it is hard to forgive me. I know it. But……”

–It isn’t hard!

The Papa Smurf shouted. Tears dripped down the Papa Smurf’s face.

–Not hard…forgiveness….it isn’t difficult at all. No, we have been waiting for it. Humans have come for hundreds of years already. There were numerous hardships but we didn’t want to spend our time on revenge or curses. We just wanted one sincere word of apology. And we would accept the apology and act to live together. We endured while wishing for this. One day…one day someone would ask for forgiveness…but it is too late. Yes, it is too late.

“It isn’t too late!”

Justiceman shook his head vigorously.

“When looking at it carefully, humans were in the wrong! I didn’t know the facts! I am a human but I won’t unconditionally take the side of humans. But I believe that there is a way to coexist!”

After Justiceman said this.

-The quest <wipe>has received a branching quest!-While completing the <wipe>quest, you discovered that an indigenous species of Istana was behind the monsters. And you heard that they never wanted to attack the factory. You are sympathetic to the cause of the Mauri Clan and as a result, you are placed at a crossroads of choice.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>One, you can eliminate them like the client requested. Or two, you can stand on the side of the Mauri Clan and find a way to convince the clients to release the slaves and co-exist.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Your fame and compensation with the client will be affected. Think carefully before making your decision.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>A choice had emerged.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>However, this wasn’t a problem to Justiceman. Justiceman was the attack leader but he had given all the experience to the NIS agents. Justiceman was the auditor. He was like an executive in charge of the NIS agents. He called the leader of the team, Rain over to discuss it.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Rain’s answer….</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“There is no need to worry.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“No need to worry?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Yes. One of the 4 large companies in the Galactic Federation, the h.e.l.l Lion was the one who commissioned us to clear out the factory. If we handle this job without any noise then we will receive a substantial reward and h.e.l.l Lion will subcontract us for one year. This is an opportunity to rapidly grow our company.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Then it is better to proceed like the client wanted. Take a look at them. They are a tribe living in cabins surrounded by monsters. We won’t be able to get anything even if we are on their side. It is better to maintain a good impression with h.e.l.l Lion.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Then you want me to pretend I hadn’t heard any of that?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“It is uncomfortable but the best option.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Uncomfortable? Best?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Justiceman’s brow furrowed. And he gripped Rain’s collar and threw him!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Minus 1,000 points! You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>….This concluded the process of how Rain was thrown into the ground.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Whether this is the future or the past, the most important value in this world is justice! The world is defined by justice. Evil and injustice is running rampant in this world! We have to fight the enemy!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>And the speech that Justiceman gave! However, Rain still had a puzzled expression.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“J-Justiceman-nim, aren’t you mistaken? This is a virtual reality. No matter how real this is, they are still just NPCs! Furthermore, we aren’t playing this game for fun. Our purpose is to protect the country!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Protect the country? Ha! Now I know.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“What are you saying about protecting the country?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“The country. Powerless people. For the sake of our country, we need to protect the powerless people. I’m not sure when the country became so rotten that our agencies have forgotten about the people. Don’t make me laugh. If you don’t do it then who will?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Justiceman looked at the remaining team members who were scared.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“You know why the Lucifer Hunting team was created. And keep in mind that the orders from above are from selfish people. Yet you have no choice but to follow their commands. But I want to ask. How can you say ignore those guys when they are going through the same pain?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“No power. So let me ask you. What power does the NIS have if you can’t help those people? Politics emerge from your mouth when it opens. Your country and its people. But the selfish leaders aren’t telling the public anything about Lucifer. How will we reply if confronted by the public? You should know the situation. But you were silent even against unreasonable commands. Because you are cowards.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Cowards? That is too harsh!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Rain jumped up and shouted.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Shut up! I will say even more severe words!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Justiceman yelled with shining eyes.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“It doesn’t matter if you originally weren’t cowards. This is a despicable way of living. But I don’t blame you. You are working for the country and its people. This means you shouldn’t surrender. It doesn’t matter the opponent or the circ.u.mstances! Justice is the truth. Your opponent might be stronger than me but making excuses is rather pathetic.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Rain and the team members were silent. They didn’t agree with Justiceman. They knew what he wanted to say but it didn’t fit with their sense of reality. But what was the alternative? This overwhelming force? The strange persuasion method?</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>They looked back several times but still didn’t think they did anything wrong. However, they obediently nodded.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“So? What does Justice-man want to do?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“I have to draw a firm line. When looking at this situation, it is obvious unjust. Then the answer is obvious.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“But the request is from the branch director of h.e.l.l Lion.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“And he is unaware of the situation and asked us to subjugate monsters. In order words, the Mauri Clan. Furthermore, we don’t want to turn h.e.l.l Lion into our enemies. Won’t that cause a disadvantage in our efforts to protect the country?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Hardships will follow when trying to achieve justice. Does who want justice shouldn’t fear suffering.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>They couldn’t talk to this guy. Rain shook his head as he gave up and asked.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Okay. We will follow Justiceman-nim’s decision. But a great person like Justiceman-nim should be able to solve the situation. Justiceman-nim should present a situation. That should suffice.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Rain looked at Justiceman with sharp eyes.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“We had created quite a large budget for the Battle Nations company. If any damage is dealt to the company then Justiceman-nim will have to take responsibility. In some cases, Isyuram might not be able to avoid responsibility as an auditor. Keep this in mind when you answer. Doesn’t Justiceman-nim know that this won’t be resolved with just a few words? Now, what should we do?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Isyuram scratched his head.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>He was the person making a fuss about justice. It would be hypocritical if he opened his mouth to complain about taking responsibility. Rain had that thought as he watched Justiceman.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Justiceman just turned his head and laughed.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Shall we try to occupy the factory?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“This place….”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Harley stuttered with a stiff expression. Hawk checked it and nodded.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Yes, this is the right place.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Hawk had a small disc in his hands.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>It was divided into five part, each with the symbols of the five elements such as wood, water, metal, earth and fire.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Of course, it wasn’t free. Everything in this world was give and take. If he received something then something needed to be paid.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>‘But this really isn’t a joke. Many users have already fallen to the hands of Carly. I know Carly because of the Seven Swords but still think he is disgusting. That son of a b.i.t.c.h, he knew what I was tracking and made such an absurd claim!’</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>However, Hawk was forced to accept the conditions. Carly had traced down the Five Elements disc that was an important item to Hawk. It was a.s.sociated with Hawk’s profession.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>The Five Elements disc wasn’t just a decorative item. The real purpose of the Five Elements disc was to act like a compa.s.s to point towards an ancient species. It was simply a compa.s.s but it pointed to the stash of the ancient species.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>This was the reason Hawk momentarily let go of Ark. Hawk used the Five Elements disc to voyage through the s.p.a.ce frontier and finally arrived at a deep crater in an asteroid.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>This was obviously the place Hawk was looking for. Hawk’s battleship Death Knight floated above the asteroid. A large stone several times larger than the battleship was erected in front of him.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“A strange stone statue.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“A Buddha Idol.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Buddha….”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Harley had an expression that indicated he didn’t understand but didn’t ask anything further.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Should we take a quick look with the optical scanner?”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“There is no need. Anyway, I will proceed alone from here. I will go and look at it directly. It might take a long time so you should go to the Death Knight. Take care and don’t report trivial things to me.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“I understand.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>His personal aide replied as Hawk headed to the upper deck. He was wearing a s.p.a.ce suit with external jets and used it to reach the Buddha.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>A giant locked in darkness. The Death Knight lit up the place but the Buddha was still creepy. He swam through the weightless s.p.a.ce and looked at the Buddha.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Haw narrowed his eyes and focused his attention. The Buddha was covered in thick layers of dust, proving it had been there for many years.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>He checked the Five Elements disc before moving. And that shape was carved into the statue’s hand.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>If that was the case, he had one method to try.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“It is a surprisingly simple process.”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Hawk grinned and set the disc on the palm of the hand.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>It wasn’t surprising but the palm shook and the Buddha vibrated. It was like Hawk expected up to here. But an unexpected situation occurred in the next moment. Thousands of swords emerged from the hand of Buddha and flew towards Hawk.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Hawk burst out with confusion and rapidly used his jets. Compressed air flew out of the jets and Hawk narrowly avoided the swords. But in the next moment, the swords moved like a snake and headed towards Hawk again. Avoiding the swords had its limitations in an area like this. And the moment the wave of swords was about to cover Hawk!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>“Fire! Chasing Shadows!”</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Two streams of light exploded forward. They were his two swords with yin and yang engraved on them.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Black lights emerged and blasted the wave of swords in every direction. However, two swords couldn’t prevent the hundreds of swords. The wave of swords promptly enveloped Hawk.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Kakakaka! Snap!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Hawk received a devastating impact and was thrown into the Buddha. He checked his health and noticed that it had been reduced by 40%. However, his s.p.a.ce suit was in a more serious condition.</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>-Warning!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>The s.p.a.cesuit has been damaged and oxygen is leaking!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe>Rapid emergency actions are required. Quickly return to the ship!</wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The warning message appeared along with the sound of wind rushing at his back.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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….</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘D-don’t touch the arms!’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>….He couldn’t escape the reach of the arms due to the damage. Thanks to that, Hawk was unable to keep his sober image.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>–Hawk-nim, danger! Avoid it! We’ll cover you!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Harley, retreat!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>–But I can’t just leave Hawk-nim!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>-…..I understand.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘There is no place to avoid it. No, I can’t see any with my eyes. But……’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Hawk jumped towards the Buddha statue. And stopped dozens of metres to the right side of the Buddha.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Thousands of swords penetrated the s.p.a.ce. However, only one sword grazed Hawk.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘Yes, this is the answer!’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Hawk had an elated smile on his face.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘There is a way to turn off the defense system!’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>However, that writing was the key.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘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!’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Chwararara! Chwararara!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Meanwhile, the thousands of swords formed a complicated tangle and flew towards Hawk again. However, the attack wasn’t a threat anymore.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>This time the swords didn’t hurtle towards Hawk. They split to the left and right and returned to the Buddha’s hand.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The Buddha’s hand rumbled and moved. And he stumbled as the palms clapped together, causing a blue light to emerge at the centre.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“….I’ve found it!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“This is my chance to become the Oritious’ Elim! The second half of the Asura Wave sword is sealed here!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>It was obviously dangerous. Hawk flew in without hesitation.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Kkiik.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The door opened and one person entered. The man stood at the entrance and looked around for a while.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Diririri. Diririri.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Don’t worry about picking up. I’m here.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Yes, I’m Valencia the meeting organizer.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The man sat in an empty seat and replied. And after silently examining the people sitting at the table, he opened his mouth again.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“I thought more people wanted to join….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“All of them are gathered.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Less than I thought.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Valencia outright said.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“I’ll confirm it first. I heard this meeting is to form an alliance to deal with the user Ark. Is this correct?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“That’s right.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Valencia nodded.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Not long ago, Hawk had met with Valencia.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Valencia hadn’t given up on revenge and was promised a rewarding offer to defeat Ark. But Valencia didn’t accept it entirely.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘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.’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘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….’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>In the meantime, Valencia did one thing. He collected all the users with a grudge against Ark in one place.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>But Valencia wasn’t disappointed.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Then one man raised his hands.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“But I want to check something before that.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Are you sure that Beltana’s Ark is ‘him’?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“But Global Exos….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Is there any information to prove it?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“No. But there is someone who will guarantee this.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Guarantee? Who do you mean?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Hawk? The Hawk you’re talking about….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The people at the table murmured after Hawk’s words.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Valencia said firmly.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>He truly wanted people who wouldn’t back out later in the future. Valencia nodded as they stayed sitting down.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Thank you. As of this time, we are allies.“</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“You might’ve got the wrong 5 people so how about Mistaken?</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Mistaken is okay.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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!</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Just imagining it is pleasant.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Then let’s introduce ourselves before having a formal discussion. Preferably the reason why you have a grudge against Ark.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Desperate people are attracted.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“It means all of you.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The youth said in a low voice.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“You heard me. So I am leaving. Have fun.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The young man turned around. Then Valencia shouted with a red face.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Are you going to run away after saying all of that?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Are you going to run away without telling us your ident.i.ty?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“….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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Nickname?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“The Red Slaughterer.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>The youth exited the cafe after saying that.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Certainly…..”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>A sandy wilderness. There were dozens of sand dunes with a wavy effect. Three men were heading down the gently slope of a hill.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin, Fay and Ark.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“I have a thrilling feeling.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“I feel it too. An impression like my skin is burning.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Oh, you’re not an amateur now?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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….</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Fay said while peeking at Ark. Marquis Martin laughed and shook his head.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“You are still stubborn. So you don’t like him?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Quality and skills….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin shrugged and looked at Ark.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Ark glanced back at Marquis Martin after a small pause.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Before the n.o.blesse sunk, Hoksullo sent a SOS to the western headquarters but there was no guarantee the rescue operation would work.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘And the answer is probably….’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>‘…..There is no doubt about it! This is the cause!’</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“It is a great pity that I can’t see this.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“What is that thing?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin looked at Ark and said. He couldn’t see it with his eyes.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“No, I can’t guess even if I saw it.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“You already know where to find the answer?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Ark had to agree. Anyway, this was a situation where nothing could be guaranteed.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Many Nak.u.ma were gathered around the crater.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“The main point will be those guys.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Exactly.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin nodded and then asked.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Fay, what is the current battle personnel?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“43 members of the special guards are gathered. And the remaining 26 are regular crew members like Hoksullo, with 10 of them combat capable.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Then we can mobilize 53 people?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin sighed with frustration.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>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.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>But the situation this time was different. No matter how good the special guards were, the probability of winning was less than 10%.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“That is good enough.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Fay said with a resolute look.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“The special guards aren’t afraid of death!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“That isn’t something to be proud of.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Fay huffed at Ark’s words.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“But what will happen to Marquis-nim if you die? Survive somehow. Doesn’t that make more sense?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Ark turned his eyes towards Fay.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Ark is right.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin interrupted the huffing Fay. And he looked at Ark with a funny expression.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Marquis-nim, you can’t have expectations from him….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Oh, do you have something to say? Do you have a plan ready?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Marquis-nim, those words….”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“People are required. 30 people will do.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Fay shouted with a displeased expression.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“M-Marquis-nim!”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“No, I don’t need the special guards.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Ark shook his head and replied. And he laughed with a confident expression before saying.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Please give me the 26 regular firemen.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Firemen?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Yes, and the duration of the day. That will be enough.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Is that really necessary?”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“Please watch over the Nak.u.ma from here.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>“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.”</oxygen></wipe></wipe>

<wipe><wipe><oxygen>Marquis Martin grinned and nodded.</oxygen></wipe></wipe>