He naturally made an uncomfortable expression. It wasnât a waste of time to promote the galactic federation. He gained fame and federation contribution and it also allowed him to use the Star Gate to meet Hamad, Asuran and Milan for free. Every time he completed an interview, he would gain fame and federation contribution. He also travelled around the cities to meet old friends but the compensation quest wasnât neatly completed. Interview, moving to another city, interview, moving, event, moving to another cityâŚ..he worked for an average of 18 hours a day for 5 days without any breaks.
âI have to continue doing this for 3 more daysâŚ..â
A sigh naturally emerged. But that would stop soon. Ark had been suffering but he felt uncomfortable now that it suddenly sopped. So he asked.
âThereâs still some parts of the schedule left so why are we suddenly stopping?â
Then Marquis Martin answered.
âThe effect fell faster than I expected.â
He immediately understood that he meant. When Ark had first appeared through the Star Gate, the reporters had gathered like vultures around the new hero. The hot coverage continued as he started his PR journey. However, the coverage noticeably decreased every time they went to a new city.
When thinking about it, it was the inevitable result. This was the age of information. New news poured in everyday so the same words couldnât catch the attention of the public for a long time. Besides, every time was always about the war and repeating the federationâs PR words so the viewers found it tedious. There was no need to check the audience ratings.
-Your face has become known after appearing on the broadcast.
<fame>-The galactic federationâs image has improved due to your public relations.</fame>
<fame><galactic>In the beginning his fame had increased by 100 and the contribution by 150. However, 5 days had pa.s.sed and that number had decreased to 20 fame and 30 contribution. The messages also stated that the effect of his interviews had decreased. It meant the public was losing attention.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âThe degree of exposure over the last few days has become too excessive. You were the hero of the first victory against the Rama recently so I thought I could use the media a bit more. But the public interest has cooled so if we continued then it might have an adverse effect. We should discard food before it reached the expiration date.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>He felt like a wash-up celebrity. Marquis Martin just continued talking like he had no concerns about Arkâs feelings.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âAnd these days Iâm a little busy.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Arkâs face looked like he had smelt a rotting cow.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âThis b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Heâs suddenly busy? He dragged me around like a dog for five days without any breaks and now he is busy?â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Once again, Martin was a marquis. Although having a rank like marquis in an age where ships were flying around was funny, he was still n.o.bility. He was also a councillor of the galactic federation. There was a reason the high ranking NPC had volunteered to become Arkâs manager and accompanied him for five days. There was no way a manager would drop a celebrity just because of a possible expiration date. The reason Marquis Martin accompanied Ark during that timeâŚâŚ</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>-Once again, the war was won thanks to Marquis Martinâs supportâŚ..</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>He was mentioned every time Ark did an interview! Marquis Martin was a politician. Politicians and celebrities had some similar aspects. Popularity would become power. Marquis Martin accompanied Ark to raise his stock price until there was a potential decrease in popularity. Then here was a question. Ark wasnât a stupid human being. He could guess Marquis Martinâs purpose when making the deal on Beltana. However, there was one reason Ark didnât protest the murderous schedule and parroted everything Marquis Martin told him to. The settlement between them wasnât completed yet.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Marquis Martin promised three rewards if Ark became the galactic federationâs promotional hero. Two of them were the 1st cla.s.s citizenship and the 3rd generation IC card. There was one more compensation. This was based on a confidential talk between Marquis Martin and Ark on Beltana.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âThe same treatment as the regular soldiers. You desire the award the regular troops would receive if they gained as much achievements as you. That is your condition in order to be set up as a hero?â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âOf course itâs not for free. The condition is that you need to go on a publicity campaign for the galactic federation. An additional prize will be given if you become our advertising model. What you will receive depends on you. The price would change depending on how sincerely you promote during your activities. That incentive should be enough.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>There was a condition before he could receive his 3rd reward. And he endured the tiring promotional trip because of it.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âMy original agreement was to tour all the cities on Istana. But Iâve only travelled to 12 cities. That means only 60% of my target was achieved. I donât have to do the boring interviews anymore but the stopped publicity campaign might be used as an excuse so I donât receive my exclusive item. This situation is different. I should make sure first!â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Ark opened his mouth to ask that question.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âThere is no need to look uncomfortable. I made the decision to stop the publicity campaign. Youâve faithfully partic.i.p.ated in the interviews so I will keep my promise. Arenât I a marquis? I have no intention of being cheap because of a problem like this.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Marquis Martin was a surprisingly cool guy.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âBesides, you popularity mightâve fallen but you are still a war hero. If you go around accusing me of fraud then it will be troublesome.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âŚâŚHe was also calculating. There was a contract so he had to pay properly. Marquis Martin had no interest in the compensation promised to Ark. But he used the compensation as bait to lure his prey and became a vicious manager. Ark kept making an uncomfortable expression and twisted his hands.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âIs there such a thing? If it wasnât for Marquis Martin then I would still be rotting in the jail on Beltana. Even if I donât receive the promised compensation, how can I possibly say bad things about Marquis-nim? Ah, of course Marquis-nim did work me like a dog so it is basic human decency to reward me for it. Obviously Marquis-nim will give me suitable compensation for my work.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>He spoke flattering words but there was a veiled threat. If he didnât give good rewards then Ark would say bad things! Marquis Martin clearly caught the threat. But he didnât seem to be offended. He actually looked fascinated and laughed.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âWhat a funny guy. I donât dislike it. No, I prefer humans like you. Because I can trust you as long as the give and take relationship is strong. Speaking of thatâŚ..how is it? Do you remember what I said the other day? Have you thought about it?â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Marquis Martin leaned towards Ark and asked quickly.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âYes, youâve received the Hero t.i.tle to promote the galactic federation. Despite being a prisoner, it canât be denied that you did some heroic actions. I estimate that you will reach a high height. More than anyone else.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Marquis Martin looked at Ark seriously.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âThe war with the Rama started again after a long armistice and it is centred on the Bellin constellation. The federation has been stagnating for hundreds of years so it is natural for the public to dislike it. Aristocrats like me canât avoid it. We need power to survive in such change. That is, we need someone like you to secure our positions. I want to buy the ability that you showed in Beltana. If you come under my banner then I will give you exceptional treatment.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>-Youâve received a scouting officer from councillor Marquis Martin of the galactic federation.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>If you accept then you can make Marquis Martin who is a power aristocrat of the galactic federation as your sponsor.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>If you accept the aristocratâs sponsor then you will automatically receive the âPrivateâ occupation.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Do you accept? Y/N</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>This wasnât the first time he saw that information window. He received the same suggestion after meeting Marquis Martin on Beltana. The conditions were exceptional. Their standards were better than the galactic federation or the 4 large companies. Unlike other users, he received the war hero t.i.tle so his treatment had already changed. If he accepted Marquis Martinâs offer than Ark would receive even more privileges.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âBut my compet.i.tors arenât those users. It is the strongest AI Lucifer.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Ark wasnât simply playing the game. If he died inside the game then it would affect reality.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>He needed to stop the Taek Mountains real estate slump. It was meaningless to be slightly better than other users when fighting against Lucifer. He needed to achieve the ultimate goal in Galaxian. Only one person would occupy that spot and the fight would end.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âI donât know what the ultimate goal is yet. So there is only one thing I can do now. To become the best player like Ark in New World. I donât know what the ultimate goal is but occupying the best position was no different from ending the game. No, Lucifer wants revenge for New World so he might think that is the ultimate goal.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>He needed to rise to the top spot! Then he could also accomplish his goal in reality. This was the reason Ark wanted to establish a business. Therefore he never considered the suggestion no matter how enticing it was. However, there was a problem when rejecting the offer.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âPerhapsâŚ..will the reward vary depending on my answer?â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>Marquis Martin looked surprised at Arkâs question. Then he laughed and shook his head.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âYes, I was too careless and didnât think about your position. The timing is bad. I mentioned something like that after discussing compensation so naturally you would misunderstand. I was too short-sighted.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âIt is unrelated to compensation?â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>âI would be a really lousy human being if I involved compensation in that issue.â</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>It was a metallic disc around 1 metre in diameter.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>A hover type air board that moves using electronic power.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>The hover board uses electromagnetic force to float objects in the air. It is an energy-efficient and light weight, medium-sized vehicle. Â However, steady development has made a miniature version with the movement speed improved.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>The air board only goes up to 60 km/hr. This is 1/5 the speed of a bike but the advantage is that you can carry it with you. If you become familiar with the operation then you can easily navigate through narrow and complicated topography. But there is no safety device so there is a chance of fatal accidents.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic>* This item isnât for sale.</galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âHeok! This is real! A real air board!â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Arkâs mouth opened as he read the information window. In fact, Ark had been worried about a serious problem over the last few days. It was the existence of a vehicle. New World was set in medieval times so he never had to worry about vehicles. The hunting grounds were close to the villages and other towns were only 2~3 days away. It was a game where hunting was comfortable.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>However, the scale of Galaxian was different from other games. Even Istana that was one planet in the galaxy was 2~3 times earthâs size. The hunting grounds were also on the boundaries of Istana. Sometimes people would have to travel a minimum of 100 km after leaving a city to find monsters inhabiting an unexplored region. Anybody walking on foot would understand. It was a waste of time and calories. Thatâs why Ark suffered when travelling 532 km on Beltana.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIf I earnestly start adventuringâŚâŚâ</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Like always, the problem was money. Typically users in Galaxian moved using a bike. However, even an old model that moved a maximum of 100 km/hr cost at least 200 gold. He didnât understand it when on Beltana but the 300 km/hr hover bike that he rode cost 700 gold.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âAlthough it is necessary to liveâŚ..â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>There was also a fatal weakness with the bikes. The bike couldnât be placed in the bag so they had to park it outside the ruins. This was a problem that wouldnât occur in medieval games. Ark wasnât worried about the discomfort of parking but security. If someone had a hacking skill like Ark then they could steal his bike! Of course, hacking wasnât a common skill.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âBut there is enough!â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Thieves were common enough that he was worried about it. Now he could feel relieved. Marquis Martin had solved two problems at the same time. Not only did he get a vehicle for free, the air board could be stored in his bag unlike the bike. It only travelled 60 km/hr but the speed wasnât a problem. Above all it was free!</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âAmazing! The deadly schedule is worth it in the end. This is the compensation I need!â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âHow about it? Are you satisfied?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âOf course. It is the best!â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Ark answered without thinking about it. Then Marquis Martin smiled bitter sweetly and said.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIâm glad you are satisfied with your compensation. But to ask if the reward would change depending on your answerâŚâŚthat means you are rejecting my suggestion. Am I correct?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>He was satisfied with the compensation received. This meant he had no more reason to need Marquis Martin. But Marquis Martin was a powerful aristocrat of the federation so there was no reason to offend him. He generously gave him an excellent item so couldnât he pretend to be grateful?</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIâm thankful that Marquis Martin appreciates my ability. But Iâm just a pioneer who appeared in the universe 4 months ago. I luckily became Beltanaâs Hero so there is still too much I donât know yet. I have no confidence that I can return Marquis-nimâs expectations. If I gain more skills then I might work for Marquis-nim in the future.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âDonât tell me that so simply.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âNo, I canât do anything if you donât want toâŚâŚâ</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin closed his eyes and became immersed in his thoughts. After a couple of minutes, Marquis Martin opened his eyes and said in a low voice.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThen can I request a favour?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThe explanation might take a while so Iâll try to make it simple. As you know, Nabe is the northernmost city of Istana but there is actually one more there. You might have heard about this. Our ally is the 3rd alien alliance the Aschulat. Apart from Nabe, the other city in the northern wasteland called Charem belongs to the Aschulat.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âHuh? Isnât Istana a planet of the galactic federation?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIt is a planet of the federation. Even if the Aschulat are allies, it isnât possible for them to have a city on Istana. So the Aschulat claim that they have nothing to do with Charem. But the Aschulatâs reason for denying involvement with Charem has nothing to do with avoiding the federationâs suspicions. Thatâs because the entire city of Charem is a huge smuggling organization.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âYes, there are a number of items restricted by the galactic federation. Charem is the city where people smuggle those things through. Of course, even the Aschulat and members of the galactic federation smuggles things through Charem.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin sighed and continued talking.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThe reason the galactic federation has tolerated Charem is because it was useful. Like I said, Charem is officially a stateless city. Therefore some Rama are also a.s.sociated with it. The federation were able to get information about the Rama through Charem so they overlooked its existence.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>ââŚâŚBut a problem has formed.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin nodded.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThe Aschulat used the excuse of internal conflicts to leave the Bellin constellation conflict against the Rama. Now all the information from Charem has been blocked off. At the same time, the federationâs contact within Charem also cut off contact. The federationâs line of contact has been cut off but there is no confirmation that the Charem cut off contact with the Rama. In that case, there is a possibility that all the information from Charem is going to the Rama.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin spoke with a serious expression. It was obviously a serious problem just by listening.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>A city situated in the heart of the federation was selling information to the enemy. The problem was more serious than a war. However, Ark wasnât entirely convinced.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIs Charem officially a lawless city? There is no evidence that Charem is secretly communicating with the Rama. Even if the city is used to smuggle illegal goods, can the federationsâ troops be mobilized without any evidence? Wonât the Aschulat be able to complain?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThat is why I want to ask a favour from you.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin replied in a low voice.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âCharem isnât a normal city. It is camouflaged with a few layers of advanced shields and is equipped with devices to detect movement. Charem is also 1,000 km from the nearest city so it is difficult to find with a radar. The federation mightâve overlooked Charemâs existence but to be more accurate, they have no way to handle it. If we move troops large enough to capture Charem, their information network will detect the movements. They will escape and the situation would become worse.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>The galactic federation had no confirmation that the Charem were secretly communicating with the Rama. If they rallied the troops and failed then Charem would 100% ally with the Rama.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Furthermore, they mightâve officially denied it but the city still belonged to the Aschulat. If the federation mobilized troops for a sudden attack then it could adversely affect the alliance with the Aschulat. The galactic federation werenât brave enough to take such risks.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThe federation wonât throw away troops when there is no guarantee they can control the situation.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martinâs voice became even lower.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âYou will create the conviction for me.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIâm not sure what youâre talking aboutâŚâŚâ</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIt is simple. You must sneak into Charem and use this.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin took out a bag-sized machine.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThis is a GPS transmitter connected to the federationâs military. This is the most advanced GPS transmitter able to send extremely long range signals and the radio waves canât be interfered with. The problem is the shield. The transmitter canât penetrate the layers protecting Charem. This transmitter needs to be used when the shield is turned off or connected to Charemâs communication antenna that isnât shielded. If it succeeds then the federal troops can overpower Charem.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âWhat do you want me to do?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âI want you to be in charge.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âBut arenât there other people who know where Charem is?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âI specifically asked for you.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martin smiled and answered.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âDidnât I tell you? I have a high expectation of your abilities. But it isnât your combat power that I rate highly. If it is simple fighting power then there are more reliable guys. I need someone who isnât simply a strong warrior. I need a warrior like you.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âA warrior like me?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âDo you know why I was in charge of your ma.s.s media campaign? I only heard the situation from Haman. And I saw the videos you took. I came to the conclusion that you are a pioneer strong in improvisation. Youâre a wise and cunning fellow. From what I know of this situation, this talent is needed more than anything else.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThatâs right. I can understand the situation now.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>This was definitely the reason why Marquis Martin suddenly cancelled the schedule. He didnât understand every point but it was possible to know Marquis Martinâs aim. Arkâs visibility started to fall a few days ago. But he didnât dare cancel the schedule until they arrived at Nabe because it was the closest city to Charem. This was the best place to spring the plan on Ark.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThatâs also why he gave an item like the air board as compensation.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>This was the nearest city to Charem but it was still 1,000 km away. If Ark accepted the task then he would need a method of transportation. Marquis Martinâs behaviour was to make it easier for Ark to accept the mission.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIf I think like this then it feels likeâŚ..â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>It had a smell. The smell of a main quest. The quest involved playing a decisive role in helping the federation take control of a smuggling city. If he succeeded then he could guess that Marquis Martinâs reward would be tremendous. It might even be equal to the compensation received when becoming Beltanaâs Hero. High-risk, high- return. If the risk was high then he would also receive a lot back. In other words, the larger the risk the larger the prize.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âWhat intelligence personnel would be able to find the city, break into it, infiltrate the main facilities and connect the GPS transmitter to the communication antenna?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>It was indeed a mission impossible! He couldnât fathom the probability of success for this quest.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>There were many chances for Ark to get caught and killed. This was a burden so even Ark couldnât accept the quest blindly. He wasnât just worried about the degree of difficulty.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âMilan said he restored the slabâŚâŚâ</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Ark had been waiting several days for the slab. Then he was contacted a few hours ago that the slab was restored. If the slab matched Ark and Milanâs expectations then he could get considerable income from the Murat ruins. There was also more security than Marquis Martinâs quest. He could also discover a new rune. Of course, it wasnât so urgent that he had to go running there immediately.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>But he couldnât think about relaxing. The Murat ruins were hidden but there were many pioneers on Istana so there was no guarantee that they wouldnât find it. The place Milan found the slab had been discovered by other pioneers so the ruins mightâve already been taken away. The first person who found it would take the treasure. He didnât know how long the quest would take so it was a burden to accept. However, he could expect a colossal reward if the quest was successful. Not anyone could receive a quest like this. He couldnât bear to decline it.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âThe most worrisome thing is if Milanâs slab is different from my expectations. If he refused Marquis Martinâs quest and the slab turned out to be nothing then he wouldâve blown off a rare quest. But he couldnât blindly accept the quest. BesidesâŚ..eh? Wait? Come to think of itâŚ..â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âBut havenât I been played over and over on the media as a war hero over the last few days? If Charem can grasp the movements of the federation army then wouldnât they know me? How can I take on this duty?â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>This was the problem.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Marquis Martinâs quest was a type of spy work. But Ark was a celebrity thanks to the interviews over the last few days. It would be impossible for him to infiltrate Charem. Marquis Martin laughed like he expected it and took something out.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>âIâve already thought about that.â</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>Defense: 5 Â Â Â Â Â Â Durability: 30/30</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>A helmet that covers the entire face.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>This looks like a normal helmet but a special feature has been added. There is a special coating on the gla.s.s front so the opponent canât see your face. It also prevents all infrared scopes from detecting your name by setting a different character name. If you want to do bad things! If you want to hide your name! The Hyde Helmet is the best choice for a coward like you.</maximum></galactic></fame>
<fame><galactic><maximum>* If you commit a crime then the chaotic value will be applied to your original name.</maximum></galactic></fame>