Seeing Amiya again, Felix couldn't help but feel that she had… grown up a little.
Though only a few months had passed, the timid Cautus child he once knew now carried the budding grace of a young girl.
It seemed that ever since accepting the black crown, she had become more mature—at least in spirit. Physically, though, she was still no more than eleven or twelve, wearing a cute traveler's outfit that made her look even younger.
When she saw Felix, her face lit up with a bright smile.
"Brother Felix! It's been so long. I didn't think I'd ever get to return to Kazdel again."
"It really has been a while, Amiya. You've grown," Felix said softly, unable to hide his emotion.
He'd experienced the feeling of "raising daughters" more times than he cared to count—first with Senomi and Mandragora, who later became like younger sisters to him but now they have become rebellious little sisters, then with little Susie, who, depending on who you asked, was half on her way to being a rebellious younger sister herself. Only his sweet Rafaela, he thought fondly, remained the truly obedient one.
Seeing Amiya now—cheerful, confident, and radiant—was such a contrast to the cautious, soft-spoken child she had once been.
He reached out and ruffled her hair, and Amiya giggled, leaning into his hand like an affectionate kitten. Then, without hesitation, she stepped forward and hugged him.
"Doctor Kal'tsit told me that Brother Felix is an amazing person," she said with a smile.
Felix blinked, curious. The stoic feline was never one to hand out compliments. He crouched slightly to meet Amiya's gaze, intrigued.
"What did she say about me?"
Amiya recited in her gentle, sing-song tone, "Doctor Kal'tsit said that Kazdel, which was once on the brink of collapse, stands strong today because of you. She said that the Sarkaz, who would have abandoned their homeland, have instead gathered within the mobile city, full of hope for the future. And that all of this was thanks to you, Brother Felix."
"Doctor Kal'tsit also said you're very wise—that the reason you didn't rush to develop Kazdel's medicine and technology was because the Sarkaz weren't ready for it yet. She said starting from the ground up takes courage and patience… and that you have both."
Felix couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle. Coming from Kal'tsit, that was practically divine praise. After all, who in their right mind could resist the allure of mechanical ascension?
If he'd been playing one of those management sims, the chance to uplift an entire race would have been impossible to turn down.
But technology simply wasn't what the Sarkaz needed right now. Without the help of the player-based medical profession, the city's healthcare system would have completely collapsed—since nearly all of their functioning doctors were foreign volunteers, most of them former members of Babel.
Teaching the Sarkaz advanced medicine or engineering was hopeless at this stage. Many of them were barely literate; expecting them to memorize medical terminology was like asking them to win a war with dictionaries instead of weapons.
He tried to imagine W in a nurse's uniform, performing surgery beside Doctor Kal'tsit… and immediately gave up. The image was far too surreal.
"Let's move out," Kal'tsit's voice called from nearby.
She approached with ACE at her side. Kal'tsit was dressed as always in her familiar green uniform, while ACE was fully armed. Just like when they buried the Doctor beneath Chernobog, they would have to move quietly this time too.
"Come on, Amiya," Kal'tsit said.
"Mhm~!" Amiya chirped, slipping her cool, soft little hand into Felix's. She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes curving like crescents.
Ah… ahhh… No wonder the players in his previous life adored her. Amiya had always ranked among the top five female NPCs for most-gifted items. With a smile like that, who could possibly resist?
The four of them boarded the transport craft. Felix took the pilot's seat, lifting off from Rhodes Island's deck. ACE sat in the co-pilot seat, the hum of the engine filling the silence as the two exchanged small talk about what had happened after Rhodes Island left Kazdel.
It hadn't been that long, but their situation had become dire. The landship had needed resupply—badly—and after visiting several mobile cities, they'd spent nearly everything they had. Now, funds were critically low.
They couldn't take out loans from any national bank. Rhodes Island wasn't a nation, nor even an officially recognized organization anymore. Babel was long gone. Even if they re-established something new, no financial institution would trust them enough to lend money.
After all—why would anyone give a loan to a group whose figurehead was a perpetually scowling cat?
"You plan to start over from scratch?" Felix asked.
ACE leaned back with a faint smile. "That's what most of us want. We fled from Kazdel. We're failures—people who disappointed Her Highness. But even so… we want to carry on a part of her will. At least, that's what I want."
"You intend to help the Infected?" Felix asked.
"I do." ACE turned to glance at him. "But compared to Tomorrow's Development, we're just newcomers."
"If that's what you want to do, then do it," Felix replied calmly. "But you know as well as I do—if you focus solely on treating the Infected, you'll be running at a heavy financial deficit."
In the previous timeline, Rhodes Island had sustained itself through its operators. NPC operators completed missions and earned commissions, part of which went to the company. With the help of adventurers, they'd even turned a profit.
But now, things were different. The player population was smaller, and Rhodes Island's situation was worse than ever. They would have to find a way to escape bankruptcy on their own.
"There might be one possible solution," Felix said after a moment of thought. "But I'm not sure Doctor Kal'tsit would approve of it…"
"Hmm, please elaborate."
Felix smiled faintly.
"I'll invest and take a share," he said. "Consider me a future sponsor of your organization. How does that sound?"
ACE immediately thought it was feasible. He wasn't sure exactly how many adventurers Tomorrow's Development had under its banner, but he knew the number was definitely huge. With so many people, the financial resources accumulated must have reached a terrifying scale—though of course, the more people there were, the greater the expenses and upkeep. That much he understood.
"It's just my private funds," Felix added casually. "You can deliver that message to Doctor Kal'tsit… hmm, looks like we've arrived."
After chatting idly for several hours, the transport aircraft finally caught sight of Chernobog's city walls in the distance. They were flying low—low enough to avoid detection by the Ursus border patrols.
Chernobog's position on the frontier was, in a way, a stroke of luck. If Kal'tsit had buried the Doctor in the Ursus capital, Felix had no idea how he would've infiltrated that fortress of a city—unless he simply stormed in by force, which wasn't exactly his preferred method.
The group disembarked quietly. Felix wasn't heavily armed, and his mind was already turning over how best to explain their current situation to the "players."
Meanwhile, ACE approached Doctor Kal'tsit and relayed Felix's intentions. Upon hearing him out, Kal'tsit's eyes flicked briefly toward Felix's side profile. She didn't respond verbally, but ACE, having spent enough time around her, could tell she was intrigued—though clearly weighing the pros and cons in silence.
No one stopped them as they entered Chernobog. Thanks to Felix's "Messenger Aura" buff, he easily explained that they were simply a group of travelers visiting the city. After slipping the gate guards—noble-affiliated Ursus soldiers—a bit more than the usual entry fee, they were waved through with smiles and a polite, "Enjoy your stay."
ACE couldn't help feeling a touch of nostalgia as he watched Felix handle the situation with such ease and maturity. He still remembered the first time they'd met in Kazdel—Felix had been young then, empty-handed, and a bit green, yet somehow trustworthy.
Now, every word and gesture carried the quiet confidence of a true leader.
"Where is the Doctor buried?" Felix asked casually.
Kal'tsit shot him a sharp glare. "The Doctor isn't dead—just gravely injured. I'll lead the way."
Felix shrugged. He didn't care much for this so-called Doctor anyway. Who could've predicted that this person would later stab everyone in the back? Still, Theresa's words echoed in his mind—words that confirmed the Doctor's unusual nature.
The creator of Originium…?
If what Theresa said was true, then the Doctor's very existence was an enigma—and Kal'tsit, who stayed close to such a being, was no ordinary cold-faced cat and riddle-monger.
This wasn't Felix's first time stepping inside an Ursus mobile city. To him, they always carried a kind of gray heaviness—somber and oppressive. Just like the southern coastal cities of Iberia, even their most beautiful architecture couldn't escape that dull undertone.
Chernobog's design was distinctly traditional. Though Felix wore a hood as he walked through the streets, he still drew plenty of curious stares—after all, almost everyone here was an Ursus native.
Sometimes, charm could be its own burden; even a hood couldn't conceal his striking presence. A few passersby seemed almost entranced, staring fixedly as if trying to glimpse the face beneath the mask.
"Being popular really is troublesome," Felix muttered.
"At the very least," ACE whispered back, "you're not built for stealth missions."
Felix held Amiya's small hand as the little rabbit looked around with innocent curiosity. He smirked. "I only like open and honest strategies. Besides, do you really think I can blend in while looking like this—with a Sankta aura and wings?"
ACE grunted in agreement, then laughed aloud.
As they moved through the city, Felix's familiar drone soared high above Chernobog's skyline, scanning the sprawling metropolis and locking all its data and maps into memory.
After about half an hour, the group reached a deserted shopping street on the outskirts. Once a lively district, it now lay abandoned—shops closed, windows shattered, not a soul in sight.
Felix noticed fresh footprints on the dusty ground. His mouth twitched slightly as he released Amiya's hand and gently placed it into Kal'tsit's. Then, without a word, he stepped down the stairs alone.
"Can he really handle it?" ACE asked quietly.
"As the leader of Tomorrow's Development," Kal'tsit replied coolly, "surely a pioneer has the right to command his own adventurers, doesn't he?"
ACE couldn't help thinking to himself that he had never actually seen Felix order anyone. It had always been the other way around—he led through example and guidance, not compulsion.
They follow him because they want to.
Felix stepped down into the basement, pulling back his hood as he surveyed the surroundings. After a brief glance around, he moved forward.
"Damn, this program's way too complicated! What the hell—this might take us a few more hours to crack."
"Eh, let it take however long it takes. We've got plenty of supplies anyway. We've been holed up here for so long and not a single guard or patrol has shown up—no rush, no rush."
"Ugh, maybe our engineer's level just isn't high enough…"
Felix didn't bother concealing the sound of his footsteps. The players turned toward him one by one—and when they realized who the "NPC" standing before them was, their eyes widened in disbelief, quickly followed by ecstatic shouts.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
[Connection terminated.]
A female player fainted on the spot, her avatar flickering out of existence moments later.
The corner of Felix's mouth twitched. Heart rate spike detected—emergency logout. He'd heard of players fainting from fright after falling into a tentacle pit before, but this was the first time he'd ever seen someone pass out just from seeing an NPC.
"Hello there."
Felix greeted them with a calm smile. "I had some business to attend to here in Chernobog. While wandering around, I didn't expect to run into you all."
The players snapped out of their initial shock, and their captain quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly in respect.
"Pioneer, sir—what can we do for you? And… what exactly is this place?"
"Just a small matter of business," Felix replied, the smile on his face softening into something quieter. "This place… is where an old friend of mine rests."
The players exchanged baffled looks—wide-eyed, confused, and utterly lost.
Without another word, Felix summoned his familiar drone. It floated toward the nearby terminal, scanned the access node, and within two minutes had completely cracked the security lock.
He turned back to the group. "Curiosity," he said, "is an essential trait for every explorer of Tomorrow's Development. Since you've all made it this far, why not come with me and see what lies beyond?"
"Yes, sir!"
The players responded with almost childlike enthusiasm, trembling with excitement. The previously disconnected female player suddenly logged back in—only to immediately lunge forward and give Felix a crushing bear hug… before being promptly kicked offline again.
Their captain's expression twitched. Felix scratched his head awkwardly, looking a bit exasperated and confused. The captain forced a laugh, mumbling, "Ah—she probably just went to the bathroom." (Sure, let's go with that.)
They continued onward, bypassing security systems one after another. The drone's speed increased with every layer, until finally, they reached the deepest chamber.
Here, countless terminals lined the walls—and in the center stood a coffin.
It looked almost identical to the one Felix had once prepared for Theresa.
He gazed at the figure within, his expression turning unreadable.
The players peered over his shoulder. Inside the coffin lay a hooded figure—a young woman with a beautiful, peaceful face, as if asleep.
Wait… who's she?
No way—that's not… the Pioneer's wife, right?
In an instant, their imaginations went wild, each one silently composing a ten-thousand-word fanfiction in their minds.