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SPACE 4. The Octopuses’ Dream
“It must be near here…”
Ark navigated the intricate maze of interconnected pipes. A full day had passed since his appointment as Cleaning Foreman, and with the pay raise, his motivation to meticulously scrub the conduits had soared.
Yet, there was something that persistently vexed him. Occasionally, an unidentifiable boom would reverberate, causing the pipes to violently vibrate.
“Ah, you mean that? Don’t pay it any mind. The temperature difference between R-14 and the exterior space is extreme. Sometimes, the thermal stress causes a pipe between the inner wall and the barrier to twist, creating those kinds of noises.”
Cheksun had offered this explanation the first time Ark inquired. Initially, he dismissed it, but after a while, he realized that not all the noises were alike.
Some sounds resembled twisting metal, while others distinctly mimicked someone relentlessly pounding on the pipes.
‘That doesn’t sound like a pipe twisting.’
He tried to ignore it, but the persistent sound gnawed at his nerves. Ultimately, Ark’s curiosity proved irresistible, compelling him to seek the truth.
Pinpointing the exact direction of the sound was no simple feat. Furthermore, the pipes were entwined in a complex, vascular network, often leading him astray.
It felt akin to trying to locate something in a bustling city like Seoul by merely listening for a voice.
‘It seemed to be coming from someplace close, so I thought it would just take a short time…’
Having come this far, he could not simply abandon his quest. It was undeniably a challenging endeavor, yet Ark had already spent over a week immersed in this search.
He continued to listen intently while cleaning the pipes, sensing that he was gradually closing in. The distant sound grew significantly louder.
‘I’m almost there. It’s clearly close by!’
“Eh? This…?”
Ark emerged from the pipe, his gaze sweeping around with a doubtful expression. The dim lanterns illuminated something wriggling near the pipe.
Though only his head had poked out, he immediately recognized the object. It was the familiar form of a Charenjok.
“Hey! You over there!”
The octopus flinched at Ark’s shout, its neck craning as it stared at him with palpable consternation.
“Hik! H-h-how is Foreman-nim here?”
“Why are you so startled? Are you just idling in a place like this?”
“Ah, no! Idling? I…”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Did you hear that sound just now?”
“S-sound? No, I haven’t heard anything?”
“You didn’t hear anything?”
Perhaps the sound was inaudible if the octopus was working far away. Ark himself often missed it when deeply focused on cleaning. Yet, he had followed the sound directly to this location.
He had heard it moments ago, even if it had now ceased. It was impossible for an octopus, clearly not deaf, to have missed it.
‘Come to think of it…’
Its demeanor had been highly agitated the first time it saw Ark. The Charenjok’s skin, known to change color with emotion, now displayed a suspicious hue.
Ark eyed the octopus warily and pressed, “What are you hiding?”
“H-h-hiding? N-nothing!”
The octopus’s skin became mottled as it shouted wildly. Its vehement denial only deepened Ark’s suspicion.
Ark felt a flicker of pity, but he knew he couldn’t back down from this situation.
“Really? Then get out of the way.”
“W-why?”
“I’m trying to find what’s causing the ringing in the pipes. I clearly heard it in this area a short while ago. So, I’m going to search around.”
“I said there wasn’t any sound!”
“I heard it.”
Ark attempted to push past the restless octopus, but his hands slipped, and he slid abruptly downwards. The area behind the octopus inclined sharply, like a slide.
Ark desperately stretched out his hand, but his body had already succumbed to the slope. And then… *cheolpeok*!
“W-what is this? Mud? Why is it in a place like this…?”
Ark lifted his head from where it was mired in the thick mud. The lanterns illuminated a landscape he could never have imagined.
“W-what’s all this?”
The sheer scale of the place was immense, beyond Ark’s ability to measure. It was astonishing that such an area could exist within the R-14 space station, but even more astounding was the sheer number of space bugs filling it.
Thick mud coated the ground, teeming with countless space bugs. And, gathered around, numerous octopuses were bustling with activity.
“T-this is?”
The octopuses flinched at his voice.
“Eek? F-Foreman? Why is Foreman-nim here…?”
“This is serious! We were found! We were found!”
“Ack! We’re screwed!”
The octopuses began to panic. Ark was about to speak when he heard:
“Everyone, calm down!”
One octopus shouted, a familiar figure. It was the same octopus who always checked on Ark, the one who would pull out a cigarette butt and start complaining.
Ark had encountered this octopus so many times that he recognized it at a glance. Its name was Burum. Ark, still unable to comprehend the situation, simply looked around blankly.
Burum sighed, then turned to face Ark, muttering, “Ark, I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“But this is your fault. If only you hadn’t interfered…”
Burum’s skin shifted to a complex hue as he shouted to the other octopuses in the room, “Completely surround the human!”
Dozens of octopuses flocked forward at Burum’s command. Ark, bewildered, asked as he found himself encircled, “What are you doing?”
“It can’t be helped. This is our only remaining hope. We can’t let you escape now that you’ve seen this. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to die.”
Ark’s face twisted at Burum’s words. It must be an enormous secret if they were willing to kill him to keep it. If attacked by this many octopuses, Ark, without his dagger, would surely perish.
However, he never once felt he was in a true crisis. The reason why…
“You would kill to keep the secret?”
Ark declared sharply, causing Burum to wince and recoil slightly. But Burum nodded with renewed determination.
“That’s right.”
“Is your head just a decoration?”
“D-decoration? What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain it simply. R-14 has the fairy revival system.”
“F-fairy!”
Burum burst out with astonishment. This was precisely why Ark considered the octopuses foolish. Just as Ark stated, R-14 was equipped with the Fairy revival system.
If Ark were killed, he would simply be resurrected through Fairy. It was utterly impossible to preserve their secret by eliminating him.
“U-unbelievable!”
Burum finally grasped the gravity of the situation and flopped onto the ground, utterly deflated.
“We’re finished! Our last hope is gone!”
Burum descended into a state of panic, rocking back and forth uncontrollably.
“Foreman-nim, I beg you! Please pretend you didn’t see this! If the crew of R-14 is informed of this, we’re completely screwed. For the future of the Charenjok, can you please pretend not to have seen this?”
“I don’t even understand what’s going on. But one thing is clear: you just tried to kill me. And now you want my help?”
“T-that…”
“Right now, I want to uncover all your secrets. I believe you had no other choice. Thanks to our previous relationship, I’ve decided to give the Charenjok a chance. Explain to me about the space bugs and what you’re so desperate to hide that you tried to kill me. I’ll listen, and then I’ll decide.”
“That is…”
Burum hesitated before letting out a sigh and beginning his confession. The octopuses received even lower wages than Ark for cleaning the pipes, and their allowance from the Galactic Federation was barely enough to subsist on Space Food.
Unless policies dramatically shifted, the octopuses’ circumstances wouldn’t change, even if decades passed. The octopuses were deeply worried about their future. After much deliberation, they finally devised a plan.
“We changed all the land we bought.”
“Land you bought?”
“Yes, currently the federation is expanding its frontiers. Consequently, there’s a lot of deserted land. In some cases, land is available for a cheap price. So, we tried to buy it.”
But no matter how cheap it was, it was still real estate. The octopuses, earning only meager wages from pipe cleaning, found their balance sheets in the negative.
Therefore, Burum risked the fate of the octopuses on a desperate gamble. During a brief window, Burum sneaked into R-14’s laboratory and stole a space bug egg.
“The space bugs are used as cattle. Their meat is used as an ingredient for Space Food, and their leather serves as material for space suits.”
Ark was wearing clothes and eating food made from space bugs, which were incredibly cheap.
“The space bugs modified by the laboratory grow many times faster than normal space bugs. If we raise these space bugs in the area between the interior wall and R-14’s barrier, and then sell the leather and meat, we can accumulate substantial funds.”
“But…”
The octopuses had forgotten an important fact: space bugs were originally monsters. Though raised as livestock, they weren’t aggressive unless someone tried to peel their leather or extract their meat.
Even a single user found it challenging to fight them alone. Meanwhile, the octopuses possessed almost no weapons or combat ability. Dozens of them were required to catch just one space bug. Thus, the space bugs steadily multiplied, eventually filling this enormous space.
‘All my questions are answered.’
The sound Ark heard resounding through the pipes was the octopuses fighting the space bugs. The octopuses had been motivated by profit.
They had raised the space bugs with expectations of immense gain, but it was impossible to maintain that motivation once the situation had spiraled like this.
“If we get caught, the space bugs will be confiscated, and we’ll be expelled from R-14. If we’re kicked out into the universe in this state, it won’t be possible for us to live. We had to keep it a secret, even if it meant killing you. Sob sob sob! It couldn’t be helped!”
Burum murmured in a voice thick with regret.
“Daddy?”
Then, he heard a voice from behind him. He looked back to see a small octopus crawling out of a jar.
“Daddy, why are you crying? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“Did another space bug injure you?”
“I don’t need to eat a lot of rice. It’s hard, so you don’t need to catch the bugs.”
“Yes, living here is fine. It’s hard, but we’re learning eagerly.”
“Ack! I-It is nothing. I’m fine.”
Burum wrapped his legs around his children and looked at Ark.
“Foreman-nim, please! I was blinded by the thought of profit and tried to kill you. I don’t care what will happen to me. But these children… I can’t make these children spend a lifetime cleaning pipes. Can you pretend you didn’t see anything? I’m sorry for trying to kill you. I’ll devote my life to you, so please.”
It was indeed an emotional scene. If only they weren’t octopuses.
“I understand. I won’t tell the crew of R-14 about this.”
Ark watched Burum and the children for a moment before nodding. Burum’s eyes nearly popped out upon hearing Ark’s words.
“R-really?”
Of course. While this wasn’t a melodrama, he did feel sympathy for the octopuses. No, he was rather creeped out by the adult octopuses, but he genuinely felt sorry for the child octopuses.
In any case, since money wasn’t involved, there was no reason to extinguish the future prospects of the young octopuses. However, there was a more decisive reason: Ark himself would benefit greatly from this situation.
‘There are a lot of space bugs in this farm!’
Ark’s mouth watered at the sight of the countless bugs. It had been a week since Galaxian opened, and since Ark had started cleaning pipes. In that time, the number of unemployed users in R-14’s hunting grounds had steadily grown.
At this rate, this situation would persist for at least two months. While it was merely cleaning pipes, Ark had found this job to escape unemployment after his dagger broke.
‘But here, my prey is overflowing!’
The octopuses couldn’t control the proliferation of the space bugs. Ark would have limitless hunting opportunities here. In other words, this was a free hunting ground known only to Ark!
He could hunt anytime he wished. There was no reason to inform the crew members. ‘Now I just have to receive permission to hunt here from Burum…’
Ark was about to speak when he flinched, suddenly snapping his mouth shut. He thought for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.
‘No. That’s not it. Ark, you still have a long way to go!’
Ark had become naive after spending a week in the pipes! With his stomach full, he had lost his original intention of acquiring even more resources. Ark believed he had regained some of his initial mindset.
However, Ark soon realized his mistake. It wasn’t like that at all. The previous Ark would not have approached this situation in such a manner. If it were the previous Ark…
“I have a request.”
He would have stated that.
The economic principle was simple: supply and demand. By leveraging supply and demand, he could generate profit. Ark’s brain quickly focused on this concept.
“Invite in the pioneers?”
“Yes. Burum-nim lives here, so you might not be fully aware, but recently, many beginner pioneers have entered the universe. So many people have flocked to the farm areas that it’s impossible to even see the space bugs anymore. The users entering this place will pay an admission fee to hunt the space bugs.”
“We get paid for letting them hunt space bugs?”
Burum scratched his head. “Why would they pay money to hunt the space bugs here?”
It was a difficult concept for an NPC to grasp. However, the users waiting at the farms were unemployed. They didn’t undertake Bhurad’s
While compensation was a factor, 90% of it was for the experience. This was all in pursuit of reaching level 10 and escaping the beginner areas. However, R-14’s only hunting ground was saturated with players!
Even if they played Galaxian in their spare time, finding a hunting spot was impossible. Some people merely sat and waited, while others simply quit. A hunting ground teeming with monsters was a dream for such users!
They would be eager to enter, even if it meant paying. This was the principle of supply and demand!
‘Devising something like this…’
It was precisely the kind of idea the previous Ark would have concocted. Ark realized it once more: he still hadn’t fully recovered his hungry spirit.
But once he acknowledged this point, his mind instantly sprang into action. Ark began to devise a concrete business plan.
“First, we must specify the customer base.”
“Customer base? We’re not just bringing anyone?”
“Yes, we can’t just bring any pioneer here.”
Ark decided that the primary customers should be users between levels 7 and 8. There were two compelling reasons for this.
Again, R-14 was saturated, making it difficult to find a hunting spot. If users managed to secure a spot, they could reach level 10 by staying up all night. If users were already level 7 or 8 in such a situation, the answer was obvious:
‘They are people who can’t always play the game because of work or other issues.’
These individuals would be desperate for experience. However, level 7-8 users were less likely to be employed than level 1 users. Their higher level meant they consumed more experience within a hunting party.
That’s why existing parties only bothered to hire level 1 users. Consequently, 90% of level 7-8 users were unemployed. Despite the penalty, these working players had no choice but to log in during the evening, when the game was most crowded.
“But there’s something even more important than that. The users entering R-14 often don’t have much money. Meanwhile, level 7-8 users have hunted quite a lot. They must have completed Bhurad’s mission at least a dozen times.”
That was the second reason: the hunting fee. Ark immediately began some market research. Having identified his main customers, he started researching how much money they might possess.
‘Completing the
Thus, he decided to charge 50 silver as the fee.
“How is it? Do you like the offer?”
“O-of course…”
“Huhuhu, I thought so. If you want to hunt, you only have to spend 50 silver.”
“But 50 silver is half of my entire fortune, so it’s slightly expensive…”
The users complained upon first hearing the fee. 50 silver was a substantial amount of money in R-14.
Then Ark quickly interjected, “It isn’t expensive. Don’t you know? 50 silver only seems like a lot because this is the beginner area. It isn’t a huge amount of money once you start earnestly hunting on the frontiers.”
“Don’t you know users are already selling 10 gold on the auction site? Isn’t it better to spend 50 silver to hunt properly for a few hours and then earn your money on the frontier? Frankly, I think it’s better to hunt here for several hours even if I have to spend 1 gold. But you also need money for food and repairs, so the cost is just 50 silver.”
“Indeed.”
The user nodded. “Yes, then I’ll hunt here.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll take 1 gold for the moment.”
“Huh? 1 gold? Didn’t you tell me it was 50 silver just now?”
“Yes, the hunting fee is 50 silver. The remaining 50 silver is a deposit. I will return the deposit once you reach level 10 and leave R-14.”
Ark said with a smile. In truth, the problem Ark was most worried about when commercializing the hunting ground was security. The reason the octopuses tried to kill Ark was because their operation was illegal.
If the crew learned that the octopuses were secretly raising space bugs, everything would be confiscated. So Ark ensured that the customers received the
That’s why level 7-8 users were the main customers. Users level 7 or higher could hunt for about 5 hours before reaching level 10. There was little danger of level 10 users informing other users or the crew, as they would immediately leave R-14.
However, he couldn’t be reassured with just that.
‘In some cases, the users might feel vindictive and file a complaint!’
Ark didn’t trust users. People were creatures who could change their minds at any moment. It was a game, so nothing more needed to be said.
No user would feel guilty for killing someone. The deposit from users was a safety precaution. Ark would return the 50 silver once the users reached level 10 and were on the verge of leaving R-14.
‘This is to ensure that the hunting ground isn’t discovered, but…’
Thus, Ark intentionally took a different, complicated path every time he led them to the hunting ground. Even if they knew about the existence of the hunting ground, users or NPCs wouldn’t be able to find it.
Soon, the hunting ground would become an urban legend of R-14! He had implemented a threefold security device!
‘Yes, this is sufficient.’
The business was successful. No, it was a business that had no choice but to succeed, considering R-14’s job shortage. Ark spent a few hours gathering 20 users from sectors 1-5.
He managed to collect 10 gold at once.
“Wow! U-unbelievable!”
Burum trembled while looking at the 10 gold. The octopuses only received 20 copper for cleaning 200 meters of pipe.
For them, 10 gold was equivalent to cleaning 5,000 kilometers. Burum was giddy after seeing such a large amount of money.
“It is possible to gain money like this. T-then we should attract more pioneers…”
“That would be a problem.”
Ark declared firmly, “It won’t work. The marketability of this hunting ground lies in the sheer number of monsters. The proliferation of the bugs is slower than the users’ hunting rate, so 20 users is just right.”
“If more users gather, the merit would fall. In addition, security will suffer if the number of users increases.”
If they overindulged, an accident was likely to occur. Although greed was necessary for business, sometimes patience was required.
“This is a long-term business. If we continue to bring 20 users, the earnings will steadily increase. If you want to increase revenue, the only way is to increase the users’ hunting speed.”
“Increase the users’ hunting speed? What do you mean?”
“Helping them level up faster.”
“Faster?”
“Yes.”
Ark pointed towards the hunting grounds.
“Pant pant, I don’t have much health left. I’ll take it easy for a while.”
The users, having hunted like mad for a while, began to gasp and pant. The level 7 users had teamed up in groups of 5 and fought several space bugs at once.
It was different from sectors 1-5, as users could rest if they lost a lot of health. Ark didn’t like that. They needed to quickly reach level 10 so he could attract other customers.
Ark quickly approached the resting users. “You paid a high fee to enter, so shouldn’t you increase your level a little faster?”
“But I don’t have much health left.”
“Then I’ll give you the recovery service.”
Ark winked, and the octopuses suddenly swarmed. A few of them attached to one person, and their health was quickly restored.
“Eh? Health recovery!”
“Huhuhu, this is a service for people using the paid hunting ground.”
Of course, this also wasn’t free. He received one space bug leather and meat every time they used the service! Some users initially rejected it, but seeing other users rapidly raising their level, they eventually succumbed to the service system.
Even if they collected 20 japtem and reported the quest, they could only receive 20 silver. It was better to give up some silver to gain experience faster.
“Hunt quickly. You paid 50 silver for this hunting ground. Isn’t it better to quickly reach level 10 so you can gather expensive loot on the frontier?”
Ark eagerly supported the users. If users were replaced quickly, it would further enrich Ark’s wallet. The problem was the distribution of income between Ark and the octopuses.
However, Ark had clearly clarified this issue before starting the business.
“I didn’t tell the crew, and I only thought of the business plan, so I want all of the income.”
*Dudong!*
The octopuses’ eyes popped out at Ark’s words.
“Isn’t that just like having the space bugs confiscated?”
“What about us? What about our future?”
“It is only until I leave R-14.”
Ark soothed the octopuses with those words. “I will also leave this place once I gain sufficient experience. Of course, I will teach you everything you need to know to operate the hunting ground. The Charenjok can get a steady income for a few months.”
Even if Ark was earning income, he couldn’t stay in R-14 forever. Once he left for the frontiers, he couldn’t return.
Therefore, he had to be satisfied with monopolizing the income while he was at R-14. The octopuses obediently accepted Ark’s proposal. No, they lifted their eight tentacles and made him welcome.
Ark had caught their weak point, so they had no choice but to accept. He made it clear he would only obtain the income until he left R-14. So, he earned 10 gold in one day.
‘Now I can buy a few Modified Alloy Daggers…’
Ark shook his head, pushing down his impatience.
‘I didn’t clean the pipes simply to make money. It’s a process to recover my original mindset. I can’t give that up just because I earned some money.
There’s the paid hunting ground, so I can level up anytime I want. At first, I just cleaned the pipes to earn money to buy a dagger. I saved 283 mileage points after switching to that method. I only need to complete it 100 more times to earn the dagger, so that’s 2 days remaining!’
Tighten and oil… scrub… tighten and oil…
Despite Ark’s purse growing heavier, he didn’t stop cleaning. Ark couldn’t imagine halting his pride training.
“Ark, come see me for a bit.”
This happened when he completed 300 mileage. He received Cheksun’s call from the Nymphe and went to find him.
“I’m sorry, but I have to let you go today.”
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
Ark’s heart plummeted, thinking the hunting ground had been discovered.
“Like I said before, the budget is small, thanks to the Charenjok. You’ve saved quite a few mileage points, so any more would be wasteful expenses for the budget. That’s why I wanted to talk to you… I have to let you go. I’m sorry.”
‘There is also a limit to repeatable quests.’
He had set his sights on wiping the pipes until he earned enough to buy a dagger. He was reluctant to leave his work one day earlier, but it was still valuable.
But Ark had miscalculated.
“Here it is. You’ve earned 1 gold and 55 silver for your maintenance work.”
“Huh? 1 gold 55 silver?”
“Yes, your contract was 40 copper, and you gained 80 silver from the 200 mileage. You also completed it 100 times after becoming Cleaning Foreman, so that’s 60 silver. The bonus mileage is 15 copper. That totals 1 gold and 55 silver.”
‘That’s right! Isn’t this quest designed so someone could recover their lost dagger? Then they should earn the value of a dagger by the end. I didn’t calculate the mileage bonus, so I added extra time.’
In the end, Ark had achieved his goal. He had resolved the other problem and no longer needed to worry about the quest.
“Thank you. But I’ve become familiar with the Charenjok in the meantime. Can I often come here?”
“Of course. You’re always welcome.”
Ark received a definite answer and headed towards the store.
“Wait a moment.”
Cheksun called out to Ark.
“To be honest, this isn’t only due to the instructions from above. You didn’t seem like you were going to quit, so I wanted to make you stop.”
“Huh? What does that mean…?”
“You were in a tough situation after first entering the universe and ended up cleaning the facilities. I was also like that. When I first entered space, I had the thought of engraving my name in history. But the universe was tougher than I thought. Not anyone can succeed as a pioneer.”
“In the end, I gave up on my dream, but you are still young. Yes, cleaning the pipes isn’t a place for someone like you.”
Cheksun looked at Ark. “At first, I ignored you. But I’ve been watching, and you are different from other people. The universe is scary.”
“Endless dangers exist in the universe. Any moment could break the will of a young pioneer. After seeing your hard work, I believe that you can get through any difficulties. I wish for your success, so I’ve prepared a small gift.”
Cheksun handed him a toolbox.
[Cheksun’s Toolbox]
Item type: Skill Supplement
The toolbox used by Cheksun, the manager of R-14’s internal facilities maintenance. It is possible to repair simple facilities using this tool. However, the materials to repair the equipment are needed.
* Possible to repair general items (Need Resources)
“This is a toolbox that I’ve used. It is old but comfortable to use. And I wrote a letter to some friends on the frontier. My friend Tori operates a company on the frontier, so you can receive several favors if you show him my letter.”
Then an information window appeared from the Nymphe.
[
You have worked patiently to clean the pipes at the space station. The sector 7 manager Cheksun appreciated your patience and handed a recommendation letter to his friend called Tori. Cheksun’s old friend Tori will assist you if you show him the recommendation letter. Go see him quickly.
Difficulty: –
[You have received the quest item ‘Cheksun’s Letter of Recommendation.’]
Ark wouldn’t refuse it.
“Thank you.”
Ark’s face became animated. He never imagined this ending to the repeatable quest. But the value of the compensation received from Cheksun wasn’t the only benefit.
He had repeated the quest 300 times! He had cleaned 30 kilometers of pipes by the time the quest ended. The biggest reward was the increase to his confidence after seeing what he achieved.
There was only one thing left to do!
“The dagger!”
*Chaking!*
The dagger soared from Ark’s bag. He had completed the quest 300 times and managed to buy the Modified Alloy Dagger! Ark grabbed his dagger and plunged into the paid hunting ground.
“Let’s go! Level up!”
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