Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

"Doctor Kal'tsit."

ACE scratched his head awkwardly as he revealed the identity of the visitor. Accepting the report with a wry smile, he said, "What you said makes a lot of sense. Uh... I understand."

ACE was not Sarkaz. He lacked the signature double horns of the Sarkaz, and the tail trailing behind him clearly marked his race—Phidia, the so-called snakefolk.

Felix had known there were many operators of different races in the Tower of Babel. After all, this was the predecessor of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. Back inside, he had already seen numerous mercenaries from other races. They didn't seem to care much about bloodlines and interacted freely with the Sarkaz. There was no discrimination—just shared goals.

Even the name Tower of Babel was interesting. Its origin came from the Book of Genesis: back then, all people spoke a common language. After migrating from the east, they arrived in the land of Shinar. There, they labored to bake bricks, build a city, and construct a tower so tall that their names would not be forgotten—so they would never again be scattered across the earth.

It bore a striking resemblance to the current Babel: mercenaries from all walks of life, united under one cause.

Perhaps this was Theresa's vision—to bring together all who could be united, allowing Sarkaz and other races to coexist in peace.

It was a bold and difficult goal. The older generation of Sarkaz nobles still carried their hatred, their pain, and their deep resentment.

The Theresis Army stoked those flames. They wielded war as a weapon to release Sarkaz rage, to fight war with war, and reclaim glory through battle.

Felix pulled his thoughts back and looked again at the slender woman, a head shorter than ACE, now standing before him.

[Kal'tsit – Level ?]

Kal'tsit's gaze fell on him, briefly pausing on Degenbrecher and Senomi, before turning to ACE. "Guest?"

"Messenger," ACE replied. "Here to deliver a letter."

The woman gave a curt nod, her expression devoid of emotion, her tone cold and distant. "A Sankta messenger entering Kazdel. Should I commend your courage—or question your ignorance?"

Felix smiled gently. "Sankta are known for their optimism and innocence. Fortunately or unfortunately, I am one of them."

"You have more than just a letter," Kal'tsit said flatly, her voice still calm and emotionless. "Sankta, what is it you truly seek? Are you here to indulge the curiosity typical of your kind?"

ACE's expression shifted slightly. He turned to glance sideways at Felix. At that moment, Degenbrecher stepped forward, placing herself protectively in front of ACE, one hand already gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Please call me Pioneer, Doctor," Felix said, unaffected by the rising tension. He offered Kal'tsit a flawless noble salute. "Someone once told me—use your own eyes to see. If you truly wish to walk this land, to cast off the illusion of civilization, then that is what I am doing. The title of messenger is only one part of who I am."

"When I stand upon this land, regardless of titles or roles, I am simply a pioneer. Forged through hardship, shaped by failure, matured through setbacks, I grow amidst ridicule—and improve through exploration."

"Setting aside civilization and country, this land and its people hold so many... things waiting to be explored. Please forgive the purest emotion of a seeker of knowledge—curiosity."

Kal'tsit found something oddly familiar in the way the Pioneer spoke. In her long life, she had never forgotten even the most trivial details, yet she was certain this was the first time she had met him.

"The bright and open road is easy to walk, while the dark and rugged path is hard to tread," she said. "I hope you'll find your way here—and discover what it is you seek."

With that, Kal'tsit gave ACE a final nod and turned, leaving swiftly.

ACE finally let out a long sigh of relief once she was out of sight. He gave Felix a strange look. Something about the way this so-called Pioneer spoke reminded him of someone... but he couldn't quite put a name to it.

Senomi, meanwhile, was still trying to process the long exchange between her master and the mysterious Feline. Her mind felt a bit dazed.

"So... are you really just here to deliver a letter?" ACE asked, clearly unconvinced.

Felix shrugged. "If I said I wanted to take a look inside Babel. Do you think the front-line mercenaries would let me in so easily?"

"I've already explained my reasons. I'm simply curious about Babel's strength. This has nothing to do with race—it's purely personal curiosity." He made a light, inviting gesture. "What kind of power could bring the Sarkaz and others together to fight side by side during a civil war? That's what I want to know."

ACE sighed again. Why did people have to make things so complicated? Wouldn't it be easier to just say, I'm curious, and leave it at that?

That flowery way of speaking gave ACE—who already had his hands full as a leader—a real headache. There was already one like this in Babel, and now there was another...

As guests, Felix, Degenbrecher, and Senomi were given an empty room. It felt more like a dormitory for operators or mercenaries than a guest or hotel room. The beds were basic bunk beds. The furniture was worn but well-maintained and clean.

Felix had no complaints. Degenbrecher wasn't the type to fuss either.

"Are you here to make a deal with Babel?" Degenbrecher asked as she finished checking the room for any hidden threats and sat back on the bed.

Felix shook his head. "I had no intention of getting involved in this civil war. This is a conflict between two ideologies—I'm not suited to play a part in it."

"I just want to understand what Theresa's spirit really is."

If he were to participate in Kazdel's civil war with his identity, the consequences could be severe. There was a real possibility that the Laterano Notary Office would dispatch Executors to eliminate him on the spot. After all, this was an internal conflict of the Sarkaz race. A Sankta's involvement could spark controversy and severely damage diplomatic relations.

Naturally, Felix had no intention of creating trouble for Laterano. Joining Babel was never his goal.

He had truly come to observe—and to understand.

But Degenbrecher clearly wasn't buying that.

"So you are here to do business, Boss," she said with a teasing smile. "How long have I been with you, and you think I don't know you?"

Felix rolled his eyes but said nothing.

Having a halo above his head was indeed inconvenient. Felix had thought about this more than once. He couldn't observe the camp discreetly or gather any information from the operators—being a Sankta, such actions would be immediately deemed as espionage.

Still, he wore a finely crafted mask to conceal his charming, almost ethereal face. After tucking the sleeping Senomi in, Felix quietly slipped out of the room on his own.

ACE, true to his word, followed closely. His current role was to act as Felix's bodyguard—he had sustained injuries on the front lines, and this period of time was considered his recuperation.

There weren't many places in Babel to explore. Other than the courtyard and the square, there were few open areas. ACE trailed behind Felix as he walked out and approached the task board in the square.

"Tasks here are all team-based," ACE explained as Felix studied the board. "They're not limited to combat. Some involve exploration, hunting, and even search and rescue."

"Search and rescue?" Felix echoed.

"Yes. Sometimes we bring in homeless Sarkaz," ACE replied, gesturing to the left. "If you go down that path, you'll reach the residential area. Not all Sarkaz in Kazdel are mercenaries. Some are too young to fight, others are retired... or sick."

"There are very few elders among the Sarkaz," he continued. "Most of the young ones die on the battlefield, or from Oripathy."

"Even if we wanted to farm, we couldn't grow anything on this land, scorched black by Originium," Felix said, glancing up at the dull, ashen sky.

ACE nodded quietly.

"Where do you think Kazdel's future lies?" Felix asked. "I don't ask this as a Sankta, but as a Terran. I'm curious—what do the operators fighting under Theresa believe?"

"Her Highness believes in uniting all the Sarkaz who can be united," ACE answered. "To give them a home... a place where they can settle, where they belong. Only then can they begin to see themselves as a people, not just survivors."

He sighed. "Her ideals are grand, and many non-Sarkaz operators were drawn in by her vision. Just imagine... if all Terrans could stand united, and it began with the Sarkaz."

Felix responded calmly, "But such a conclusion can't ignore one thing—Oripathy."

"There are those on this land whose status is lower than ordinary citizens. The Sarkaz are born infected, or exposed early to Originium. Their lives are spent in pain, and even death brings no true peace."

"It's one thing for Terrans to live peacefully among themselves. But can they live in peace with the Infected?"

ACE pressed his lips together and gave only a quiet sigh.

Felix said no more. He walked to the edge of the fence and looked out toward the nearby residential area. In the distance, he could see many young Sarkaz children laughing, playing, and rolling on the dusty ground.

"In Leithanien, children this age carry musical instruments everywhere," Felix said softly. "They fill the streets with sweet, moving melodies."

ACE came up beside him. The tall, battle-hardened Phidian gave a bitter smile.

"Infected…"

"Can the Infected truly live in peace with ordinary people?"

The older man shook his head without hesitation. Felix added, "Even in Columbia, where the Infected face the least amount of oppression, the areas they live in are still separate from those of ordinary people. Most citizens never set foot in their neighborhoods."

"And as for Ursus—" The young man let out a cold, sarcastic smile, but said nothing more.

ACE felt a heaviness settle over him. A deep worry grew in his heart—he hadn't expected all of this to stem from the very person he was tasked with protecting.

The two strolled through the neighborhood, and before long, evening arrived.

When Felix returned to the room, he saw Senomi alongside Degenbrecher, trying to regulate her breathing. It seemed they had just finished practicing her lessons for the day.

Degenbrecher greeted him with a smile. "Did you get a chance to see Theresa?"

"If only it were that easy," Felix replied with a light sigh.

He reached out and gently patted Senomi's head. "Let's go eat."

"Mm!" Senomi nodded eagerly.

Their dinner spot was the Tower's cafeteria. When Felix and the others took their seats with food in hand, they saw a steady stream of operators—of various races—coming and going. Unsurprisingly, the Sarkaz still made up the majority.

ACE sat across from Felix, idly poking at the dry meat and vegetables on his plate.

In Kazdel, this kind of food was already considered good. Complaining would be asking too much.

Senomi didn't seem to mind. She was still growing and quickly finished everything on her plate. Seeing that, Felix shared some of his meat with her. But the moment he did, Senomi tensed up, looking as though she might cry at any second.

Felix was stunned. Am I really that scary?

Degenbrecher reached out and gently patted the girl's head. Felix softened his tone, saying, "Eat well, then get some rest afterward."

"Okay," Senomi replied with a small nod.

ACE, still curious about the girl's relationship with Felix, leaned in and asked quietly, "Mr. Pioneer… is she your daughter?"

"I'm young and not even married," Felix replied, a bit exasperated. "How could I have a daughter that age? She was a slave in the Kazimierz market. I felt sorry for her… so I brought her back with me."

ACE let out an awkward chuckle, clearly embarrassed. At first glance, he never would've guessed that this girl had once been a slave. There were no visible signs of mistreatment—she was healthy, and her clothes weren't tattered.

That alone said a lot about Felix as a person.

Shaking off the heavy thoughts from their earlier conversation, ACE finally dug into his meal with more enthusiasm. It was just a pity that Babel had a strict no-drinking policy—alcohol was only permitted during celebrations or after victories.

Otherwise, he would've shared a few drinks with Felix right then and there.

Before they knew it, a week had passed since Felix first arrived at Babel. Of course, it wasn't as though he'd spent the time idle. During one of their meandering walks through the camp, he and ACE accepted an exploration mission. When they returned, Kal'tsit scolded ACE once again—but ACE took it in stride, grinning through it. Truth be told, he had felt stifled inside the base these past few days, so the chance to get out was more than welcome.

After ACE's injury had healed, his workload increased significantly. Felix also felt it was a waste of manpower to have him tagging along all day, so during his free time, he wandered around the Babel headquarters like a player in a role-playing game—hoping to stumble upon someone who might trigger a mission.

---

Dusk fell.

Felix stood by the window, gazing at the grayish-red clouds blanketing the sky. No matter how many times he looked at it, the view always reminded him of the ominous calm before a natural disaster.

Though he hadn't been able to meet Theresa, he felt content having at least encountered Kal'tsit.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Felix turned his head toward the sound.

"Doctor Kal'tsit, is the operation over?" he asked.

Kal'tsit approached him with her usual composed expression. "Saving one person—or saving the world from suffering—can be equally exhausting, both physically and mentally. Yet, the sense of accomplishment is nearly the same."

"Do you believe the Babel can bring hope to the Sarkaz?" Felix asked.

"When forced to choose between war and food, very few would choose the former," Kal'tsit answered calmly. "When the people of this land are rootless and adrift, they will not pick up arms. Instead, they'll wonder what prey they might catch today."

"I hope this visit has satisfied your curiosity, Pioneer."

"...Do you have time to talk?" Felix called out to her as she began to walk away.

Kal'tsit paused. She turned back, her indifferent green eyes sweeping across his face with cool detachment.

"I have thirty minutes."

Felix followed without a word, silently cursing how exhausting it was to hold conversations like this.

But then again—it felt strangely satisfying to exchange riddles with Kal'tsit.