In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 172 Major General? Junior General? Skadi's Perilous Journey
Skadi was promoted to Major General and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Legion.

When you learned of this from Greta, who had come to deliver a message to you under the guise of a mission, you were naturally overjoyed.

This proves that Skadi has finally put to good use the stories you told her about the past.

She's already capable of handling things independently.

“Skadi, let me give this to you.”

[Greteia takes out a handmade necklace and hands it to you.]

This necklace is rather crudely made; the maker is clearly not skilled in handicrafts, even choosing the strongest and most durable type of cord, which lacks any aesthetic appeal.

The only ornament on this necklace is five large fish teeth with drilled holes.

“This was made by Skadi herself; she said it was a membership certificate for the ‘Ichijin-kai’ (One Heart Society) that she founded.”

Goredia explained:
“The teeth of the big fish on it were all hunted and removed by Skadi herself. The more teeth a person has, the higher their status within the ‘Isshin-kai’.”

"Currently, besides Skadi, you are the only one with five teeth."

"…Thank you very much."

You looked at the crudely made necklace, smiled faintly, and accepted it.

However, despite your careful observation, you did not find a similar necklace around Goredia's neck.

[Greedia, who was still standing in the same spot, didn't seem to have any intention of leaving after delivering the goods.]

"Is there anything else, Ms. Greta?"

[With your gentle reminder, you clearly sensed Gretia's wavering.]

However, after a slight grit of her teeth, Goredia spoke her demands calmly without the slightest hesitation.

"Sea Tiger Martial God".

"I hope you can teach me the secret to becoming strong."

"...Sea Tiger".

"I never expected to hear this title from someone else."

Hearing this name again after more than ten thousand years doesn't surprise you; instead, it evokes a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) at the passage of time.

You paused for a moment, then answered in the calmest tone:

“When I first adopted the little orca as my goddaughter, I asked her what benefit I would get from teaching her my skills.”

"Now, Miss Swordfish, I'll ask you the same question."

"Answer me, why should I teach you martial arts?"

"—Because after I become stronger, I can help Skadi."

[Gredia had clearly prepared for this before she arrived.]

“Skadi has just become a major general and her position is not stable. There is also a lot of criticism of her in Agor.”

“Ulpian is also a novice in matters of power and has no experience to pass on to Skadi.”

"And I am the only one who can connect them and build connections within the ruling circle."

Speaking of her two teammates who successfully broke through their bottlenecks, the only one still stuck at 24 horsepower, Goredia, sounded a little resentful.

Clearly, even someone as proud as Goredia is concerned about her own abilities, especially since she has been surpassed by her rivals and even younger colleagues.

[And she knew very well that Skadi and Ulpian's mutations were both due to your guidance.]

Therefore, she approached you.

"You guide me to become stronger."

“In exchange, I will help your adopted daughter Skadi to gain a firm foothold in Agor’s ruling circle.”

"Besides..."

A strange look flashed in Goredia's eyes as she said, feigning nonchalance:

“The governor of Agor is from the same school as your adopted daughter, so you can be much more at ease about Skadi’s future, can’t you?”

[Upon hearing Gretia's forceful request to become her apprentice, you couldn't help but laugh out loud.]

[You won't tell Goreia that it's common for those from the same school to kill each other in the world of those with strong magnetic fields.]

[Let alone brothers taught by the same master, even brothers born of the same father can turn against each other.]

However, it must be admitted that Goredia's words struck one of your few weak points.

You truly hope that everything is going well for Skadi, far away in Agor.

Even if Skadi causes a huge disaster, you can help her cover it up. With your strength, you could even destroy the entire Agor clan without any problem.

But that's not the ending you and Skadi wanted.

Skadi has already planned out the path she wants to take, aiming to guide Agor, and even the entire Terra, in a better direction.

As her adoptive father, all you can do is offer Skadi some small support until she faces her inevitable end.

At the very least, you still have complete faith in Gretia; she's definitely not the kind of person who would kill her own kind.

[This second captain, who was so dutiful in the original story and acted as a protective shield for Skadi and Specter, would never harm Skadi.]

"—Alright, Miss Swordfish, you've convinced me."

Looking at the determined Gledia, you chuckled softly and slowly rose, granting her request.

"From now on, you will be my second personal disciple, Haihu."

Goredia nodded indifferently in agreement.

Disciple... is not an adopted daughter.

For some reason, after hearing Chen Qi's words, Goredia felt a strange sense of loneliness.

Perhaps it was witnessing Skadi and this war god's deep father-daughter bond that made Goredia, who had never experienced fatherly love, feel envious... and jealous from the bottom of her heart.

Goredia came to Chen Qi to become his apprentice not only because Chen Qi was the Sea Tiger Martial God, but also because she wanted to experience the same life as Skadi.

Unfortunately, Chen Qi did not grant her her wish.

...Forget it, becoming a disciple and getting stronger is the result I need.

I can be indifferent to that kind of vague and ethereal feeling.

A fleeting hint of melancholy crossed Goredia's eyes before they were once again enveloped by an aloof indifference.

"So, teacher, what moves and techniques do you think would be more suitable for me?"

After successfully becoming an apprentice, Goredia immediately wanted to take the first step towards becoming stronger.

However, you also have no way to give Greta a suitable answer to her question.

After all, you're not entirely sure what kind of martial arts are best suited to Goredia's state of mind.

[You know that Goredia is calm and indifferent, and she should have been a good candidate to cultivate the "Heavenly Martial Killing Path".]

However, you also learned from Goredia that Ulbian had even cultivated the "Heavenly Martial Killing Path" to a higher level, and Goredia naturally did not want to be inferior to Ulbian.

Finally, after much deliberation, you led Greta to a wall in the southeast corner.

The words "Hell's Path" are clearly engraved on this wall.

"This is the martial art you will learn, Miss Swordfish."

[Gredia quietly surveyed the wall before her, inscribed with ancient script from a pre-existing civilization. She paused slightly at one point.]

...The Bodhidharma Sutra?
Grandia had no knowledge of this book from a pre-civilization era, but the familiar name of the cultivation method drew her attention to the wall next door.

The wall was engraved with a martial art called "Asura Path". And with her solid knowledge, sure enough, Goredia also saw the same words of the "Dharma Sutra" on the "Asura Path" martial art.

The martial arts of the Hell Path and the Asura Path both require studying the "Bodhidharma Sutra".
Does that mean these two martial arts styles are interconnected?
With this in mind, Goredia silently kept the matter in her heart and decided to cultivate both martial arts at the same time.

Perhaps, the path to becoming a powerful figure lies within this.

……

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this year, Goredia would regularly visit your laboratory to practice "Hellish Martial Arts" under your tutelage.

[It should be said that Goredia's talent was even greater than Skadi's; being proficient in the languages ​​of the previous civilization, she was able to memorize the *Dharma Sutra* stored in the supercomputer on her very first day.]

[And with the mental techniques of the *Dharma Sutra*, Goredia quickly mastered the Hellish martial arts.]

Furthermore, through her own understanding, Goredia discovered the correct method for practicing the *Dharma Sutra* in reverse, and also mastered the "Asura Technique."

Surprisingly, despite simultaneously cultivating two major martial arts techniques, while Goredia's strength was increasing, her magnetic field power remained unchanged.

The power of 240,000 bolts of energy seemed to have become her prison, preventing her from moving an inch.

[Gredia has asked you about this countless times, and you have given your own answer.]

“Every person with a strong magnetic field is obsessed with their future and the path they want to take, and never looks back.”

"Some of them did it to protect, to seek revenge, and some were simply doing it to satisfy their bloodlust."

"But without a doubt, they are all following the path they have chosen."

"Your failure to break through only means that your determination is not enough to support you in becoming a strong person."

"There are still obstacles in your destiny that will hinder you."

“Find the root of the problem, cut it off, or make peace with it, and I believe you will be able to make a breakthrough.”

However, a year has passed, and Goredia still doesn't seem to have found the root of her problem.

But without a doubt, Knowing that she was growing stronger, Goredia kept her promise.

During this time, through Goredia, you have gained a sufficient understanding of Skadi's situation in Agor.

Indeed, as Goredia said, Skadi's position within Agor's upper echelons is not good.

On Skadi's very first day as a major general in her office, a minor but unexpected incident occurred.

In order to plan events related to the "First Deep Sea Fleet," Commander-in-Chief Skadi was forced to deal with paperwork—a task she was not good at—in her office.

Skadi, who had been feeling dizzy and disoriented all day, only noticed something was off about the nameplate on her desk after Ulpian arrived.

Whether it was an accident or intentional is unknown.

Skadi's rank of "Major General" was printed as "Junior General" on this identity plaque.

To emphasize the prestige of the Agorian high command, these plaques were inscribed in a pre-civilizational script, with Agorian script displayed below.

Therefore, Skadi, unfamiliar with the writing system of the previous civilization, made a fool of herself on the first day without even realizing it.

[And in the time that followed, Skadi encountered setbacks at every turn.]

Skadi wanted to form the "One Heart Society," bringing people from all classes in Agor into the organization and making them completely obedient to her.

But when it came to actually implementing it, Skadi realized that she had been too optimistic.

First of all, Skadi didn't become governor based on her technical skills. Aside from her exceptional practical electrical engineering skills, she had nothing in common with the other technical governors.

[Furthermore, there's the inherent aloofness of intellectuals. The scientists of Agor didn't like Skadi, a deep-sea hunter who only knew how to wield weapons.]

This made it completely impossible for Skadi to win over scientists and technicians.

As for the ruling circle, Skadi is even more helpless.

Wherever there are people, there is a social dynamic. This saying still applies even in the highly civilized Argol.

Skadi, who was promoted directly from a Deepsea Hunter to a Major General by Heratia, may have gained Heratia's favor, but her rapid advancement still attracted much hostility and jealousy.

The high-ranking consul was filled with jealousy and contempt for Skadi, a major general who had previously had no political achievements but had risen to prominence simply because Heratia favored her.

Almost none of the officials in Agor's entire ruling circle were willing to contact Skadi.

This not only prevented Skadi from making friends, but also made the formation of the "First Deep Sea Fleet" extremely difficult.

Although Skadi was a bit naive, she could sense that she was being "isolated."

"...It seems that we have been besieged by a group of people with ulterior motives."

In Skadi's office, Ulpian spoke his guess to the silent Skadi.

“Although we are just starting out, we have already offended too many people. Almost all of Agor’s top management see us as a thorn in their side.”

"The Deep Sea Hunters not only can't get new recruits, but they also block the documents we submit."

"Under these circumstances, it would be wishful thinking for us to expand the army."

However, Ulpian's words still did not receive a response from Skadi.

Looking at this dull-witted, clueless major general who was clearly unsuitable to be an officer, Ulbian, filled with anxiety, offered a reminder:
"Skadi, we need to think of something."

“If we continue to be squeezed like this, your rank of major general will be nothing more than a formality.”

"……I know."

Finally, Skadi showed some reaction, but being equally clueless about politics, she couldn't think of a good way out of this predicament.

Her silence stemmed from repeatedly searching through her fragmented memories for the cases Chen Qi had told her, attempting to find a reference answer.

Did Skadi find the answer after thinking about it for a long time?

It seems not.

"Major General, Major General..."

"I remember my godfather said that the reason why that young general was able to stand out was not only because of his rank and position, but also because of other reasons?"

Skadi racked her brains, then came up with a point she didn't consider crucial.

"...Has a good relationship with the president? Is he highly trusted by the president?"

"Should I go see Consul Heratia directly now?"

Skadi, who couldn't quite understand this, had no other choice but to stand up as if she had nothing to lose.

“Skadi? Where are you going?” Ulbian couldn’t help but ask.

"—Go buy some gifts and meet with Governor Heratia."

Skadi answered without hesitation, conveying her thoughts to Ulpian with the simplest of principles.

"Governor Heratia is the highest-ranking person in Agor, isn't that right?"

"If even the Consul of Heratia is willing to support us, then the other departments and consuls will have no reason to continue opposing us, right?"

If you can't even manage to build good relationships, the worst that can happen is you get fired.

Skadi harbored this "what's the use" mentality.

As for buying gifts, it wasn't Skadi who came up with the sophisticated method of "bribery".

She simply felt that if you want to build rapport, you need some snacks; talking while eating will be more effective.

However, Skadi, who was leaving the house, was unaware that her series of unintentional actions had unexpectedly led her to guess the correct answer.

Inside the council, Heratia, who had waited a full year, finally met this powerful magnetic field expert whom she had always wanted to win over.

(End of this chapter)