Vol 12 Chapter 9

SPACE 9. Back to the Future

“You cowardly wretch!”

Ellain shouted angrily.

“I still think my loyalty to Ark-nim is deeper than yours. Yet….yet….if you’re not here then how can I win? Cowardly bastard! Stupid bastard! Ugh, you….you….really….”

And he couldn’t continue talking through his dripping tears. Ellain was embracing the crystal golem. Ellain and Basak had been in a competition over Ark but Basak sacrificed his body and turned into the crystal golem.

In fact, the person who was most attached was Ellain. They hadn’t even met each other for one day but they were always arguing.

Yet Ark’s battle with Set ended, the Baius Shield returned to what it was when he found it on Rakunka. The Baius Shield had probably only reached the previous level because of Basak’s remaining will. Basak’s will mixed in with the ancestors and the Baius Shield reset to its initial state. Of course, the crystal golem’s memory was also reset.

–What? You? Why are you spreading your runny nose on my body? Can’t you just fall?

Despite Ellain’s tears and runny nose, the reaction of the crystal golem was cold. Well, it was sad in its own way…..

There was another sad thing. The Elim’s spiritual mentor who had been with Ark through this whole journey, Tot. After the battle against Set, Tot was found unconscious next to the pyramid and still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“It seems that Set’s dark force as rooted itself in his heart and it seems impossible that he can regain his consciousness. But Tot has devoted his life to being the Elim’s spiritual mentor. His body can’t recover due to the dark force but his spirit is protected by a powerful force of light. That is Tot’s will. I will accept Tot’s will and move his spirit to a new container so that he can be revered as an Elim mentor in the future.”

That was Kuhwen’s explanation. In the end, Basak and Tot. The two people Ark first met when arriving on Muratio Star had sacrificed them to end the rebellion.

Basak joined with the Baius Shield. And Tot’s spirit would live in another form, but anyway! Set’s rebellion was ended. And…..

“Here….!”

Ark looked down with admiration.

The only city Ark saw on Muratio Star was Minaheim where he met Kuhwen. Minaheim might be called a city but it was only at the standard of a village. There were small scale machinery and hamlets that was at the level of a medieval village.

Thus he thought the other villages on Muratio Star were similar to it. But the city spread out below him got rid of such preconceptions. Skyscrapers and a huge pyramid stretched out for dozens of kilometres on the horizon. And a crowd that was difficult to guess the number could be seen in the distance.

This was the capital city of Muratio Star that flourished in the past, Hwangdo. Once the space fleet entered Muratio Star, they quickly cleared up the rebellion. The rebel army was strong enough to take over most of Muratio Star’s major cities but they were no match for the space fleet.

The rebel commanders knew this better than anyone so they surrendered as soon as they knew the space fleet had entered. Some rebels resisted until the end by they were smashed by the space fleet. And Kuhwen and Ark’s companions unabashedly took a space ship to Hwangdo!

“Your Majesty, the coronation preparations have finished.”

“I understand. Start.”

Kuhwen nodded his head. Kuhwen and Ark’s party descended towards a deck where the Pharaohs had gathered in the centre of Hwangdo.

“Wahhhh! Prince Kuhwen!”

“Pharaohs from all over the galaxy!”

“They are the humans who helped Prince Kuhwen defeat Set! The leading role in suppressing the rebellion!”

“Hooray Prince Kuhwen! Hooray Pharaohs! Hooray the militia!”

The crowd in Hwangdo cheered as Kuhwen, Ark’s party and the Pharaohs appeared on giant floating screens. Kuhwen waited for the cheers to die down before beginning to talk.

“The faithful residents of Muratio Star, I know you have been anxious about this undesirable situation. However the Great Gods Ra, Shu and Tefnut never abandoned us. Darkness is always present in this world but the darkness is unable to beat the light. Set’s rebellion has been ended by those here! And I, Kuhwen as the new Horus declare that peace has come to Muratio Star!”

It was just after the rebellion so the coronation procedure was simple. Each of the Pharaohs had to swear allegiance to Kuhwen.

“It is thanks to you.”

Once Kuhwen formally became Horus, he turned to Ark, Hawk and the others.

“If I didn’t have your help then it wouldn’t be possible for me to stop Set’s rebellion. You don’t belong to the Murat yet you were still involved in the swirl of war. This praise isn’t enough. This is lacking comparing to your achievements but accept my small token of appreciation.”

‘Ooh! A reward?’

Ark’s eyes started shining. Kuhwen praised him to the people but as expected, he still gave compensation to the users. The compliments were nice but it couldn’t even be used to wipe his mouth.

In that sense, it was great the Kuhwen’s coronation ended quickly so he could receive the compensation. Soldiers approached with a pyramid the size of a box after Kuhwen finished talking. The Murat items Ark found in ruins had also been packed in a pyramid.

Once again, the amount of achievements also applied to this quest. The rewards were granted in the order of achievements. And of course, the person with the most merit was Ark who defeated the rebel leader Set.

Kuhwen turned to Ark and spoke.

“If it wasn’t for your courage and efforts then Set wouldn’t have been stopped. The Murat will bestow this upon you as praise for your courage and effort.”

Ark received a single rod from the pyramid.

Item Type: Lightsaber

Wearer Restriction: Level 120, Exclusive

Attack:  75~80       Durability: 120/120

The Murat are a peaceful pioneering species dedicated to spreading civilization to other planets in the galaxy.

But that doesn’t mean there is no danger to the pioneering Murat. The universe is full of hostile species and space pirates that surpass imagination. Thus the pioneering Murat had developed more powerful weapons than those used on Muratio Star.

This is a lightsaber made by a master craftsman that is given to the Pharaoh in charge of the Murat space fleet. The Pharaohs are those who spread Horus’ mission for peace through the galaxy. Thus the sword was called Equalizer. But in contrast to the peaceful name, it has a sharpness that can cut anything and a ferocious energy. The makers emphasized durability above anything else and the sword can be used even after thousands of years have passed.

<Strength +15, Agility +10, Attack Speed +18%>

<Special Option (Berserker): A massive consumption of mana (force) will be consumed to increase the effectiveness of all skills by 50% for 10 minutes.

Force consumption: 1,000

Cool down time: 4 hours>

‘Rare lightsaber!’

Ark’s mouth gaped open. The last sword he received was the Heir’s Sword after changing professions. But the Heir’s Sword wasn’t that awful compared to the level 120 sword he just received.

The Heir’s Sword was 65~70 while Equalizer was 75~80. There was only a 10 point difference. Heir’s Sword added 20 points to states while Equalizer was only 15 and 10. It actually fell instead. However the attack speed was 8% higher.

An additional ability was added to cover the stats that fell! The Heir’s Sword had the special option to increase recovery speed while Equalizer raised all skill effects by 50%! It consumed 1,000 Force and only lasted for 10 minutes but the rise in combat option was terrific. But there was a separate reason why Ark was happy.

‘I can still use this after thousands of years?’

Once again, Ark wasn’t in his original time and space. If he returned to his original world then there was a chance any items obtained here would disappear. Of course, the probability of it disappearing in the future was low but there was a chance it wouldn’t work anymore. Yet the Equalizer had a ‘thousand year warranty’ attached to it. It was packed with confidence.

‘But……’

Ark turned around with an uncomfortable expression. He didn’t like that Hawk also receive a similar level of compensation. Ark could see Hawk receiving a pair of unique beam daggers!  The thought of Hawk receiving similar compensation to himself caused a stomach-ache. Ark couldn’t rejoice at the sight of Hawk receiving a unique pair of daggers.

‘Yes, doesn’t he have a lot of money?’

He really couldn’t like that guy. Anyway, the other members of the main team also received weapons. Of course, they didn’t receive unique weapons like Ark and Hawk. Most of the equipment wasn’t different from their original world. Kuhwen was sorry so he gave extra gifts to a few members. That was…..

“I was a useless baggage who just watched. You are more skilled with the pistol than any Murat I know. I can’t allow you to remain a nameless gunner. I will personally bestow the title of Saint Gunner.”

Kuhwen said this to Rapid.

A Saint Gunner is a specialized profession among the Ranger series.

They can’t wear heavy armour so strength is low but they have high stamina and hit rate. Once changed to Saint Gunner, a considerable bonus will be given to pistol related skills and a new pistol related skill can be learnt.

This is a specialized profession so there will be a penalty when using other guns.

<Strength +5, Agility +35, Stamina +5, Wisdom +10, Intelligence +20, Luck +35>

The information window that popped up in front of Ark! Kuhwen had gifted a magic item and a profession. So far Rapid had been unemployed with no profession. Galaxian was a game with no profession training centre and it wasn’t necessary to find a profession compared to a decent body coating.

Of course, a profession wasn’t required. Whether it was a user or NPC, the basic path of a warrior, engineer or esper was decided by the body coating. It acted like a profession so there was no problem with the growth of a character. However, Rapid just received profession related stat bonuses and profession related skills. It was required but not required. That was a profession in Galaxian. And now Rapid had received a profession.

Of course, this wasn’t limited to Rapid. It was the same for users like Kurakan and even NPCs.

Ark’s employees changed professions! Change profession! Change profession! Professions had also been given during the quest. Surprisingly that was Ferguson, A and B. Ferguson, A and B were users with similar levels to Ark. He had reached the 18th rank with no profession.

Of course Ferguson, A and B were given professions. As the quest progressed and Kuhwen was protected, they were given the profession of Bodyguards! They had a steady body from now on thanks to Kuhwen’s consideration. However Kuhwen was forced to worry one last time.

“Then….um….”

The person Kuhwen was worrying about was Tori. Tori about been near Kuhwen since the time they left Minaheim. However he couldn’t think of what compensation to given Tori. He didn’t fight the enemy like the other team members nor did he protect Kuhwen with his body like the 3 monkey brothers.

From the beginning Tori had been hiding somewhere safe until he had to play Kuhwen. Kuhwen couldn’t easily think of a profession to give the hamster. But the smart Kuhwen soon found the answer.

“I understand that you’re not a common person. You have a great knowledge of machines. This knowledge will surely help Ark in the future. Polish up that knowledge as I give you the title of Professor.”

The feeling of being forced to give something out….

A Professor is someone that specializes in knowledge like mechanical engineering, biotechnology etc.

Engineers are people who have received special body coatings and can’t wear armour.

However they can control tanks and spaceship and if the necessary materials are prepared then they can repair and reconstruct. In addition, if there is sufficient time for research then they can develop new items.

A Profession is an occupation given to those with several top rated engineering skills.

<Strength +5, Agility +5, Stamina +5, Wisdom +40, Intelligence +40, Luck +20>

Anyway, even Tori changed professions! It was the same for Hawk’s subordinates…..

“Now, the people of Murat! Cheer the heroes who saved Muratio Star!”

Kuhwen shouted after giving out the free gifts. Then hundreds of Pharaohs lined up on both sides simultaneously raised their white lightsabers. Hundreds of spaceships floated overhead also saluted with their guns.

Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng! Pepepepeng!

The long and short Murat quest ended. However, the most important issue to Ark remained.

————————————————————————–

“Here.”

Shortly after the end of the coronation. Kuhwen spoke to Ark’s party from the castle.

“I’ve thought a lot about it after hearing your words. How do I send you back to your original time? But the technology of the Murat still hasn’t found a way to surpass time and space. Then I remembered this.”

Kuhwen indicated towards a machine. Ark looked at the machine and asked with a frown.

“Isn’t this a machine that preserves a person’s DNA?”

A revival machine. A Fairy. The machine Kuhwen showed was bigger than the Fairy Ark was used to but the overall shape was the same. Kuhwen asked Ark with a surprised expression.

“You know it? No, yes, you originally came from the future. It wouldn’t be strange for such a this machine to exist hundreds or thousands of years later.”

Kuhwen nodded and continued talking.

“That’s right. There isn’t an official name but this is a machine to that can preserve a person’s body information. Many Murat mourned those lost from accidents or attacks after entering the universe so this machine was created. This circular device will revive that life. Once this machine is complete, there will be no more people dying in the galaxy. Then all unnecessary disputes in the galaxy will disappear.”

It was a mistake. The pioneers in the future became more excited at the thought of not dying and caused more wars. But there was no need to talk about such a dismal future. Who knows? Kuhwen plans for the Fairy might be able to stop this development. Then the future might really change like a sci-fi movie.

Anyway!

The universe has a long history and many alien civilizations have grown and declined.

Finding undisclosed information can help illuminate the history of the universe. Hidden alien artefacts or technology can play a decisive role.

<You’ve learned from Prince Kuhwen that the Murat was the one who first created the revival system the Fairy>

+ Information about the ancient alien species Murat (5/15).

+ You have obtained 300 Adventure points for acquiring information about the Murat.

+ You have gained 5 Intelligence for acquiring information about the Murat.

Once again, the information window emerged when he discovered new information. It had showed up when he heard about the Shire and the rebellion. He had already obtained 3 pieces of information. And his Intelligence rose rapidly with each addition. It wasn’t enjoyable like the other rewards but it was something that Hawk didn’t receive.

“But what does this have to do with returning to our original time and space?”

“As I said, we don’t have any technology to send you to a different time or space. But it is different when talking about the future of this city. We can move through time but not space. And this is an equipment to preserve DNA information. However this isn’t the final form of the machine. Rather than copying the DNA, it actually absorbs the soul. Only an empty shell would be left behind.  The soul is preserved until it is revived so it is basically like dying.”

This was one of the reasons why the Fairy couldn’t be used yet. But Ark’s companions could use it to return to their original time and space.

“This device won’t help anyone of this world but it will help you go to the future. Your spirit will be preserved by the machine until your body is recycled in your original time and it would be like you just did spatial movement.”

This was the method Kuhwen thought of to return Ark to his original time. The Fairy would wake them up thousands of years later. They wouldn’t really be sent through thousands of years.

Let’s not misunderstand. This was still a game world. The time they went to sleep would probably be only a short while. They would close their eyes and open it in their original time. In addition, Tori and Ellain weren’t pioneers but they could use this Fairy.

Their body would be absorbed by the Fairy and then the machine would spit them out. Anyway, it was lucky for Ark that he could take the 2 non pioneers. But there was still one problem.

The reason Ark’s party entered this world was because they had been sucked in by a black hole. So if they appeared in the same place thousands of years later then they might wake up in the black hole. Escaping the black hole would be a different matter.

Kuhwen nodded after hearing Ark’s worries.

“I already know this. And I understand that Muratio Star’s solar system is currently dying. Perhaps that is the reason why you connected to this time and space. We haven’t grasped the exact structure of a black hole but we know it is caused by the death of a planet. Perhaps the black hole connected by Muratio Star’s system dying and the one you fell into connected and formed a space time tunnel. My hypothesis is that you will wake up thousands of years later in this village inside the black hole.”

“Then…..?”

“Unfortunately I can’t precisely answer your question. We’ve never experienced such a thing before. But we have thousands of years. So I promise. I will definitely find a way for you to escape from the black hole before you wake up.”

If a NPC said so then there would be no problems. And Ark had no choice even if Kuhwen couldn’t find a way.

“We just need to register on the Fairy?”

Then Hawk stepped towards the Fairy. Kuhwen hesitated for a while before sighing and looking at Ark.

“Ark, you’ve really done a lot for me. I’ve also learnt a lot. I wish that you could stay near me but that isn’t possible.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“I know. This isn’t your world. And if you stay in this world then my real friend Jed won’t return. If you leave then at least you’ll be alive even if I can’t see you anymore. It is regrettable but it can’t be helped. Can I have a token for my memories?”

This was the first time a NPC requested an item from him. If it was any other NPC then he would punch them. But Ark felt the same way about Kuhwen. He had only spent 4 days on Muratio Star. The time wasn’t long but Kuhwen believed in Ark and followed him the whole time. The thought of not being able to see him again made him upset. Ark also had many japtem in his bag at the moment. Quite a bit of loot dropped while battling in this world.

‘Well there is no guarantee that I can eat anything…..’

There was no security the items would remain after thousands of years. Ark decided to be generous and handed over a piece of armour. After finishing the goodbyes and preparations, they headed towards the Fairy.

“Now, let’s go!”

Ark’s party each touched the Fairy in turn. Hawk registered at the Fairy first and his body disappeared as his soul was absorbed. Then Hawk’s empty body that was left collapsed to the ground. Following him was Ferguson, A and B. And the team members in turn became hollow shells.

“Goodbye…..”

And finally Ark touched the Fairy. Light shot out before his empty body fell down. But unlike the other people, Ark’s body soon saw up again with a confused expression. Kuhwen who had been looking silently at the Fairy turned around and asked.

“Jed?”

“P-Prince, where am I? Set? No, I…..?”

“I’ll explain it slowly. There is a lot to talk about.”

Kuhwen smiled and replied.

————————————————————————–

Cleaning Foreman (Agility + 3)

Ignorant Destroyer (Wisdom -10, Strength +7, Stamina +7)

Beltana’s Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +3)

Athamas’ Hero (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom, Intelligence, Luck +5)

Mediator (Wisdom, Intelligence +15)

* Affiliation: Dark Eden (CEO)

+ Environmental adaptation increases by 50% due to the Survivor coating.

+ The Survivor coating reduces the drop rate of Satiety by 30%.

+ The Survivor coating will reduce fall damage by 50%.

+The ‘Clairvoyance’ effect of the Survivor coating is applied.

Weapons:<Equalizer (Strength +15, Agility +10, Attack Speed +18%)>

<Baius Shield (Stamina +20, Resistance to energy weapons +50%, Golem summoning)>,

<Harkenion Armour (Agility +10, 10% melee damage mitigation)>

<Belphegor’s Pants (Stamina +20, Agility +20, King’s Wrath>

<Pioneer’s Footwear (Environmental damage reduced by 20%>

“Everything is returned!”

Ark cheered with joy. This was the room where Kuhwen had made them register the Fairy. He just felt dizzy for a few minutes before everything brightened again. Then he once again woke up in the same room.

However the atmosphere was completely different. Cobwebs covered the interior and there was a thick layer of dust on the furniture left behind. It was like thousands of years had passed….no, thousands of years had actually passed.

The first thing Ark did upon waking up was check the character and equipment information window. Fortunately all his equipment before arriving on Muratio Star had returned. It meant he safely returned to his original time and space. He also retained his quest reward the Equalizer and the items he found in his backpack.

“Damn, I should’ve given something a little cheaper…..”

That armour that Ark gave Kuhwen would now be valuable. But that bus had already left. And he couldn’t pay attention to that now.

“At least it is certain that I’ve returned to my original time and space. But a problem is still remaining. This is still Muratio Star despite it being thousands of years later. That means I’m inside a black hole. I can’t feel relaxed until I leave his black hole.”

He was impatient just thinking about it.

He had returned to his original place but now he had something else to worry about. He couldn’t afford to think about it in the past but Ark had called Irina. Irina had been attacked by the Rama after Ark, Hawk and Ferguson entered the black hole. Fortunately Irina prevented the extinction of the investigation team so the situation was good.

“By the way, where are Hawk and the others?”

Ark muttered as he closed the information window. Hawk, Ferguson and his team had been absorbed by the Fairy first but Ark couldn’t see them. But it wasn’t hard to find where they went.

Dust was piled in this stone room. Dozens of footsteps stamped in the dust led out of the stone room. Ark followed the footsteps and was soon able to find Hawk, Ferguson and his party. It wasn’t just Hawk, Ferguson and his party.

“Hyung-nim, the Silver Star!”

A team member shouted as they saw Ark. Hawk and Ferguson were in a large square at the castle. Hawk’s Death Knight, Ferguson’s ship and Ark’s Silver Star was located there. This ensured that one problem was solved.

“Now the remaining problem…..”

When Ark had entered the square, Hawk and Ferguson were looking up at the sky. That was why Ark also looked up at the sky. Once again, this was the same castle on Muratio Star where they touched the Fairy.

It was the castle in Hwangdo. Thousands of years ago, it had been a large city with hundreds of thousands of Murat but now only devastation was left. The sky of Hwangdo was wrapped in a veil of light similar to an aurora. Hawk and his companions were looking at the veil of light.

“What is that?”

Hawk frowned before coldly replying to Ark.

“Who knows. But it seems to be a dimensional wall. It is generated by the black hole in the Muratio Star solar system and the one we entered….”

“Is it impossible to leave?”

“I tried. But the light veil blocked me and I couldn’t advance anymore.”

“This guy, you tried to leave by yourself?”

“Are we friends that I would stick around for you?”

“No. I don’t like you.”

“I’m glad. Then I don’t need to feel any remorse about stopping your breathing. But now’s not the time. The truce shall remain until the investigation team is dissolved. Because our purpose is the same. Though you should be careful and watch your back.”

“Back to you.”

Ark gave a short answer and turned around. He wanted to say a few words but there was no time to waste. And Ark already guessed where the clue to escape this place would be.

‘Kuhwen promised to find a way to send us through this dimensional wall. If Kuhwen kept his promise then there will be only one place.’

It was the throne room in the castle. While the remaining people stayed in front of the Silver Star, Ark headed to the room alone. There was a mural depicted in the hallway that Ark walked along.

A young man was kneeling in front of a small boy in a village and standing next to him were hamster and monkey alien species. The mural showed a progression of events like a panorama. Dozens of soldiers crossing the desert with a young man and boy, then engaged in battle with giant ants and a war in front of a giant pyramid. And finally the boy shedding tears when the young man left.

The youth who left was Ark. The boy shedding tears was Kuhwen. That’s right. The mural showed Ark’s experience on Muratio Star. Ark was real thousands of years ago but now it was just a myth to the Murat. And Ark opened the door on the opposite side of the painting showing him leaving Kuhwen.

“T-this is…..?”

Ark flinched and stopped moving. Beyond the door was a spacious hall. This was the Hall of Horus. But the hall wasn’t filled with Pharaohs. Yet there was a person wearing a crown who sat on the throne.

His form….

“P-Perhaps?”

There was a lengthy sentence recorded behind the throne.

–My friend Ark.

I will have probably become a mummy by the time you get here.

There are various worrisome parts so I’ll explain it first. After you left, I began working on migrating the Murat out of this solar system. We found a planet that could be terraformed and migrated millions of Murat there, fortunately without any problems.

But it took too much time. When the work ended, I was already an old man at the end of my life.

It is true that you start thinking back on your life once you become old. My age reminds me of you even more. Our time together was short but it was an adventure of a lifetime for me so I’ve always been thinking about it. Thus I decided to transfer the Horus status to a child and come here to wait for the end.

To meet you at the end.

“This mummy is indeed Kuhwen…..”

Ark sighed and looked at the mummy. The mummy had a white beard that was the remaining traces of the old Kuhwen.

But I didn’t remain here just to meet you.

You have crossed time and space due to a black hole. In other words, you can’t escape Muratio Star even if you wake up thousands of years in the future.

As promised, I’ve set aside a way to escape the black hole.

I’ve set the coordinates to form a spatial gate.  I decided to leave you something.

The switch attached to the left armrest will operate the machine.

Ark, you will soon be able to return to the place you desire.

Kuhwen stayed here to keep his promise. Of course Ark knew this. The mural painted in the hallway was just a fraction of Kuhwen’s life. Kuhwen’s appearance was that of a child. But feelings surged inside him at the sight of Kuhwen as a mummy.

“A peaceful death…..”

Ark lightly touched the mummy as he spoke. The mummy turned into sand as he touched it. At the same time, the beautiful armour the mummy was wearing fell with a clang. Dust fell off the armour as it glistened with a beautiful blue light. Then he found a phrase that had been recorded behind the mummy.

I will return your token of friendship.

I wish for your best fortune.

-Kuhwen.

“Token of friendship? Then this is?”

Ark picked up the piece of armour.

Item Type:  Light Armour (Upper Garment)  Wearer Restriction: Elim’s Heir

Defense: 100 Durability: 100/100

This armour is a gift that Horus Kuhwen received as a token of friendship thousands of years ago.

It is a common armour seen anywhere but Kuhwen also wore it due to it being a token of friendship. At the time, the armour Kuhwen received as a gift was ordinary and the defense so paltry that it was like nothing was being worn. Thus Kuhwen improved the armour at the Pharaohs’ strong requests.

They believed it was necessary for Kuhwen to have strong protection after Set’s uprising so the Elim produced several items. They made the Divine Artefacts using the same process as the Baius Shield. Five different pieces were created and Kuhwen used the armour piece. It wasn’t widely known about why Kuhwen wore this armour. Maybe Kuhwen knew that in the future an Elim would visit.

<Strength +30, Agility +30, Stamina +30>

<Special Option (Ankh): Ankh is a symbol that represents life, health, truth and a good harvest. It is also the seal that shows the authority of Horus.

Kuhwen directly engraved this rune along with the Shire into the armour, granting an incredible increase to the wearer’s health.

Health will recover by 2,000 (Force consumption: 500

Cool down time: 10 hours)>

Ark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head.

‘Oh my god! In the end I received back the item that I gave? Then Kuhwen asking me for the item was an event to upgrade it?’

It was surprising. He never imagined an event like this would be triggered. The surprising thing wasn’t just the item.

After Ark obtained the Baius Shield, he grasped the places where the other Divine Artefacts were hidden from the crystal golem. However he was forced to participate in the investigation team and then sent to another time and space. No, he already came back to the original time but never thought he would obtain a Divine Artefact from a different quest.

Therefore Ark was a bit confused.

‘Aren’t the Divine Artefacts passed down through generations of Elim? This armour being left here means the Elim didn’t use it. And why is this armour included as a Divine Artefact? In addition, the armour upgraded was the one he gave Kuhwen. Then what would happen if he had given other items? Would the Divine Artefact change? Or would it still use some excuse to become armour?’

There were several unanswered mysteries.

But Ark didn’t worry about it for long. He couldn’t discover the answer now. If he finished the mission with the investigation team and found another Divine Artefact then he would discover the answer.

‘Above all…..’

Ark picked up the armour and laughed. He hadn’t expected to obtain another Divine Artefact. His unease over Hawk receiving the same compensation as him had now disappeared. Because acquiring the Divine Artefact had more value!

After equipping the armour, Ark operated the device.

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

Then the king’s castle started to vibrate. The spatial gate producing device that Kuhwen described began to work. Ark left the Horus Hall and saw a pillar of light shooting out from the pyramid. And stars started appearing the moment the light touched the sky. A tunnel was formed through the dimensional wall to the universe.

Ark returned to the square where the team members were waiting.

“Hyung-nim, the dimensional wall has been pierced!”

“I know. Everybody board the Silver Star.”

Ark led his team members to the Silver Star and shouted.

“Tori, start the Silver Star! Go through the dimensional tunnel and return to our universe!”

“Understood! Silver Star engine operation! Start!”

Hwaaaaack! Hwaaaaack! Hwaaaaack!

Almost at the same time, Hawk’s Death Knight and Ferguson’s spaceship flew into the sky. And they entered into the tunnel across dimensions.

Even in an era where many pioneers are exploring the galaxy, many unanswered mysteries still exist. Among them is the black hole that sucks in everything. You still don’t know the secret of the black hole. However you have managed to escape alive from the black hole when no one else has. This achievement will inevitably make you a legend among pioneers. In addition, your experience can help find the secrets of the black hole.

<Title Effects: Spatial Breakthrough (All stats +10)>

+ You have gained an additional 8,000 Fame.

+ You have acquired 1,000 victory points.

A title that gave 10 points to all stats! It was a present at the end of his long spatial trip.

————————————————————————–

“There are still no special movements?”

-Yes, not yet.

“Surely this is….did I make a mistake?”

A sigh flowed from Irina’s mouth. Then Mario who was floating on the screen shook his head and spoke.

–Not at all. Then there is no other way. If Irina-nim didn’t do this then we would have been wiped out.The other members know that as well. None of the members blame Irina-nim for this situation. I can guarantee that. We are committed to Irina-nim.

“I thought like that as well but…..”

Irina looked at the universe through the window. Irina’s ship was situation near a giant black hole. It was the black hole that sucked in Ark and Hawk. And it had already been 4 days since they disappeared into the black hole.

Yet Irina and the team members hadn’t left the black hole. They weren’t waiting for Ark and Hawk. 20 ships were floating 10,000 kilometres away from the black hole.

These spaceships belonged to the Rama’s space fleet. Shortly after Ark, Hawk and Ferguson entered the black hole, Irina and the other members had received a surprise attack. At that time, Irina and the other members had received considerable damage. If there was a fleet battle then they couldn’t avoid being wiped out.

They managed to escape this crisis with Irina’s help.

‘Our fleet has already lost considerable power due to the enemy’s attack. It would be suicide to advance in front of the Rama fleet. But it is more difficult to run away.’

Then a novel strategy popped into Irina’s head. The ships belonging to the investigation team moved to the border of the black hole.

The black hole had a powerful gravity field that sucked in everything. Lasers and missiles were no exception. Irina moved the ships to the border of the black hole so any attack by the Rama fleet was sucked up by it. The black hole unexpectedly played an absolute shield role.

Irina thought she had avoided the crisis at this point.

‘That’s it. The Rama’s attack couldn’t connect with them anymore due to the black hole. Close combat fighting is impossible in this situation. It also isn’t possible for them to approach or they would be sucked in by the black hole. Eventually those guys handing around here will be forced to give up and resign.’

But the Rama fleet didn’t leave. They started setting up camp near the black hole. Now Irina couldn’t move due to the Rama fleet. If they moved then they would be immediately wiped out by the Rama bombardment.

And the situation became more complicated two days ago. All of a sudden, the Aschulat’s investigation team showed up at the black hole.

Presently the Aschulat and Galactic Federation had a twisted alliance agreement. But that didn’t apply on the frontier. Furthermore, the investigation teams were all trying to obtain information about antimatter first so there was no reason for the Aschulat to help them against the Rama.

And the Aschulat didn’t pass by. They took the fact that the Galactic Federation and Rama being here meant that information about antimatter was hidden in the vicinity. And the Rama fleet was seeking that opportunity to attack Irina’s fleet. Thus the three investigation teams remained in deadlock.

‘This state can’t continue for another few days. I need to find another way…..’

Irina grumbled with a sigh.

Pajijijik!

Sparks suddenly occurred at the centre of the 3 opposing powers. At the same time, Hajin who was in the cockpit burst out.

“There is an energy reaction ahead! It is a high density energy! Furthermore, the wavelength of the energy…..oh my god! Antimatter! That is the wavelength of antimatter!”

“A-antimatter? Why is there such a thing here?”

Irina stood up and asked again. The space warped and 3 spaceships suddenly sprang out. The first one that appeared was Hawk’s Death Knight. It was followed by Ferguson’s ship and then finally….

“Eh? Eh? Eh? What is this?”

Ark looked around with bewilderment from inside the Silver Star. As soon as Ark, Hawk and Ferguson escaped the black hole, they had been surrounded by 3 fleets. This was an unexpected development! It was an unexpected crisis.

At the same time.

“Eh? Eh? Eh? What is this?”

Ark’s confusion was linked to Hyun-woo in reality. Someone was knocking outside the capsule.

“Hey! Hey, you! Kim Hyun-woo! Are you home now? I know that you are here so open the door. Do you know what a hard time I’ve been having? Do you know how many times I’ve called you? Do you want to live? I will give you a few minutes to open the door. Eh? Aren’t you replying?

The person yelling was Lee Myung-ryong.

This was also an unexpected development. A major crisis.

TO BE CONTINUED