Jesselton walked down the long corridor inside Rhodes Island. The surroundings felt faintly familiar. He had once barreled through this place with reckless abandon, carving out what people jokingly called a "Jesselton-sized passage." The gaping hole he crashed open back then had long since been repaired.
After Felix brought them aboard, they were given temporary freedom to move around. They would return to the Venus in a week.
Jesselton did not think much about this cooperation. More than anything, he was grateful that His Highness allowed him to participate in this operation at all. With the Legion's establishment and the increasing number of Kazdel's upper echelon joining in, Jesselton suddenly realized that there were fewer and fewer moments where he could actually be useful.
The King had far too many remarkable individuals under his banner. Whether it was Caren, the half-blood Wendigo whose physical strength could rival a mech, or Loughshinny, who rarely showed her hand but wielded those strange golden flames, Jesselton felt that he could not even make it onto the King's list of noteworthy assets.
He was just someone who got lucky—someone who survived because experimental material had been implanted into his body. Without his mechanized suit, what real strength did he have? Could he still stand against enemies he once crushed with ease?
Anyone who knew Jesselton would have felt relieved if they heard these thoughts. The loud, boastful man who once claimed he could solve anything with three punches had actually begun reflecting on himself. That alone was a miracle.
Kal'tsit had just finished handing over her work to Shining. Before the mission to rescue the Doctor, she would temporarily leave Rhodes Island and head to the Venus for a month-long medical training program. During that time, the burden of Rhodes Island would fall entirely onto young Amiya. It would be a moderate test for the girl. Although Scout and ACE were loyal and capable senior operators, fighting was their specialty—not politics.
Thinking of Felix, Kal'tsit exhaled softly. Who could have imagined that in just a few short years he not only settled in Kazdel but unified it entirely? Now, at least eighty percent of all Sarkaz willing to fight belonged to him. Another ten percent followed General Theresis, while the remaining ten percent were scattered across Terra.
She lightly knocked on Felix's door. After hearing his response, she pushed it open.
Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly.
She caught a glimpse of faint golden light forming long horns above Felix's head, and the flick of a golden tail that vanished in an instant. Felix slowly opened his eyes. The blue and gold in them blended together before fading, leaving behind a pure, radiant gold.
"I heard from Shining that the handover is complete."
He rose from the sofa and set aside the historical documents he had been reading. After completing the initial onboarding, he had requested access to Rhodes Island's library and had spent most of his days buried in his room, studying the continent's past. Back when he was just a player, he skimmed these things as world-building background. Now, he was gathering information that might prove vital in the future.
"We've prepared an office and living quarters for you. Thank you for your support, Dr. Kal'tsit."
Felix nodded. His relaxed demeanor resembled how he had been years ago, though the youthful liveliness of a Sankta merchant was gone. Now that ease came with maturity, steadiness, and a quiet authority.
Kal'tsit sighed inwardly. He had changed, yet somehow remained the same.
"We're all bound by countless things in this world. Your Highness, our lives have been filled with hardship. At times, they even lose meaning. But we continue walking forward. When we look back, the path beneath our feet is the journey itself."
Her voice softened. "The road is dark, uneven, and difficult. And we are walking such a road."
Felix understood the cryptic tone. After a moment of thought, he recognized what she wished to express. They were both walking difficult paths—so why not continue side by side?
He had no intention of cleaning up every mess Rhodes Island created. Their cooperation was simple: in exchange for assistance, he gained access to Kal'tsit's resources and the knowledge stored within Rhodes Island.
"The people of Tomorrow's Development do not fight for any particular person or event."
His tone was calm. "We devote ourselves to a cause, not because we expect results. We do something not because we must succeed. We fight for ourselves, for the future of life, and for the land we stand upon. The conflict between Infected and non-Infected has long decayed and faded from public consciousness."
"Now, all they care about is what kind of work earns more money and resources. That is only natural. The world hustles for profit; people move for gain. All I need to do is steer the ship. I believe that one day, Rhodes Island and Tomorrow's Development will sail the same course."
"…"
Kal'tsit understood. She did not know why, but those enigmatic words automatically reorganized themselves into clear, meaningful information in her mind.
It was true that Tomorrow's Developments and Rhodes Island shared the same general goals, yet what Tomorrow's Developments sought was far broader and more ambitious, something Rhodes Island could not reach for the time being. Until that boundary was reached, the two sides would fight side by side. When the time finally came, if Rhodes Island wished to push forward and keep pace, Felix would not mind. If they chose different paths, he likewise would not mind.
She could sense that Felix was different from before. It was not simply that he appeared more mature. It was something deeper, a change in essence.
Kal'tsit nodded lightly. She was preparing to leave; she still had an overwhelming amount of work waiting for her.
Felix glanced at the favorability reading hovering around Kal'tsit—20±—and spoke in a calm tone: "When the day comes that you're willing to share more with me, our relationship may be able to progress further."
Kal'tsit's hand paused for a brief moment on the doorknob. Then she gripped it, opened the door, and stepped out as though she had heard nothing.
But the moment the door opened, the person standing outside made her stop in her tracks. She lifted her gaze and found herself looking at… W.
"W, did you need something?"
"Tch. As expected, you're still the same infuriating woman as ever."
W rested her hands behind her head and clicked her tongue in displeasure. "What were you doing in Felix's room? Planning to cozy up to him so Rhodes Island can squeeze more benefits out of him?"
Kal'tsit always carried herself with a calm, almost emotionless composure, the sort that suggested she was above such crude comments. Yet with her long history and vast knowledge, it was impossible for her to miss the implication in W's words. W clearly believed that something intolerable had happened between her and Felix. Still, Kal'tsit felt no anger.
If doing something intolerable could truly push Rhodes Island forward, she might at least consider it. But even then, the final answer would still be no.
Even if they walked the same path.
W stared coldly at Kal'tsit. As Kal'tsit moved past her, W spoke in a low voice: "Her Highness's vengeance… I will settle it with my own hands."
Kal'tsit's footsteps paused. She turned slightly, the emerald shimmer in her eyes holding a quiet sigh. "What you saw is not what you understand."
"What else is there to understand!"
W raised her voice. She grit her teeth, shot a glance toward Felix's room, then stepped forward and grabbed Kal'tsit by the collar, lowering her voice into a harsh whisper. "Didn't you see anything?! Do you think all of us former Babel operatives are blind!?"
"Why do you think there were so many votes against it this time? Don't you have the faintest idea, old woman? Who was it that betrayed us?"
The low, threatening hiss that followed came from behind Kal'tsit. A black creature loomed into view, reacting to W's rough behavior. It rumbled a warning.
"Mon3tr…"
Kal'tsit spoke calmly. The black creature grumbled twice, glared at W, then vanished behind her.
W's grip loosened. She suddenly noticed that, in this moment, Kal'tsit appeared somewhat… tired and fragile. The impression lasted only a heartbeat. W wondered if she had imagined it.
"You and I both have work left to finish," Kal'tsit said quietly, turning away.
W remained rooted in place, glaring at Kal'tsit's retreating figure.
Only after confirming that Felix hadn't come out did she quietly exhale in relief. She stomped once in frustration, then stormed off with a huff.
Inside the room, Felix withdrew his gaze. Even though he had not seen what transpired, the voices had been more than enough to piece everything together. His mechanical scout was always stationed outside, gathering information.
It was almost time to return to the Venus for the player-arrival preparations.
He had been preparing for this for a long time. The first step was linking the player system into Tomorrow's Developments' database. For this, he didn't need Kal'tsit's help; he could handle it himself. When the players logged in, each would be greeted with their own personal drone. In version 3.0, Clever were no longer equipment that players could only envy from afar.
The drone hovered beside him, its voice clear and feminine as it spoke. As the unit responsible for managing all other drones, it had been given the name Lucy. She possessed basic intelligence, and her functions would adjust according to a set of commands that adapted to the user's preferences.
"Your Highness, Tomorrow's Development's aircraft will arrive tonight at 19:40. The Venus has completed all preparations for reception."
"Good work. How's the factory production coming along?"
"The Clevers are expected to finish the urgent batch within a day."
She paused. "As for the Chosen, the initial settings and appearance templates are scheduled to be finalized within one hundred days. Production will be completed in approximately one hundred twenty-six days, after which they will be ready for deployment."
In the remaining time, Felix sought out ACE for one last drink. Scout, who often joined them at the table, was nowhere to be seen. He had already taken his Recon Team ahead to Chernobog for preliminary scouting.
This time they parted, their next meeting would likely be in Chernobog itself.
That night, Felix returned to the Venus, where waves upon waves of players will awaited him here.
There were still three days left before the players came online. Before that, every factory had to rush production of the 3.0-standard equipment that would be available once the players logged in. Considering that many of them would inevitably face warfare and Originium contamination in the coming adventures, Felix drew inspiration from Death Stranding and various near-future sci-fi titles for the design style. Accounting for the 3.0 timeline, he directly incorporated mechanical armor components into the gear. Whether in stats or appearance, it would satisfy the players.
He also prepared a customization feature. After ranking up as a machinist, he had unlocked a skill called Free Tuning. This ability allowed the modules on mechanical constructs to be freely relocated. In other words, Felix could design a spherical robot that, upon activation, could draw dozens of guns and large blades from within its body. Previously, he would have needed to mount everything on mechanical arms to achieve the same effect.
With this skill, players could adjust their outfits however they liked without affecting attributes or abilities. They could add their favorite accessories, upgrade their mechanical armor, or shift mechanical components around to make each piece of equipment truly unique.
Maximum customization was the key to earning the players' approval. Felix also revised the weapon repaint system. Players could spend money or points to open cosmetic crates. He recalled the skins from the old CS series; while they didn't increase damage, they certainly made weapons look cooler. As for when to implement the crate system, that would wait until after the players logged in. He planned to let players design many of the skins themselves, and the announcement would not come from him, but from Anthony of the operations department.
He also expanded personalization within the landship's dormitories. While the Venus traveled between regions, players could explore the ship freely or disembark early to begin missions. Many would choose to stay overnight, so giving them the ability to decorate their own space and turn it into a private sanctuary was a good option.
Naturally, one feature led to another. Players who stayed aboard could participate in scheduled on-ship activities, whether PvP tournaments or shooting contests. Felix decided to leave this problem to Loughshinny: how to keep operators on the ship without letting boredom set in. A few solid plans were needed.
After sorting through all of this, Felix rose from his desk and looked out at the twin moons.
———
If the ending of the story is destined to be destruction, then isn't the struggle before that destruction the very kind of romance bards love to sing about?
Civilizations have long carved deep marks into this land. Different peoples built mighty walls to keep invaders out, yet war had already swept quietly across the horizon.
War never changes.
War will never end.