Ark Officer Academy.
It is an institution for training officers within Ark, and only the children of high-ranking individuals from each line, citizens of the Red Line, and a select few who have proven their abilities are permitted to enter.
The reason the admission requirements for the Ark Officer Academy are so stringent is simple.
Given Ark's constant state of war, becoming an officer in Ark is practically synonymous with securing a path to success.
This is because the military and political power within Ark are deeply intertwined.
'That may be true, but…'
There are always exceptions.
With a recommendation from Lieutenant Colonel Banol, who is responsible for half of the Red Line's defense, admission was practically guaranteed.
This was because Lieutenant Colonel Banol's position was not confined merely to his rank.
In practice, a player seeking to become an officer in Ark had two main options.
One could invest most of their trait points into status-related traits such as [Noble Dignity] or [Quartermaster] and start as a high-ranking member of the Red Line.
Or they could significantly increase their leadership-related stats, prove their abilities, and be appointed as an officer.
'Neither of those is easy.'
Spending trait points on status means compromising in other areas.
Even if one were to prove their abilities later and become an officer, the process itself would be anything but easy.
'Leadership stats are difficult to raise. Naturally, if you focus on increasing leadership, growth in other areas slows down.'
One way or another, becoming an officer in Ark required sacrifices.
Yet now, Lieutenant Colonel Banol was asking me to disregard all those conditions and become an officer.
Under normal circumstances, this would be an offer I simply couldn't refuse.
"Quite a bold proposal."
"Haha, I'm glad you see it that way. What do you think? You would make an excellent soldier."
"But…"
I locked eyes with Lieutenant Colonel Banol.
"You think so highly of me, yet I'm not fit to be used as a mercenary? Doesn't that seem a bit strange?"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's expression hardened.
"…Are you refusing?"
"This wave was overwhelmingly more powerful than any wave before it. Yet, Ark remained unscathed. Why do you think that is?"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol must have known.
That, considering the scale of this wave, the amount of damage Ark suffered was oddly minimal.
And by now, the reasons behind that were likely under thorough investigation.
It was obvious that my presence would be one of the leading explanations.
"…Are you saying it was because of you?"
"I wouldn't make such an arrogant claim. But the fact remains that I participated in the battle."
Even though I denied it, the meaning was clear.
'You survived because of me.'
Lieutenant Colonel Banol could have easily considered this an insult worthy of execution.
And yet, he remained silent.
Because he also understood.
That, relative to the overall scale of this wave, something was undeniably unusual.
"..."
"I am not Ark's enemy. But that doesn't mean I'm obligated to serve you for free forever."
"What do you want?"
"Compensation."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's eyebrows twitched.
"I heard that you already received a substantial amount of supplies from Quartermaster Gedwin… Isn't that enough?"
"That was the compensation I was already entitled to. But there's no guarantee I'll continue doing this. Isn't that why you're making such a bold offer to recruit me?"
From Ark's perspective, I was an extremely useful outsider—
But also, a potential threat, capable of leaving or turning against them at any moment.
The more I contributed during waves, the more Ark would feel my absence when I was gone.
If that weren't the case, Lieutenant Colonel Banol wouldn't have offered me an officer's position with such exceptional conditions.
"Ha…"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol picked up his whiskey glass.
"I can't win. I concede."
"So, you're accepting my conditions?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Despite his words, he must have known from the beginning.
That this mercenary offer was far from a fair deal for me.
He had just taken one last shot to see if he could get a better outcome.
But I wasn't going to entertain him any further.
"We'll discuss the specifics later. This will take a while. For now… let's drink."
I refilled Lieutenant Colonel Banol's empty glass.
"Cheers."
He raised his glass toward me.
I had no reason to refuse.
"To Ark."
"Am I supposed to say that too?"
"If you don't feel like it, just raise your glass."
Our glasses clinked.
Both of us hiding our true thoughts.
Once, twice, three times.
Again and again, the glasses met.
*
The night was long.
And the terms negotiated in that lengthy discussion were quite satisfactory.
However, I had made one miscalculation.
"Ugh!"
["Wow, Master really is human. You even get hangovers."]
"Shut up… Ugh!"
["Wow, you drank a lot."]
As Esther pointed out, I must have eaten quite a bit during the night, judging by how much I was throwing up.
'How could I not eat?'
The food served during my negotiations with Lieutenant Colonel Banol was the first proper meal I had eaten since arriving here.
It wasn't luxurious, but compared to the monster meat and multi-calorie bars I had been surviving on, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
"…Eat slowly."
Even Banol had looked at me with a disgusted expression, seeing how desperately I devoured the food.
'Of course, from now on, I'll be able to eat proper meals more regularly…'
In the end, after a long negotiation, I had secured a few key conditions.
The summary was simple.
'Whenever I fight as a mercenary for Ark, I will be compensated in credits.'
There was a condition, though.
It only applied if I was fighting within Ark.
Even though Quartermaster Gedwin and the other supply officers could verify my contributions through their Demon Soul Eyes, it wasn't considered definitive proof.
'Well, that part was expected.'
If Ark had agreed to compensate me for battles outside its borders, that would have been more troublesome for me.
They would have likely demanded evidence, and if they had asked me to wear something like a body cam, it would have been an absolute hassle.
'Now that the credit issue is settled, it's time to move.'
For now, my business in Ark was mostly finished.
What remained was returning to my hideout, taking Horus, and heading to meet the Sandstorm Caravan.
'I spent a whole day negotiating, but considering multi-wave attacks always have longer intervals, it should be fine.'
Since multi-wave attacks unleash an overwhelming force at once, the time between waves—both before and after—is typically longer than that of regular waves.
Normally, I would have been preparing for the next wave by now, but this meant I had time to make one more move.
'The Sandstorm Caravan, huh…'
Up until now, I hadn't had the opportunity to contact them, but it was about time I did.
Thanks to my diligent efforts, I had gathered plenty of goods to trade with the Sandstorm Caravan.
'There is one thing that worries me a little… but it should be fine.'
The Sandstorm Caravan was relatively friendly toward Ark, but that didn't necessarily mean they were a benevolent Order.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that because Ark was humanity's last stronghold, it was respected and acknowledged as a trade partner by the Sandstorm Caravan.
'The Sandstorm Caravan isn't the type to make enemies carelessly, but if they see me as weak, I'll be at a major disadvantage in negotiations.'
Trading with all sorts of people, factions, and even monsters outside Ark—where the world was practically lawless—was no easy feat.
Yet, the Sandstorm Caravan handled such transactions with ease, proving they weren't a group to be taken lightly.
'Well, I'll find out when I meet them.'
It wasn't something new, but I had never made contact with the Sandstorm Caravan this early before.
This meant that the Sandstorm Caravan I was about to meet might be slightly different from the one I knew.
'First, I need to return to my hideout.'
I left Ark.
*
Back at my hideout, the first thing I did was inspect the supplies I had received from Quartermaster Gedwin.
The sheer amount was overwhelming—I had to make several trips back and forth from the Red Line gate just to transport it all.
It only reinforced my growing sense that I needed to make my hideout much safer and more comfortable than it currently was.
'Not bad.'
Starting with an officer-grade OFS military field tent—larger, cozier, and far more durable than my previous setup—there was also a pump and shower tent to convert the hot spring into a proper bathing facility, as well as a separate tent for a toilet.
On top of that, I now had a solar-powered generator and various household appliances to go with it.
If my old hideout was nothing more than a cave, a tent, and a hot spring, now it was beginning to resemble an actual campsite.
'I wasn't planning on going this far originally, but…'
The reason I was now actively transforming my hideout into a livable space was simple.
Although I hadn't had the time or resources before, the real reason was that I now needed a proper place to stay.
'At this point, Ark isn't exactly a safe place for me.'
The biggest reason why Ark was safer than the outside world was the presence of beasts and monsters.
But at this stage, I no longer saw them as a serious threat.
For one, my hideout was located deep in Mount Noah, an area where beasts and monsters rarely appeared.
And more importantly, I had Janus, who could use Ankelenth's Domain and Ankelenth's Roar to keep them at bay.
'Not to mention, I have Horus as a guard dog.'
Ark, however, was a different story.
While others might not have any problems, my first encounter with the Shadow Order had been far from pleasant.
Given what they were capable of within Ark, staying there would be dangerous for me.
'Of course, even the Shadow Order wouldn't make a move openly inside Ark… but still, it's best to avoid staying there just in case.'
That was why I had decided to turn my hideout into a proper home.
And, being human, if I was going to live somewhere, I wanted it to be as comfortable as possible.
'Now, I can finally afford that luxury.'
Of course, this wasn't the end of it.
There was still one more thing I needed to truly complete my hideout.
It was no coincidence that I had transported soil from the Great Forest to Noah Sacred Mountain to test if crops could grow here.
'It's about time I checked on that.'
I called out to Horus, who was resting quietly beside the tent.
"Horus."
[Kieet!]
As Horus lowered his body, I began loading various supplies onto his back.
These were items I had been collecting—gear from fallen Ark soldiers, equipment looted from Heshbon, and other valuable goods I had stored away.
["…What are you doing?"]
"Isn't it obvious? I'm packing."
["No, I mean… why all of a sudden?"]
"I'm going to sell it."
["…What? Where?"]
"The Sandstorm Caravan."
Esther's face slowly twisted in shock.