It was the first time the Yeti Squad had ventured this far south. To them, the southern lands were the Ursus Soldiers's territory—after all, they had fought off hundreds of raids from southern patrols before.
Player: "Ursus Patrol? Oh, we wiped those guys out ages ago."
When they finally saw the towering city walls ahead, every member of the Yeti Squad widened their eyes in disbelief. The massive structure before them looked nothing like anything they had ever seen.
Compared to their own makeshift camp, which was surrounded only by wooden fences and crude barricades, this place—this fortress—felt like a true base. Outside the walls were trenches, defense lines, and several dome-shaped, high-tech structures.
The players called them "Planetary Fortresses."
"Big sis…" one squad member muttered.
"Nothing surprises me anymore," FrostNova said flatly.
Her expression was unreadable, though she knew exactly who was behind all this. These high-tech marvels could only have come from Felix. After all, these adventurers belonged to Tomorrow's Development. Still, FrostNova couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy at their unity and order.
Even before entering the city, she could see the adventurers working diligently. No one seemed idle or lazy—each person had a purpose. Some were moving supplies, others patrolling, while a few casters used fiery Originium Arts to melt away the snow from the streets.
This level of organization and discipline was something she had never witnessed before.
If only Reunion could live in such a city, FrostNova thought with a quiet sigh as she stepped up the stone stairs and entered through the gates.
But the moment she and her squad walked in, all motion around them came to a halt. Adventurers turned their heads, one after another, curious eyes focusing on the white-clad group.
FrostNova began to wonder if there was something strange about her outfit—until one player suddenly dashed toward her, fumbling awkwardly at his waist as he ran.
Her eyes narrowed, and the temperature around her dropped instantly. Just before she could act, the player pulled something from his belt—
A doughnut wrapper.
"This is… for the beautiful lady!" he said, presenting it like a treasure.
"..."
FrostNova froze, her mind blank. What… is even happening?
What she didn't realize was that this was only the beginning. The adventurers at the gate erupted into chaos—not in hostility, but in excitement. One after another, players began pulling out random items as "gifts." Others stood at a distance, snapping pictures and flooding the forums with posts.
After all, every one of them had watched the 2.0 promotional video—at least five times each! And right now, the beautiful white bunny girl from the trailer was standing before them, in the flesh.
A beloved character, right here. How could they not fanboy?
"Miss FrostNova! Look over here!"
"Ahhh! The Cautus girl—she's even cuter in person!"
"Yes! My affection level just went up by two!"
For a while, chaos reigned.
Mr. Han could only twitch the corner of his mouth but made no effort to stop the players' antics. Within ten minutes, FrostNova was standing atop a small mountain of assorted gifts. The other members of the Yeti Squad—especially the women—were just as overwhelmed by the unexpected generosity.
"Well then," Mr. Han said awkwardly, scratching his head, "we'll help you carry all this. For now, let's head to the conference hall."
"All right," FrostNova replied calmly.
Once they escaped the crowd, she glanced at the surrounding buildings. The members of Tomorrow's Development weren't living in tents—they had solid houses, warm and secure. That simple fact alone filled her with envy.
Mr. Han led FrostNova and her squad into a vast meeting room. After inviting her to sit, Xiao Ran A summoned several senior players who were currently online. Before long, someone brought in tea.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves," Mr. Han began. "We are adventurers of the Holy Knights Federation, part of Tomorrow's Development. You could say our relationship to the them is similar to your connection with the Reunion movement."
He leaned forward, fingers interlaced. "Forgive me for being direct, but I want to know—what is Reunion's true goal?"
A few years ago, that question would have been easy to answer. Reunion had existed to save the infected, to lead them away from persecution under the Ursus Soldiers.
But now… things were different.
Everyone within the movement had their own ideals and their own ambitions. Talulah's authority remained, but she could no longer control every action or every mind.
FrostNova's pride as the commander of the Yeti Squad would not allow her to lie.
"The original purpose of Reunion," she said calmly, "was to aid and heal the Infected—to resist Ursus's oppression. But now… what Reunion seeks is revenge."
"Revenge?" Mr. Han asked, his tone sharp. "Against whom? The common people of Ursus? The nobles? Or the nation of Ursus itself?"
FrostNova pressed her lips together before answering. "The Ursus nobility. Reunion plans to invade their territories, break their armies, kill the nobles, and seize their wealth."
The senior players exchanged uneasy looks. Some frowned; others looked quietly surprised. Xiao Ran A thought this course of action was dangerously reckless—it could easily provoke a full-scale retaliation from Ursus. To him, any organization driven purely by vengeance was doomed to collapse sooner or later.
Mr. Han, on the other hand, was thinking about something else. If the members of Reunion ever came into contact with the "War God's Bloodline" faction—the battle-hardened players of the northern tundra—things could become complicated. Those players loathed Ursus with a burning hatred. Cooperation between the two groups was not impossible—and that kind of alliance could easily destabilize their own Brotherhood.
He thought for a moment before speaking. "Please convey our goodwill to Reunion's leader. We are all Infected; we shouldn't be enemies."
"That's what I wish to say as well," FrostNova replied softly, nodding in agreement.
Mr. Han was playing it smart—a classic player move. Before clarifying the full picture or identifying where the questline might lead, he chose to remain neutral: neither trying to curry favor nor inciting hostility. A balanced, careful approach.
By then, night had fallen. Representing the Holy Knights Federation, Mr. Han invited the Yeti Squad to stay for the night. Outside, a blizzard raged, and FrostNova, after glancing toward the howling winds, accepted with gratitude. Leaving now would have been suicide.
Once other players were assigned to guide the Yeti Squad to their lodging, Mr. Han, Xiao Ran A, and several high-ranking members remained behind to continue their discussion.
"I think we should try cooperating," one said. "After all, Reunion is a canon faction from the 2.0 PV—just like the two major powers in Kazdel. If we join them, we might get access to their main storyline."
"But there's a problem," another player countered. "They're driven by revenge. You don't think an organization like that will last long, do you? We could invest all this effort only for it to collapse."
"We'll need to talk with the Russian and the the American about it. We're all part of the Brotherhood," someone added.
"Exactly. And you have to admit—Reunion's goals align perfectly with those guys. They hate the Ursus nobles."
"At least I don't want to work with lunatics who burn down villages for fun," another said dryly.
Mr. Han crossed his arms. "Honestly, if we hadn't met the Pioneer, we'd probably still be fighting alone. We wouldn't have the gear or progress we do now. In that situation, joining Reunion for their revenge arc might've seemed like the best path."
"But," Xiao Ran A continued, "we did meet the Pioneer—and we joined Tomorrow's Development. That changes everything."
He gave a small shrug. "Still, I wouldn't mind exploring Reunion's storyline for a bit. We can't participate in the Kazdel missions, so why not experience the Ursus one?"
"We'll have to discuss it with the Brotherhood before making a move," another player concluded.
As the players began contacting their allies, the Yeti Squad followed their guide into the settlement's inn. FrostNova didn't even have the energy to question why an Infected camp had something as luxurious as a tavern.
"Ah! Our first guests!" the tavern's hostess exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she spotted the squad. She rummaged through the counter for a moment before handing FrostNova a few biscuits with a proud smile.
"..."
FrostNova silently exchanged them following the camp's bartering system, then led her team to their rooms.
To her surprise, the inn even had hot water and a public bathhouse. When she and Petrova stepped into the steaming water, both women felt the tension melt from their bodies. FrostNova let out a long sigh.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe this shelter was built by the Infected," she murmured, shaking her head as her silver hair rippled in the water. "They don't feel like Infected at all."
Petrova rested her head against the edge of the pool. Unlike her commander, she spoke more freely. "It all comes down to people, big sis.
"Reunion used to be pure. But as more and more Infected joined, their goals changed. Those who burn villages make everyone see us as monsters. Even though these adventurers said they wanted to talk, I could feel the coldness in some of their eyes."
It was a wound of their own making. Reunion's reputation had already rotted.
If FrostNova had told them from the start that the Yeti Squad was part of Reunion without explaining further, they never would have been allowed through the city gates.
"Ah… as expected of the Pioneers. After all, they're all part of Tomorrow's Development," Petrova murmured softly.
"Back then, I honestly thought that whole thing about Tomorrow's Development being made up of both ordinary people and Infected sounded too good to be true… but I didn't expect he'd really have so many followers."
"Their equipment is all standard-issue Tomorrow's Development gear."
FrostNova's eyes followed the movements of the adventurers. If her vision hadn't failed her, the weapons and armor they carried were all crafted by Tomorrow's Development. Their presence alone was enough to completely overwhelm the Reunion forces.
She was only a scout, but she knew her duty was to assess the strength of both sides carefully so that when she reported back to Talulah, she could describe everything objectively.
From what she saw, unless Talulah herself took the field and unleashed that power of hers, the chances of Reunion ever conquering this place were zero. Even then, with Originium Arts alone, Talulah could never protect everyone.
FrostNova sighed quietly. Felix… after all this time, does your influence in Ursus still linger?
"Big sis, are you thinking about the Pioneer again?"
"…Just a little," FrostNova whispered. She rose from the water, wiping her body as faint Originium crystals shimmered under the mist.
"Big sis, your crystals haven't spread at all! That means the Oripathy is under control," Petrova said happily. "The medicine the Pioneer gave us really works!"
"Mm…" FrostNova brushed her fingers against the rough, crystalline surface on her skin. "I still feel like I owe him."
A faint smile appeared on her lips as she wrapped herself in a towel. "It's getting late. Let's rest."
"Yeah…"
That night, FrostNova slept more soundly than she had in a long time—second only to that one night when she had fallen asleep holding Felix's hand. She marveled at the craftsmanship of the adventurers. Not only had they built such vast shelters, but even their furniture was made with care and comfort in mind.
When she thought of Reunion's ragged camps in comparison to this—this city of the so-called Holy Knight Federation—it was as if they existed in two different worlds.
FrostNova exhaled softly. The idea of an alliance felt more distant than ever. These adventurers would never tolerate the cruelty that festered within Reunion's ranks. She and the Yeti Squadron couldn't stomach it themselves—how could anyone else?
The next morning marked the day of their departure.
When FrostNova and her squad gathered at the inn's entrance, they found not only the same adventurers from the previous day but also several new faces, all wearing Tomorrow's Development uniforms.
Among them stood Raph, the leader of the War God's Bloodline, and Shroud, Leader of Mighty Rat and one of the key figures of the American groups.
As for XQC… well, everyone doubted any NPC could actually understand what he was saying.
"These two groups are our strategic partners," Mr. Han explained as he introduced them.
FrostNova felt completely stunned. The Holy Knight Federation alone had several thousand members, the War God's Bloodline nearly a thousand, and the American Groups—several thousand more.
Together, their combined numbers exceeded ten thousand—surpassing even the current size of Reunion.
What in the world…? FrostNova tried to hide her shock. Felix, just what have you done?!
"I wish to meet your leader," Raph said in thick Ursine-accented speech. Shroud nodded beside him, also eager to meet the head of Reunion. He needed to judge whether cooperation was even possible for his tribe.
Meanwhile, in his livestream chat, fans were already losing their minds over FrostNova's beauty, one after another declaring their intent to join her.
"I understand," FrostNova replied calmly. "I'll deliver your message to the leader of Reunion. Thank you for your hospitality."
She gave a crisp military salute, then led the Yeti Squadron out of the city.
Even after leaving the gates behind, she still felt as if she were walking through a dream.
Reunion, compared to them… was utterly outmatched.