Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

Degenbrecher took the timid but adorable Senomi with her. With someone like Degenbrecher as her guardian, Senomi would be in good hands. As long as she stayed close to her new older sister, nothing would go wrong.

Felix, meanwhile, had plans of his own. He was serious when he said he needed a maid—not for mere chores, but to raise Senomi into a well-rounded individual. He intended to create a thorough training program for her.

In his vision, Degenbrecher was the perfect candidate for developing Senomi's combat skills. As a born warrior, Degenbrecher wasn't suited for paperwork or social etiquette. But Senomi? Felix planned to guide her in all the areas where Degenbrecher wasn't fit. While Degenbrecher molded her into a fighter, Felix would handle her education in civilian affairs.

He remembered clearly—in his previous life, Senomi, codenamed "Gravel," had been a frontline operator of Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company. Skilled in combat, she had earned the title of a Fourth-Rank Knight in Kazimierz. This time, however, she would be nurtured under his and Degenbrecher's dual guidance.

He could already imagine the outcome: a versatile secretary who was sharp in both combat and strategy.

Putting aside Senomi's development for the time being, Felix turned his attention to his next task—leaving Kazimierz. Before departing, he needed to gather the three players he had brought into the city. Lately, the most popular thread on the forums was the livestream titled Magic ZX's Travel Vlog. With such widespread exposure, many players now yearned for a chance to enter a major city. Compared to the starter town, this place felt like another world entirely.

Many players looked on with envy—and jealousy—at the three lucky ones who had triggered Felix's hidden mission.

This included Team Liquid. Their captain, Lao Si Lai Si, had reached level 15. Through relentless grinding, hoarding resources, and equipping gear purchased from Felix, he had become a level 10 novice Guard, with a secondary class as a level 5 novice Knight. He was confident—far ahead of average players now—and believed he had a solid shot at qualifying for the knight competition.

A few months prior, Team Liquid had participated in the North District's open auditions. They were utterly crushed in the first round. It had been one of their few PvP encounters in this world—and the experience left a mark. Though stats were evenly matched, their opponents' martial prowess made a huge difference.

There were no "Sword Skills" in Ark like those in Sword Art Online. No auto-aim, no trajectory assistance. Players had to rely solely on their own physical control to swing weapons and fight—meaning real athletic ability was essential.

Previously, Lao Si Lai Si had only fought Originium creatures or wild beasts. But once he faced Terran opponents, he realized how wrong he was. These enemies weren't predictable NPCs with set attack patterns—they reacted, got angry, rolled to dodge, and punished every mistake.

They didn't feel like NPCs at all. They felt like real players.

Team Liquid was eliminated in the very first round.

Humbled, they finally recognized the reality of this world. Their coach immediately set up physical training sessions for them, requiring the entire team to attend—so they could better control their bodies and adapt to the combat demands of this strange new world.

When the members of Team Liquid saw the Pioneer—who had settled in the town of Kazimierz, Barichara—take Qiu Muyu away, a wave of jealousy hit them hard. Watching Magic ZX's polished "travel vlog" only made it worse; their molars practically cracked from grinding in envy. And when they saw the Pioneer gifting Dandao Dantart advanced weapons, their eyes went bloodshot.

Team Liquid's morale began to unravel. Even their captain, Lao, was on the verge of mental collapse.

As more players immersed themselves in Ark, many began to notice the same issue Team Liquid had encountered during their PvP matches: no matter how high your stats were, if you didn't know how to swing a sword properly, you were little more than a walking health pack—completely useless on the battlefield.

Still, most players who had chosen melee professions like Guard, Special Ops, or Vanguard were already drawn to that type of hands-on combat. Upon discovering this dynamic, they were overjoyed. Could this mean that even if they had lower stats in PvP, real combat skills could allow them to outperform stronger opponents?

Forum threads exploring attack mechanics, swing angles, and combat footwork quickly rose to prominence. Many players, who initially assumed that fighting would be turn-based or based on automated parameters, were stunned. Suddenly, the game felt like a whole new world had opened up.

While it was still unrealistic to win if the stat gap was too wide, players realized that if the difference wasn't too great, it was entirely possible to pull off the kind of "cross-level victories" they had only read about in novels.

This revelation was met with widespread excitement. The consensus was clear: Ark's combat system was refreshingly realistic. Incredible. Simply incredible.

Felix quietly scrolled through the forums, deep in thought. In his previous life, this was around the time when players collectively discovered the existence of combat mechanics. It was this very revelation that drove many to actively seek out NPC mentors, hoping to become their apprentices. The trend was particularly intense in Yan Country, where martial arts schools were scattered across the land.

As for himself, Felix didn't possess any high-level combat skills and never considered going down that path. His role was support—low-damage, behind-the-scenes—so there was no need to get caught up in it all.

"Hnngh! Ha—" Muelsyse suddenly emerged from her water bottle with a loud yawn, sprawling across the sofa with her legs crossed. "Did anything interesting happen while I was gone these past few days?"

She blinked at him, then frowned. "Hmm? Felix, why are you still hammering away? Is blacksmithing really that much fun?"

Felix hummed in response. Watching his experience bar slowly climb, seeing raw materials transformed into advanced technology under the strike of his hammer—wasn't that the very definition of satisfaction?

No man could resist the allure of hammering iron.

"How's your side of the work going?" Felix asked, straightening up. "Yara contacted me yesterday. She said the Colombian military is interested in the Pathfinder project and hopes to establish a purchase agreement… Of course, they have some special requirements."

"A military contract?" Muelsyse sat up straighter, her expression turning serious. "Sounds a bit complicated… What's your take on it, Felix?"

Felix wasn't at all surprised that the Colombian military had turned their attention to the aircraft. But he also understood one thing clearly: once the military got involved in advanced technology, the outcomes were rarely ideal. He could already foresee what would happen next—his Pathfinder design would be distributed to other craftsmen for reverse-engineering. They would dissect his blueprints, replicate, and mass-produce their own versions.

No, it had probably already started. After all, who could say with confidence that the Pioneer Association had no military ties?

So Columbia's so-called cooperation was more a matter of procedure—just a way to save face and make everything appear legitimate. In reality, they simply needed Felix's cooperation to smooth things over. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement: good for the military, good for Felix, and good for Rhine Lab.

Had Felix refused, they would likely study the design themselves regardless, and their attitude toward Rhine Lab could easily shift. After all, the military held shares in Rhine Lab too.

"Of course I agreed," Felix said calmly. "We're not at odds with the Colombian military, at least for now. Their requirements aren't excessive either—just reconnaissance capability, night vision, and thermal imaging modules. Seems it's all intended for scouting missions."

"Hmm."

Muelsyse nodded thoughtfully, though her mood shifted just a moment later.

"Felix, are you planning to stay here in Kawalerielki a while longer? Or head off to another city—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the apartment door burst open.

Degenbrecher stepped inside, still dressed in the high-protection employee uniform that Felix had provided her. Beside her was Senomi, now clad in a set of children's clothes. She looked like a little actress fresh off a movie set—her soft pink hair drooping around her shoulders. But even so, she still seemed timid. The moment she entered, she curled into herself like a frightened ostrich, her tiny frame trembling slightly.

Degenbrecher let out a sigh, and her golden eyes flicked briefly to Muelsyse. Upon noticing her, she was visibly startled but quickly regained her composure, cleared her throat, and reported, "Felix, I bought the clothes. Also picked up five backup sets."

Senomi whispered, voice barely audible, "I... I don't deserve... I don't deserve such pretty clothes..."

Muelsyse was momentarily frozen.

Felix nodded, then turned to check on Muelsyse—only to find that she had gone unnervingly quiet. After a long pause with no reaction, he gave her a small poke.

"You... you, you!! Felix!!" Muelsyse suddenly shrieked, her watery form puffing up with emotion. "You married the Black Knight and had a child while I was gone?!"

Tears welled up in her water-shaped eyes as she floated into the air, pounding Felix's shoulders with her tiny, watery fists.

Degenbrecher let out a soft chuckle. This odd lady seemed quite entertained by the chaos—but something flickered in her golden eyes. That day, the figure who had asked for her autograph... was made of water? An Originium construct? Even the mystical waves of the Green Flow Knight couldn't compare to this kind of intricate Originium technique.

Senomi, seeing Muelsyse floating, shrieked and pressed herself closer to Degenbrecher, trembling in fear.

Felix quickly moved to explain everything.

The apartment was instantly thrown into complete chaos.

...

"So, you're saying the Black Knight—uh, Miss Degenbrecher—was forced to leave Kazimierz because of persecution by the Chamber of Commerce...?"

Muelsyse finally calmed down. Her gaze turned toward the Black Knight, now tinged with a faint trace of sympathy.

Degenbrecher spoke with quiet indifference, "They've disliked me for a long time. This was just the spark. It just so happened the boss bought my life, so from now on, I'm his subordinate—serving as his bodyguard."

Felix glanced at Muelsyse, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. At once, Muelsyse recalled his offhand comment about wanting to see the Black Knight fight Saria—and immediately shot him a glare of pure disapproval. With her around, such a catastrophic idea that might shatter the world would never be allowed to happen.

Her gaze shifted toward Senomi, who stood nervously beside the sofa, hands clutching the corners of her new clothes. Degenbrecher had pulled her into a seat moments earlier, but Senomi had quickly sprung back up. As a slave, she had long been conditioned to believe she wasn't worthy of sitting on such a clean, expensive leather sofa—her body too filthy, her status too low.

Muelsyse's expression softened with pity. The kind elven lady had never been exposed to the darkness that thrived in this land. She didn't understand why anyone would treat the buying and selling of human beings as acceptable.

Truthfully, even Columbia still held vestiges of slavery. But nothing like what persisted here in Kazimierz.

"What will happen to Mi-chan after this?"

Despite having just met, Muelsyse had already given Senomi a sweet nickname.

"We'll raise her properly," Felix replied. "Now that I've taken ownership of Senomi, it's my responsibility to care for her and give her a future."

"That's good to hear."

Muelsyse let out a small sigh of relief. She floated over to Senomi, smiling warmly. "Hello there~"

Felix looked away. Muelsyse's kindness and innocence gave her a natural affinity with children. He turned to Degenbrecher, and the two of them quietly moved toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"We're heading to Kazdel next," he said. "I'll be counting on you to keep Senomi and me safe."

"A Sankta going into Sarkaz territory… I understand," Degenbrecher answered calmly. "With me by your side, no one will harm you."

That quiet confidence—that was what Degenbrecher brought Felix.

As for Muelsyse, her identity wasn't much of a secret. Degenbrecher didn't bother asking; it was Muelsyse herself who took the initiative to introduce who she was, allowing Degenbrecher to learn about Rhine Lab.

And thus passed their final night in Kawalerielki.

The next day, Felix met the three players at their hotel. Lately, their usual activity in the city had been going up to NPCs and asking, "Is something bothering you? Can I help you with anything?"

They managed to complete a few triggered side quests, but most were simple errands. For example, they weren't high-level enough to participate in the knight competition—but they went to watch every match, and quickly became die-hard fans of the Black Knight.

Naturally, when they heard she had left Kawalerielki, they were devastated. None of them had gotten a chance to ask for her autograph.

"Mr. Pioneer, where are we headed next?"

The player Magic ZX followed closely behind Felix—after all, one of the iron rules among players was that where high-level NPCs went, there were always rewards to be had. Dandao Dantart had already proven this many times over.

"We're heading back to Barichara Town, then moving on to Kazdel," Felix said, leading them to the underground garage.

The pickup truck's backseat was filled with materials, but not to the point of being cramped. Felix had made sure to leave the third row of seats empty for the players. After all, it wouldn't be safe—or responsible—for Degenbrecher to sit in the passenger seat holding Senomi in her arms. That would be dangerous driving. His family might cry if they knew.

Magic ZX mused to himself, Kazdel's currently embroiled in a civil war.

"Mr. Pioneer will be fine," Qiu Muyu responded, as if reading his thoughts. "Even though demons and angels are enemies, the Pioneer doesn't seem to bear any grudge against Kazdel. And knowing his personality, he wouldn't get involved in any massacres."

Dandao Dantart nodded in agreement. All three players who had spent time around the Pioneer were convinced of his upright nature. He might open fire on Sarkaz mercenaries who dared raise their weapons against him, but he would never harm innocent Sarkaz civilians.

"Boss, are these the three heading to Kazdel with us?"

The voice made all three players freeze and turn toward its source.

Standing there was the Black Knight—wearing a sharp military uniform, a tie fastened neatly at her collar, and a weapon strapped to her back. She was very much alive and unmistakably addressing the Pioneer as boss.

The three players stared, wide-eyed.

Wait—what? The Black Knight? Here? Alive?! And she just called the Pioneer "boss"?

What kind of relationship was this? When had that happened?

Magic ZX's eyes lit up like fireworks.

For him, the Pioneer had always been his favorite male NPC. And after watching the Knight Tournament, the Black Knight had instantly become his favorite female NPC. Her strength, elegance, and that commanding, queen-like aura had made a deep impression on him. He'd always wanted to dig deeper into her past—and her future.

It had been disappointing when she disappeared from the game after the tournament.

Who could have guessed that the Pioneer had actually recruited her as a subordinate?

Magic ZX cheered inwardly. Other players hadn't yet met the Black Knight. This was his chance—he could show off her combat footage in his next video, pique everyone's curiosity, and then reveal her unexpected connection to the Pioneer.