Chapter 5

Arc: The Legend - Chapter 5 (5/875)

"Hmm."

Arc looked around with interest.

When he first started playing virtual reality games, he was amazed by the realistic movements of the characters. However, Arc was no longer a beginner.

To Arc, virtual reality had become a part of daily life. However, there were clear differences between New World and Galaxian.

It was the background.

Endless plains, forests, cozy villages, and majestic castles—these were the landscapes of New World. But now, none of those familiar scenes were visible to Arc.

Everything he could see was metal!

Metal walls, divided as if measured by a ruler, had monitors attached here and there, and beyond the wide windows, the endless universe stretched out.

Galaxian, as the name suggests, had an SF setting.

"Am I going to roam this universe!"

Exploring the endless universe, experiencing the future that our ancestors never did, creating your own adventure, your own items, and your own story—Galaxian was a future fantasy game focused on this.

A completely new world, different from everything he had experienced so far!

The moment he entered, the gamer's blood that had been dormant began to boil. This was very important, as the level of interest in the game directly affected concentration.

"Well, even if it's about space exploration, I'm just level 1, so the road ahead is long..."

People walking around were dressed in tight suits that looked like spacesuits from SF movies.

Arc was no different. He was only wearing a full-body blue tight suit. On his back was a metallic bag that looked like a backpack, and on his wrist was a device that resembled a smart phone.

A holographic image projected from the device.

- Welcome to Galaxian.

I will provide you with some basic information for new users.

It is currently the year 2357 AD. Earth, the cradle of humanity, became a wasteland over 200 years ago due to excessive environmental pollution. As a result, humanity turned its attention to space in search of a new home.

However, space was not a place of hope as humanity had imagined. It was filled with infinite resources and infinite dangers. Unknown monsters and alien races, which were not friendly to humanity, lurked in the vastness of space.

Despite numerous setbacks, humanity did not give up and finally developed photon technology and body coating technology, ushering in the era of space exploration. You are a beginner explorer who has taken your first step into space, riding the wave of this pioneering era.

You have arrived at the R-14 space station in Earth's orbit, which is part of the Galactic Federation. This is the starting point of your space exploration journey. When you overcome the numerous trials that the unknown universe presents, you can become a great explorer whose name will be recorded in the history of human space exploration.

After this, all the information you need for Galaxian can be accessed through the access terminal 'Nymphe' attached to your wrist.

Nymphe, the name of the terminal.

As mentioned, Nymphe was a device that looked like a smart phone.

A few icons, like apps, were displayed on the screen.

When Arc clicked on the icon shaped like a person, the holographic image changed. It showed a character information window with his face and vital statistics, similar to an ID card.

Character Information Window

Name: Arc (R-02788)

Level: 1

Race: Human

Job: Beginner Explorer

Fame: -

Health: 100

Spirit: 100

Strength: 15

Agility: 15

Stamina: 15

Wisdom: 15

Intelligence: 15

Luck: 15

The basics were not much different from other games.

However, the difference Arc felt was enormous. Arc, who had ruled New World as a god with a full level and master code, had all his stats at the maximum.

In contrast, the new Arc was a character who could die from a single touch by the old Arc.

But this was true for all users of the newly opened Galaxian. Even the strongest AI, Lucifer, was no exception.

"Now it's starting, a feeling I haven't felt in a long time."

A faint smile appeared on Arc's lips.

Lucifer was probably looking at the same information window somewhere. What Lucifer was thinking while looking at this meager information window, Arc couldn't know, but he felt refreshed. Having nothing meant he could enjoy the pleasure of growth from now on.

Of course, it wasn't something that would happen just by thinking about it.

"Let's see..."

Arc erased the holographic image and looked around.

The background was futuristic, but the basic system, like the information window, was not much different from fantasy.

Just as there were warriors, archers, and mages in the fantasy world, Galaxian had similar jobs.

The names were a bit different, and instead of swords, bows, and magic, they used superconducting swords, guns, and psychic powers.

Of course, there would be many differences when you looked at the details, but since the game had just opened, there was not enough known information yet. However, there was no need to worry; as you played the game, you would gradually learn more.

At level 1, the best thing to do is to do what a level 1 should do.

'Is it nearby?'

Looking around, he saw a place where a lot of users were gathered. At the center stood a man with a black beard, wearing a blue tight suit, different from the red suits of other users.

In a newly opened game, the person users often talk to is obvious.

Sure enough, as he approached, the man spoke first.

"Looking around like that, you're clearly a newbie. This is your first time here, right?"

"Yes, I just arrived."

"I could tell. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Vuad, in charge of the new explorer adaptation training center at R-14. Now you understand why I'm talking to you, right?"

The black-bearded NPC, Vuad, said with a swagger.

Until yesterday, in both the real world and New World, NPCs would bow and scrape when Arc mentioned his name. Vuad's swaggering attitude was a bit annoying, but it felt fresh. Like a nobleman enjoying the life of a commoner... well, something like that?

Anyway, always be friendly to NPCs.

That's always Arc's basic approach.

"Ah, you're the center manager. I'm Arc."

"Arc? So, you're Arc."

When Arc mentioned his name, Vuad chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?"

"No, it's nothing. But I'm busy, so I'll get to the point. Lately, there's been a sudden influx of new explorers like you, swarming the space station like cockroaches. R-14 was built to help new explorers adapt to space life, but with so many people, it's hard to accommodate everyone. If we just leave them, they'll become a problem. So, I thought, why not use these newbies who don't know anything about the world for cheap labor? What do you think? Good idea, right?"

Vuad laughed and said.

...An overly honest NPC.

"That's the job of catching space bugs."

"Space bugs? Are there bugs in a space station?"

"Before there were so many explorers, R-14 was a space farm. Space bugs are useful for their skin and meat, so most colonies breed them with genetic modifications to increase their reproduction rate. But these days, young people are lazy and say they won't do hard work like 3D jobs. So, after discussing with the space bug processing center, we came up with this idea. We'll offload the tedious and hard work to the newbies who have just crawled out into space. That way, we don't have to pay them much."

...Even treating them like foreign workers.

Still, the lack of choice is the tragedy of a beginner user.

"I'll do my best."

"Good decision. Officially, it's part of the federal government's new explorer adaptation training, so you'll get a federal subsidy for catching 20 space bugs. You'll also get additional pay for bringing in a certain amount of skin and meat."

《Space Bug Control (Repeatable)》

The crew member Vuad of the R-14 space station, a gateway to space, has given you a job. You are to catch space bugs in the farms of zones 1-5 of the space station. Although the pay is low for a beginner explorer with no experience, it will help you quickly adapt to space life. You can also receive additional bonus rewards by collecting a certain amount of skin and meat from the bugs you hunt.

※Objective: Catch 20 space bugs or collect 30 pieces of space bug skin or meat

※Difficulty: G

The quest was registered on Nymphe.

"If you've decided, it's best to hurry. As I said, there are many competitors lately. Zone 2 is relatively less crowded, so it's best to start there. However, remember, if you die along the way, you won't get the promised pay. There's no subsidy for someone who dies to a space bug."

Vuad waved his hand, his enthusiasm waning.

Finding Zone 2 was not difficult, even though it was his first time.

The square was covered with monitors on the walls, ceiling, and even the floor, displaying various ads and location information non-stop.

Arc followed the direction indicators for Zone 2 displayed on the monitors and opened the inventory on Nymphe.

The items appeared as icons on the screen.

-<Alloy Dagger>, <Purified Water 10>, <Space Food 10>

The inventory felt like a fresh start.

When he clicked on the dagger icon, the dagger popped out of the backpack with a clunk. Items were automatically stored in the backpack when placed on the back.

While testing the basic actions, he arrived at a large gate marked "Zone 2."

Arc drew his dagger and entered Zone 2.

"Alright, let's get started."

And... his mouth dropped open.

When he entered Zone 2, a shocking scene unfolded.

A huge forest!

A landscape he never imagined he would see in a space station. However, what surprised Arc was not the forest.

In SF movies, large spaceships sometimes have gardens to obtain air and food.

Thinking about it, bugs were livestock. It made sense to create a suitable environment for raising livestock.

The problem was what was swarming in the forest.

...Users!

Vuad said this place was for raising space bugs.

But from the current scene, it looked like the users were being raised here.

Users, like Arc, wearing tight suits and carrying daggers, swarmed the forest like ants.

The actual space bugs were nowhere to be seen. Well, they did appear occasionally. Sometimes a large, beetle-like bug would emerge from the ground, but before Arc could get a good look, users would swarm it like bees.

"Space bugs!"

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

The rapid slashes! The space bug disassembled in an instant!

It was like a school of piranhas devouring a small fish.

"Damn! Right, Galaxian just opened today..."

Galaxian had been a game that many users had been looking forward to for years. Before the game even opened, hundreds of thousands of units were sold worldwide.

In other words, hundreds of thousands of people who bought those units gathered in the beginner areas today, at the same time.

Of course, the beginner areas are not limited to R-14.

There are dozens of space stations in Earth's orbit, the starting points for users who chose humans.

Including other races, there are hundreds of starting points. However, with hundreds of thousands of users connecting simultaneously and flooding the low-level hunting grounds, it was impossible to have a comfortable hunting environment.

"Do I have to catch 20 bugs in a place like this?"

It was questionable whether he could even see 20 bugs.

"Still, I have to try."

Arc sighed and entered the farm with his dagger.

While looking around for any remaining space bugs, he heard a voice.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"Huh? Me?"

He turned to see a group of five users in tight suits approaching.

"I'm just trying to catch space bugs."

"So, what are you doing? Can't you see we've already claimed this spot?"

"Claimed?"

"Ah, really... Is this your first time playing an online game?"

First time? Are you kidding? I'm Arc from New World. Arc, don't you know?

These words rose to his throat but he swallowed them.

It's better to act cool when you're actually good. Even a legendary gamer, Arc was just a level 1 in a tight suit, no different from them. Acting cool would only make him look bad.

"Not my first time."

"But you don't know how to claim a spot? When the hunting grounds are crowded, the first to claim a spot has the right. If you attack a monster in someone else's spot, you can be PKed without any complaints. That's common sense now, isn't it?"

...Arc didn't know the common sense.

Arc had never played a newly opened game before. At least, he started after a few months.

So, he had never hunted in a crowded hunting ground where it was hard to even see the monsters.

In the past four years, he mostly hunted alone in remote areas, except during wars.

He had heard about claiming spots on online game forums, but it was a world he didn't understand.

"But I can't see any empty spots."

"Do they look like they're not hunting?"

"They're waiting for a spot to open up."

"If there were empty spots, they would be hunting, wouldn't they?"

The tight-suited users pointed to the users gathered near the entrance.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook, and a large beetle emerged. The tight-suited users pushed Arc aside and rushed to the beetle.

"Move!"

Arc could only watch as they enthusiastically beat the bug.

As the shock subsided, he felt a strong sense of disgust.

But it wasn't worth arguing.

If he didn't know the common sense, he was the one who was wrong.

He doubted they would really PK him, but he couldn't argue with users every time he hunted a bug.

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