Arknights Is Real (Patreon)

Chapter 2: Kroos Loves You

Xia Feng felt himself enveloped in darkness. Soon, his consciousness began to drift, his awareness growing hazy. He felt as if he were spinning endlessly, as if gravity had ceased to exist. At the same time, a distant, ethereal voice echoed in his ears.

"Her ideal is to save everyone, even if she isn't understood, even if she turns to ashes. She's such an innocent and overly ambitious girl. Human from another world, I have only one request: before she turns to ashes in her quest to save everyone, please, save her."

This voice seemed to come from the depths of Xia Feng's soul, resonating in his mind.

Who is she?

The darkness vanished instantly, replaced by a blinding white light filling the heavens and the earth. Soon, Xia Feng felt his feet firmly on solid ground.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

In that moment, the scene before Xia Feng was entirely different.

Under a gray sky lay a bustling town. The buildings on either side of the street were distinctive, with intricate geometric patterns carved into their walls. Various columns and semi-arched doorways were painted in vibrant colors.

Seeing the unfamiliar streetscape, Xia Feng was completely stunned.

What is going on? He was just lying on his bed playing with his phone. 

Right, the phone!

His memories came flooding back. He recalled the strange text that had suddenly appeared on his phone screen and the voice that had echoed in his ears.

No way... is this for real?

Xia Feng stood there in a daze, oblivious to the fruit stand in front of him, an instrument of fate.

Just then, a cheerful voice called out from behind him.

"Hello~~!"

To Xia Feng, who didn't manage to get a powerful sniper operator at the start, this voice was unmistakably familiar.

Like a robot, Xia Feng slowly turned around. In his sight appeared a petite girl with orange hair and squinted eyes.

Kroos?

Kroos stood before Xia Feng, sporting her signature goofy grin.

"Ha ha, you're a strange one. Kroos has been watching you for a whole minute. You've been standing still since then. I thought you, like me, fell asleep standing up."

Seeing Kroos's squinting eyes, Xia Feng's brow furrowed tightly.

"Uh... do you know me?"

"Nope."

"..."

"Hey, you look terrible. Are you feeling unwell?"

"Uh, I'm fine."

"Well, since you're okay, Kroos is leaving. I need to meet up with Myrtle. Bye-bye! Kroos loves you!"

As a seasoned "chūnibyō" patient, Xia Feng's ability to accept supernatural phenomena was unusually high. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

There was no doubt that he had traveled from his bed at home to a completely unfamiliar world. If he wasn't mistaken, this place must be...

"Wait a minute."

Kroos, who was about to leave, turned back.

"Yes? What else?"

"Can you tell me where this place is? Ah–ahchoo!"

Xia Feng sneezed and pulled his neck in, clearly feeling that the temperature here was much lower than at home.

"You're really weird. This is obviously Chernobog."

"Chernobog?"

"Yes, Chernobog of the Ursus Empire."

Xia Feng's expression froze.

The cold northern air filled his lungs, and the biting wind swept through the streets, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

This wasn't a dream, nor was it an illusion.

Standing in the cold wind, Xia Feng let out a bitter smile. He then raised his head to look up at a 45-degree angle and softly murmured, “Wow, this feels too real.”

For some unknown reason, he had been drawn into the world of Arknights by some mysterious force. The catastrophes, Originium, the infected—these middle school fantasies that had always lingered in his mind were now becoming real.

The world of Arknights really exists!

Terra.

This world bore some similarities to Earth, but it was entirely different in many respects. Most notably, the inhabitants here were demi-humans with animal features.

Additionally, this world faced catastrophic threats in the form of natural disasters known as Catastrophes. These disasters were immensely destructive but also brought the lifeblood of this world’s advanced civilization—Originium. This mysterious mineral, a natural energy crystal, enabled the development of a powerful technology system based on its properties.

While Originium heralded progress and a higher civilization, it also served as a double-edged sword.

It altered the destinies of many, creating a group of people deprived of everything, living in constant pain and awaiting death. These individuals were known as the Infected.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Xia Feng stood on the street, digging into his pants pocket. He found his student ID, keys, some coins, but most importantly, his phone was missing.

Kroos had already left while humming a tune. And now Xia Feng is huddled in a corner, shielded himself from the wind, and began to think.

Based on the information he had:

• He had traveled to another world, and it was uncertain if he could return.

• This wasn't a random occurrence. Judging by the mysterious text on his phone and the voice he heard, he was forcibly summoned to this world by someone.

• The voice had asked him to save someone.

"Her ideal is to save everyone, even if she isn't understood, even if she turns to ashes."

From this message, it was likely referring to Amiya.

Summarizing these points, Xia Feng felt more confused than ever.

Save Amiya? He wasn’t a knight of the Rhodes Island or a Dokutah; he was just an ordinary university student, a super unlucky guy who spent a lot on the game without getting his desired character. How was he supposed to save Amiya? In a world rampant with Catastrophes and monsters, he was uncertain if he could even survive.

God! I just wanted one Eyjafjalla; did it have to be this real? After a long while of squatting, Xia Feng finally pulled himself together.

Well, no matter what, life goes on.

Xia Feng stood up and approached the fruit stand nearby. The stall owner, a burly Ursus man with bear ears, was tending to the stall.

“Excuse me... Sir, can you tell me what time it is?”

The fruit vendor glanced into the back room with a bit of impatience.

“3:40 PM.”

“No, I mean, what year is it?”

This was crucial information; Xia Feng needed to know the exact year to plan his next steps.

The vendor frowned, thinking Xia Feng might be an idiot.

“It’s Terran year 1093.”

“1093?”

“That’s right, now get lost and stop bothering me.”

“Thank you.”

From the cityscape, it was clear that Chernobog hadn't yet suffered a Catastrophe, which aligned with Xia Feng's expectations. The current year was 1093, three years before the “Reunion Movement” would use a Catastrophe to incite rebellion in Chernobog.

A cold wind swept through the street, bringing a few snowflakes with it.

Xia Feng shivered, since he’s planning to sleep, he’s wearing only a T-shirt and shorts. He wasn’t even wearing shoes.

This won’t do; this is the cold northern Ursus. If he didn’t find proper shelter, he’d freeze to death by morning.

Summoned to another world without any provisions—this was like starting on hell mode. Other travelers get systems, cheats, or at least a phone; all he got was a cold reality with no shoes.

Whatever, to survive, he had to stay alive first!

Xia Feng narrowed his eyes and began searching the streets. He needed to find a place to stay before nightfall.

Most of the people on the street were burly, easily identifiable as Ursus citizens with bear ears. There were also a few demi-humans with different animal traits.

As Xia Feng glanced around, a woman's scream pierced the air from a distance.

"Ah!!! Run, it's the Infected!"