Chapter 8: Ark
Translator: Shield
「Am I safe…? Garm… no way, it’s dead…?」
I was still unable to comprehend what had happened before my eyes.
Garm’s gigantic body, which was about to eat me alive, had vanished without a trace and all that was left was a hole in the wall made by a beam from the muzzle of the rifle.
At the sight of this, I looked down at the beam rifle in my right hand. The counter on top of it showed “0” and the weapon, which had lost all of its power batteries, was silenced and won’t activate again.
「I-I’m saved…」
My body was severely beaten, I lost my right eye, my left arm got severed and was about to die, but I managed to avoid the danger of being eaten alive by a monster.
When I thought about it, I was so relieved――――
『Eliminating hostile individuals confirmed ―――― gate open, gate open. Ark, will begin to restart』
[T/N: yes it’s gate open, gate open, like those robots that announce the things they do.]
――――An automated voice system echoed through the underground space and the gate behind me began to open with a loud sound.
「………… Ark…………?」
A silver-white mechanical ship appeared in sight along with the opening of the gate ―――― A strangely shaped ship, which is not designed to float on water, was sitting across the gate.
When I saw the boat called the『Ark』I whipped my weakened body and stood up, walking like a limp.
「If there’s… anything over there that can heal my wounds」
There is no definite proof ―――― but, I won’t survive unless I enter the ship. Still, I can’t do anything without going on the ship.
Fortunately, as soon as the gate was opened, a hatch was opened at the bottom of the hull and I was able to enter the ship as if I were invited.
「…W-wow… The dwarves won’t be able to make this…!」
The interior of the ship was a strange space filled with machines equivalent or larger than the beam rifle.
Me as the visitor who boarded the ship activated a mechanism that had been inactive for many years began to wake up and small lights blinked repeatedly throughout the dim ship.
「Is this… the pilot’s room…?」
After walking around the ship for a while, I arrived at the tip of the boat ―――― the pilot’s room.
There was a white coffin-like box placed meaningfully in the center of the room and a steering stick for the ship.
「No way… is the body of the owner of this ship in there…?」
Feeling scared of the coffin, I approached the steering stick first.
I was convinced that there was definitely a body in that coffin ―――― because I was sure of it.
「…………This boat, this isn’t some discarded “trash” isn’t it…?」
The moment I held the steering stick with my right hand ―――― the boat, which until now had only been wriggling weakly, began to move violently.
『Skill【Garbage Pickup】―――― recognized. The host: Lambda-Ancient is reassigned as the owner of the ship. “Coffin” opened ―――― Frozen Sleep Thawing, Frozen Sleep Thawing』
The automated voice system, which seems to have chosen me as the owner of this ship, echoes and all the lights on the ship begin to light up at once.
As the boat starts up, the coffin that had been resting in the pilot’s room slowly opens, exhaling white cold air.
「…It’s a… girl…!」
A girl was sleeping inside the coffin ―――― A long shining silvery white hair, doll-like smooth white skin and a crystal of beauty like a jewel that is both beautiful and lovely.
The girl, who was about to wake up, was sleeping in her coffin as if she was born.
「Don’t tell me… she’s an ancient… girl!?」
I saw the girl’s figure, but my physical strength finally reached its limit and collapsed on the spot.
I could not move a single step, my vision slowly oozes and my consciousness gradually fades.
「………………」
I can’t even speak anymore.
Blood overflowing from the surface of my severed left arm makes a blood pool that erodes me.
Am I gonna die like this ―――― despised as “trash” by my family, unable to become the knight I dreamed of and never recognized by anyone…?
When I thought of this, tears welled up in my eyes.
Was my life worth nothing more than a piece of trash?
As I was about to close my eyes, filled in frustration――――
「――――Uhhh…. U~gh… it’s morning, already…?」
――――Faintly, I heard the voice of a girl.
Her voice caught me off guard and I looked up with all my might, I saw the girl raising her upper body from her coffin and rubbing her eyelids.
The girl who was sleepily rubbing her eyelids and yawning lazily ―――― she’s last hope I had left.
「…………a…………!」
I tried to call out to the girl who didn’t notice me, but my voice wouldn’t come out.
I need to do something for her to notice me.
Then――――
「U~gh I slept twice… …Zzzzzzzzzzzz」
「I slept twice… …!?」
――――My wish was shattered as she started to sleep again.
「Oh… I’m done……… I-I’m going to die……」
I, on the side of the girl who was sleeping peacefully, was running out of strength and losing consciousness.
At this time, neither I nor she ―――― had thought that it would be a fateful encounter.
Thanks for reading!