On his way back to Kjerag to escort Kjera onto a plane bound for Lungmen, Felix happened to notice a new post on the Kazdel section of the forum.
"Brothers, are we sure this super high-tech-looking thing is actually an antique?"
Curious, Felix tapped on the thread.
The picture showed someone holding a metallic cube—its surface gleamed like new, polished smooth with no trace of corrosion. The corners were slightly indented, as if they were once meant to emit light.
What in the world is that thing?
Felix frowned. Even back in his previous life as a player, he had never seen anything like it.
Then he glanced at the username and chuckled.
Hah. Isn't that Xiaolang?
With that thought, Felix immediately drafted a mission and sent it to him through the system.
---
[You have triggered a C-Rank Quest: "The Mysterious Cube"]
Quest Details:
You have unearthed a strange metallic cube. It doesn't seem to have any immediate use to you, and the mechanisms within are beyond your ability to decipher. However, if you deliver this object to the Pioneer, it might lead to valuable discoveries.
Objective:
Hand over the mysterious cube to the Pioneer.
Rewards:
10,000 EXP
+5 Pioneer Affection
---
Xiaolang blinked in surprise when the quest prompt suddenly appeared.
He was in the middle of discussing with his strategy group how to handle the cube—they had already tried every possible method to activate it, but it wouldn't respond.
From a gamer's perspective, the design screamed sci-fi. It carried that distinct Tomorrow's Development aesthetic—definitely not something ordinary.
After reading the quest description, Xiaolang immediately understood.
"The system just gave me a mission," he announced, "to hand this cube over to the Pioneer."
"Oh, the Pioneer, huh? That makes sense now."
"Probably the start of a new main questline," another member said. "This cube might just be a trigger item."
No one in the group objected. They were all part of Tomorrow's Development anyway—if the Pioneer got a new storyline, they'd likely get some shared benefits too.
Besides, they couldn't make heads or tails of the cube. Rather than letting it sit around collecting dust in their inventory, it was better to hand it over to someone who might actually figure it out.
Seeing everyone agree, Xiaolang felt relieved.
He also had his own reasons—those quest rewards were just too tempting! Especially the affection bonus!
Ever since the affection system stopped increasing from simple gifts, players had speculated that only completing the Pioneer's personal quests would improve it. And now, here it was—his chance!
---
Two days later, Xiaolang finally met the Pioneer in person at the city hall. Felix had just arrived by transport craft, accompanied by a woman he recognized from the forums—silver hair, crimson eyes, and a slightly absent-minded, adorable expression.
Skadi, he recalled.
"Mr. Pioneer," Xiaolang said, stepping forward with both hands outstretched, "I'd like to give this to you. I hope it's useful."
Felix accepted the cube with a look of pleased surprise. Under Xiaolang's excited gaze, he smiled warmly and patted the player's shoulder.
"Thank you. If you ever come across anything like this again, I'll be counting on you."
"Of course! It's my honor!"
Grinning ear to ear, Xiaolang left the hall practically glowing with pride—he couldn't wait to brag to his friends that he'd just been personally touched by the Pioneer himself.
With Ulšulah away, only Felix and Skadi remained in the room. He set the metallic cube down on the table and looked toward her.
"You think this looks like… Aegir technology?"
Skadi nodded slightly. "Mm."
It all started after Felix had issued the quest to Xiaolang. Out of curiosity, he'd asked around the others if anyone recognized such an item. Everyone shook their heads—they had never seen anything like it.
Everyone, that is… except Skadi.
She said the design reminded her of Aegir's technology.
Aegir had always been shrouded in mystery. Players could choose to play as an Aegir race, but never spawn in Aegir itself. Only in the later versions of the game did people finally learn the truth—
Aegir was a city built deep within the sea.
"The technology of Aegir is incredibly advanced," Skadi said slowly, her crimson eyes flickering toward the mysterious cube. "Although I don't fully understand technology myself… I've lived long enough to recognize it. This strange cube—it looks a lot like a terminal used in the research institutes back home."
"Aegir's technology came from… grave digging?" Felix asked in disbelief.
Skadi nodded lightly. "That's what the records say. Aegir's technological progress exists thanks to the legacy of the civilization that came before us."
"Wait, hold on—what do you mean by 'the civilization before'?" Felix felt his head spinning. None of this lore existed back when he was a player. What was all this new information?
"The 'previous civilization' refers to those who once lived upon this land… but beyond that, I don't really know much."
Skadi's voice carried a faint note of apology, as though she were embarrassed about her limited knowledge.
"Do you know how to activate this cube, then?" Felix asked.
"I think… it needs a terminal and a connecting cable…" Skadi replied uncertainly, then murmured under her breath, "I used to be an electrician, but this is beyond my expertise."
"You… were an electrician?" Felix blinked.
"Mm," Skadi responded with a soft hum.
He tried to imagine Skadi in work overalls, carrying a toolbox and climbing an electrical pole. The image was so absurd he nearly laughed out loud.
He summoned his drone, the little construct known as Clever, and ordered it to perform a full scan of the cube. As the small machine worked, Skadi watched it closely, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"This little one's called Clever," Felix said with a faint smile. "How does it compare to Aegir's technology?"
Felix's curiosity grew. If Aegir really inherited technology from an ancient civilization, then that sounded like a full-on civilization tech tree maxed out scenario. Sargon's people were still living like tribal nomads—so why did Aegir's entire aesthetic feel so out of place?
"Well… it's somewhat similar," Skadi admitted softly. "Machines in Aegir can execute tasks like this one, though they're usually more intelligent."
"I see." Felix nodded thoughtfully.
After a moment, Skadi added in a slightly regretful tone, "Aegir has closed its borders because of the war with the Seaborn… so I can't exactly invite you to visit."
There was a trace of sadness in her voice.
Felix smiled lightly, waving it off. "That's fine. I wasn't planning to drop by just yet."
"Program intrusion failed. Analysis unsuccessful. Unable to decode," Clever's synthetic voice suddenly announced.
Felix frowned and tapped his diagnostic tool. With his high-level skills as both an artisan and mechanic, he finally managed to extract some kind of data.
[Storage Cube]
"That's it?" he muttered, unimpressed.
Skadi sighed quietly. "It seems your program can't interpret it. Perhaps it requires a more advanced decryption system… I'm afraid I can't be of much help."
"You've done enough," Felix said, putting the cube away.
He planned to hand it over to Emperor later—it might reveal something about this so-called 'previous civilization.' Still, he knew nothing concrete about what that civilization truly was.
All of this… it was knowledge he'd never encountered as a player.
Was this world really from a game—or was it reality now?
That question echoed in Felix's mind again. The grand, sweeping story unfolding before him carried an overwhelming weight. He'd relied on his understanding of the game's plot and characters to make it this far, but if new, unknown elements began to appear—he might lose control of the entire situation.
That was something Felix could never accept.
He once held his own through sheer level and combat prowess, from version 2.0 and even into the future 3.0. But now… that might no longer be enough.
He remembered clearly—the day he crossed over was the day of the 3.0 maintenance.
In just a few days, version 4.0 would launch.
But what story awaited in 4.0?
He had no idea.
Because he feared—he had to become stronger. Strong enough to shatter Terran's strongest with a single punch.
"Felix… are you afraid?"
"Huh?"
Felix looked up and met Skadi's gentle, crimson eyes. Her voice was soft and low, carrying the calm weight of the sea.
"Because I often feel afraid too," she said quietly. "I fear that I'll hurt those around me, that my existence will bring harm to others. I've lived with that fear for a long time. The look on your face—it's like looking into a mirror."
"I want to help you." Skadi's tone deepened with resolve. "You accepted me, so I want to do something for you. I used to work as an electrician—besides fighting, I can at least help with electrical systems."
Felix sighed softly. "Thank you, Skadi. I'm just… afraid of an unknown future."
"Mm."
He stood up, and Skadi watched as he walked away, his back straight but heavy with invisible weight. It was as though he carried the coming storm upon his shoulders—not just for himself, but for everyone bound to him by fate.
At some point, a shadow appeared behind him. Felix's instincts as a fighter alerted him instantly. He turned slightly and saw Ines standing there.
"Does Hoederer have something to report?" he asked.
"Babel's recent offensives have gone smoothly," Ines said calmly. "In several battles against the Military Council, we've gained the upper hand. But… Hoederer said the Doctor's condition seems strange."
"The Doctor's condition?" Felix repeated.
"Hoederer mentioned that when he last saw the Doctor, they looked exhausted—like they were wrestling with something heavy inside."
"…"
Felix rested his chin on his hand. "Is it because of the war… or something else?"
"There was no such detail in the report."
"Have Hoederer continue to monitor the Doctor," Felix instructed.
Something didn't sit right. In his previous life, players who joined Babel or the Military Council had fought endlessly, victory after victory. Babel's leadership had been brilliant, their campaigns meticulously planned—and yet, in the end, they still lost.
Why?
Why did the 'Sarkaz King' Theresa never appear again after that arc? Could she have died unexpectedly?
That kind of accident would have been monumental.
Could it be that the Doctor, under unbearable pressure, collapsed during the final battle—causing Babel's defeat?
Felix had fought under the Doctor's command before. Every move had gone smoothly; the Doctor accounted for everything—weather, terrain, enemy formations, the morale of their troops. If something went wrong, it wouldn't have been the soldiers. It would've been… the Doctor.
Recalling the Doctor's fatigue, Felix began to suspect that they might have fallen ill during the decisive battle—leading to Babel's downfall.
"Keep watching the Doctor," Felix repeated. "I'm worried about their health. Too many people rely on the Doctor right now, and there's no one they can truly lean on. That kind of pressure can break anyone."
"I understand."
Ines nodded. Strangely, she didn't leave right away this time. Instead, she kept walking beside him.
"…?" Felix gave her a questioning look. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she replied, her expression unreadable. "As a member of Tomorrow's Development, I believe staying close to you allows me to obtain information more efficiently."
"That's fair," Felix said. "I'm heading to see Ulšulah. It's only a few weeks until November—time to prepare the relocation plan for the Frontier District."
"Relocation…" Ines's expression turned serious. "Is a Catastrophe approaching?"
"Yes. According to the Catastrophe Messenger who came to share intelligence, an Originium dust storm is expected to form about ten kilometers from the district by the end of the year. The central region will be safe, but the northern residential zone will become uninhabitable."
"I see."
Ines exhaled quietly. As a Sarkaz, she had long grown used to a wandering life, surviving in barren lands without complaint. But after settling in the Frontier District, after finally having a place to call home—she couldn't bear the thought of losing it.
The two reached the mouth of a narrow alley. Felix halted. From within came the sound of angry shouting.
"…You bastard! You actually dared to attack me? Are you even Sarkaz anymore, you—!"
"Traitor is traitor! You people from the Frontier District—have you forgotten your hatred so easily?"
Boom!
A dull explosion echoed through the alley. Two figures tumbled out, covered in dust and soot, crashing to the ground at Felix and Ines's feet.
Then, a teasing voice followed.
"Ahaha, I don't like that kind of talk. If you're so fond of the Military Council, why come causing trouble in the Frontier District, huh? Don't like it here? Then why show up at all? Are you idiots or what?"
As the smoke cleared, Felix's eyes fell upon a white-haired girl with two crimson antennae sprouting from her head. She wore a mercenary's uniform and casually tossed a grenade up and down in her hand.
"Ka-boom~"