Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

Magic ZX's original job was making strategy videos. The first two episodes he released focused on the storylines of the Pioneers and the Black Knights—a slight detour from his usual content. Yet, beneath his latest video, comments flooded in urging him to continue updating the Pioneer stories. Viewers clearly wanted more.

Left with little choice, Magic ZX temporarily kept the Pioneers in the camp instead of removing them from the narrative. Although their levels and experience rose rapidly—thanks to daily skill usage and combat opportunities—they still fell short of fulfilling their destined roles.

---

Over the span of several months in Terra, many Sarkaz players journeyed from afar to join the camp. To accommodate the growing number of residents, Ulšulah expanded the town. Simultaneously, she gathered supplies and prepared for potential evacuation.

After all, unlike mobile cities, this shelter was stationary. Whenever natural disasters struck, it couldn't relocate. Without mobility, the outer walls were vulnerable to damage from the elements, pushing Ulšulah to begin planning for retreat.

While Kazdel was buried in sand and rubble, Felix enjoyed a warm and peaceful New Year in Lungmen. He boarded the train to the lower city, carrying bags filled with fruit and gifts. In his previous life, bringing gifts when visiting elders had been customary—and the same tradition existed in Yan on Terra. Besides, Felix had a mission: to win over the grandmother of the girl he intended to "abduct." First impressions mattered.

Snowsant and her grandmother lived in the lower city, not far from the slums. A guarded checkpoint marked the boundary between the two districts, and only those with proper documentation could pass through. Ordinary citizens remained fearful of the infected, wary of Originium particles transferring onto them. The authorities in Lungmen turned a blind eye to this tension.

Most of the lower city's population consisted of elderly Lungmen residents and migrant workers from other regions.

When Felix arrived downtown, he felt as though he had stepped into Hong Kong. Residential buildings were packed tightly together, neon signs flickered dimly above the narrow streets, and vendors sat by the roadside, playing cards and chatting. Honestly, the atmosphere reminded him a bit of Night City.

"Young man, who are you looking for?"

An elderly man looked up from his game and called out, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm here to visit Snowsant's house," Felix replied with a smile.

The old man squinted, puzzled. "Snowsant? Is there a Snowsant around here?"

Felix froze for a second—he suddenly remembered "Snowsant" was her codename, not her real name. So, he described her appearance instead, especially mentioning her long, two-toned, fluffy hair. That jogged the old man's memory, and he pointed him in the right direction.

"Take good care of that girl!" the old man shouted hoarsely. "You better make her happy!"

It almost felt like Felix was here to propose marriage.

After turning a few corners, Felix spotted Snowsant running toward him. It seemed she had been worried he might get lost and had come to meet him at the entrance—but he'd gotten there first.

"Ah, Felix-senpai!"

Snowsant beamed and jogged up to him. "You got here so quickly!"

"This place is like a maze. I almost got lost."

"...But you didn't, right? Did you ask for directions?"

"Yeah, a couple of old guys at the entrance were playing cards."

As they chatted, they entered the apartment building. Snowsant's home had one bedroom and a living room. She lived there with her grandmother—her grandmother used the bedroom, while Snowsant had turned part of the living room into a studio. She slept on a simple folding bed.

Snowsant's grandmother was in high spirits. Standing at the door with a warm smile, she greeted Felix and the slightly shy Snowsant, then welcomed them into the home. Felix handed over the gift he had brought. The old woman sighed a few times and said something along the lines of, "You're such a polite child," before finally accepting it with a nod.

Then, she gave Snowsant a kind look and headed downstairs with a basket in hand.

"My grandma does aerobics around this time every day… then goes to the market to buy food," Snowsant whispered.

Felix nodded and glanced toward Snowsant's studio. "This is really…"

"…These are tools I bought from the recycling station. They do look a bit old," Snowsant said, putting her hands behind her back, looking as nervous as a student during a teacher's visit.

"This is really luxurious."

"…Huh?"

The Snowsant let out a sound that didn't quite match the situation.

Felix stepped forward and ran his hand over the old workbench. "The tools are all here, everything that's needed. The materials might be a bit lacking, but if I were to rate this studio, I'd give it nine out of ten."

"That's such a high score… I don't think I deserve nine points," Snowsant said softly.

Felix shook his head. "This is the kind of workshop every kid who's into engineering, machinery, or firearms dreams of."

"I lost my father when I was young, and the only thing that ever caught my interest was guns." Felix picked up a screwdriver and toyed with it in his hand. "My first studio was at home too, but it was much messier than this… And since there weren't many recycling stations where I lived, I had to buy all my tools myself."

Hearing that, Snowsant lowered her head. After a moment, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Because… because…"

The girl struggled to put her feelings into words, clearly trying to apologize upon learning Felix had lost his parents—but not quite sure how to do it.

Seeing this, Felix reached out and gently rubbed her fluffy hair. In a gentle voice, he said, "There's nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong. Everyone's fate is different.

People aren't born equal. But I don't complain about that—I just work hard on the path I've chosen."

"…Mm."

Snowsant wiped the corners of her eyes. Felix smiled wryly and handed her a tissue. This junior of his had a fragile personality, but whenever she talked about her dreams, her eyes would shine brilliantly.

Snowsant quickly wiped away her tears and lowered her head, a little embarrassed. But under Felix's encouragement, she soon began talking with passion about her little inventions—just as she had intended when she first invited Felix to visit.

As the sun began to set, the old woman returned, pushing open the door with vegetables in her arms. She walked in briskly, took one look at the two young people sitting together on small stools chatting happily, and smiled warmly before heading straight into the kitchen to begin cooking.

That evening's dinner was a spread of Yan's home-style dishes. It was the kind of meal that gave Felix a true taste of home—the kind of warmth no gourmet dish from a fancy restaurant could replicate.

The happy moments passed quickly. As night fell, Snowsant's grandmother asked her to walk Felix downstairs. The sound of footsteps echoed on the stairs, and just like that, the girl returned to her usual shy and quiet self.

"Will you go to Lungmen University of Technology in the future, Snowsant?"

"It would be great if I could." Snowsant smiled, as though envisioning a bright future. "...Money is the most important thing. Since I'm not an adult yet, I can only work part-time every day, and I might not be able to save enough for college tuition."

The two reached the bottom of the stairs. Standing under the soft light, Felix turned to the girl and said suddenly, "I can help you."

"...Huh?"

The Snowsant was visibly startled.

Felix hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But I need you to say it in person: 'Felix-senpai, please help me,' before I agree."

"W-Why?"

"Because I see my past self in you," Felix answered frankly. "The shadow of someone who had no money but kept chasing their dream."

"As for that sentence… Snowsant, everyone faces hardship and needs help. There's nothing wrong with calling out for help when you need it." Felix smiled. "I believe there are kind-hearted people out there who will be willing to help you."

Snowsant stared at Felix in a daze. Her lips trembled slightly before she finally whispered, "Felix-senpai, please help me."

[You have triggered the C-level personal series mission [Snowsant's Future]. Accept/Give up?]

There it was—the mission trigger. Felix had spoken all of that not only to encourage Snowsant to be more confident and to rely more on others, but also because he hoped to trigger her personal quest.

Back when he was still a player, hearing an NPC say "Please help me" was often the start of a quest being activated. He had tried that same method on Snowsant—and surprisingly, it worked.

Even more unexpectedly, it turned out to be a C-level mission—and a series mission at that. That meant Snowsant would need his help across multiple stages going forward.

[Mission Details: You saw a shadow of your past in Snowsant. She is passionate about engineering—when she speaks of it, her eyes sparkle like stars. Yet, she has neither the money nor the connections to thrive in the vast city of Lungmen. Perhaps it is that very sparkle in her eyes that drew you in. You've decided to help her take the first step toward her dream.]

[Task Requirements: Snowsant successfully enters an technology university. (Unfinished)

(Additional tasks not yet unlocked)]

[Reward: 20,000 experience points]

Felix smiled slightly as he read the mission details. Seeing the current objective made him breathe a quiet sigh of relief. If Snowsant really ended up attending Lungmen University of Technology, their paths might diverge for a while—after all, Felix wouldn't be staying in Lungmen forever.

"Snowsant, I remember you said you liked Columbia, right?"

"Oh… yes! I really love the research environment there. I want to save up money during school so I can go to Columbia after I graduate school."

Snowsant's voice gradually grew smoother, as if she had been waiting for an opportunity to talk about this all along—words she had long wanted to share.

"I've got some connections at Columbia," Felix began, then added, "I have a few friends who graduated from Trimount Polytechnic. I can introduce them to you. If the conversation goes well, they might be willing to write a letter of recommendation."

University applications usually required a letter from a high school teacher—but a recommendation from a university alumnus held significantly more weight. In that moment, Felix was opening a real path for Snowsant—a road toward her dream. And now, her dream felt so close she could almost reach out and touch it.

"…The day after tomorrow is New Year's. Are you free tomorrow?" he asked. "Let's meet at a café near Lungmen University of Technology. I'll introduce you to one of them."

Felix chuckled and gave her hair a gentle ruffle—it was soft and pleasant to the touch. "Treat this meeting as seriously as an interview, alright?"

"I… I'll definitely prepare properly!" Snowsant clenched her fists with determination.

Felix gave her a reassuring smile and turned to leave. Snowsant took a deep breath, then dashed back upstairs.

"It's time for bed, kid. Why are you still fiddling around in the studio?" her grandmother called.

"Grandma, go ahead and rest first. I'll sleep after I finish writing this."

---

The next day, Felix borrowed Muelsyse—who had been spending her holiday shopping and wandering around with Degenbrecher and Senomi lately.

Although Rhine Lab was on break for the holiday, a few senior researchers didn't have much concept of "vacation." They remained cloistered in their labs, working tirelessly on experiments. Muelsyse, meanwhile, found herself a bit bored. Her eco-house hadn't welcomed any new plants recently, so she took the opportunity to enjoy some downtime—using one of her clones to go on vacation.

"Well, did Felix invite me out on a date?" Muelsyse pouted, arms crossed, a hint of mock annoyance in her voice. "Hmph. Impossible. That Sankta guy must be hammering away in a studio again, doing research."

"I'm actually doing something serious for once."

As Felix picked up the hot cocoa in front of him, a miniature chocolate-colored Muelsyse suddenly popped out of the cup. She planted her hands on her hips and said, "I don't believe you. I don't believe it at all."

Felix ignored her and kept bringing his cup closer.

"Ahhh, don't actually drink it!" Mini Muelsyse cried, clenching her eyes shut as the giant mouth loomed ever closer.

Gulp.

This café's hot cocoa was indeed excellent.

Muelsyse poked Felix's cheek with a pout, deliberately smearing a drop of cocoa on his face. "Too much, too much! To treat cute little me like that… Felix, you have no sense of gentlemanly behavior."

"Ahem…"

"Alright, I'll stop teasing. I know how busy you are as a shareholder. Been discussing new ventures again?" She stretched lazily in the sunlight, her long, graceful figure catching the light.

"You really can't sit still, huh? Though, thanks to you, I've had the chance to travel to so many places."

"I brought a junior to Trimount Polytechnic," Felix said casually. "Aren't you curious, senpai?"

"Oh? Felix, say that again—call me senpai one more time," Muelsyse giggled. But when Felix simply looked at her silently, she gave in with a smile. "So? What kind of junior is she?"

Felix glanced at the teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of her eye, then looked away. "She's a junior who's passionate about engineering and works incredibly hard. I think she has a good shot at interning at Rhine Lab after graduating from Trimount Polytechnic. She could even work with me on future research."

"Mmm… Kristen might be interested too."

Muelsyse propped her chin on her hand, thinking aloud. "So, Felix… are you planning to leave this junior behind at Rhine Lab to hold down the fort for you?"

Before he could respond, Muelsyse shot him a playful smirk—a look that said, I've seen right through you!

Felix's expression remained calm.

"Don't spread rumors. I'm a gentleman. I would never do such a thing."

"Yes, yes~ It's Master Felix~ Leaving everything behind after becoming a shareholder~"