Vol 9 Chapter 8

SPACE 8. Temple

“Phew……”

Ark wiped his sweat and sighed. NPC technique initiation. This system really caught out a person. He could understand demonstrating a skill movement in order to teach it. But he needed to do it 10,000 times. In addition, the technique initiation wasn’t 100% completed even when he finished the demonstration. The acquisition system depended on the NPC’s qualities and attributes. Fortunately Ark only needed to do it 3 times. He had to repeat the same behaviour 30,000 times under the scorching heat. He also obtained something.

Sonic Sword has reached the advanced level! But originally Sonic Sword had already passed 90% of the intermediate stage. He swung the sword 30,000 times and the proficiency only increased by 10%. He couldn’t really call it compensation. However he hadn’t done the training in order to raise the skill level. It was to teach the Kusan warriors Sonic Sword! And it was possible to teach 40 Kusan warriors after his efforts.

‘If possible I would like all the warriors to learn Sonic Sword but……’

There was no time. The basic fitness training had taken 12 hours. Ark had demonstrated it 3 times so that was another 12 hours. It had already been a day. He needed to join the investigation team in 2 days. If he took into account the time required to reach Istana, Ark actually only had 16 hours left.

‘It is impossible to battle in this state!’

They had been training for 24 hours so the warriors didn’t even have strength left to lift their swords. It was suicide to lead the warriors when they were in that state.

‘My mind is in a rush but I can’t charge in blindly. There is only one chance to enter the pyramid with the Kusan warriors. They need rest in order to be in their best condition.’

Thus they slept for the recommended 8 hours…..

“God’s messenger-nim, please. The 50 people here are the remaining warriors of the Kusan clan. If we fail to enter the temple this time than the rest of the Kusan will be destroyed. The lives of thousands of people are people entrusted to God’s messenger-nim!”

You have met Chief Barakin, the leader of the Kusan clan that is native to Rakunka. Decades ago, the space monsters called Myutal appeared along with a fallen meteorite and drove the Kusan to extinction after capturing the pyramid. You have decided to help them retake the pyramid.

Difficulty:  B+

A quest was registered after Barakin’s words! The 50 Kusan warriors crossed the desert until they reached the beginning of the red earth that was the habitat of the Myutal. But Ark was still tired. It wasn’t from training for a day but because of the heat. Rakunka didn’t have a sun. However the nebula gas surrounding it meant the temperature on Rakunka steadily rose.  The Murat pyramid had intercepted the heat for a long time but it hadn’t been working for decades so now the heat was no joke. It was to the extent that even the Kusan found it difficult.

“Messenger-nim, are you alright?”

“I’m okay. Are all the preparations finished?”

“Yes, you can give the command at any time.”

Ellain nodded and replied. Behind him were the Kusan warriors riding camels. They crossed the desert that was sizzling like an oven but the though Kusan warriors showed no signs of it! They looked dependable but the exact number of enemies was unknown. It was clear that the Myutal hiding in the earth would be dozens of times their number.

‘I have to reduce the burden as much as possible.’

“Tori, are you ready?”

-Yes, Hyung-nim.

“Okay. Then let’s get started!”

Ark raised his head and exclaimed.

Wuuuuong! Wiiiiii!

There was a warrior and a huge object rose up from behind the warriors. The object reflecting light in all directions was the Silver Star! The Silver Star rose 10 metres before flying towards the red earth. At the same time, red lights shot up from all over the ground. It was the Myutal’s weapons that had attacked Ark as soon as he entered Rakunka. Tori stuck close to the ground but was still hit several times by the light. As expected, it was impossible to reach the pyramid from the sky. It would be shot down before the ship could even land.

‘The Kusan fought the Myutal dozens of times and never saw the red light being shot out. That means it must be an anti-aircraft weapon. It is fortunate that the monsters aren’t carrying anti-aircraft guns themselves.’

Despite that, the reason why he had the Silver Star head to the red earth……

‘It came out! The Myutal!’

Monsters were rising from the ground near the Silver Star.

‘This place is closest to the pyramid but there is still a distance of 80 kilometres. It doesn’t matter how weak the opponent is. Having 50 Kusan warriors killing hundreds of monsters for 80 kilometres will be tough. The success or failure of this mission will depend on how long the troops survive. I can’t afford to lose even one of them!’

That as the purpose of the Silver Star. To ease the burden of Ark and the Kusan warriors.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Particle shells poured out from the Silver Star towards the Myutal. The Myutal’s body shattered once it was hit.

“That is God’s ship, the Silver Star!”

“God’s messenger! He truly is the Murat’s Elim!”

Ellain and the warriors looked at the Silver Star with worshipful gazes. Pioneers might’ve visited Rakunka but that was more than 100 years ago. Barakin was the oldest and he had never seen a ship before. The grandeur of the Silver Star really made it seem like God’s ship in their eyes. Although it was correct that the Silver Star was a Murat ship.

“Now!”

Ark looked back at the Kusan warriors and yelled.

“Now while they’re all concentrated on the Silver Star! Plunge into the red earth! Kusan warriors, raise you swords! Now is the time to reclaim the temple and repay your ancestors’ deaths. For the future of the Kusan!”

“For the future of the Kusan!”

“God’s messenger is leading us!”

“For the honour and future of the Kusan!”

Ellain and the warriors pulled out their swords as they cried in unison. At the same time, Ark raised his lightsaber above his head.

“Charge!”

“Waaahhhhhhhh!”

Ark dashed forward on his air board. 50 Kusan warriors riding camels followed behind him as they entered the red earth. However the Myutal didn’t attack them. The Myutal were chasing the Silver Star that was flying around and attacking. There were remnants of Myutal destroyed by the Silver Star scattered around. In some cases the Myutal were still breathing……

Ku ku ku ku! Snap! Snap!

They were crushed by a camel’s foot. Ark and the Kusan warriors steadily advanced. It was no different from crossing a wasteland. The situation changed once they crossed 30 kilometres. They could relax because of the Silver Star. However there were more red lights the deeper they entered so it would eventually be shot down. The Silver Star’s support only lasted up to there.

–Hyung-nim, the Silver Star’s shield only has 20% durability left.

“Leave before it is too late!”

–Yes!

Kuwaaaang!

Tori replied and the Silver Star flew upwards. The lights from the crater stopped once the ship left the atmosphere. Now there was only Ark and the Kusan warriors left.

Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!

Ark’s group had proceeded through the centre while the Myutal had been lured away. Now the Silver Star had disappeared so the Myutal were heading towards them.

“Prepare for a collision!”

Ark shouted while moving his hand in a complicated pattern. The last day he spent in the Kusan village had been really tough. However the Kusan warriors weren’t the only ones to grow during that time. Ark had also obtained something. He wasn’t talking about Sonic Sword’s 10% proficiency. Ark had obtained two things from the village. One of them was the greeting of the Kusan. Barakin had made some strange hand motions when he first recognized Ark as God’s messenger. Since then Ark had seen the Kusan repeat the action many times. He was curious so he asked Barakin for the answer.

“They are hand gestures meant for blessings. The Murat handed it down to us and sometimes exhausted people would jump up energized after receiving the blessing. Since then the Kusan uses it as a gesture of respect for the opponent as well as a greeting.”

Ark had a sudden thought.

“Does it have a name? Is there a name for this behaviour?”

“We call it Kuon.”

“Kuon……”

Then Ark started learning the hand motions. Of course he didn’t want to use it as a greeting. The Murat was the ones who passed down that hand motion. And Ark’s guess turned into certainty when he made the gesture. The reason for Ark’s behaviour.

“Come out, Shire!”

He added the Shire to the hand motion! When he moved his hand in the complicated gesture taught to him, a character was engraved in the light. Once the character as completed, it was crushed into fine pieces like sand and absorbed in the bodies of the Kusan warriors. That’s right. The gesture used for blessing was a Murat rune!

“The character carved is called Kuon!”

Rune Carving- Kuon (User, Passive): the runes used by the Murat have the ability to extract the potential of the photon life form Shire. Therefore the Shire can store the memory of the runes. The Shire rune Kuon is the symbol of Isis who was worshipped as the goddess of life. If the Kuon rune is used then a strong vitality and willpower will be imparted to nearby allies.

<All allies within 100 metres will have their health and defense increased by 20% for 20 minutes. However the same effect can’t be stacked>

Mana consumption: 150

This was the effort of the Kuon rune! It was a buff that increased health and defense by 20%. The buff showed significant effects when granted to allies. But this wasn’t the only effect on the Kusan.

“Ohhh! This is the Murat’s blessings?”

“God is blessing us. It means the gods are watching us!”

“Kusan warriors, don’t be afraid! We have God’s messenger who inherited the will of the Murat!”

“This blessing is evidence that this crusade is meant to be!

Apart from health and defense, their courage also soared! They weren’t scared because they were with the gods!

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

The moment the Kusan warriors collided with the Myutal. There was a ringing sound and the bodies of the Myutal flew in all directions. The power of the Kusan warriors was more than Ark expected. He only saw it for a brief moment but the warriors possessed similar strength to Ellain. Indeed, they were the warriors that survived countless battles with the Myutal. In other words, they were the strongest warriors! On the other hand, the Myutal was only a level 50 monster. They were no match against the Kusan warriors in combat.

“Hot Air Sword!”

“Desert Wolf’s Fang!”

“Welcome to the alter ego! Warrior’s Blade!”

The Kusan warriors overwhelmingly pushed the Myutal back. And the Myutal’s health dropped to the bottom once there was an engagement.

“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

Dozens of swords swept through the battlefield like a storm! Tens of dozens of Myutal had already died. Then a black air current swelled around the Myutal. Red eyes flashed from inside the tornado.

“The Umu!”

The Umus were the ones controlling the Myutal! They were the cause of the Kusan’s despair as they were impervious to swords. The Umu had no doubt in their abilities and steadily rushed towards the Kusan warriors. However the Kusan warriors were different now.

“Show them the results of our training with God’s messenger!”

“Concentrate all our attacks on the Umu!”

“Sonic Sword!”

They used the Sonic Sword that Ark had taught them! Dozens of swords caused shockwaves that tore through the bodies of the Umu. The bodies that previously couldn’t be wounded were torn apart. The Umu screamed from the unimaginable blow and retreated. Then an attack shot towards the Umu again.

“Sonic Sword!”

It was from the master who taught the Kusan warriors. Ark’s Sonic Sword had reached the advanced stage. Naturally his attack was on a different dimension from the Kusan warriors. The Umu’s body that had already become ragged was cut in half.

-Roaaaaar!

The Umu gave a scream of pain and disappeared.

“The Umu was defeated!”

“Now there is nothing that can stop us!”

“Advance! Break through the Myutal and reclaim the temple!”

The Kusan warriors shouted as their morale increased and they moved forward. And…..their crusade started.

———————————————————————————————————————–

‘This can’t continue.’

Ark realized that he needed to change his tactics. The Kusan warriors were being overwhelmed by the Myutal and Umu. They had learnt a technique that could handle their enemies after decades of fighting. Therefore they rapidly advanced in the beginning. They literally crushed the Myutal as they moved forward. But they soon hit their limits.

Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!

They killed Myutal again and again without any breaks. They expended a lot of strength rushing through the Myutal. All they had to do was charge but the numbers couldn’t be ignored when there were hundreds of Myutal. Therefore the Kusan warriors’ health went down to 40~50%. The problem was that there was no healer to help them recover their health.

‘Without a healer the only way to recover health is to rest.’

But Ark had no time for that.

He had set a timer before he entered the red earth. It was the amount of time he had to enter the pyramid, find the Divine Artefact and join the 2nd investigation team. However it had been 16 hours and they’ve only marched 50 kilometres. The Silver Star helped them the first 30 kilometres so they actually only fought for 20 kilometres. And the remaining distance to the pyramid was 30 kilometres. They hadn’t even handled half of the Myutal yet.

‘If it continues like this then I won’t be able to join the investigation team on time. The problem is that there isn’t a solution.’

The red land was the Myutal’s area. They needed to handle the hundreds of Myutal hiding in this area. If they took a rest then there would be surprise attacks from the Myutal. 10 warriors had already died because of these surprised attacks. The combat power of the warriors decreased so the marching speed also slowed.

‘We’re advancing through the centre. Their numbers will increase even further as we approach the pyramid. In this situation, we might be wiped out before we even reach the pyramid.’

There was only one way left. It was to reduce the time required to recover their health. In other words, he needed to reduce the damage taken by the Kusan warriors. The answer he came up with was surprisingly simple. Monsters were afraid of enemies with RPG weapons. They would be the first ones attacked even if someone else attacked the monster first. And this aggro number also applied to buffs and heals. It was natural. If a person was healed then couldn’t that person kill the monster? Therefore a buff or heal would raise the aggro value to 3~4 times that of an attack. The problem was that this was dangerous for the healer. That’s why tanker classes learned skills like ‘Taunt’ that raised their aggro value. Anyway……

This was the method Ark came up with.

“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon!”

It was the buff skill that he learnt with the Kuon rune! In the past he had used the buff when the battle was about to start. It was a skill that lasted 30 minutes so he only needed to use it 2~3 times in a fight. Most fights ended within 30 minutes so there was no need for the effect to stack. However…..

“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon! Kuon! Kuon!”

Ark invoked the Kuon rune many times during a battle. One use consumed 150 mana and it also raised his aggro figure! When the Kusan warriors attacked 2~3 times, the opponent’s hostility instantly went to them. But the opponents changed targets to Ark once he used Kuon a few times. It reduced the burden on the Kusan warriors. Of course, Ark was at risk of being attacked so he got on the air board.

‘I’m faster than the Myutal on the air board. I can outrun these guys!’

Bbok bbok bbok bbok! Bbok bbok bbok bbok!

Any damage he received was solved by the Charenjok’s token. Ark flew around on the air board’s maximum speed while attacking the Myutal with his lightsaber.

“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

Sometimes he would use Galaxy Sword and the Myutal in front of him were blown away. Flesh scattered as the flying swords cut through the Myutal!

“Now it is bleeding!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwang, kwa kwa kwa kwang!

A column of flame gushed out from the area that the air board passed. Ark dropped grenades that caused an explosion. He also continued pouring out the buffs. The Kusan took care of the Myutal while they were chasing Ark. This tactic reduced the amount of damage the Kusan warriors took. And this damage reduction increased their travelling speed. However it was still tight considering the remaining time left. No, he couldn’t afford to slow down the pace!

“Come on, let’s go! Hurry up!”

He spurred an even faster advancement!

“The Umu!”

“We have to deal with them! Attack!”

“Sonic Sword! Sonic Sword!”

Pepeng! Pepeng! Pepeng!

The Umu disappeared as they were torn apart!

“Those guys are flocking again!”

“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving Kuon! Kuon! Kuon!”

“These guys are gathering around the God’s messenger!”

“Hurry up! Protect God’s messenger!”

“Oh, no! Everyone back off! Start the bombardment!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa! Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

The Myutal were engulfed in flames as the air board kept on moving!

His level was also increasing.

“Cough! I can’t move any longer. Leave me and just continue.”

“You fool! You are a warrior of the Kusan clan. This battle concerns the future of the Kusan. If you can move even one finger then you have to fight until the end. Don’t say weak words like that.”

“Ugh, understood! I’ll be a shield for my colleagues even if I need to die!”

“That is a Kusan warrior!”

Sometimes a touching drama like this would occur while advancing.

“There it is!”

“Here is our God, the Murat’s temple!”

Ark’s group had finally reached the front of the pyramid. Ellain and the Kusan warriors stared at the pyramid with thrilled eyes. The road to reach here was indeed challenging. Ark had heard the endless screams of battle. And a forced march! Ark had dragged the warriors here through hundreds of Umu and Myutal but dozens of warriors had been sacrificed. They had set off with 50 people but only 20 of them arrived at the pyramid. More than half of the warriors had lost their lives. However the temple was a sacred place for the Kusan warriors. A considerable cost was paid but they had finally reached the front of the sacred place after losing against the Myutal for decades. The warriors who reached the destination shed tears of joy. But Ark didn’t cry. Unlike the warriors, Ark only cared about the pyramid because the Divine Artefact was hidden there. That wasn’t the only reason why Ark wasn’t thrilled.

‘…..There is something strange.’

Ark looked around with a frown. According to Barakin, the meteorite had fallen right next to the pyramid. In fact, next to the pyramid was a huge crate with a meteorite lodged in it. In other words, this was the sacred place of the Kusan and the Myutal. Naturally Ark had expected there to be the most Myutal here. His expectations had been right when coming here. The number of Myutal increased as they got closer to the pyramid. However the Myutal suddenly stopped talking when they were 1 kilometre away from the pyramid.

“Do you think it is over?”

“Certainly…..”

Ellain nodded his head. But it was inevitable for the Kusan to think like that.

“This is the Holy Land. Surely the Myutal wouldn’t be able to access it?”

The reason was due to their faith. They treated Ark as God’s messenger and the Kusan warriors couldn’t help being optimistic. They couldn’t believe they reached here and kept on looking at each other absent-mindedly.

“Yes, we’ll know once we enter. Ellain.”

“Yes, everybody get down!”

Ellain commanded as he got off the camel. He took out the crystal in front of the door and the crystal started vibrating while rising. It was at that moment.

Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!

Kikikiki! Kikikiki! Kikikiki!

Myutal came from everywhere the moment the door started opening! Ark and the Kusan warriors flinched and turned their heads. A countless number of Myutal could be seen! In addition, a huge number of Umu appeared with the Myutal. No, it wasn’t only in the nearby area. They Myutal started crawling out of the red substance that covered the pyramid. It was to the extent that the pyramid turned black from the Myutal that covered it.

“W-why are there so many Myutal……”

Then the Myutal covering the pyramid started moving in unison. The Myutal headed towards Ark’s group who got into a battle position.

“Dammit! Hold your formation!”

Ark, Ellain and the Kusan warriors pulled out their swords. Ark was puzzle by what happened next. Apart from the Myutal attacking Ark’s group, the others were just flocking towards the pyramid?

‘Are they waiting until the door to the pyramid is opened?’

It was hard to believe but that was the only possible answer. It was the only reason to ignore the enemy in front of the pyramid. No, it was too late to consider such issues. Their only hope was the weapon inside the pyramid. However they would become the Myutal’s prey if they occupied the interior of the pyramid.

“Ellain, pyramid!”

Ark rode the air board and rushed to the door. Then 10 Myutal rolled in front of the door. But he had no time to deal with these guys. Ark just increased his weight to the front and the air board sped up even more. And just as he reached those guys.

“Mind Shield!”

<A shield with 340 durability will be created around the body……>

“Shield Emission!”

He fired another skill before the information window even popped up! It was the combo attack of Mind Shield and Shield Emission! The blue shield covering Ark’s body exploded and fired dozens of fragments everywhere. His lightsaber danced at the same time.

Wiing! Wiiing! Seokeok! Seokeok!

The Myutal in the trajectory of the lightsaber was cut! The Myutal that was already tattered from Shield Emission became like sliced meat.

“Come out, Shire! Rune Carving, Ikram!”

Ark’s hand drew a brilliant pattern in the air. Then the dog with the head of a Myutal appeared. Ark shouted at Ellain after the hell hound attacked the Myutal.

“Everyone! Don’t bother with the guys on the outside! Stay here and defend! The entrance isn’t wide so you can defend against those bastards!”

“Understood!”

The warriors flocked towards the entrance. Needless to say, there were quite a few warriors injured by the Myutal’s surprise attack. However the warriors were even more determined than before.

“This place is the Kusan’s temple!”

“I won’t let even one Myutal dirty this place!”

The warriors shouted while blocking the entrance with their bodies. Then Ellain threw the crystal to Ark and said.

“Messenger-nim, we will block this place! Messenger-nim should activate the temple! The Kusan clan’s future will depend on you!”

They wanted to defend this place alone! There was no time to argue. Thousands of Myutal were flocking towards the pyramid! Fortunately, the pyramid entrance acted as a barrier so only a few could attack at a time. Now the only way to get out of the situation was to activate the pyramid’s defense weapon. And Ark was the fastest on his air board.

“Psychokinesis!”

Ark pulled the crystal towards him Then he accelerated the air board as soon as he grabbed the crystal. He flew forward and saw two passages each dozens of metres long. One led upwards and the other downwards. Perhaps one passage led to the terraforming device while the other one led to the defense weapon.

‘Dammit, they might be dying……’

Ark’s brain started thinking at a frantic pace. Barakin said that the pyramid pulled up water from deep underground to create an oasis. Therefore the terraforming device should be located at the bottom of the pyramid!

“The defense weapon is at the top!”

Ark flew down the top passageway. And after flying for a while.

“W-what is this?”

Ark burst out with confusion. The end of the passage was just a dead end with a wall! He couldn’t see any machines and there was only an Egyptian wall painting. Ark thought he had made a mistake and was about to turn around. Then his eyes caught sight of a hold in the chest of the goddess drawn on the wall.

“Perhaps this is the goddess Isis from the Kuon rune?”

Ark recalled the contents of the information window about the Kuon rune. Isis was the goddess of life. She was the origin of humans and all species in the galaxy…..

“Heart! This crystal must be Isis’ heart!”

Ark flew to the wall and inserted the crystal in Isis. Then the wall split to the sides. A room appeared with a giant pillar in the middle spouting blue light. A geometric pattern appeared and disappeared on the surface of the pillar. But strangely the pillar was covered in a transparent, crystal like object. The moment Ark touched the crystal surrounding the pillar. All of a sudden a humming voice was heard.

-Who are you?

“What? This voice is?”

-Yes, if you are qualified then speak the name of the person who guided you here.

“Guided me here…..Xanax?”

–The seal has been released!

The voice boomed out and something amazing happened. The crystal melted off the pillar and formed a giant golem. Was this the defense weapon left behind by the Murat? The crystal golem looked at Ark and said.

“I will test you in accordance with the pledge!”

A gun was abruptly pointed at him!