Ponen looked at him with an interested expression.Ā Ark was in a high rise building that was the galactic federationās branch in Nephalim.Ā Ark had visited this place to hand in the recommendation letter received from Bhurad, the manager of R-14ās training centre.Ā The branch of the galactic federation wasnāt a place that general users could enter. But Ark received permission after showing the recommendation letter. He went through various processes and was able to meet the NPC Ponen who was in charge of supporting the pioneers.
āBhurad isnāt easily please so it is rare for a friend like that to write a recommendation letter for a pioneer. Ā Yes, I think Iāve heard about you. There was a pioneer who pa.s.sed R-14ās training process with a fairly high score. So the other pioneers also became quite lively.ā
Ark was unware of the commotion on R-14.Ā Once he finished the training in R-14, it was impossible to return to the starting area. So Ark hadnāt bothered looking up information about it. Ark just thought that Ponenās words were just flattery.
āI just tried my best.ā
āYour att.i.tude is very good.ā
Ponen nodded with a satisfied expression and continued to the main point.
āLike I said, there are a lot of pioneers entering the universe. But I havenāt found many pioneers worth writing about. Most of them seem quite weak. However, youāve received Bhuradās recognition so you must be different. You are qualified to receive sponsorship from the galactic federation. Of course, you still need to pa.s.s a review process even if you have Bhuradās recommendation letter.ā
An information window appeared from the Nymphe as soon as Ponen finished talking.
-You have completed <r-14>quest.-It is possible to be sponsored by the galactic federationās branch in Nephalim.</r-14>
<r-14>You need to go through an examination process to qualify. Ā If you pa.s.s the examination process then it is possible to be sponsored by the galactic federation.</r-14>
<r-14>āIt is a sponsor related quest like I expected.ā</r-14>
<r-14>He had guessed it after receiving the recommendation letter.Ā All users in Galaxian needed a sponsor.</r-14>
<r-14>Galaxian was a game where humans couldnāt move around in s.p.a.ce, which was the gameās environment. While the centre of Istana had been terraformed (transforming the planetās environment to be suitable for humans), only 10% of Istana had been completed.Ā The other 90% were environments where humans couldnāt live.Ā In order to explore the other areas and s.p.a.ce, the humanās DNA needed to be able to adapt to the most extreme environments through body coating.Ā Thatās why there was no system to pick a basic apt.i.tude like warrior when Galaxian was first started. Galaxian was unlike other games and the basic apt.i.tudes could only be chosen once the body coating was received.Ā That was followed by a secondary career choice.Ā So the game couldnāt really start until the body coating was received. It was also difficult to receive quests without the coating.Ā Thatās why R-14 only had repeatable quests. So the pioneersā top priority was to receive the body coating.Ā The conditions to receive the body coating was to be level 30 and to have a sponsor.</r-14>
<r-14>+Sponsor+</r-14>
<r-14>Users in Galaxian can ask various organizations to be a sponsor.Ā A user with a sponsor can live a life on the frontiers.Ā A sponsor and user have a mutual collaborative relationship. The user will gather a lot of information and ingredients for the sponsor and the sponsor will give various products that they developed at a discount. It is a system where the user returns the benefits to the sponsor.</r-14>
<r-14>Meanwhile, the goal of the sponsorās organization might change depending on the objectives of the user. Therefore it is important for the contract to benefit both the user and sponsor.Ā Users will have a chance to buy products from the sponsor before it goes on sale and test it out for the sponsor.</r-14>
<r-14>A sponsor can be divided into 3 different groups.Ā The first is the galactic federation. The second is the 4 big companies and the last group are the small and medium sized companies. Each place has different desires for the user they want to sponsor so the screening process is different.Ā The game progress depends on the sponsor so please choose carefully so that you will have no regrets.</r-14>
<r-14>This was the information that Ark knew about the sponsors.</r-14>
<r-14>āYou might not know it yet but having the galactic federation as a sponsor is a big deal. The basic policy of the federation is to encourage s.p.a.ce pioneering so the support given to pioneers is incomparable to everywhere else.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark also knew this as well.Ā The galactic federation was literally the centre of power.Ā If the federation was his sponsor then it was possible to enjoy special privileges and he could grow quickly. Thatās why most users were eager to contract the galactic federation as a sponsor!Ā That was why the area around the federal building was infested with users. But the compet.i.tive rate also increased so it was difficult to meet the screening criteria.Ā Even being qualified to receive the formal test for sponsorship wasnāt an easy task.Ā Ponen reiterated that point once again.</r-14>
<r-14>āThis opportunity isnāt given to everyone. I canāt even count the amount of pioneers that gather to get the support of the federation. But only some of them get to go through the screening process. They are the top 1% elite. Among those, you are special. Youāve received the privilege of receiving the examination without going through a qualification procedure first.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Privilegeā¦..it was a superficial word.Ā The federation certainly wouldnāt sponsor a simple thug like Mald.Ā However, the reason Ark visited the galactic federation wasnāt to form a sponsor contract.Ā The sponsorship program of Galaxian had a great influence on the userās game progress.Ā Of course he needed to pick the best place but he wouldnāt chose based on the standards of other users. He would meticulously question the sponsors and select the best one for him. Good clothes was no use if they didnāt fit properly.Ā This was the difference between Ark and the other users!Ā Of course he couldnāt say that he would ācompare the quality and come back again.ā</r-14>
<r-14>āIām just a novice who only arrived in Nephalim from R-14 for a few hours. I am thankful for your words and the opportunity but I need some time to think. Iām still not convinced that I am eligible for such preferential treatment. Despite the recommendation from Bhurad-nim, I would like a bit more experience before partic.i.p.ating in the examination process.ā</r-14>
<r-14>āI can understand why Bhurad likes you.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ponen smiled and nodded.</r-14>
<r-14>āThere are a lot of brave pioneers but a careful pioneer is unusual. Yes, you can come back after thinking about it. If it is you then you can walk through the door at any time.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ddiring, ddiring!</r-14>
<r-14>It was the sound of his favourable impression increasing.Ā His specialty was raising his intimacy with the NPC despite rejecting their offer! If he used his silver tongue then the NPCās reaction would change.Ā Ark gained confidence and cut to the main subject.</r-14>
<r-14>āCan I ask you something?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āAsk anything you want.ā</r-14>
<r-14>āDo you know how to release data locked with a security code?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āHow to unlock dataā¦..are you talking about hacking?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āHacking? Ah, I see. Unlocking data would definitely be hacking.</r-14>
<r-14>āYes. Thatās right. Can such techniques be learnt?ā</r-14>
<r-14>This was the reason why Ark came here.Ā He had found the memory chip in the toy but it was locked with a security code.Ā This meant a technology existed to unlock it.Ā But he wouldnāt be able to discover such information just wandering through the city.</r-14>
<r-14>āAsking someone will be the quickest way to find the information.ā</r-14>
<r-14>The galactic federation situation in the centre of the city would definitely know such information.</r-14>
<r-14>Of course, it was impossible to just walk in and ask the NPC. But Ark possessed Bhuradās recommendation letter. Furthermore, it was possible to raise his public image thanks to his silver tongue.Ā He thought it would be easy to elicit technical information butā¦..</r-14>
<r-14>Ponenās expression suddenly became chilly.</r-14>
<r-14>āWho do you think I am?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āHuh? Who? Thatā¦..ā</r-14>
<r-14>āI am a government official. Yet youāre asking me about illegal technology?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āI-Illegal?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āOf course! Hacking is basically looking at someone elseās information without permission. It is a crime. Asking a government official like me about a criminal technique is outrageous. You just arrived at Nephalim so Iāll let it go once. But if you talk about a criminal technique like that again then the recommendation letter wonāt matter. This conversation is over.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark felt like he had been struck in the cheek.Ā That feeling continued after he parted from Ponen and left the building.Ā Ponenās att.i.tude had changed 180 degrees thanks to the mention of the illegal technique āhacking.ā</r-14>
<r-14>āWell, it is understandable when hearing his wordsā¦ā¦ā</r-14>
<r-14>Hacking was an unauthorized intrusion into other peopleās computers. āUnauthorizedā technology was cla.s.sified as illegal by default.</r-14>
<r-14>āBased on Ponenās reaction, it is clear that hacking exists in Galaxian. I wasnāt sure there were such techniques until I saw that reaction. It might be illegal but the technique still exists. However, it is illegal so it will be difficult for to find a NPC to teach it.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Most users would probably give up by this point.Ā However, Ark wasnāt an ordinary user.</r-14>
<r-14>āThis is surprisingly useable information!ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark wasnāt the type to comply with rules. No, in a game he would rather do illegal things.Ā The reason why? That was of courseā¦ā¦</r-14>
<r-14>Money!Ā It was a sad reality but illegal actions gave more money!Ā Of course, illegal actions might be a blow to ethics conscious people but sometimes going against the law had more positive effects for people.Ā Wasnāt it similar to Robin Hood fighting against injustice?Ā Sometimes the hero had to do illegal thingsā¦..Ark mentally armed himself with that thought despite the reaction from the NPC.</r-14>
<r-14>āThat guy Mald gave up 10 gold for the memory chip. It is worth doing something illegal in order to get that data.ā</r-14>
<r-14>He wasnāt distressed about learning hacking.Ā The problem was finding an NPC to teach him the hacking skill.Ā Ponen was sensitive to the illegal actions because he was a government official. General NPCs might have a different reaction.Ā But common sense dictated that he couldnāt ask just anyone about an illegal technique.</r-14>
<r-14>āIf it is that locationā¦ā¦ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark thought for a while before opening his map.Ā He entered some instructions and a red dot was displayed on a corner of Nephalim.Ā He navigated towards the area indicated on the map and the atmosphere instantly changed.Ā The place where he emerged from the Nymphe was a plaza surrounded by tall buildings and the atmosphere felt like it was the centre of Seoul. Meanwhile, the area where the Nymphe directed him was the factory area. Ā It was filled with small and large factories blowing smoke.Ā Except for the large 4 companies and the galactic federation, this was the placed with will small companies.Ā The major sponsors might have large buildings in the centre of the city but the small and medium sized companies couldnāt be ignored.Ā The small companies didnāt give a stable economic base like the major sponsors. However, the small businesses often had entirely different and unique technology. Depending on the propensity of the user, the small companies could sometimes be more favourable than the large sponsors.Ā They all had their own pros and cons.Ā Although there were only approximately 100 small sponsors in the area, the overall atmosphere was bustling. If the major sponsors was a department store then this was like a traditional market?</r-14>
<r-14>-A new product has bene released!</r-14>
<r-14>-This gives special effects to various equipment.Ā Ā Take a look.</r-14>
<r-14>āInviting pioneers.Ā Iām registered to support pioneers and am looking to recruit new pioneers.</r-14>
<r-14>Various monitors displayed different advertis.e.m.e.nts.</r-14>
<r-14>āHave you seen those items?ā</r-14>
<r-14>āIt was so frightening it made me laugh. Gla.s.ses that make your eyes pop out!ā</r-14>
<r-14>āThis increases attack power. It will be a jackpot if used when hunting in a party.ā</r-14>
<r-14>āAre there any stores that sell cheap armour?ā</r-14>
<r-14>ād.a.m.n, the federation and the 4 big businesses refused me so I have to look for a sponsor here?ā</r-14>
<r-14>The users were looking at products or checking sponsor information. It also wasnāt strange to see androids and aliens walking around town.Ā It was hard to see everything.Ā Ark wanted to snoop everywhere but he had to postpone that pleasure for the moment.Ā He had come to the business district for a reason.</r-14>
<r-14>āWell, there is plenty of time to visit.ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark made his way through the thick crowds. He rounded several corners and the streets became quieter.</r-14>
<r-14>āThe map says it should be somewhere around hereā¦ā¦ā</r-14>
<r-14>Ark checked the map and looked around until he saw the sign he desired.</r-14>
<r-14><gear>Toriās Ironworks.From ships to small screws! All orders custom made!</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHere! This is the company that Cheksun introduced me to!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>This was why Ark had visited the commercial district.Ā Ark hadnāt just received a recommendation letter from Bhurad. He had completed the pipe cleaning quest 300 times. That was 60 kilometres so he received a recommendation letter from Cheksun.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThis letter of recommendation will also be related to a sponsor like the one received from Bhurad.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>It was the reason he didnāt have to go through the qualification process with the galactic federation.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Aside from the federation and 4 big companies, there were countless numbers of small and medium sized businesses.Ā Of course, it was impossible to examine all the companies.Ā But shouldnāt he find out about a place that he received a recommendation for?</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThis is the ironworks company called Gear?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Arkās face distorted strangely as he read the sign.Ā Ark only knew that Cheksunās friend Tori owned an ironworks company called āGearā when he came here.Ā Apart from the friendās name, the company was called Gear!Ā Furthermore, he had entered the federal building based on Bhuradās recommendation so he had expected something from Cheksunās recommendation.Ā However, a simple ironworks building was in front of Ark.Ā It was a small, shabby factory far away from the main commercial district.Ā Well, Bhurad was the manager of the training district while Cheksun was in charge of cleaning the pipes. It was why Ark had visited the federal branch first butā¦..</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āEven so, this is too terrible.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The shocking visuals of Gear made him extremely disappointed.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThat Cheksun b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he seemed to have misunderstood.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Most users couldnāt even last 1~2 hours cleaning the pipes while he lasted a week.Ā Of course, Ark had his own circ.u.mstances.Ā However, Cheksun didnāt understand his inner circ.u.mstances and seemed to have misunderstood Ark. He thought it was Arkās calling instead of a ch.o.r.e. Therefore he had introduced Ark to an ironworks company.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWell, this is a recommendation I received from cleaning.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>He almost didnāt want to hand over the letter of recommendation after seeing the ironworks. However, Arkās purpose in coming to the commercial district wasnāt just Cheksunās recommendation letter.Ā It was in order to learn information about the hacking skill.Ā If he considered that hacking was illegal then it would be difficult to find information from the city centre where the big businesses were.Ā It was impossible to find an illegal Samsung dealer in a department store.Ā But the commercial district contained small businesses.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNephalimās commercial district is like an online shopping mallā¦ā¦ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The answer would appear!Ā Ark believed that he could somehow learn the hacking technique.Ā They wouldnāt outright advertise an illegal technique but Ark would somehow be able to find it. And he was more likely to find illegal things in gloomier places.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI might be able to find it surprisingly quickly.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Ark thought as he entered the ironworks. He had just about to enterĀ when he b.u.mped into someone at the entrance</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āEh? What, what the? This?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Ark reflexively looked around.Ā A voice came out so he naturally though it was a person.Ā However, it was an animal around 1 metre in size. It was a beast covered in black fur. At first Ark thought it was a guard dog protecting the store. The beast moved its hand and clamoured away.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat are you looking for Customer-nim? Just say the word. As stated on the sign, our ironworks company does anything from ships to screws. Customer-nim can order whatever you like. Ah, of course Customer-nim will have to pay for it. Hihihihi!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHamster? It is a hamster?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The beast sporting a beard laughed and rocked back and forth. At first it looked like a dog but now he could see it was actually a hamster.Ā A talking hamster was a little shocking but Ark had done business with octopuses. Furthermore, he had seen aliens as he was crossing the commercial district so there was no reason for surprise.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThis alienā¦..ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āAre you Tori?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes, I am Tori the owner of Gear.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The hamster stuck out his belly with a proud look.Ā No wayā¦ā¦hamster Toriā¦..the ironworks companyā¦.it really was him?Ā Ark looked at Tori with a dumbfounded expression. Tori then proudly pointed towards the front of the building where they were several machinery wereĀ busily working.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNow, now, please go around and look. You can see everything. There are a lot of goods you might need so just say the word.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI didnāt come here to buy something.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āEh? You didnāt come to buy something?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori pulled his beard and clamoured.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat? Youāre just a spectator? Dammit, why are you peeking into someoneās factory if you donāt want to buy anything? Do you think this is a zoo? Donāt just a.s.sume that Iām a hamster! If you want to peek without buying anything then just go away. How annoying.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat? I said that youāre annoying. Buy something or go away.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The hamsterās att.i.tude completely changed after discovering that Ark wasnāt a customer.Ā Anyway, he had no intention of giving the recommendation letter to the hamster. However, he might be able to learn to hack from this guy.Ā Ark moved closer and spoke in a low voice.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI came here to obtain something.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āObtain something? Is that a joke? Didnāt you just say that you didnāt want to buy anything?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNo, not an item but a technology.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āEh? Technology?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes, hacking techniques. Do you know someone who can teach a skill like that?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat, what the? Hacking?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori looked at Ark with surprised eyes.Ā His eyes became the size of baseb.a.l.l.s before he suddenly grabbed Arkās collar.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHow dare you ask me something like that? Donāt you know it is an illegal technology? Huh? What are you trying to do?Ā Do you intend to close other peopleās businesses? No, maybe that is your purpose? Where? What b.a.s.t.a.r.d sent you? No, it doesnāt matter if someone sent you. You stay here. Iām going to arrest you for interfering with my business!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori started frantically manipulating his Nymphe. Ark was at a total loss as he starting calling the guards. He had been blinded by the fact that Tori was a hamster and never imagined he would cause an uproar like this.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āIs hacking more of a crime then I thought?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The situation was really difficult.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āP-please wait a minute!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhy should I wait? Youāre screwed now!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNo, thatā¦..do you know someone called Cheksun?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āCheksun?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori flinched and turned his head.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āCheksun? Cheksun who works at R-14?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes, I came with an introduction from Cheksun-nim.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āReally? Youāre not lying? Iām not a naive hamster.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Ah, he said he was a hamster with his own mouth.Ā Didnāt he say not to a.s.sume that just now?Ā No, now wasnāt the time to think about something like that.Ā Ark took out Cheksunās recommendation letter and handed it to the suspicious Tori. Tori blinked while reading the recommendation letter and hit Arkās chest.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHey, young friend. If you had this then you shouldāve shown it. I wouldnāt have doubted you.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āDoubt?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI meanā¦.just come in for the time being.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori looked around and entered the ironworks.Ā The interior was even more hopeless than the outside. Trash and old tools were scattered around and it honestly looked more like a junkyard than an ironworks.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āAnyway, that has nothing to do with me.Ā I have no intention of getting a job in a place like this.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori sat down on a dusty chair and began to talk.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI thought you belonged to the government.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHuh? Belong to the government?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHihihihi, it makes sense. I make illegal equipment that the government forbids from being sold so sometimes they try to entrap me. White rice might be delicious but I donāt want to be locked behind bars for the rest of my life. I became upset because I thought your question about hacking was an entrapment.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNo, Iā¦ā¦ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThatās okay. I can trust you if Cheksun sent you.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori stroked his beard and muttered.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHihihihi, itās been a while since I heard the name Cheksun. Iāve been living buried in oil and iron butĀ Cheksun wonāt sent just anyone to me.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori suddenly became lost in his memories. Ā Tori then smiled and looked at Ark.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes, did you ask Cheksun?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHuh? What did you say?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat? Arenāt you looking for a hacking technician?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat? Then you didnāt ask Cheksun about hacking?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āNo, I only found hacking necessary after I entered Nephalim and I had Cheksunās recommendation so I decided to ask Tori-nim about it. But how is hacking related to Cheksun? Is Cheksun a hacking technician?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āCheksun? No. Me!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori hit his chest and laughed.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHihihihi, Iām now the owner of the ironworks but I was once an excellent hacker.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>It was like an elite sounding voice. Ā But that wasnāt important to Ark. The important thing was that the hamster was a hacker!Ā Ark looked at him with an expectant look and asked.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āCan you teach me?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āOf course.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori nodded. Ā He thought for a moment and made a big decision.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āSince you came with Cheksunās recommendation, it will be 200 gold! Give me 200 gold! And I will thoroughly teach you the basics.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHuh? 200 gold?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Of course Ark knew that he couldnāt learn the hacking technique for free.Ā It was common sense that NPCs would require money to teach skills. Hacking was illegal so it was natural for it to be more expensive.Ā However, he never imagined that it would need 200 gold.Ā Of course, he knew that learning the skill would add tremendous value later on.Ā A technique that cost 200 gold might give him 1,000 gold later on.Ā But the problem was Arkās wallet.Ā He had 80 gold from selling the weapons from R-14. Mald stopped him from selling the remaining items but it would only add up to 100 gold.Ā He was lacking 100 gold.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>ād.a.m.n, does that mean I canāt confirm the data on the memory chip until I collect another 100 gold?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The thought of not being able to check the data made him more anxious.Ā Now he didnāt even have the money to learn the hacking technique? Ark sighed at the thought.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHihihi, you seem panicked. You panicked. I guess so. Yes, didnāt you come from R-14? It is impossible for you to have 200 gold.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhat? That b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he said this knowing that I have no money?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Ark angrily stared at Tori.Ā But Tori just said with a smile.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThat was a joke just now. Normally it would be 200 gold but I canāt do that to someone who came with Cheksunās recommendation letter. Iāll teach you the hacking technique for the moment.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āR-really?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āOf course itās not for free.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āHuh? But I donāt have 200 gold.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āI know. So Iāll make you an offer.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āAn offer?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āClean-up.Ā You need the hacking technology and I need resources to operate the ironworks. So Iāll teach you hacking if you gather resources for me.Ā It was take around 20 attempts to successfully learn hacking so Iāll teach you every time you gather resources worth 10 gold. I donāt make this offer very often.Ā Iām only offering you this support because you came with Cheksunās recommendation letter. You can learn hacking and I can gather resources so isnāt it a good thing?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āCertainlyā¦..ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Ark understood after hearing Toriās explanation that hacking wasnāt an easy skill to successfully learn. It took a couple of attempts to master.Ā Even if 200 gold was collected later, he needed to invest time in learning the skill.Ā However, Toriās system meant it was possible to save time.Ā It also didnāt require money to leave his pocket. The proposition wasnāt bad from Arkās viewpoint. No, it was a very good suggestion.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āWhen thinking about it, I was able to get a lot of money from the paid hunting ground and the compensation for the repeatable quest led to Tori. So doesnāt the early mistake of breaking the dagger seem like a good thing now?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The encounter with Mald had already been completely deleted from Arkās head.Ā Ark quickly nodded.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes, I will accept.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āIāve been feeling lonely so having a pupil doesnāt feel bad. But learning hacking isnāt easy. Iāll give you the basic hacking tools now but not everyone can become a hacker. The hacking tools is just a tool. There will be no effect if the person doesnāt know how to use it properly. So you will need to write your own hacking tools directly. Doing this is hard work and will require a lot of time so are you prepared for it?ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āOkay. Ā Then letās begin.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori stood up and lifted his Nymphe.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āBring me your Nymphe. I will immediately transfer you the hacking tools.ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Tori touched his Nymphe to Arkās and manipulated something.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>-Tori has wirelessly connected to your Nymphe.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Are you sure you want to allow the wireless connection? Y/N</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āYes! Yes! Yes!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>The data was uploaded onto his Nymphe and the information window appeared.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>-The hacking tools have been downloaded onto your Nymphe.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>-All data has been initialized by the hacking tools. If order to properly use the tools, you need to manually upgrade the user settings.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>āThatās it! I got the hacking tools!ā</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Hacking was a technique that was even hard to find information on.Ā The hacking tool was the foundation of the techniques. It really was a scary feeling seeing everything work out.Ā That was the problem. Ā Things had worked out so well it was almost scaryā¦..</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>Because Ark had forgotten an important fact. Ark realized it when he examined the information window that next appeared.</gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear>-You have completed the <manager>quest.-Congratulations!</manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager>Cheksun who is the manager of R-14ās facilities has sent a recommendation letter to Tori in Nephalim for a sponsorship offer. You have accepted Tori as a sponsor and entered into a contract with a small company.</manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager>This contract is a bindingā¦..</manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager>Ark had received the <manager>quest. And the recommendation quest was a.s.sociated with a sponsor quest. After receiving Cheksunās recommendation, Tori suddenly became friendly and offered to teach him hacking techniques.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Ark was so caught up in learning the hacking skill that he forgot it was a quest.Ā Tori talked about āsupportā when making the proposition to Ark.Ā This meant he had accepted a sponsor contract!Ā The contract was concluded when the hacking tools were downloaded.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āOh my G.o.d! This isā¦ā¦ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Ark was discouraged by the shocking development.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Tori laughed and continued.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āAh, what good timing. In fact, I had needed someone to collect the metal parts. These days there are many pioneers but not a lot of them would want to make a contract like this. Iāve been worrying about the penalty if I donāt meet the due date but fortunately youāve arrived. Thank you, thank you.Ā Hihihihi!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Then he heard a voice from behind him.Ā Ark felt breathless as his jaw dropped. Ā A group of 10 people wearing primitive armour and holding strange looking rifles were heading towards them. The person who attracted Arkās attention was the huge figure at the front of the group.Ā His whole face was covered in hair so only the eyes and mouth was visible but he had a huge figure filled with muscles.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>The human-alien woolly person approached Tori with great joy.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āOh! Clem, you came!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āHah, I donāt enjoy seeing a hamster greet me.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āHey, hey, donāt be like that. Weāre in the same line of business after all.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āA business partnerā¦..but why did you call?ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āI told you the other day that I wanted to find a worker to help me. Iāve found him. Here!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Tori laughed as he indicated towards Ark.Ā The alien called Clem looked at Ark and said.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āSheesh, what the? You want us to bring along a human who canāt even properly carry baggage?ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āYou were the one who said humans werenāt that bad.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āWell, I guess so. But did you make the contract properly? It would be troublesome if issues occur later.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āOf course. He agreed to work hard until he collects metal parts worth 200 gold.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>ā200 goldā¦..that condition will take quite a while so it is fine.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Clem nodded and said towards one of his men.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āHey, take this guy.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>And heavily armed warriors grabbed Arkās left and right arms. Ark stared at Tori and Clem with a stunned expression and stuttered.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āEh? Eh? W-wait a minute! What on earth is this? Where are you taking me?ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>When Clem frowned, Tori quickly approached Ark and said.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āWhat? What nonsense are you saying? Didnāt you make a contract to gather metal worth 200 gold in exchange for learning the skill? Why are you acting like this now?ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āNo, I understand but these peopleā¦ā¦ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Ark stuttered with confusion before closing his mouth.Ā An information window had floated from Toriās Nymphe.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>-Sponsorās Technology Transfer Contract (Tori-Ark)</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>The sponsor Tori will teach Ark a technique if he gathers metal parts worth 200 gold. Tori will only pay for the metal parts and Ark will work with a contractor to gather the parts. If the contract is violated then the sponsorship between Ark and Tori will be destroyed and Ark will pay a penalty.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āThis is the agreement.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Tori said with a smile.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āEh? But Iām gathering metal partsā¦ā¦ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āIt is difficult for one person to gather metal parts. I even gave you a job with the suppliers who collect metal parts so why are you complaining?ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āEh? Eh? Eh? W-wait a minute! Wait a minute!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Ark screamed but the heavily armed warriors just dragged Ark away.Ā Then Ark saw a shocking scene.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āNow Iāve given you a cheap worker like promisedā¦ā¦ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āOkay.Ā We will buy all the necessary supplies here while weāre in Nephalim. This time it should take 3 days so give me 10 repair tools and ammo.ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āHihihihi, thank you! Thank you! Iāll load it up!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Tori happily twisted his hands and jumped around.Ā Ark realized it at that moment. There was a contract between Tori and Clem. Tori would introduce Clem to a worker in order to gain an exclusive supplies contract.Ā That was why Tori accepted metal parts in exchange for the hacking skill!Ā Now Arkā¦..</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Nephalim was a minor city on Istana!Ā There were thugs who monopolized trading spots and a hamster who scammed him.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>āT-this is a scam! This contract is invalid!ā</manager></manager></gear></r-14>
<r-14><gear><manager><manager>Ark cried out futilely.</manager></manager></gear></r-14>