Arknights Is Real

———— Group Chat on Mobile.

[Newbie: (Image) Newbie got this, is she good?]

[Player A: Wow, it’s Eyjafjalla, so jealous.]

[Player B: Is the admin here? Aren’t they going to do anything about these brags?]

[Player C: It’s good, I’d recommend prioritizing her for promotion.]

Xia Feng stared at the little face of Eyjafjalla on his phone screen, twitching with displeasure. He quickly typed in the group chat:

[Fire Feather Xia Feng: Not good, I suggest uninstalling the game.]

Seeing the endless screenshots from his group mates, Xia Feng felt worse than if he had eaten dirt. To get Eyjafjalla, he had spent a significant amount of money on three separate 648-yuan packs. Yet, he hadn’t even seen a strand of wool, let alone the sheep. The final result was:

Fang was fully maxed out, and his two months’ living expenses were gone.

Turning off his phone, Xia Feng closed his eyes and took a deep breath while sitting on the school rooftop.

Crazy. The whole world has gone crazy.

– – – – – –

At the beginning of May, a tactical strategy mobile game called “Arknights” burst onto the scene.

Disasters, Originium, Infected, Reunion!

Arknights captured everyone’s attention instantly with its exquisite post-apocalyptic artwork, vast world, and complex background.

From web headlines to group chat friend lists, no matter where you looked, a girl with long ears and a wide coat dominated the screens.

This unique creature was affectionately called by netizens, Amiy..a.. uh, Amiya-chan! “If the footprints of life will one day be buried by the dust of time, then we must never—stop moving forward.”

Amiya extended her slender hand: “Doctor, will you still stay with us?”

The fervent Doctors roared: “I will!!!”

From then on, countless otakus became the often irrational Doctors fighting on the front lines of Terra.

– – – – – –

“Class dismissed!”

After school, Xia Feng sat in the classroom, staring blankly out the window.

His good friend Zhang Yuan quickly came over, cautiously whispering.

“Xia Feng, I heard you spent more money again?”

“Yeah, the third 648 pack.”

“So, did you get her?”

Since the game’s launch, Zhang Yuan and Xia Feng have been Doctors in Rhodes Island together. Zhang Yuan knew that Xia Feng’s initial dream was to pull Eyjafjalla.

Xia Feng raised his hands and scratched his head in frustration.

“Don’t ask. I want to be alone.”

By now, Zhang Yuan understood what had happened and sincerely comforted him.

“It’s okay, Eyja is just waiting for you somewhere. Xia Feng, once you become strong enough, she will come to fight by your side.”

Xia Feng clenched his fists, his voice filled with frustration.

“But…”

Zhang Yuan grabbed his hand firmly.

“Don’t say it. I understand your longing. You must be in great pain right now.”

“Uh, no, I was going to say, I’m out of money, and I might not even have instant noodles to eat for the next two months.”

Zhang Yuan looked into Xia Feng’s eyes, giving him a kind smile like Billy Wang.

“Xia Feng, your money hasn’t disappeared. It’s just transformed into another form to stay by your side. In the world of spending money in games, we call it the law of conservation of energy.”

Seeing Zhang Yuan’s sincere, round face, Xia Feng felt the warmth of his friend’s care. In this moment of disappointment after failing to pull a good character, having a good buddy like Zhang Yuan to comfort him in various ways was a blessing.

“Zhang Yuan, thank—”

“Oh, by the way, Xia Feng, I also did a ten-pull during lunch break, hehe.”

“Huh? What did you get?”

Zhang Yuan nonchalantly waved his hand.

“Ah, so annoying. Even though I got Exusiai, I still want a strong sniper, but I can’t get one.”

“Cut the crap, what did you get?”

“I got Eyjafjalla, potential +1.”

Zhang Yuan scratched his head, grinning widely, his eyes turning into slits from his smile, looking as infuriating as possible.

“Haha, Xia Feng, isn’t it funny? I can’t get what I want, but I keep getting what I already have. So annoying, baa baa baa, haha.”

“…”

At this point, the surrounding classmates overheard Xia Feng and Zhang Yuan discussing Arknights and gathered around with their phones, grinning mischievously.

Classmate A: “Xia Feng, what’s your ID? I’ll add you as a friend.”

Xia Feng, expressionless: “Fire Feather Xia Feng.”

Classmate A: “Got it, added. By the way, Xia Feng, is Eyjafjalla good? I pulled her this morning and don’t know if I should train her.”

Xia Feng: “…”

Classmate B: “Xia Feng, I just started playing yesterday. Can you help me build a team? I got these characters: Eyjafjalla, SilverAsh, Hoshiguma…”

Xia Feng: “…”

Classmate C: “Xia Feng, I just promoted my Eyjafjalla to Elite 2. Which skill is best for regular stages?”

Xia Feng: “…”

Xia Feng’s face grew darker, as if shrouded in a cloud.

“Enough!”

Xia Feng slammed the table, angrily standing up from his chair.