I returned to Ark 69.
Creak-!
Thud!
The door connecting to the outside slammed shut, and only then did I finally relax.
It felt like coming home, I suppose?
Even so…
‘I need to tidy this place up.’ Aside from near the command center, this area wasn’t much different from the ruins outside.
Still, the fact that I didn’t have to tangle with zombies or those inexplicable monsters made this place no different from paradise.
“Haa…” I let out a long breath and tallied the gains from this expedition.
More than expected—we’d scored quite a haul.
Setting aside the genetic data from the new original ECHOS, we’d netted nearly 60,000 Money Compass cash.
Astoundingly, 20,000 of that came from the bizarre romp with the Eight-Foot Ghost.
‘On second thought, whoring myself out to a ghost isn’t a bad survival tactic…’ Nice thought.
Nice thought.
But I had no desire to become a living cum bucket and croak from exhaustion.
And we’d confirmed what had only been speculation as fact.
The total annihilation of Ark 69’s expedition force.
“Even just the original squads…
there were four of them.
Including mass-produced units, over 400 ECHOS existed.” That firepower had been wiped out just a day’s journey from the ark.
‘Meaning that named beast, the Crawler Queen, is a ridiculously broken monster.’ Top it off with the synergy of a screw-loose, incompetent commander, and you get zero survivors.
This is why inept commanders are so dangerous.
And maybe because of that?
Without a word, the shock of zero survivors hit them hard.
“What do we do…” Upon reaching the command center, I watched the ECHOs bow curtly and head to their quarters or stations.
In the game, you could boost their morale with affection items they loved—meal vouchers, date tickets, beauty care passes.
But in this world?
‘Even if they existed, they’d be useless, right?’ This ark didn’t have any to begin with.
The command center-the one barely habitable spot-was a half-ruined, barren shell of a building.
No proper restaurant in sight; we sustained ourselves on foul-tasting concentrated nutrient paste.
ECHOs might be androids that could survive on nutrients alone, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t taste.
“…
Now that I think about it, this place really isn’t fit for humans.” The vanished Carapace Lord.
The Eight-Foot Ghost in Hongwei 7 sector, our future farming ground.
Problems stacked up like mountains, demanding immediate solutions.
But before all that, a primal urge bubbled up.
I want to live like a human.
“Hoo, hold it together.” Part of me wanted to divert ark resources to amenities first.
But with cash and everything else in short supply, priorities had to be set wisely.
That’s when…
“How long are you all gonna mope?
The mission succeeded, and we made it back alive, didn’t we?
Come on, eat this and perk up.” The first evening back at the ark.
To shatter the heavy mood, Pomen whipped up a meal.
She’d scrounged up a small pot somewhere and presented us with steaming nutrient soup.
“Pomen…” “Thank you, Pomen.” Arva and Noah’s faces softened a touch at the sight.
—— But I quietly shut my eyes at the hideous green sludge.
And made a decision.
Ark development’s top priority: anything tied to food.
‘Even if ECHOS are fine with nutrient paste…’ I was human.
Even in this bizarre world, I craved proper meals-not gourmet feasts, but something human.
000♦000 ✦ Arclight Squad Tactical Link – Arva Pomen, how’s the Commander’s condition?
– Pomen He just entered the command office.
He’s been staring holes through the artifact for a while…
probably shopping for something new.
— Arva Probably planning to use the genes we got to produce more originals.
– Pomen Hmm…
new rivals incoming?
– Arva Not rivals-comrades.
– Noah Haa…
but Commander, are you okay?
– Pomen Why?
Noah He didn’t eat anything.
– Arva …It was a tough scouting run with a lot going on.
– Noah True.
The light I sense from the Commander has dimmed a lot.
Must mean the expedition took it out of him.
– Pomen Our Commander needs stamina training.
Fights like a veteran badass…
but his endurance doesn’t match.
– Arva The Commander led us brilliantly.
— Pomen Yeah, I know.
Hey, did you find that monster?
– Arva No.
I scouted on the sly without telling the Commander, but only found traces of it fleeing north.
– Pomen North?
What’s up there?
– Arva Ark 74, Ark 53.
– Pomen Places I’ve only heard of.
— Arva Arks don’t mingle much to prevent potential contamination.
Anyway, that monster was seriously dangerous.
– Pomen Agreed.
Tanky as hell.
And…
its combat style was kinda gross.
Never imagined a clinically dead Karen moving like that.
Noah …Sorry.
– Arva You need to reflect, Noah.
Hesitate, and the Commander gets hurt—remember that.
– Noah …Yes.
– Pomen But the Commander handled it, right?
That trump card shot.
Sliced that filthy dick clean off.
– Arva ….
– Noah Dick?
What’s that?
New weapon code?
– Pomen Hmm…
well, it’s a weapon.
Commander has one, Carapace Lord had one too.
Oh!
Not anymore, though.
– Noah …
Isn’t the Commander’s weapon ‘White Tiger’?
Why haven’t I seen it?
Pomen Maybe ’cause you lack trust with the Commander, Noah?
— Arva ….
— Noah Trust…
ah, I see.
Build trust with the Commander, and I’ll get to see it.
What about you, Pomen?
– Pomen of course I’ve seen it.
Think I just looked?
Went deeeep…
Arva has disconnected.
– Pomen Ran off again.
– Noah …
Must be tired.
Anyway, I want to build trust with the Commander too-see his dick.
No, feel it like you, Pomen.
– Pomen Hehe, beg the Commander yourself.
I’m out.
“Two months’ worth, at least.” The next morning.
In the command office, I murmured while scanning the loot list Arva had handed me.
The expedition had netted a huge haul of concentrated nutrients and ammo abandoned near the 69 Expedition Command.
But this was just a band-aid; the root issues remained.
I had to transform this barren ark into a place fit for humans.
‘To do that…’ Karen Blaze.
I needed an original ECHO who could fix the ark’s problems.
The other originals we’d secured would help with operations too.
But right now, no one was more vital than her-Ironworks production specialist.
“Check the materials needed to produce Karen Blaze.” “Understood, Commander.
Connecting to the Main AI.
Should take about five minutes.” Of course, genes alone didn’t spawn an ECHO.
Titanium alloy, arc reactor, core fluid, high-concentrate nutrients—the works.
Enormous resources for just one original.
‘In the game, gacha tickets and cash did the trick…’ Here too-with money.
The Money Compass kind, anyway.
“Lucky.” I checked the prices on the list with the Money Compass and breathed a sigh of relief.
Not being combat-grade helped—fewer materials than expected.
Even so, it scraped every last bit of our 60,000 expedition cash to barely gather enough for Karen Blaze.
Without the Money Compass?
Production would’ve been a pipe dream.
Most materials for originals were impossible to source via Ark 69’s systems.
Some even required raiding other arks.
“When will Karen Blaze’s production finish?” Arva looked up at my question.
Despite the expedition’s trials, her eyes remained calm and rational as ever.
The Eight-Foot Ghost business seemed sorted too.
“High-concentrate culture fluid production just wrapped.
Data says at least two days.” “That long…” Bearable.
I leaned deep into the chair.
Once Karen joined, she’d have mountains of work: repair ECHO weapons, fix shattered buildings.
Plus non-functional defenses and farms to end the food shortage.
‘…Piles of tasks right out the gate—hope she doesn’t bolt.’ A sudden curiosity arose.
What memories did freshly made ECHOS retain?
In the game, gacha pulls and repairs were instant-no fine print on that.
Sensing my gaze, Arva spoke first.
“What are you wondering about, Commander?” “Just curious about ECHO memories.” “Memories…
you say?” “Yeah.
As you know, Karen Blaze was part of the 69 ark expedition force and died…” “Correct.” “And we’re using her genes to revive her.
So what happens to her memories?” Arva gave me a puzzled look.
For a fleeting moment, a shadow seemed to cross her face.
“They vanish, naturally.” She met my eyes again, her voice a touch dry.
“Vanish?” “Yes.
An ECHO born from genes is a new individual, distinct from the prior one.
It only carries the original’s abilities and appearance data-experiences and memories are…
reset.” “Oh…
got it.
Then what about Noah?” “Noah’s a different case.
She wasn’t dead-her core was too damaged for maintenance.” Arva said it while gazing quietly at her hand.
No outward sign, but she seemed to be recalling the Carapace Lord fight—the moment Karen got neutralized.