This was the players’ first real glimpse of a main city. For a moment, they felt their throats go dry. The sheer scale and grandeur were overwhelming—like witnessing one of the wonders of the world.

“This… is this really the main city?!”

Felix pretended not to hear their exclamations. Calmly, he explained, “The mobile city is the heart of national power. It follows a fixed patrol route and is designed to avoid natural disasters in advance. We’re lucky—Kawalerielki happened to stop here this week. Otherwise, we’d be driving another hour or so.”

“But before entering the city,” he added, “we’ll still need to pass one more checkpoint.”

This process was similar to the one before, except this time, the Kuranta guards at the gate exchanged meaningful glances when they saw the invitation letter from the Chamber of Commerce. Their expressions immediately shifted—respectful, almost deferential—as they welcomed Felix into Kawalerielki .

“Since we’re in Kawalerielki , the capital of Kazimierz ,” Felix said, turning to the players with a slight smile, “it’d be a shame not to experience the local culture. The knight competition is in full swing.” He handed out tickets to the other three. “I have business to attend to in the city. In the meantime, I’ll find you a place to stay. If anything urgent comes up, I’ll find you.”

Magic ZX looked as if he might turn into a tourist on the spot, eager to wander every inch of the city. Dandao Dantart stared in awe at the brilliant display cases and the massive digital screens inside Kawalerielki—it was a world apart from the Novice Town they’d come from. This place felt like true civilization.

Qiu Muyu, in particular, looked like a curious child. Her eyes darted around constantly, and she looked like she could barely contain the urge to grab an NPC and start asking questions. For a player who loved the story and lore, every new city was a new adventure waiting to unfold.

Felix found an ordinary hotel and arranged two rooms: one for Magic ZX and Dandao Dantart to share, and a single room for Qiu Muyu, as the sole female player.

After making sure everything was in order, he got back into the pickup truck and drove away.

The three players stood in silence, exchanging uncertain glances.

“Group activities or split up?” Dandao Dantart asked. “I hate to kill the mood, but players at our level really aren’t meant to be in a city like this. Did you notice? Even the knights walking down the street… if they’re openly wearing weapons, that says something about their strength.”

The others nodded in agreement and quickly stashed their own weapons. They now looked like ordinary tourists—though, in truth, their outfits still looked pretty rough around the edges.

“I’ll take a quick walk around,” Magic ZX said. “I’m logging off soon anyway, just need to wrap up some footage.”

Qiu Muyu agreed without hesitation.

The three of them stepped out of the hotel once more, instantly captivated by the towering skyscrapers surrounding them. Knight-endorsed advertisements flashed across giant mall screens, reminding them eerily of scenes from the real world.

Qiu Muyu felt like she could sit there the whole afternoon, just to count how many different ads there were.

The three of them approached the mall and were immediately dazzled by the vast array of goods on display. Ark certainly featured plenty of customization options, but they had clearly underestimated just how expansive and detailed the game truly was. The clothing in the store looked so real that for a moment, they wondered if they were still in a virtual world.

Qiu Muyu’s eyes sparkled with excitement. As a female player, was it really a crime to enjoy dressing up?

The price tags, however, were another story. Everything was expensive. Qiu Muyu hesitated, tempted by a stylish outfit, but in the end, decided not to make a purchase—at least not until she had the chance to compare prices from different stores.

Dandao Dantart and Magic ZX, meanwhile, had their attention elsewhere. They wandered into a competitive knight supply store. The salesperson took one glance at their shabby attire and didn’t even bother to approach. The two didn’t mind—they simply browsed through the merchandise on their own.

“A high-grade rifle costs five figures? What is this, daylight robbery?” Dantart muttered.

Even a plain-looking breastplate, just with a company logo printed on it, was selling for a similar price. It was absurd.

Dandao Dantart suddenly recalled something from real life—a red-and-white brand that sold ordinary-looking clothes at jaw-dropping prices just because of the logo. Seems like things weren’t so different in the game after all.

“The equipment sold by Pioneer is way more reasonable,” Magic ZX commented, pulling up comparison windows and evaluating the stats. “Look at this. The prices, the durability—it’s a world of difference. Pioneer’s gear is actually made by someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“Yeah… You can tell it’s the work of a master,” Dantart agreed. “That’s the difference!”

“As expected from a high-level NPC. As expected from Mr. Felix,” he added with reverence.

“Mr… Felix?” Magic ZX turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, do you know Mr. Pioneer’s real name?”

Dandao Dantart froze, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. He coughed awkwardly. “Y-Yeah, but I didn’t say anything! I don’t know if he’d be mad if we mentioned it…”

Understandable.

“Maybe he’ll tell us himself when the time is right,” Qiu Muyu chimed in as she returned to them. She was wearing a brand-new coat—stylish, bright, and eye-catching. Combined with her naturally cute and cheerful look, the effect was devastating.

While the three players continued exploring the city, Felix was finally able to take a breather.

“Is this your apartment? Wow, it’s huge!” muelsyse exclaimed, climbing out of the water bottle. She returned to her normal size and immediately leapt onto the bed with childlike excitement.

Felix carried in his tools. During his time away, the Chamber of Commerce had clearly sent someone to clean the room. Just based on their attention to detail, he would’ve rated their service five stars without hesitation.

He glanced toward Muelsyse . Her Originium skills were truly impressive. Honestly, he had half-expected to be stuck sleeping on a waterbed tonight.

After wandering around the room, muelsyse floated back over to Felix and asked, “Is this the mission location?”

“Yes and no,” Felix replied with a faint smile. He walked over to the French window and looked out at Kawalerielki , now two or three times livelier than it had been last year. “I’m here mainly to enjoy this year’s knight competition—and to complete a few necessary tasks.”

“You sound a lot like Kristen sometimes,” Muelsyse said, resting her chin in her hands. “Always speaking in riddles, making people guess what you mean.”

“That’s because Kristen and I are… kind of the same type of person,” Felix replied with a chuckle.

He checked the ranking list for the knight tournament. The group elimination matches had wrapped up two weeks ago. Today was the quarterfinals, and the grand finals were scheduled for early June.

“No Black Knight match today, huh? What a shame,” he murmured, glancing over at the idle Muelsyse before dialing a contact from the Chamber of Commerce.

“Yes, I’ll need the D-12 soft alloy… and also—”

As Felix slipped into work mode, Muelsyse resumed rolling around on the bed. Then, shrinking down into a mini version of herself, she bounced onto Felix’s desk and made a funny face at him.

Still holding the phone, Felix absentmindedly poked her tiny cheek.

“The materials will arrive soon? Great. I appreciate the efficiency.”

Mini muelsyse waved. “Yara came to find me, so I’ll be off for now. See you later~”

“Mm.”

After she returned to the Aquarius, Felix began drafting blueprints while he waited. Half an hour later, the materials he’d requested were delivered right to his door.

It wasn’t that he was avoiding the military order from Columbia—it was simply that the material requirements were incredibly high. Just because something was drawn on paper didn’t mean it could easily be forged into shape.

Currently, Columbia’s military had adopted a light armor system. To put it simply, it was like strapping iron plates to one’s body. The defensive power of these plates was formidable. A group of soldiers wearing them could scare off enemies armed with melee weapons, and even crossbows or firearms would struggle to leave a mark.

After acquiring a few of the blueprints, Felix initiated a reverse engineering project. Naturally, the Columbia military didn’t send over all of their schematics—they weren’t fools.

Reverse engineering demanded a massive amount of LMD and technical expertise. To be honest, the cost wasn’t worth the return. Felix halted the process halfway through—he’d already gleaned the key information he was after.

Although classified as light armor, Columbia’s design significantly reduced agility when equipped. In reality, the set was better suited for heavy armor classification.

The metal plates used were bulletproof, but Felix believed that too much defense could become a hindrance. Excessive weight would slow troop movement, and if the enemy resorted to guerrilla tactics, heavily armored soldiers would be forced into unfavorable direct confrontations.

“Artificial fiber? It could be used to make joint movement smoother… I can integrate it into the light armor I’m designing.”

When developing a mecha, adjusting the tendons, bones, and internal skeleton had always been a tricky part. But by using refined artificial fibers, that issue could be effectively addressed. Donning the armor would feel like slipping into a tight-fitting garment—no discomfort inside the frame, just a seamless connection.

In addition to armor, Felix had also decided to begin development on electric weapons. Since being promoted to trainee mechanic, he had gained access to new abilities: installing batteries, embedding chips, and handling advanced materials. Now, it was time to put those upgrades to good use. Electric weapons, both for close and long-range combat, brought significant advantages. Melee electric weapons could wear down enemy gear rapidly, while ranged electromagnetic firearms had increased lethality—one well-placed shot might even paralyze an opponent. However, the performance demands for such equipment were extremely high.

To unlock the electric weapon category, he first needed access to the proper knowledge. That meant finding two essential books: Electrodynamics and Advanced Materials Science. Only by mastering both could he open the gateway to this new field.

Unfortunately, the Chamber of Commerce currently had neither book in stock.

Felix recalled Kristen once mentioning Advanced Materials Science was taught by someone at Trimount Polytechnic Institute… As for Electrodynamics, he had managed to acquire it through the black market in his past life—so now, finding it again would simply come down to luck.

But right now, his luck stat was rated E.

While hammering away at metal, Felix also kept one eye on the forum, following updates on the Kazdel Civil War. More neutral players had begun appearing on the battlefield. These players didn’t pledge loyalty to either side, instead choosing to support whichever faction paid better. Their fence-sitting tactics had caused their faction reputation to plummet, earning them disdain from mercenaries on both sides.

Still, Felix understood their reasoning. Players might find valuable rewards on both sides, and simply chose to hop back and forth to maximize their gains.

After all, trying to reason with an online player was like asking them not to fire an RPG at you—they’d do it anyway just for fun.

That night, Felix went out once again. After grabbing dinner nearby, he headed over to the hotel where the three players were staying. In their room, he found Dandao Dantart and Magic ZX chatting casually.

Felix smiled at Dantart and said, “You’ve been running around with me quite a bit lately. I see potential in you. You deserve a better weapon.”

He took out a freshly forged Bloodthirsty Type II longsword. It was yellow-quality, boasted high durability, and featured a robust blade capable of blocking even short crossbow bolts. Additionally, it came with a bleeding effect—a weapon clearly one tier above what Felix usually sold to other players.

“Master Pioneer… is this for me?” Dandao Dantart’s eyes widened in astonishment. Beside him, Magic ZX’s eyes flashed with envy.

Felix gave a calm nod, and Dantart accepted the sword carefully. The smooth, cold feel of the metal in his hands made him fall in love with it instantly. He hadn’t expected a high-level NPC to offer such generosity.

Magic ZX nodded. This was probably one of the perks of a hidden storyline—or perhaps the result of exceptionally high favorability. No wonder players were so eager to trigger hidden quests, and female players were constantly pestering the pioneers.

As for Felix, he hadn’t done this without purpose. He had long considered cultivating Dandao Dantart. Moreover, with Magic ZX present, there was an added benefit: if a content creator like him recorded the moment Felix handed out such rewards and shared it online, it would reinforce the image of him as a generous and player-friendly NPC. That reputation alone would attract even more players to seek him out. Female players might even strip off all their clothes just to talk to him… Ah, shrimp-head fantasies.

“You two should try learning some combat techniques from the knights,” Felix advised, looking at them seriously. “Knights aren’t limited to just sword and shield combat. Different knight types have their own styles. Some specialize in rapid, continuous attacks, while others excel at hiding in the shadows and launching surprise assaults.”

Dandao Dantart nodded earnestly, and Magic ZX quickly agreed. After seeing Felix off, the two looked at each other—and broke into laughter at the same time.

“We’re really lucky,” said Dandao Dantart. “Lucky to have crossed paths with such a responsible senior NPC.”

Magic ZX nodded in agreement. Throughout the journey, he’d come to understand and admire the Pioneer. He wanted to remain part of a camp led by someone like him—someone who brought warmth to others, who didn’t discriminate against players. Compared to the alienating terms like Stranger or Undead, he much preferred Adventurer, as used by the Pioneer.

The Pioneer truly felt like a breath of spring.

“I’m going offline.”

“Already?” Dandao Dantart was still holding the sword, grinning like a fool.

Magic ZX chuckled and replied, “I’m heading off to finish editing my video. It’s almost done—make sure you give it three clicks when it goes up!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep