Felix had planned to visit Ursus countless tis before. The region was full of Chinese, Russian, and Eastern Europe players—a goldmine of untapped resources still waiting to be harvested.
But the players living in Ursus weren't exactly enjoying themselves. Compared to other countries, its novice villages and towns were desolate. The region's remoteness and year-round snow made daily life tough. Players struggled to adapt to the cold.
Fortunately, the Ursus race ca with a built-in cold resistance buff. That alone allowed them to survive the harsh winters with minimal gear.
Ursus also had the second-highest number of infected players after Kazdel. Many newcors accepted high-paying missions from local nobles without bothering to check the forums. Ard with pickaxes and full of enthusiasm, they headed into the mines—only to co out infected. Despite so helpful Ursus starter guides written by players in the community, not enough people knew how to use Baidu properly.
Once infected, they were forced to leave the villages and gather in small wilderness settlents with other infected players, scraping by in the wild.
Still, Felix had every reason to visit Ursus—there were people there he needed to see.
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Mandragora had finally returned ho and reunited with her close friends, Senomi and Susie. The three caught up on everything that had happened during Mandragora's absence, and she shared stories of her journey with Brother Felix and Sister Degenbrecher.
"Brother Felix, welco back."
Rafaela moved her legs, opened her arms, and hugged Felix around the waist. She rested her head against his stomach and spoke softly.
"I'm back, Ella." Felix crouched and gently patted her head. She was clearly taller than before—probably thanks to better food and nutrition. "How's school going?"
"Yeah! But I… I'm having so trouble with howork." Rafaela frowned, looking a little upset.
That made sense, considering her background. Rafaela had grown up in the military, living alongside her father, Old Pugh. The army wasn't exactly an ideal place for a child to get an education. The real Bolivarian military had very low entry requirents, and the environnt was rough. She never had the chance to study like an ordinary kid.
Now that she's in Trimount , Rafaela goes to school like other children her age. Naturally, she's a bit behind.
That's exactly what Old Pugh wanted. He hoped she could grow up happy and healthy like a normal child—and leave the hatred behind.
"Well… if you have any questions, you can ask . And if Sister Senomi, Sister Mandragora, or Sister Susie are free, you can ask them too."
"Hehe, Mumu helps when she has ti."
"Yeah…"
Felix gently rubbed Rafaela's cheek and gave her a hug, making her giggle in delight.
Everyone could tell Rafaela was growing attached to Felix. After all, she had just lost her father, and Old Pugh had nad Felix as his successor. Naturally, Felix had to shoulder that responsibility. Honestly, Senomi and Mandragora sotis also wanted to curl up in his arms and act a little spoiled.
Sumr vacation had arrived, and students had howork to finish. After letting out the emotions she'd held in for days, Rafaela quietly returned to the table in the living room and began working on her sumr assignnts. Her little face was already full of frowns.
"Hey, welco back," said Carnelian, exchanging a glance with Degenbrecher as if to greet her in their own way. She looked at Felix and pulled a letter from the cabinet. "This ca ten days ago. It's addressed to you."
Felix didn't hide anything from Degenbrecher or Carnelian. He opened the envelope and found a letter from the Maylander Foundation. It congratulated him on his scientific achievents, confird the approval of project funds, and ntioned that a batch of materials had been delivered.
He had ordered these materials through the Maylander Foundation. They cost tens of millions. While he had inco coming in, the scale of this expense was a first—it was a major hit. He'd have to rely on the players to cover the shortfall.
D32 steel, bipolar nanosheets, and sintered nuclear crystals—these materials were used to upgrade weapons that only beca relevant in the 3.0 era. The high price made sense. Felix didn't need them for anything ordinary—he planned to repair the ancient-level weapon he had acquired.
He also needed to start forging Mostima's guardian gun. Honestly, that task had been on his to-do list for far too long. Every ti he looked at his task list, it was still there. It was driving his OCD crazy.
"By the way, Boss, what are you going to do with Loughshinny, Feist, and the Hart siblings?"
Felix paused for a mont. "Loughshinny's identity is tricky. But as long as she doesn't say anything, people will just assu she's Vouivre… I'll ask the Maylander Foundation to get her a fake identity."
"I an, will the higher-ups find out?"
"Tin Man at the Maylander Foundation might," Felix said calmly. "As ancient as he is, there's not much that escapes his notice on this land."
"I plan to arrange for Loughshinny to study at a military academy. There, she'll gain access to the power and knowledge she's looking for. That was her goal from the start."
Loughshinny's identity is definitely a problem. Her sudden appearance in Columbia—especially with Victoria's identity being so politically sensitive—puts her at risk. Columbia and Victoria have a long history of tension and infighting. If the Colombian authorities uncover who Loughshinny really is, she could end up in serious trouble.
Could they really hide her identity from Colombian agents? Felix wasn't sure how that would play out.
After hearing the details and current situation, Carnelian looked a little surprised. Her crimson eyes locked onto Felix. "You… really brought back soone extraordinary."
"Let's be clear—I didn't kidnap her," Felix said, raising his hands slightly. "Degenbrecher can testify. Loughshinny ca here entirely on her own. I didn't force her."
"But Boss, you are her teacher. You can't deny that, can you?" Degenbrecher teased with a grin.
"…"
Felix frowned and cleared his throat with two dry coughs. "I'll talk it over with Loughshinny. We'll do our best to keep our identities under wraps while abroad."
"As for Feist and the Hart siblings, they'll be joining Rhine Lab. But in the future, they may stick close to , like Snowsant does."
"So you're finally forming your own group, Boss?"
Degenbrecher crossed her legs, sounding casual. "Got a na in mind? Want and Carnelian to help brainstorm one?"
"I'm also thinking of bringing in so partners. You know what that ans, right? Running a company in Terra needs capable people."
Do you realize the value of the three of us?
"Alright, that's where things stand." Felix began outlining his next moves. "I'll be heading to Ursus in mid-August—gone for about a month and a half. After that, I'll return to Laterano to celebrate the New Year. Carnelian will co with on the Ursus trip. The rest of you should get so rest and help coach Senomi. If Loughshinny wants to spar, go a few rounds with her. You can leave for Laterano at the end of November. We'll reunite there."
"You're not bringing Senomi and the others?" Carnelian perked up the mont she realized she could finally let loose. Her grin was feral. Though Trimount hadn't been as dangerous as their past travels, she'd still had a solid sparring partner—Saria.
Their fights weren't straightforward duels. Saria wanted to refine her defensive skills, so she asked Carnelian to bombard her shield using Originium Arts.
Carnelian used it as stress relief while honing her own powers. Saria trained her calcification skills under pressure. It was, clearly, a win-win.
"It's too dangerous to take kids sowhere like Ursus," Felix said, frowning. "It's not about discrimination—I just don't want any of them to contract Oripathy. That would hold back their future."
"I get it, Boss."
With everything explained, Felix headed out.
He arranged accommodations for Loughshinny, Feist, and the Hart siblings at a nearby hotel. They were clearly worn out from the journey and fell asleep the mont their heads hit the pillows. The Hart siblings had never slept on such soft beds in their lives. They curled up in each other's arms on the big mattress, fast asleep.
All living beings on this land suffer.
When he arrived at Rhine Lab's front gate, Felix barely recognized the place.
The sleek, modern structure in front of him looked nothing like the Rhine Lab he rembered. Its smooth, flowing curves and expansive glass curtain walls bathed the interior in natural light. The design shattered the cold rigidity of traditional labs, replacing it with openness and transparency. The exterior featured a balanced palette—grays, silvers, and a striking erald green—blending precision with vibrancy. Inside, everything was built for both function and comfort. The open layout and innovative office design gave researchers a flexible and highly efficient workspace.
This construction team is nuts. Felix smacked his forehead. It's only been three months since I left. How did they pull this off so fast? Their efficiency was almost unnatural.
Before leaving ho, he'd changed into his Rhine Lab research uniform and grabbed his access card. After swiping in, he stepped into a hall that had nearly doubled in size. Researchers in crisp white uniforms hurried past, clutching docunts. A few middle-aged ntors led groups of wide-eyed students through the nearby labs and workshops.
Not bad.
It was starting to resemble the golden age of Rhine Lab.
Still, Felix knew the flip side. With comrcialization accelerating, divisions between departnts would widen. That fragntation was what ultimately led to Rhine Lab's collapse in his previous life—teams working in silos, no longer able to understand each other's decisions. He couldn't stop the montum, but he could do his best to guide it.
"Back again, busy man."
Ferdinand, who had just been speaking with another researcher, spotted Felix surveying the area. He nodded a quick farewell to his colleague and strolled over with a faint smile.
"Surprised at what Rhine Lab's beco?"
"A little," Felix replied, eyeing Ferdinand's smug grin. The man looked genuinely proud—and for good reason.
Ferdinand was a workaholic. What made him smile wasn't a day off or ti with family—it was landing a new contract, getting another project approved, or seeing Rhine Lab rack up another win.
"Want to give you a tour of the new facility?"
"Absolutely. Thanks."
As they walked deeper into the facility, Ferdinand started explaining his recent work. Among all the researchers, only Kristen and Felix could really follow his train of thought. The three of them had studied high-energy physics together, which overlapped with Ferdinand's specialty—energy science—so they shared a strong technical foundation.
But Kristen, as the organization's supre commander, wasn't exactly available for casual chats. That made Felix Ferdinand's go-to when he needed soone to talk shop.
"…We just got another military order," Ferdinand muttered. "I swear, I don't know what those atheads are thinking. They want to jam a next-gen energy drive system into a dumbed-down cha platform? Why don't they just shove their own brains in there while they're at it?"
"We might need your help with the program. Our processor is too outdated—it's starting to affect so of the lab's statistics."
"To be honest, the speed of construction was thanks to the Hyde Brothers. They're one of the better-known construction firms in Columbia. I also struck a private deal with them, which seriously cut down the lab expansion tiline."
Felix paused. "Which company?"
"HydeBro. Sowhat reputable," Ferdinand said casually. "The Simon Co. was also bidding for the contract, but they pulled out in the end. Maybe the Hyde Brothers made so moves behind the scenes."
Felix raised an eyebrow and made a ntal note.
The Simon… that na rang a bell. He seed to recall seeing an operator from the Simon family at Rhodes Island in his past life. He'd keep an eye out—maybe there'd be a chance to get in touch with the Simon heir directly.
"…If you ask , Rhine Lab's security force is still too weak."
Ferdinand led Felix down the long corridor, letting out a soft sigh. "Honestly, this place should be crawling with chas we developed ourselves. I'm not criticizing Saria's defense division—she does her job well—but chas would fit Rhine Lab better."
"If it were up to , I'd fill this entire place with them and build fortress out of it."
Felix chuckled. "That's a great idea. I'm getting excited just thinking about it."
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