Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

The Rainy Night Knight Guard Battle received an overwhelmingly positive response, and the comments section was flooded with praise. Alongside discussions of tactics and optimal team builds, more and more players began diving into the storyline. The names "Chamber of Commerce" and "Armorless Union" had been dropped during the event, sparking widespread curiosity among the player base.

The most-liked comment came from the user Dreamchaser, who wrote:

"If you've spent any time buying goods, trading, or transporting supplies in Kazimierz's novice town, you've definitely heard of the Chamber of Commerce. It's an official organization in Kazimierz with immense financial power, making it one of the most influential and indispensable business alliances in the region."

"With such clout, it's no surprise they had the nerve to make a move against the popular Black Knight. It suggests there are shady dealings behind the scenes in Kazimierz—details we don't know yet. But what we do know is this: the Black Knight won three consecutive championships and then left Kazimierz with the Pioneer. Could this be seen as her being exiled? Think about it—she's still young and incredibly skilled. After three wins, why wouldn't she aim for a fourth?"

"As for why she's traveling with the Pioneer and calling him 'Boss,' my guess is that the Pioneer saved her from the clutches of the Chamber of Commerce—and paid a significant price to do so. That payment could've been in the form of money, favors, or rare resources. Since they were already comrades-in-arms, and the Pioneer saved her life, it makes perfect sense she'd choose to follow him afterward as a gesture of gratitude."

Dreamchaser's reasoning left many players stunned. How had he managed to infer so much from such limited information? It could only be said that he lived up to his reputation—this level of analysis was classic Dreamchaser.

The discussion quickly turned toward the Pioneer, with players enthusiastically debating what kind of price he might have paid to rescue the Black Knight.

Felix, watching from the sidelines, was a little surprised by the speculation—but not entirely. He'd long learned never to underestimate the tenacity of story-driven players. After all, in his previous life, he was one of them. Anytime there was a hint of new content, the forums would explode with theories and speculation, many of which turned out to be eerily accurate. These players had been immersed in the game for so long that they had an almost instinctive grasp of story progression.

The truth? Acquiring the Black Knight had been part of his plan from the beginning.

He had simply been lucky enough to move early. That night in the lounge, he'd spotted a business delegation from Kjerag—and at its head was none other than the chairman of Karlan Trading Company, codenamed SilverAsh. In his previous life, without Felix's intervention, Degenbrecher had been rescued by SilverAsh and taken back to Kjerag. But in this life, Felix arrived ahead of him and intercepted the opportunity.

Before closing the guide video, he noticed there were still hundreds of thousands of viewers rewatching it. A classic case of the brain remembering, but the hands forgetting.

Stretching lazily, Felix turned back to his current task—buying equipment for players in Victoria. Upon hearing that some members of Yanyu Pavilion had arrived in Victoria, he immediately saw a new opportunity. Professional teams were always strong, and more importantly, they were willing to spend. With that in mind, Felix brought out some of the more advanced gear and weapons from his inventory—perfect for those with the money and need to win.

Before temporarily leaving Oak Grove County, Felix suggested to Mandragora that they part ways and work separately for a while. Unexpectedly, Mandragora burst into tears and hugged him tightly, unwilling to let him go.

Senomi glanced back and forth between Felix and Mandragora, her eyes filled with jealousy. Felix had no choice but to gently stroke Mandragora's little head and promise her that he would return in two weeks.

"Pinky…" Mandragora sniffled, her voice hoarse as she held out her pinky finger. "Pioneer Brother, pinky promise."

"Alright, pinky promise. I'll definitely come back."

Felix patted her head gently. "Your mother's condition has improved a lot over the past few days. I heard from the guards that the hunting team will be back soon. I'll visit your house next time I return."

"Really?"

Mandragora's light golden eyes sparkled with joy. She had just been crying, but now she was smiling through her tears. She held tightly onto Felix's hand and refused to let go.

"Of course. But you need to be obedient these days, okay? Go home early in the evenings and don't wander around."

"Okay. My home address is… first floor, No. 5 Oak Avenue," Mandragora whispered in Felix's ear. She smiled sweetly, then waved reluctantly at Felix and Senomi as she walked away, step by step.

Senomi took the initiative to hold Felix's hand. "Master, let's bring some gifts when we visit next time."

"Sure. She's your friend after all. How about bringing a cake?"

"Okay."

Felix withdrew his gaze from the distance. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, he began loading the equipment he planned to sell into the trunk of the pickup truck.

The rural landscape of Victoria wasn't much different from Kazimierz's, but due to its proximity to the central axis, the region enjoyed a warm season. Agriculture here was highly developed, with crops like wheat and potatoes widely cultivated. The favorable climate also made Victoria's tea exports highly prized throughout Terra.

Most players in Victoria chose "Farmer" as their secondary profession. Although it didn't provide any direct stat bonuses, having a farmer on the team allowed them to take on agricultural tasks.

Victoria's farming missions were similar to Columbia's pioneering quests—both offered generous rewards but were shaped by regional characteristics. Many players who enjoyed the farming life were deeply captivated by this playstyle. Of course, for those more interested in PvP and combat, Kazimierz's knight culture also held sway in Victoria. In the novice towns, fights between players were a common occurrence. When they weren't dueling, they often ventured out to hunt.

This was a stark contrast to life in Kazdel, where every day was a desperate struggle for survival.

Kendall, located in the southeast of Victoria, bordered the no-man's land. Beyond that lay Laterano and Iberia. Situated near a river and blessed with fertile soil, Kendall was one of the primary cities for tea cultivation. The land was rich in natural resources, and the surrounding forests teemed with wildlife. For players, it offered an incredibly exciting start to their journey.

Springtime in Kendall brought beautiful scenery, mild temperatures, and a complete absence of harsh weather effects—no heat debuffs, no cold debuffs. It was the perfect environment for players to settle down and enjoy life in the game.

As Felix drove along the road toward Kendall Town, a group of professional players from Yanyu Pavilion had just finished their hunting mission for the day. Before the professional players of Yanyu Pavilion gathered again in the game world, Yan Fei had handed over command of the Victoria team to the deputy captain, Xiyiye.

"Log off once this mission is complete. Coach Baimi has found some leads on career advancement. We may need to leave Kendall Town temporarily," she instructed.

"Huh? Already? We haven't even finished the full set of quests here," Xiyiye replied, shaking her head. Her chosen race was a female Feline.

"There's nothing we can do," she added. "Several team members picked the Caster class, but it's just not well-supported in Victoria. According to Coach Baimi, we should head to Leithanien instead. There's a chance to enter an NPC academy there and get access to advanced knowledge."

The Caster class had become a thorny issue for professional teams. Unlike the straightforward mage archetype players had envisioned—selecting a spell and casting it with a click—the game required players to memorize Originium skill patterns and even "program" them to cast spells effectively. While the learning curve was steep at first, it became manageable once players got used to it.

However, the real frustration for many team members was the Caster's damage output. Early on, there had been great excitement about mages effortlessly blasting enemies, but during actual combat, it became clear that the Caster's Originium skill range was much shorter than expected. Players initially assumed the sniper would stand in front of the Caster to protect them, but in practice, it turned out the Caster had to stand in front of the sniper to attack effectively.

Casters were also notoriously fragile… In fact, snipers often had better durability than them. When enemies got too close, Casters could only swing their staffs in desperation.

No one was quite sure whether this was a design flaw in the Caster class or simply a result of their current level being too low to unlock longer-range spells.

Regardless, it posed a significant problem for professional teams. Their party compositions were typically well-balanced—Defender, DPS, sniper, Caster, medic, and special ops—but the Caster's limitations made strategic planning much more difficult. After all, in professional matches where 12 players entered the field, a Caster being eliminated by an enemy vanguard before even casting a fireball was a wasted slot.

Xiyiye submitted the completed quest and received a generous four-digit sum in LMD. The reward eased her concerns somewhat. Aside from Yanyu Pavilion, only two other guilds were stationed in Kendall Town, and their numbers were small, so there wasn't much competition for missions.

She had heard that in Kazdel, the Dynasty Team and the European Warrior Team frequently clashed—sometimes even physically fighting over good missions. Compared to that chaos, Kendall offered an excellent environment for growth.

Still… Leithanien did sound promising. It was something worth exploring for the sake of the team's development.

Just as Xiyiye was about to log off, she heard the rumble of a car engine in the distance. Looking up, she guessed it was one of the supply vehicles. These vehicles typically delivered specialty goods and food from other towns, allowing players to trade without needing to leave the area.

She saw a Military truck covered in black armor approaching from the far end of the road and immediately stood up.

"Wait—is that the NPC Pioneer's truck people were talking about on the forums?"

The teammate beside her rubbed her eyes and squinted at the vehicle.

"Looks similar, but I don't remember the old version having armor plating."

"If you can buy a vehicle, you should be able to mod it yourself. It's kind of like putting your heart into it," Xiyiye replied, her tone growing more animated. "Did you bring any money? Go check if they're selling any books on secondary professions. And see if you can get any intel on Leithanien—maybe we can dig something useful out of the NPC."

"The most important thing is getting that dungeon crystal. The gear sold by the Pioneer is definitely useful, but the loot from dungeon drops fills in those missing attributes."

Just like Final Fantasy's drop items, some of the equipment from this instance is now considered top-tier—practically endgame gear by current player standards. Meanwhile, the equipment sold by the Pioneer is viewed as "point buy" gear. You needed both to maximize your combat effectiveness.

The sound of the engine drew a crowd. Many players recognized the vehicle and rushed toward it even before it came to a stop.

---

Degenbrecher found it a little strange. When she had met these "adventurers" before, their eyes were filled with curiosity and cautious observation. But now, they looked at her with the admiration of fans gazing at a celebrity. It gave her the illusion of being back in the Kazimierz Knight arena.

These adventurers… they felt different somehow.

Some players bought supplies from Felix, while others came seeking his help.

"Black Knight, what's your relationship with the Pioneer?"

Degenbrecher wasn't surprised to be recognized. Victoria was a city steeped in chivalry, and it wasn't unusual for her name to be known. She never paid much attention to the attitudes of adventurers anyway. She preferred solving problems directly, and fortunately, these adventurers asked their questions just as directly.

She nodded and offered a calm smile.

"I've left the name Black Knight behind. My code name is now Degenbrecher. I am the Pioneer's comrade-in-arms and bodyguard."

Once the players saw that Degenbrecher was willing to talk, the atmosphere became instantly lively.

"Black Knight, I choose you!"

"Sister Degenbrecher! Your smile is gorgeous—and your hair color is so pretty!"

"Please smile at me, sis! I'll lick your shoes!"

Degenbrecher was left speechless. Even for fans, this was excessive. She hadn't expected to be this popular among the adventurers—it was like dealing with a pack of superfans. Many of them even brought her gifts. It reminded her of the old days: every time she met adventurers, they would present her with group offerings. Truly enthusiastic folks.

But despite all the attention, no player dared to harass or challenge Degenbrecher in combat.

They had seen the dungeon guides released by Magic ZX and other members of the Dynasty strategy team. They had witnessed Degenbrecher's valor with their own eyes. Her figure dancing with a sword in the rain had left a lasting impression. They had seen the strength, grace, and commanding presence of the Black Knight during instance runs. And that carefree smile she gave after clearing a dungeon? That sealed it—many players instantly pledged themselves as loyal "dogs" of the Black Knight.

Give your heart to the Black Knight!

In addition to their admiration for the Black Knight, players also discovered a hidden side of the Pioneer. It turned out his solo combat abilities were incredibly strong—he could defeat enemies using only drones, without ever needing to draw his gun.

The only regret players felt was the absence of Senomi in this instance. If only Senomi had appeared and needed to be protected—it would have been perfect. Such a soft, adorable little sister would have captured the hearts of all players, regardless of gender.

Some players offered gifts to Felix. Others brought gifts for Degenbrecher. And naturally, there were also those who prepared presents for Senomi.

Felix's favorability didn't increase. Degenbrecher's favorability didn't increase either.

Only Senomi's favorability rose—somewhat awkwardly—yet that small gain brought immense joy to many players.

"Senomi-chan, uncle loves giving you gifts the most!"