Vol 3 Chapter 1

s.p.a.cE 1. Ikram

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

The chasing Rama warriors continuously fired at Ark. Ice fragments flew up with every shot along with pillars of flames.  Ark tried some evasion but his driving skills weren’t mastered yet so it was limited.

Pepepepeng!

-The engine has been hit and the output is rapidly decreasing.

If the engine is. .h.i.t again, there is a risk that it will explode.

Fumes soared from the bike as the message appeared.

‘This situation is bad.’

Ark judged as he turned his handle 180 degrees. The engine of the bike was damaged so the output had fallen. It would be hard to escape from the pursuing Rama warriors. Now Ark only had one choice left.

‘Whether I live or die depends on this.’

Ark’s head switched from ‘escape mode’ to ‘battle mode.’

‘I checked through the infrared scope and they are level 41 and 42. On the other hand, I am level 43. My level is slightly higher but there are two of them. Moreover, I’m a prisoner and they are elite troops. They will have better equipment and combat skills. If they have battle suits then the odds aren’t in my favour. I need to do something that will slightly even the odds in my favour, even if it is just confusing them for a moment.’

That was the conclusion Ark reached. And a skill naturally floated in his head.

‘But…….’

Ark was forced to hesitate. Ark still hadn’t grasped the skill properly. He couldn’t guarantee the outcome.  It was indeed a skill that he was gambling his life on. He hesitated but Ark had no more time to worry.

Tu tu tu tu! Pepepepeng!

The subsequent shooting exploded the left engine! Ark lost his balance, jumped off the bike and rolled along the ground.

‘I have no choice but to gamble now. I need to trust me senses!’

He lifted his body and raised his arms. Blue light started to gather around his hands. The light produced…….

Hwiiiii-!

A storm endlessly blew in the darkness. The -50 degree weather was so cold that the air seemed to be frozen. One man was walking in the extreme cold.

“Huck huck, dammit! What is with my unfortunate destiny?”

The person speaking with frozen lips was Ark.

“For it to turn out this way.”

It started 10 days ago. Ark had unintentionally fallen into the creva.s.se and found an abandoned pyramid. He had ended up with some unexpected gains. He had gained 12 levels, scooped up the rare Zaliman ore and received the Pharaoh’s artifact. He was then able to escape from the pyramid. And the information displayed on the GPS…..

-Distance to the galactic federation’s base: 532 km

Ark felt like he had been hit on the head with a piece of ice.

‘532 km means that it will take more than 10 days if I walk 50 km in one day.’

It was difficult to walk for 10 days in -50 degrees weather in a snow storm. That alone was enough to decrease the chances of survival.  However, the more serious problem was his food supply. Ark had gained a considerable amount of Zaliman ore in the pyramid so he discarded his food and only had 5 remaining. To recap, Ark had to march 500 kilometres on 5 pieces of food in a storm. It was a situation that would cause despair.

‘It’s impossible. There is no chance no matter what ideas I have.’

But if he gave him then he would lose 12 levels. He couldn’t give up even if he ended up dying.

‘I have to live and return!’

Ark clenched his teeth. From then on Ark’s desperate struggle for survival started….. No, it was a desperate struggle but it was actually extremely tedious. Walking, walking, walking and more walking. The only thing he did was walking. The repet.i.tion of such unexpected mechanical tasks caused an unexpected problem. Ark had been worried about walking more than 500 km in such a harsh environment. However, Ark’s body was surprisingly strong thanks to the body coating. It was possible to maintain a suitable body temperature while walking in a -50 degree storm. Rather, it was his mentality that was the problem.

‘!#$!#$$%$!&%$%$$#…….’

He was just endlessly walking towards the horizon. His thoughts flew away to Andromeda after one full day of walking.  His absentminded state meant he walked in the wrong direction and once he even fell asleep in the freezing cold.

‘This can’t continue. I’m going to end up like a frozen mackerel. I need to think of something to maintain my consciousness. It is necessary to think of something.’

Ark started to think of various different ideas. His mother who lay in the ICU for a long time and then her miraculous recovery. Now his mother and stepfather Gwon Hwa-rang were helping children overseas. He also thought about that time when he was caught between Roco and Lariette. Although remembering those thoughts helped, there was a limit to it and his thoughts still flew to Andromeda.

It was because those thoughts were just memories. His eyelids became increasingly heavier.

‘That’s right! There was that!’

Something rose in his head. Ark had forgotten his homework from the shock of leaving the pyramid and checking the GPS. It was how to use the Rune Carving that he obtained from the gold room.

‘Why isn’t the skill activating?’

There was no doubt that he learnt a skill that required the photon life form called Shire. Despite that, the skill was cancelled every time he tried to use it.

‘Perhaps a special item is needed aside from the Shire? No, if any items were necessary then it would be written in the skill information window. Didn’t I draw the rune incorrectly or in the wrong order?’

Ark experimented with drawing the rune dozens of times. But it had no effect. He learnt a skill but couldn’t use it. It was enough to drive him crazy. Well, his thoughts didn’t fly away to Andromeda thanks to it but……Ark was immersed in figuring out the secret of the rune and had already forgotten about staying conscious. He decided to carefully read the Rune Carving information window while marching.

‘Wait? Come to think of it…..’

He finally realized something strange after one whole day had pa.s.sed. It became clear once he compared the skill information window and his character information window.

-Rune Carving (User, Active)

When the photon Shire is summoned and a rune carved then a skill will be manifested.  Although the Murat civilization is now gone, the Runes once had a profound contribute on their ability to take control of the Bellin constellation.