Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

Snowflakes drifted through the air as black crystals rose skyward, then slowly descended, settling upon the pristine white land.

A life had ended.

The members of the Yeti Squad bowed their heads in silence.

Such a scene inevitably reminded them of their own fate. Some among them were already in the later stages of infection, yet they still fought on the front lines. For the infected, even a single injury could worsen Oripathy, dragging their bodies closer to death's threshold.

There was grief in their hearts, but above all, there was solemn respect—for a comrade, for a friend-in-arms.

May you be reborn in the next life as someone uninfected, free to walk this land without chains.

"May your soul return to the sea of stars above." Felix traced a cross over his chest. For a moment, he was once again a priest—not bidding farewell to an ordinary soul this time, but to a comrade in the truest sense.

They stood there a while longer until Frostnova finally broke the stillness.

"It's getting late."

"Understood, Big Sis."

The Yeti Squad members shook off their sorrow and began moving deeper into the snowy wilderness. Frostnova lingered for a step, walking beside Felix. She glanced at him from the side.

"Felix… you're leaving, aren't you?"

"Mm… I'm going home for the New Year."

A faint, nostalgic smile crossed Felix's face. Something in it carried warmth, and Frostnova could guess he was thinking of someone. But she didn't ask—things between them weren't close enough for such questions.

"That's nice… Going back to Laterano?"

"Yeah... Yelena, where is your home?"

"If you mean my old home… I'm sorry. The earliest, clearest memories I have are of the mines—of the deceit and misery among infected workers. The place and name of my home… I've long since forgotten." Yelena kept walking without pause. "But now, I do have a home I like."

"That's good."

"What's good about it?"

"A home is wherever your heart belongs—that's what's good about it." Felix's golden eyes fixed ahead, where the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. "I've seen too many infected in Ursus without a home. They haven't truly accepted their reality, and only numb themselves, passing each day without purpose. For them, the settlements aren't home—their homes were destroyed long ago."

"I don't mean that as an insult. I understand them. But people like you, Yelena—people who can see past it—are rare."

"You've never once treated me as an infected."

"To me, infected or not, we're all just people of Terra."

Felix gestured toward the bare strip of her waist where a few black Originium shards glimmered. "If anything, I think those look like decorations."

"…"

Even Frostnova found herself flustered at the remark. She knew he meant it as a compliment, but it was still a little embarrassing.

The world around them brightened. Felix slowed to a stop, gazing out over the snowfield's horizon. He had seen this view many times, but each time, it struck him with the same awe.

To think this was just a game world… it might as well be another world entirely.

Frostnova stood at his side, lifting her hood to look toward the rising sun.

"Give my regards to Patriot. If there's a chance next time, I'll buy him a drink."

"My father is a warrior. He doesn't drink."

"...All right."

They exchanged one last look—enough for a farewell.

Goodbyes didn't need words, didn't need rambling speeches or sentimentality. A glance was sufficient, because both knew this wasn't their last meeting. "Until we meet again" didn't mean never again.

Back at camp, they rested for a day. With that, Felix's Ursus journey came to an end. He had to admit—this trip had shown him plenty of what he wanted to see, and plenty of what he hadn't wanted to. He'd also made contact with Ursus' players, particularly the infected player group led by Mr. Han, and seen firsthand how they lived. They had managed to build a basic foundation of trust.

That trust was exactly what Felix wanted to secure among players. With version 2.0 drawing ever closer, the company was about to launch. The first wave to enter it wouldn't be ordinary NPCs, but players arriving in batches once 2.0 went live.

Among non-infected players, his roots were already deep—supported by content creators like Magic ZX, professional teams, and top-tier players. He had no shortage there.

What he lacked… were infected.

It sounded bad out of context, but he had no intention of fostering division within the company. He knew that in Blacksteel International, infected could become Operators—but even then, they still faced discrimination and bullying.

A company was just a smaller version of society. Even if infected could work inside Blacksteel, prejudice and harassment persisted. For them, that was far from ideal.

Still, being the first to break this ground, Felix understood something: to players, infected or not, everyone was a bro, a fifty-Coin good buddy. But to Terra's native-born people, acceptance would be far harder to come by.

That was why his first core team would be players—and only players.

When the Military truck stopped in a nearby town for supplies, Felix glanced at Avdotya sitting in the back seat.

"We're about to leave Ursus. Thank you for everything during this trip, Avdotya."

Speaking almost to himself, he handed her a card. "This is your payment—chervonets currency. Enough to support a modest, comfortable life for a while. But after that, you'll still need to find work…"

Avdotya's pink eyes flickered with unease, her Lupo tail swishing nervously.

Carnelian chuckled at the sight. "Boss, that's too cruel. You're making it sound like you're kicking little Avdotya out."

"Was I that obvious?" Felix shot her a glance. Carnelian's expression was pure amusement. Felix turned back toward Avdotya—who now looked as though she'd just been abandoned, her eyes dim, on the verge of tears.

"I'm not teasing you. But Avdotya, I do want to hear your choice—seriously."

"Do you remember? At the start, I gave you two options. One, when this guide job ended, you'd leave on your own, and I'd pay you enough to live comfortably for a while. The other—"

Before he could finish, Avdotya blurted out, "I… I choose the second one. I want to… to keep working for you."

Seeing her like that—like a pitiful little wolf cub afraid of being left behind—Felix couldn't help but think of another Lupo girl he'd once met. He wondered how Cellinia had been these past years. But given the story's timeline, they would be meeting again soon.

"All right. As for the work itself, that's still to be decided. I'll assign you some tasks later—they won't be as heavy as you think. Your future work will be in the literary field, something you enjoy."

Hearing that, Avdotya finally relaxed. At least she wasn't being sent away—not yet. If she left Felix and Carnelian now, she truly wouldn't know where to go.

Avdotya loved reading, loved literature, and was skilled in writing. In the future, anything related to Tomorrow's Development's publicity—ads, announcements, news—could be handed to her for review. And as one of the company's founding members, she'd receive plenty of respect. If she performed well, she could easily end up in a senior copywriting position.

"Have Degenbrecher and the others set out yet?" Carnelian had her legs propped up on the Truck's dashboard. Sitting so long had left her thighs sore.

"Mm. If everything went smoothly, they left ten days ago. Columbia is farther from Laterano, so we should still arrive ahead of them."

After filling up at the gas station, Felix pressed the accelerator, heading toward the Ursus border. "This trip to Laterano—just treat it like a normal holiday. Relax for a while. I'll be staying there for some work, and afterward I'll head to Lungmen."

"And then?"

Felix thought for a moment. "After the company's set up, I'll make a trip to Sargon. Then later in the year, to Kazimierz, to negotiate a deal with the Chamber of Commerce."

"Boss, don't you ever worry about overworking yourself?" Carnelian said with a sigh. She was genuinely concerned for his well-being—not least because her student, Mandragora, had been eyeing Felix for a while. If anything happened to him, she'd be affected too.

"Balance between work and rest is important. And besides—this trip to Laterano is for New Year's, isn't it?"

Felix tapped the steering wheel with a grin.

The Truck rolled out of Ursus, cutting through uninhabited lands for several days. At a border town in Leithanien, they restocked before pressing on toward Laterano.

"Oh, before we enter Laterano, you'll both need to get entry permits from the notary office in a nearby village," Felix explained. "The Holy City doesn't accept infected, but people still come in droves. Some are pilgrims hoping to enter the Holy City, others just want to see what a society without infected looks like."

In the future, the Laterano World Assembly would make the notary offices busier than ever. But in the present day, most visitors were just tourists.

As for permanently settling in the Holy City? Impossible. Citizenship wasn't decided by lottery, but passed down through families—an inheritance. And with Laterano's population already high, there was no shortage of citizens, nor any desire for expansion or war.

Felix pulled the Truck into a village. A few Laterano youths, fresh out of school, came over to greet him. He asked if they could wash the truck, and their eyes lit up. They ran home, returned with water guns, and gleefully soaked the Truck.

Yes—turning work into play was very much a Sankta thing.

With Carnelian clearly taken aback and Avdotya at a loss for words, Felix led them deeper into the village. It was their first time seeing so many Sankta gathered in one place. The most striking difference between them and Terra's people outside Laterano was their expressions—faces completely free of worry, as if they were simply enjoying the moment.

Avdotya remained silent. Though she was once an Ursus noble, she had always heard stories about how the rest of her people lived in the cities. On this journey, she had seen it with her own eyes—countless Ursus citizens, some infected, others not—struggling in despair, stripped of the will to live.

Aside from the Sankta, the two also saw many young Liberi men and women.

Felix stepped into the notary office and entered his ID into the terminal. Glancing over the task list, he noted, Mm… still there. Despite being away for so long, not a single Messenger assignment had been completed. But Felix had another way to make up for the workload—

Information.

In Laterano, Messengers were more than mere messengers. They also served as the city's eyes and ears. During their assignments, anything they heard or saw could be reported through the terminal, making its way directly to the ears of the Papal Chamber.

The last time Felix had submitted intelligence, it had been about the "Immortals"—the players—and that report had earned him access to the Laterano Library. Now, after being away for so long and preparing to stay in Laterano for a while—not too long, but long enough—he was ready to file another detailed report.

---

The terminal in the hands of a blue-haired girl, who had been resting at her desk, vibrated lightly. She rose, leaning forward slightly to check the screen.

[Work ID: XY1002 (Felix Shawn Lanshem) — Online.]

[Location: ——]

A faint smile appeared on her face. Stretching lazily, her graceful figure caught the light streaming through the window.

It was the New Year holiday. Her squad had been granted time off, allowing her to finally relax and ease the tension that had been wound tight for so long.

In just a few days, it would be her birthday. And when it came to Felix, her heart was filled with quiet anticipation. At that moment, she felt her long wait had been worth it.

He was back.

They could attend the coming-of-age ceremony together.

They could go to the cathedral together.

It was something she had always looked forward to.

From now on, if they could remain at each other's side, it would truly be wonderful. After she came of age, she already had a feeling she knew the path she wanted to take.

"Mm… I should tidy up his room again, and then change into something new."