Vol 14 Chapter 4

SPACE 4. Soul City

Ku ku ku ku!

“Wah, what is this?”

“Earth and sand is overflowing! Everyone retreat!”

The cry rang out in the darkness. A bunch of shadows stampeded through the hole. They were dirt covered octopuses, one hamster and one man.

“….S-stopped.”

“Pant pant, it is amazing. What happened just then?”

Milan and Tori breathed harshly.

If they had to briefly explained, Milan and Tori stayed with the octopuses while Ark was running around the maze. But all of a sudden, there was an earthquake and the ground started shaking.

However, the shaking only occurred once.

“Let’s see? What could it be?”

“Damn, there wasn’t any support so a lot of sediment poured down. What happened out of nowhere? It is fortunate that it passed quickly but….”

“Can we enter now?”

–Milan-nim! Tori-nim!

While Tori and Milan were gawking at the hole. A small octopus ran forward and shouted.

–H-he is coming! Berami! Berami is entering the pyramid!

“What? That Berami bastard?”

“Dammit! If that guy discovers it then it will be the end! Cover it!”

–Hurry! Cover the entrance!

After Hakun yelled in a loud voice, the octopuses started to move noisily. They collected long sticks and used tools to camouflage the entrance. While the octopuses were busy, Milan and Tori ran towards Berami in order to buy time.

And they approached Berami with business like smiles.

“Ah Berami-nim, what brings you here?”

“The reason….”

Berami looked around and spoke.

“An earthquake just occurred in the vicinity of the pyramid. What’s going on?”

“Let’s see. I don’t know why the earthquake occurred either. But there is no need to worry. The pyramid is a solid structure that won’t be affected by the earthquake.”

“I want to check it directly so I will look around once.”

“Huh? L-look around?”

“Why, is that going to be a problem?”

“Problem? No. That’s not it…..”

Tori rolled his eyes and used ambiguous language.

He was afraid of this problem. Milan and Tori had proceeded with the octopuses under Ark’s direction. Fortunately, the young octopus guarding the entrance managed to warn them about Berami but they were still anxious.

Ark had been worried. Ark acted separately as soon as he entered the pyramid. Of course there was a reason. Ark had entered the pyramid to search for the Divine Artefact. And the probability was high that only Ark could find the Divine Artefact that Xanax had hidden in the pyramid. That’s why Ark investigated the pyramid alone.

Tori was a quick hamster.

‘The earthquake occurred after Hyung-nim ran in. However he hadn’t found anything yet. The sudden earthquake might even be related to Hyung-nim. Then isn’t it likely Hyung-nim discovered something hidden in there?’

And he could confirm that change with his eyes.

Berami was the problem.

“Where is Ark?!”

Berami asked while looking around. Tori hadn’t thought of the answer so he replied with surprise.

“Huh? Huh? H-Hyung-nim? Hyung-nim….he is busy with something important. That…..”

“Finding valuable relics in the ruins isn’t an easy task. The relics are treasures so they are hidden in the deepest parts of the ruins. A lot of time and effort is required to piece together the clues scattered across the ruins. He needs to concentrate. This is a daunting task for Hyung-nim so I would like to ask Berami-nim to refrain from entering that environment and distracting him. Hyung-nim is concentrating so he shouldn’t be disturbed.”

As expected from a treasure hunter, Milan’s reaction was faster. Tori nodded and quickly supported Milan.

“Yes! That’s right! That…..”

“I know that much.”

Berami interrupted Tori’s words.

“That’s why I accepted Ark’s terms. But it is an emergency right now. Do you know what will happen if an earthquake occurs in a ruin? I’m the owner of these ruins so shouldn’t I look around directly? The Flies alone aren’t enough for me to grasp the situation. Get out of the way.”

Berami didn’t listen to the two of them and entered the pyramid. In the end, Tori and Milan were forced to follow Berami while feeling ‘confused + anxious + on edge.’

Luckily the octopuses had already camouflaged the workshop while Milan and Tori were distracting him. Berami had no interest in the tools in the workshop. The problem was what would happen when Berami entered the main hall.

‘Damn, Hyung-nim is in the main hall….’

‘Please don’t be doing anything….’

‘It is impossible. We might need to deal with this bastard.’

Tori and Milan exchanged meaningful glances behind Berami’s back. Berami stopped moving and shouted.

“Eh? This!”

‘Damn! There is indeed something!’

‘It can’t be helped. Hey, Tori. Be prepared. It will start soon!’

Tori and Milan prepared to throw their bodies towards Berami.

“Why is he on his back like that?”

“Huh?”

Tori and Milan flinched and stopped. They followed Berami’s gaze with a strange expression.

The empty main hall. Ark was lying down in the middle. He wasn’t just lying down. He was in the embarrassing state of lying down without any clothes.

“What on earth is he doing?”

“Well, let’s see. I mean….he is sleeping?”

“Sleeping? Sleeping like that in a place like this?”

“He has a personality that doesn’t like stuffy things….”

“Ha! There really is a variety of things.”

Berami muttered as he bit his lip. And he moved outside like it was troublesome to question it closely anymore. Tori and Milan flew back into the square as soon as they confirmed that Berami left.

Ark was still lying down.

“What? Why is Hyung-nim doing this?”

“Damn, he has been like this until now. What is he doing?”

“He isn’t dead….I don’t understand. He went to research alone so why is he almost naked?”

“Maybe Hyung-nim is an exhibitionist….”

Tori was looking at Ark when he suddenly raised his head. And he screamed as he saw the Fly flying above.

“T-this! Fly! We’re in trouble!”

“That’s right! Camera!”

Once again, the Flies were only relayed pre-recorded videos to Berami. The Fly that followed Ark showed him investigating the pyramid. But now Ark was lying down in a state of shame.

Berami had confirmed Ark’s condition before leaving. If the Fly didn’t transmit that then their manipulation of the Flies might be noticed!

“There’s no time! Tori!”

“Dammit! That stupid Hyung-nim! He should do something instead of sleeping!”

Tori cursed Ark as he snatched the Fly. He connected his Nymphe to the Fly’s system and registered Ark lying down into the system. The time it took was only 30 seconds!

“Pant pant pant! D-did it go unnoticed?”

“Pant pant pant! We can only hope that it was unnoticed.”

Milan and Tori were gasping for breath after 30 seconds. A group of octopuses then came into the hall and shouted.

–Tori-nim, Milan-nim, it is serious!

–The workshop…

“Damn! What is it? What is it now?”

Milan and Tori cursed as they got up.

“That damn Hyung-nim! Sleeping at a time like this!”

————————————————————————–

“….This place?”

Ark was flustered as he looked around. The ground that stretched out endlessly was covered with sharp rocks.

“Why did I come to a place like this?”

It didn’t make sense. But there was a reason for this result. Ark was confused and started to walk down memory lane.

Ark was able to connect the complicated passages in the pyramid to form the Hajaska rune. And through the power of that rune, he was able to see the hidden presence in the main hall.

Anubis holding a scale! It was the same situation as described in books about Ancient Egypt. He didn’t understand Anubis’s words at first but he soon understood after almost being killed by a monster. He went on the scale with all his equipment taken off.

‘….It was the right answer.’

Ark could clearly see that.

A feather was place on the scale. If the heart of the dead was as light as a feather then they were recognized as a good person and moved on to the world of the dead. But that was in the myths.

Ark was thinking that the place where the treasure was hidden would be revealed. However, there was a sudden blast of light and he appeared in this deserted place.

‘I closed my eyes so I didn’t see it properly but I must’ve been moved somewhere the moment the light appeared. In the end….was the pyramid just the gateway to come here? Then the real secret of the pyramid is somewhere here…no, where is this place? Did I see such rock formations on Inquiry? In addition, the celestial bodies orbiting is similar to Inquiry but is slightly different. That red planet seemed a little closer on Inquiry. The planets are the same but their sizes are different. Then another planet nearby….’

“Wait? Perhaps this location is?”

Ark lifted his head as he had a thought. He looked at the 3D galaxy map saved on his Nymphe and exclaimed.

“Oh my god! There’s no doubt about it. My current location is Ghost Star Rock! Ghost Star Rock. Doesn’t this mean that it was related to Inquiry?”

An incredibly shocking fact! However, his conclusion didn’t change no matter how many times he checked it.

It was the mirage like planet that the Silver Star had tried to land on for 1 hour. Yet Ark managed to unexpectedly arrived on it through the pyramid on Inquiry.

“When looking at the overall situation, doesn’t the pyramid on Inquiry act like a Star Gate to this planet? Yes, this is the method to enter the ghost planet. Then the probability is high that Xanax hid the Divine Artefact on here.  Yes, it is starting to fit now.”

A lot of unanswered questions still remained. He didn’t know why the Ghost Star Rock had the form of a mirage. And if Anubis’s pyramid had a Star Gate to move here then this planet should have a device to return to Inquiry.

However, the only thing that could be seen was a wasteland filled with rocks. He couldn’t see any device to return to Inquiry. And Ark was convinced the Divine Artefact would be hidden here but he couldn’t get a sense of it. But Ark didn’t worry about it too much.

“Heh, this isn’t the first game I’ve played. The process for finding the Divine Artefact will eventually be revealed. Then it isn’t necessary to think about it. First I need to search around for the Divine Artefact. My one worry is about the pyramid….Tori and Milan will be upset if I suddenly disappeared….”

He wanted to communication with Milan and Tori but it didn’t connect as expected. There was no way to get in contact so Milan and Tori would have to handle it until he found the Divine Artefact.

And Ark had already solved the secret of the pyramid. If he got the Divine Artefact then it would be OK even if a bad situation happened.

“Tori and Milan can handle that guy. Right now I have to worry about myself.  I don’t know what type of place this is. I can’t guarantee what will happen. Ah, I’m also in the state where my armour is taken off. Then I should collect some equipment for the moment…eh? What happened to my body?”

Ark only just noticed that his body was in a translucent state. He didn’t know all the facts.

But he grasped what was roughly needed in order to return. If he sat down and thought about it then the remaining problems wouldn’t be settled. All the problems would melt away once he found the Divine Artefact.

Fortunately, the equipment was stored in his backpack without any problems.

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

Armour: <Hide Helmet (Camouflage function)>, <Baius Shield (Stamina +20, Resistance to energy weapons +50%, Golem summoning)>, <Harkenion Armour (Agility +30, 20% melee damage mitigation)>, <Belphegor’s Pants (Stamina +20, Agility +20, King’s Wrath>, <Pioneer’s Footwear (Environmental damage reduced by 20%>

Accessories: <Charenjok’s Token: Lv 3>, <Cheksun’s Toolbox>, <Recovery Ampoule>, <Battle Suit-Hyper Drone: Lv 2>

This would allow him to escape.

Ark embarked on a full fledged search. It wasn’t necessary to go around and search everywhere. He had already seen something that attracted his interest since the moment he arrived.

It was a peculiar rock 300~400 metres away. Unlike the other rocks, this one felt artificially made.

“Indeed!”

Ark’s face immediately had a smile.

When he approached closer, the rock had a shape like a scarab. It had weathered over time but the surface still had marks like it was a structure someone created. It wasn’t surprising that there was a metal door with a wheel as the handle.  The handle was red from rust but small letters could be seen.

-The key is with them.

Cheolkeong, cheolkeong!

He tried to push and pull the door open.

“The key is with them? Do I need something?”

The sentence written on the door was probably a clue. That’s what he thought. The game had its own formula that existed.

For example, he accidentally obtained a key in a dungeon. Then there was a 90% chance he could use that key somewhere in the dungeon. If he substituted that formula into this situation then there was one thing he could try first!

“Come out, Shire! Hajaska Rune!”

The Hajaska rune that he obtained in the pyramid! It allowed him to come to this planet so the probability was high that the rune was the key. Ark’s hand was surrounded by light and he drew the rune.

“Heok! W-what is this?”

A scene he couldn’t imagine had spread out in front of him. There were unusual buildings shaped like onions and aliens with a head double the size running around. In other words, a village. A village had suddenly appeared in the wastelands.

And the aliens looked like those belonging to RPGs in the 80s….

‘The Hajaska rune allows me to see invisible presences. In the end, this is a village that can’t be viewed using conventional methods. They are ghost like existences. This is the meaning of the statement written on the door. The key is with them. In other words, one of them knows the means to open the door. Using the Hajaska rune was the correct answer.’

It was amazing. Anyway, he had the assurance that he was on the right track.

–Hey, why are you blocking the way? Get lost.

Then an irritated voice was heard from behind him. When he turned around, a bearded black man with 1 to 1 head and body ratio was pulling a cart. Ark quickly spoke after turning around.

“I’m really sorry.”

–It doesn’t matter if you are sorry. Get lost, I’m busy.

“Can I ask you something?”

–Something?

“What is the name of this village?”

-This village is called Soul City. It is obvious why this is called Soul City….huh? Why? Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve heard it? Wait? And what is my name? Ouch, my head hurts. Well who cares. It is best if I don’t feel sick.

What was this? A NPC that doesn’t think? However, he had learnt the name of the village.

After using the pyramid on the Hive called Inquiry, you have entered this planet. And the power of the mysterious rune has allowed you to uncover a mysterious village. This village is called Soul City. A village that has been long forgotten. Therefore most of the information about Soul City can’t be determined. The species that lives in Soul City hasn’t been reported anywhere else in the galaxy. If you want to know more then you need to collect the information directly. You have found the hidden city that only a few chosen people can visit.

* Adventure Points +1,000

The information window suddenly appeared. He earned 1,000 Adventure points for finding Soul City.

‘Anyway, this is Soul City. Soul City? Then this is really a ghost village? So why is the pyramid on Inquiry connected to a place like this? And why did Xanax hide the Divine Artefact here? There are many good places so why did he hide the Divine Artefact here? Damn, I’m getting a headache.’

Ark cleared his head before asking a question again.

“Just one more question. I’m trying to enter this building. However the door is locked. Do you know how to open the door?”

-This building?

The big man tilted his head.

-Eh? I’ve just realized that this is the first time I’ve seen you. I remember most of the people in this village. It is the first time I’ve seen someone with a small head like you. Are you sick?

“No, that’s not it…..”

–Well, this building. This building. Yes, you asked about the building.

Talking with the man was very tiring. He repeated the words like he didn’t understand what Ark was saying. Furthermore, he compared the size of their heads. No, he didn’t seem to know he was in a ghost state.

–Having a small head must be horrible. You can’t get married like that. No, perhaps you are already married? Well, it doesn’t really matter. Ah, you asked about the building? No, I don’t know anything about this building. Probably not. But the village mayor might know.  By the way, do we have a village mayor? Probably so. Well, I guess. Maybe he lives in the rundown house on the outskirts of the village.Or maybe not.

Ark was only able to salvage one piece of information.

‘Shall I go visit the mayor?’

Ark moved through the village after getting a lead. Ark was used to virtual reality games but this was the first time he saw a place like Soul City.

NPCs with heads double the size of their body wandered around multi-coloured buildings. The world had a strong sense of an RPG.

Therefore Ark was drenched in the nostalgia of RPGs in the 80s.

‘What is this?’

Street stalls were present on the side of the roads. The unusual goods displayed aroused Ark’s interest. There were many wooden carved sculptures with an unknown purpose. But 2 different things caught his eye. They were spheres the size of a baseball. One had a red aura while the other one had a blue aura.

A mysterious orb containing life force.

Once the life force is freed, the user’s health will be recovered by 100%.

<Health is 100% recovered>

A mysterious orb containing the mysterious power of the universe.

When used, spirit based forces like mana, mentality etc. will be fully recovered.

<Spirit, Mana and Force will be 100% recovered>

‘Jackpot!’

The item information left him speechless!

Recovery items weren’t unusual. However, users typically used recovery ampoules loaded into the Nymphe that only recovered by 500. Of course, advanced versions existed but presently the maximum amount for recovery ampoules was 1,500.

When considering that Ark’s health had already reached 3,600, that would only serve as an emergency measure. Yet the orbs recovered health by 100%!

It was basically an item that would give him another health. Ark had never heard of these items before. Perhaps. No, they were definitely item that could only be obtained in Soul City! This sometimes occurred in a game.

‘Life! I have to buy this! The cost doesn’t matter!’

He had the item of making this a product. Life Orb and Mana Orb, these two items were a precious commodity. There weren’t other users around but he felt like it would disappear if he didn’t buy it straight away. This was an avoidable choice for users playing RPG games.

“How much is this?”

–You want to buy it? Then it is 500 Soul each.

“Huh? 500 Soul? It isn’t 500 gold?”

–Gold? What is that? Huh? This? What the, it is just a coin. It looks peculiar but this isn’t a bartering system. Soul. All I need is Soul. My wife and children are waiting like shrewd rabbits at home. Huh?You didn’t know? Anyway, if it isn’t Soul then I won’t sell it.

‘Dammit, this place has a different currency?’

When he thought about it, it was the inevitable result. This was Soul City. In other words, a ghost village. Gold wouldn’t be any use in a ghost village. Instead the currency here was Soul. However he wasn’t just going to leave like that.

“How do I obtain Soul?”

–You have to work.

“Is there a place where I can find work?”

–Che, asking a salesperson all sorts of questions. But you are a customer. That reminds me, I heard some friends muttering that a farm on the outskirts of the village is shorthanded. Go there if you are looking for a job.

Ark thought about this for a while.

Once again, the reason Ark came here was to find the Divine Artefact. And he also needed to think about the situation at the pyramid. Now he suddenly needed to do a part time job. He didn’t feel like it.

However, these were recovery items that would fill up to the maximum amount.

‘There is still a lot of time to find the Divine Artefact….but sometimes items will disappear. This place is Soul City. It fits the atmosphere. I feel like I will return to the pyramid the moment I receive the Divine Artefact. Yes, there is still four days remaining in the agreement with Berami. I already know the village mayor has the clue to the Divine Artefact so I have some time.’

Ark decided to postpone searching for the Divine Artefact for a while. The 80’s RPG atmosphere made him feel relaxed.

Anyway, he headed to the outskirts of the village and a farm of a considerable scale appeared. The surprising thing was that the bearded NPC he first talked to was at the farm.

–Eh? You are?

“Yes, I am the person you met before.”

-Yes, I remember. You still haven’t fixed the illness that made your head small. Weren’t you going to talk to the village mayor? Did you remember what I told you? Eh? Perhaps I am the village mayor?

The spirit of the NPC was still fluctuating. But he was forced to work under this guy.

“That’s not it. I suddenly need some Soul. Do you have anything for me to do?”

–What? You came here for work? I….I am surprised. Hmm, I do have some work for you. Please catch that immediately.

“That is….?”

Ark’s face warped as he turned in the direction the farm owner was pointing. Something was swarming the wide farm.

He had seen it before. Something that resembled drops of water with jelly like skin. It had big eyes and a mouth that gaped open. Could it be imagined? Slime. A monster made of a viscous liquid that was common in 80’s RPGs.

The farm owner grabbed his huge head with a pained expression and continued talking.

–Their meat tastes like superb jelly. But they started feeding on Soul and became big, making them difficult to catch. Look at them. Those guileless eyes. They are laughing at me. Ugh, I really want to stick a knife in them. Now their numbers have increased so much that they are everywhere on the farm. Then I shouldn’t have raised them in the first place.

Anyway, Ark now knew what he had to do.

“Then you want me to catch the slime and obtain the meat?”

–That’s right. Is that possible despite those guileless eyes?

Who can do it?

Ark had played many games and was an veteran at killing slimes. There was no reason to feel remorse even if he tortured them. Especially if he could buy a rare item!

“I will catch the slime for you.”

–Ohh! Really? I’m really glad I met someone like you. Yes, then I’m asking you. Please brutally cut them apart. If you kill 10 then I will give you a generous compensation. Despite how cute they are, I want you to cut their heads off! Don’t worry about your conscience and cut them one by one. I’m asking you….

The owner of a farm in Soul City has no courage to catch the Slimes and can only watch in distress as they grow. He has commissioned you to slaughter the slimes. The compensation will depend on the skill used to seize the slimes. Slay the pitiful slimes with the sword skills you have mastered!

Difficulty: –

Anyway, Ark started the quest.

The slimes were strewn all over the farm. However, it wasn’t that easy to slaughter the slimes. They seemed to intuitively sense something and avoided him when Ark entered the farm. They ran away at an incredible speed after he approached. And they were slippery. Their slick skin meant they would slip away when he tried to catch them.

The thing that made him angry….

–Ohh! You finally caught them? Eh? It escaped? Ooh! Well done! These rascals! Yes, that body means it isn’t easy to catch the slimes!

The client was sitting down on the fence and making comments.

‘Damn, this is enough to make me lose my motivation. Although I did think it was too easy. 500 Soul isn’t a small amount but if I killed dozens of slimes in minutes then I could easily gather 500 Soul. Bu they are slippery so it is difficult to catch alone….’

Suddenly an ‘!’ popped into his head. Come to think of it, Ark wasn’t alone. Ark could call Bao at any time!

“Yes, he doesn’t have any manners but he is still my summon. If I have that guy then I can catch the slimes. Baius Shield! Summon Bao!”

Ark immediately called Bao. Now Bao was a 1 metre high crystal golem. However, Bao’s state was slightly strange when he was summoned. Normally he would say ‘Ah, you called?’ or ‘Huhuhu, you needed me?’ when summoned. However, today he just looked around with a bewildered expression.

“What? What is wrong? Did you eat something bad?”

–Eh? Hyung-nim!

“Hyung-nim?”

–It’s me! Me! Basak!

————————————————————————–

–It is this way.

Hakun pointed to one side. The people who gazed that way was Tori and Milan.

Just after the earthquake took place in the pyramid and Berami left, the octopuses had come running. The reason was due to the direction that Hakun was pointing in.

–We came to work again after Berami left. There wasn’t any support so part of the cave had collapsed thanks to the earthquake. While clearing the rubble of the broken ceiling, that passage appeared.

“This….”

“It is a passage made by the Murat. This is an undiscovered part of the pyramid.”

Milan smiled and continued.

“Sometimes this is the case. This wasn’t revealed by accident. And usually inside a hidden passage….a jackpot will be hidden.”

“So why are we just looking? Let’s go right now!”

“You fool, back away!”

Milan grabbed Tori’s collar.

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

Dozens of daggers passed right in front of Tori.

“Hik! “W-w-w-what the?”

“Phew! This stupid hamster! Do you want to die? This is different from the other areas. This is a passage hidden intentionally. Isn’t it natural to have security devices? No, it is natural for this passage to have dozens of traps.”

“Ugh! T-then what do we do?”

“Normally we would tell Hyung-nim first but….”

Ark was currently lying down in the main hall. They had manipulated the Fly for the moment but Ark still hadn’t regained his spirit. But this passage couldn’t be left alone for long.

However, there was no anxiety on Milan’s face.

“We’ve been too dependent on Hyung-nim in the meantime. But this is different. It is something I specialize in. I am the treasure hunter Milan.”

Pajik, syu syu syu syu!

A blue light appeared around Milan’s hands.

This was a type of flare used by treasure hunters to explore the ruins. The flare brightened the passage like it was noon.

“We should explore this place until Hyung-nim returns.”

Milan laughed as he moved forward.

————————————————————————–

“Eh? B-Basak? What do you mean Basak?”

Ark burst out with confusion at Bao’s words.

After Ark’s experience on Muratio Star, he discovered that the Baius Shield was inhabited with Basak’s spirit. But Basak had lost his will long ago and combined with the egos of the other Casain. Thus a golem with no manners was born. So why did Basak suddenly emerge?

Bao’s answer to this sudden situation….

–I don’t know.

“You don’t know?”

–Yes, I remember storing my will in the Baius Shield while facing Set in Tri-Force. But I don’t remember nothing after that. I can’t understand anything. My ancestors who were absorbed into the Baius Shield all lost their wills. So why is mine remaining?

That’s what Ark was wondering. So why was the person involved asking him?

–In fact, I seem to have dreamt a few fragmented memories. It seems like the shield changed hands many time. Hyung-nim was also seen in a dream.

If you have an explanation….

Ark shook his head.

An explanation was needed for why Basak’s ego returned. It must have something to do with the situation.

He didn’t know clearly but Ark thought it had something to do with Soul City. The residents of Soul City were originally invisible beings. In other words, they were ghosts. And Basak discarded his flash but he was basically a ghost inside the Baius Shield.

Perhaps Soul City had some power that interacted with the Baius Shield to temporarily restore Basak’s ego. He questioned whether to return to Inquiry.

‘It would be useful if Basak’s ego remains.’

Bao would be eager to fight and his level would quickly increase. So far, he hadn’t liked using Bao because of the rebellious personality. But Ark hadn’t found a way to fix his head yet. Thus he would prefer Basak who was full of loyalty!

‘That won’t be easy.’

Ark didn’t have great expectations. He had spent a lot of time with Basak on Muratio Star. But after the final battle, Basak was gone and he had to say goodbye to Kuhwen. He never thought they would meet again so he was happy when he saw Basak as Bao.

–What did you call me for?

“Ah, that’s right.”

This wasn’t a relaxing situation where they could reminisce about the old days. Now Ark’s ambition was to gather 500 Souls to buy the items. Ark explained the situation and Basak immediately nodded.

–Indeed. Nice work. I am happy to be useful to Hyung-nim even after death. I’ll use my full strength to help.

Thus Basak joined in! Catching the slimes was much easier with Basak’s help.

Basak was originally a Guardian. Despite now having the body of a crystal golem, he used to considerable battle experience and quick judgement to push the slimes. Thanks to that, they finally caught one slime!

“Huhuhu! Now….”

Ark smiled as he pulled out his Equalizer. The slime flinched and started shedding tears from its big eyes.

What, was it trying to make him feel bad? However! Ark was a user who wasn’t swayed by tears.

Susak! Susak! Susak!

Ark closed his eyes tightly and started to dismantle the slimes. Then Ark was astonished. Once the lightsaber sliced through the jelly, guts and blood started spilling out.

The bloody smell that hit his nose! The bright atmosphere was like an 80’s RPG but it was 100% realistic! A gag? Was this a gag? If there was a manufacturer then he would like to ask them that question.

–Huk! Hyung-nim has really become a warrior. In the old days you couldn’t even kill one bug but now you can kill something this cute without hesitation. Hyung-nim’s growth is impressive! Now I can relax and close my eyes.

Basak started making noise like there was going to be a long separation.

Ark wandered if he should continue slaughtering the slimes. But it had already begun. It was impossible for Ark to abandon it so the only way was to advance!

‘One cannot live without the sacrifice of animals. It is hypocritical to hesitate when I eat pork and beef! The slimes are just like killing a cow or pig!’

Susak! Susak! Susak! Susak! Susak! Susak!

Ark thoroughly dismantled the slimes. He slaughtered 10 slimes and received 10 Soul as a reward. He had a lot of thoughts.

‘That means I need to complete it 50 times in order to buy one orb?’

He became dark once he confirmed the compensation. However, the item had the same effect as an extra life.

‘This time it took 10 minutes. But I also forgot the time and carried on a dialog with Basak. Once I catch them then they can be dismantled in an instant. If I know the trick then the time to catch them can be reduced in half. No, it will take 2~3 minutes to finish one quest. Therefore, I can collect 500 Soul in approximately 2~3 hours. 2~3 hours isn’t that damaging!’

Ark patiently continued cutting the slimes.

After 1 hour and 30 minutes. It was a repetitive task but each quest took 3~4 minutes to finish and he completed it 26 times. He had earned 260 Soul. And he repeatedly went to the farm owner after finishing the quest in order to claim the reward.

–Ohh! Already? Keep holding them. The explosion of slime meat!

The farm owner laughed at the pitiful slimes. Then he suddenly stiffened. He turned pale in fear and stuttered as he retreated.

–D-dark…the darkness….it is coming….

“Darkness?”

Ark turned around with an uncomfortable expression.

And a situation where darkness was pressing against the outskirts of the farm caught his eye. But day changed into night due to the orbit of the plane around the sun so it wasn’t a big deal.

“That is just darkness….”

Ark said as he turned back to look at the farm owner.

However, the farm owner’s body suddenly changed into white smoke and disappeared? He wasn’t the only one. The farm, slime and other residents of the village also disappeared. It seemed like the effect of Hajaska had worn off but he checked and there was still 30 minutes remaining.

“What the hell? Was there a time limit attached?”

–Hyung-nim, over there!

Basak shouted as he pointed to the rear.

This was a small planet with a fast rotation which was why it seemed like the darkness was quickly encroaching on the farm. But there was something approaching with the darkness.

No, to be precise there was something within the darkness. A bizarre tangle of monsters that formed one body.