Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

"Mr. Felix, my sources of information are far more extensive than you might think," said Tin Man, lowering the brim of his hat with a metallic hand. "I believe this is no secret to the Sankta people."

"That's true," Felix replied calmly, "but I don't refer to them by the code name 'Undead.'"

"Code names are just that—labels. Whatever you choose to call them, their immortal nature remains unchanged."

Felix raised an eyebrow. He was already aware that the high command of Kazdel had studied the players thoroughly—examining both their strengths and vulnerabilities—and discovered that they possessed Originium abilities granting them a kind of immortality. In response, Kazdel's top brass had decided to open a battlefield solely for this group.

But he hadn't expected Tin Man to know even this much.

"What do you think of them?" Felix turned the question back, walking to the bar to refill his glass with sparkling water. "I'm curious to hear Mr. Tin Man's thoughts."

"They're a band of mercenaries unafraid of death… but too weak," Tin Man replied with a faint curl of his lips. "Whoever gains control of enough Undead will hold greater influence over Terra's future."

"It's unsettling to imagine someone commanding an army of immortals."

Felix offered a faint smile. "Within a few years, various nations and factions will move—whether by offering benefits or applying pressure—to recruit the 'Undead' into their ranks."

"Then, will war follow?" Tin Man narrowed his gaze. "Judging from your behavior, Mr. Felix, are you trying to start one?"

Felix burst out laughing at the accusation. Shaking his head, he replied, "Mr. Tin Man, you're overthinking it. I have no grand ambitions—no desire to unify Terra. The best outcome would be for them to be integrated separately into various countries. Power mustn't be concentrated in one place; it has to be scattered. That's the safest path forward."

"Just like the civil war in Kazdel today."

Tin Man exhaled another cloud of smoke. "You are the most unusual Sankta I've ever encountered."

"And you, Mr. Tin Man," Felix replied with a slight grin, "are the strangest Sarkaz I've ever met."

Their conversation ended there. Felix drained the last of his sparkling water and stood to leave.

Tin Man lowered his hat once more. "What we just discussed about the 'immortals' has nothing to do with the Maylander Foundation. That was purely personal curiosity. The Foundation will contact you in September to begin implementing the plan we discussed."

Felix gave a nod. Just as he reached the door, he paused and turned back.

"What is it?" Tin Man asked.

"Is something troubling you, Mr. Tin Man?"

Tin Man's eyes widened slightly. The man who had spoken so coolly and thoughtfully just moments ago—what was he playing at now?

"...No," Tin Man finally said, his voice low.

"Is that so..." Felix felt a twinge of disappointment. In his previous life, players with the technician sub-profession could receive a class advancement quest from Tin Man after joining the Maylander Foundation. This quest would unlock the technician's advanced sub-profession—Agent. He had thought he might have that opportunity again, but now it seemed unlikely.

"...You're staring at me. What is it that you actually want?" Tin Man asked, visibly confused by this curious Sankta. Yet, when he thought back to the other Sankta he'd encountered, they weren't all that different from Felix. In fact, Felix's personality was far more agreeable than most.

Felix paused to gather his thoughts before answering, "I want to know how to become an agent."

The Agent sub-profession was a high-level progression from the Technician path. Once unlocked, players gained mastery in close-quarters combat, sniper rifle and crossbow handling, stealth, and concealment. It was considered a late-game sub-profession in Version 2.0.

"You're interested in agents? That's unusual," Tin Man remarked. He gave Felix a second glance—this time, with a bit more appreciation. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a small book and tossed it over. "Take it and study it yourself. Don't ask me questions if you don't understand."

Felix caught the book with both hands, his expression brightening. The title read: The Seven Standards of an Agent.

"I owe you one," Felix said with a grin.

"I've earned a favor from you. I'd say I'm the one profiting here," Tin Man replied coolly. He leaned back in his chair, slowly finishing the last of his cigar. "The Maylander Foundation is looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Felix."

Taking the hint that the conversation was over, Felix smiled and departed. He had gained far more than expected. Not only had he obtained the agent sub-profession guidebook, but he also gleaned insight into the Maylander Foundation's intentions. Clearly, they aimed to pit him against the entrenched powers of the scientific community—to make him their weapon.

It might have seemed like he was being used… but Felix didn't feel disadvantaged. After all, when weighing the value of being used against the prospect of earning a doctorate, the doctorate was clearly more important.

Beyond material goods, the only thing that interested Felix in the black market was information. Near the trade hub, he sat casually on a street corner and tossed a few Colombian gold coins toward a beggar crouched nearby.

"Tell me if there's been any interesting news lately."

The old beggar looked up, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth, and gave a raspy chuckle. Don't be fooled by his appearance—anyone able to survive as a beggar in the black market wasn't ordinary.

"Three gold coins… three pieces of intel."

"The military has begun contacting major tech companies to prepare for human experimentation."

"A cutting-edge scientist, once hailed as a revolutionary in the academic world, died in a fire caused by a failed experiment."

The first bit of news merely made Felix's eyelids twitch. But the second… it told him everything he needed to know. The Maylander Foundation's intent was clear.

The 'insects' had already begun their assassinations.

The scientific community of Columbia was beyond saving.

And now, he had been pushed forward… into a war with the so-called immortals of science.

As expected of the Maylander Foundation—he had been nothing more than a tool from the very beginning.

Felix was a little surprised, but not particularly angry. After all, he had no plans to remain in Columbia once his studies were complete, and those old monsters couldn't reach into Rhine Lab. As long as he wasn't stationed in Columbia permanently, those "insects" would have no way to touch him.

"The first Dossoles Warrior Championship will be held in Bolívar soon."

Hearing the final piece of intel, Felix suddenly remembered. He had completely forgotten about that event. Indeed, this summer break marked the first time Dossoles hosted such a competition... Should he go take a look?

There didn't seem to be any major plot-critical characters in Bolívar, and the country itself was embroiled in civil war—a situation that caused most Bolívar-born players to migrate elsewhere. Many went to Columbia, some to Yan Country. However, the festivities in Dossoles were famously extravagant.

Could this be an opportunity?

Returning to Rhine Lab, Felix brought back the metals acquired in the black market deal and began basic metal forging work.

While drenched in sweat, he absentmindedly browsed the forums—and saw that the latest issue of Terra Times had finally been updated.

He clicked it open. As usual, the view count remained in the six digits.

The familiar hosts—Xiaolang, Yang YanXF, and Moonlight—smiled at the camera.

After a brief round of self-introductions, Xiaolang opened, "Before we dive into this issue's headlines from Terra, I'm sure everyone's already heard about the mid-season tournament."

"Yes!" Yang YanXF chimed in. "The first large-scale mid-season tournament of Ark will be held in the United States in just a month. This competition is being funded by a number of clubs and investors, and the prize pool is a staggering 10 million USD!"

"And this time," he continued, "32 teams have received direct invitations. These include legendary names that have left their mark on the game's competitive scene—Team Liquid, Dynasty, Yanyu Pavilion, and Lao Gandie from the China region have all confirmed their participation through official announcements."

Moonlight added, "The remaining twelve spots will be filled through qualifying rounds. Clubs that weren't directly invited can fight their way into the main tournament by surviving the brutal preliminaries. According to estimates from external networks, the number of teams vying for those spots has likely surpassed triple digits."

"It really gets your blood pumping!" Xiaolang exclaimed. "Let's hope our ACL teams can achieve great results!"

Here, ACL referred to the Arknights Championship League, China's professional league born out of Ark. It had become a premier high-level competitive arena and the only official channel through which Chinese teams could advance to the global finals.

After discussing the pro scene for a while, the hosts shifted their focus to recent player intel and trends. At present, the pass rate for those attempting the Pioneer Memory Crystal remained abysmally low. Most players could study theory, but lacked practical execution. This was currently the most difficult instance in Ark—and, for now, it seemed there were no others.

"I'm telling you, this 24-person dungeon demands way too much coordination. I'm already struggling on my own—how am I supposed to manage 23 other people?"

"So true. If one person messes up or dies, you might still pull through. But if people keep dropping like flies, there's no way to win."

"This dungeon really tests your team. Finding competent teammates is an art in itself. I'm currently reinstalling the P1 Building and the P2 Cross Strangler. Looking for a group to clear P2—message me if you're interested."

Another wave of bullet comments scrolled across the screen.

The current estimated player completion rate sat at just 25%. Players either had flawless mechanics but lacked damage output, or vice versa—causing major headaches for many.

Felix shrugged helplessly. After all, this dungeon crystal was created by the system itself—he couldn't clear it solo, so what else could he do?

Still, as players continued to purchase and attempt the dungeon crystals, he gained a steady flow of experience. It no longer surprised him—just a few hundred points at a time. Hardly enough to level up anymore.

While watching the livestream, a prompt suddenly popped up in his system interface:

[[Type-0 Rainy Night Knight] Cleared 80% of the levels. 20% more to unlock the high-difficulty dungeon.]

Felix blinked. This was a new feature—one he hadn't encountered in his previous life. He'd heard of dungeon crystals before, but not this.

The progress bar seemed purely numerical, currently paused at 80%, likely representing the percentage of players who had successfully cleared the dungeon. What would happen when it reached 100%?

Even Felix wasn't sure. After all, this was his first time being an NPC, and the system hadn't provided a clear explanation. What exactly did it mean to "submit" a high-difficulty dungeon?

Well, best to shelve the matter for now and return to watching the hosts dissect the latest intel.

Yang YanXF shook his head. "Some players living in Kazdel have unfortunately contracted Oripathy while out exploring. It's arguably a boost to their combat ability for now, but it may cause complications later in life."

"According to data from third-party sites, nearly a year since the server launched, about 5% of players have been infected—either intentionally or by accident."

With over nine million players currently online, that meant at least 450,000 were infected—most of them in Kazdel. Whether this development was good or bad for players' futures remained to be seen. Still, those who had become infected didn't seem particularly upset. They quickly turned to researching their Originium abilities. Meanwhile, players who weren't in Kazdel found themselves exiled from towns and forced to survive solo or in scattered groups.

"Yang Yan, I heard you also triggered Mr. Pioneer's hidden main quest?" Xiaolang asked teasingly, lightening the mood.

A flood of question marks filled the live chat, while Moonlight burst into exaggerated laughter beside them.

Yang YanXF coughed twice. "That's right. I'm currently working with Mr. Pioneer. My teammates and I left Kazdel and met him in Leithanien, hoping to become his followers. Our strategy team is still figuring out how to trigger the secret main quest."

That part was true. Qiu Muyu and Xiao xuegao, both in his team, were beautiful girls, while Magic ZX and Yang YanXF were undeniably handsome. But strangely enough, the top players from the two major gaming guilds looked like meme characters straight out of Baki... A real headache for the strategy team.

"We managed to reach the main city. The NPCs refer to cities as 'mobile cities,' with a tier below called 'mobile towns.' Our strategy team has done some basic exploration. One of them is Leipzig, a mobile town in Leithanien. The other is Trimount, a mobile city in Columbia... For detailed introductions and strategy guides on these cities, please stay tuned to Terra Times through the dynamic links."

As Terra's climate grew hotter, players began enjoying summer life in this otherworldly land. They shared countless photos capturing various moments and the everyday lives of diverse characters—bringing the perfect close to this issue of Terra Times.

Summer had arrived.

Swimsuit season was here.