Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

Columbia's tech industry has never been peaceful. Here, falling behind in technology means getting crushed. It's not unusual for corporate spies to infiltrate rival companies to steal business secrets. That reality alone underscores why a strong defense department is essential.

At Rhine Lab, experimental accidents are inevitable. And when something goes wrong—whether it's a rogue animal trial or a full-blown lab fire—Saria is the one who steps in. She always arrives on time, stays calm under pressure, and resolves the crisis swiftly.

"The Colombian military... those greedy bastards have set their sights on your [prototype] drone," Ferdinand said. "They're determined to get their hands on it. What do you think?"

"As long as it helps Rhine Lab grow stronger, I'll take it in stride," Felix replied calmly, glancing out the window. A few new researchers were laughing and chatting in the garden below. "I was ready for this the moment we put the drone on public display."

"Sharp instincts, Felix! And it's not just the military. Thanks to the drone's impressive payload capacity, several logistics companies have placed commercial orders."

Felix nodded. "I'll discuss this with Yara. This wave of sales could cover at least half the cost of the lab's instruments and equipment, right?"

Ferdinand let out a short laugh. "You're underestimating them—and yourself."

He led Felix toward the office wing. "That one's Kristen's office. I won't bother her—got a meeting soon and can't be late."

"Good luck."

"I've always been lucky." Ferdinand grinned, nodded, and walked off.

At the end of the corridor stood a large, high-grade alloy door. Its reinforced design hinted at serious defensive capability. Felix could feel a faint chill in the air.

Kristen... did this woman really hide the mecha in there?

He swiped his access card. The lights in the corridor blinked on, and after a brief knock, Felix stepped inside.

"You're back."

Kristen Wright, general manager of Rhine Lab, had just finished reviewing a stack of documents. She looked up with a faint smile. "What did you get out of your trip? Care to share?"

"What about work?"

"I can work anytime. These reports just slow down my research—I don't enjoy that."

Kristen stood and walked across the minimalist room to the lounge, where the newest Colombian coffee machine sat gleaming. "What would you like to drink?"

"Mocha. Make it sweet."

"Of course. You're a Sankta—of course you'd go for the sweet stuff."

Felix stepped beside Kristen, and the two looked out at the sky while the coffee brewed. Today, Trimount's sky was a hazy blue-gray. Not a single cloud. From this angle, you could almost see the stars.

"Felix," Kristen said, her voice soft but steady, "I need your help."

Felix's expression shifted slightly. He turned to face her and saw something in her eyes—neither professional detachment nor personal obligation. It wasn't a favor.

It was a request from a friend.

"I'll help however I can."

"I knew you'd say that." Kristen's lips curved slightly into a smile. She returned to her desk, pulled out a stack of documents from a drawer, and handed them to Felix.

"This is… a high-energy physics engine, curved acceleration materials… and The Horizon Ark Project."

Felix glanced up at her. Kristen stood there with that same unreadable smile.

The words he wanted to say never made it past his lips. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh and looked away. "You didn't tell Saria."

"…You knew?"

"No. But if you had, you wouldn't be the only one here talking to me about it."

So it had finally come to this—the step toward the sea of stars. That step had come earlier than expected, probably because of him. Still, given current tech limitations, the actual launch of The Horizon Ark likely wouldn't be far off from what it was in his previous life.

But this time, Kristen wasn't alone. Because this time, Felix was standing beside her.

"You know Saria would be furious if she found out." Felix gave a dry chuckle. "She's terrifying when she's mad. I'd really rather not get punched."

"Then we'll just plead for mercy together." Kristen's smile widened, her eyes glittering like distant stars. "She won't hit both of us."

"So, Felix… will you help me?"

"Of course. I told you—you're not on your own anymore."

Felix took the documents and began reviewing them. Inside were patents Kristen had recently filed, along with detailed plans and proposed specs for the The Horizon Ark Project.

But this was all just on paper. It was his job to bring it to life—to build the physical of The Horizon Ark. Kristen would handle the internal systems, the energy structure, and everything under the hood.

"Does Muelsyse know?"

"She does."

Kristen's voice was soft. She pulled her gaze away from the sky and turned to face him. "She said you'd agree. It reminded me of that movie I watched with Saria the other day—about a couple with a psychic bond."

"You and Saria are probably like that too."

"She… would try to stop me."

"Then you should understand exactly how she felt the moment you took off, right?"

"…"

Kristen turned away. "The coffee's getting cold. Drink it while it's still sweet. If you need anything, call me directly on the landline. Oh—and your office has been moved, but everything inside is still intact."

Felix didn't press the issue. Saria would learn about all this eventually, but this time, the ending might turn out different than before.

After leaving the general manager's office, Felix followed the small navigation map to the Mechanical Power Department.

When he left last time, the department had a few junior researchers—academically more qualified than Snowsant, most of them graduate-level—but they were younger and less experienced than she was.

He found them in the studio now, working on a mid-size order: a human robotic arm module. They were building it from scratch. Felix had existing blueprints for this design, but handing them over would defeat the point—this was a chance for them to learn by doing.

Meanwhile, the Maylander Foundation had already delivered the materials he needed to Rhine Lab. That meant he could finally get started on crafting the [Lumen] pistol.

Kristen's documents could wait. With his background as both a high-energy physicist and mechanical dynamicist, Felix wasn't worried about understanding the material. It would take time, no doubt, but once he had enough hands-on experience, he could begin deducing the schematics step by step. It would be a long road, but Kristen had plenty of time—and the patience to match.

Still, compared to Kristen's ambitious spacefaring project, the more urgent task now was Mostima's Guardian Gun.

This gun would stay by her side for the rest of her life. That meant Felix had to craft it with care, precision, and attention to every detail.

His mind wandered to Mostima—mature beyond her years, even back at the church school. She had always carried herself like a little adult. Her calm, detached demeanor gave her an air of clarity, like flowing water—clean, transparent, and unreadable.

Even when Felix finally started to develop a sense of empathy, all he ever felt from her was a serene stillness. No highs, no lows—no obvious emotion. It was as if strong feelings had never existed in her to begin with.

In another life, their paths probably would've remained parallel, never crossing. But their time at the church school—the conversations, the quiet moments—had changed that. Their bond had grown unexpectedly close, and quickly.

"What a remarkable person," Felix muttered to himself. Maybe because he'd been a player in his previous life, his emotional awareness was dull. All he ever sensed from Mostima was peace. She would simply stand there, still and composed, watching him with that adult smile.

And soon, she really would be an adult—her coming-of-age ceremony was set for the end of this year.

The materials required to craft the Lumen Pistol weren't particularly high-end—at least, not by default. The weapon was from the late 2.0 era, and its original design wasn't too demanding for players. But Felix had gone far beyond that.

He used the most advanced, hardest-to-get materials—resources that even players in the 3.0 era struggled to obtain.

In his previous life, during his time at Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, he'd only ever seen those materials listed on high-level preorder forms. The prices had so many zeroes, they made his head spin.

Honestly, those materials probably wouldn't be widely accessible until the tail end of version 4.0.

Even after marveling at them across three versions, Felix hit a problem: his own crafting level wasn't high enough to process them. So, when placing the order through the Maylander Foundation, he paid extra to have the materials pre-processed. It cost a small fortune in service fees—but it meant he could work with them right away.

That reminded him—he hadn't even accepted the gunsmith quest yet.

He opened his panel and tapped to accept the promotion mission.

[You have triggered the C-rank mission: Gunsmith. Accept/Reject?]

[Mission Details: Prove your ability to handle advanced schematics and complex design logic. You've decided to challenge yourself.]

[Task Requirement: Craft a firearm with three additional abilities.]

[Reward: 50,000 EXP]

Compared to the mechanic's task, this was much simpler. If you wanted to craft a gun with three special effects, all it really took was a bit of luck.

Unfortunately, Felix didn't have much of that.

He checked the time—it was already evening. He had his heart set on crafting the weapon today, but dinner couldn't wait. He carefully set the materials aside and left Rhine Lab for now.

Felix didn't head straight home. Instead, he stopped by a nearby hotel to meet with Loughshinny.

He gave her a brief rundown of the current situation—his concerns, his speculations, and the precautions surrounding her future safety. Whatever happened next, Loughshinny needed to figure out her own path. Felix wasn't going to make that decision for her.

As for Feist and the Hart siblings, they'd slept until nightfall and woke up groggy. Feist, driven by habit, wanted to get back to work immediately, but Felix stopped him. "You won't adjust to the time difference if you start working now. Eat well, get some real rest, and I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. We'll head to the studio together."

When Felix finally returned home, he found Muelsyse already there—though it was her water clone, not her real body. She was sitting at the long table in the living room, guiding Rafaela and Susie through their summer homework.

"Oh, Felix, you're back," Muelsyse said, her eyes narrowing in a playful smile.

"Yeah… Sorry I haven't visited. Work's been keeping me busy."

"It's fine. Kristen dumped plenty of tasks on me too."

Their eyes met. In that shared glance, something unspoken passed between them—understanding, maybe. Then Muelsyse smoothly changed the subject. "I heard you're going to Laterano for Christmas?"

"Yeah. I'll be spending New Year's in Laterano for the first time in a while… might have to stay longer to handle a few things," Felix admitted.

Muelsyse nodded. "I should have time to keep this clone active during that period. I'll be happy to help you train."

"Appreciate it."

Just then, Senomi and Mandragora brought out the food. Felix looked around but didn't see Degenbrecher or Carnelian.

"They're in the shower," Senomi explained quickly. "We did some backyard combat drills earlier."

Felix's brow twitched. "The flowers in the backyard aren't cheap…"

Muelsyse placed her hands on her hips and chirped, "No worries! This adorable elf will take care of it~"

Dinner that night was cheerful and warm. Afterward, Muelsyse resumed tutoring homework, while Felix changed back into his research uniform.

"You're working overtime again? Don't turn into another Ferdinand."

"Just for a few nights. I'm making something important for someone. I can't delay any longer."

"Something important?"

"Yeah," Felix said with a small smile. "A gift. For someone important to me."

He stepped forward and hugged Senomi and Mandragora—who were washing the dishes—from behind.

"Good kids, good kids~"

Then, to be fair, he gave a quick affectionate rub to the pink-haired Susie and the ever-adorable Rafaela. Susie smiled shyly, but Rafaela clung to Felix's clothes, refusing to let go.

"I'm heading out."

Degenbrecher and Carnelian nodded in acknowledgment.

Muelsyse watched him go, quietly repeating his last words in her mind.

For someone important… She couldn't help but wonder—was she one of them?

The little elf wandering alone across this land had finally found an anchor, a source of strength. She knew someone like Felix wasn't just a hero to one person. He would keep saving more people, changing more lives.

And for her, just being part of his journey was enough.

She was content. She understood—this kind of hero was meant to walk a long, wide road. All she could do was follow closely behind.

Besides… among the four girls she was teaching, two were clearly developing complicated feelings for their Brother, Felix.

Degenbrecher noticed. Carnelian noticed.

And of course, Muelsyse noticed too.

As for who are they in question?

She wasn't saying.