Arknights Is Real - Chapter 2.1: 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.”