Ark The Legend Vol 13 Chapter 5

s.p.a.cE 5. Sudden Attack (PART : 5)

Wuuong! Wuuong! Wuuong!

Red lights flashed in every direction. Sparks spread through cracks in the walls and the automatic extinguis.h.i.+ng devices sprayed gas over the flames, causing steam to rise. Dozens of people were busily moving in the midst of it all.

“Maintain your ranks!”

“Get ready to fire! Launch!”

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Kukw.a.n.g! Kukw.a.n.g!

There was a pouring of ammunition from the Gatling guns. Various bullets scattered all over the place as they flew through the smoke and water vapour. It hit a black shadow visible in the water vapour. The soldiers firing retreated and stuttered.

“I-it is coming!”

Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu! Syu syu syu syu!

In the next moment, dozens of tentacles flew from the water vapour. Soldiers turned their muzzles towards the tentacles in vain. The tentacles exploded, scattering yellow liquid before disappearing. But that was only a part of them.

Most of the tentacles penetrated through and hit the soldiers like a whip. s.h.i.+elds and armour didn’t help. It was to the extent that a soldier carrying a super alloy s.h.i.+eld flew back 10 metres when hit by the tentacles!

Dozens of tentacles violently struck and it became a sea of confusion as soldiers were thrown all over the place. Several soldiers were in a critical condition and coughed up blood. The tentacles approached the wounded soldiers like a beast smelling blood.

“Heok! S-save me!”

A soldier raised both arms with a pale face and shouted. But there was no time to receive help. Before anyone could even more, the tentacles wrapped the soldier and drew him into the water vapour.

“N-no! Aaaaaaack!”

Then screams came from a distance! At the same time, a part of the water vapour was dyed an eerie red. The soldiers watching turned pale with fear and bolted back.

“D-d.a.m.n! Hold fire! Pull back and regroup!”

But it wasn’t that easy to leave. The tentacles kept on attacking as the gunshots decreased. Every time the soldiers’ health would fall like they were autumn leaves. And those in a critical condition would disappear into the water vapour.

“No! We’re screwed!”

Pusung! Pusung! Pusung! Pepepepeng!

The man who seemed to be the leader hesitated as he grasped his head. Then 10 sh.e.l.ls flew from the back towards the water vapour. There was an intense rush of flames and the tentacles flinched back. But that only lasted a brief moment before attacking again.

“Retreat!”

Someone shouted as they jumped from behind. He intersected his two swords and shouted.

“One thousand. Flas.h.!.+ One thousand net!”

The sword moved in a complicated pattern as the light seemed to form a net! The tentacles. .h.i.t became ragged and fell as they broke. The swordsman turned around with the wreckage of the tentacles around him.

His cloak with a blue skull on it fluttered! A soldier stuttered with a spellbound expression.

“L-Leader Hawk-nim!”

“You are one of Cayenne’s crew. Cayenne?”

“L-leader-nim….”

The soldier bit his lip and replied.

“He died in battle a little while ago.”

“Cayenne was. .h.i.t?”

Hawk sighed and shook his head. He thought for a moment before speaking.

“Okay. Cayenne was killed in battle so all his soldiers will be under my command. I will give cover while you guys retreat. Don’t lose courage. It might be strong but it has already suffered a lot of damage. Trust me. Only a bit more to go.”

Hawk spoke with a resolute expression before turning around again. And he muttered in a low voice.

“…..Yes, only a bit more to go.”

2 hours had already pa.s.sed since Hawk entered the carrier. Meanwhile there had been no time for Hawk to rest. The Rama and Aschulat soldiers had also entered. And their goal was the bridge where the antimatter reaction came from.

It was the start of a 3 power race to reach the bridge. The winner of that race was Hawk. He had arrived at the bridge before the Rama and Aschulat.

It was slightly unexpected but the reason this was possible was due to Ark. Ark was the first one to enter the carrier. However Hawk had entered just behind Ark. Tori had connected to a terminal and downloaded a map of the internal structure.

Hawk had downloaded the map from Tori’s Nymphe at the same time. In fact, the structure of the carrier wasn’t that complicated. The bridge was the core of the s.h.i.+p so it was common sense that all pa.s.sages led to it. That’s why the Rama and Aschulat headed into the carrier without hesitation.

But even with a simple structure, knowing the path and not knowing was like the difference between the earth and sky. Especially if they needed to fight against the enemy while advancing. Thanks to that, he arrived at the bridge first but….

‘…..It was a mistake.’

Quite a few elite enemies were gathered at the bridge. Thus far it was what he expected. And the troops were finally wiped out after a tough battle. It was what happened afterwards that was a surprise.

The captain of the s.h.i.+p was a Tunba with a disgusting appearance and a size a few times larger than humans. He had been fiddling with a black box while the battle was proceeding. And finally when all his subordinates were killed.

-Dammit! I’ll send all of you to h.e.l.l!

The guy shouted before swallowing the box. The Tunba’s body then started to change. There were many unusual aliens in the galaxy and even species that transformed into huge monkeys at the sight of a full moon existed.

However the Tunba’s transformation wasn’t like that. The huge body swelled like a balloon and dozens of tentacles started springing out.

The message surfaced in front of the Hawk. The battle situation suddenly changed. The Tunba’s combat power became reckless after he transformed.

There were no signs of his health decreasing despite the shower of bullets and swords. On the other hand, the tentacles. .h.i.t the level 100 infantry and they lost 20~30% health with one blow! The medics injected syringes without a break but they couldn’t keep up with the damage.

But there was even more. The soldiers who fell into a critical condition would be captured by the tentacles.

‘Impossible! It isn’t possible to defeat that guy with our current power!’

One of the most important ability of a commander was to grasp the power of the enemy. Hawk reached this conclusion after only a few minutes. So Hawk thought about it.

‘It won’t end even if we knock down that monster. If I’m too late then the Rama and Aschulat will also arrive at the bridge. And those guys want the same thing as us. So far we are in a hostile situation but that will change with a common enemy. In that case, there is a high probability a scramble will start. In that case, the side that loses the most troops will be at a disadvantage. Then…..’

At this point, Hawk had 80 subordinates remaining. Hawk made 60 people retreat during this time and hide in another place. And the remaining 20 people switched to a defensive stance while facing the monster. It wasn’t too long before the Rama and Aschulat arrived from different pa.s.sages.

–T-that monster?

–They are the soldiers from the Galactic Federation. They arrived earlier than us?

–But there are only 10 people remaining. Huhuhu, that stupid Hawk. He became blind thanks to the antimatter information. And that monster?

–It isn’t necessary to worry about the Galactic Federation anymore.

–Go! Smash the monster!

–If this is the final boss then that monster will obvious contain information about antimatter! The person who defeats the monster first will be the last winner!

–We have to get it first!

And the Rama and Aschulat. A total of 200 soldiers thrust towards ‘????.’

Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Crack! Ddok ddok! Puck puck puck!

And the confused fighting started! Scuffle! Scuffle!

The firepower of the Rama and Aschulat was no joke. They weren’t regular troops but the private agents of each power. They even had government support so their equipment wasn’t ordinary. But the opponent was a weird creature full of question marks so it wasn’t an easy opponent.

An immense battle!

…..Hawk was hoping for it.

‘The Rama and Aschulat are already not worrying about the Galactic Federation. They are only thinking about defeating each monster first. So they have no choice but to fight until the end. But it wasn’t easy for two troops who weren’t perfectly coordinated to defeat the monster. They will win but the troops will be close to being wiped out.’

His prediction was correct. The two troops had a fierce battle until the monster was in a critical condition. But each troop received enormous damage and only had 20~30 people left. Hawk had been waiting for this time.

“Harley, start!”

Hwaaaaack! Hwaaaaack!

Hawk smiled and raised his head.

10 columns of flames spouted up. They were soldiers using flamethrower attacks! The water vapour gradually decreased and a huge object was revealed as columns of flames gushed out. The huge body with dozens of tentacles turned red. The battle that lasted dozens of minutes was winding down.

“Now, it is time to bring this to an end. Attack!”

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!

A shower of bullets and sh.e.l.ls poured out! Dozens of soldiers had appeared behind Hawk. They were the 60 soldiers Hawk had hidden early on. The other 2 powers were confused once the soldiers appeared.

–G-galactic Federation soldiers?

–That many soldiers all of a sudden….

–We were tricked! That Hawk b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he didn’t lose troops when he came here. He hid them elsewhere before we came. He left that monster to us.

–Hawk! You sneaky b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

–I won’t let this go!

The Rama and Aschulat soldiers cursed. However Hawk didn’t pay attention to them. There was no need to. It was too late for them to reverse the situation. The Rama and Aschulat were weakened by the monster so they were no match for Hawk’s troops. Now the only thing left was to stop the creature’s breathing.

“Victory is right in front of us! Charge!”

Hawk’s cloak fluttered as he headed towards the monster. The 60 soldiers yelled and followed behind him. They had been comfortably restoring their health while the Rama and Aschulat were fighting. They even checked their equipment and ate food. The soldiers fired bullets and cut the monster with their swords, making the already low health dribble to the ground.

-Kuwaaaah!

Of course, the opponent wouldn’t die that easily. The remaining power was squeezed towards the tentacles that headed towards the Galactic Federation soldiers. It was the final struggle but the tentacles couldn’t be ignored! But shortly before the tentacles reached the Galactic Federation troops!

“Get lost! Awakening skill! Open Eye!”

Hawk shouted while lifting his eye patch. The moment a red eye was revealed, an intense light exploded from it.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Hawk’s eye caused the tentacles to become engulfed in flames. Hawk crossed his two swords and light flashed from it in the form of a cross.

“Light Wave!”

An explosion blasted from the sword! A tremendous amount of black blood poured from the creature. There was no need to worry about it anymore. The final blow! One more blow would stop its breath! Hawk’s eyes brightened as he grasped his sword.

“…..My win!”

Ku ku ku kung! Kukung! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Then there was an abrupt ringing sound from underneath. At first the noise was heard from far below. But it started climbing up towards the bridge at a tremendous pace. And the bridge started violently shaking! Hawk lost his balance and stumbled before attacking.

“Ugh! What is this?”

–Now! Attack!

The Aschulat took this chance to attack. The bridge where Hawk and the Aschulat were standing was shaking wildly. But that had no effect on the Aschulat who were on their Valkyries. And they rushed towards the creature while the Galactic Federation troops were in disorder.

“d.a.m.n! Harley, stop them!”

“RPG! Intercept the Valkyries!”

The Galactic Federation soldiers lifted a launcher.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

There was a roaring sound and the ground turned deep red. A huge amount of heat was welling up from the bottom. And the creature in a critical condition was in the centre. The floor that the creature was touching glowed red.

And the next moment!

Kwa kw.a.n.g! Pepepepeng!

A thick wire shot through the ground and was driven into the ceiling. Surprisingly, that wire…..

————————————————————————–

A few minutes ago.

–Unbelievable…..

A moan emerged from the Red Slaugterer’s mouth. They had tangled together and fell down into a huge pa.s.sage in the carrier. A light appeared behind Ark that belonged to a s.h.i.+p. Its form was different from before but the Red Slaughterer recognized it as Ark’s s.h.i.+p.

–Why is the s.h.i.+p in a place like this?

“It is going to pa.s.s through the hole.”

Ark grinned as he stood in front of the Silver Star. This was the reason Ark used napalm to penetrate a hole in the armoury floor. When connected to the terminal and looking at the structural drawing, Ark saw that a pa.s.sage of a considerable size existed just below the armoury. That pa.s.sage was connected to a hangar.

‘It is possible to use this aisle.’

Ark’s mind started overflowing with endorphins as he thought up a plan. The map of the internal structure floated in his head. That’s why Ark headed to the armoury without any regrets!

‘I didn’t expect that the Red Slaughterer would find me….’

Ark laughed as he sneaked a peek at the Red Slaughterer.

‘….Well, it doesn’t really matter now.’

-Hyung-nim, are you okay?

At the same time he heard Tori’s voice from the Nymphe.

“Yes, open the door.”

Ark replied as he turned around. The Red Slaughterer shouted angrily.

–You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Stand there! This time too! You’re going to run away this time as well!

“Run away? You….”

Ark started to talk with a bored expression. Rapid who was covered with gunshot wounds shouted angrily.

“Run away? Who is going to run away? Don’t make me laugh, Lucifer! Let’s end this! Bring it on, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

“….Hey, someone drag that guy here.”

Rapid was caught by Slayer and pulled to the Silver Star. Ark coughed and started talking.

“Well, don’t start again. Did you saying I was going to run away just now? You, haven’t you grasped the situation yet? I’ll warn you seriously. It will be good for you to run away quickly. Or you’ll end up in h.e.l.l.”

Ark smiled as he raised a finger.

Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

At the same time, the Silver Star made a roaring sound and started firing sh.e.l.ls. The gun turrets and 4 main guns of the Silver Star fired at the Rama warriors.

–Ugh! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Ark!

–No, Leader-nim! You will die for nothing if you go there now!

–Let’s go! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

–What are you doing? Help Leader-nim!

Keiko dragged the Red Slaughterer and hid behind obstacles. Meanwhile Ark and the others boarded the Silver Star and looked at the Red Squad.

‘I’m not interested in exterminating them….’

The reason Ark boarded the Silver Star wasn’t to get rid of the Red Squad. Of course, this rare chance to kill them wasn’t bad. But Ark didn’t have a lot of time right now. There was no need to use his hand directly.

“It’s time.”

Ku ku ku kung! Kukung! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

A roaring sound occurred at the same time as Milan’s words.

Once again, Milan had placed napalm in the bomb armoury while Ark was collecting weapons. The remaining napalm on the sh.e.l.ls was set to explode with a time difference. Thus the rumble was the bombs exploding.

A huge amount of sh.e.l.ls had been used for this explosion. The destructive power was beyond imagination! The ceiling of the pa.s.sage collapsed and rained down like hail. It also fell on the heads of the Red Slaughterer and Red Squad hiding behind obstacles.

–You have died.

Naturally that message appeared. But he had nothing to do with the Red Slaughterer anymore.

‘The real fight starts now!’

“Tori, secure the s.p.a.ce. Move the Silver Star to a vertical position.”

The Silver Star moved under the collapsed ceiling at Ark’s command. A large hole that had been opened up caught his eye. This was due to the huge explosion from the sh.e.l.ls in the armoury. Cracks spread through the walls as mechanical parts fell down. According to the structural plans, the iron wall on the top right….

“Tori, confirm the location.”

“There is no doubt. That iron wall will lead to the bridge.”

This was why Ark moved the Silver Star here! The bridge that was the final destination for the 3 powers was in vertical alignment with the armoury. Of course, there was a considerable distance between them. Various machine parts, pa.s.sageways and cabins blocked the way. There were nearly a dozen layers between them.

‘But a huge amount of sh.e.l.ls is piled up in the armoury. I can use them to blow up in the direction of the bridge. Then there is no reason to go the hard way. I can go up to the bridge through the armoury!’

Ark had headed towards the armoury. But that didn’t mean he had given up on the antimatter information. This idea was the best chance for him to obtain it.

Of course, there was no guarantee that his idea would work. The explosion might not reach all the way to the bridge. But it was all or nothing. It was better than the Rama or Aschulat getting their hands on the antimatter information.

The only thing that weighed on his mind was Irina’s safety on the bridge.

“Irina-nim, please retreat from the bridge.”

Ark sent a communication to Irina just before the explosion occurred. Hawk was playing an active role on the bridge so there was no reason for Irina to be near him.

“Irina-nim, are you okay?”

-I’m fine. What is going on? Perhaps that explosion just now was due to Ark-nim?

“Yes, it is like you said.”

–How did you…..?

“Wait a minute. I’ll be there soon.”

–Huh? You’ll be here soon? Where are you now?

“Underneath.”

Ark turned his head while grinning.

“Milan, prepare the main gun. Launch it to the front!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Lightning gushed from the Silver Star.

Sparks flew from the s.h.i.+p and the pillar of light headed towards the wall where the bridge was. When it collided, cracks spread on the iron plate and it turned deep red. Ark jumped on the deck and held on to the anchor before yelling.

“Now! Launch anchor!”

And the anchor was fired vertically! The anchor flew over 100 metres and hit the dissolving iron. And…..

Kwa kw.a.n.g! Pepepepeng!

There was a ringing sound and the melted iron scattered all over the place. And in the next moment, the sight of troops gathered in the area caught his eyes. They were the soldiers in the bridge….

“Hey Hawk!”

“You…how are you here…..?”

Hawk who was 10 metres away stuttered with a puzzled expression. But Ark was the same. In fact, Ark had heard the situation in the s.h.i.+p through Irina. The soldiers of the 3 powers were fighting with a weird creature. And the creature was on the verge of dying when the sh.e.l.ls in the armoury exploded.

Ark had used the anchor to break through for that reason. The creature was probably the final boss. When taking the fact that this was a game into consideration, the weird creature probably had information on antimatter.

‘There is no meaning if I make my way to the bridge only for the boss to have already died. Even if there is no antimatter information, killing the boss should still give achievements.’

He had thrust the anchor towards the bridge with that idea. But he couldn’t see the creature when he looked around. The only thing he saw was the soldiers of the 3 powers staring at Ark in dumb surprise.

‘d.a.m.n, am I too late?’

Ark was sighing with disappointment. All of a sudden, a black liquid fell on his head.

-Your level has risen……

And the messages suddenly popped up!

“Eh? What is this? Ugh, this black liquid? Heok! T-this is?”

Ark’s mouth gaped open as he looked up with a confused expression. The anchor had penetrated through the ground and lodged in the ceiling. A huge body was embedded in the ceiling by the anchor.

Ark looked stupidly at the scene he couldn’t imagine. Something fell from the broken lump of flesh. Ark reflexively picked it up and the information window popped up.

Item Type:  Pistol                 Wearer Restriction: Level 100

Attack: ???                              Durability:  55/100

Number of Ammunition:  0/15

A gun was a peculiar form.

It is clearly a pistol but the unusual form means that it has a special use. The gun is also covered in strange glyphs that can’t be understood. Outstanding pioneers can sense the unusual power in it but it is unclear. Item a.n.a.lysis will need to be used to determine what power is hidden in this equipment. It is best to experience everything!

※ Item effect is still undisclosed.

An unconfirmed item fell first. And the next thing his hand grasped….

Item Type: Quest item

A sealed box with several layers of locks.

Nevertheless, there are powerful forces pouring from the box. But the ident.i.ty of the power is unknown. You have to ask for help from the Galactic Federation for a more precise investigation.

‘Quest item?’

Ark finally understood everything. The 3 powers had fought against the creature. That was the huge chunk embedded by the anchor in the ceiling! And now the quest item had fallen into Ark’s hands!

So….Ark had killed the creature that soldiers form the 3 powers had sacrificed themselves for and received the quest item. Hawk and the other soldiers had fought the creature for 30 minutes only to receive nothing.

However Ark was also upset. So he said.

“….Eh? I’m sorry.”

“You….you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Give it to me!”

“No, why should I?”

Ark packed the box into his backpack. And he spoke with a hateful expression.

“Didn’t you say it before entering the carrier? The person who picks up the quest item first is the owner. And I got my hands on it. So just celebrate coolly.”

“Ark! You! I’m going to kill you!”

Hawk rushed forward and tried to attack him. It wasn’t just Hawk. The Rama warriors and Aschulat on the Valkyries woke up at Hawk’s voice and rushed towards Ark.

“Armed Stealth!”

Ark cried out at the same time! At that moment, the armour at his shoulders and waist opened. Small beads flew from inside and exploded, causing a huge burst of light. Instead of the normal stealth that hid his body, Armed Stealth caused an amplified bit of light that blinded the enemy!

Hawk and the soldiers hurriedly hid their eyes from the explosion of light.

“Hey, cool your heads and think again. The quest item has already entered my backpack. What do you think the probability of the quest item dropping if I die is? And I’m going to give you a warning. This carrier will explode soon. So isn’t it better to run away quickly? If you stay here you will die.”

It was true. Ark had caused an explosion in the centre of the carrier. No matter how powerful the carrier, it wouldn’t be able to withstand such a thing. And the explosion before Ark launched the anchor had created a chain explosion.

In addition, the crew of the carrier knew that the 3 powers had invaded it. It was only a matter of time before the explosion reached the power reactor. And once it reached the power reactor, bang!

Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!

The vibrating of the carrier indicated that time wasn’t far off.

“I hope everyone can escape unharmed. Then I’m busy so I’ll go now. Oh, before that…..Armed Chain!”

Ark’s Armed Chain skill wound around Irina. Irina quickly flew towards Ark.

“Omo!”

“I will take Irina-nim.”

“Huh? B-but my subordinates…..”

Irina stuttered and blushed. Camel just smiled and saluted.

“Captain-nim, I’ll meet you outside! Ark-nim, take care of her!”

“Leave it to me. I’ll keep her safe.”

“Let’s go! Hurry!”

Camel rushed off the bridge at Ark’s reply. Irina’s subordinates also left towards the hangar.  Hawk, the Rama and the Aschulat were still on the hangar but they understood not a lot of time was left. After Camel’s party left the bridge, Ark descended down the anchor wire towards the bottom. He landed safely on the deck of the Silver Star!

He entered the bridge and Rapid ran over.

“Ark, what happened?”

“That’s it. It went well.”

Ark sat in the captain’s chair and commanded.

“Tori, sneak out of the carrier.”

The vertical Silver Star moved back to a horizontal position. It rotated 180 degrees before accelerating in the direction it came from. Meanwhile intense fires occurred all around it. And mechanical parts spilled out!

However Tori, Hegel and Milan controlled the Silver Star without a hitch. The Silver Star used its main gun to destroy broken bulkheads handing down before reaching the hangar. The universe stretched out on the other side of the carrier’s armour!

Pepeng!

“We came out!”

The Silver Star exited the carrier. Once they came outside, the situation inside the carrier looked more serious. There were multiple explosions and the carrier was wrapped in smoke. Irina gave the carrier an uneasy look and asked.

“Can the members escape safely?”

“The carrier will endure for dozens of minutes. It shouldn’t be a problem for them to escape the carrier in time.”

In fact, the person who had more to worry about than Camel was Ark. It wasn’t his intention but Ark stealing the prize under Hawk and the others noses was a problem. Hawk might turn a blind eye if the Rama and Aschulat tried to kill him.

It would be a headache once they emerged.

‘Let’s fly away for the moment!’

“Tori, prepare to set sail!”

Ark immediately made preparations to escape.

“Hyung-nim, an energy reaction has been detected! Spatial waves! According to the form of the sensed energy, it is spatial movement! Someone is warping here! It is 1 giga! There are a lot of them!”

Hegel shouted towards Ark.

A bunch of ring shaped lights then appeared. An amazingly 500 metres large cruiser from the Galactic Federation emerged from the ring. And after that came the Rama and Aschulat.

But that wasn’t the end.

Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!

A staggering 100 s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps arrived. Combat s.h.i.+ps used by the Council to manage the s.p.a.ce frontier had arrived.