The quest had come far easier than Felix expected.
Along Iberia's coast lay countless towns. After the Profound Silence, its people had abandoned those near the sea, leaving behind ghost towns—empty shells filled with relics and research from a forgotten era. For bounty hunters and treasure seekers, these ruins had become paradise.
Naturally, the Inquisition kept a tight grip on order there. Anyone entering those forsaken towns without permission would first have to contend with the Inquisition's iron rule.
But Felix now carried permission.
The materials Professor Simon needed—or rather, the documents—weren't tied to any single research facility. With hundreds of coastal settlements, and dozens of research institutes among them, chances were high the necessary records would be tucked away in one of those places.
If the quest item were limited to a single location, players would have swarmed it long ago.
With his permit in hand, Felix departed. His destination was clear: he knew exactly which ghost town, and which research facility within it, held what he needed. Only there could he uncover the information he sought.
Tides, huh… or could it be that this is when the Seaborne first appear?
Felix wasn't entirely sure how this stage of the Inquisition's questline unfolded. Relying solely on player forum posts was too slow. As a pioneer, he couldn't ignore the chance to dive in himself.
After resting for two days in the city, he rented a vehicle and set off with his group toward the coast.
The sea breeze carried the sharp taste of salt, and with it, an unfamiliar chill. In February, the air along the coast steamed with mist every time they exhaled.
Their journey was smooth. With both Notarial Hall and Inquisition permits backing them, no one stood in their way as Felix led the group to a coastal town, a settlement once linked to Catalonia.
There lay Tintero del Mar—a coastal town abandoned after the Profound Silence. Once a bustling harbor connected to Catalonia, now it echoed only with gull cries and the distant steps of Inquisition patrols. Its people had long since fled.
Felix stepped out of the car, Lance strapped across his back. Up ahead, two Inquisition guards stood watch. He approached and produced his documents.
"Professor Simon's…" one muttered in surprise, before shaking his head. "Apologies. With the tides behaving strangely of late, this area has been placed under Inquisition control."
"We're effectively auxiliary staff for the Inquisition," Felix countered, flashing his credentials. "And on top of that, we're an official Notarial Hall task force. We'll take responsibility for our own lives—please, don't stand in our way."
The guards hesitated. Just then, a nearby patrol picked up on the exchange and turned their attention toward them.
"Wait—!"
"No way, isn't that the Pioneer?"
"When did he come to Iberia? Is he here to recruit us?"
The chatter grew louder as the patrol approached. Felix allowed himself a faint smile and looked up at the newcomers.
It was a Inquisition patrol squad composed entirely of players. They wore the auxiliary uniforms—attached to the Inquisition but far from holding real authority. Most were fresh recruits, their loyalty and contributions still too shallow to climb the ranks.
Even so, their conditions were leagues better than those of the average Iberian player. Though compared to pioneers in Lungmen, it was hardly worth mentioning.
At their head stood a player Felix recognized. He'd watched some of her videos before—an uploader named Mahayu. Her starting choice had been Iberia, with the Liberi race. Truth be told, rolling Liberi and ending up here was pure luck, given Liberi were by far the most common on this land.
"Pioneer, sir—it's an honor to meet you."
"The honor's mine."
"Could I… shake your hand?"
"No, no—Pioneer, could I get your autograph instead?"
Two of the Terrans nearby looked on, bewildered and faintly exhausted, as their Undead teammates mobbed Felix like giddy fans, shoving gifts his way.
Wait… how do these Undead even know this Sankta? they wondered. Could it be… he's famous?
"Pioneer, sir—what brings you to Iberia?"
Mahayu asked the question politely. After showering Felix with gifts, his favorability meter had shot up to five, and she wasted no time. She wasn't the only one burning with curiosity—the entire squad wanted to know why the Pioneer and his companions had traveled so far to this forsaken corner of the world.
"Professor Simon of the Inquisition is my senior. I've received his request to investigate the recent tidal anomalies."
Felix didn't spell out every detail, but the players immediately understood. Given his character and track record, it made perfect sense that he would take on such a task for his mentor.
"Then… should we let them into Tintero?" one Inquisition guard muttered, frowning.
"But headquarters said no outsiders are allowed inside—"
"He's completing Professor Simon's commission. That makes him, effectively, auxiliary Inquisition staff."
Mahayu wasted no time making her case. Once she chose her stance, she threw her weight behind it without hesitation. As players, their goodwill toward the Pioneer was already sky-high. And now, with his "on assignment from Professor Simon" status, he was technically a Inquisition affiliate.
The two guards exchanged uneasy glances. Something felt off. Why were these Undead suddenly defending this Sankta so fervently? Why were some of them practically glued to his side, acting as though they'd known him for years?
But in the end, they relented, allowing Felix's group to enter Tintero del Mar.
"Pioneer," Mahayu called after him, "we'll be operating around Tintero for the time being as well. If anything happens, we'll come running."
"Thanks."
Felix's party disappeared into the ruined town. Mahayu watched them go, the corners of her mouth curling higher and higher. She had originally jumped on this assignment because of the 2.0 PV footage that teased the Inquisition storyline. And now? It was obvious: this was the Inquisition's main questline.
As a content creator with a modest following in both Iberia and the wider Arknights community, Mahayu couldn't let a storyline like this slip through her fingers.
Like a shark scenting blood in the water, she smelled opportunity. What exactly did this unusual tidal activity signify? Was the Pioneer truly here just for Professor Simon's commission?
She longed to follow, to record every step at the Pioneer's side. But patrol duty chained her down. If she abandoned her post, not only would she fail the assignment, she'd lose contribution points and loyalty.
Damn… it really feels like a day job sometimes.
Mahayu sighed and forced herself to look away. As auxiliary staff, she wasn't even permitted near the sea. A shame—she wanted to be a full Inquisition member. But after meeting the Pioneer, maybe that desire was beginning to shift.
"Let's finish this patrol, cash in the rewards, and see if there's any chance to leave with him," she muttered.
Her squadmates nodded in agreement.
The Inquisition might be a top-tier faction, but its atmosphere was suffocating. Iberia, after the Profound Silence, was a shadow of itself—just walking the streets meant running into Inquisition patrols or bounty hunters at every corner.
By contrast, Felix felt like a bird freed from its cage as he stepped into Tintero del Mar. For him, this wasn't restriction—it was opportunity. He could go anywhere, chase down anything.
But…
"Tidal anomalies."
That phrase tugged at his memory.
In his past life, by mid-to-late 3.0, the Seaborne no longer lingered in the deep. They emerged during tidal disruptions, crawling ashore to wage war.
It was just like a mobile game's recurring raid event. Every three weeks to a month, the anomaly would hit, waves of Seaborne pouring onto land, attacking the nearest Terrans and players alike.
And naturally, those large-scale raids drew massive participation. Beyond the loot dropped by slain Seaborne—tradeable at the Inquisition for gear and items—the battles were prime grinding grounds. For non-defender, just tagging along with a squad meant easy experience.
Felix had power-leveled there before. He knew the system inside and out.
Tintero del Mar was devoid of life. Near the shoreline, however, temporary observation posts had already been erected.
So this is it—the first tidal anomaly.
From this event onward, the Seaborne would begin their regular incursions onto land, and the Inquisition's role was simple: exterminate every last one that crawled ashore.
Felix hadn't hunted many Seaborne in his past life. Their drops—gelatinous, slimy, organic material—were mostly used to craft caster or specialist gear. Hardly useful for machinery. They made decent whips, though.
Without drawing the Inquisition's attention, Felix steered his vehicle off the main road and slipped along the back paths, heading toward the next settlement.
"What exactly is the Inquisition on guard against…?"
Fiammetta's eyes drifted to the sea. The surface was a stormy gray-black, churning as though some colossal struggle was unfolding beneath the waves.
A pale-blue ocean evoked summer's cool relief. But this sea—this ink-colored abyss—was a nightmare. Its waters were freezing, its visibility nonexistent. Once submerged, you'd be swallowed whole by darkness, blind and helpless. And when the searchlights flicked on, something would already be there—watching. That's how thalassophobia was born.
Felix never liked farming Seaborne near the coast. Lone wolves couldn't afford mistakes. One slip into the sea, surrounded on all sides, and you were done for. He preferred enemies he could handle solo—mercenaries, Sarkaz, anyone bound to the ground.
"Maybe we'll have answers when we come back."
He ruffled Susie's hair. She looked up, smiling sweetly, and the shadow in his chest faded. It wasn't an issue to panic over—not yet. Besides, Saint Carmen himself was here on the front lines, recording the tides. When the Seaborne emerged, it would be Carmen who drew his weapon first.
They passed through several villages along the coast. These, too, had Inquisition presence—but unlike Tintero del Mar, most were guarded by players.
Felix's reputation among players was overwhelming. A word, a flash of his credentials, and every patrol let him through without question.
So this is the advantage of being a popular NPC, he mused. Whether they joined Tomorrow's Development was their choice, but he always dropped the hint: manpower was short. Back in Yan, Lungmen, his people were buried in local contracts. Cross-border ops like this were rare.
The Inquisition's player ranks opened another possibility: In Caesar's legion, but loyal to the Republic. Worth cultivating, worth recruiting. Felix slipped back into his charming "succubus" persona, exchanging intelligence and smiles in every town they passed.
And so, in the midst of this tense atmosphere, he finally reached a quieter destination: Villa del Agua.
This village once processed Seaborne remains into weapons after their bodies were slain. Though named Villa del Agua, what it housed now were four abandoned research sites.
With player assistance, Felix located one of them. From the outside, it resembled a derelict nursing home. But when he forced the door, melancholy greeted him.
Dust layered thick upon every desk. Furniture sagged, half-collapsed. Wood rotted where the sea winds had gnawed at it. Inside, it felt like stepping into a war film—ruins, stillness, the echoes of lives long gone. Exploring a place like this was dangerous; every corner held the risk of injury.
He deployed a drone to scout ahead. His goal was simple: the research documents.
In the courtyard, Mostima and the Grave knight basked in the sunlight while keeping an eye on the perimeter. They glanced at Felix, who was guiding the drone deeper into the ruin, then returned to their silent watch.
Perhaps, in here, they would find knowledge that even Laterano coveted.
Fiammetta followed Felix into what had once been a library. She stopped, scanning the rows of heavy tomes. If only we could take them all back…
As if reading her thoughts, Felix spoke:
"These pre-Silence research materials are mostly ruined. But the rest—I'll scan and hand over for you to process."
"…Thank you."
Fiammetta's reply was soft, almost shy.
But Villa del Agua held more than dusty books and broken shelves. Beyond its four research sites, outside the village itself, lay the second objective of Felix's mission—
The real centerpiece of this "quest."