ACT 6 Sea Monster Extermination

Im really going crazy.

A sigh naturally flowed out.The reason for Arks distress was Sids SOS.

What? You dare say that now?

Some time ago Arks voice had rattled through the lobby of Global Exos. He couldnt help yelling.

H-hik! L-Lariette-nim!

Sid stuttered with panic and hid behind Lariette.The people in the lobby sent them looks as they wondered what was happening. But Ark didnt see the eyes of those people. The news that Sid told him was too shocking.It was about the disappearance of Arks Gold Dream.Two days ago, he had completed his successful first deal in Seutandal and was heading back to Rueben Harbour when it had been eaten by an unidentified sea monster.All of Arks hopes and dreams were placed on Gold Dream.

Naturally he bought the fastest ships, and coating the hull with various types of magic protections in order to ensure safe and quick trade. All those expenses cost at least 40,000 gold. It was also loaded with tens of millions of gold worth of trade products from Seutandal.All that had become a meal for a sea monster.The news Ark had heard out of nowhere made no sense.Sid trembled from behind Lariette who looked puzzled but said.

Calm down. It is not Sid-nims fault.

Yes, but..

Ark tried to say something else with an angry expression but then just sighed and nodded.Thats right. Like Lariette said, he couldnt blame Sid.He had been sailing with no problems when a monster appeared and swallowed the ship. Although Sid knew that monsters appeared in that area, until now he had never had of monsters showing up on that route. So Sid couldnt be blamed for the problem.

Theres no time to wonder about whose fault it is right now.

Wasnt there a small bit of luck? Fortunately, there was still some time before Arks Gold Dream would be finished.According to Sid, the monster was so huge that it swallowed Gold Dream in one bite.Therefore it was likely that Gold Dream had arrived in the monsters stomach in a perfect state. He had invested a lot of money on the magic coating so it should survive for a while in the stomach.

In this situation, there is still a chance to take back Gold Dream!

Of course, there was a limit to how long the magic coating could last in the monsters stomach.If Gold Dream was digested then that was 40,000 gold flying away. Sid had managed to survive but he had no method to contact Ark so he had to go all the way to Global Exos.

I have to find it before my dream becomes that monsters excrements!

He didnt pay any attention to Sid and Lariette anymore.Ark returned to his house immediately and entered the unit.While the exact identity was unknown, the sea monster that swallowed Gold Dream was huge. The place was also the middle of the ocean. No matter how urgent it was, how could he deal with it after swimming there?Ark needed to make his own preparations before facing the opponent.The moment he heard sea monster, the Seutandal navy came to mind.

The Seutandal navy had a lot of experience fighting against pirates. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members were the leaders of the autonomous group so he could ask them for help. So Ark went to Isabel and asked for the help of the Seutandal navy.But a problem he hadnt thought about occurred. The water that the sea monster appeared around was in Schudenberg. If the Seutandal navy entered those waters then a serious diplomatic problem could develop.So he flew to Reuben port and asked for a direct conversation with the Lord to solve the problem. Since he was also a nobleman, he was able to meet with the Lord straight away. But

Ive heard about Sir Arks reputation. Although I manage areas concerning the sea, I am really sorry. I would like to help you. But Im not able to judge your request. The only person who can agree to allow foreign troops in these waters is His Majesty the King.

Then could you ask the King for me?

Of course I can do that. But it is better not to expect too much. These days the political situation both domestically and abroad isnt very calm. It would be difficult to accept foreign troops in territorial waters in this situation. Even if it is accepted, it has to be decided at a meeting between aristocrats and could take more than a week.

Ark instantly became gloomy after hearing Reubens answer.No matter how much magic coating he placed on Gold Dream, it was impossible to endure the monsters stomach for more than one week.It had already been two days in reality so didnt he only have a few days left?Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the result would be positive.Ark was worried for a while before he made a suggestion.

Then what about the troops from Reuben? As the Lord in charge of nearby waters, wouldnt you also have a navy? The sea monster is within a dozen nautical miles (1,852 metres) of Reuben so there is no guarantee that it wont attack the harbour.

Of course we will fight if that happens. But..

The Lord of Reuben placed a weary finger on his forehead and replied.

Based on the news, this problem isnt just occurring at sea. After the black obelisks appeared on the continent, unidentified monsters have been infested Schudenberg. A lot of villages and people have received serious damage. Weve stopped the damage from sea monsters for the moment but that isnt the case on the land. So most of the Reuben troops have been dispatched to the attacked villages.

The black obelisks and unidentified monsters that the Reuben Lord talked about had also been mentioned by Ho Myung-hwan.Once again he realized that the bug had a huge impact on New World.Anyway, the continent being overturned wasnt important to him at the moment. The most important thing for Ark was to recover his Gold Dream before it was too late.

Do I have no choice but to let go?

Ark thought with despair as he exited the Lords castle.

-Ark, how was it? Is it done?

He had arrived at Reuben with Isyuram, and he received a whisper from him after Isyuram finished disposing of the japtem from the secret dungeon at the merchants guild.

-No. Theres been a little problem.

-Really? I thought so. Based on what I heard from the merchants guild, the continent isnt ordinary these days. I thought it wouldnt be easy to allow the Seutandal navy into these waters or to borrow troops from the harbour. But theres no need to do that.

-Huh? Theres no need?

-It is difficult to describe so just come to the merchants guild for the moment.

Ark listened to Isyurams words and visited the merchants guild. After Seutandal rose, Reuben became the centre of trade so there was an especially large merchants guild. The building of the merchants guild was several times bigger than the warriors guild and the Magic Institute next to it.But when he arrived at the merchants guild, there were strangely a lot of warriors and magicians gathered in front of the building like a cloud.

Ark, you came?

Isyuram pushed through the crowd and waved his hand.

Yes, but why are there so many people? And what do you mean by there is no need to request help from the navy?

If you look at that then youll understand.

Isyuram pointed towards a bulletin board in front of the merchants guild.It was the bulletin board the merchants guild used to give information about the current prices of surrounding areas. But now a completely different type of notice was stuck on it.

-Commission to investigate the disappearance in the Uldun Mountain Range.

Two days ago, there was a report that a guild leader Berdin disappeared in the Uldun Mountain Range. Based on the report of the inspector dispatched to the mountain, several unidentified monsters had appeared and seem to be raiding several places. Therefore the merchants guild Midus is hiring mercenaries to investigate this incident.

* Hunters with tracking and detection skills as well as thieves have top priority.

Difficulty: ???

Number of Personnel to be Recruited: 60 people (Currently 52 applicants)

Pay: 30 gold (Successfully kill the boss +10 gold)