Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

Felix didn't hold back. Whatever hesitation he'd had shattered the moment he heard the infected's scream.

As a player—first and foremost a person from a modern society—he could accept the idea of soldiers dying on the battlefield. In history books, he had read about wars where life and death were left to fate. That was one thing.

But those who took pleasure in abusing prisoners after the fight—who treated slaughter as entertainment—were worse than beasts.

On the forums, Felix had read countless accounts from Ursus-infected players. The "lucky" ones, if discovered, were driven out of their villages. Unlucky ones were caught by patrol squads and shipped to the mines to work until their lives burned out. Some were thrown into bottomless dungeons and tortured by patrolmen day after day. Many couldn't stand the humiliation, but couldn't strike back either—some chose to remake their characters entirely, vowing never to play as the Ursus race again.

Felix understood the rage. Any player subjected to such injustice would be furious—especially when they couldn't win a fight. If they could win, it might be different. In version 2.0, the level cap was only 60; at that level, they might defeat a single patrolman. But against multiple enemies, when the numbers were stacked against them? The only real option was to run.

Later, this injustice sparked brutal revenge. Players unleashed their anger on Ursus cities, committing every atrocity they could. Naturally, this drew the ire of the Ursus military and nobility, leading to a massive war in version 3.0. That war—players against the Ursus elite—was the first large-scale battle between players and NPCs in the game's history.

But that was still a long way off.

Felix's own disdain for Ursus was no secret. In his eyes, the chaos stemmed from the disloyalty of both the new and old nobility. The Ursus map was carved into countless territories—each marked by a different color. It was just like Victoria, and he hated it. He wanted to see only one color.

He didn't bother hiding his footsteps. With one sharp kick, he blew open the detention room door. Inside, three Ursus men in police uniforms sat at a low table with bottles of aged liquor. One of them gripped a metal baton, beating the woman on the floor until her body was mottled with bruises.

They weren't using blades or whips—blood from the infected was troublesome to clean, and touching it risked contagion. So, they relied on batons to cause internal injuries without spilling blood.

"You're—"

The man never finished. Felix's body flared with cobalt-blue magnetic energy, the mechanical servos in his legs releasing a sharp, metallic burst. In a blink, he was on the two half-drunk Ursus men, clamping his hands around their throats. With muffled grunts, they collapsed, arcs of electricity rippling over their skin. They were out cold—and wouldn't be getting out of bed for at least two days.

The last man still held his baton, sneering.

"Filthy infected—you're just making trouble for yourse—wait, no!"

He froze mid-sentence. At some point, frost had crept over his hands. His fingers went numb, then his arms, his torso, his legs—until even the muscles in his face refused to move.

His eyes darted toward the doorway, locking on the cold, unyielding gaze of the Cautus standing there. His eyes bulged; he tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn't open.

Thud.

The burly man toppled like a statue, his body frozen stiff, no breath left in him.

Frostnova's hatred burned cold and sharp. She bit down hard on her silver teeth, her hand trembling as she released her Originium Arts—yet even that failed to ease her rage.

Felix reached out and took her hand again. It was like holding a block of ice. Her skin was still soft, but beneath that lay a deep, penetrating chill—like plunging into a frozen lake in the dead of winter, cold enough to freeze both body and soul.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Frostnova lowered her gaze without speaking, murmured a quiet "thank you," and quickly moved to Nova's side—the girl lying on the ground, still smiling faintly up at her.

Felix glanced into the cell. Two more infected were inside, unconscious from the earlier abuse.

"B… Big Sis…" Nova's voice was weak. The moment she saw Frostnova, her whole body seemed to relax, her eyelids heavy. But she forced herself to stay awake. "We… fell into the patrol's trap. We were following a distress beacon from an infected, but… it was planted on purpose."

"I understand. Don't speak anymore."

Frostnova's Originium Arts came into play. Her fingers brushed over Nova's bruised and aching body, applying a numbing cold to the injured spots. Nova's brow slowly unfurrowed. It was only a stopgap measure—she would still need proper medical care later.

The other two team members stirred under Frostnova's call. When they saw her, tears welled in their eyes. They had believed their fate was sealed—to rot in this prison forever, or be dragged out by the patrol to be executed in front of the whole city as a warning. They had never imagined Big Sis herself would come to rescue them.

Of course, their eyes couldn't help but stray toward the Sankta quietly rifling through the police station's documents. Nova leaned closer to Frostnova and whispered, "Big Sis… who is he?"

"Someone we can trust."

Frostnova's voice was low. She glanced at the three, now able to stand. "We're leaving. Now."

"Right."

Felix set the files back down. "We may have walked into a bigger trap."

"What do you mean?"

"Short version—we need to be out of this city tonight. There are five patrol squads sweeping the outskirts for infected. Once they find out these prisoners are gone, security will tighten. Even the underground waterway might not be a safe exit anymore."

Frostnova pressed her lips together and nodded. She turned to the three, now in fresh Yeti Squad uniforms. "Can you hold out through tonight?"

Nova and the others clenched their teeth. The pain still gnawed at them, but it was nothing compared to sitting here waiting to die. Their Big Sis had risked everything to save them—if she died here, it would be an outrage against heaven itself. At the very least, they wouldn't let her fall into danger.

"How many are left?"

"Hanno's dead. The other two are locked up somewhere else."

Frostnova fell silent for a moment, then said, "Petrova may have already gotten them out."

Felix brought up the rear. His golden eyes glinted faintly as he glanced once at the motionless bodies of the abusers on the floor—no pity in his gaze—before following Frostnova's lead.

Half an hour later, they reached an alley near the sewers and met up with Petrova, Greg, and Big Bear's squad. Greg and Big Bear were supporting two young men who looked even worse—abused to the point of near collapse.

Felix checked the screen on his forearm. "No one nearby. We head into the sewers now."

None of them knew who Felix was, but seeing him give orders without Frostnova objecting was telling enough. Nova, as the first Yeti Squad member to see the two appear together, found her thoughts drifting. Maybe it was the relief of being rescued, maybe just curiosity—but a spark of gossip flickered in her mind.

Who exactly was this mysterious Sankta, and what was his relationship with Big Sis? Why was he wearing a Yeti Squad coat? More importantly… he'd held her hand earlier.

Big Sis was only seventeen or eighteen, right in the spring of youth. Nova didn't believe Frostnova would fall in love so easily, but as a loyal squad member, she felt it was her duty to scope out what kind of man this Felix really was.

Big Bear was the last to enter the sewer. His large frame made squeezing in slow work. Felix exhaled a thin mist into the cold air, his gaze shifting to Frostnova, who still stood quietly to the side.

"Go on in."

"…Thank you." Frostnova didn't move right away. Instead, she looked at Felix seriously, her words sincere.

"Why so serious?"

"Because you're the only non-infected who's stepped in to help." A faint smile touched her lips. "I was once an ordinary Terran myself. After becoming infected, I couldn't help feeling anger and pessimism toward the way things are between the infected and non-infected. But I also understand the fear non-infected people carry."

"Pioneer… that you're willing to help us, to act alongside us, to take my hand—it means more than you know."

Her smile softened. "Because of you, my stereotype of the ordinary non-infected might just change."

"I'm only doing what I can," Felix replied, stepping forward to pat her shoulder. At least for now, we were comrades fighting side by side. "I don't like regret. It gnaws at my heart like a nightmare, so I try never to leave any behind."

"Sometimes it's not about lacking the chance, but lacking the strength. That's why I've never stopped moving forward."

A smile tugged at his lips. "One day we'll part ways, but I believe we'll meet again. Terra is vast, yet small. When we do, I hope it won't be with weapons drawn, but with drinks shared—and I want to hear everything you've lived and learned."

Frostnova's lips curved upward. She raised a finger. "It's a deal."

"Mn. A deal."

Just before she bent down to descend into the sewer, Felix added, "I'll try to have a special medicine for your condition delivered to you by Messenger."

She pressed her lips together, choosing not to ask why. Instead, she looked at him. "May I know your real name?"

"Felix."

"Yelena."

"A beautiful name."

"Yours is unusual—but easy to remember."

Yelena's final smile lingered as she climbed down the ladder into the sewer.

Felix naturally took the rear, simultaneously guiding the drone prototype toward the city outskirts. This was the best window to escape. Apart from a few drunken wanderers staggering through the streets, there was no sign of the military or the patrol squads. Perhaps they truly didn't care about the lives of these so-called "garbage" infected. The lax security made it clear: they hadn't been seriously imprisoned, just dumped into the hands of a few station policemen to deal with.

But how much did a policeman make in a month? Not enough to risk their lives, that was certain. Expecting them to fight a fully armed Yeti Squad—or Frostnova in a rage—was a death sentence. In fact… it had already cost one of them their life.

Under the cover of night, the group successfully emerged from the sewers. Before the patrol squads began their rounds, the Yeti Squad members stumbled and crawled their way beyond the outskirts of the town. Out here, the terrain was wide open. The patrol squads had vehicles. If they didn't put enough distance between themselves and the town, being caught would mean certain death.

"...Sorry. I can't keep going."

One Yeti Squad member's face had gone pale. After taking heavy blows to the torso, signs of internal injury were setting in—possibly internal bleeding. The strain of running had his organs boiling in pain. He shoved Greg away, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth.

In a rush, he caught the droplets in his hands before they hit the snow. Blood on the ground would make it far easier for the patrol squads' hounds to track them.

The young man collapsed to his knees in the snow, propping himself up with both hands. He forced a strained smile at Yelena. "Big Sis… I'm sorry. I really can't go any farther. My Oripathy is acting up… I'm not going to make it."

Frostnova stepped forward, touching his head. His body was burning with fever, and fresh Originium shards were sprouting along his arms.

Her gaze lowered. "I understand."

"Any last words you want me to pass on?"

"…Tell Zhenya… to forget me."

"Alright."

The young man smiled faintly. His face was soon covered in jagged, glistening Originium growths. He lay back in the snow, staring at the sky, while the other Yeti Squad members stepped forward and began to cover his body with snow.

This was a Yeti Squad snow burial—a tradition to lay fallen friends and comrades to rest beneath the snow. The cold would not only hide their remains, but also gently contain the burst of Originium crystals after death, preventing further infection.

It was the first time Felix had ever seen an infected die right before his eyes. Even in his past life as a player, he had never witnessed it so directly.

Yelena took Felix's hand and led him away, both of them looking back from a distance at the snow-covered form.

Dark granules slowly drifted up from beneath the snow. The scene looked almost unchanged from before… except for the stark black clusters of Originium crystals scattered across the white expanse.