When the players stepped out onto the streets wearing their brand-new Emperor's Children power armor, they immediately drew envious stares. What people coveted even more, however, were the small drones hovering beside them. By now, everyone had begun calling them Sprites.
Before long, Dreamchaser of the Tyranny Team, who had joined the Emperor's Children and become a member of the Third Legion, posted a detailed breakdown of the Sprites on the forum.
"Autonomous drone," he wrote. "Capable of interpreting and executing the owner's commands. Equipped with full scanning functionality. Easily detects minerals in mines or enemies in the vicinity. I suspect the Clever or we called it Sprites will become a universal, era-defining tool later on. You'll probably be able to purchase or unlock additional Sprite modules through faction shops or quests."
He explained everything thoroughly, listing all of the Sprite's advantages and features, and even included a video demonstrating its abilities.
In the footage, players could see just how smoothly a Sprite assisted its owner. It scanned the terrain, mapped the surroundings, located unpolluted ore, and immediately alerted its owner to danger. When encountering animals, it recorded them into a bestiary. The same applied to mineral collection. It was almost like having a compact encyclopedia following you around.
"I want one too. So right now, only the Third Legion can get these?"
"I think when 3.0 launches, Pioneer will probably distribute Sprites through quests. Remember when Tomorrow's Development first started? At the end of 1.0 they only recruited a few hundred people. We're in the same situation now. Maybe 3.0 will finally be our turn."
"I'm really jealous of the Third Legion. Their armor looks insane, and the bonuses are huge. It's not even for sale… feels like Tomorrow's Development is the only power in this game that can craft gear this high-quality."
"What can we do? We're just not strong enough."
"Don't start whining yet. The Third Legion gets assessed once a month in Terra time. If they don't meet the standard, they're removed. Don't give up. Someone might fail the next evaluation and get replaced."
The comments piled up, ranging from excitement to frustration. Some focused on the Sprite, but most discussed Tomorrow's Development's new moves and what the establishment of the Third Legion might mean.
Many players believed it was time for Tomorrow's Development to show its true power. After all, they had already taken control of Kazdel. To the players, Kazdel had become their territory, their home base. The mobile city had become the main city for all players. The next step was obvious: raise the sword of justice across Terra.
It wasn't quite that dramatic, but the players were ready.
A former member of the Military Commission dropped a tantalizing hint: before the civil war ended, he received a withdrawal order. He watched entire batches of Military Commission soldiers and mercenaries board trucks and leave, though low-ranking members like him weren't allowed to go along.
Dissatisfied, he dug for information, eventually discovering that the Military Commission had retreated to Victoria.
"So you're saying the next target might be Victoria? Anyone strong out there who can tell us how tough Victoria really is?"
"Hello, reporting from Victoria. Just landed. Victoria's military power is in the hands of the major nobles. From what I've seen, they've got aircraft and tank-type weapons. Could be a tough nut to crack for us."
"If they're fielding tanks and artillery, rushing them down is basically suicide."
The thread quickly went off-topic, though everyone still circled back to Sprite analysis and pestering Dreamchaser for updates.
They were extremely curious: what was life like inside the Third Legion?
Fortunately, several content creators uploaded videos shortly after. The most popular was a Vlog by Yangyan XF, who joined the Third Legion together with other strategy influencers like Xiaolang.
"Can everyone see this? Good morning. This is my first day as a Emperor's Children. I heard there's training this morning, so I can't be late."
His gentle voice played over a shot of his room. Terra time: 7:30 a.m. He climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom for a cold shower to wake himself up. The audience laughed. In Tomorrow's Development, sleeping usually meant logging out. The system monitored a player's heartbeat and breathing, so falling asleep in a hotel bed triggered automatic logout.
But when the camera moved smoothly toward the mirror, the viewers immediately noticed something unusual: he wasn't using the in-game recording function. The Sprite was filming him. The small drone followed him obediently, providing both camera work and lighting.
Only then did everyone notice his living conditions. A one-bedroom suite furnished like a hotel room, with personal belongings neatly arranged on the desk and shelves.
"This is the Emperor's Children dormitory. They call it a dorm, but it's more like a hotel suite."
Yangyan explained, "We stay here as guests. But if someone is ever dismissed, it means they'll have to move out."
After speaking, he changed into the Third Legion's Emperor's Children uniform. He turned once in front of the mirror, then stepped outside.
They headed to the nearest cafeteria. After showing their Third Legion identification cards, they entered and began enjoying the meals prepared specifically for legion members. Yang Yan-XF filmed the food on his tray, which looked rich in nutrients.
"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all provided for free to Third Legion members. These meals can grant up to twenty-four hours of stat-boosting buffs. It's honestly kind of broken…"
He paused, and the camera shifted slightly to the side.
"Look, those should be the Lightbearer's First Legion . And not far from them, those dozen or so with antlers are the half-blood Wendigo we fought before. They're members of the Second Legion."
Adventurers were now streaming into the cafeteria. Many sat beside or near Yang Yan-XF, chatting about anything and everything.
After the meal, the group headed to the training grounds. There, they met the other players—every one of them was an Emperor's Children, though even within the legion small groups naturally formed. Classes chatted with their own classes, strategy group members bantered with fellow veterans, while powerful solo players tended to be less social.
The instructors responsible for training the Emperor's Childrens were figures the players already knew well: Degenbrecher, Carnelian, Hoederer, Ines, and several others. This alone showed how much Pioneer expected from them.
Since the Emperor's Childrens were players, they could not be trained like the Lightbearer whose discipline resembled a true military unit, nor like the diverse races of Saviadel who drew strength from their unique traits. Players needed a different approach. Strict regimens and heavy restrictions were pointless. What mattered was teaching them battle methods, combat techniques, and how to assemble the strongest formations. Their greatest weapons were simple: their fearless determination and endlessly Originium-based revival.
Training was not about large-scale formation drills. It focused on powerful solo combat and small-team skirmishes. Every day, the Emperor's Childrens were expected to challenge strong instructors to build experience, improve their weapon handling, and refine their ability to read the battlefield. Though they were players in real life, the game was influencing them. Their reflexes, bodies, and thinking had all advanced.
"This really is a super-soldier program."
"Hard to imagine what the Emperor's Childrens will be like after all this."
"Are we skipping the point that they get one-on-one instructor battles? We have to spend contribution points for that, but for them it's completely free."
Comments on the video scrolled by as the footage jumped forward. Morning passed, lunch came and went, then afternoon arrived. The Emperor's Childrens had been fighting nonstop since dawn, and exhaustion showed. Some headed toward the nearby shopping district to walk around. Others, the hardcore grinders, immediately grabbed a few friends and rushed off to take quests.
'Bro, are you guys not tired at all?'
Yang Yan-XF and Xiaolang visited the Adventurer Hot Springs. Terra's night was approaching, the twin moons casting soft light across the sky. Many Emperor's Childrens who had finished their training were already soaking in the hot springs to relax. Some chatted casually with local Sarkaz, while others leaned on the counter, grinning and flirting with the Sarkaz ladies hired by the strategy group.
By the end of the day, the video took on a slower, more relaxed tone. The men entered the springs, sinking into the water with relief. They chatted about anything that came to mind, and the video ended there.
What the players had just watched was a full Terra-day in the life of an Emperor's Children. The sheer amount of information took quite some time to digest.
"Yang Yan-XF said Emperor's Childrens can learn skills directly from the instructors… A regular player would need ages to build up that much favor."
"That food buff is insane. If I could eat meals like that, my dungeon progress would skyrocket."
"Isn't the biggest thing the drone's support capabilities?"
Arguments filled the comment section. Everyone had their own view. Meanwhile, the Emperor's Childrens happily enjoyed their higher-tier benefits, but none dared slack off. If they failed next month's evaluation and got kicked out, that would be embarrassing.
That night, Huangtian Houtu gathered the Dynasty team members and also called for Yang Yan-XF and a few top players from the strategy group. It was their scheduled gear-farming time.
Zero-Type Kazdel Sarkaz King's Castle had been cleared a Terra-month ago, but because it still dropped powerful gear, they had to run it repeatedly. At this point, all they needed were accessories and weapons.
In the past, they also needed to roll for armor from treasure chests. Players had two armor slots: the outer layer, which was always the standardized Tomorrow's Development coat, and the inner layer, which had to be farmed.
But now, with the Tomorrow's Development coat worn underneath and the Emperor's Children power-armor on top? Perfection. Absolute drip.
The moment they entered the dungeon wearing Emperor's Children gear, they immediately realized something.
Holy crap… Was this dungeon always this easy?
Normally, the three small bosses before entering the city required caution. Even after mastering the mechanics, they never relaxed. Clearing those three usually took about seven minutes or above. But today?
Five minutes, and done.
"Are we just in great shape today?"
Huang Tianhoutu had barely spoken before realizing how silly the question was. He and his teammates were all wearing the purple-and-gold Emperor's Children power armor. He slapped his forehead. "Right, right. At least we don't have to live in fear during the run anymore."
Not far away, Yang Yan XF finished off Luna and regrouped with the others. The whole team was in high spirits.
"Come on, come on, let's go wipe out the Blood demons!"
"It's called Vampires."
"Think we can set a new record today?"
Laughing and joking, the group entered the Kazdel Mobile City. Even under the boss's attacks, they moved with ease, brushing aside its blows like they were nothing. The loot division afterward was smooth, without a single hiccup.
Their total clear time didn't even reach thirty minutes. For a dungeon that usually took an hour and a half, this was nothing short of a miracle.
The Emperor's Children felt as refreshed as if they'd just taken a long drink of ice-cold tea on a blazing summer day. April was nearly over, and their hearts were already racing toward the eastern front they hadn't cleared yet. "Vampire over there, wash your neck and wait for us!"
Life inside the Kazdel Mobile City was comfortable and carefree, and in far-off Ursus, the Brotherhood was also doing well. Their numbers had even grown—after the end of version 2.0, new players kept pouring in. Some were born in Ursus and, ignoring whether they were Infected or not, immediately defected to the Brotherhood. Their roster shot upward.
The Brotherhood's routine remained the same: taking missions, raising livestock, fishing, farming… After a few attempts at growing crops, players gave up. Nothing decent could sprout in this frozen wasteland anyway.
But life in Reunion was far from pleasant. Just as the Brotherhood gained manpower, so did Reunion.
In recent days, Talulah had absorbed a massive number of new members, as if trying to match the Brotherhood step for step. Their ranks expanded again and again. When Talulah finally believed they were united enough to stand beside the Brotherhood and take on the Patrol Unit, a painfully real problem surfaced.
Their supplies are running out.