Chapter 9: The Scavenger’s Dilemma

SPACE 8. Scavenger

“Heh, something like that,” Ark muttered with a wry laugh.

His mind had reeled, feeling as if his brain would explode, when he first laid eyes on the sponsor agreement with Tori. What sane user would ever forsake a galactic federation’s proposal to sign a contract with a mere junkyard?

Especially when his contractor was a conniving hamster who readily sold his own employees to other businesses. It was an utterly outrageous situation.

He had yanked at his hair in frustration, desperately trying to find a way out. Yet, Ark had already committed. There was no point in regretting what had already transpired.

Ark was not one to wallow in frustration or despair. Reflecting on his past, he recalled countless seemingly hopeless situations.

Those who observed Ark often attributed his successes to luck, but he found that amusing. He hadn’t ascended to a position higher than others by mere chance.

No, Ark was fortunate precisely because of his hardships. Those tribulations had been the driving force, forging him into the strong individual he was today.

‘It is the same this time.’

He had suffered in his youth, and the game proved no different, presenting him with challenges in its early days.

‘Yes, I’ve made a mistake, but this is still the beginning. Any errors now are merely rudimentary, novice-level damage. The damage isn’t truly worrying. I simply didn’t check the contract meticulously, and now I’m bleeding for it.’

Of course, this mistake was far from minor. Sponsors wielded immense influence over a user’s game progression in Galaxian. Each sponsor presented their own set of pros and cons, but…

‘This is a junkyard! A junkyard!’

He had never intended to form a contract with a hamster operating a junkyard. This sudden, unexpected agreement was enough to make him roll around on the ground, pulling his hair out. Thus, he had immediately searched for ways to terminate the contract.

[Currently, Ark-nim has signed a ‘provisional contract’ with Gear.]

A user’s first formal agreement with a sponsor would always be a ‘provisional contract.’ This included a probationary period, during which the amount of support received was fairly restrictive. A user could terminate the contract during this period if they found the sponsor unsuitable.

In such a case, however, the user had to return the 200 gold support they had received to the sponsor.

A ‘provisional contract’ system! Ark felt a wave of relief upon learning this. The publishers had seemingly implemented this consideration for users like him, who might make a contract by mistake. Or so he thought.

He was, however, immediately stuck due to the penalty. He had to return the sponsor’s support, and that amounted to 200 gold! As a level 15 user, Ark had no way of possessing such a sum.

Nevertheless, the crucial point was that he still had room for choice. He could still seek out other sponsors. Possessing information was always the best way to play the game.

‘I can’t waste 200 gold when I could use it to learn a necessary skill and gain experience.’

The experience would be invaluable.

‘Fortunately, I’ve already accumulated close to 100 gold. If I can prepare another 100, I can escape from this junkyard. Well, 100 gold seems like a lot, but didn’t I earn 100 gold just by cleaning and killing space bugs at R-14? Yes, there’s no point in paying the penalty.’

And he could even make money from this. When he considered it, the problem wasn’t as significant as it initially appeared.

‘I’m doing this to learn the hacking skill. If I look at the situation, I was abandoned and sold. No, not sold. I’m able to gain these metal parts thanks to the separate contract between Tori and Clem. I just have to work hard and collect 200 gold worth of metal parts.’

Having organized his thoughts, Ark made his decision. Surprisingly, he found himself quite interested in this particular job.

‘The Silver Hand……’

That was the official name of the service provider to whom Ark had been assigned.

“Heh, there seems to be a strange atmosphere around the contract, but don’t worry, we aren’t bad people. We’ll have to spend a lot of time together until you gather metal parts worth 200 gold for Tori, so we should get along. A workplace with a family-like atmosphere. That’s what I’m aiming for.”

Clem bared his fangs as he laughed. Here was a huge, beast-like alien with sharp fangs, speaking of a family atmosphere. Normal people would surely tremble with fear in such a presence, yet…

Ark bravely gathered his courage and asked, “What do I have to do?”

“What? That hamster, didn’t he tell you?” Clem scratched his head with an irritated expression.

“Then do you know Nakuma?”

“Nakuma?”

“You also don’t know about Nakuma. So that hamster tricked you. Anyway, it isn’t bad even if you have no experience with fighting on the frontier.”

Clem then began his explanation. “It’s good that you met us before roaming the frontier. The Nakuma are unclear space creatures. No, they aren’t life forms… anyway, they don’t have an original shape.

“But these guys love metal above anything else. They will instinctively seek out metal and form their bodies around it, making them almost like living androids. Anyway, Istana is full of Nakuma.”

A space life form that moved around and collected metal debris! If this were a fantasy setting, it would be akin to a type of zombie.

“Most of the Nakuma are handled by pioneers and the federation army. But there’s an area they always avoid. Thus, the Nakuma multiply, and in some cases, they will threaten the safety of the city.

“We are a mercenary unit specialized in hunting Nakuma in those types of areas. The federation gives us a fee for handling the Kuma, and we also get income from the metal parts dropped by the Nakuma. We arrived in Nephalim a few days ago.

“I knew Tori from before, so I asked him to recruit new workers in the city. Then Tori told me to buy supplies from him in exchange for introducing me to a worker.”

That, then, was the reason Tori had sold Ark.

“But you don’t have to worry about maintenance.”

Fortunately, he was going to be paid.

‘Moreover, it’s better to hunt with the Silver Hand since I don’t know anything about the Nakuma.’ If he hunted, he could organize all his work in Nephalim. This was the first time he was actually hunting in Galaxian after arriving at the frontier.

If he was with experienced NPCs, he didn’t have to worry about dying. It was also possible to receive metal parts to learn hacking. ‘Raising my level and collecting metal parts—isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?’

This was why Ark accepted it obediently. While Ark was lost in thought, Clem laughed and hit his back with a huge palm.

“Kuahahaha. What? Are you scared? A newborn chick has just arrived at the frontier. But for now, you don’t have to worry. The Nakuma are easily taken care of with large weapons. And…..”

Ku ku ku ku, kong!

The bumpy truck stopped with a rattling noise, and the door to the container opened. Clem snorted and rose to his feet.

“We’ve arrived. Everybody get down! Ready the supplies to start hunting immediately!”

“Hey, why are you just sitting there? Quickly help me carry the baggage!”

Ark exited the truck and helped the other soldiers carry the baggage. Supplies and large tents were erected outside the truck, forming the outpost of the Silver Hand mercenary troops.

But that wasn’t what truly caught Ark’s eye.

‘Swamp! This is the southern region of Nephalim!’

Ark had arrived at the swamp located to the south of Nephalim! Now, he could fully understand Clem’s words. There was indeed an area where pioneers and the federal army chose not to hunt the Nakuma.

That was this very swamp area, where various penalties to agility were applied. A novice user would naturally want to avoid hunting on such terrain as much as possible.

That’s precisely why there were too many users in the northern hunting grounds! They all wanted to avoid the southern swamp area, where agility penalties were a constant nuisance.

‘This is another reason why I chose Nephalim!’

Ark had chosen Nephalim among the many cities. It was primarily for this swamp area, located south of Nephalim. Most users wanted to avoid this region, but Ark was different. Ark had just…

Ark was deep in thought when something interrupted him. “Hey! The combatants are about to leave, so clean and examine their equipment! We’ll be hunting the Nakuma immediately afterwards. Heksu, take the new worker and teach him. What do you say, Ark? You will learn from Heksu from now on. All Attackers assemble!”

Ark stared at Clem with a bewildered expression after hearing his cry. “W-wait a minute. I’m staying here?”

“Huh? So?”

“I’m not participating in the hunt against the Nakuma?”

“Nakuma hunting?” Clem looked doubtful at Ark’s question. Then all of his body hair quivered as he cracked up laughing.

“Kuahahaha. That’s why you were so nervous in the truck. Didn’t I tell you not to worry? I told you. We aren’t bad guys. We’re mercenaries specializing in hunting Nakuma, so we wouldn’t bring a newborn chick to the hunting ground. I don’t need Attackers, but a Scavenger.”

“Attacker? Scavenger?”

“Yes, the Silver Hand is divided into Attacker and Scavenger roles. Attackers fight. We hunt Nakuma. And the Scavengers will clean everything up. Didn’t I tell you? Our main source of revenue is the metal parts dropped by the Nakuma.

“However, it’s difficult to reclaim the metal parts dropped in the swamp. Therefore, we need to increase the number of Scavengers. So you just need to collect the loot. There are a lot of chores at the base, but at least you don’t have to worry about dying.”

“T-that is a problem!” Ark shouted angrily.

Once again, the reason Ark had considered himself fortunate was because the Silver Hand was a mercenary troop. He had thought he could gain experience and metal parts. But now, all he had to do was collect the loot?

In the end, he would have to obtain metal worth 200 gold without gaining any experience? Furthermore, the Attackers in the Silver Hand could also collect loot while battling. He was wasting a lot of time, trying to gain experience while learning the hacking skill.

“I am a warrior!”

“Warrior?” Clem continued watching Ark, then burst out laughing. “This child didn’t even know what the Nakuma was, and now you want to hunt them?”

“T-that… I might not know about the Nakuma, but I’m still a warrior. I know that I’m lacking. However, I’m still a warrior. This is a warrior’s pride. I can’t just search through the muddy ground. I won’t blame Captain-nim even if I die, so make me an Attacker!”

Ark stared into his eyes and insisted strongly. Clem’s face also became quite serious. “You won’t bear a grudge even if you die… that’s not the problem…”

Clem scratched his beard with a perplexed expression. After a moment, he nodded. “I am also a warrior. I can’t ignore your pleading, as that would kill your warrior’s pride.

“Okay, if you have this much confidence, then I’ll test you. Hey, didn’t we catch some Nakuma as research material for the federation? Bring me a small one.”

“Huh? Why would you…..”

“It’s entertainment, entertainment. Don’t you want to see what a newborn chick does against a Nakuma for the first time?”

“Yes, I understand.” An Attacker laughed and walked towards a container in the base camp. He manipulated the door lock, and it slid to one side.

“This is a Nakuma. This one is the weakest in the vicinity,” Clem introduced as a metal object, shaped like a spider, walked out. The metal creature was the Nakuma, a type of robot zombie. It truly suited the mechanical zombie label as it waddled awkwardly.

“If you can handle it alone, then I will allow you to be an Attacker. How about it? Can you do it?”

“Of course.” Ark attached a machine to his left eye and smiled.

At the same time, his view turned green and blurry, yet he could clearly see the Nakuma.

[Infrared Scope

Item Type: Vision support equipment

The infrared scope allows you to distinguish between things clearly even at night. In addition, life detection capabilities have been loaded so you can recognize the combat capabilities of the enemy. This is an essential equipment for pioneers on the frontier.

+ Night vision

+ Enemy level confirmation]

It was an equipment he had purchased in the commercial area of Nephalim for 5 gold. It was a taxing price, but the infrared scope was the only way for users who hadn’t received body coating to use ‘night vision.’ It also allowed him to confirm the enemy’s level and health.

As stated in the information window, it was a necessity for beginner pioneers. He identified with the scope that the Nakuma was level 13. It was hardly an opponent for Ark, who had reached level 15 on R-14.

‘The muddy ground? Ha! This might be my first time on the frontier, but I’ll show them that they can’t ignore me. What is this? I am Ark. I’ll show them what kind of user I am!’

Ark grasped his dagger with a confident look. Then the red ray from the Nakuma, which had been sweeping the area, touched Ark.

[Life detected! It is an enemy! Remove it!]

There was a beeping sound, and the upper part of the Nakuma rotated. But Ark wasn’t stressed; there was no need to be tense.

“Enemy? Heh, didn’t your robot sensors identify that I’m stronger than you?” Ark suddenly rushed towards the Nakuma and swung his dagger.

Ark’s body glided across the swamp. It was the Swamp Walking skill he had learned from the Charenjok! This was precisely the reason he had chosen Nephalim. The swamp south of Nephalim seemed like the ideal hunting ground for Ark.

“Huh! That guy, such movements on a swamp…”

“He wasn’t just talking nonsense when he mentioned the warrior’s pride?” Clem and the Attackers whistled with surprised expressions and began murmuring.

‘The surprising thing will be from now on. This is my first battle on the frontier! I’ll show a hot performance!’

Lightning fast! It was his first battle since leaving R-14, so he charged in quickly. Then both arms of the Nakuma broke off, and a bunch of pipe-like objects popped out.

“Eh? W-wait! W-what is that? Guns?” Ark burst out in confusion.

The pipe-like objects were Gatling guns, commonly seen in war movies. Ark alternated between looking at his 20 cm dagger and the Nakuma’s guns.

“H-hey, is this a joke? It must be a decoration…”

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

The Gatling guns started revolving, fiercely firing bullets. “…This isn’t a joke!”

Ark hurriedly threw his body to the ground and rolled. A bullet struck his thigh, inflicting a sharp pain and reducing his health by 3%.

“Ugh! Dammit, that gun! This is a trick!” Ark stared at the Nakuma with an absurd expression.

While selling items in Nephalim square, he had heard that fighting in Galaxian was trickier than in other games. But who would have expected a level 13 monster to be shooting a machine gun? It would have been absurd in reality. However, this was a game.

One hit also reduced his health by 3%. ‘It’s a machine gun. If I’m hit by a barrage of bullets, I’ll lose 20-30% health instantly.’

The opponent was two levels lower than him, so he had thought it would be easy. However…

“Phew, isn’t this exhilarating?” A smile flashed on Ark’s face.

He had been living in medieval times, so he panicked after seeing a gun. But upon reflection, it was very different and exciting. Using a gun was distinct from bows and magic.

Having only experienced archery and magic, he felt refreshed seeing a gun. Of course, he was still confident that he could deal with it.

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

Then the Gatling guns revolved, and the Nakuma started firing again. Ark lifted his left arm and shouted, “Shield!”

A blue light appeared from his wrist. The identity of the blue light was a transparent, hexagonal-shaped shield! It was the high-density energy shield he had received from Bhurad on R-14.

Unlike medieval shields, this one could be worn as a bracelet, and its glass-like surface even altered with the movement of the enemy.

Tting! Tting! Tting!

Once the shield expanded, sparks flew on its surface, and the bullets bounced back. Of course, the energy of the shield was reduced, but the value wasn’t that significant. The energy only decreased by 1% every time it was hit.

The graphic effect of the shield was different when it blocked bullets compared to space bugs, but it still blocked the damage. Of course, it was a Gatling gun, so he couldn’t just ignore it…

‘I’m not going to politely be hit by the bullets.’

Ark held up his shield and rushed towards the Nakuma. The Nakuma fired blindly, but Ark moved in a zigzag pattern and was not hit. Fortunately, Ark managed to approach the Nakuma without receiving any damage.

Ark appeared under the Nakuma’s nose and laughed. “It’s my turn now, you machine zombie!”

Snap!

Blue sparks flew when he swung his dagger. It was the first time Ark had seen it, but he could understand the source of the blue sparks. When looking through the infrared scope, the Nakuma had two life force gauges: one red and one blue.

The attack just then had decreased the blue gauge. He had heard in Nephalim that this was the shield gauge that all androids possessed. He was surprised about the two gauges, but the blue one quickly decreased by 15%. It was a surprisingly weak shield.

‘Well, the opponent is a level 13 monster.’

Ark’s confidence rose as the shield gauge gradually reduced. Furthermore, the battle situation had instantly changed. The Gatling gun fired ten bullets at once.

However, there was a long gap between shots, rendering the Nakuma almost defenseless after firing a round. Therefore, Ark managed to initiate a close-quarters combat fight with his dagger, which was disadvantageous in a gun battle.

It became monotonous once he discovered the attack pattern of firing the Gatling gun.

“This is fighting with just a dagger and no skills?” It had been a long time since Ark experienced a tedious fight like this.

Snap, snap, snap!

He thrust his dagger from side to side while dodging, and the Nakuma’s shield was eventually crushed to pieces. Now, the only thing left was its health!

“I’ll turn you into scrap iron and sell you to the junkyard!” Ark quickly moved from side to side and attacked.

And… confusion appeared on Ark’s face. “W-what is this? It barely reduced any health?”

One attack had decreased 15% of the shield’s durability. Therefore, Ark had expected to decrease the Nakuma’s health by a similar amount. However, those attacks had only reduced it by 10%. It meant each strike only did 3-4% damage.

‘Then the body has higher defense than the shield?’

Ark had learned taekwondo for several years, so close combat was his specialty. He had showed sufficient battle sense and used close combat fighting while avoiding the Nakuma’s attacks. Despite his evasion, he still received some damage.

He didn’t have any skills yet, so he had to expect a certain level of damage. He had already lost 40% health. By the time he destroyed one of the gauges, his health was at 50%.

He had calculated that he could defeat the Nakuma as the battle progressed. However, the defensive power of the main body was even higher than the shield. Then he received huge damage to his side.

He was in a defenseless state, and 10% health was cut! ‘I made a mistake. I have no chance in a frontal confrontation. I can’t win!’

The most basic ability for users was being able to determine victory or defeat. If he only had one health point left, a user would likely run away to increase their chances of survival. However, this battle wasn’t simply a problem of whether he lived or died.

This was to determine whether he could become an Attacker instead of a Scavenger, so he could earn 200 gold and experience! It wasn’t a battle he could run away from.

‘I have to endure until the end, even if I die!’

Bbok!

Ark attached an octopus to his head. It was the Charenjok’s Token that healed 1 health every 3 seconds for 10 minutes!

Bbok! Bbok! Bbok! Bbok!

[You have recovered 1 health.]

[You have recovered 1 health…]

His health was restored little by little. ‘That’s it. If this is attached, then my odds will increase a little bit!’

Ark rotated his body and kicked the Nakuma’s back. He thought he could paralyze the Nakuma for a second, but… it was a tremendous mistake.

[You have hit an android and injured your leg.]

[Your leg is fractured and your movement speed will reduce by 30%]

Ark was the one damaged instead! The android was a machine, so kicking metal would obviously injure a human. The collision ended up fracturing his leg.

Ark never thought the laws of physics would be applied, and it ended up a disaster! He collapsed to the ground because of the shock from his injury, and the Nakuma swung a blade towards Ark’s chest.

‘Dammit! I’m screwed!’ Ark looked at the Nakuma’s blade with hopeless eyes.

Tung-!

There was a roaring sound from behind him. The back of the Nakuma’s head exploded, and it stumbled to one side. Ark reflexively turned his head, and his mouth widened.

Clem was kneeling approximately 10 meters behind Ark with a cigar in his mouth. The deafening sound came from the rifle he was holding, and the rifle then fired again.

Tung-! Tung-! Tung-!

Whenever the blast occurred, there was an explosion at the back of the Nakuma’s head. The Nakuma received several shots from the rifle and struggled weakly in the mud.

“Do you now grasp the situation, Scavenger?” Clem put away his rifle and smiled at Ark.

“You seem to have some skill with sword fighting. But this isn’t the medieval age. Who would risk their lives with a dagger these days? Now, listen carefully.

“Direct strike weapons like swords are effective against shields. But you’re screwed if you attack the body of a mechanical creature like the Nakuma with a sword, just like now.”

Cheolkong! Pushu!

Clem pulled out the bullet casing for his rifle and continued, “This is called resistance. The original shield is a form of energy, so projectile weapons won’t deal damage to it. The trajectory of the projectile will just bounce off the shield.

“On the other hand, it is weak to melee weapons like swords or maces. Conversely, the metal body of an android is strong against projectiles and is weak to bullets. Therefore, pioneers must carry two types of weapons by default.

“Do you understand why you are still too early to be a warrior?”

Ark now understood the situation. He had thought the users carrying guns and swords in the city just wanted to look cool. Ark thought they were foolish at the time.

In online games, weapon proficiency was just as important as levels. Therefore, it was common to use only one weapon series. But users were already using two or three weapons from the beginning of the game, so he thought they didn’t know the basics of online gaming.

However, Ark was the one who didn’t know the basics.

“Do you understand why you’re a Scavenger?” Clem had nothing more to say and turned his body.

“W-wait a minute!”

“What? You still have business left?”

“Rather than business… yes, it was my fault for not knowing basic things like that. But if I know the problem, then I can resolve it! One more! Give me one more chance! I also have a gun! I will use ammunition now…”

Ark quickly took out a pistol from his bag. He had bought 17 weapons from R-14, selling 14 of them. Of the three remaining, one was a gun: a revolver!

[Revolver

Item Type: Gun

Wearer Restriction: Level 10

Attack: 10~15

Durability: 30/30

Number of Ammunition: 6

A commonly used handgun in the universe. Firearms are more advanced than swords, but shields can block the bullets, so it isn’t universally used. However, it is possible to penetrate a shield with steady long-distance attacks, so guns have been used more often in recent years. The revolver is a pistol made for beginners, so the performance isn’t that good, but the bullets are readily available and it is reliable.]

However, Clem was still not impressed. “Pistol… and a handgun that you’ve never used before…”

Clem scratched his head and sighed. “Now, this is your last chance. If you hit two out of three shots, then I will place you as an Attacker.”

It was an abrupt suggestion, but Ark had already failed, so he had no choice. ‘Well, I’ve seen a lot of shooting in movies and dramas.’

He held a pose like a movie character and pulled the trigger. However…

Tang-!

[Your attack has failed!]

Tang-!

[Your attack has failed!]

“Eh? Huh? What is this?” Ark asked with a befuddled look.

The distance was a mere 10 meters. Ark had clearly made sure his aim was correct before pulling the trigger. Yet, the bullet flew to the wrong spot and hit the dirt. Then the watching Attackers giggled.

“He is a Scavenger.”

“Ah, no, this isn’t…”

“Hey, squirt.” Clem blew out smoke from his cigarette and frowned at Ark. “Do you think a gun is so easy to handle that a child can use it? In fact, most people only have a 40% hit rate the first time they use a rifle.

“You are 10 years too early to use a pistol. And a guy who can’t even handle a gun can’t be an Attacker in Silver Hand. Do you understand? I already gave you two chances, and you failed. Stop being a troublemaker, Scavenger.”

Clem said bluntly before turning around. “The entertainment is over! All Scavengers pack the equipment for the Attackers. We are going Nakuma hunting!”

“Yay yay! Yes!” The warriors raised their weapons and cheered.

Ark was forced to become a Scavenger, searching through the mud for loot.

****

“Dammit!” A man spat on the ground and cursed.

Four guys in the vicinity ran up to him. “Hyung-nim, are you alright?”

“Am I okay? Do you think I’ve broken something?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Damn, that bastard! I won’t let it go!”

The man who cursed was the leader of the gang, Mald. Thanks to Ark’s trick with the assault, Mald was jailed for two hours before a bail of 30 gold was paid, and he was released. Of course, it was impossible for him to feel good.

No, the situation was enough for him to stomp around angrily.

“Look for him,” Mald growled towards his henchmen. “He is still a beginner. He can’t leave Nephalim. So look for him using whatever method possible! If you can’t find him, then just give up on the game!”

“Huh? Yes! U-understood!” The henchmen scattered at Mald’s cruel words.

****

While Mald’s henchmen were searching through Nephalim…

Pilpeok, pilpeok, pilpeok.

Ark sighed as he searched through the mud. “It is disgraceful to be searching through the mud after arriving at the frontier.”

Of course, he wasn’t happy. No, the situation made him furious. Fortunately, Clem wasn’t a wicked employer like Tori.

Clem’s primary source of income was the reward from the federation after disposing of the Nakuma. It was also possible to gain an income from the metal parts that the Nakuma dropped.

So Clem distributed the income fairly equally based on the number of metal parts. But the problem was the number of Silver Hands. The Silver Hand consisted of 15 Attackers and 5 Scavengers. It was impossible to give a lot of metal parts when distributing it between 20 people.

Furthermore, he wasn’t just given the fee. Loot distribution was essentially based on contribution. Those with more contribution would be given more rewards.

The Attackers risked their lives in battle, so they obviously received more than the Scavengers. The basic outline was that the Attackers received 5% of the total loot while the Scavengers received 2-3%. If 100 parts were picked up, that was only 2-3 pieces.

“But it isn’t a small number considering I get loot at the end of every battle.” Ark looked at the truck parked near him.

The Silver Hand’s hunting method was pursuit. The Scavenger Heksu explained about the Silver Hand while they were collecting…

“If the Nakuma is in a crisis, then it will transmit radio waves to all colleagues in the area. If the Attackers are fighting the Nakuma, then they will install a device to amplify the radio waves by a few hundred times.

“Then all Nakuma within a few kilometers will gather. Usually, they hunt 200 in one to two hours. The Attackers will dispose of all Nakuma and then move on to the next hunting grounds.”

Then the Scavenger would search the hunting ground and gather all loot in the trucks before riding it to follow the Attackers. Sometimes they obtained more than 100 loot from a single hunting ground!

They hunted without breaks, so 2-3% wasn’t a small amount! ‘Experience…’

Ark wouldn’t get any experience even if hundreds of Nakuma were killed. Furthermore, the loot he gathered by digging through the mud would enter the mouth of a hamster.

Well, it was in order to learn a skill, but he couldn’t help being mad. He also didn’t know when this would end if he only received 2-3% of the metal.

‘Dammit, a gun! If only I could use a gun properly!’

Ark was confident in close combat. But marksmanship was indispensable when fighting against android-type monsters! Ark couldn’t abandon his regret of not becoming an Attacker and sometimes practiced his marksmanship.

It was to the extent that he got blisters on his fingers! However! However!

Tang-!

[Your attack has failed!]

Tang-!

[Your attack has failed!]

The shooting kept on failing! ‘As expected, I’m not talented in shooting.’

Ark understood that this was an unexpected weakness for him. “Hey! Ark, until when are you going to keep on playing around? There is still a mountain of work to do.

“The Scavengers are a team. If you play around, then everyone else will have more work. If I report it to Clem, then he will decrease your share.”

Heksu snapped at him. In the end, Ark had no choice but to reconsider his idea.

‘Galaxian is set in the future, so there will be quite a few androids. The city guards are also androids. So it is imperative that I learn marksmanship… but I have to put it on hold for the moment. The urgent problem is learning the hacking skill and breaking the relationship with that damn hamster.

‘So it is important that I gather metal parts worth 200 gold. I’m not an Attacker, but 2-3% is still a lot of metal components.’

When calculating the Silver Hand’s distribution system, 20% of the total income remained. This 20% was distributed according to performance. The Scavenger who worked hard and helped the Silver Hand would most likely receive a special bonus.

‘If I can’t be an Attacker, then I should aim for that bonus!’

Their aim was to increase efficiency. Ark was also the same. His attitude changed 180 degrees now that he had a concrete goal.

“I’ve received a notification from Clem that the battle is over. Now let’s go collect the loot!”

The five Scavengers moved at Heksu’s order towards the battle location. When he arrived at the battlefield, hundreds of Nakuma wreckage lay on the ground.

But most of the metal parts were buried in mud that reached the ankles. This was the very reason for the Scavengers’ existence. The metal parts buried in the mud weren’t easy to find.

Yet, the Attackers tirelessly hunted without any breaks and needed to move to the next area. The circumstances changed once Ark started earnestly working.

“Swamp Walking!”

Sasasasa! Sasasasa!

He could easily walk through the swamp with Swamp Walking. Ark flew about the mud like an octopus and raked in the loot. Ark found 3-4 pieces in the time it took for the other Scavengers to find one. So, his efficiency increased by a few times.

That wasn’t all. A Scavenger’s job wasn’t just to find metal components. The Nakuma’s bodies were basically discarded machine parts, so they would turn black when buried in the mud for too long.

Therefore, the Scavengers also had to wash the goods. This was an area where Ark’s skill truly shone.

“Facilities Maintenance!”

Buduk! Buduk! Buduk! Flash!

Facilities Maintenance increased cleaning and oiling by 30%! He had learned the skill from cleaning kilometers of pipes on R-14. Therefore, Ark managed to clean the loot a few times faster than the other Scavengers.

‘I hate to admit it…’

It was sad, but Ark’s skills were perfectly optimized for a Scavenger. Anyway, even Heksu was amazed by Ark’s incredible speed, and he interjected.

“Ohh! A-amazing!” Heksu was amazed by Ark’s hidden ability and grasped his hand before saying, “The movement that flies freely around the swamp! The cleaning skill that makes dirty metal components gleam! This is it! You’re the person I’ve been waiting for!

“How about it? Do you want to use this chance to become a professional Scavenger? I’ll make you my successor. The Scavenger’s world is quite deep when you look closely. In fact, I was also an excellent pioneer before I became a Scavenger.

“When I was young, I attended a school to fly around space as a pioneer. I will teach you all of my knowledge. Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste such amazing talents?”

[Heksu, the leader of the Silver Hand Scavengers, has offered to make you his successor.]

[If you accept, then you will change occupations to a ‘Scavenger.’]

[Would you like to accept?]

An offer to become Heksu’s successor! Most users couldn’t choose a profession until they became level 30 and received a body coating. There was only a process to determine basic tendencies, like a warrior or long-range attacker.

Galaxian also didn’t have special training facilities to select an occupation. The only way to obtain an occupation was through specific events or conditions, which were normally hidden classes in other games.

Therefore, most of the early stages of Galaxian could be described as the process of finding an occupation. However, there was no guarantee that an occupation would be discovered, even if the user was level 100.

‘But the first occupation I found in Galaxian is related to cleaning…’

Finding an occupation in Galaxian was as difficult as grabbing a star from the sky. ‘But I don’t want an occupation following behind NPCs and picking up their loot!’

“I don’t think that Scavenger is an occupation that can be ignored. However, I am a warrior, as I said before. I’m thankful for Heksu-nim’s offer, but I can’t accept, thanks to my inability to let go of my warrior state.

“One day, I’ll become a fine warrior, but I won’t forget and will come back to visit.”

Ark left room to accept. He didn’t feel regret over refusing the Scavenger occupation. But Heksu was in charge of the Scavengers, so it would be difficult if he started disliking Ark.

“It can’t be helped. Yes, it’s different from being able to do the job with a light heart.” Heksu clicked his tongue and nodded.

However, he still didn’t give up. He continued to buzz around Ark and kept on creating chances for Ark to accept being his successor. Thanks to Heksu’s interest, Ark’s Swamp Walking and Facilities Maintenance reached intermediate level.

“It is a waste to throw away talent despite the lingering attachment to a warrior…”

Ark was inconvenienced by his interest. He spent three days gathering loot and fending off Heksu’s courtship. Ark was mechanically searching the mud when he was faced with an unexpected incident.

The incident started from a single cry of distress. “Heok! T-this… ugh!”

‘What? Did someone fall into the swamp?’ Ark thought it wasn’t important.

This was a swamp, so some places reached his ankles while others were deeper. The appearance was difficult to discern, so sometimes the Scavengers would fall in and struggle. That’s why the Scavengers never searched alone.

Ark thought it was a commonplace occurrence and continued searching for metal parts. But the next moment!

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

‘Shots fired!’ Ark turned his head with surprise. He saw three Nakuma, covered in mud, firing their Gatling guns? The Nakuma had appeared in a place that the Attackers had already hunted.

“W-why is the Nakuma in a place like this…?”

“D-dammit! Debris!” Heksu screamed from far away.

The Nakuma combined with machine parts to become a mechanical living being. If they weren’t completely destroyed, then sometimes they would just behave like they were dead. Those guys would then act like magnets to attract nearby metal parts to restore themselves. They were called Debris.

‘But Debris never occurred before?’

The Attackers always searched around for Debris before moving on to the next hunting ground. Therefore, Ark had heard about Debris from Heksu but had never seen it. However, this time, three Debris appeared.

‘They’ve been marching too unreasonably since yesterday.’

The Silver Hand had been hunting the Nakuma in the swamp for three days. Therefore, the container on the truck was filled with 95% metal. They wanted to reach the end, so they moved faster.

So, unlike yesterday, Clem had started rushing the hunting. No matter how much they rushed, the Attackers still searched for Debris, but they must have missed something…

‘This isn’t the time for thinking!’

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

The three Debris enthusiastically fired their Gatling guns. The Scavengers had almost no combat power. They screamed as they were hit by the bullets.

“Ugh! Send a request for the Attackers to return and hide behind the truck!”

Heksu and the Scavengers hurled the metal parts and ran behind the truck. Ark was the same. Ark was further away from the other Scavengers, but he quickly headed towards the truck thanks to Swamp Walking.

“Ark, faster! Hurry up! Ugh!” Heksu screamed and sat down.

While he was gathering the Scavengers, Heksu had been hit by the bullets. Once Heksu collapsed, a Debris approached him with a blade.

‘…Damn!’

Ark rushed forward. Over the past three days, Heksu had properly trained Ark, despite his nagging to become his successor. How could he just let an NPC like that be killed right in front of him?

Ark turned and fired the revolver. Tang-!

[Your attack has failed!]

The natural message stating that he failed had appeared. Ark couldn’t even hit a target 10 meters away, let alone the Debris that was dozens of meters away. However, that wasn’t the reason Ark fired the gun.

It was to attract the Debris’ eyes. The Debris flinched when Ark fired. It subsequently fired at him.

Tu tu tu tu! Tu tu tu tu!

“Shield!” The bullets hit Ark’s shield.

Ark narrowed the distance using Swamp Walking and wielded his dagger. Snap!

Sparks appeared as he hit rough iron. The Debris had been destroyed and revived, so it didn’t have a shield. It also had 30% health left.

But unlike the Nakuma Ark fought the other day, this one was level 30! It was 15 levels higher than Ark. Moreover, a melee weapon couldn’t damage a metal creature, and it only lost 1% health.

‘I can’t beat this guy with a dagger!’

Ark stepped on the Debris’ leg joint and jumped over. “Heksu, catch!”

“A-Ark!” Heksu, who was grabbing his bloody legs, stretched out his arm with surprise.

Ark grabbed that arm as he landed and shot forward like an arrow. This was the reason Ark intervened: to attract the Debris’ attention and then rescue Heksu! Ark pulled Heksu and ran forward as the Debris fired its Gatling gun.

‘It’s difficult to avoid the guns, but…’

Ping-! Ping-! Ping-! Ping-!

His Swamp Walking reached intermediate level after spending three days in the swamp! Therefore, his speed increased, and his evasion reached 20%. Ark used evasion movements and avoided most of the bullets.

Of course, he couldn’t avoid everything, but only a few hit him before he hid behind the truck. The Scavengers gathered around as he arrived.

“Heksu-nim! Ark!”

“Ark, you saved me!” Heksu grasped Ark’s hand with a pale face.

“It was a natural thing to do as colleagues. What do we do now?”

“A request for help was sent to Captain Clem. We can only wait until the Attackers arrive.”

“How long will that take?”

“The answer hasn’t been confirmed yet. Wait a moment. Huk!” Heksu trembled after manipulating the Nymphe.

“Right now, the Attackers are hunting, so it will take them 10 minutes to clean up and return.”

“10 minutes? I-isn’t that a serious problem?” The Scavengers cried out, and Ark tilted his head to one side before asking, “Can’t we endure if we use the truck as a cover?”

“No, this truck is the problem. The Nakuma is an existence that collects metal parts in the swamp. That is why all the Nakuma are different sizes. The ones that collect more mechanical parts are larger and stronger.

“And this truck contains thousands of metal parts that we’ve collected from three days of hunting the Nakuma. If those guys capture the truck before the Attackers get here…”

Kwa kwang! Kwa kwang!

There was a roar, and the truck shook. The three Debris were pouring attacks from the opposite side of the truck. Heksu moaned as the truck shook.

“Oh my god! Those guys know what is inside the truck!”

“If they combine with the metal parts in the container…”

“We’re screwed! They’ll become even bigger and stronger!” The Scavengers grabbed their heads and exclaimed.

However, Ark’s scream was different from theirs. The container was filled with metal parts. The Debris would obviously form huge monsters if they got those parts.

The Scavengers, and maybe even Clem and the Attackers, might not be able to handle them. However, Ark had a different worry. The Nakuma combined with metal parts. They could also reclaim metal parts. Only some metal parts would drop. The rest would just disappear.

In other words, if they absorbed all of the metal in the container, then some would disappear for good.

‘I will lose all the metal parts I collected!’

The metal he spent three days gathering would simply vanish. That’s what Ark was afraid of.

Kwa kwang! Kwadududuk!

Once again, a banging sound was heard against the outer wall of the container. Ark and the Scavengers jumped with surprise.

The Debris were aiming towards the container to obtain the metal parts. There were only a few meters left before they would break through. Heksu and the Scavengers were still pulling at their hair.

They didn’t even have weapons, and they couldn’t fight. The only one who could do something was Ark!

‘…I have no choice!’

Ark grabbed his revolver and dagger. There were three Debris. Their health was only 30%, but they were still level 30. In the meantime, Ark was still level 15.

He also couldn’t use the gun properly to deal damage to the Debris. ‘The odds are against me. But I might be able to lure them away from the truck with Swamp Walking.

‘Yes, that’s the only way. All my efforts of the past three days will be undone if the container is broken. It is better to die to ensure that the truck survives!’

Ark ground his teeth and prepared to exit from behind the truck. Suddenly, a hand sprang out from the mud underneath the truck and grabbed his ankles.

Ark was dragged underneath the truck and was able to identify the arm. “Debris!”

A Debris had slipped underneath the truck! The Debris pulled Ark using one arm and attacked using a blade.

‘Oh, no! In this state, it is likely to be a critical hit!’

Ark was distressed and instinctively fired his revolver at the Debris. Smoke covered the Debris’ head, and a message window appeared.

[Headshot!]

[You have inflicted a serious blow and the Debris will receive additional 150% damage]

A headshot occurred when the bullet hit the head! But the message wasn’t reflected in Ark’s eyes.

“I-it hit!”

Over the past three days, Ark had practiced shooting until he got blisters, and he never hit a target. But now he hit something. And it was a difficult headshot!

Ark stared at the smoking Debris with stunned eyes. “Oh my god! What on earth…?”

“Ark, it’s dangerous!” Heksu screamed as he looked under the truck.

The Debris pulling him was wielding its blade again. There was no room to avoid given Ark’s position. But fear didn’t appear on Ark’s face.

Ark pulled the trigger of the revolver as the blade flew towards him. Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!

The shots were fired, and the Debris’ arm broke. The ensuing shots hit the Debris in the head and the shoulder. Smoke appeared again from the headshot!

‘I found it! A way to shoot and always hit the target!’ An exhilarating sensation swept through his body.

‘I’m so stupid! I wasn’t trying to learn marksmanship for long-distance attacks. I couldn’t damage the Nakuma and Debris with the dagger. There is no reason to shoot the gun from a distance.

‘The point is hitting them with the bullet. So it isn’t necessary to stay 10 meters away to hit the can. If you can’t hit from a distance of 10 meters…’

“I will shoot from a distance that will guarantee a hit!”

Ark touched the revolver to the head of the struggling Debris. He pulled the trigger, and there were continuous headshots. If the muzzle was forced to the head, then it was impossible to miss.

This was the method of marksmanship that Ark discovered.

[Your level has risen!]

With that enlightening, Ark reached level 16 after three days. Ark became more inspired to fight the Debris after leveling up.

‘I can do it!’

Ark slipped out from under the truck and approached a Debris. Kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang, kwa kwang!

Two Debris were still attacking the side of the truck. The outer wall of the container was already crumpled like tissue paper.

‘There’s no time left. I have to stop these guys!’

Ark headed towards the back of a Debris and pulled the trigger. Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!

The Debris’ health went straight down from the continuous headshots. The Debris turned towards Ark and started fighting. This was different from the fight underneath the truck.

The Debris’ movements were restricted under the truck, so it couldn’t evade properly. It was easy to hit a target that stood still. However, this Debris was different.

It swung both its arms in an attack that was difficult to avoid at close range.

‘But… I am Ark!’

He was a legend with a sword in one virtual reality game. Close combat was Ark’s battle territory!

Hwing! Hwing! Hwing! Hwing!

Ark avoided the blade with quick movements and pushed the muzzle of the gun to the Debris’ body. “I’m sorry, but I’ve seen everything.”

Tang-! Tang-! Tang-!

The Debris’ health was sucked out from the ensuing attacks. The Debris was resurrected with only 30% health. It was impossible with a dagger, but it collapsed after just three minutes of being hit by bullets.

But Ark wasn’t fine. Ark was an expert in close combat, but he was still level 16. His Swamp Walking might have increased evasion, but he still received a lot of damage.

Cheolkeok, susususuk.

Furthermore, the revolver only allowed six bullets at a time, so he needed to reload a few times in battle. Therefore, he had lost 70% health.

‘But now there is only one Debris remaining. If I focus a bit more during battle…’

Ark turned towards the last Debris. Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

While he had been attacking its colleague, the Debris had been continuously firing at the container. There was a roar, and the outer wall was destroyed. The metal parts in the container started flying towards the Debris like they were being attracted by a magnet.

Then the Debris grew from 2 meters to 5 meters?

[Level 30… level 32… level 34…]

The level of the Debris, seen through the infrared scope, started climbing. It became stronger by absorbing the metal parts!

‘Oh my god! It is already that strong from dozens of metal parts…’

If it absorbed the thousands of metal pieces, then it would literally be a monster. Even if they managed to kill it, most of the metal would disappear.

‘No! I have to stop it!’

Ark rushed towards the Debris without thinking. He narrowed the distance with Swamp Walking and pulled the trigger when the muzzle was placed to the back of its head. The revolver fired out a bullet.

The Debris wobbled from the headshot, but only for a moment. “Roaaaaar!”

The Debris turned its huge body and swung its blade. It was a huge body. Ark hurriedly stepped back, but he was still hit. Ark grabbed his side and moaned as the blade descended again.

‘What a tremendous attack! If I’m hit directly, then I’ll die!’

The distressed Ark formed an X with the gun and dagger and blocked the attack. That was a mistake. The opponent was a 5-meter machine. The impact from such a huge body felt like his shoulders had broken.

Ark was forced into the swamp as the blade pressed down. The defense posture stopped the blade, but…

‘Ugh! D-dammit! M-move!’

Ark had trouble even breathing thanks to that attack. There was no way he could throw off the monster and escape. That wasn’t the only problem.

[Level 36… level 38… level 40…]

The metal parts were still continuously being absorbed by the Debris. Every time the Debris’ size increased, the weight on him became even heavier.

‘Wrong. Is it going to end here…?’ Hopelessness appeared on Ark’s face.

Pepepepeng!

There was a series of explosions from the back of the Debris’ head. The shocked Debris stumbled, and the pressure on his body disappeared. Ark rolled his body away and looked at the direction the noise came from.

A group of warriors was approaching from one direction. “This is the second time.”

In the lead was Clem! “Captain Clem! The Attackers had arrived!”

Heksu and the Scavengers popped out from behind the truck. Clem looked at them before turning to Ark.

“But this time, I feel compelled to say thank you. Thank you, squirt. Now get some rest.”

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