Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

For players new to Terra, the allure of a mobile city was irresistible. A metropolis filled with quests and opportunities—it was unlike anything they'd seen before. Aside from a few like Magic ZX, who had triggered hidden quests and traveled through several cities with Felix, most were truly stepping into one for the first time.

Felix didn't dismiss the group right away. Instead, he led them straight to the central district, across from the towering Guard Bureau building—into the Lungmen headquarters of Tomorrow's Development.

Naturally, the players noticed squads of heavily armed Guards stationed outside. The sight alone was a reminder that their schemes and petty thoughts at the gate had already been put away. Professional players had only one real job: to grow stronger. None of them had the time—or the death wish—to messing around."

Crossing the threshold, they entered the building's main hall. NPCs in twos and threes walked and conversed, while others sat at counters, speaking in low tones.

"They're here to request commissions from Tomorrow's Development," Magic ZX explained casually. Having joined early, he was already familiar with how the system worked. "The company collects tasks and resources under its banner, and we—its employees—can freely accept them. Of course, quests are graded. Right now most are F- or E-rank. Pretty much the same difficulty scaling as any other MMO."

As he spoke, players browsing the task board suddenly noticed a new transport commission pop up.

"This is the headquarters of Tomorrow's Development."

Felix led them to the second-floor lounge. His tone softened.

"From now on, you're free to use all facilities here. Lungmen is new to you—take your time to get familiar. If you need help renting or buying a place, tell the front desk. Tomorrow's Development will find you reliable housing."

The second floor wasn't laid out like offices at all. It looked more like a salon or a clubhouse. Clearly, the Pioneer knew what adventurers really needed. They didn't come back here to sit in cubicles—they came for a space to relax and recharge.

On the bookshelves, volumes from Yan and Higashi sat alongside stacks of comic anthologies. Pros probably wouldn't care, but other players might happily dig in.

"Thank you, Pioneer."

Voices rose in unison. Felix waved a hand and smiled.

"Explore the city to your heart's content, adventurers. I'll be waiting for your good news."

With that, the players watched as the Pioneer stepped into the elevator and disappeared.

Almost immediately, the pros split into their respective teams. As the "first batch" to join Tomorrow's Development, their contribution points and faction standing had already reached neutral—same as Magic ZX and his group. That meant access to shop items they'd been eyeing for ages. Some could be bought with currency, but others required contribution points.

Yanfei and Xi Yiye, members of Yanyu Pavilion—the powerhouse that had dominated the mid-season tournament—were the first to act. With their guild's production team backing them, money wasn't an issue. They quickly made the shop's first purchases: mechanical protective armor and attribute-enhanced cloaks, personally crafted by Felix.

Once they put them on, the transformation was immediate. No longer country bumpkins fresh off the road, they now looked the part of seasoned mercenaries.

Yanfei ran a hand across the armor, noting the Tomorrow's Development logo stamped on both her gear and cloak. Satisfaction welled in her chest—it felt like recognition, like she had joined a real family. Xi Yiye, meanwhile, checked her stats and grinned. The boosts were real.

Soon the pros scattered, each picking up tasks. Most were logistics jobs, designed to get them familiar with the city layout through the digital map. Housing, for now, was low priority.

Back in his office, Felix leaned against his chair. A hint of fatigue showed in his expression. With a press of a button, the curtains slid shut, dimming the room. He let himself sink deeper, digesting the fruits of the past few days.

Magic ZX, Yang Yan XF, and other content creators would record videos. The pro teams would upload training vlogs. And with them came the pull of their fanbases. That attention, Felix knew, would soon be his to harness.

With this surge of popularity, Felix would soon cement his place in the hearts of the players, rising as the hottest force in version 2.0.

Soft footsteps approached from behind. A moment later, warm fingers—gentle, almost tentative—pressed against his temples and shoulders.

"Loughshinny…"

"You've worked hard, teacher."

Her voice was low, soothing. She knew the rhythm of his days too well by now. Judging from his recent schedule, it was obvious his body and spirit were both stretched thin. Whether as his secretary or his student, Loughshinny believed it her duty to help him relax.

"…Having you give me a massage feels almost undeserved."

"At times like this, teacher… you don't need to think about my race."

Her tone was warm, steady. "I'm only your student. Nothing else matters."

Felix let his body slacken into the chair. This kind of massage, he had experienced in his previous life—purchased from slaves in Kazimierz. It never triggered any NPC warnings.

"You're surprisingly skilled. Have you practiced before, Loughshinny?"

"Back during combat training… massages were part of the recovery process. I remembered the techniques."

Her words carried a faint trace of nostalgia. After a pause, she added softly, "Sometimes… my sister and I would massage each other as well, to ease fatigue."

"Do you miss your sister?"

"…"

Silence lingered for a beat before she shook her head gently. Her gaze on him was calm, almost luminous. "My sister's path… doesn't require me right now. I only wish to keep learning by your side. Please, teacher—continue to guide me."

"Mn."

His eyelids grew heavy. He was on the verge of drifting into sleep when the alarm went off, shattering the moment. Without mercy, Loughshinny pulled open the curtains. Light spilled into the room.

Felix rubbed at his temples. A few small meetings still awaited him—introductions to Lungmen's higher-ups and rivals alike. If he wanted to one day sit back and play the hands-off boss, he first had to settle the most important matters himself.

Ah, if only he had someone like Yara under him. In the early days of a company, every detail had to be managed personally.

Among the many meetings lined up, one was especially crucial.

This meeting had been suggested—no, hinted—by Wei Yanwu himself. And Felix fully understood the weight of the man he was about to meet. The sooner they talked, the better.

"Good day."

He arrived at the "meeting room" early, only to find his counterpart had already beaten him to it.

The man was a Zalak. Unlike the beast-eared demi-humans crowding Lungmen's streets, this elder carried the full ancestral traits of his kind—furred, animalistic, the kind of reversion Felix had already witnessed before. He had seen it in the Emperor, in the Duck Lord and his retainers, and here in Lungmen with Wei Yanwu and his wife, Fumizuki.

This old man, seated cheerfully behind a counter of glass jars and candies, bore that same ancestral look.

The so-called "meeting room" was nothing more than a small candy shop on the fringes of the slums, near the lower district.

"Hello, young man. Care for some sweets?"

"Why not? I'm a Sankta—I'd never say no to candy."

Felix strolled around the shop, basket in hand. The shelves brimmed with every type of confection, all at modest prices. When it came to sweets, even as a Sankta, he was no exception to temptation.

"One hundred and fifteen LMD in total."

"Here."

As Felix handed over the payment, two children slipped into the shop. Their smiles vanished the moment they saw the unfamiliar stranger. Hastily, they grabbed a few pieces of candy, tossed down their money, and bolted out, almost stumbling over themselves in their rush.

From the loose cuffs of their sleeves, Felix caught sight of faint black crystals of Originium.

"So that's how it is… this is the slums."

He popped a piece of candy into his mouth, the tangy sweetness of apple spreading across his tongue. Turning his gaze toward the Zalak reclined in a chair, he asked, "Is this where most Infected live?"

"To be able to live here is already paradise."

The old Zalak—Mr. Lin—spoke slowly, his voice casual but heavy with meaning. "What surprises me is that I don't see the usual fear in your eyes, Felix. Are you truly Sankta?"

Before Felix could respond, Lin chuckled to himself.

"A Sankta leading a mercenary squad of Sarkaz warriors… If someone had told me that before, I'd have thought they were brainless, or had eaten tainted gutter oil from some street stall. But you—" His gaze sharpened. "You've managed it. You've surprised me… and unsettled me."

"It's just a business arrangement."

"Then tell me—why does Tomorrow's Development employ the Undead? What's your aim?"

For the first time, Lin opened his eyes fully. Unlike Wei Yanwu, he didn't hide behind a politician's mask. His question cut straight to the bone.

Felix hadn't had much contact with him in his past life, but he knew enough: spend long enough in Lungmen and you learned of Lin. Build a good relationship, and he'd pass you jobs in the grey zones—contracts others couldn't even touch. As for his real background? Felix didn't know, and no player ever had.

"To pioneer this land."

Lin gave a low, dismissive laugh.

"Adventurers have an undying gift from Originium Arts," Felix continued evenly. "And with it, they carry an endless curiosity for the world. I share that same drive. That's why working together is the best choice. I provide the supplies and gear. They push the frontier forward."

"…"

Lin narrowed his eyes. He didn't think the man was lying. This city didn't belong solely to Wei Yanwu—it belonged to millions of Lungmen citizens as well. As one of them, Lin felt both curiosity and caution toward Tomorrow's Development. Their leader marching in with an army of Undead had set alarm bells ringing in his heart.

"You want to expand? Fine."

Lin's voice was calm, but edged. "Lungmen has its own rules. Stay within them, and things can go smoothly. But if your Undead ever—"

"Then they'll face the consequences."

Felix smiled, meeting Lin's sharp gaze head-on. "I'm the president of a company. I can't monitor every Undead's actions at every hour. If they commit crimes—arrest them. Fine them. Sentence them. Don't hold back on my account. I'll fully support it."

Lin cursed inwardly. Felix's words sounded righteous enough, but that wasn't the point. His warning had been simple: don't bring in so many Undead, or they could upset Lungmen's balance. And Felix had brushed it off with a laugh, refusing to budge.

As if I'd give up my players. They're the lifeblood of this company. If I don't keep them happy, who's going to drop the loot?

The meeting lasted less than fifteen minutes. Lin leaned back in his chair again, listening to the crunch of sand beneath Felix's boots as he left. Slowly, he exhaled.

In Wei Yanwu's eyes, he was still young. He could keep working, keep standing as a guardian of the grey world. Lin, however, leaned toward leaving those opportunities to his daughter, freshly returned from overseas.

As for Tomorrow's Development… if their goal truly was what Felix described—an idyllic future where the Infected and the uninfected could coexist—Lin couldn't help but sneer at the thought. But given that Felix was Sankta, his idealism was understandable.

When the time came, Lin decided, he would let his daughter see it for herself. After all, as someone of the old generation, his task was to preserve.

The next generation, burdened with their hopes, would be the ones to pioneer.

Within just ten short days, Felix had become impossibly busy, each day spent wracking his brain and wearing out his body. During this time, the Laterano squad he brought with him had fully integrated into Lungmen—and into Tomorrow's Development. They didn't step into management positions right away. Instead, like ordinary players, they handled logistics and transport work.

In the end, they were still a squad formally registered under the Notarial Hall. Their role was to report back intelligence about the land. And in a city like Lungmen—where every walk of life was jumbled together—there was no better place to gather information.

Felix's legs were nearly worn out from running around. From dawn till night, his schedule was crammed, making him almost nostalgic for the simpler days of hammering iron. Sometimes, bored in meetings, he'd open the forums to watch ridiculous meme edits. Other times, he'd slip on some crosstalk comedy. Keeping a straight face in the middle of serious discussions so he wouldn't burst out laughing—well, that too became a form of practice.

Every morning after the first round of meetings, Loughshinny would quietly massage his temples and shoulders. And when he returned to base at night, Mostima would work out the stiffness in his muscles on the bed, easing his exhaustion. A few times, even Muelsyse joined in—preparing hydrotherapy sessions to help him relax.

April was fast approaching. The day of departure for Kjerag drew ever closer.

The long-awaited day of departure finally arrived.