After finishing everything at the Ark, I returned to my hideout and the first thing I did was toss all my clothes off and sink into the spring water.
The exhaustion alone felt like it could knock me out, but more than that, I'd unknowingly picked up a bunch of bruises and bumps during the battle.
"Ughhh..."
["Why are you groaning like some old man?"]
"Probably because I am an old man."
["Huh? You didn't seem like one... How old are you?"]
"Beats me. Not really sure."
["What? How can a person not know their own age? Are you stupid or something?"]
Of course, I knew my real age. But I had no idea how old Carl Marcus was.
Neither the status screen nor the initial information I'd seen about him included his age.
"Drop it."
["Yeah yeah. Like I care."]
It looked like the Life Tree hot spring's power had gotten stronger while I was away. It hadn't been long since I got in, but the bruises were already fading quickly.
'Impressive... Give it a bit more time, and it might really outclass potions.'
Actually, even at its current level, it was more than good enough to sell to both the Sandstorm Caravan and the Ark.
Not that I had any plans to sell it yet.
'If I get careless and try selling it too soon, someone might come after this hideout.'
The reason my hideout hadn't been raided so far was simple.
Sure, it wasn't easy to find, but more importantly, there wasn't anything here worth the risk.
Crossing me would only bring trouble.
But what if there was something worth stealing?
That would change everything.
A hot spring infused with life spring held massive value, and if I started selling potions, someone would definitely catch wind and try to find the source.
And once that happened, the life water hot spring would be exposed in no time.
'Of course, if my influence inside the Ark grows big enough, it won't matter later... But right now, it's way too soon.'
After finishing my soak, I put on my protective suit and started inspecting the hideout.
I'd been away too long to give it a proper check before.
'Let's see now...'
Thanks to the life spring and the protective tent that warded off monsters and beasts, my hideout was relatively safe—but still, something felt lacking.
'It'd be nice if I had some sort of guard or sentry to protect the place in case of emergencies.'
Ideally, I'd want something like an AI-powered turret set up here, but due to efficiency issues, that kind of tech had mostly been abandoned even inside the Ark.
Sure, I could probably get one through Maybell Pilgrim if I really wanted...
'But there's no way I could afford it right now.'
Even if I did manage to get one, objectively speaking, the defensive performance of AI turrets wasn't that great.
Think about it.
In The Defense, soldiers are inherently powerful due to all sorts of traits and stat boosts.
Yet, it costs enough to train twenty of those soldiers just to make one halfway decent AI turret.
And even then, does that turret outperform a single soldier?
Not really.
Same goes for long-term potential.
That's why AI turret tech had been abandoned in the Ark for the time being.
Maybe way down the line, when the Ark's manpower shortage gets even worse, the development might resume—but for now, it's a dead end.
'Still, that doesn't mean I'm out of options.'
I couldn't get an AI turret, but I could build a decent substitute with the materials I had on hand.
I looked over at Janus and the Thunderstruck Branch I'd acquired through the Sandstorm Caravan.
'Alright, definitely worth a shot.'
But before I fed the Thunderstruck Branch to Janus, I needed to use it for its original purpose first.
Even if I planned to feed it to him later, it made more sense to get some use out of it first.
'If there's nothing left afterward, then oh well.'
I packed up the Thunderstruck Branch and headed out.
I needed to find Maybell Pilgrim anyway to get the broken Z-74 jetpack fixed, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone.
'She should be done with her other stuff by now, I'd think.'
Maybe it was the post-bath high, but my body felt unbelievably light.
Didn't even feel like I needed to rest.
'Not like my body's the type that needs regular rest anyway.'
Thanks to my traits and the power of enhancement serums.
On top of that, just soaking in the life spring water had the insane effect of wiping away any lingering fatigue.
'Alright then...'
I stepped out of the hideout and made my way toward the Ark.
*
"I heard you performed brilliantly again this time. And… I can see it with my own eyes."
Quartermaster Gedwin cracked a light joke.
Back when we first met, he was shaking so much he couldn't even speak properly, but now he seemed to have gotten used to me.
"Spare me the flattery. I've got something I'd like you to find for me."
"I wasn't trying to flatter you, but sure. What is it you need?"
"Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle."
Gedwin's eyes briefly widened in surprise before he masked it with his usual composed expression.
"The Ark-34… Yes, understood. Please wait a moment."
The Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle was an upgraded model of the Ark-15 I'd been using up until now.
Naturally, it wasn't a standard-issue firearm in the Ark. Only certain special positions or those at least of officer rank were issued the Ark-34.
'And for good reason. Its performance is top-tier.'
It wasn't called the upgraded version of the "gukbap" (comfort food) tier Ark-15 for nothing—the Ark-34 was a personal firearm that could easily carry you through the mid-to-late stages of the game.
Which also meant it came with a hefty price tag.
'I'll be blowing most of my accumulated Contribution points… but whatever.'
Money and Contribution points only have value when they're spent.
And more than that, getting my hands on an Ark-34 this early in the stage was a luxury that normally wasn't possible.
The wait was fairly long.
Which just went to show—even someone like Quartermaster Gedwin couldn't get his hands on the Ark-34 so easily.
'If my standing in the Ark were even slightly lower, I'd have been turned down.'
At this point, I'd already checked out all sorts of heavy weapons, so it might seem pointless to be cautious—but that just proved how valuable the Ark-34 really was.
After some more time, I finally spotted Gedwin approaching from a distance.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No worries. I expected as much."
"Thanks for your understanding. Here it is. Please confirm."
Gedwin handed over a neatly boxed Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle.
Must be brand new.
"Good work."
"No need to thank me. Just doing my job. Will that be all?"
"Yeah."
[Current Contribution Points: 2,451]
Even if I had wanted to buy something else, I didn't have the Contribution points to do it anyway.
Gedwin probably saw that for himself, so his question was just a formality.
"Well then, I'll be off."
"Heading back into the Ark?"
"Yeah. There's someone I need to meet."
"I see. Until next time."
Since we were bound to see each other again soon, I left Gedwin with that brief farewell.
Now deep in the Red Line, I checked out the Ark-34 I'd just received before heading to the Special Purpose Weapons Lab where Maybell Pilgrim was stationed.
──────────────
[Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle] [★★★★★★ (6-Star)]
— An automatic conversion rifle from the Ark.
— Can switch between assault rifle, anti-materiel sniper, and shotgun modes.
— Produced in limited quantities for select individuals.
"View Details"
──────────────
Even without any upgrades or customizations, it was already a 6-star weapon.
That alone proved the sheer value of the Ark-34.
'Yeah… This thing's the real deal.'
Still, compared to my current Ark-15, I couldn't say it was clearly superior just yet.
That Ark-15 was also a 6-star, and had been upgraded by none other than Maybell Pilgrim herself—an excellent piece in its own right.
Which meant my next step was clear: I needed to upgrade this Ark-34 using the Thunderstruck Branch I had on hand.
'She should be back by now.'
I made my way across the Red Line to the Special Purpose Weapons Lab.
And was greeted by unfortunate news.
"I'm sorry, but the director is currently away."
"I see. Do you know when she'll return?"
"I'm sorry, but there's no scheduled return."
In other words, no one knew when she'd be back.
'Hmm…'
I didn't have any urgent tasks anyway, so I decided to wait.
"I'll stay here for a bit."
"Understood. This way, please."
Following the lab staff, I was guided to a waiting room meant for visitors.
And as soon as I stepped inside, I came face-to-face with an elderly man already seated there.
"…"
The moment I saw him; I couldn't help but pause mid-step.
And for good reason—I already knew who he was.
'…What the hell is he doing here?'
From what I knew, he wasn't someone who could just leave his post without a damn good reason.
Meaning his every move carried weight.
'No… I get it now.'
I immediately realized why he was here.
Victor, Brigadier General and Commander of the Blue Line's Defense Command.
And more than that—one of the members of Möbius.
One of the "Three Stars" that led the organization.
"You gonna stand there gawking forever? Or are you gonna sit?"
At his words, I let out a small chuckle.
"I think I'll stand."
"Oh? Bit of a mouth on you, huh? Haven't you ever heard of respecting your elders?"
"If you show some first, I might consider it."
"What a cheeky little punk."
His words were harsh, but I knew Victor's personality well enough that it didn't bother me.
Anyone else who knew his status would've probably dropped to their knees, begging for mercy by now.
"What brings you here?"
He asked, and I answered.
"Why else would I be here?"
"Are we gonna do this cryptic Q&A thing now?"
"Just saying I've got no reason to give a meaningless answer."
Victor narrowed his wrinkled eyes at me.
And slowly, the pressure around him began to swell.
A clear sign of rising hostility.
[Creeeak…]
[R-Run!]
[Eeep!]
The ether rippled.
That's how intense Victor's aura was.
Not that I had any intention of straightening my posture in response.
"It's been a while since someone sat like that in front of me."
"Is that so."
"Rude little bastard… but I kinda like you. Got some guts, don't you."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Victor let out a laugh, more out of disbelief than amusement.
"Didn't expect you to be this kind of guy."
"You know me?"
"How could I not? You're practically a celebrity in the Ark now, Carl Marcus."
"Too bad. I'd offer an autograph, but I seem to be short on pen and paper."
"What? Hahaha!"
Victor burst into laughter again—this time even louder than before.
"Mind if I ask you something?"
"Even if I said no, you'd ask anyway."
"Glad we're on the same page."
Just like I knew, Victor was the type who played by his own rules—excessively so.
["Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"]
'Shut it.'
As Esther threw in her two cents, Victor looked me dead in the eye.
And then, said something I hadn't expected at all.
"If Red Line and Rose Line went to war… who do you think would win?"