On a frigid snow covered mountain. 10 bikes were descending down a relatively gentle slope. It was the Rama clan riding die to side in a steady formation. The Rama warriors were wearing white armour and camouflaged with the snow! The snowy mountain was âThe Borderâ between the Rama and the galactic federation and they were the Rama scouting unit positioned there. Their main duty was to intercept any scouting units from the federation. But right now their purpose was different.
-Stop!
The bikes were descending the slope. The lead Rama warrior raised his arm and shouted. All of the bikes stopped moving and gathered around him. The Rama warrior looked around at the other members and said.
âDid you find any traces of him?
âI found some marks along the way. But all of them are considerably in the past. The last mark I found ends 1 km away from hereâŚâŚ
âHe seemed to have crossed the border a long time ago.
The Rama warrior bit his lip at the words. The situation didnât seem that good. A few days ago, they heard the Carrier MR-II that belong to the federation and increased the patrols around the border.
When they found a signal light and searched the perimeter, someone from the federation was found in hibernation mode.
âHe might have something to do with the incident at the base.â
That was easily guessed. Therefore the squad commander of the scouting unit captured the enemy and brought him to a bunker for questioning. And other scouting units started searching the area for anyone else. After completing the reconnaissance mission, they had returned to the bunker one day ago.
âMeanwhile the squad commander and medicâŚ..â
Looking at the context, it mustâve been caused by the one locked in jail. The base was attacked by the federation but there was no traces of a trail. And how did that guy who was handcuffed escape from jail? Moreover, the prisoner even managed to kill the Rama warrior and the medic. But that wasnât the main problem at the moment.
âThe important thing is that he managed to escape!â
And it was highly likely that guy knew the location of the Rama base. If he managed to return to the federation base then they would now its position. He had to stop him no matter what it took. He had to kill the guy to delete the GPS information recorded on the Nymphe.
âCatch him! Itâs been 18 hours since we left the bunker. He escaped on foot so it is possible to catch up!
The Rama warriors immediate got on their bike and chased after the prisoner. However, they reached the other side of the border and still couldnât find him. And on the other side of the borderâŚâŚ
âIt has become more difficult.
The Rama warrior looked around with irritation. There were a lot of cliffs so the places to move were limited. The other scouting units were also searching near the bunker and the border. It was an area that 10 units could search effectively. However, that changed if the prisoner had crossed the border. Extensive plains unfolded beyond the border. Finding one person in a place like that was like finding a needle in the desert. The escapee was heading towards the federation base but it wouldâve already been over if they knew the location of the base.
-Vice squad commander-nim, what do we do now?
âAs long as there is the possibility that he knows the location of the base, we canât give him up.  The situation on Beltana will become dangerous if they get their hands on that information. We have to stop it somehow!
âThenâŚ..?
âHeâs moving on foot so he couldnât have gotten very far even if he crossed the border. It should be a maximum of 20 kilometres. So the search area will be set at 40 km. We will split into three and move in the 9, 12 and 3 oâclock direction. If we canât find him then we will change the direction of the search to 10, 1 and 4 oâclock. There is a snow storm so we should eventually find a trail.
-Understood.
Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The engines of the 10 bikes roared and shot forward. The snow gradually subsided as the bikes moved into the distance.
Shake, shake, shakeâŚ..byong!
A pile of snow nearby started shaking and the head of a person emerged.
âHeh, those fools. They still donât understand the situation?â
The person was Ark who the Rama scouting unit were looking for.
âDonât you know those movements are completely obvious?â
Ark crawled out of the pile of snow and laughed. However, Ark still wasnât safe. He mightâve escape from the bunker by killing the medic and Rama warrior but there are still scouting units roaming around this area. Many of the scouting units had to return to the bunker within 24 hours. The time they left the bunker was unknown so they could return after 10 hours or 20 hours.
âBut if they have to return by tomorrow then they wouldnât be back in the next few hours. If I find a proper route then I can cross the snowy mountain in 10 hours. They have to return to the bunker within 10 hours so if I cross the snowy mountain then I donât need to worry about being caught.â
There was just one problem. The area beyond the mountain were endless plains of snow. It wasnât easy to find a person in that place. However, that only applied when there was a distance.
âThere is 10 hours between us but they will be riding bikes. They can catch up in 30 minutes by riding the bike. And I will be easily spotted if they get within a few kilometres and there will be no way to escape. In that caseâŚâŚâ
Ark took out an item. It was something now indispensable to Ark, the shovel!
ââŚâŚHide!â
Pa pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!
Ark dug a hole in the snowy mountain. He entered the hole, covered it up and used the Withdrawal skill to hide himself. The scouting unit couldnât spot the hiding Ark and moved far away. Of course, they werenât chasing him blindly. They divided into 3 groups and searched in a systematic method. No matter what direction Ark escaped in, he wouldâve been caught by the net. HoweverâŚ..
âI already heard everything you stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.â
It was the reason he was hiding in this location. The path through the snowy mountain wasnât straight. But that changed once the mountain ended and the snow fields began. He couldnât escape blindly so he had to work out some strategies. This spot was what he came up with when thinking of a strategy! It wasnât accidental that he overheard the scouting unit.
âHuhuhu, the biggest mistake is that you didnât know your opponent is Ark.â
In fact, Ark was also astonished by the change in himself. Ever since starting Galaxian, Ark had been making successive mistakes. First he broke his dagger on R-14 and then he was entangled with a criminal hamster and got arrested.
âAm I really Ark?â
He understandably had this thought. However, that situation changed little by little after coming to Beltana. At first his hopeless situation continued on Beltana but he slowly managed to escape and began to regain his previous self. His rusty head was slowly being cleaned. His head was slowly going back to its previous state. He was Ark of New World!
âYes, this feeling. I had forgotten for a whileâŚ..this is who I am. This Ark.â
Beltana was the worst environment that Ark encountered. This worst environment wasnât only in the game. His real estate property had suddenly fallen to 1/10th of the price. If an accident with the nuclear power plant really occurred then his real estate would fly around. The real estate price wouldnât go up unless Luciferâs threat disappeared. If he thought about it like that then Luciferâs threat extended to reality.
âI have to do something!â
Arkâs sleeping survival instinct woke up thanks to the situation in reality.
âAnyway, I canât stay in a place like this forever. There is a limit to this battlefield. If I canât escape from my status as a prisoner then I canât go any further. And it isnât necessary to speak about Lucifer.
So I canât waste time being captured.â
Ark looked around with gleaming eyes. He had already perfectly grasped the movements of the scouting unit. He could sneak out of their search network.
âFirst I need to fill my stomachâŚâŚâ
Snap! Munch, munch, munch.
Ark inserted a bug into his mouth and chewed it. Ark had collected 20 s.p.a.ce Foods from the supplies box but he was still eating the bugs. The reason was simple. It was in order to raise the skill proficiency of Steel Stomach through experience. If he ate the bugs then he could increase the proficiency of Steel Stomach. But it wasnât that easy to raise. No matter how many bugs he ate, the degree of proficiency only went up by 1. Furthermore, he couldnât catch the bugs everywhere. And Steel Stomach only helped with insects that gave lethal doses of poison. He needed the maximum amount to raise the skill. It didnât feel good eating the bugs but it helped his mental growth so Ark endured it.
-Achievement + 100.
-Satiety has reached 100%.
His satiety was full just by eating 6 bugs. Steel Stomach also gave an extra 3% satiety with every food eaten.
-Distance to the galactic federationâs base: 243 km.
âNow the remaining distance is 243 kilometresâŚâŚâ
He hadnât even travelled half the distance from when he first left the pyramid. If he travelled 70~80 km a day then it would take 3 more days to reach the base.
âBut the snow storm is dying down. Communication will soon resume.â
If communication was resumed then he could use wireless contact if he was within 100 km. He would be able to request help from the base. In other words, the base was only 140 km away and he could get there in two days.
âYes, the next two days! Thatâs no problem! I can return alive!â
Ark energetically stepped forward. Of course, he was still being pursued so he couldnât be careless. The snow storm was dying down. Therefore he would leave footprints in the snow. However, he had already found a way to solve that.
Sasasasa! Sasasasa!
He distributed his weight like he was walking on a swamp! At first he applied this skill to prevent from slipping on the snow. Once it was used steadily, an unexpected information window appeared.
-A new ability has been added to the âSwamp Walkingâ skill.
Some skills have special âsecretsâ that can be acquired. This secret can be obtained when the skill reaches intermediate level or the user realizes there is another application for it.
You have applied Swamp Walking and mastered walking on snow.
+ Snow Walking: Your movement speed when walking on snow can increase if you apply the same principles as Swamp Walking.
<the>* You wonât leave any footprints when walking on snow.</the>
<the>He gained the additional ability Snow Walking! That was how Ark was able to leave no traces when walking over the snowy mountain. The problem was it consumed his staminaâŚâŚ</the>
<the>Snap! Munch, munch, munch.</the>
<the>There were plenty of bugs so it wasnât a problem. He chewed on the bugs like it was popcorn and walked through the snowfield. He calculated that he had been walking for over 30 hours since escaping from the bunker. Sometimes he would become dizzy with sleepiness but Ark bit his lip and persisted. In the meantime he had travelled 90 km. He had probably already escaped the Ramaâs search net but he couldnât be careless. Ark had been captured when he entered hibernation state. He couldnât guarantee his safety if he rested in a place like this.</the>
<the>âPant pant pant, there is 150 km left. d.a.m.n, it is still far away. Pant pant pant, but if I travel 50 more kilometres then I can send a request for help. Pant pant pant! 10 more hours. I have to somehow hang on until then!â</the>
<the>Ark fought with his sleepiness and looked at the Nymphe to confirm the distance. Suddenly a blinking icon on his Nymphe caught his eye.</the>
<the>âEh? This? Why is it reacting in a place like this?â</the>
<the>Ark clicked the icon with a bewildered look.</the>
<the>-New GPS information has been entered.</the>
<the>A message he couldnât understand rose in front of him.</the>
<the>âHow wonderful.â</the>
<the>Valencia smiled as he looked around. Enormous armoured vehicles were advancing behind him. 5 Memeods were advancing forward while surrounded by dozens of bikes! It was the federation army marching towards the Rama base.</the>
<the>âIf this surprise attack succeeds then the Beltana war will end!â</the>
<the>Valencia wasnât just glad that the war was ending. After being sponsored by the galactic federation, he had been appointed as the leader of the 1st armoured platoon on Beltana for around two months. In the meantime, Valencia had raised his income quite a bit from users sent to Beltana as prisoners. He couldnât be happy about the war ending since he would lose his extra income.</the>
<the>âBut that will change if I become a distinguished person.â</the>
<the>The best person who led the army to victory on a disputed planet! Needless to say, the rewards would be colossal. Furthermore, this would be the first victory over a disputed planet since Galaxian was commercialized. In other words, he could become the first war hero. A hero! It was a word that indicated a user who grasped money and honour in both hands. And it was 90% confirmed that Valencia was the main character with all the glory.</the>
<the>âThe remaining 10% is anxiety that Ark will reviveâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>Valencia looked at the bikes moving around busily and smiled. The 1st armoured platoon on the bikes had a secret order to directly execute the deserter Ark. Then he would be 100% confirmed as a hero!</the>
<the>âIt was worth being sent to a planet like this.â</the>
<the>Valencia murmured while smiling with satisfaction. Then a bike approached him.</the>
<the>âPlatoon Chief Valencia.â</the>
<the>Valenciaâs face shone as he turned his head.</the>
<the>âHoh, it is unexpected for you to initiate a conversation with someone. Do you like me?â</the>
<the>âI just had nothing to say to others.â</the>
<the>The woman who answered with an emotionless face was Irina. She was the military officer in charge of distributing supplies to prisoners.</the>
<the>âThen you must have a reason to talk to me.â</the>
<the>âWill they be left in that situation?â</the>
<the>âTheyâŚ..â</the>
<the>A cold laugh emerged from Valenciaâs mouth and he winked at Irina. Behind the advancing Memeod were 10 people painfully walking. They were breathing harshly and staggering while walking. They were Arkâs Royal Guards.</the>
<the>âWhatâs the problem?â</the>
<the>âWhy are they the only ones walking instead of riding on the Memeod?â</the>
<the>âThere is no more room on the Memeod. You know that we mobilized all of our troops. The mercenaries also joined us. Some of them have their own transportation but others have to take the Memeod.â</the>
<the>âIâm aware of that. Iâm asking why they of all people have to walk.â</the>
<the>âWhat are you implying? The core power of this mission is the regular troops and mercenaries. Marching would consume their stamina. Isnât it natural for the prisoners to walk?â</the>
<the>âBut they havenât even eaten properly. Some of them are starving and have probably reached their limit. If they have to march hundreds of kilometres in that state then they will collapse before arriving at the battlefield.â</the>
<the>âThen so be it.â</the>
<the>Valencia replied with a grin.</the>
<the>âWe canât have weak soldiers on the battlefield.â</the>
<the>âAre you deliberately trying to kill them by making them march?â</the>
<the>âIs there such a thing?  Like I said, there is no room in the Memeod. It is my duty to only bring soldiers in the best condition onto the battlefield.â</the>
<the>âBut there are still some s.p.a.ces on the vehicles of the mercenaries. If you ask themâŚ..â</the>
<the>âLetâs see. Iâm not a storyteller. They werenât willing to do it.â</the>
<the>The Royal Guards didnât find it that funny as they examined the vehicles. In fact, there were no vacancies in the Memeod but room could be made for 10 people. But Valencia made the Royal Guards walk. The Royal Guards were Arkâs subordinates. If left alone then they could adversely affect the prisoners paying Valencia money for protection. Valencia felt he needed to make an example of them.</the>
<the>âIf youâre so worried about it then you should give them some food.â</the>
<the>âThatâŚ.it is against the regulations.â</the>
<the>âIndeed.â</the>
<the>Valencia burst out laughing. Irina frowned at Valenciaâs att.i.tude. Pedro who was a member of the 1st armoured platoon then approached on his bike.</the>
<the>âLeader-nim, an accident has occurred in the rear.â</the>
<the>âAccident?â</the>
<the>âYes, one of the mercenariesâ vehicle has fallen into a hollow and canât move. It looks like the vehicle will need to be repaired. The mercenary members arenât enough to pull it out of the hollow so they request the support of 10 extra soldiers.â</the>
<the>â10 soldiersâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>Valencia looked at the gasping members of the Royal Guards following the vehicles.</the>
<the>âThis should be suitable labour for them.â</the>
<the>âThis really is terrible.â</the>
<the>Mellin sighed with a gloomy face. They had been dying of starvation ever since Ark and his food supply disappeared. And they only had 40% satiety when mobilized for the mission. However, they were pulled onto the battlefield without being given any food or allowed on the Memeod. While the other soldiers were resting in the Memeod, the Royal Guards had to waste their energy walking to the battlefield. Therefore their satiety had fallen to 25%. Cupa who was part of the Tobil Clan was gasping with every breath.</the>
<the>âNow we have to do the difficult task of pulling this truck out of a hollowâŚ..â</the>
<the>Valencia had given the task of pulling out the truck to the Royal Guards. They sighed at the sight of the huge truck stuck in a hollow in the middle of the snow field.</the>
<the>âThat b.a.s.t.a.r.d, does Valencia want us to drop dead?â</the>
<the>âIt canât be helped.â</the>
<the>Mellin muttered with no willpower.</the>
<the>âValencia has become the leader of the regular troops thanks to his achievements while we are just prisoners. If we disobey him then wonât we be penalized even more? This wonât change even if we go onto the battlefield. Valencia is in command so we will just be shields for the bullets. Weâll either die from starvation or being hit by bullets.â</the>
<the>âDammit!â</the>
<the>Berad bit his lips and spat out curses.</the>
<the>âThis is all because of Hyung-nimâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>Hegel murmured as he lowered his head. Someone in the crew flinched and turned at the voice.</the>
<the>âWhat did you just say?â</the>
<the>âHyung-nimâŚ..Hyung-nim did it! Why? Did I say something incorrect? Isnât it right? Valencia is annoying us because he disliked Hyung-nim!â</the>
<the>âYouâre saying that now? Did you forget what Hyung-nim did for us? Did you forget that Hyung-nim just handed out food to us while we were fighting with the other prisoners for even one piece? Huh? Now youâre blaming Hyung-nim for Valenciaâs hara.s.sment? What type of person are you?â</the>
<the>Berad shouted as he grabbed Hegelâs collar.</the>
<the>âButâŚ..he is goneâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>Tears flowed from Hegelâs black eyes.</the>
<the>âWe had a great time with Hyung-nim. I was forcibly drafted here but it was fun. I hoped that we could someday return to Istana with Hyung-nim. I was going to ask Hyung-nim if I could still be his subordinate when we leave this place. Iâm willing to die if it is for Hyung-nim. ButâŚ..butâŚ..Hyung-nim deserted usâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>âYou idiot! Youâre becoming upset because of Valenciaâs words. Hyung-nim wouldnât abandon us!â</the>
<the>âThen why hasnât he returned? It has been a fortnight since Hyung-nim disappeared. But why?â</the>
<the>âT-thatâŚ.â</the>
<the>Berad stuttered with a puzzled expression. After a while he sighed and retreated. The other members also held their tongues and sighed with heavy expressions.</the>
<the>âHey, you guys! Why are you chatting for so long?â</the>
<the>Then a rough voice was heard from the rear of the truck. A huge figure covered in fur and smoking a cigar approached. His eyes surveyed the spiritless Royal Guards and he clicked his tongue.</the>
<the>âSheesh, you look exactly like a zombie.â</the>
<the>âAre you the leader of the mercenaries?â</the>
<the>âYes, I am the leader. Are you Mellin?â</the>
<the>âYes butâŚ..how do you know my name? Did Valencia tell you?â</the>
<the>âI will give you a detailed explanation later. Let me do a staff check first. Hegel, Kalliben, Beleol, Berad, Ralph, Cupa, Hedro, Reben, Konsed and Mellin. 10 people right?â</the>
<the>âYes, thatâs right.â</the>
<the>âIt is like that guy said.â</the>
<the>âHuh? That guy? Platoon Chief Valencia?â</the>
<the>âSheesh, we wouldnât follow a despicable child like that platoon leader. Anyway, the main force is quite a distance away so we can get started.â</the>
<the>The leader of the mercenaries approached the truck.</the>
<the>Buaaaang! Kukong! Totong!</the>
<the>Suddenly the truck released some fumes and quickly got out of the hollow. The eyes of the Royal Guards popped out at the unexpected situation.</the>
<the>âT-the truck that fell into the hollowâŚâŚâ</the>
<the>âBah, this truck carried dozens of tons of metal parts through swampland for several years with no problems. It is impossible for the truck to get stuck in a hollow like this.â</the>
<the>âT-then why?â</the>
<the>âGet in. Weâre going somewhere.â</the>
<the>The leader opened the container of the truck. Then 20 mercenaries poured out and thrust the Royal Guards into the container. The truck then raced over the snow at a breakneck speed. The Royal Guards were uneasy but they sat down opposite the mercenaries. The truck clattered on for 1 hour.</the>
<the>Kiiiiiiii-!</the>
<the>There was a sharp noise and the truck stopped. Then the door of the container opened and the leaderâs voice was heard.</the>
<the>âWeâre here. Everybody get down.â</the>
<the>âWhere are we? Where did you bring us?â</the>
<the>âDonât worry about it. Youâll understand once you get off.â</the>
<the>The mercenary leader laughed and replied. With a bandage covering one eye, the man gave off a b.l.o.o.d.y impression. It was a face that couldnât be trusted but they couldnât just stay inside the container. Mellin and the Royal Guards got off the container with a worried expression. They looked around restlessly until they saw someone standing 10 meters away. It was getting dark so the sunset was obscuring the face of the person. The members looked at him with confusion.</the>
<the>âU-unbelievable!â</the>
<the>Kalliben suddenly let out a scream.</the>
<the>âWhatâs wrong? Do we know him?â</the>
<the>âHyung-nim? That guyâŚ..is Hyung-nim! Ark hyung-nim!â</the>
<the>âArk? Ark hyung-nim? Such a thing? It is impossible. How could it be Ark hyung-nim?â</the>
<the>âI didnât tell you?â</the>
<the>The mercenary leader smirked and spoke with a sly expression.</the>
<the>âI know that guy from before. He was a prospective member of the Silver Hand.â</the>
<the>The large man blowing out cigar smoke was Clem. He was the head of the government recognized Silver Hand.</the>
<the>Letâs return to several hours ago.</the>
<the>âH-how did my GPS catch this here? And the distance is 50 km?â</the>
<the>Ark looked at the Nymphe with a confused expression.</the>
<the>-You have received the GPS signal of the mercenary group Silver Hand.</the>