Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

"A mission requiring multiple squads?"

Felix sat before a terminal inside the notary office, his finger scrolling down to reveal the mission details.

[A Sarkaz raider team has occupied a foothill along the Laterano border. Investigate or drive them out.]

A Sarkaz raider squad… In a head-on clash, a single standard team would stand no chance. Most notary office squads consisted of only four to five members, while raider groups often numbered twenty, thirty—even fifty. The disadvantage was obvious.

Opening the mission details, Felix noticed one team had already registered:

[Andoain Squad]

His breath quickened. It had been roughly half a month since the start of 1091… Could this be the incident he'd envisioned?

Without overthinking, Felix added his own squad's name to the roster. The list of participants now included a new entry: Pioneers Squad.

As for how they would act when the time came—whether to adapt on the fly or to simply observe events unfold—Felix couldn't yet decide. This was Andoain's path, Andoain's choice. Felix had no right to judge. But if Andoain chose to harm his own teammates, that was another matter entirely.

Closing the terminal, Felix rose and made his way to the office's workshop. Owing to his unique profession, he had applied for a private space here to repair equipment and forge new weapons. In truth, he had plenty of money but very little experience; he lacked the skill to design fresh schematics. Being stuck at this bottleneck was a source of constant frustration.

With Version 2.0 fast approaching, he refused to let his main profession languish at Level 1. In the days ahead, machines and drones would become indispensable weapons. The more frequently they appeared in combat, the more essential it would be to advance his auxiliary craft.

After repairing his own gear, Felix glanced at the terminal beside him and saw someone waiting outside, requesting entry.

It was unusual—few disturbed him during workshop hours, thanks in part to his low-profile demeanor. True, the firearms he had built for himself and Mostima had wowed both peers and onlookers at the coming-of-age ceremony. But word of it never spread far; after all, explosions were almost routine for the Sankta.

"…"

Standing outside were Lemuen and Fiammetta—acquaintances, though not particularly close. Rather than shutting them out, Felix unlocked the door.

"Hello." He gestured for them to come in before returning to his workbench. "What brings you here? Giving notice for the next mission?"

Since Felix had joined the operation, Andoain's squad would have received a notification of the Pioneers' participation as well.

"Both," Lemuen replied with a calm smile as she stepped closer.

She couldn't help noticing that Felix, usually dressed like a wandering traveler, now wore only a sleeveless shirt while working. His evenly built muscles and healthy physique caught her off guard. For someone unaccustomed to such sights, Lemuen found herself… a little flustered.

Fiammetta, keeping a cautious distance, asked curiously: "You're forging equipment?"

"Materials are scarce. At best, I can make something ordinary." Felix grinned as he spoke the truth. Most of his supplies remained back at his main base in Columbia. This trip to Laterano was meant more as a vacation, and he certainly wasn't going to haul crates of metal across continents. Laterano did have its own markets, but compared to the Chamber of Commerce whose routes spanned half the continent, they were far too limited.

"If I provide the materials—and compensation—would you forge equipment for me?"

Felix set down his forging hammer and wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel draped over his shoulder.

"I heard from Mostima before—both of you were thinking of getting new weapons made?"

"Yes."

Fiammetta nodded calmly. She drew the gun from her hip, gripped it firmly, and held it out to him.

"Would you take a look?"

"No need for formalities. Just call me Felix," he replied.

Taking the weapon, his gunsmith training immediately kicked in. As he examined it, system data overlaid across his vision:

[Hand-Cannon, Heavy III · Notary-Issue]

[Quality: Green]

[Stats: ATK 89–100 | Durability 356/356]

[Requirements: Sniper class, Technician subclass, STR 25, END 20]

[Passive: Explosion — Fired Arts-bullets deal AoE damage.]

[Passive: Ignition — Fired Arts-bullets may inflict Burn.]

A standard-issue notary weapon, well-balanced across the board. For most players—even in 2.0—this would be a coveted treasure.

But to Felix, it was nothing special. As a gunsmith's apprentice, he could easily forge green-quality guns, with a decent chance of producing blue. Purple required rarer materials, longer forging times, and luck.

"Do you want me to forge you a new one from scratch, or enhance this one?"

"Enhance this one…" Fiammetta's voice softened. "It was my grandfather's."

Her eyes lingered on the weapon with faint reverence, a quiet trace of affection flickering in her gaze.

"I'll gather the materials myself. Just give me the list."

"Alright." Felix nodded, then turned to Lemuen. "And for you… a sniper rifle, right?"

"Oh? I didn't think you noticed." Lemuen's lips curved into a playful smile. "So you do pay attention to girls other than Mostima."

"That sounds wrong. Besides, I've been to your place—the one hanging on your wall was a sniper rifle, wasn't it?"

Sniper rifles—powerful long-range weapons usable only by Snipers with the Agent subclass. Their Arts-bullets differed from standard calibers, capable of massive damage and sometimes even outright kills on a clean hit.

In his past life, the world championship stage had been filled with sharpshooters, turning an MMORPG into a scene straight out of Counter-Strike.

Felix himself had never used one. Though he had the Agent subclass now, he hadn't bothered to forge a sniper rifle yet—figuring it unnecessary for the time being. If he needed one in the future, he could always craft it then.

But this time around… it might be worth trying. To step into the role of a true marksman, to land that single, decisive shot.

"So, you want a new sniper rifle forged?"

"Mhm~ Do you have the schematics, Felix? If not, I can prepare them for you."

Lemuen's smile carried the warmth of spring sunlight, like a quiet girl sitting in a library's corner, reading by the afternoon glow.

A commission.

Normally, when players went to a gunsmith or craftsman for weapons and gear, they had two options.

The first: bring their own schematics and materials—cheaper, but more work on their part.

The second: just bring materials and rely on the smith's schematics—expensive, and the rarer the blueprint, the steeper the cost.

Most well-known crafters had stockpiles of blueprints, so naturally most players chose the second route.

As for providing materials themselves—well, think of alchemists in Battle Through the Heavens. Commissioning one wasn't just about bowing and scraping like a child begging for candy; you had to prepare extra herbs for failures and still pay a hefty price.

That was how Felix built his connections and wealth in his previous life. He hadn't expected to start so soon in this one. He had always intended to walk this road again, but in the future he would be a boss—not hammering out commissions day after day. And frankly, most players couldn't even afford that level of service.

For now, commissions would only be occasional. They could never be his main focus.

"Show me the schematics when you get them."

Felix already had several good sniper rifle designs, but there was always the chance Lemuen had something better.

"By the way," he added, glancing at Fiammetta, "forging takes time. I may not be able to finish before the next mission. Same for yours—even if the materials are ready, upgrading isn't a one- or two-day process."

—That was a lie.

If he wanted, he could sit there browsing the forums while tapping out weapons, waiting for the progress bar to hit 100. But that kind of speed was far too abnormal. Making weapons for himself was one thing; pulling it off that fast for others would only invite suspicion. He'd already toured the craftsman shops in Laterano to study their efficiency, and he couldn't afford to look like an anomaly.

"That's normal enough. Understandable."

Fiammetta nodded slightly, then glanced at Lemuen before turning back.

"What do you think about the upcoming mission, Felix?"

"Shouldn't you be asking Andoain? He's your captain."

"Our squad's a little different." Lemuen explained with her usual smile. "Andoain is dependable, but before he decides, we all share our opinions. You're the captain of the Pioneer squad—just like him. So we wanted to hear your take on it."

"It's a mid-tier mission. Roughly half a month's duration. The target is a band of raiders—or more accurately, a settlement—on the Laterano border. From the description, I'd estimate between twenty and fifty people."

"Only that many…?"

"That's normal for Sarkaz." Felix's tone was even. "Other settlements—like those in Columbia—can sustain farmers, explorers, livestock herders. The land provides, so their numbers grow, supplies stay steady. But the Sarkaz homeland? Nothing to farm, no herds, no exploration. Only fighting."

With resources scarce, Sarkaz settlements rarely ever broke into triple digits.

"My drones can scout and pinpoint their positions. Once we have that, we can pick them off one by one."

…And after that.

Felix lowered his gaze to the glowing module strapped to his thigh.

That would depend on the situation.

---

The members of Andoain's squad met up with the Pioneer's, and together they set off on their mission.

Felix was already familiar with Andoain's people: Patia, Plume familiar with Fiammetta, while Spuria and Lemuen were close friends. Only Federico seemed a little out of place, but even he didn't stay aloof—when needed, he gave his input.

"Captain, why can't we just drive here?" Spuria panted, hands on her knees, sweat beading on her face. For a girl who preferred tinkering with machines indoors, this kind of hike was almost torture, clearly her stamina is like students from Millennium Science School.

"Because this is all mountains and gorges," Felix explained. "Driving here would only wreck the Notarial Hall's vehicles."

He braced against the biting wind and hauled Spuria up with one hand, then turned to peer through the clouds toward the distance.

"I never knew there were places like this outside Laterano…"

The cold, dry air stung his face. Felix kept his drones scouting ahead, but truthfully, even he was struggling with this trek. Their cars had been left at the foot of the mountain—the only way to the target site was over the ridge.

"Cold?" Mostima leaned close, breathed warm air into her palm, then pressed it lightly against his cheek. A brief wash of warmth spread across his skin.

"Not too bad. At least it isn't snowing."

Exhaling mist, Felix glanced at Andoain, who was scouting ahead. The man pressed a boot against loose stone and muttered, "Not suitable for camping here."

"Let's go a bit further."

"Mm."

A short exchange, and the two captains led the group up a side path toward the mountainside.

Federico kept right behind Andoain, silent as ever.

"Once this mission's over, let's grab dessert. The new place on the corner street." Mostima spoke softly beside Felix. "Right now I'd kill for a cup of hot chocolate."

"Alright. But… are you sure it's fine to walk with me during a mission? You're part of Andoain's squad, aren't you?" Felix coughed lightly. Only then did he notice that Lemuen and Fiammetta had drifted to Mostima's side too, forming an easy cluster around him.

"Hehe, it's just a group march. No emergencies—so why not?"

Mostima smiled with her usual calm. "I heard from Lemuen that you're forging weapons for them?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason."

Felix reached out to catch a returning drone, brushing frost from its body with his gloved hand.

The chill of the snowfields made him think of faraway Ursus, of Frostnova in the northern wastes.

Was Yelena alright? Had she already made first contact with Talulah?

He could only hope she was safe. Someday, they would meet again.

Mostima noticed the shift in his expression. She took his hand, gave it a light squeeze, and drew him back.

"Right now, you're on a mission, aren't you~"

"...Cough, cough."