Felix and Wei Yanwu ran into each other by accident at a café just outside the city gates.
And to be clear—it really was just an accident. Felix had only stopped by to grab sothing to eat. His days were packed to the brim: brutal training sessions with Degenbrecher, joint study sessions with Loughshinny on Originium arts, plus constant etings with Fiamtta, Patia, and Spuria to discuss notarization work and firearm-chanical developnt. One man stretched ten ways at once.
Truthfully, he envied those novel protagonists who founded a power and then tossed all responsibility onto others while they sat back as hands-off leaders. That life looked amazing. But not him. Felix didn't have that luxury. At a ti when his faction was still in its infancy—when it needed him most—walking away simply wasn't an option.
Senomi, my sweet Senomi… Mandragora, little Susie, dearest Rafaela… your brother Felix is being worked to death out here. Not by people, but by sheer work itself.
He had beco a true busybody. His own closest aides weren't faring much better. Loughshinny split her ti between study sessions with him and coordinating endless departnt communications. Degenbrecher's exhaustion was physical—every day she was sparring with players, fighting joyfully, never seeming to tire. (Though let's be honest, the "joy" was mostly hers, not the players'.)
And the Emperor? That bastard barely lifted a finger. Sure, he'd bought up a pile of safehouses and intelligence hubs across Lungn, but when Felix was drowning in work, Emperor was lounging in a bar; when Felix was risking himself in battle, Emperor was off hosting concerts in Columbia. How was that fair?
"Fancy seeing you here, Lord Wei."
Felix greeted him with a grin. Now twenty-one, his tall, lean fra had filled out with muscle. Wrapped in a stylish autumn coat, he looked every bit like a lead actor out of so slick K-drama. He now stood eye-to-eye with Wei Yanwu.
"You little brat…"
Wei took a sip of his coffee, the bitterness pulling his brow tight. "And what's a busy man like you doing here?"
"Busy? Compared to you, Lord Wei, I'm nothing."
Felix shook his head, tone light. "With adventurers gathering outside Lungn in ever greater numbers, the Guard Departnt is stretched thin, stationed in every corner to prevent infiltrators slipping through. And you—day in and day out, burdened with a city's worth of troubles—yet still you find the ti to co to the frontlines to support your subordinates. Truly, that warms the heart."
"Must you talk so pretentiously?"
Wei clicked his tongue, shooting him a sidelong glance. "You sound strangely familiar when you talk like that."
"Let guess. You drank and didn't dare go ho, lest Sister Fumizuki chew you out?"
"Who's afraid?"
Wei snorted, taking another gulp of coffee. But the bitterness only made the leftover taste of alcohol stronger. He considered just "working late" tonight as an excuse.
"You ca to see the adventurers?" Felix asked.
"I ca to observe the Undead."
The sa group, described in two entirely different ways. Their word choice said everything about their perspectives.
"You planning to take them all under your wing?"
"With jurisdiction, managent becos possible. What's your alternative, Lord Wei—tracking each and every one individually? Even the Guard Departnt doesn't have the manpower for that."
Felix bit into his sandwich. "Nine told before—ever since the adventurers arrived, the Guard Departnt's been drowning in overti."
"Ambitious, aren't you."
"Even if I wanted to rebel, you live right across from . Wouldn't you just grab Nine and Chen and co cut down?"
Wei grunted, "Smart mouth."
"Being able to run my smart mouth in front of you, Lord Wei—that's an honor in itself."
Felix polished off his midnight snack in a few quick bites and wiped his hands clean. "But I an it when I say I admire your people. Officer Nine, Officer Chen… their sense of duty and ability to act are qualities every citizen of Lungn should look up to."
Wei's face soured at that. Recruiting straight from under his roof—and saying it out loud, to his face? This kid must think Wei's blade had gone dull.
Outside the café, small groups had begun to gather. Wei recognized them instantly: newly arrived Undead.
Oddly, instead of dispersing through the city, they lingered together in clusters, loitering outside or ducking into nearby shops, as if they were waiting for sothing.
"Wait, wait—don't tell that angel chatting it up with the dragon is actually the Pioneer?"
"Now that you ntion it… yeah, he really does look like him. And this dragon… who was he again? I swear he showed up in the 2.0 PV."
"Pretty sure he's so kind of sheriff figure in Lungn… but damn, that is the Pioneer, right? That halo and those wings? One of a kind. No doubt, that's him."
Outside the café, more and more Undead were gathering. Wei Yenwu could feel their eyes—dozens of them—fixed on him and the Sankta beside him, each gaze laced with curiosity, hunger, even calculation. It was the look of people scoping out a new power.
So they want into Lungn's system, do they? Wei understood instantly. That was only natural. These newcors were no different from the waves of Yan refugees years ago. To stay, to survive, they'd had to prove loyalty and work themselves to the bone. Many of those sa refugees now wore the Guard uniform. Why should the Undead be any different?
Wei sipped his cocoa, wetting his lips and throat.
"Master Wei, I'll step out for a mont," Felix said.
Wei nodded. "Go on."
The café door swung open—and the roar that followed nearly made him drop his cup.
"Kyaaaa!, it's the Pioneer! He's alive, it's really him!"
"Brother Pioneer, look over here! Does my swimsuit look good? You looked at , that ans you're mine now!"
"Bro, I swear… too many fangirls, I can't take this."
Wei watched, utterly deadpan, as the would-be petitioners—the ones he'd assud were angling to join Lungn's ranks—instantly abandoned all pretense. In seconds they transford into shrieking, starstruck fans, flocking around Felix as he walked off.
The handle of his coffee cup cracked in his grip.
Two minutes later, the plaza outside was deserted. Not a soul left.
"…Heh. Heheheh."
Wei let out a low, deliberate laugh. The Pioneer's ambitions were plain to see, his presence a looming threat… and yet, Wei could not deny the deals had been good—profitable even. And the research institute Felix was setting up in Lungn, openly sharing discoveries with the city, was hard to dislike. He even seed to be getting along with little Chen. That part, Wei considered a drawback.
"Undead, is it…" Wei exhaled, breath mixing with the bitter-sweet steam of cocoa. "This land really is about to fall into chaos."
Outside, Felix's walk had beco a parade. Fans cheered his na as though he were so superstar. It reminded him of the celebrities in his past life, surrounded by flashing caras and endless crowds. Except this wasn't a movie set—this was real.
The crowd was a mix: mostly players from CN, but plenty of foreigners too. They spoke in different tongues, ca from different ti zones, yet every pair of eyes on him burned with the sa feverish excitent.
Felix waved, nodded, exchanged quick greetings as he made his way toward the city gate. His gaze stayed fixed on his terminal: Magic ZX's livestream was still running, and the player had gathered the largest crowd. Naturally, Felix walked toward him.
Magic ZX was mid-broadcast when the noise around him surged. He looked up, expecting more players coming through the gate—only to see the Pioneer himself striding toward him, smiling.
In front of countless witnesses, both in the plaza and across the live chat, Felix stopped before Magic ZX, clapped a hand on his shoulder, and said warmly:
"Late night grind, huh? You've worked hard."
The words struck like lightning. For a second, guilt and gratitude washed over Magic ZX all at once. His chest felt ready to burst. Too warm… too kind… damn it, I can't handle this… His knees nearly buckled under the sheer golden glow radiating off the man before him.
Felix went on, smiling, "Your contributions these past weeks haven't gone unnoticed. You've carried Tomorrow's Developnt's na through Lungn, made it shine. Good work."
From his belt, Felix drew a sidearm. He held it out by the grip, presenting it before the stunned player.
"We've known each other for years now. You've been running nonstop for , and I don't forget that. Consider this a token of my thanks."
Magic ZX's eyes flicked down at the weapon's details.
[Pioneer's Trust-Forged Sidearm]
[Rarity: Green]
[Stats: ATK 70–87, Durability 610/610]
His eyeballs nearly popped out of his skull.
A gun. Not just any weapon—a handgun straight from the Pioneer.
What's hardest to get from the Pioneer? Handguns.
Aside from a few ordinary models he sold at the very start, he never put them back on the market. Even in the Tomorrow's Developnt faction store, the few handguns available ca with a hefty price tag. And considering the Pioneer's race, it wasn't hard to guess—their craftsmanship was nothing short of top-tier.
Back in version 1.0, players discovered the black market and bought a few overpriced pistols there, only to find them jamming or breaking mid-use—even with full durability. The truth was ugly: those guns were flawed from the start. Frankly, anyone who dropped money on a gray-quality pistol had more cash than sense.
But this handgun? It wasn't just valuable—it was the perfect fit for Magic ZX. His chosen subclass was Executioner, and paired with this firearm his combat strength would skyrocket.
ZX nearly broke down on the spot. He wasn't the type to cry easily, but the Pioneer's thoughtfulness hit him straight in the chest. He grinned, shaky and ugly, but the gratitude behind that smile couldn't be hidden.
"Holy—! Teacher ZX is about to cry!"
"Can't bla him. If the Pioneer treated like that, I'd bawl too."
"That pistol looks high-grade. Pioneer gear is always the best. Damn, I want one!"
"You can buy them in the faction shop, but don't dream about affording one early on. Prices aren't cheap."
The Pioneer smiled at ZX and raised a finger.
"In Lungn, firearms are limited to rubber rounds. Outside the city, if you run short on Art-infused ammo, you can pick so up at logistics."
That sobered ZX. He quickly wiped his eyes and gave a formal nod of thanks.
It wasn't just the livestream chat getting misty-eyed. Every player present—watching from just a few feet away—felt their throats tighten. They could see the gun up close, examine its stats for themselves. And when they did, so couldn't hold back their shouts.
"Green tier—already? That's gear we wouldn't normally see until mid-2.0!"
"Trust… damn, I'm jealous. I wanna be trusted like that!"
"Pioneer, you're too good…"
Felix pushed up the steps. From the landing he looked out over the swelling crowd. Before he even spoke, the noise ebbed into silence. Aside from the occasional shout of "Pioneer, I love you!" the plaza fell quiet. Everyone knew what was coming.
"Adventurers, greetings. For so of you, this is our first eting. For others, we've crossed paths many tis before."
He scanned the crowd and offered a warm smile at the players whose favorability he'd adjusted during past dealings. Those players choked up on the spot—he rembered. He actually rembered.
"Welco to the mobile city. Welco to Lungn."
His voice was calm, but steady, carrying weight.
"It's been months since our last parting. You've grown stronger since then, and I've kept moving forward too. Because out there, ahead of us, lie challenges and hardships waiting to be faced."
"I can't predict the future. But I do know this: together, with our own hands, we can carve a future that's ours alone. A future no one else can dictate."
"One day, you too will beco Pioneers. And together, we will open this world."
"This land is sick, scarred by countless afflictions. Doctors can't always cure it. Sotis… it takes a harsher redy."
His hand clenched into a fist, voice ringing with conviction.
"We will make this land better."
All around, he t their burning eyes. He saw Nine and Chen, thoughtful and uncertain. He saw Wei Yanwu in the distance, raising his coffee in silent acknowledgent. Clearly, Wei didn't care if he was recruiting the undead.
"Let us stand as one. Shoulder to shoulder. And on this broken land, let us write a new tomorrow for us—for all of Terra!"
[[Pioneer] Felix Shawn Lanshem invites you to join [Tomorrow's Developnt]. Accept / Decline]
The ssage blood in every player's vision. Their gazes blazed like sparks—sparks that would soon kindle a wildfire.
A wildfire that would consu all the filth of this shattered land.
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