After Yoren's explanation, Winter finally understood the whole story.
In reality, it wasn't that complicated. A curious kid had poked a hornet's nest, and just before the hornets retaliated, the kid's guardian arrived and smashed the entire nest apart.
Now, only a door frame remained of the villa's entrance. Yoren sat on the sofa as cold gusts of wind blew through the empty doorway.
"Winter, don't worry. If Rhodes Island ever kicks you out, you've got a bright future in demolition work. You've got the talent for it."
Winter sat stiffly in the corner of the sofa, her face red with embarrassment.
"I'll pay for the door."
Indra snorted. "Seems like the Ursus Student Self-Government Association has deep pockets. We're short on cash right now, so why not compensate us for emotional damages too?"
Winter said nothing.
Vina poured a glass of wine and held it out to Winter. "Try this. Victoria's finest red."
Winter shook her head. "I'm not of age."
Vina shrugged, took the glass back, and drank from it herself. "Winter, this whole mess was just a misunderstanding. We in the Glasgow Gang don't need you to compensate us for anything. But in return, I expect you not to get in our way in the future."
Winter sighed.
"I don't care what you do. Your gang must've taken a serious hit from this infected incident. You should leave Victoria before things get worse."
The gang members exchanged looks. They all knew she was right. This smuggling operation had gone sideways in the worst way possible.
Vina drained her glass, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "We'll handle our own losses. That's none of your concern, General Dong. If there's nothing else, I won't see you out."
Winter clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Zhenli, who had been quietly sucking on a lollipop, glanced up at Vina. "Your candy is good. A little too sour, though."
Vina chuckled, pulled a few more lollipops from her pocket, and dropped them into Zhenli's hands. "You'll get used to it. That's the taste of home."
"Thanks."
Winter sighed and turned to leave, pulling Zhenli along with her. But as she reached the broken doorway, she hesitated.
She stood there for a moment, as if debating something.
Then, with a deep breath, she turned back.
"Vina, consider this a thank-you for not hurting Zhenli. I have some intel for you. It might help you recover your losses."
Vina's eyes narrowed. "What intel?"
"At noon today, the Student Autonomous Group received reports of an unknown natural disaster at the northern border between Ursus and Kjerag. Later, I heard the same from the Che City Security Department. That confirms its authenticity."
The gang members immediately perked up. The room, once heavy with the weight of failure, buzzed with renewed energy.
Vina stepped forward quickly. "Do you know exactly when this disaster happened?"
"Not yet, but the preliminary estimate is about ten days ago."
"What about the location?"
"Still unclear. What we do know is that it happened in a remote area with no major cities nearby. A gray zone, outside any nation's control."
Vina smirked. "Which means…"
Winter met her gaze. "Which means whoever gets there first claims a massive Originium deposit."
Yoren leaned over to Kate, whispering, "Why is a ten-day-old disaster still up for grabs? Wouldn't other groups already be on it?"
Kate grinned, practically shaking with excitement. "You don't get it? After a natural disaster, Originium radiation is at its peak. Anyone who steps into the zone too soon has a 90% chance of contracting oripathy. It takes about two weeks for the radiation to weaken enough that people can enter safely. We're just hitting that window."
"Ah, I see now."
"Exactly. And since it happened in the middle of nowhere, only top-tier intelligence networks would even know about it. Governments move slow, and assembling a team takes time. If we move first, we claim it all."
Winter turned, waving as she exited. "I've given you the information. What you do with it is up to you."
As soon as she was gone, the entire living room erupted into cheers.
"Finally, some action!"
"Been too long since we've had a big operation like this!"
"Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"
Indra slammed a fist into her palm. "This'll make up for what we lost. Let's go, Glasgow Gang!"
Vina smirked. "Kate, contact Victoria HQ. Get intel from the underground network. I want the exact location of that disaster site by tomorrow noon."
"Got it."
"We're in Ursus, which gives us the advantage. If anyone gets there before us, well… we'll deal with it."
Indra leaned in. "Vina, we don't have time to call reinforcements from Victoria. Should we hire a local mercenary group to back us up?"
Vina nodded. "Good idea. Got any candidates?"
Before Indra could answer, Yoren shot his hand up.
"I know! If we're talking about top mercenaries, it's got to be Blacksteel International! Let's bring in Blacksteel!"
Vina and Indra turned to stare at him like he had just announced he wanted to hire the Emperor of Laterano.
Yoren hesitated. "What? Haven't you heard of Blacksteel?"
"We've heard of them," Vina deadpanned.
"Then why are you looking at me like I'm an idiot?"
Vina patted his shoulder with an almost sympathetic look. "Because Blacksteel is the most expensive mercenary group in the world. Even if this operation goes perfectly, every last ounce of our profits would go straight into their pockets."
Yoren blinked. "Wait… you mean even a major gang like Glasgow doesn't get discounts?"
Indra clapped him on the back. "Go to bed, kid. Dreams are free."
It was already late, and Kate found a few planks of wood to roughly repair the door that Winter had kicked in.
Vina waved a hand. "Get some sleep, everyone. Stay alert. We have a tough battle ahead."
"Yes!" The gang dispersed, their energy still charged from the night's events.
The villa had plenty of vacant rooms. Yoren chose one at random, not wanting to be disturbed by the snoring of burly men. He collapsed onto the bed, his body heavy with exhaustion, yet his mind refused to quiet.
Ursus, Chernobog, Winter, Vina, Indra, Kroos, Miguel…
It was all real. Every moment, every fight, every decision. The world of Terra, a place he had once only known from a game, was now his reality.
As his breathing slowed, sleep finally claimed him.
Yoren found himself standing in a vast desert. Before him loomed a colossal mobile fortress, its silhouette cutting across the burning sky like a ship adrift in a golden sea.
A shift in the air, and suddenly, he was standing on its top deck. A card, small and yellow, rested in his palm. Words glowed on its surface.
[Ten-Pull Recruitment Certificate]
A voice, deep and familiar, echoed from the sky.
"Blade Master, the contracts for the operators you've recruited have been delivered. Let's take a look."
A heavy black canvas bag thudded onto the deck beside him. Yoren clasped his hands together in silent prayer before reaching for the zipper. His fingers trembled slightly as they grasped the metal pull.
Slowly, cautiously, he unzipped the bag.
A blinding white light erupted from within.
Pure. Empty.
Nothing.
The world stood still.
Then, the realization hit.
"FUCK!" Yoren roared, kicking the bag with all his strength. "Not even a single four-star?! This has to be a joke!"
His voice cracked with frustration, echoing into the endless desert.
Yoren sat up abruptly, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding. His breath came fast and uneven.
A dream. Just a dream.
The morning sun streamed through the window. He ran a hand down his face, willing himself to shake off the lingering dread.
Stretching, he turned to roll out of bed—when his arm bumped into something on the floor.
Thud.
He glanced down.
A phone.
Not just any phone—his phone.
His breath caught in his throat. Slowly, as if afraid it would vanish, he reached down and picked it up. The familiar weight settled into his palm.
Desk, chair, posters—his posters. His room.
Outside the window, the usual street noise hummed in the distance. A delivery worker in uniform walked past, phone in hand.
"Hello, this is HungryMe delivery. Should I bring your order up, or will you come down to get it?"
Yoren sat frozen on his bed.
Back home?
No.
No… it couldn't be.
A bitter chuckle escaped him, low and hollow.
So it was all just a dream.
Vina. The Glasgow Gang. Ursus.
Gone.
Trying to shake off the weight pressing on his chest, he moved through the motions of his morning routine. A shower. A change of clothes. A quick glance at the clock—already 10 AM. He'd missed two classes. Not that it mattered.
By the time he arrived at university, the morning lecture was nearly over. He slipped into the back of the classroom, barely acknowledged by the professor's disapproving glance.
After class, his friend Zhang Yuan plopped onto his desk, grinning like an idiot.
"Yo, Yoren! What's with the dead fish look? Your ten-pull went to shit again?"
Yoren ignored him, staring blankly ahead.
Zhang Yuan, undeterred, waved a broomstick in his face, mimicking gunfire. "Applepie! Dadadada!"
Yoren sighed, pushing the broom away. "You're a grown man. Stop being an idiot."
Zhang Yuan blinked. "Damn, who pissed in your cereal?"
Yoren said nothing. His fingers moved on their own, unlocking his phone. Amiya's profile picture smiled back at him from the game's loading screen.
Arknights.
It felt… different. The interface, the icons—it all felt so fake, so lifeless.
"How many yellow tickets you got?" Zhang Yuan asked, scrolling through his own phone.
Yoren checked his inventory. "About 150."
"Damn, that's two ten-pulls. Go for it, man. Maybe today's your lucky day."
A group of students gathered around, eager to watch.
Yoren didn't care. He tapped the exchange button. Two ten-pull recruitment certificates appeared in his inventory.
"Come on, let's see it!" someone cheered.
He sighed and tapped the button.
A black recruitment bag thudded onto the screen. He swiped the zipper open without hesitation.
Golden light erupted from the screen, flames crackling within it.
Gasps echoed around him.
Then the cards appeared.
One.
Two.
Three…
Ten.
Ten identical golden cards.
Vina.
The King of Advancement.
The classroom fell silent.
Yoren stared at the screen, his expression unreadable.
Then, ever so slowly, he smiled.
A real smile.
Because at that moment, he knew.
It wasn't just a dream.