Chapter 4: Ark

"Whoa…"

Even Kurilta—who had likely seen Ark before—couldn't help but stare in awe.

And honestly, so did I.

Seeing Ark on a monitor was one thing.

But seeing it with my own eyes—

The difference was overwhelming.

"Look at that wall… Kronos doesn't even compare."

"Kronos was already a massive city, but this… this is on another level."

"There's a reason they call it Ark."

"…Not that Kronos exists anymore."

As the refugees exchanged hushed conversations, our truck followed the moat-lined outer wall until we arrived at the bridge.

"How do we cross?"

Kurilta's question was met with a calm response.

"Wait."

As if on cue, a speaker crackled to life.

["Halt."]

The voice was familiar.

Cold. Commanding.

["Disarm immediately."]

A simple order.

But in a world overrun by monsters, giving up your weapons was akin to suicide.

Even if this was Ark, instincts weren't so easily ignored.

"…What do we do?"

The refugees hesitated.

But then—

["Failure to comply will result in immediate termination."]

…There was no choice.

One by one, we surrendered our weapons.

Then, the speaker echoed again.

["Step back ten paces."]

All eyes turned to me.

"Carl?"

"Just follow their orders."

This was standard protocol.

If Ark wanted us dead, we wouldn't have made it this far.

We stepped back.

Moments later—

The bridge began to lower.

—Hissss… Creak…

It was massive.

Enough to make even trained fighters stare in awe.

And from behind it—

Heavily armed soldiers emerged.

The Red-17 Gate Commander

And among them—

A woman stood out immediately.

—Scarlet-red hair, cut short.

—Blazing, golden eyes.

—Sharp, striking features.

Lt. Imosha.

A Gate Officer of the Red Line.

'…No wonder the voice sounded familiar.'

This meant we had arrived at Gate Red-17—her jurisdiction.

'That's… actually good news.'

She wasn't an idiot.

We could negotiate with her.

Her eyes scanned us, sharp with suspicion.

"Where are you from?"

Kurilta stepped forward.

"We came from Kronos. More precisely, a settlement near it."

"Kronos? Your arrival is unexpected. Regular exchanges aren't scheduled for weeks."

"Kronos has fallen. The entire region is gone—razed to the ground."

"…What?"

I wasn't surprised.

I had read Ark's lore enough times to know this was inevitable.

But Imosha's reaction?

Priceless.

"Explain."

Ark was not always humanity's last city.

There were other settlements.

Other cities.

Kronos had been one of them.

The beginning of The Defense was marked by the fall of those cities.

"…Are you saying you're the only survivors?"

"Not exactly."

Kurilta shook his head.

"Some fled elsewhere. But over a hundred vehicles set course for Ark."

"I see."

Imosha's gaze shifted.

Her attention locked onto the truck.

"And that?"

Kurilta grinned.

"A war trophy."

Her expression hardened.

"…Do you even know what you've brought into the city?"

As tension rose, I finally stepped in.

"We're aware of its value."

Immediately—

Imosha's gaze locked onto me.

A sharp, piercing stare.

"How did you kill it? That's no ordinary beast."

"A few well-placed shots to the eyes and heart."

"…That's all?"

I knew exactly what she was worried about.

There was only one reason to fear a Skull Hound even after death.

"If you're worried about that…"

I reached into my coat—

And pulled out the rusty tin can.

—Thunk. Thunk.

From inside, a faint, unnatural noise.

Imosha immediately stepped back, gun drawn.

Click.

Her pistol's safety disengaged.

"What's inside?"

"Probably what you think."

Her finger tensed over the trigger.

"Put it down. Now. It's dangerous."

"No. It's my personal property."

"…Personal property?"

Had this been any other Gate Commander, I wouldn't have dared push back.

But Imosha wasn't a bureaucrat.

She was a fighter.

A survivor.

"That's an interesting claim."

It was confidence.

She knew that whatever happened next—she could handle it.

And that was exactly what I needed.

"Can you take responsibility for it?"

"Of course."

"Your name?"

"Carl Marcus."

She nodded.

"I'll remember it."

Then—

"Wait here."

She turned—

And disappeared into Ark.

Kurilta sighed.

"Think we'll be, okay?"

For all his barbarian bravado, he couldn't hide his worry.

I smirked.

"Probably."

Because I knew one thing for certain.

Ark was always desperate for soldiers.

In such a situation, no matter how much they are outsiders, it would be difficult to dismiss them recklessly.

Especially if they are skilled enough to hunt Skull Hounds.

'There is something that slightly bothers me, but…'

Currently, my ether sensitivity is exceptionally high.

So much so that it would be difficult to be accepted in the Red Line, the rearmost part of Ark.

Opinions on ether are divided even within Ark.

In the Red Line, the very rear, it is unconditionally rejected, whereas the closer to the frontlines one gets, the more they try to utilize ether as a weapon.

That was precisely what I was concerned about.

Zzzing, zzzing—

The scanner had been scanning us persistently, to the point of irritation.

From the moment we arrived at the front of Ark, it had been observing and recording us without pause.

—Tsk.

I stared at the entrance of Ark, where Lieutenant Imosha had disappeared, for a long time.

***

Lieutenant Imosha, the entry control officer of Gate 17 of the Red Line, was unable to hide her astonishment as she inspected the belongings of the refugees who had suddenly appeared.

'…They took down a Skull Hound with just this kind of equipment?'

A Grade-8 beast-type monster species, Skull Hound.

As the leader of the Hellhounds, it was one of the most formidable beasts that appeared in the Red Line, the last defensive line of Ark.

As befitting of a Grade-8 monster, it had a tough outer shell, cunning intelligence as a pack leader, and, most distinctively, it was a beast that coexisted with bone parasites. Engaging it carelessly could lead to the creation of a Grade-7 monster, making it even more troublesome to deal with.

Due to these characteristics, Skull Hounds were originally not creatures of the Red Line but were mainly seen in the Orange Line…

And yet, an outsider—using nothing more than what amounted to toys—had taken down one of those beasts, which even Ark's top-tier equipment struggled to subdue.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, Imosha found it difficult to believe.

'It's possible they lost their equipment while fighting the Skull Hound… But if that were the case, their remaining gear shouldn't all be this rundown.'

In other words, it was more likely that they had indeed taken down a Skull Hound with this level of equipment.

'They said his name was Carl Marcus?'

From his inexplicably enigmatic aura to his extraordinary presence, there was something unusual about him.

["Lieutenant, the scan results are in."]

"Report."

["All 11 individuals are human. However, one of them exhibited a significant ether response."]

"…An ether response?"

Lieutenant Imosha's voice rose slightly.

Even in Ark, which was adjacent to the spiritual mountain Noah, humans with ether responses were rare.

And now, an outsider with no known identity was showing an ether response.

This was, in many ways, not good news.

"Who is it?"

["The one who identified himself as Carl Marcus, the person you spoke with."]

"…Carl Marcus?"

Realizing that this situation was beyond his authority, Lieutenant Imosha contacted her direct superior, Lieutenant Colonel Banol.

["Report."]

The tone suggested that Banol was already aware of what was happening at the gate.

This wasn't the first time Banol had reacted this way, so Imosha got straight to the point.

"Reporting. A group of 11 refugees has arrived at Red-17 Gate. They claim to have come from the east, from Kronos."

["Continue."]

"They claim that Kronos has fallen and that they are the only survivors among the refugees heading to Ark."

["I see. What is their condition?"]

Even upon hearing the shocking news that one of the last remaining human cities had been destroyed, Lieutenant Colonel Banol's voice remained mechanical.

"The total number of refugees is 11. Most of them appear to be ordinary humans, but our scan detected a significant ether response from one of them. As the administrator of Red-17 Gate, I am requesting permission for their entry."

["Entry is permitted."]

Lieutenant Colonel Banol added,

["However, the one who showed an ether response must be eliminated. They pose a potential threat to Ark."]

As always, his voice was devoid of emotion.

"…They are skilled individuals who took down a Skull Hound with outdated equipment. They could be of great help."

Outdated equipment.

That term referred to weapons and gear from before the Great Cataclysm.

However, the equipment they carried wasn't just outdated—it was practically relics, worn and ancient beyond mere obsolescence.

Even so, Imosha deliberately left that part out.

After all, even she found it hard to believe.

["A Skull Hound, you say? That makes them even more dangerous."]

"They seem highly respected among the refugees. Eliminating him rashly would be unwise. They all have the potential to become valuable soldiers for Ark."

["…Very well. I will leave the decision regarding his fate to your discretion. But he must not be allowed inside Ark. Understood?"]

This was a rare concession from Lieutenant Colonel Banol.

It was also a testament to how much he trusted Imosha.

But that was all it was—a slight concession.

"…Understood."

Lieutenant Imosha did not push further.

She knew better than anyone what Banol was wary of.

After all, the Black Line, once the frontmost defensive line of Ark, had perished for the same reason.

That day, when 15% of Ark's territory was lost…

["Survive."]

Imosha still had not forgotten that horrifying memory.

***

How much time had passed?

It was only when Kurilta yawned widely that Lieutenant Imosha finally returned, her expression noticeably grim.

"What happened?"

At my question, Lieutenant Imosha gave a small nod.

"Entry has been approved. You may proceed."

At that, Kurilta and the other refugees erupted in cheers.

"Finally…!"

"We made it! We're alive!"

"Carl! It's all thanks to you!"

But I couldn't join in their celebration.

I saw something in Lieutenant Imosha's expression.

Something unsettling.

"I have something to tell you."

Though it was only a short sentence, her voice carried weight.

And more than anything, her tone had changed—it was more formal, more serious than before.

The shift in her demeanor silenced the crowd.

"What is it?"

"Carl Marcus."

Lieutenant Imosha's gaze locked onto me.

"You are not allowed to enter Ark."

***

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