Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

"What kind of mission is this…?"

Magic ZX and Yang Yan XF's eyes sparkled with excitement. After politely saying goodbye to the Pioneer, they turned their full attention to the mission briefing.

"This... This feels like a large-scale mission," Magic ZX murmured, eyes gleaming.

"Hm... this is definitely something special," Yang Yan XF said, rubbing his chin in thought. "The Pioneer invited us to Dossoles, sure—but it's not just us. He's inviting other players too. Is this some kind of multiplayer event?"

"It could be a massive collaborative mission drawing in players from all over Columbia."

Magic ZX's voice trembled slightly as anticipation built in his chest. "I didn't think the Pioneers would actually release a quest like this... taking all the players in Columbia on a vacation to Dossoles? Just how big is this event going to be?"

"The Pioneer is thoughtful as always," Yang Yan XF nodded. "We players don't have access to this kind of insider information. Only guides like the Pioneer could have gathered all this."

"The mission is set to begin in August. That's less than ten days away. Looks like we'll need to return to Novice Town."

The two of them left the store, still deep in conversation. Later that afternoon, they regrouped with the other eight members of their team and quickly shared the details of the Pioneer's newly announced large-scale quest. While it was officially labeled a "mission," it felt more like an open invitation to join a summer trip to Dossoles.

When Qiu Muyu and Xiao xuegao heard about it, they nearly jumped with joy. Summer, beaches, artificial sea—everything sounded irresistible. In real life, a beach trip could be expensive, but if you could enjoy it fully in-game? That was practically a dream come true.

No one in the strategy team or among the veteran players objected. Heading to a new city like Dossoles might unlock exclusive quests or provide access to rare goods only available there.

They were so moved by the Pioneer's invitation that some of them were nearly in tears. It was clear they couldn't contribute much to the grand schemes of the world right now; the Pioneers were handling everything. But now, to be invited along for a summer getaway? It was just too heartwarming. Wooo...

"The more people you invite, the more experience you gain," someone noted, "and the people you invite will also trigger the mission for themselves. So, if we want to maximize the rewards, we need to spread out and visit different Novice Towns."

On that note, Yang Yan XF unfurled a map he'd bought at the store. It showed the locations of Trimount and the limits of its reach. He pointed to two marked towns—one in the south, one in the north.

"We've been to these two Novice Towns before. The southern one is Barichara, and the northern one... that's where many members of the Pioneer Association and several elite guilds are training their exploration skills. I suggest we split into two groups—one heads north, the other south."

"Also, once we're on the move," he added, "we should make a post on the forum. August may be ten days off, but players closer to Columbia—like those in Victoria or Leithanien—might still make it in time."

Magic ZX chuckled. "This might be the first major event since Ark launched, right? And it's initiated by the Pioneers themselves. I bet the number of players heading to Dossoles will be at least five figures… maybe even six."

"My only concern," he added with a grin, "is what happens if Dossoles can't handle that many players. Will the system just boot us all out?"

Their excitement was mixed with a bit of nervous laughter. Still, the players were filled with energy and enthusiasm. They soon departed on their recruitment journeys, updating their quest logs and sharing news across the forum as they went.

---

"Summer vacation is coming, and the Pioneers are making a big move! Holy crap, they're actually inviting us to go on vacation! He's serious—I'm crying!"

"Even my parents didn't urge me to travel, just told me to stay home and finish my homework. I couldn't even enjoy summer. This is too touching."

"Wow... how many players are going to show up for this? Feels like at least tens of thousands!"

Players flooded the forum thread certified by the strategy group, eagerly leaving comments after viewing the photos. Everyone was full of praise for the Pioneers. After all, life on Terra had been tough—endless missions and little time to breathe. People had jobs and obligations; of course, they wanted a relaxing vacation now and then.

Of course, many players still held off on deciding whether to go. After all, Version 1.0 was nearing its end, and everyone was busy grinding attributes and leveling up proficiency. Taking time off now made some hesitate.

But the post had already done its job. In a short span of time, it garnered over 2,000 comments and shot to the top of the forum's popularity rankings.

Meanwhile, the instigator of it all—Felix—returned to the Rhine Lab workshop and resumed his hammering and tinkering.

His original goal was clear: to distribute perks to players and deepen their impression of him as a "player-friendly" figure. He wasn't just a philanthropic businessman—he was someone who genuinely got along with the community. This wave of goodwill would surely leave a lasting impression, especially since he was about to disappear from the world for the next six months—for university. He needed to make sure the players remembered him.

Using materials acquired from the black market, Felix began processing and refining them. At the same time, he reviewed the military's mech orders. On this front, he had pulled in Ferdinand, who had also taken on a military contract. Ferdinand specialized in energy sources and systems, while Felix focused more on material composition and structural integrity. One handled the internals, the other the externals—perfect division of labor.

At Rhine Lab, Ferdinand was the person Felix got along with best. Both were not only researchers, but also savvy businessmen. During this period, Felix had secured deals with the military, while Ferdinand tapped into the scientific community and brought in several orders of his own for Rhine Lab.

"No, no, Felix, these military mechs are way too rigid—like a smelly stone stuck in a toilet," Ferdinand grumbled, frowning. "If I don't overhaul the power capacity, there's no way they'll meet the military's requirements to 'walk steadily and punch hard.'"

It was one of their regular tri-weekly meetings. Behind Ferdinand stood a few bleary-eyed researchers, clearly exhausted, some barely stifling yawns.

"Ferdinand, you're being too impatient," Felix replied calmly. He knew the mechs' internal energy systems weren't powerful enough to fulfill the theoretical movements Ferdinand had designed. This was still the second-generation mech. Honestly, just getting these armored behemoths to stand upright was already a huge step. Now the military expected them to walk stably? In a few years, they'd probably demand that the mechs could sprint and fly too.

"For the joints, we can use soft iron combined with synthetic fibers polished by D-12. That'll give them a decent degree of stretch and flexibility, allowing pilots to move their limbs freely inside the mech," Felix explained. "But the real issue is that it's hard to enhance flexibility without compromising defense."

He spread his hands in exasperation. "Where do they think this kind of miracle technology comes from? Colombia's military is dreaming too big. A squad of mech-wearing martial artists charging into battle? This isn't Warhammer. Without the proper tech tree, that's just wishful thinking."

"Huh?Warhammer?"

"No, nothing."

Ferdinand frowned but said nothing. He knew Felix was right.

"I understand. I'll readjust the energy distribution. The interior design draft for the mecha should be ready within a month."

"Same here. It'll take me about a month to gather all the polishing materials," Felix replied.

Ferdinand nodded. "Then, see you in a month."

Before leaving, he paused at the door. "Honestly, Felix, you should consider finding yourself some assistants. I know there aren't many people specializing in mechanical materials, but you can't be handling everything yourself."

Felix smiled and gave a nod, watching Ferdinand walk away.

The Snowsant would probably arrive in September. That would be his first assistant.

But clearly, Snowsant alone wasn't going to be enough. He still needed another assistant who had a genuine interest in machinery… In his previous life, he couldn't recall any well-known NPC with mechanical expertise.

---

In the few days that followed, Felix continued to study the materials and structure of military mechas, accumulating experience while sketching out blueprints.

Though he had the option of reading the books provided by the Tin Man and changing jobs to become an Agent, the class wasn't particularly useful for him at the moment. It was better to save the experience for upgrading his main class and various crafting professions later on.

After integrating some of the newly acquired mecha knowledge, Felix upgraded his gear.

---

[Lost Mechanical Armor (Upper Body)]

[Quality: Green]

[Attributes: Defense +80 | Durability: 1000/1000]

[Requirements: Strength 31, Endurance 30]

[Bonus Stats: +10 Strength, +15 Agility]

[Special Effect: Lost Machinery — +10% Critical Hit Rate]

[Special Effect: Electric Energy — Releases stored current during combat, dealing 50 base electric damage with a chance to paralyze the target]

[Crafting Note: Forged from rare diamond alloy, increasing overall durability]

---

Though still categorized as green-grade armor, it was clearly a significant upgrade from the previous Skywalker gear. In terms of both durability and defense, it completely outclassed his old set—largely thanks to the high-quality materials used in its construction.

Unfortunately, it remained green-tier. It was already the pinnacle of green gear—just one step away from blue.

Was tapping into Ghost tech the only way to upgrade further? Felix shook off the thought and refocused. He began overhauling the rest of his equipment to match the mechanical theme of the Lost Series. This time, he even embedded mechanical drive components into his arms, allowing him to draw his pistol faster in combat and greatly enhancing his agility.

At this point, he almost resembled the infamous "V" who began modifying his body with prosthetics. Of course, Felix wasn't abandoning his physical body—he was just doubling down on his talent, [Super Mechanical Mastery], to gain additional equipment bonuses for mechanical-type gear.

Aside from working on his own upgrades, he also began crafting a few "limited-edition" pieces of equipment for the players.

After all, in mobile games, once summer hits—or winter for Christmas, or the New Year—there's always a wave of limited characters or content. As a merchant-type character who brings benefits to the player base, Felix figured it was only fitting to introduce some exclusive, seasonal weapons and gear.

For example, during one of his recent blueprint rolls, Felix crafted the [Summer Night Longsword]. The weapon's description boasted the ability to unleash a brilliant burst of starlight on a summer night, dealing radiant damage to enemies... but in reality, that was a bit of a stretch. It was just a high-attack power sword. Still, it had one useful trait—a very low chance to apply a brief "Vulnerable" debuff on enemies, which made it stand out from regular weapons.

Besides melee weapons, Felix also created a variety of class-specific limited weapons—such as the [Scorching Sun Crossbow], [Summer Star Wand], and [Sea Foam Dagger]—each designed with a distinct summer flair.

Just thinking about it made Felix grin uncontrollably. What's the appeal of limited-edition weapons? They're just like limited SSRs in gacha games: some people love them, some people curse them. The lucky ones draw them, the unlucky ones save and grind for them later.

And here was his advantage—unlike in traditional gacha systems, Felix didn't rely on randomized loot boxes in Ark. He simply sold these limited weapons directly. Naturally, the price was much higher than that of ordinary gear—but hey, they were limited, after all.

In addition to weapons, he also made a few sets of light armor. Originally, he had hoped to craft swimsuits and swimming trunks for both male and female players to really capture the summer vibe. Unfortunately, he didn't have the tailoring subclass—and honestly, he was already overloaded juggling so many professions. Crafting underwear for female characters? …On second thought, better not.

Aside from preparing equipment for players, Felix also considered inviting some friends along for the trip. For instance, Carnelian would probably agree without hesitation. As for Muelsyse, he figured she ought to get out more—after all, she spent most of her time in the Ecological Park. Her water clone could manage things while she was gone, completely opposite to how it was in his previous life, where the main body stayed behind and the clone went exploring.

He also thought about inviting Kristen and Saria. But if both of them left, Rhine Lab would be completely understaffed. Poor Yara might just lose her mind... Yeah, better not.

While he was still based in Columbia, Felix began considering a visit to Blacksteel Worldwide to meet the legendary mercenary himself. He thought he might be able to draw some inspiration from that old war dog. Sure, Felix might end up becoming competition for Blacksteel in the future—but for now, he wasn't even running an organization. He was still just a wandering rogue Sankta.

During the next dozen or so days, as he crafted away, Felix kept a close eye on the forums. He noticed that Magic ZX and Yang Yan XF were performing impressively well in the battles, with frequent reports of their victories. Even some professional teams had gotten involved, including Yanyu Pavilion from Laterano.

In addition to the usual players—those seeking to level up, those focused on combat performance, and those who had wandered too deep during exploration—a total of over 110,000 players had now joined the event.

Damn, that's practically the player count for late-game PVP.

Felix was a bit stunned. In just ten days, they'd managed to mobilize what amounted to the population of a small nomadic city.

He also saw Magic ZX actively promoting on the forums, urging players to buy a vehicle as soon as possible so they wouldn't fall behind when the Pioneer set off.

"If you're just walking," he wrote, "you'll still be halfway there by the time Pioneer finishes the entire summer vacation and comes back."