Vol 12 Chapter 8

SPACE 8. The MURAT SAGA (PART: 2)

“Set!”

Kuhwen ran forward and shouted.

“You were such a loyal subject so why did you commit such a terrible sin?”

“Loyal subject…..”

The sound of laughter emerged from Set’s voice.

“Yes, loyal subject. I once believed so as well. I was a loyal subject of Horus. I worked to protect Horus and ensure peace on Muratio Star. I never doubted the mission that the Great God gave me.”

“Then why?”

“Because I realized that I was mistaken.”

Set raised his voice and continued.

“I heard the voice of God. And I came to know. The Great God doesn’t want peace. Destruction! And death! That is what the God wants.”

“Nonsense! Who would hope for such a thing?”

“Your Majesty, there is no point.”

Then Tot shook his head and spoke from the rear. He looked at Set with incredulous eyes and moaned.

“I don’t feel any light within Set anymore. The only thing swirling inside him is a dark aura. The force of the dark aura is so incredible it is hard to believe. I don’t know when the darkness entered Set’s body but his heart has already been swallowed by the darkness. He already can’t be convinced with words.”

“Indeed Tot. You understand.”

Set laughed while scratching his head and replied.

“But you misunderstood an important part. The dark aura didn’t enter me. I embraced the dark aura. That’s because I recognized the true will of God. Your expression says you can’t understand. It is natural. No one can understand unless they heard the voice of the Great God directly. But it isn’t necessary to worry. I’ll make sure you guys soon hear the voice of God. However, you will hear the voice of the death god.”

Set dropped his shoulders and spoke quickly. At the same time, a small rod fell from his sleeve towards his hand. A black ray shot off from the rod at the same time. It was a black lightsaber.

“This guy is Set….”

Ark went out in front of Kuhwen.

“This crazy person. The voice of God? You should go to a mental asylum. There are many who had the voice of God like you. No, I’ll send you there.”

“Jed?”

Ark seemed to be someone called Jed in Set’s eyes. But he had no intention of correcting that idea. Ark nodded blankly and Set laughed before continuing.

“I haven’t seen you in a while but the guy who always hid behind Prince Kuhwen is now standing in front of him. It is worth understanding. That sword tells me that you are the Elim’s Heir. Perhaps your confidence is coming from there. But it is better not to strain yourself. Haven’t you heard? The late Elim was killed by me. Do you think that you who just became the heir can take care of me when the formal Elim couldn’t?”

“It is possible!”

Ark raised his lightsaber and shouted. Then Rapid and Hawk simultaneously rushed forward on either side of him. And in front was Ark! It was the attack from an alliance of three warriors!

“It is impossible for you guys! Right now I’m unbeatable!”

Set opened both arms and shouted.

A huge aura of darkness swirled around and focused on Set. Ark felt his breath clog and body stiffen as he was wrapped in the dark aura. Set slowly raised both arms and Ark’s body floated into the sky like he was pulled by something.

It wasn’t just Ark. Next to him was Basak, Hawk, Rapid, Kuhwen and Tot. The people around him were captured by an unseen force and floated up. At the same time an information window appeared.

<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>

‘Oh my god! I can’t move? This is….’

Ark looked at the information window with astonishment. He knew that Set was the leader of the rebellion on Muratio Star. Ark had expected Set to be strong. But to not be able to move? Was this a problem of strength anymore?

“Huk! W-what is going on?”

“I don’t know but Hawk-nim is in danger!”

“Damn! Help Hyung-nim!”

Hawk and Ark’s team watching from afar started clamouring. No, they tried to jump up!

Pepeng-! Pepeng-! Pepeng-!

Sand pillars soared up between Ark and his team. The sand pillars exposed 100 soldiers wearing black armour. They were subordinates of Set who dropped down from the airship. Set looked at his subordinates before moving close to Ark and muttering.

“Didn’t I tell you? You aren’t my opponent.”

‘Is Set really a NPC?’

He looked at the approaching Set holding the black lightsaber.

This sometimes occured in a game. A user’s ability couldn’t beat the NPC. Did this mean the <For the Benefit of Muratio Star!> quest needed to be completed before Set appeared? Did the appearance of Set mean a failure of the quest itself? There was a possibility that Set was a NPC that couldn’t be beat. Ark considered that point before shaking his head.

‘No, that is ridiculous! I thought I was killed when caught by the black hole! I worked hard over 3 days and now they’re saying ‘Huhuhu, Set can be beaten?’ Is this a joke? If I die here then it isn’t just experience and skills that will be lost. Even my spaceship will be lost! No! I will never die! I won’t let it end in vain like this! There must be another way!’

And there really was!

“You can’t stop us with such sorcery!”

There was a cry from the back and the black aura immediately scattered. The unseen force around Ark, Hawk, Rapid, Basak and Kuhwen disappeared and they fell to the ground. Ark turned around at the sudden situation with an astonished expression and saw Tot floating in a meditation posture.

“I know the force! The powers of darkness won’t affect me!”

The one who invalidated Set’s skill was Tot!

He looked like Yoda but he had been no help in battle so far! He was the Elim mentor but only taught Ark Break Kinesis! Ark honestly hadn’t paid much attention until now! This was the famous Elim spiritual mentor! He was still a NPC.

But this scene clearly showed Tot’s skills.

“Ark, now! I’ll block this guy so accomplish the Elim’s mission!”

….In the end, it was a war between disciples. But fortunately Ark wasn’t alone right now!

“Basak, they are charging!”

Ark shot forward like a bullet the moment he landed on the ground and shouted.

At the same time, Set’s subordinates surrounding Kuhwen and Basak took out their weapons. There was the thunderous sound of gunshots as Ark and Hawk’s teammates conflicted with Set’s soldiers.

And Ark…..

Wiing! Wiing! Buoong!

A trajectory of light rushed towards Set. The moment the sword was about to reach Set!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sparks flew out continuously. Set had considerable sword skills. He was the leader of the troops on Muratio Star so it was natural but he managed to block dozens of sword attacks with one hand.

But this much was expected. The two swords violently collided with each other!

“Defense Break!”

Ark’s sword slipped towards Set’s wrist and struck. Defense Break was a technique to deal with the opponent’s defense stance! It was a useful skill in close combat. Set hadn’t expected it and a wide gap appeared in his posture.

“Take this!”

Ark’s sword went through Set’s neck without any delay. No, he thought it pierced through but Set’s body scattered like fog. And he appeared behind Ark as the black lightsaber fell vertically.

“It is still crude. Vacuum Wave!”

“Damn, Sonic Sword!”

Ark ducked and rolled his body. The black and blue swords collided in the air and there was an explosion of smoke. A huge impact that it Ark’s body. He reflexively strengthened the power in his leg but Ark still flew back several metres.

While Ark was driven into the sand, Set laughed and approached.

“Kukukuku! Didn’t I say it was impossible for you?”

“Your opponent is me!”

The sparkle of two swords plunged into Set. It was Hawk who had been waiting for a chance. Hawk wielded two swords like lightning and seemed to push back Set’s one sword. However Set pushed his leg deep into the sand and turned his body, causing a circle of black light.

“Not a chance! Destruction Zone!”

Hawk raised his pair of swords with confusion. Black sparks continuously flew until Hawk was thrown back 10 metres. Rapid instantly fired his pistol when Hawk was pushed back after Ark.

“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”

Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!

The pistol revolved in Rapid’s hand and fired off successive bullets! But Set just waved his lightsaber from side to side and the bullets scattered everywhere like Ark’s Sword Defense. Rapid changed locations and rapidly fired the bullets. Set stretched out an arm towards Rapid and a black sphere formed on the palm.

“Air Bomb!”

The sphere moved forward at a speed that was impossible to see. Rapid used evasive behaviour but the sphere caught up to him like it was a guided missile and exploded. There was black smoke and the bloody Rapid fell to the ground. This happened in the few seconds that Ark was pushed back by the Vacuum Wave.

“U-unbelievable…..”

Ark stared at Set with a flustered expression. It wasn’t just Ark. Hawk who had been waiting for a good opportunity while Rapid was firing also had the same expression.

‘It’s different if I was careless. However Hawk and Rapid aren’t careless. Yet the 3 of us couldn’t face him directly?’

This was Galaxian but Ark was still a legendary gamer. His power was inferior to Hawk’s but he wouldn’t be pushed back in personal skills.

And Rapid was a rival that competed with Ark equally. He had a considerable physical obstacle but he overcame that weakness with a pistol. Hawk was one of the Seven Swords so there was no need to talk about his skills.

Yet Set had defeated 3 such users instantly. Tremendous skills!

‘Impossible! It is impossible to defeat him with our abilities right now!’

Ark came to this conclusion. However he had no intention of giving up this fight.

‘There is no reason to give up yet. Obviously Set is strong. It will be difficult to defeat him with my own power. And the other team members are fighting against Set’s subordinates so they can’t help. But I’m not alone. For me….’

Ark raised his body and looked at Hawk and Rapid. They were his former rivals Rapid and Hawk. Now these two rivals were next to Ark. No matter the problem, currently they were people with the same purpose. They couldn’t match Set but that was when they were facing Set separately.

‘If I team up with them….’

Anyway, it wasn’t necessary to express such ideas. Ark could read the same idea in Rapid and Hawk the moment they made eye contact.

–That is the only way remaining!

Hawk reached the same conclusion as Ark. Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s movements changed significantly since then. Ark moved forward to control Set’s movements. Then Hawk and Rapid moved slowly behind Set.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Rapid started shooting. 3 bullets flew accurately! These shots were a signal so Hawk and Ark rushed forward with their swords. Set felt like that atmosphere of the party had changed. Set’s sword exploded towards Ark and Hawk like a wild animal protecting himself. However Ark had already expected Set’s response.

‘Swamp Walking!’

Ark lowered his body and used Swamp Walking. Ark’s upper body lowered enough until it almost touched the ground. And he kicked out the moment he was close to Set. But unlike New World, his kicks didn’t have an effect in Galaxian. Moreover, Set was much higher levelled than Ark. His position was also enough to make Ark fall. And this attack revealed a gap in Set’s posture!

‘But this alone is enough!’

“Do you think I will accept this attack?”

Set turned towards Ark and twisted his sword. Hawk’s sword twisted intricately and fell onto Set’s head.

“One thousand. Flash! One thousand net!”

“Ugh! You!”

Kakakakak! Kakakakak!

Set flinched and sparks flew into the air as he blocked. Rapid then reloaded and fired towards Set’s head. Set instantly spun his sword. At the same time a black vortex rose and pushed back Ark, Hawk and the bullets.

“Is this the capabilities of your group?”

Set’s red eyes swept over Ark’s group and he murmured in a threatening voice. Set had fended off Ark, Hawk and Rapid’s continuous attacks by himself! But Ark wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t successful but he was convinced with this attack.

‘We can do it!’

Ark grasped his sword and looked at Hawk and Rapid. Once again Ark, Hawk and Rapid couldn’t handle Set alone. The only way to complete the request was for the 3 people to join forces and do a pincer attack.

When the 3 of them joined together, the attack damage wasn’t x3. The important thing about the pincer attack was that they be in tune with each other. If they didn’t fit then it would be rather annoying.

This attack was to check that out. Hawk and Rapid could attack in tune with him. He would give the result at least 8 points out of 10.

As soon as Ark tried a low attack and focused Set’s eyes there, Hawk had attacked from the top. And when the two attacks failed, Rapid had fired to prevent Set from counterattacking. Anyway, it meant they knew the timing to attack without needing to speak!

‘Then I don’t need to hesitate any longer!’

Ark’s sword swept the horizontal direction to vertical. Set shot forward like a bullet and a blue afterimage followed him. The sword poured towards him like a shower!

The blue and black swords intertwined complicatedly in the space between Set and Ark. The two swords were straining against each other when a sound was heard. The person who interrupted was Hawk!

Wiing! Wiing! Pajijijik! Papang! Wiiing!

Sparks soared as Ark, Set and Hawk tangled together. Set skillfully swung his sword and received both Ark and Hawk’s attacks. But it wasn’t easy for Set to simultaneously block both swords. Set began to be pushed back as the contact between swords increased.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Then bullets flew through the middle! Even in such a situation, Rapid wasn’t in a hurry. His location always changed and he would shoot to interrupt when Ark and Hawk was on the defensive. Ark and Hawk’s swords plunged immediately when the attack was broken!

Ark attacked from below and Hawk from above! Hawk attacked from below and Ark from above!

The 3 swords relentlessly tangled with each other within a 1 metre space. This pincer movement was being done for the first time but they were perfectly in tune with each other.

“Trash like this…..!”

Set shouted angrily. But the circumstances meant that Set no longer had room to even talk.

Ark, Hawk and Rapid had reversed the situation with their pincer attack. The chances of Set’s landslide victory changed from a ratio of 8 to 2 in a 1 on 1 battle had changed to 6 to 4.  And Ark’s attack speed became even quicker once Set started being pushed back.

“You flies. You will die today.”

Set became angry at Ark’s provocation! The situation increasingly tilted to Ark’s side as Set flared up. But the situation still wasn’t over.

Ark, Hawk and Rapid had found a way to push Set back but the situation with Set’s subordinates wasn’t going well. The combined attacks from his subordinates were pushing the users back. And if the team members were killed then completing the quest would be difficult even if Set was taken care of!

Set grasped the situation and suddenly changed to defense.

“Ark, he is buying time!”

“I know! But switching to defense is as good as admitting defeat. And this is my specialty! Break Kinesis!”

Ark shouted and used his skill. The space behind Set’s head suddenly exploded.

It was the explosion of force Break Kinesis! He had tested it a few times after learning from Tot but unfortunately Break Kinesis couldn’t be used directly against monsters and NPCs. But it was possible to explode a space with nothing in it. The explosion wouldn’t deal a lot of damage but it was enough to break the flow of the offense.

“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

Ark used his strongest skill Galaxy Sword after the explosion! Swords flew forward like a fan. It wound around Set like a storm. Set’s health dropped by a tremendous amount and he flew back several metres.

“Light Wave! Wide Sharp Swords!”

“Chain Fire!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa! Tatatatang!

Hawk and Rapid also used deadly skills.

‘That’s it! Now there is a chance to win!’

Ark lost his breath as he looked at Set.

Set had been gradually overwhelmed once Hawk and Rapid joined in with the pincer movement. Ark and Set’s health was 45% to 38%. It wasn’t enough to guarantee a victory. But the recent attacks reduced Set’s health by 8% to 30%. It was 45% against 30%!

‘Now we can definitely win!’

Ark was convinced of victory and was preparing for the next attack.

Suddenly he had a strange feeling. He felt a sense of discomfort after Set was hit by Galaxy Sword. It was only after Kuhwen’s scream that Ark knew the source of his uneasiness.

“T-Tot!”

Ark’s face stiffened as he turned his head. Tot who was floating 10 metres in the air in a meditation posture had a black lightsaber through his chest. This was the uneasiness Ark felt!

Set’s sword wasn’t in his hand. Set had distracted Ark and his companions. Set was looking for a chance to aim at Tot while fighting Ark. And the moment Ark’s group used a knockdown technique, he had driven his sword through Tot’s chest.

The reason Set did such a thing was simple. If Tot disappeared….

“Your tricks end here.”

Set murmured with a laugh and took one step forward. He spread an aura of darkness and once again wound around Ark’s party.

———————————————————————-

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

Bullets hailed all over the place. Dozens of people became bloody and fell down from the concentration of bullets. But that wasn’t the end. Plasma bullets burnt and swords were stabbed through bodies as people died.

“Ugh, dammit!”

A man groaned and moved backwards.

He was Paragon, a member of Hawk’s troops who Harley had placed in charge of the militia. His mission was to take the militia and lure Nemet’s main army. And he had succeeded in luring Nemet’s main force.

But it wasn’t possible to outrun the enemy in the desert. They were caught by the 3,000 rebel army soon after succeeding in the luring strategy. However Paragon wasn’t daunted.

‘I expected that we would be caught by them. The important thing is that Captain Hawk and the remaining team reaches Tri-Force safely. Once Kuhwen entered the pyramid and released Abraxas then the battle will end. The space fleet will enter Muratio Star. We have to hold on until then!

He was sure that victory was secured. But the scheduled time had passed yet there wasn’t any change in Tri-Force.

He assumed it would be a short term battle but 20 minutes had passed since it started and it was still being drawn out. That expectation meant the tactic was for a short term battle and now the soldiers in the defense line were reaching their limit. They were holding up but it was clear the defense line would soon collapse.

‘No! Just a bit more!’

Paragon bit his lip as he stared at the pyramid.

‘Captain Hawk, what is he doing?’

———————————————————————-

The militia was on the brink of destruction.

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

Gunshots rang out a few kilometres away.

The 1,000 rebel army led by Nemet was running while firing plasma bullets. The 100 soldiers that Nemet had discovered with the Fly Ranger were running away. Based on the configuration of troops, Kuhwen’s unit should’ve been wiped out already. And there were indeed only 50 soldiers left after being caught by Nemet’s unit.

But Nemet felt sick while carrying out the one-sided attack.

“Damn! Why aren’t any of the attacks hitting?”

Nemet growled as he looked at the flapping cloak that was Kuhwen running away. It had been dozens of minutes since catching the militia yet Kuhwen hadn’t been hit by any of the bullets.

That was because Nemet was still unaware of something.

Kuhwen who showed incredible evasion! The man moving in front of Nemet was not Kuhwen. Kuhwen was currently in front of the pyramid and the disguised person was the pet hamster (?) Tori!  Tori had no battle skills but his evasion and ability to escape from a crisis was equal to Ark despite being a NPC. But that was Tori’s own ability.

“Catch him! Kill! Kill him!”

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

Nemet became even more upset by Tori’s ability and the unit members died one after another. Unfortunately Tori couldn’t hide and just ran around escaping from the shower of bullets. There were shields on either side of him but it was only a matter of time until Tori died!

‘That damn Ark! What is going on? I’m going to die!’

Anger burned inside of Tori.

———————————————————————-

At that moment, Ark and Hawk….

<The strong dark aura has blocked all movement from allies within 100 metres>

“D-dammit!”

…..They were wrapped in darkness and floated in the air.

“Kukukuku. Now it is like you are hanging from a spider web. Didn’t I tell you? You guys are not my opponents. This has proved my point. I will shred your body for all the trouble you gave me.”

Set approached Ark and slowly said. Then Ark raised his head, looked at Hawk and shouted.

“W-wait a minute! Why me? Think about it! That guy hit you harder than I did! Don’t you remember? If you have to kill someone then kill him!”

“This bastard….”

Hawk yelled angrily.

“No! The person who thought of this strategy first is him! Ark!”

“What? This bastard! No! The first person who talked about a luring strategy was you! How can one of the Seven Swords act so cowardly? Wouldn’t your subordinates be embarrassed?”

“You’re the one who started it!”

“I just told the truth! You were the one always talking! Isn’t it better for him to hit you? Hey Set. Think about it. This is an important issue!”

…..They were both trying to persuade Set to kill each other first. Fortunately that didn’t last long.

“Ugh! H-Hyung-nim! No! This bastard, kill me instead!”

Kuhwen and Basak were also floating in the air beside Tot. Set made a pitying expression after seeing the atmosphere and clicked his tongue.

“Ha! Their subordinates are a lot better than their masters.”

Ark and Hawk blushed.

“Pathetic. I had to fight against trash like you. But now your tricks will end. And you both don’t have to fight. All of you will die like squashed bugs. A volunteer has appeared so he will be killed but Jed will be first. That way I can see Kuhwen and Tot crying as well.”

Despite Basak’s efforts, it was decided that Ark would become the first fatality!

“Basak, don’t worry. It will be your turn next.”

Set approached Ark and stretched his arm out. Set’s sword that was driven into Tot’s chest returned to him. It was Psychokinesis. Set used that technique to pull his sword out of Tot’s chest.

“Now it is time for your punishment. Vacuum Wave!”

The sword plunged downwards.

“H-Hyung-nim!”

Basak screamed as Ark’s chest was split open. However Ark was feeling more despair than pain. This quest was 99% a failure. If he was hit by Set and died then all the experience and skills he gained during the three days and the Silver Star would be lost.

But there was no longer any way for Ark to stop it. He was incapacitated and couldn’t move so all he could do was wait for death. Ark could only look desperately.

-Ark, do you hear my voice?

He suddenly heard a humming voice in his head.

“T-Tot-nim?”

-Yes, that’s me. I’m speaking to your spirit directly using force. Where did your spirit go? You’re just letting yourself be hit!

Tot snapped in an angry voice.

…..He was using force to speak to others in a situation like this? It was slightly outrageous but Tot’s words weren’t.

–Ah, no. I’ve received a fatal wound and can no longer prevent the dark forces. If this continues then Kuhwen will be killed as well. Then no one will be able to stop Set. If Set controls Muratio Star then he will bring war to the universe. Right now you are the only person who can stop Set.

“But I can’t move.”

–No, it is possible if it is you. The power that I used to stop the dark forces isn’t special. You know the strength of Force. You can use Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. In other words, you have received two things. You will soon realize the power of that attribute.  Now I’ll align with your force and tell you how to concentrate your mind. This is the only chance. If this fails then you will surely die.

“Eh? Eh? No, wait a minute! My heart isn’t prepared…..”

Ark spoke with a puzzled expression.

Tot has connected to your spirit using the power of Force and fused Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis to create a new skill.

But Tot’s current state means he can only open the two types of power. The fusion of the two types of power will depend on your concentration. If you can blend the two powers together perfectly then the skill will be created.

There is only one chance! If successful, a new skill will be acquired but if you fail then the two powers will flow backwards and explode.

The keyword is ‘Force.’

The blue information window rose!

At the same time, a large disc appeared. And two small beads started to roll inside it. Ark figured out how to create the skill the moment he saw the beads. There was a black and white bead. They probably signified Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis. And the keyword meant that he needed to use Force to join the 2 balls.

In other words, it was some sort of mini-game. However it was a superficial game like the name. There was only one chance and failure would mean death. His experience, skills and the Silver Star would fly away. A game with his life at stake!

‘But this is too much!’

Ark lost his fighting spirit as soon as he saw the beads. The beads were rolling too quickly on the disc. Furthermore, the thought of losing everything placed a considerable burden on him and he couldn’t concentrate on the beads.

–What are you doing Ark? The two powers have already clashed a few times. But why are you just watching from the sidelines? Hurry! There is no time! You will die if you don’t succeed so just do it!

‘Die? If it fails then won’t I explode? Yet he told me to just do it? Damn! What is this? Aren’t you a mentor?’

Tot was just talking without knowing the other person’s feelings.

“Wuhahaha! How about it? Do you feel like you’re gradually dying?”

There was a crazy person in front of him still cutting away. He couldn’t concentrate directly.

But like Tot said, Ark had no time.

If he failed to fuse the forces then he would be killed but it he didn’t then he would be murdered by Set! Fortunately Set was going slowly but Ark’s health had already decreased to 30%. Set only needed 3~4 hits before he would hear the voice of the death god.

‘I need to concentrate! Just once! I have to bet everything at once!’

Ark closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Anyway, it wasn’t useful to have many thoughts in this situation. There was only one chance. If he concentrated his mind then he could quickly beat the game. He waited until he couldn’t even feel the pain from Set’s strikes before opening his eyes.

“Eh? Ehhhhhh?”

Ark’s eyes were shocked. He wasn’t concentrating so hard that he couldn’t feel the pain from Set’s attacks. Set wasn’t attacking. Instead both hands were forming black spheres.

“You’re tougher than I thought. It is troublesome so I’m going to take care of you!”

It seemed to be an attack that would send Ark to his death. However the beads had crashed a few times and moved around the outskirts of the disk.

“W-wait a minute! My mind isn’t prepared….wait a minute! It went well until now! So be a bit more patient! Haven’t I stirred your emotions? So enjoy yourself a bit more!”

“Shut up and go to hell! Electric Air Bomb…..”

Ark’s persistent persuasion didn’t mean anything to Set. No, when Set was about to attack.

“Aaaaaaack! Hyung-nim! No! Sacrifice!”

Basak suddenly screamed and beat his body. At that moment, an amazing thing happened. Basak’s body started to change to crystal. No, to be exact a crystal shield on Basak started to encroach on his body. And when Basak’s body was completed covered….

“C-crystal golem?”

Kukung!

Basak who had been floating in the sky changed to a crystal golem and fell down. Set was confused by the unexpected situation and the black sphere hit Basak. However Basak’s movement as a crystal golem was faster.

The crystal golem slammed both arms on the floor and sharp points exploded towards Set. Set hurriedly wielded his sword.

Syu syu syu syu syu! Pepeng!

“Cough!”

There was a ringing sound as Set protected his face. At the same time, the black sphere was shoved in the crystal golem’s shoulder. The shoulder area exploded but the golem’s body was made of crystal. He only wobbled for a bit but running over to Set and swinging his fist.

Set was unprepared for this. However, Set soon arranged his posture to strike back. At first he was surprised by the abrupt situation but the crystal golem started to push Set back.

In fact, Ark was also panicked like Set. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him. But this chance wouldn’t come to Ark twice! Many questions floated in Ark’s mind but he desperately looked at the beads on the disc.

And the moment the beads encountered each other! Ark raised his head and exclaimed.

“Force Explosion!”

Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!

Ark focused his spirit and spread it out as an intangible chain.

Force Explosion (Users, Active): The collision of Psychokinesis and Break Kinesis is an advanced force skill that will cause an explosion of pure energy. There is no physical damage in Force Explosion. However, the burst of pure energy will exclude all evil forces surrounding it. Force Explosion will debuff everything caused by the power of darkness.  The effect will last for 3 minutes.

<The powers of darkness will be debuffed for 3 minutes>

Force consumption: 200

“I-It’s a success!”

Ark landed on the floor and shouted. The advanced skill Force Explosion was exercised at last. The golem that was fighting Set suddenly split apart and wound around Ark’s arm.

The message then surfaced. The Baius Shield was coiled around Ark’s arm. But in contrast to its previous form, the crystal was now wrapped from his shoulders to his wrist.

“B-Baius Shield?” But Basak? Where is Basak…..?”

-I have already died.

A distance voice was heard inside his head.

-This Baius Shield has been handed down through generations of the Casain tribe. But this isn’t a crystal that has will. To be precise it is a crystal that can hold will. And the will contained in the Baius crystal belongs to the elders of the Casain. The Guardians born in the Casain tribe will die to serve and the shield will grow stronger depending on their willingness to serve. It is due to my ancestors’ will that I could help Hyung-nim.

That is the reason why my will could dwell inside here.

I can help Hyung-nim from in here. The price of this is that I will soon blend in with my ancestors and lose my own self. But even if I lose myself, my willpower will act with my ancestors in order to protect Hyung-nim.

Ark was lost for words. Basak had given his life for Ark. The crystallization on Ark’s arm was proof of his loyalty. When he considered this point, this was probably the precursor to the Elim gaining the Baius Shield!

‘Does that mean it is an already scheduled event?’

Ark thought up to there. The shield unrolled and there was a strong explosion of light.

+ Health has been restored by 30%

+ Attack and defense has increased by 20%.

+ Attack Speed has increased by 25%.

+ 25% of all damage will be blocked by the shield and returned to the enemy.

The message floated due to the huge buff. In fact, Ark had expected a lot from a Divine Artefact and had been disappointed when he found the Baius Shield.

The shield’s performance wasn’t that large and the golem wasn’t a help either. The truly valuable part of the Baius Shield was that it could grow with experience.

But that message took away his worries. Health recovered by 30%! Attack and damage increased by 20% and attack speed by 25%. The shield also blocked 25% of all damage and returned it to the enemy! The shield’s skill showed the effect of 3~4 Esper’s buffs.

Of course, this was a skill triggered by an event. But it was likely that the Baius Shield would contain unique skills. If the level rose then he could acquire skills and these skills alone were worth investing experience in it. Anyway!

“Kuoh! H-how are you doing that?”

Ark had used Force Explosion to regain his footing. The aftermath of this meant that Set had stumbled for a moment. He then belatedly confirmed that Ark was free and stuttered.

Ark only had one thing to say at this point.

“Justice is the way to win.”

“Shut up! Justice is based on the will of the God that I follow!”

Set growled with anger and raised his lightsaber. A black swirl was produced by the lightsaber and flew towards Ark. No, just as it was about to fly. Gunfire was heard from the other side.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Once Ark had released the dark aura, Rapid had immediately started firing. Set had to avoid the bullets. Across from Rapid, Hawk was staring at Ark with an unpleasant expression before shouting.

“Dammit! It can’t be helped. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Hawk shouted while lifting his eye patch. A red eye appeared and a massive light exploded from it. A chain explosion then occurred in the air! The chain explosion swept passed like a tsunami until only soot marks were left.

‘What? That guy, he was hiding that skill?’

Ark’s mouth dropped open at the immense skill. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised. Basak’s sacrifice had won a hard-earned opportunity! If he missed this opportunity, there was no guarantee they could beat Set.

“Ugh! These lowly fellows…..”

Ark’s body shot forward like a bullet towards the blackened Set. Set swung his sword dozens of times in an intricate pattern. In the past, he couldn’t go against Set in a 1 on 1 fight but the circumstances changed once the buff was applied.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ark’s sword moved at a dazzling sped and blocked the black sword. He received an impact with the shield and Set stumbled. The buff effect returned 25% of the damage to the enemy. Ark approached the wobbly Set and laughed.

“What did you say? Now it’s my turn?

“W-wait a minute!”

“You didn’t wait previously. This is the definition of ruthlessness!”

Wiing! Wiing! Wiiing! Wiing!

Ark’s lightsaber started to wave in a complicated pattern.

The light moved dozens of times and became more complicated. Of course this was due to the increase in attack speed from the buff. But it was only possible to tell for someone who often played online games. It was 25% extra attack speed but it actually felt like 2 or 3 times the normal speed.

Ark strove to prevent Set from attacking. Set’s health had already been decreased to 30%. Basak then turned into a crystal golem and attacked. Then combined with Rapid and Hawk’s offensives, his health reached 15%.

On the other hand, Ark had 30% health left but it recovered by 30% due to the Baius Shield buff. Currently he had 60%. The combat power was similar but there was 4 the difference when comparing health.

But fighting spirit was the crucial difference from before. It was a situation where Ark had been on the verge of death and was suddenly revived. On the other hand, Set had been on the verge of victory only to be cornered. It was impossible to stay calm in such a situation. Ark’s shower of attacks reduced Set’s health to 3% and Set fell to the ground.

“W-wait a minute! S-save me! I-I…..”

“It is too late! Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

Dozens of swords flew forward like a fan.

They surrounded Set and there were sparks as the swords kept on striking. Then there was a crack on the armour of Set’s leg before gradually climbing upwards like a breaking pillar.

Tong-!

Once the crack reached the head, there was a ringing sound and the helmet flew off. Black shadows then sprang out from the helmet and surrounded Set’s head.

-Kuaaaak!

Set held his face and screamed through the shadows! Red eyes stared at Ark from among the shadows. Ark quickly lifted his shield as an unidentified presence appeared.

He was nervous at the possibility of the battle continuing. However the shadow with red eyes just yelled with fury before disappearing.

–You! Jed! Elim! I will never forget this grudge!

“…..What was that? That guy?”

He waited longer but nothing further happened.

And the ringing sound of continuous messages! He disposed of Set and this was converted into experience. But there was no time to relax yet. Set was killed but Ark and Hawk’s team were still engaged with Set’s subordinates. Ark jumped up and shouted.

“Stop! Set is dead! Everybody surrender!”

“Dammit! Leader Set….”

“The rebellion was a failure?”

“No! We just need to kill them!”

“We’re going to die anyway! Let’s get revenge for Set!”

The rebels became enraged and fired their plasma bullets. Ark used Sword Defense to deflect the plasma bullets’ trajectory and moved towards Kuhwen.

“Damn! Your Majesty, Tri-Force!”

“Stop Prince Kuhwen!”

The surviving enemy rushed to the pyramid.

Then an enemy collapsed to the ground due to Ark’s sword. Another body fell down on the other side while three bullets penetrated a different enemy. They were Ark, Hawk and Rapid who killed Set.

“Come as much as you want. I will kill everyone. Awakening skill, Open Eye!”

Flash! Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

A red light flew from Hawk. The chain explosion occurred in a radial blast! The enemies caught in the explosion had their health decreased and some even instantly disappeared.

“Continuous Fire! Quick Fire! Chain Fire!”

Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!

Rapid spun his pistol and bullets penetrated the enemy. And dozens of swords extended towards the enemy line!

“Khafra Fencing 3rd style! Galaxy Sword!”

Dozens of enemies collapsed under the combined attacks of Ark, Rapid and Hawk. Even the team members were helping. Their morale was already at the bottom so quite a few enemy troops couldn’t resist and collapsed. However these rebels were desperate. No, the uprising had failed so their deaths were confirmed anyway.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

There was also the bombardment of the airship from above. It really was a plan of desperation. Everyone was going to die so they gave everything they had. But Ark’s team had a user who could oppose the bombardment. The controller Park!

“Car! Kum! Transformed into the final form!

The dinosaur form opened up parts of its leg and other areas at Park’s command. Then the knight form got on it and transformed into a long spear. The two autobots had transformed into a type of turret!

“If an airship is the opponent then it is my specialty!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

Park got on the turret and a spear of energy shot out from it.

Indeed a tank expert!

Kaya and Sadain were good in hand to hand combat but Park showed his mighty power against tanks. Fortunately there was Ark, Hawk and Rapid. Along with the team members, they managed to interrupt Set’s troops while Kuhwen called the Shire to open the entrance of the pyramid.

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

Many people were feeling anxious. Suddenly the earth shook and a huge red pattern formed on the pyramid. The pattern formed an ‘x!’ At first he had no idea what this meant. But he knew once the pattern changed. It became a blue ‘○’ pattern.

‘Perhaps that is….?’

Ark looked up with hopeful eyes. A huge space gate had formed above the pyramid. Sparks flew around the gate before a huge spaceship passed through.

The airship that was exchanging hits with Park turned towards the spaceship and fired. But when looking at the scale of the spaceship, it was like sticking a needle in an elephant. The offensive of the spaceship…..

Flash!

A blue light flew from the spaceship and the airship dissolved without a trace. Meanwhile dozens more gates had formed over the spaceship. And hundreds of spaceships similar to the one that destroyed the airship filled the sky.

That’s right. What explanation was needed? The pyramid was the boundary between space and Muratio Star. So ‘x’ meant no entry while ‘○’ meant it was okay to enter….

The atmosphere became lighter with one pattern.

Anyway, the ward Abraxas protecting Muratio Star was turned off. The space fleet spread throughout the galaxy could now enter Muratio Star to suppress the rebels.

“Waaaaahhhhh! Murat space fleet! We did it!”

“That’s it. Now…..”

The militia cheered. Tot who was leaning against the pyramid wall gasped and slowly closed his eyes.

———————————————————————-

At that time.

–Kuoh….

An ancient temple somewhere in the galaxy. A black form occupying the centre groaned and grabbed his face. The robed men in the vicinity flocked with confused expressions.

“What’s wrong?”

–It is nothing.

The black form answered in a thin, tremulous voice.

–I was just reminded of nasty wounds that occurred a long time ago.

A red mark was engraved on the forehead of the black form. However, a black hand rubbed it and the red mark immediately disappeared.

–This bruise from the past isn’t anything special….

The black form frowned before continuing to speak.

-I don’t know why but I’m in an unpleasant mood. I need to hurry. Tell Fenrir to put things in order and return.