The flames surrounding him carried a familiar warmth.
Felix remembered when Loughshinny had first given him a massage—it had been quite ordinary. But after Mostima began using time-stop magic for her sessions, Loughshinny decided to get creative as well, employing the flames of a Draco.
A Draco's fire moved according to its wielder's will. Loughshinny's flames were gentle and comforting, designed to relax rather than burn. Even when the fire enveloped his entire body, Felix never felt pain—only a deep, soul-stirring warmth, as if his very being was being refined.
Now, facing the woman who would one day betray the Reunion Movement, the Yeti Squadron, and even the players themselves, Felix reached back and grasped the hilt of his twin-bladed sword.
Azure flames erupted from its edges, the ring on his finger glowing with a strange, otherworldly light. The weapon shimmered with fiery brilliance, its heat melting the surrounding snow in an instant until only bare ground and steadfast gravestones remained.
"Name yourself," Talulah demanded.
"Pioneer," Felix replied calmly.
Talulah's brows knitted together. "You're the one FrostNova spoke of—the Pioneer?"
At the mention of that name, the anger burning within her quickly subsided. Even the flames surrounding her began to fade.
"Yes," Felix said evenly.
"I heard from FrostNova that the Pioneer is a Sankta who understands the suffering of terran—a man who seeks to create a world where the Infected and the uninfected can coexist. Then tell me, why have you drawn your sword against me?"
"I wanted to see," Felix replied coldly, "how much tolerance you truly have."
His voice was devoid of warmth. "The Reunion Movement grows larger by the day. Tell me… have you ever thought of using your followers as cannon fodder when war comes?"
"I have never thought of such a thing!" Talulah's fury flared at his words, her teeth clenched tight. "Every member of Reunion is my comrade. Are you trying to provoke a fight?"
"You talk a good game," Felix sneered.
The moment he activated his killing intent, the air around them chilled. Talulah froze. The man before her was smiling faintly, but his golden eyes were like those of a corpse—cold, lifeless, as if he had clawed his way out from beneath a mountain of bodies.
Is this man really a Sankta?
Talulah's anger boiled over. She had come here to mourn the old couple who had once taken her and Alina in—before the patrol squad brutally executed them. She had planned to pay her respects quietly and leave, but Felix's words had ignited a real fire in her heart.
She swung her blazing sword toward him. Her movements were refined—clearly trained in noble swordsmanship—but as the duel continued, her strikes became more unrestrained, infused with the raw ferocity of a warrior willing to fight by any means necessary.
Felix's level was by no means low. Perhaps, years from now, Talulah would grow into the terrifying force that players once feared. But right now… she was weaker than he had expected. Did she experience some kind of awakening later in life?
He couldn't know. What he did know was that she lacked the power she would one day possess. Thanks to his training under Degenbrecher, Felix could read the curve of her sword and match her rhythm—he might not be able to defeat her, but he could certainly hold his ground.
Still, her flames made it difficult to approach.
Clang!
Their blades collided—his twin-edged sword against her longsword—sparks bursting where the fiery metals met. The air filled with the screech of grinding steel as both flames merged and devoured one another in a crackling storm.
"Hmph!"
Talulah stumbled back several steps, her flames flaring hotter in response. The distant villagers stopped their work, staring toward the sudden inferno that illuminated the snowfield.
It was as if they were reliving the nightmare of that long-ago day—the day their village had burned.
"Shall we… call it a temporary truce?" Talulah said through clenched teeth, rubbing her shoulder. She noticed that her opponent was also slightly winded, and quietly exhaled in relief. As Reunion's leader, she couldn't afford to be defeated here. If she lost to someone like him, it could spell doom for her movement.
Felix noticed the villagers' wary gazes and slowly lowered his weapon. Even as he sheathed it, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind—Talulah's strength was not what he remembered.
Could it be that she was the true Villainess of the Ark?
In just a few years, after being hunted and forced off a cliff, she somehow returned wielding incredible power—an aura and flame so intense that it was hard to believe this was the same Talulah he once knew.
"Care to talk?" Talulah's voice was sharp and cold. "Of course, if you'd rather keep fighting, I don't mind obliging."
Her tone was unrefined, almost rough—but what a waste, coming from someone with such a beautiful face.
"Sure," Felix replied simply.
He glanced toward the nearby villagers, then turned and began walking toward the pine forest in the distance. Talulah snorted softly at his back, but followed after him.
Among the towering pines lay the villagers' only means of survival—pine resin. It was their one remaining source of income, which they carried for tens of kilometers to barter for food and supplies in distant settlements.
Standing beneath a massive pine tree, Felix turned back to face Talulah.
"Not even minutes after meeting, and you attack me?" she asked. "Or do I just look that suspicious to you?" Talulah let out a faint, mocking laugh.
"Anyone who hears the slogan of the Reunion Movement would laugh," He said. "And as its leader, what you truly intend to achieve… well, it's not hard for people to imagine."
"I only wish to lead the Infected to a place where we can live freely," Talulah said quietly, her fists tightening.
"Oh? And you think that doesn't mean war?"
Talulah fell silent.
Felix's gaze was calm, almost indifferent. "So what you really want… is to give the Infected power—to make them stand above the uninfected?"
"I never said that."
"But I've seen it."
His words were like a blade, cutting straight into her heart.
"I've seen those who call themselves members of your Reunion Movement raid peaceful villages," he continued coldly. "They seize food, abduct women, and use Originium to carve open their flesh—turning them into more Infected."
Felix gave a dry, humorless chuckle. "A clever way to grow your ranks, isn't it?"
Talulah trembled, anger welling up inside her—but not at Felix. No, her fury was for her subordinates, who had ignored her repeated orders not to harm civilians. The name of Reunion had already been dragged through the mud by their hands.
"…There are all kinds among the ranks of Reunion," she admitted bitterly.
Felix smiled faintly. "My people fight because they believe in a better life—a better future for the Infected. Yours, however… seem to treat their condition as a privilege, using it to oppress the very civilians who once wronged them." He gave a short sigh. "The greater the power, the greater the responsibility."
Talulah's fists clenched tighter. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to draw her sword and strike him down—to fight until one of them lay dead. After all, as the leader of Reunion, her pride had already been shattered.
"Tell me, Talulah," Felix asked softly. "Do you wish to grant your followers special privilege—simply because they're Infected?"
"…"
She bit her lip. She didn't know how to answer—or perhaps she had never truly thought about it. To her, the Infected had always been the oppressed, the persecuted. It was natural to rise up, to fight back—to turn the tables. But she had never questioned what true equality really meant.
"The Infected's enemy," Felix went on, "is the diseased aristocracy and corrupt social order of Ursus. Or… do you believe they should take vengeance on the innocent civilians instead?"
"…"
Talulah said nothing. She could only glare at him, eyes burning with frustration and silence.
Felix hid a faint smirk. Strange… in another life, she could talk circles around anyone. Yet here, she's speechless.
After a long moment, Talulah finally exhaled, her anger cooling into grim resolve.
"Those who violated Reunion's laws—I executed them myself," she said quietly. "Since you seem to hold such deep prejudice against Reunion, Pioneer… surely you wouldn't be afraid to visit our camp with me, would you?"
A clumsy provocation—exactly the one Felix had been waiting for.
He shrugged lightly. "Sure. But I'll be bringing my companions with me. As the leader of Reunion, you're not afraid of me showing up with a few allies, are you?"
Talulah's fists tightened again. Somehow, whenever she stood in front of Felix, her composure always crumbled. The man looked polite and refined—almost too handsome for his own good—but every word that came out of his mouth was infuriating.
Soon after, Felix gathered his idle companions waiting outside the village. Talulah's eyes flicked briefly over the four women following him; she could tell from their stance and bearing that each one was trained in combat. Still, she had already spoken—there was no taking it back.
"Follow me," she said curtly.
Loughshinny's gaze lingered on Talulah's back as they walked. She could still feel the echo of the flames from earlier—their clash had left a strange impression. There was something peculiar about Talulah's fire. She couldn't explain it, but it gave her the same subtle, almost mysterious sensation as Felix's own flame. Perhaps, she thought, it was simply because of her race's sensitivity to Originium-based arts.
Before long, the camp of Reunion came into view.
Calling it a town would've been generous—it lacked the tall walls and fortified buildings the "players" tended to construct for defense. But that made sense. Even if those players were Infected, they still treated Terra like a game, rarely burdened by the fear or despair of the disease. To them, this ruined wasteland was just another stage where they could act freely. Ironically, they were often the most disciplined people of all.
The Infected who followed Reunion, on the other hand, fought for their fate and their survival. Many were weak, sick, or dying. Some were so afflicted by Oripathy that even daily labor was impossible. For them, just staying alive was already a battle.
"—Honestly, Talulah, where have you been?"
A soft but exasperated voice interrupted. A young woman ran up to them, slightly out of breath. Her tone was tinged with worry rather than anger, and her gentleness carried through even her hurried speech.
She had long, snow-white hair, and her presence radiated calm kindness. With delicate, deerlike features and slender twin horns, it was clear she was an Elafia. Just one look, and anyone would feel their guard drop around her.
"Sorry, Alina," Talulah said softly, taking the girl's hands. "I went out on my own."
Alina shook her head with a faint smile, showing no sign of reproach—only concern.
Then her eyes shifted to the group standing behind Talulah. Surprise flickered across her face. "And these people are…?"
Reunion often took in newly Infected individuals, so Alina initially assumed these were just more refugees Talulah had brought back. But the moment she noticed their clothing and equipment, her expression grew puzzled. Their attire was nothing like anything she'd ever seen—sleek, advanced, almost futuristic.
Of course, for a rural girl like her, recognizing high-end technology was too much to ask. Still, it was clear enough that these five were not ordinary Infected.
"They're…" Talulah didn't hesitate. "FrostNova's friends."
"Oh, I see! So they're Miss FrostNova's friends," Alina said warmly, stepping forward with her usual gentle smile. "She's out on patrol right now. It might be about an hour before she returns."
Talulah nodded. "Patriot is here, though. We can go see him first."
Felix had no objections.
As they entered the camp, Felix quietly observed their surroundings. The place was tightly guarded—watchtowers, patrols, sentries on rotation—but what caught his attention most were the eyes of the Infected.
Some were dull and lifeless, repeating their work like machines, their will eroded by exhaustion and despair. Others burned with barely restrained fury, their hatred the only thing keeping them moving.
Felix could feel their stares on him and his companions. The Infected here were quick to notice outsiders—especially those who weren't Infected themselves. The looks they received were mixed: a few hostile, but most simply curious.
So at this point, Reunion hasn't yet turned into a movement consumed entirely by revenge, Felix thought silently.
Just then, a group of children came running up, their laughter echoing through the camp as they clung playfully to Alina.
"Teacher Alina, what story are we going to hear today?"
"I want an adventure story! What about you, Sasha?"
"I… I don't mind either way."
Alina chuckled softly, gently patting one of the children on the head. Her voice was tender, like a soft breeze. "Before we listen to any stories, we'll have to learn our letters first, alright?"
"Ehhh, nooo! We don't wanna!"
The children scattered, giggling and shouting as they ran off into the distance. Alina watched them go, her smile bright and full of affection.
"They're all homeless Infected children," Alina explained quietly. "Most of them were rescued from the mines. They've lost everything—their homes, their families. For them, just being alive is already a blessing."
"You're incredible, truly," Felix said, nodding in approval. "Teaching and caring for them like this… it's admirable."
Hearing that, Alina's eyes curved into crescent moons, glowing with happiness.
Meanwhile, Talulah could only sigh inwardly.
Seriously? You argue with me every time I open my mouth, but with Alina you're all charm and compliments? Unbelievable.