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SPACE 3. From the Beginning Again
R-14’s central plaza buzzed with activity, spaceship after spaceship occupying one entire side. Hundreds of eyes darted around each time a vessel hummed to life, while others, engrossed in their Nymphes, were scattered across the expanse. The continuous stream of ships descending towards the docks created a throng of people reminiscent of Yeouido Plaza during the World Cup.
These were the new users, freshly initiated into Galaxian. Their keen interest was palpable; if they could master the new system and level up faster than anyone else, they stood a chance of conquering the universe first.
Yet, deep in a secluded corner of the central plaza, a young man sat shrouded in a gloomy aura. This was Ark, his gaze fixed on the window, utterly devoid of spirit.
“That is Earth……”
The Earth, once a vibrant blue jewel where humanity thrived, now appeared a desolate, dark brown through the viewport. Two centuries ago, humanity’s insatiable greed had transformed it into a barren wasteland.
Ultimately, they had abandoned Earth for the stars, much like shameless children who exploit their parents until their demise, then coldly cast them aside. When Ark first arrived at R-14, he had felt no connection to Earth, viewing it merely as a convenient backdrop.
Now, however, his perspective had shifted. His own predicament mirrored Earth’s demise due to human avarice, save for one crucial difference: he was the architect of his own suffering. Ark stared blankly at the dying planet, tugging at his hair in frustration.
“Stupid! Bastard!”
‘More knowledge only causes confusion.’ Such was Ark’s long-held theory. Yet, he was embarking on a new game, and he remembered the initial struggles he’d faced in New World due to his ignorance of basic information.
Ironically, that very incident had led him to discover a hidden class and ascend to become the strongest in New World. This time, Ark had made certain to familiarize himself with Galaxian’s fundamental mechanics, including the revival system.
[Galaxian Revival System ‘Fairy.’]
[This is the revival system in Galaxian.]
[Through the cloning technique discovered in the 2000s, users will automatically have their registered genetic information restored as flesh after they die. The body will be 100% identical to the registered information.]
[Utilizing this system incurs significant resource consumption for body restoration.]
[The higher the registered person’s level, the more resources consumed. Should resources be insufficient, the body might not be properly restored, leading to intense physical and spiritual damage, potentially resulting in lifelong disability. However, to encourage space pioneering, this service is free for beginner pioneers.]
[With the revival system, there’s no need to worry even if I die!]
[Please use this.]
‘Don’t have to worry even if I die?’
It was nothing but a sugar-coated lie. While dying would indeed restore him 100% using registered genetic information, meaning no loss of experience or stats, the system was a cunning trap.
Of course, it was costly, but seemingly better than the severe death penalties typical of other virtual reality games. However, only the *stored* genetic information would be revived.
If he leveled his character from 1 to 100 but failed to register that updated information, he would be reset to level 1 upon death. Furthermore, revival systems were scarce, found only in civilized hubs like towns.
Once a user ventured beyond the beginner area to explore the vast universe, locating a revival system in certain regions would prove exceedingly difficult. In essence, dying during a field battle meant all accumulated experience would vanish.
‘Dammit, ‘don’t worry’?’
The system seemed to be subtly advising against leveling up at all.
“I was aware……”
The revival system for R-14 was located prominently in the central plaza, the very first thing he had seen upon starting the game. Yet, Ark had never registered his progress.
Driven by the mileage quest reward, he had feared losing his coveted hunting spot, never daring to leave. Moreover, with thousands of users swarming the 2nd district, the number of recorded deaths over his five hours there could be counted on one hand. He had never once considered that Ark, the legendary gamer, could possibly die in such a place.
This was the harsh penalty for his arrogance.
‘All my experience from five hours of hunting has flown away!’
Five hours might not seem long in game time, but to Ark, those five hours now felt like an entire lifetime of arduous effort. He had also lost the ‘Space Combat’ skill he’d learned.
However, that wasn’t Ark’s primary concern.
‘The problem is the dagger!’
More precisely, it was the broken dagger. Naturally, the revival system had not restored it. While experience could theoretically be recovered, the dagger was gone forever.
It might have been a mere basic beginner’s dagger, yet it was Ark’s sole weapon and entire fortune. Now, his entire fortune had vanished into thin air.
Still, a glimmer of hope remained when he revived. He had completed the quest eight times, meaning he could cash in his mileage points for bonus compensation. ‘This might be a beginner quest, but I can’t survive without a dagger.’
So, after reviving, Ark had sought out Bhurad. However, that visit only plunged him deeper into despair.
“Your mileage has been destroyed.”
“Huh? D-destroyed?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said? I cannot give rewards to someone who died from a space bug.”
He vaguely recalled hearing something to that effect when accepting the quest.
“But I built up some mileage before I died.”
“Accumulated mileage must be registered to receive the reward. If you die during a mission, all that mileage vanishes. You came here without knowing something so basic? If you didn’t understand, you should have just claimed the reward every time.”
“You said that you recommended the mileage……”
“What? Do you intend to blame me?”
Bhurad’s face hardened. Ark, naturally, seethed with fury, feeling as though his mileage had been swindled. He desperately wanted to rip off Bhurad’s beard, but the dagger remained his pressing concern.
What profit could a level 1 character gain by confronting an NPC? Ark sighed, attempting to appeal to Bhurad’s sympathy.
“Actually, I broke my dagger while fighting the space bugs. If I don’t receive compensation, I can’t do anything. Could you please reconsider this matter just this once?”
“It is the rule, so I cannot help you.”
He ground his teeth.
“The revival system is expensive. A trivial pioneer like you wouldn’t possess that much money. Due to federal policy, R-14 is compelled to offer a free service following the proliferation of pioneers, which strains our budget. Nevertheless, some pioneers still attempt to exploit the system. This space station would cease to operate if I indulged such requests. So, consider it a fee.”
The explanation offered no solace. Curses welled up in his throat, but he swallowed them down. He wanted to press further, but then…
“Ah, can you get out of the way if your request is finished?”
“Are you the only one receiving the quest? Don’t you know there are people waiting?”
The impatient players behind him forced his departure. It was regrettable; there were so many questions he wished to ask. Yet, an NPC was ultimately just a system.
Of course, if his intimacy with the NPC had been higher, something might have been possible. But he had only ever spoken to Bhurad when accepting the space bug quest. And since Ark had died, his valuable spot in the 2nd district was gone.
Even if he tried to find employment again, what party would accept him when Ark didn’t even possess a dagger? It was a crisis, fraught with the possibility of becoming homeless in this digital universe!
‘And the cause of that…..’
Initially, he blamed Bhurad for failing to explain things properly. Then, he blamed himself for not thoroughly reading the quest-related information. However, after sinking into a corner in depression, Ark grasped the fundamental issue.
‘Yes, the problem was my mental state from the very beginning.’
When he first started Galaxian, he was at level 1. He hadn’t realized it, but a sense of entitlement stemming from his status as a legendary gamer had imbued him with a different attitude than other players.
Using the name ‘Ark’ in his job advertisements and recklessly fighting three opponents alone were both products of that arrogance. It was the arrogance born from becoming a legendary gamer!
Once he considered it, all his problems had originated there.
‘I thought my lack of level and skills wouldn’t matter when fighting the space bugs. But it isn’t like this. Obviously, New World’s Ark was strong. If I entered again, I would be strong. But this is different. Ark is only strong in New World. I thought if I created Ark, I would inherit the power of the strongest character behind it…..’
There was no logical reason for him *not* to be strong. He hadn’t felt the need to worry before fighting. Ark had never realized that his abilities as a warrior had grown rusty.
He had believed he was simply unaccustomed to battling in Galaxian, but in truth, he had lost his battle sense a long time ago. Even the mightiest warrior would grow complacent once seated on a throne.
Jjak-!
“Wake up, Ark!”
Ark slapped his cheeks with both hands. He hadn’t started this game to idle away his time. He had entered with a clear, resolute goal.
Of course, Ark desired to stop Lucifer, but he wasn’t afflicted with a ‘Saviour’ complex. He didn’t harbor the delusion of being Superman. However, once he accepted a task, he was committed to achieving it.
He would make a strong resolution to accomplish it. It was with this very confidence that he had managed to strike a deal with the government. His overconfidence, however, had led to this colossal mistake.
‘If I continue to be depressed, I can’t fix this!’
Ark recognized his error after much reflection. Yet, there was no time to dwell on the past. If he couldn’t abandon his regret, he wouldn’t be able to move forward. Ark cast aside his regrets and re-evaluated his situation.
“I’m not the hero of New World here. There is no legendary gamer. This is a starting point. Right now, I am the beginner pioneer Ark, who has just entered the universe.”
Ark shook off everything that had transpired. At that moment, the legendary gamer Ark died. And the level 1 beginner pioneer Ark was born. Ark now understood precisely what he needed to do: something appropriate for a level 1 user!
****
“Hehehe, hello?”
Ark nervously fiddled with his hands as he greeted Bhurad. The NPC shot him a sharp glance and declared, “What? You still can’t abandon your regrets?”
Bhurad clearly held a poor opinion of Ark after the mileage debacle. Ark shook his head and spoke quickly.
“No. I became utterly embarrassed after regaining my senses. After staying in that corner and thinking, I realized that it was entirely my fault.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“So I wanted to visit you to apologize.”
“Apologize?”
“Yes, I was too short-sighted. How many people have come to R-14 now? I can’t fathom how you handle so many stupid people alone. For someone like me to question you about mileage, it’s only natural that you would become angry.”
Ark continued to wring his hands as he spoke. This was the strategy Ark had devised. In a virtual reality game, cultivating a positive public image with NPCs would undoubtedly benefit him. Ark knew that an intimacy system also existed in Galaxian.
However, his initial ambition had been to leave the beginner area immediately, so he hadn’t felt the need to foster intimacy with NPCs. But now, the situation had drastically changed. Ark’s dagger was broken, rendering him quite literally a beggar!
The conclusion Ark reached was that he needed to talk. While other users also sought to escape the beginner area, Ark was the sole individual actively trying to befriend an NPC. He was going to raise his intimacy with Bhurad, considering it his top priority.
In truth, this was an area where Ark was an expert. He was a user capable of acting subservient to an NPC. Once he decided, his tongue moved with an almost oily smoothness.
“Actually, I’ve been observing you while lingering in the corner of the plaza. And I realized that you never sat down, no matter how many hours passed.”
“Those are the regulations for the crew…..”
“I also realized this. I became truly impressed watching you meticulously adhere to the rules.”
“The attitude of the crew is recorded on the CCTV…..”
“That’s not it. It would be the same even if there was no CCTV! How many civil servants could still act like that despite receiving complaints? Bhurad-nim is a person of firm convictions. You are indeed the paragon of a civil servant.”
Though Bhurad initially had a poor impression of Ark, his smooth words gradually loosened the NPC’s stern demeanor. It didn’t take long for the effects to manifest.
“Can’t you make it a little quicker? Don’t you know there are people waiting?”
“Hey! Can’t you see that I’m speaking now? Why are you making such a fuss?”
Bhurad scowled and retorted upon hearing the users’ complaints. Then, his expression softened as he looked at Ark.
“Well, regarding my words earlier. As you said, my nerves are slightly sensitive after being swarmed by so many new pioneers. Please understand.”
“How can I not understand? It is the rules.”
“Yes, in fact, I also felt sorry regarding your situation. But how can I go against the rules? Although I feel a pain in my heart, I can’t do anything despite my position. So I hope you don’t dwell too much on the past and firm up your heart.”
“Thank you. I might have lost my dagger after just entering the universe, but I’m glad I can meet someone who gave me sincere advice.”
“Aha! This friend, are you trying to make me tear up?”
Bhurad sent him a worried look.
“By the way, what are you going to do now? You don’t have your dagger, so won’t it be difficult for you to find a job?”
“That’s why I wanted to ask Bhurad-nim. I don’t have a dagger, so I can’t catch the space bugs, and I don’t know anyone here. So I wanted to ask Bhurad-nim if there is any work other than catching a space bug.”
This was one of the reasons he had sought to mend his relationship with Bhurad. This was the beginner area. Users were starting Galaxian for the first time, so there had to be some sort of basic tutorial quest.
This was a place where users came and went like a tide, so the
Therefore, Ark had felt hopeless until now. But upon reflection, it seemed somewhat peculiar. There was a chance that users other than Ark might break their dagger at an early stage.
If they were handling a weapon for the first time, there was a real possibility of it breaking, so they needed other means of earning a living. Of course, the NPCs held the key. Bhurad, as the manager of R-14’s training center, wielded significant influence.
Their relationship had been strained after the mileage problem, but a little appreciation had changed that.
“I have no other work…..this place certainly isn’t lacking in manpower. Well, there are the maintenance jobs that most people shun in favor of catching the space bugs. That is…..”
Bhurad suddenly looked up.
“Ah, that’s right. I recently spoke to the manager of Sector 7, who was complaining. He might have a job for you, but…..”
“But?”
“Even if you work there all day, you’ll only receive a few copper coins. Is that still okay?”
If this continued, he would become homeless. This wasn’t a situation where he could choose between cold rice or hot rice.
“I’ll work hard.”
“Indeed, I’m sure you will. Then, follow that passage, and you will reach Sector 7. Find someone called Cheksun and tell him that I sent you.”
“Thank you. I’ll work hard and will come back after preparing another dagger.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting……”
Bhurad mumbled with a concerned look, but Ark paid him no mind. Having work was infinitely better than leaving empty-handed. Ark ran like the wind towards Sector 7.
R-14 was perpetually illuminated, and the vastness of space visible through its windows made it difficult to gauge the passage of time, but it was, in fact, evening. Consequently, the number of users saturating R-14 had increased even further, with most concentrated in sectors 1-5 for the
Thus, from Sector 6 onwards, it became noticeably quieter as these were primarily management facilities. He finally entered Sector 7.
“W-what’s all this?”
Ark looked around with wide eyes. The first thing he saw were pipes, tangled like spiderwebs within a vast, forest-like space. But what truly stimulated Ark’s curiosity were the deep, jellyfish-like entities hanging around the pipes. No, they were NPCs, resembling deep black octopuses.
One such octopus wandered by, clutching a bucket containing various tools.
‘What are those octopuses? Are they livestock being raised here?’
“Who are you?”
Then, a rough voice echoed from behind him. Turning around, he saw a scowling man in oil-stained overalls. Despite his bald head, he was clearly human.
“Are you Cheksun?”
“So?”
“I am Ark. Bhurad told me that you had a job request.”
“A job request? Did you hear what you have to do?”
“I didn’t hear about it.”
“Sheesh!”
Cheksun clicked his tongue. He gestured towards the pipes and explained.
“That right there is your work. Do you see the pipes? That is R-14’s air circulation device. All of the air in R-14 passes through that device. The job is to clean the pipes. You have to crawl inside the pipes, remove any impurities, tighten the gears, and oil them. Can you do something like that?”
“I’ll work hard.”
“Everybody says that.”
Cheksun snorted. “Many ignorant novices who newly arrived at R-14 tried before you came. They all said they would work hard but then ended up leaving after one hour. Damn, there’s no one with guts these days.”
“I’m different.”
Ark replied in a firm voice. That was right. Ark was fundamentally different from those users. The users who first visited here probably harbored hopes of a hidden quest.
So, they accepted as soon as a quest was offered but quickly gave up. However, Ark’s position diverged from those who merely visited out of curiosity. He lacked a dagger, unlike everyone else.
After losing his dagger, he had been lost in despair, even consuming his Space Food and Purified Water. If he didn’t find a job, he might become the first user in Galaxian to die of starvation! He would do whatever it took. He had to gather enough money to buy a dagger.
“Just watch me. I won’t disappoint you.”
Ark replied with disciplined resolve. Cheksun merely nodded, his expression betraying little expectation.
“Then give it a try.”
[Cleaning R-14’s Air Circulation Pipes (Repeatable)]
[This is maintenance work to clean R-14’s air circulation pipes. The air circulation system is an important facility that maintains R-14. It is notorious for being the worst working environment in R-14.]
[Difficulty: –]
He finally received a quest. The newly born Ark began the arduous task of cleaning the pipes.
****
“Phew!”
Ark wiped the sweat from his brow and raised his head. The previously grimy area now gleamed beautifully. Watching the pipe transform like that was profoundly refreshing.
The pipe, once choked with dirt and emitting a foul odor, had been rendered pristine thanks to Ark’s efforts. Though Ark felt refreshed, he had no desire to wipe it again.
“Has it been a few days already? I’ve really covered a lot of ground.”
The quest had no rank, yet Ark knew there was a significant difference in compensation. After receiving the quest from Cheksun, he could claim a reward each time he cleaned a 200-meter-long section of pipe.
The time it took to crawl inside the narrow pipe and scrub it thoroughly was approximately 30 minutes. It wasn’t a particularly long quest, but the issue lay in the reward!
“I worked hard for 30 minutes, and I can only receive 40 copper…..”
Despite its futuristic setting, Galaxian utilized copper, silver, and gold coins as currency. This unexpected choice had a reason: humanity’s future had seen the construction of space colonies, and humans were not the sole inhabitants of the galaxy.
Alien species and even robots existed. The paper bills humans once used were mere scraps to them. The common currency throughout the universe was minerals like gold, silver, and copper. In other words, they literally used gold, silver, and copper.
No, that wasn’t important right now. Who cared if the money was in dollars, euros, or yen?
The crucial point was that he was being paid in copper, the currency of lowest value. One hundred copper equaled one silver, and one hundred silver equaled one gold. In other words, one gold was equivalent to 10,000 copper.
In his previous virtual reality game, one gold was traded for 10,000 won, making 40 copper worth only 40 won in reality. However, 40 copper was still a paltry sum within Galaxian itself.
Yet, Ark refused to lose hope.
‘I can receive 40 copper for crawling inside the pipe, cleaning it, tightening, and oiling. It certainly isn’t a lot of money compared to what I earned in New World. That’s natural. But I have to do it. Is 40 copper really 40 won?’
If he completed the quest ten times, he would earn 40 silver! Ark, anticipating the acquisition of a weapon, raced to the central square. However, any hope of procuring a weapon crumbled as he beheld the daggers on the shelves.
-Modified Alloy Dagger
Item type: Dagger Wearer Restriction: –
Attack: 4-5 Durability: 25/25
A used dagger commonly found in space. It is an easy dagger to use outdoors. The federal government wants to encourage beginner pioneers, so it is sold at a discount.
Beginner pioneer special discount price: 1 gold and 50 silver
It was the least expensive dagger, and it cost one gold and 50 silver! And that was the *special discount price*. Ark had once handled hundreds of thousands of gold in New World, but now, one gold and 50 silver seemed an astronomical sum to him.
One gold and 50 silver! That was 15,000 copper! He would have to complete the pipe cleaning quest 375 times. That equated to cleaning 75 kilometers of pipe.
“No way! This isn’t work, but exploitation!”
No wonder the users who had visited out of curiosity quickly gave up. Earning 40 copper for every 200 meters? But Ark had no other choice. If he couldn’t even earn 10 copper, he would starve to death.
Despite the blatant exploitation of his labor, he couldn’t very well report Cheksun to human labor services.
‘Those octopuses…..!’
Ark glared at the octopuses. Sector 7 was the first place he had encountered them. They were indeed like octopuses. No, their appearances were 100% octopus-like, but they were actually an alien species called Charenjok.
He had inquired about them with Cheksun.
“Originally, this didn’t require a lot of maintenance. It was fine when I first started. But a few years ago, the situation changed once the Charenjok refugees started flooding in. The Charenjok are rather simple and don’t know what to do. Despite that, the Galactic Federation accepted them as refugees, so we gave them the pipe cleaning job.”
“We understood their circumstances and provided them enough for meals, but that has placed a burden on the budget. So, we have no choice but to cut the compensation for the job.”
The influx of foreign workers had caused wages to plummet. A problem from the 21st century had been faithfully recreated in the 24th century.
“I was still hoping for…..”
He had actually expected something when accepting the
But after cleaning for so long, he had discarded those expectations. It had been two days since he started this quest. During this time, he had completed it 70 times and received 14 silver, yet the reward hadn’t changed. No, there was one small thing that had changed.
“Kkuluk, kkuluk.”
Sometimes, an octopus would approach him while he was resting. An odd sound would emanate, and strange letters would appear on his Nymphe.
[Hey, young friend.]
[Are you done over there?]
It was the universal translator on his Nymphe that allowed him to comprehend the Charenjok.
“Yes, I’m done.”
[We’ve also finished over here.]
[Then shall we take a break before moving on?]
The elderly (perhaps) Charenjok sat down next to Ark. It pulled out a crumpled cigarette butt and muttered.
[Hu, I long for the old days.]
[The place we used to live was a beautiful castle on wide tidal flats.]
[The times when I jumped into the tidal flats were the happiest moments of my life.]
[If it wasn’t for the invasion of the Kakajok, I’d still be living happily now.]
[But that is now in the past.]
[The planet was ravaged by the Kakajok, so it isn’t inhabitable anymore.]
[I just have to be thankful that I can live in a place like this.]
[You have listened to the Charenjok’s bitter past.]
[Intimacy with the Charenjok has increased by 1]
The Charenjok would speak to him out of nowhere, and their intimacy would increase. Of course, he wasn’t initially thrilled about befriending octopuses. He hadn’t cared when he first started, but Ark changed his mind after listening to them.
Anyway, they were cleaning pipes in the same area, so becoming more familiar with them wasn’t a bad idea. Most of the time, they complained about their circumstances, but occasionally, they spoke of interesting things.
[The currency used in the universe is gold, silver, and copper…..]
He already knew this.
[We once had a civilization that was ahead of Earth’s.]
[We used to take spaceships to Earth for sightseeing.]
[The Earthlings at the time thought we were Martians?]
The octopuses were the true identity of UFOs and aliens. He couldn’t fathom why such advanced aliens were now reduced to cleaning pipes.
[You’re in a place like this, so you must also have some circumstances.]
[But don’t be too disappointed.]
[Life is long.]
[You shouldn’t wallow in frustration for too long.]
[If we try hard and don’t lose hope, then someday we will surely meet a bright future.]
The octopuses were mistaken.
‘No. It’s not like that. The octopuses’ future is dark.’
Ark had completed Cheksun’s quest 70 times. The curious users only attempted it a few times before quitting, earning Cheksun’s derision. But now, he looked at Ark with different eyes, given his 70 completions.
According to Cheksun, the Galactic Federation was responsible for placing the Charenjok here. The octopuses’ fate was to crawl through these pipes, generation after generation. The Charenjok were the primary reason for Ark’s low wages. He was poor, but there were other reasons too.
[Haha, I listed some unnecessary complaints again.]
The octopus extinguished its cigarette and twisted its body. Then, Ark felt a scathing pain in his fingertip.
“Ouch! Again…..”
[Your skin has been torn by a sharp metal inside the polluted pipe.]
[Your stamina has fallen by 10 thanks to tetanus. You will receive 2 damage every 10 seconds for 10 minutes]
Sometimes, he would sustain such injuries while crawling through the pipes. The pipe cleaning was a repeatable quest, so it was also possible to save mileage.
If he saved mileage, it was possible to receive bonus rewards. However, he sometimes grew careless and would incur injuries. Therefore, Ark didn’t want to waste another five hours if he used mileage.
However, that instantly changed after he became familiar with the octopuses.
[Oh, be careful…..]
The Charenjok laid its hand on Ark’s injury. The wound instantly vanished, and the tetanus was treated. The octopuses possessed the ability to heal injuries.
That wasn’t all. They had the body of an octopus, an animal capable of fitting into small holes. The Charenjok resembled an octopus and could easily crawl through the narrow pipes.
They took care of his tetanus and navigated the narrow pipes with ease. Thus, the Charenjok were a species optimized for pipe cleaning. The Galactic Federation hadn’t placed them here without reason.
Despite that…..they were still poor octopuses.
‘But I’m not worried about the octopuses.’
Ark sighed, gazing at the endless pipes. He had completed 70 quests in two days. He still needed to complete it 300 more times to afford a dagger.
That would require at least a fortnight. When he first received the quest, Ark thought it was a thoughtful provision from the game publishers for users who broke their daggers.
After seeing the endless pipes, however, it felt more like the publisher was sneering, ‘Huhuhu, these stupid children.’
‘The government brought me in to stop Lucifer, yet I’m stuck cleaning pipes for a fortnight instead of raising my level…..’
He truly couldn’t find any humor in it. Upon reflection, he had made colossal mistakes when first starting New World, leading him to kill rats for a fortnight. But at least he had learned battle skills then.
Now, he was merely wiping pipes instead of fighting.
‘Should I stop here?’
That thought sometimes crossed his mind. Galaxian had only been open for two days, yet it was already popular, with gold being sold on the auction site. And Ark wasn’t poor after playing New World. No, to be honest, he was rich!
Even if the market price was expensive, he could certainly afford to buy one gold and 50 silver. However, Ark shook his head.
‘No, I can’t do that!’
Games were a place to earn money, not spend it. And Ark was a gamer. His pride wouldn’t allow him to betray his values and buy gold.
No, it wasn’t just his pride. Ark had received an invitation from the country, so he couldn’t give up so early in the game. Ark used his pride to firmly padlock that idea away.
Ark had risen to the strongest spot in New World because of his skills, fueled by desperation. He had been able to catch mice for a fortnight precisely because of that desperation. Right now, Ark wasn’t desperate.
His stomach was full, so Ark couldn’t feel truly desperate.
‘It isn’t difficult to buy gold to escape from this. But there is no way to regain all that lost time. This is all my money in Galaxian. If I can’t earn money in Galaxian, then Ark won’t be reborn. Yes, this isn’t just a job to collect money. This is a process to regain my spirit and be reborn!’
In virtual reality games, the user’s attitude was paramount. That was the very process Ark had employed to become the strongest person in New World. If he continued for a fortnight, his mental state would be solidified.
‘This is the best thing for a hungry spirit!’
The shift in his thinking instantly manifested in his behavior. Until now, he had entrusted the worst areas to the Charenjok, who were optimized for pipe cleaning. It was natural. Thus, he had merely been idly swinging a dust cloth.
‘Well, it’s natural not to feel motivated when working for such a low wage……’
However, Ark was different now. The 40 copper reward no longer mattered. The pipe cleaning had become ego training for Ark.
Cleaning the pipes was the optimal environment to hone his pride. Ark’s desire to level up was suppressed. He became motivated to clean the pipes the octopuses had been working on.
The hustle and bustle around him, which had made it difficult to concentrate, was now perfect for training his mental state. Therefore, Ark meticulously cleaned every corner of the pipe, allowing not a single stain to remain. He didn’t even condone loose screws.
He tightened and oiled everything quickly and accurately! His breath felt constricted after crawling into the narrow pipes, but Ark shook it off and continued cleaning. He was like a person born for that very purpose! That tenacity endured for four days.
Boduk boduk, boduk boduk……flash!
The pipe sparkled brilliantly under the power of his full bodily effort! An unexpected information window then appeared on his Nymphe.
[A new skill (Common Occupation ☆) has been learnt.]
[Facilities Maintenance (User, Passive): You learned this skill after putting all your concentration into maintaining the facilities. It isn’t useful for combat, but it will be helpful for quests where labor is required. Now, the amount of dirt wiped, the tightening of screws or nuts, and oiling has increased by 30%.]
[The facilities maintenance speed has increased by 30%. Now you are able to maintain more complex facilities. In addition, it would take more time for pollution to come back and will decrease the need for frequent maintenance]
“S-skill?”
Ark’s eyes widened as he stared at the information window. “That’s it! If I concentrate on one thing in Galaxian, then a related skill will be made!”
Facilities Maintenance was distinct from Space Combat. He had obtained Space Combat through fighting, but Facilities Maintenance was a skill acquired after a long period of dedicated labor.
Just like New World, Galaxian’s skill system depended on the users’ behavior and persistent effort. This wasn’t written in the instructions! He had discovered it after spending five days cleaning the pipes. However, this wasn’t the only reward.
Thanks to the new skill, his quest completion time was also reduced. Consequently, the daily limit of 30 completions increased to 40.
“Hum, nice work. I thought you would give up, but you endured for five days. I’ve been watching, and the octopuses’ working speed has also doubled. Thus, I will make you the leader of the cleaners.”
Cheksun gave Ark an impressed look after his 200th quest completion. Then, an information window appeared on his Nymphe.
[You have received the title
[The manager of Sector 7 has recognized your work. He has therefore appointed you the foreman of the Charenjok cleaning the R-14 air circulation pipes. In addition, the compensation for the quest has increased to 60 copper.]
[Title Effect: Cleaning Foreman (Agility +3)]
‘A title!’
Ark’s eyes began to flash. He was level 1, and the title granted him three points in agility.
‘The reward has jumped from 40 copper to 60 copper!’
Ark inwardly cried with delight at the 50% pay rise. 60 copper…..60 won. Pride training for five days in the pipes. Ark was gradually changing his nature, being reborn.
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