"…But are you sure you can carry all that by yourself?"
"Yeah."
"…Understood. Then please be careful on your way back. It should be relatively safe right after the wave, but you can never be too cautious."
"Got it. I'll make good use of the gift."
After parting ways with Quartermaster Gedwin, I realized I had gained something unexpected.
'Level 5 protective gear, huh...'
The value of Level 5 protective gear, when converted to achievement points, was about 20,000.
That wasn't something you just handed out for free.
'Though it's unlikely...'
I immediately inspected the inside of the protective gear to see if there were any bugs or trackers installed, but fortunately, I found nothing.
It seemed that Gedwin's gesture had been purely out of goodwill.
'This kind of thing almost never happens.'
It wasn't unheard of for Quartermaster Gedwin to give additional rewards.
But usually, that only happened after establishing a solid reputation within the Ark or defeating a Stage Boss-class gigantic beast or monster.
Of course, it wasn't entirely out of the question in other scenarios, but it was definitely unusual.
'Well, no point in overthinking it. A good thing is a good thing.'
After all, I had never traded more than 30,000 achievement points and beast and monster byproducts in a single transaction before, especially as an outsider.
'First... I need to head back.'
Traveling wouldn't be easy with this many supplies weighing me down, but I'd manage somehow.
I took a step forward.
My shoulders felt a little heavy—no, a lot heavy.
*
The first thing I did when I returned to the shelter was replacing the base protective gear of the bone armor.
It wasn't particularly difficult.
All I had to do was detach the bone parasite from the current energy source of the basic protective gear (Lv.3) connected to the bone armor and link it to the energy source of the new protective gear (Lv.5).
Tsut, tsutsutsut—!
Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu!!
A surge of energy erupted, incomparable to when I connected it to the level 3 energy source before.
But I didn't need to be afraid.
The bone parasite was already controlling that energy with ease.
[Kiiit!]
At last, the energy source stabilized, and the bone parasite, satisfied with its new dwelling, let out a pleased cry.
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[Bone Armor (Lv.5)] [★★★★★★★★★ (9-star)]
— Basic officer-grade protective gear from Ark (Lv.5) with a domesticated bone parasite connected to the energy source.
— The bone parasite's host is the heart of the Grade-6 Named Behemoth Monster, 'Mossback Kupf.'
— The power of the bone parasite and the strength of Mossback Kupf can be partially utilized.
— By consuming the flesh and blood of Mossback Kupf, the power available from it has increased.
— Absorbed the Ankelenth's Fang, but has not yet fully absorbed its power.
— Can declare Ankelenth's Domain for a certain period.
— Current absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang: 23.2%
— Having exceeded 15% absorption, the ability to summon Ankelenth's Spear has been unlocked.
— Fully consumed the flesh and blood of the Grade-6 Named Subterranean Monster, 'Mule, The Tunnel Digger' granting complete utilization of its abilities.
— Fully absorbed the Grade-5 Named Primate Monster ' Moog, The Stone Thrower', granting complete utilization of its abilities.
"View Details"
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A piece of equipment with a 9-star rating.
Even in the Rose Line, the foremost front line, equipment of this caliber was exceedingly rare, making it an extraordinarily remarkable creation.
[Kiiiiit...]
I could feel it.
The fundamental power of the bone armor itself had become unbelievably stronger.
It was only natural. The energy output had increased by switching from a level 3 protective gear energy source to a level 5 one.
As proof, the absorption rate of the Ankelenth's Fang had also risen significantly.
'That's not all.'
I proceeded to inspect the heavy weapons I had acquired this time.
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[NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun] [★★★★★ (5-star)]
— The NOA-8 heavy machine gun.
— Uses 20mm rounds.
— Useful when there's something that needs to be pulverized.
"View Details"
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[TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher] [★★★★★ (5-star)]
— The TITAN-17 anti-behemoth rocket launcher.
— Uses type 17 high-explosive warheads.
— Highly effective against large beasts and monsters.
"View Details"
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Monstrous equipment with a 5-star rating even in their unmodified, default states.
In other words, they were on par with the DR-404 Revolver I got from Sergeant Henry before.
'I need to fix that one too, but... I'll find an opportunity eventually.'
What mattered now were the newly acquired heavy weapons.
Due to their sheer weight, it would be difficult to move around and fight as usual while carrying them.
But as long as I could set up and fire, they would unleash overwhelming firepower.
'The greatest drawback of the NOA-8 heavy machine gun is its absurd rate of fire—over 10,000 rounds per minute, leading to massive ammo consumption.'
But that didn't concern me.
Whether it spewed 10,000 rounds per minute or even more, I only needed one bullet to make it count.
'And the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher also tends to be impractical due to the high cost of Type 17 high-explosive warheads, but... that's not an issue for me either.'
The only real downside was their considerable weight, making it hard to use both weapons simultaneously unless I remained stationary.
'But even that can be managed by utilizing the bone armor.'
Of course, I would need to avoid Ark's surveillance or disguise myself as a Skull Turncoat.
'Alright, then...'
There was still about a week left until the next wave.
That was, assuming that the Shadow Order or the Church of Morte didn't make any sudden moves.
Since the Church of Morte had recently failed to provoke a wave, I didn't have to worry too much about them.
'Though things might change drastically because of the relic... the Shadow Order probably thinks the relic is gone, so they won't make any rash moves for now.'
Even if they later realized that the bone armor absorbed the relic instead of me, they wouldn't immediately act, as they believed I was just a Skull Knight.
I wouldn't bother worrying about that scenario right now.
After some thought, I planned my tasks before the next wave.
'Time to start involving myself with external forces.'
Or rather, now was the perfect time to take action, especially since it was still an early-stage scenario.
Outside of Ark, there were countless minor factions aside from the Kronos Union, the Church of Morte, and the Shadow Order.
Some of these factions would eventually become allies to Ark, while others would pose threats.
Usually, those factions clashed with each other, meaning the rise of one often meant the fall of another.
'Some factions, under the right conditions, could grow as powerful as the Kronos Union or the Church of Morte by the later stages.'
My role was simple:
Support factions beneficial to Ark.
Eliminate those that posed a threat.
Of course, the power dynamics outside Ark didn't always align neatly with my intentions.
Some hostile factions were in conflict with each other, and eradicating one could unexpectedly empower the other.
There were a few factors to consider:
Would this faction threaten Ark in the future?
What are the relationships and power balances with other factions?
What ripple effects would result from eliminating this faction?
'Taking all that into account, the first faction to eliminate is... that place, huh.'
The Bagos' Brothers.
A minor faction located on the western front, essentially a bandit group specializing in robbery and plunder.
Despite being labeled as bandits, they were no joke.
Armed to the teeth and led by Bagos, a seasoned veteran who had survived outside Ark for years.
Their primary targets were commerce-based factions like the Sandstorm Caravan and the Blacksmith Guild.
Since those commercial factions generally held neutral or friendly relations with Ark, eliminating Bagos' Brothers would be crucial.
'Alright. Let's take them out first.'
The Silk Road sub-scenario, which emerges in the mid-game, involves establishing trade routes centered around Ark to ease its chronic resource shortages.
If I waited until then, the Bagos' Brothers would have become a massive obstacle.
But right now, before they fully establish their power, it was the perfect time to eliminate them.
I started making preparations.
I decided not to bring the heavy weapons I had obtained from Gedwin.
Given the distance I needed to travel, they would just be a burden.
'Besides, if Ark somehow finds traces of the heavy weapons, it'll just cause unnecessary trouble.'
Therefore, I minimized my gear.
I wore the usual bone armor, carried the Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle, and packed a basic rucksack with water, multi-calorie bars, and a sleeping bag for a touch of luxury.
'I should cover this place before I leave.'
I draped the Large Camouflage Tarp (Lv.4) over the shelter.
With level 4 protective capabilities and exceptional concealment, it would keep the shelter hidden even while I was gone.
'Still... just to be safe.'
I dug near the cave I used as a shelter and buried the heavy weapons and supplies, sealed tightly in plastic.
I had buried them deep enough that even if someone suspected something, they wouldn't find it easily.
'That should do it.'
Having completed my preparations, I finally set off.
*
The journey to the west continued.
Thanks to the wave not having occurred long ago, the plains were relatively quiet.
It also helped that I moved while keeping Mount Noah in the vicinity.
Walk, walk, and walk some more.
Still, perhaps because the base protective gear of the bone armor had risen to level 5, my steps felt significantly lighter.
This was due to the movement assistance system embedded in protective gear of level 4 or higher being greatly enhanced.
'At this point in time, the place where Bagos' Brothers are using as their base would definitely be that spot.'
Snake Cave of the West.
A massive cavern once used by a colossal beast long ago.
Due to its size and the fact that most monsters and beasts didn't dare approach, it became the stronghold for Bagos' Brothers.
'Not the wisest choice of a stronghold in my opinion, but whatever.'
Well, that was that.
After two full days of traveling, I finally arrived near Snake Cave.
'They're definitely there.'
Through the scope, I spotted the sentries standing guard in front of the cave.
The tattoos on their shoulders were already familiar to me.
Tattoos that proved they belonged to the Bagos' Brothers.
'Found them.'
There they were.
The Bagos' Brothers.
'First, I need to conceal my identity.'
Resentment lingers.
I had no intention of leaving loose ends, but there was no guarantee that none of the Bagos' Brothers would escape.
There was even less guarantee that no one else would witness this scene.
So, I put on Kupf's Mask and transformed once again into a Skull Turncoat.
'Let's go.'
There was no need to hesitate.
I immediately set out to prepare for hunting them down.